Re: New name: My new Samick KR-660 guitar!
Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 pm
Ok, here we go guys 
This is the guitar the minute I came home:
Now..., first thing first...
This picture is for those who can understand what I mean... he he.... Just in case...
Anyway, the Truss Rod is in perfect condition, and so is the neck, responding very well to adjustments
Then I took apart the guitar and cleaned it deeply with special solvents and stuff...
When I got into the tremolo thing, there was a cable that was in the way, and it was bothering there, so I solded it somewhere else, so to be able to move the springs without braking the cable:
Then I added some more springs for the sake of better sound, more sustain, and because I am not really a whammy bar user, I prefer perfect tuning instate, so I went from 3 to 5
Then I added what I consider one of the worst strings, Fender Srings, because they came free and I thought it was a good idea to use bad strings for the seting up, and then I got some D'addario for the following step:
After having cleaned Diana perfectly, stringed her and fine tune everetying related with action, tuning, breadge, etc., etc., etc., here it is the final result, an amazing guitar that I really am glad to have and play:
As you can see, the body is really thick, made in fact, of a single piece of wood behind, while in the front it has som other wood in two pieces. I would love to know which wood is it, but I could not find any information about it. Anyway, I am also posting a picture of the wood as clear as I could get it:
I wonder about how much it could cost when it was a new instrument, 20 years ago, it must have been a pretty expensive one.
Today, for the sake of it, as I went for a case and some strings to the same shops, I took and ply guitars untill reaching some that would match the level of confort, pleyability and quility construction and sound of this Samick, and I was surprised to find out that the price of them were around 1.200 to 1.500 USD.
Now a little review:
Price: about 270 USD, from a little second hand guitar and basses shop.
Name: Samick Superstrato KR-660
Features: Korean made Samick KR-660 guitar, year 1993, top of the line of a series of guitars. It's got 24 jumbo frets set in a rosewood fingerboard, probably, on an alder or maple body (something I have to find out). It was made in a moment Samick was fighting their way, so they had to give more for less, and it has a beautiful red transparent finish, which I like much. It has a floating bridge Floyd Rose Push-Pull System, great for up and down whammy playing, but I tend not to use it much. It has a single volume pot, a 5 way switch and a pot which is sort of an EQ with pull and push which makes not much of a difference in tone, except when you turn it far down, so it becomse a way to cut high frequencies down. Of course, it did not come with a case, I have to find out one myself, as it is a second hand instrument, and after 20 yers, this case who knows where it is... // As far as features. I give it a 9
Sound: It fits all my musical tastes perfectly: Jazz, classic rock, blues, and all good fusion guitar leaks, it does it all. There is some noise on this guitar when I am too close to the computer, otherwise is fine, so I get back to play distorted, a good thing for single coil pickups, but the humbucker makes a little more noise eventually, dependeing of the presents used. These pickups sound really nice. // I give it a 10
Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar needed a lot of work from my part, but as always, I become a happy child with a new toy, and get so involved with it that is like being in a party, now the guitar is is in a pretty good condition. The action, pickup poles, and bridge are all set up as near perfect as you can get. I have oiled the neck with lemon oil, which is really great for freatboards, and the guitar plays nice now. The finish is made of thick high gloss, very strong and beautiful, and the guitar is very confortable to play, but hey, it is very heavy for its body, it is surprisingly heavy, but this amounts to its cleary and sweet sound too. // I give it a 9
Reliability & Durability: After 20 years, being in such a decent conndition, there is not much to be said, the guitar is speaking for itself, now, I doubt that instrument today will have such a quality build and durability, companies tend to build them like toys... unless you pay about 3 to 5 thousand for them // It desevers a 10
General Impression: For what I play, the color I like a guitar to be, the fact that it is a modified Stratocaster, this guitar suits me perfectly. What I really like is the sweet sound, you can get relly soft and gentle sounds out of it, which is something I don't like from most Ibanez rock guitars, because they sound rough all the time, even when played softly. I've been playing guitar for many years, and this is the best guitar I have had so far, it has even motivated me to start playing with a plectrum, something that I have never consider to do, because the sound you can pull out from this way is amazing. What would I do if I were to lose it or the guitar was stolen? I would search the bastard and kick his ass first of all... then I would cry, because I know it will be very difficult to find another one like this. I think I have got a guitar for many years to come. // 9
Thank you for sharing such a strong passion that we have for music and instruments with me
Best wishes
This is the guitar the minute I came home:
Now..., first thing first...
