toddler68 Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 Has anyone seen these? RKS guitars What is your honest opinion of their design? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!!METAL MATT!! Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 hum I don't Think I like That Guitar at All! It looks like A traveling guitar In the center that Just had some Stuff glued on to the side's Of it !!METAL MATT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiggz Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 (edited) man they are way cool, i want me one, but i dont think my hip pocket is big enuf luke ps. for those aussies who want some useless info, dave manson (not the 1 on that page)was a rugby league referee, and ref'd state of origin one year, hes the one that yelled at wally lewis, he now runs the indoor cricket center where i play. small world innit Edited June 27, 2005 by where's the beef??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egdeltar Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 They look horrible IMO...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 I've often contemplated an "open architecture" guitar as they describe it, but I always draft it with the "scoop-outs" on the back. So the front looks regular. Opening the front like that is plain ugly. The whole thing becomes gimmicky. Plus, the way they've designed it, it seems most if not all of the "plugged in" sound is going to be steinberger-ish. In other words, I can see how those wings might produce a cool acoustic sound to the player, but the core block is what's governing the string vibrations more than anything. And come to think of it, anything with an F-hole is "open architecture" really. I mean, if you can see in there, or accidentally drop a pick inside there, it's open architecture IMO But when I think about that kind of stuff it's always sculpted from the back so parts of it are thinner like a wafer. The Parker is kind of like that, where parts of the back follow the front carve, and other parts flare down and get thicker for support. But if you just start with a steinberger and then add wings, you're going to get that kind of sound no matter what kind of acoustics you add. I guess you could put a contact transducer in the sides, but then the guitar would have too much "touch noise". It's like if you press your electric guitar against a roll-top desk it will get way louder. But did the plugged in sound change? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddler68 Posted June 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 There are some interesting explorations from a technical standpoint, but IMHO the execution of the basic aesthetics is hideous! <insert 'vomit' icon here> To me it's like 'edge' design gone bad... like someone forgot to sand it. The surfaces are clumsily faceted and just don't flow. What really bothers me is that an industrial designer came up with the design. One benefit however is that it is built kind of like a stealth bomber, so it probably has a very low radar cross-section! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfink Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 I think on this occassion i'll keep my money in the bank thanks. Jem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pr3Va1L Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 well, i think they're cool! Some of their other models are really nice!!! The "carving" is what i'm gonna have on my guitar... sides completely round I actually think them to be quite intelligent... First off, they are simply 1 piece neck-through with wings attached to them, only instead it uses "ribs" to attach them lol. They're also symmetrical... Easy left handed models BTW, the hollow-body wings are made from polymer... dunno how that sounds thoug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnewman Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 I kinda like 'em in terms of the way they look - but I wouldn't want to play one as my main guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepultura999 Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 they look okay, however the body design is terrible. it looks like a strat, tele, and PRS collided Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 yuck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodBlessTexas Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 There are multiple designs, but they all seem to hinge around the body piece that is made up of the bridge to the headstok bolted to a different outer shell body. I personally like the Wave and the Boomerang, but the Boomering seems a bit off proportionally. Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddler68 Posted June 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 I personally like the Wave and the Boomerang, but the Boomering seems a bit off proportionally. ← I agree. Neither the Wave nor the Boomerang bother me as much as the original. It has been featured in articles and design mag covers for a couple years now. I just don't see what all the fuss is about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 I like'em. The Original is OK, the Wave is cool. The boomerang is a bit nasty, but in general I like these. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 There was a topic started not too long ago about a guitar that you could, oops. Never mind. I think those suck rather large and are a product with no viable market. I hope they go broke soon and prove me right. Oh, yeah. IMHO Just remember that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtommyb Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 dont like the main design but that V looks pretty cool! T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisstrong_86 Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 I think new ideas like these are great and if you like them then go for it! People seem to be more bothered about how a guitar looks and its cool factor, than how it sounds, hence the popularity of PRS i suppose, for many if a guitar looks cool and it is popular then they will like how it sounds, i'm the oppoiste it can look **** even tho elegance is a rather large bonus i base my liking for a guitar 95% on how it sounds and plays! has anyone ever played one? I would be very interested in how they play!!! Chris P.S i dont think they look to bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 I don't think I'd wish bankruptcy on a small company, even if I don't like their designs (which I do, mind). It'd be cool to see them make a sustained go of it. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onelastgoodbye Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 (edited) There are some interesting explorations from a technical standpoint, but IMHO the execution of the basic aesthetics is hideous! <insert 'vomit' icon here> To me it's like 'edge' design gone bad... like someone forgot to sand it. The surfaces are clumsily faceted and just don't flow. What really bothers me is that an industrial designer came up with the design. One benefit however is that it is built kind of like a stealth bomber, so it probably has a very low radar cross-section! ← You're an industrial designer, right? me too...well I will be in a year or so. Those guitars are pretty interesting. I don't really get the semi-vintage look though, and I would 've made those aluminium supports 'flow' along, rather than putting 'em perpendicular to the center section. I don't buy the 'ergonomic' knobs either. Then there's the idea of opening up the body, but from a distance, the whole design is pretty monolithic. And they're just wayy to symmetrical. I hate symmetry, it just takes all of the tension out of a design. However they do put me off less than say...Teuffel guitars. I think the main problem though is that it's really hard to come up with something innovative and make it appealing to most guitarists without loosing that contemporary edge. We've all been brainwashed for so long by traditional guitar looks...most people don't even like parker guitars (personally, i think they're one of the few that were able to create something modern and unique yet still classic) Tim Edited June 27, 2005 by onelastgoodbye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirapop Posted June 28, 2005 Report Share Posted June 28, 2005 Well, there's real innovation and then there's design for design's sake. It's nice that there's been democratization in design, with it trickling down into products that hadn't had the benefit. But, there are lots of consumer products that are trying way too hard. I remember seeing the RKS article in I.D. Magazine. They almost had me convinced that conventional guitars were obsolete and irrelevant. The guitar was interesting to look at... like the furniture and accessories in the New & Notable section of the magazine. Some of that stuff is so self-conscious, "Look at me! I was DESIGNED dammit!" That's good sometimes. At their website, they list magazines the guitar has been reviewed in. In addition to I.D., a magazine for designers and their devotees, there's also The Robb Report: a magazine to tell rich people, with no taste, what to buy. I think they are positioning their guitars for the "discriminating player" and their guitars have to look sufficiently different to keep their clientele from bleeding off to any of the many boutique guitar makers. I think they look okay. The Teuffels look delirious, which I think is great. I don't think jeans, a t-shirt, and hightops work with that look. Pagelli is sort of middle ground between the avant garde and traditional. I'll confess to being stuck in the past and trying to go back further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted June 28, 2005 Report Share Posted June 28, 2005 I like a couple of their designs, that V/arrow guitar is pretty nice, and the Wave is nice too. But I'd prefer to see both of them as solid bodies. Of course, then they'd look like every other guitar. I'm leery of self-proclamations like theirs --" the most revolutionary development in guitar playing in 50 years?" ....yeah, right. That statement alone suggests to me that they'll be out of business in a year or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddler68 Posted June 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2005 You're an industrial designer, right?← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnewman Posted June 28, 2005 Report Share Posted June 28, 2005 HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I just looked at their "Options" page. It costs $500 to get a tremolo, $750 for gold hardware, and $1000 to be signed by their main sponsored artist, Dave Mason. That's kind of funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted June 28, 2005 Report Share Posted June 28, 2005 Well, according to this week's Business Week (pg. 60), RKS has managed to build a guitar that sounds better than a Les Paul. I'm not kidding. As is well known in the guitar community, Biz Week is the SOURCE for all things guitar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAI6 Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 (edited) From a design point-of-view, they have most certainly created something new in the guitar market. But from the consumer/guitarist point-of-view, I don't see anything that would warrant anyone to drop that kind of cash on their product... It's a solid "log", with a bunch of "crap" attached to it, that pretty much has no impact on the sound as soon as you plug it in. So, sell me. Give me a reason why I should buy THAT guitar... I just don't get it. Edited June 29, 2005 by RAI6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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