My first "real" guitar was a lucky strike. Bought new in 1979/80, it was a Kawai KS-12-XL. Very similar to the Yamaha SG-2000 of the same era in construction, feel, quality and sound. I say it was a lucky strike because I bought it mail order, had no idea what it would really be like, but the specs seemed good, the price was right, and I was a teenager wanting a cool guitar. OK, it was cool to me.
At the time, I had to decide between the KS-12 and KS-11. Ever since, I always wondered what the KS-11 would have been like.
You can see where this is going ...
It became something of a quest for me ... there must be one out there, somewhere. I've been watching eBay for 5/6/more years, waiting for one to turn up. When it did (in original conditiion), 3/4 years ago I missed it. I contacted the winner at the time, and swapped a couple of emails ... but he's no longer responding to that account. And that was the only one I'd found in all those years. I still kick myself. Hard.
The other day, I had a contact through my blog from a guy who said he had a KS-11. He'd had it from new, bought from the same dealer around the same time I got mine. It's now mine . And it's as good as I'd hoped.
The rest of you may be completely bored by all of this ... but for me, it's the end of a 30 year search (unless anyone has one of them in natural finish of course!).
So, this is a 30 year old guitar. Mahogany body and setneck. Rosewood board. Maple cap. Twin hbs with tone & vol for each, and a coil tap switch. It's in pretty good condition, though I may fiddle with the electrics at some point.
Mine, all mine ... here's the family. My original KS-12, the newly added KS-11, and a KS-10 that I found on eBay a few years back ... They're all great!