This picture is for those who can understand what I mean... he he.... Just in case...
Anyway, the Truss Rod is in perfect condition, and so is the neck, responding very well to adjustments
Then I took apart the guitar and cleaned it deeply with special solvents and stuff...
When I got into the tremolo thing, there was a cable that was in the way, and it was bothering there, so I solded it somewhere else, so to be able to move the springs without braking the cable:
Then I added some more springs for the sake of better sound, more sustain, and because I am not really a whammy bar user, I prefer perfect tuning instate, so I went from 3 to 5
Then I added what I consider one of the worst strings, Fender Srings, because they came free and I thought it was a good idea to use bad strings for the seting up, and then I got some D'addario for the following step:
After having cleaned Diana perfectly, stringed her and fine tune everetying related with action, tuning, breadge, etc., etc., etc., here it is the final result, an amazing guitar that I really am glad to have and play:
As you can see, the body is really thick, made in fact, of a single piece of wood behind, while in the front it has som other wood in two pieces. I would love to know which wood is it, but I could not find any information about it. Anyway, I am also posting a picture of the wood as clear as I could get it:
I wonder about how much it could cost when it was a new instrument, 20 years ago, it must have been a pretty expensive one.
Today, for the sake of it, as I went for a case and some strings to the same shops, I took and ply guitars untill reaching some that would match the level of confort, pleyability and quility construction and sound of this Samick, and I was surprised to find out that the price of them were around 1.200 to 1.500 USD.
Now a little review:
Price: about 270 USD, from a little second hand guitar and basses shop.
Name: Samick Superstrato KR-660
Features: Korean made Samick KR-660 guitar, year 1993, top of the line of a series of guitars. It's got 24 jumbo frets set in a rosewood fingerboard, probably, on an alder or maple body (something I have to find out). It was made in a moment Samick was fighting their way, so they had to give more for less, and it has a beautiful red transparent finish, which I like much. It has a floating bridge Floyd Rose Push-Pull System, great for up and down whammy playing, but I tend not to use it much. It has a single volume pot, a 5 way switch and a pot which is sort of an EQ with pull and push which makes not much of a difference in tone, except when you turn it far down, so it becomse a way to cut high frequencies down. Of course, it did not come with a case, I have to find out one myself, as it is a second hand instrument, and after 20 yers, this case who knows where it is... // As far as features. I give it a 9
Sound: It fits all my musical tastes perfectly: Jazz, classic rock, blues, and all good fusion guitar leaks, it does it all. There is some noise on this guitar when I am too close to the computer, otherwise is fine, so I get back to play distorted, a good thing for single coil pickups, but the humbucker makes a little more noise eventually, dependeing of the presents used. These pickups sound really nice. // I give it a 10
Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar needed a lot of work from my part, but as always, I become a happy child with a new toy, and get so involved with it that is like being in a party, now the guitar is is in a pretty good condition. The action, pickup poles, and bridge are all set up as near perfect as you can get. I have oiled the neck with lemon oil, which is really great for freatboards, and the guitar plays nice now. The finish is made of thick high gloss, very strong and beautiful, and the guitar is very confortable to play, but hey, it is very heavy for its body, it is surprisingly heavy, but this amounts to its cleary and sweet sound too. // I give it a 9
Reliability & Durability: After 20 years, being in such a decent conndition, there is not much to be said, the guitar is speaking for itself, now, I doubt that instrument today will have such a quality build and durability, companies tend to build them like toys... unless you pay about 3 to 5 thousand for them // It desevers a 10
General Impression: For what I play, the color I like a guitar to be, the fact that it is a modified Stratocaster, this guitar suits me perfectly. What I really like is the sweet sound, you can get relly soft and gentle sounds out of it, which is something I don't like from most Ibanez rock guitars, because they sound rough all the time, even when played softly. I've been playing guitar for many years, and this is the best guitar I have had so far, it has even motivated me to start playing with a plectrum, something that I have never consider to do, because the sound you can pull out from this way is amazing. What would I do if I were to lose it or the guitar was stolen? I would search the bastard and kick his ass first of all...
then I would cry, because I know it will be very difficult to find another one like this. I think I have got a guitar for many years to come. // 9Thank you for sharing such a strong passion that we have for music and instruments with me
Best wishes
you must have a soul somewhere, otherwise I can’t believe how I could relate with you in such an strong way, perhaps because I have played you for such a long time. 