Recording King Guitars

Subject: Recording King Guitars
From: Silas
Date: 20 Oct 11 - 04:59 AM

Has anyone any experience of these guitars? I am considering the purchase of a ROS 16, a small bodies 12 fret. I have borrowed it for a while and have to say that although the back and sides are a laminate, the top is solid. It has a slightly wider fretboard than I am used to, but the build quality and sound seem incredible.

Subject: RE: Recording King Guitars
From: GUEST,Fyldeplayer
Date: 20 Oct 11 - 09:59 AM

How lucky are you to try before you buy! I'd love to try one for volume ( I work with concertina and melodeon ), clips on youtube suggest good sound, I'd rather sit in pub with a nice Chinese guitar than old Fylde Oberon which to be honest is a bit timid in sound. Is the top colour split as evident a some picture suggest?
Grab it or let me know who's selling.

Subject: RE: Recording King Guitars
From: bubblyrat
Date: 20 Oct 11 - 10:00 AM

My partner recently bought a "Recording King" RD 27 model ( solid Spruce top, solid Rosewood back & sides ) and is VERY pleased with it ! Personally , I don't like the fiddly little repro vintage butterbean tuners , but otherwise it sounds very good indeed ,and is comfortable and easy to play.For £450-00 or thereabouts ( I don't know what your laminated model costs ), I'd say they ( RKs) were very good value !!

Subject: RE: Recording King Guitars
From: bubblyrat
Date: 20 Oct 11 - 10:03 AM

Ps The top colour is split (Dave !) which suggests book-matching to me.The whole thing screams Martin copy !!

Subject: RE: Recording King Guitars
From: Silas
Date: 20 Oct 11 - 10:23 AM

Well, it is a ate who is selling it, he is asking £180.00 inc hardshell case. the top is bookmarked spruce but sides and back are laminate mahogany. Build quality (chineese) is amazing and its sounds very 'martin' (I have a HD28V) very loud considering its size and well balanced. I was just wondering if this was a one off or if they are all this good as I am looking for a dred for my daughter.

Subject: RE: Recording King Guitars
From: GUEST,Fyldeplayer
Date: 20 Oct 11 - 10:34 AM

Can't copy a Martin (Roger !) I know I have a very nice one. How you doin?

I had also considered the ROS6 but can't find shop with stock to try - have switched hopes to Ozark parlour after reading good review by Andy Partridge XTC.

Subject: RE: Recording King Guitars
From: Mark Ross
Date: 20 Oct 11 - 01:23 PM

The Recording King 12 fret is a joy to play, and will probably only get better with age. I recommend it highly!

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Recording King Guitars
From: Midchuck
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 08:47 AM

The local store has an ROS-06 in stock. I've played it several times. I don't dare go back there until I sell something.

Peter

Subject: RE: Recording King Guitars
From: Silas
Date: 22 Oct 11 - 05:35 AM

Tried it at a session on Thursday, very impressed. Only thing is it keeps losing tune, I don't know if it is the fact that these is hardly any string wrapped round the posts and the strings have not been locked, or if the tuners are a bit duff.
Wrote the beginnings of a new song with it last night....

Subject: RE: Recording King Guitars
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 22 Oct 11 - 01:21 PM

I'd try re-stringing it first, making sure the ends of the strings are trapped by a couple of coils and that the coils themselves don't overlap each other.

Also, on the Recoding King website (here) its says the tuners are "die cast", without giving a maker's name. If correct re-stringing doesn't work, I'd consider putting a named set of tuners, such as Waverly, on it. (Make sure they'll fit first!)

Mind you, I always found stringing a slot-head a pain in the backside. I once had a great Santa Cruz 000 but re-stringing it drove me bonkers...

Pete

Subject: RE: Recording King Guitars
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 22 Oct 11 - 02:00 PM

Sorry, the ends of the strings should be trapped under ONE coil. (Else the coils are bound to overlap...Doh!). (But I'm sure you knew that anyway, Silas).

Pete

Subject: RE: Recording King Guitars
From: Silas
Date: 23 Oct 11 - 05:12 AM

Well, it seems to have settled down tuning wise. It seems to have the same tuners that I have on my HD28V, though I think they must be Chineese knock-off copies, but they seem OK. I can't seem to put it down. It may be because I have just got it, but my other guitars are a Martin HD28V, a Martin DX1 and an old and trusty Yamaha. If RK dreadnaughts are as good as this it seriously makes you think about what people spend (myself included) on high end guitars. The retail price for their top of the range all wood dred is about £550.00 Compare that with a HD28 at over £2500.00 it makes you think.