“Attention Kmart shoppers.”
You remember the old “blue light” special gimmick at America’s favorite discount store, don’t you?
That’s where I keep expecting the new “Ktone” harp guitar to turn up.
Don’t laugh.
This is just the latest iteration of that old “Mike Doolin rip-off” Chinese instrument from eBay’s Tropical Moon vendor (who went under a hundred other “brand” and user names).
Disclaimer: I don’t know if the new Ktone (not sold at Kmart, I was just joking, but sold on Amazon) is actually still the same company or instrument. But it sure looks like it.
I bring all this up not to pick on them (though I am happy to), but because just this week I got two separate requests for strings for this instrument, both from knowledgeable guitar players. Just goes to illustrate the many realities of the continually expanding harp guitar market.
One bought the new Ktone. The owner “apologized”…he’d read my Public Service Announcement, but hopes to work on upgrading it to see if he can make something of it.
The other gentleman received from a friend a free used model with “Maestro” on the headstock (same instrument, just different decal). He, too, hopes to string it up and try to get it working just so he can decide if he likes harp guitar, though he confessed “One might surely feel like the proverbial ‘turd in a punch bowl’ showing up for one of your yearly harp guitar meetings with this…”
His expression, not mine (but if the ____ fits…).
Speaking of entry-level harp guitars, I find myself on the horns of a similar dilemma, and recently posted a new Public Service Announcement about it.
I was considering picking one of the Ktone harp guitars up. As long as the neck and the construction are decent I can set it up to play ridiculously good. But if the actual construction is substandard then it is not worth it at all. Is the problem that these are copies of a more reputable company or that they are in fact junk?
I don’t need to spend a ton on an instrument for a name but I do want one that plays and sounds good.
Thank you all very much for the insight!
My name is Chris Young and IChris owned two harp guitars purchased from John Bernunzio one a four bass Adolph Hornstiener 1895 and a style u 1915 Gibson I tuned standard with 10 string chromatic E up bass,However an amazing guy in Washington state tuned in C like Gene Autry with a c bass chromatic that that was the original company spec so THE BASSES SOUNDED AUTOMATICALLY!HOPE I can tune a KTONE in B s or B to G bass,B E A D F#B guitar,and B to B octo harp,I have A tricone I tune in A slack which love and earn money with regularly.Chris Young
Is Maestro really the same as K-Tone?
I only ask this because I am in the market for a new portable headless guitar, and both companies make a copy of Steinberger’s Spirit. I actually just sold my Steinberger, because I was unhappy with the neck, which is D-shaped. I noticed that Maestro/K-tone makes one with a natural finish neck, which I might be able to sand down to fit my hand better.
My question is if there is any difference in quality between Maestro and K-tone, or are they the same company, or did one become the other at a certain point in the past? Amazon carries both brands simultaneously, so it certainly seems as though they are different, but similar. Like I said, I’m just trying to figure out which one is higher quality, or if they are both the same.
Justice – I have no idea, but I suspect factories and quality change constantly.
Gregg, of course i agree with you. If ever I see a copy of my design, I’m sure that I’ll be seriously upset.
What I find great about harpguitar makers, is the personal approach each one has to the instrument.
Perhaps that makes it even harder to accept these blatent copies.
I now add onto the back of the cards that I give out, a link to harpguitar.net. and tell people to go there and discover all there is to know about hg’s.
The wealth of information you have made available, plus the forum, is probably the best way we can “protect “our work and futur harp guitar players from wasting their money.
Sean – as a kid who grew up with the most unplayable hand-me-down electric and “folk” guitars to learn on (which I eventually did), I absolutely agree (public service announcement #2). It’s the “intellectual property” theft and unfortunate quality issues (price aside) that plague the subject (public service announcement #1).
Hi Gregg.
I have mixed feelings about this subject.
Most of us start out on cheap almost unplayable copies of the guitar we dream about, and then move on to better.
I have just spent the weekend displaying my guitars at a local trad music festival. Nobody had seen a harp guitar before. But all those who played them found the concept amazing. So it would be nice to meet more players, even on “cheap” guitars, who want a better tool.
Is the consecration for a builder to have a Chinese copy?
If you see any Woo Lee classical harp guitars on EBay, let me know!