Kline Owners-Stand and Be Counted

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 27 Jul 2012 2:00 pm

Spoke to Forumite Don Dixon, inventor of the Echo Plex, a week ago. He told me Joe is in Florida, and they occasionally get together.

Alan Cook · Post by **Alan Cook** » 28 Jul 2012 12:25 am

I emailed Joe to get parts for the orange Kline. But no reply or I had the wrong address. Bought a small bench drill and welding set, made about 20 rods 4 yokes pull fingers and connectors. Still could do with some other parts if anyone could put me in touch with him?

Alan

Alan Cook · Post by **Alan Cook** » 6 Aug 2012 11:37 am

A special thanks to Jon Jaffe for the Decal. Does anyone have a lever lock for sale?

Alan

Doug Garrick · Post by **Doug Garrick** » 7 Aug 2012 6:18 pm

Bob Benton, that looks like the U12 I traded away in 1991 or so. That picture brings back fond memories.

-doug garrick

john widgren · Post by **john widgren** » 7 Aug 2012 7:29 pm

Sigurgeir Sigmundsson · Post by **Sigurgeir Sigmundsson** » 3 Oct 2012 6:59 pm

My Kline D10 probably made in 1973. Emmons set up and I have installed Truetone pickups wich Jerry Wallace custom made for me. I also have a Excel suberb and a Sho bud D10 super pro 2 but there is something about the Kline that makes him grow to your body, lots of sustaine and the Truetone pickups really sing. There are surely not many Klines in Scandicavia so I had to tell you about this one.

Alan Cook · Post by **Alan Cook** » 3 Oct 2012 10:48 pm

Joe provided me with all the parts I needed a couple of weeks ago. Great service. I fitted them all and both my Klines are playing and sounding fabulous. Alan.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 4 Oct 2012 6:36 am

Sig/Sig.
Probably 1983.

Sigurgeir Sigmundsson · Post by **Sigurgeir Sigmundsson** » 4 Oct 2012 12:36 pm

Hi John and thanks for this informaton
I thought it was older but maby Steve Takacs knows more about it since he owned it once. The age does not make the difference for me....its just a great instrument

I know that the previous owner was Glenn Lautzenheiser which died in 2003 since I have his "Pedal steel guitar Association" membership card.
All the best from Iceland
Siggi

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 4 Oct 2012 4:30 pm

Sig,
I'm sure it's am 80's guitar. Way, way too advanced a design to be in the early 70s. If you email Steve, tell him I said "Hi!"
JB

Alan Cook · Post by **Alan Cook** » 14 Jan 2013 10:35 am

Here they are:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsnPOKIl ... 8g&index=1

Alan

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 14 Jan 2013 11:29 am

Hey Alan,,,that was just GREAT!!!! Sounded like the Jeff Newman version of Crazy,,,,,KLINEs FOREVER!!!!!

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 17 Jan 2013 7:52 pm

Gordon Stone came over tonight with his Kline SU12. What a great guitar. He had an issue with pedal one not coming up to pitch. Within five minutes we figured it out. - not enough pedal travel and a little interference with the 1+1/2 have step raise that provides a seventh on the bottom. Considering the guitar was made around 1980, that's not a bad maintenance record. Sounded great.
I like that balanced pull feature.
I'd love to see a diagram of the changer. Unlike a conventional all pull it is somewhat obscured. You back out hex head screws (counter clockwise) to increase the travel increasing the pitch which is opposite most push pulls.
Can someone describe it?
I imagine the screw acts as a stop. The stop being so much closer to the bidness might explain the "stays in tune" quality the guitar exhibits.
I want a Kline. It'so compact and about 5lbs lighter than my SU12.

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 17 Jan 2013 7:58 pm

I think the Kline is one of the best looking key-less guitars I've seen. The matching horizontal slope on the changer and key head give it a symmetry that other key-less guitars don't exhibit.

Alan Cook · Post by **Alan Cook** » 18 Jan 2013 9:47 am

Jim

This is a good explanation of how they work:

http://www.julianwinston.com/music/the_kline_guitar.php

Alan

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 22 Jan 2013 12:13 pm

Tx Allen.

Interesting. So the changer tuning adjustment screws serve as the stops.
Allen, perhaps you don't have an instance of this with your copedent, but, on the same string, does a 1 step raise add to a half step lower to give you a net 1/2 step raise?
This is the case with scissors all pull BTW.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 31 Jan 2013 7:43 pm

More pics of my Kline D10, African Teak mica guitar (which I no longer have).

That dang guitar player better stop stepping all over me.

I learned this at a Jeff Newman seminar. He said when playing single note runs, you should tip your bar up on the nose and have it make contact with only the string you are currently playing.

As you can see, she favors the C6th neck. Loves Chalker. Wish I had the sound files to go with this.

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 1 Feb 2013 7:08 am

Richard (or other Kline owners)
Can you comment on the string spacing?
Did you find it hard to adapt to? It's significantly narrower than my Fessy I know.
Maybe it's average?
My guitar is 0.335" string to string.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 1 Feb 2013 11:48 am

I actually liked the Kline's string spacing better than that on the 2 ZB's I had before the Kline. Seemed closer together. I seemed to be able to play faster. The Kline is my favorite guitar out of all that I have owned. I would love to have one again.

Alan Cook · Post by **Alan Cook** » 26 Apr 2013 5:11 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb6fOlf5 ... 8g&index=1

Alan

Alan Cook · Post by **Alan Cook** » 25 Mar 2014 5:27 am

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 25 Mar 2014 6:49 am

'Youch!
I could use some spare parts offa that thing if they are avaialable.

Nick Reed · Post by **Nick Reed** » 25 Mar 2014 2:55 pm

it's just half the guitar it used to be.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 26 Mar 2014 7:32 am

Interesting photo but what's the story?

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 26 Mar 2014 7:33 am

it's a great story, but I only know it third hand. We need someone who was there to tell it. Was it at a Dallas show?

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