GJgo
Well-known member
So a couple weeks ago I got an email from GC for 10% off all used gear. What the hell I said, let's see what they have today. Not too long later I checked out with a KH-2 for $860 to my door! Pretty stoked, never thought I'd see one come up for under a grand! The picture on the website was crappy but I figured it was worth a shot since they have a good return policy..
Ran the serials, looks like it's a '96 model. So, still a pretty decent price I think even with the age. Pretty decent shape really, some scratches & dings but overall nothing wrong with it. Took a while to figure a couple things out, though. It has a pair of 81s, I figured it would from the vintage. While this one & my JH-600 both have a 42mm nut, the JH has a 41.5mm nut shelf where the KH has a 43mm nut shelf. Makes a HUGE difference to how it feels. I really think they should give this dimension as well in the product details. The bolt-on neck does seem to have some more mid-attack than the neck through on my JH, even though they have the same wood type & pickups. It's really uncanny how the JH sounds more "Slayer" and the KH sounds more "Metallica", even through the same amp. I really think the slightly different neck width (and radius?) also makes it easier to play the techniques from the respective songs.
At first I thought there was something wrong with it since only one volume control worked, and the tone knob did nothing- plus, it sounded like I was playing with the volume half turned down all the time- way low on gain. Battery is fine, Pup height is fine. Well, after WTFing for a while I realized that the middle knob is a passive tone knob (feels almost like a compression knob) and the bottom knob is actually a coil tap- pulled it up, and this thing sounds like a beast!! So the electronics package is entirely different from how they've been doing it for a long time. I couldn't find any reference searching for them being set up like this.
Overall after playing it all weekend I'm pretty stoked on it. I read a lot of online reviews that had nothing but good things to say about the playability & I have to agree, it is SO easy to play well. I couldn't afford the new price on one so very happy about coming across what I think is a pretty good used one. My only gripe ATM is that the 23rd fret is too tall & interferes on almost every string when fretting at the 22nd, but I bet a luthier could file it down for me. So, what do you guys think about this piece? Did I do alright on the buy or not so much?
Ran the serials, looks like it's a '96 model. So, still a pretty decent price I think even with the age. Pretty decent shape really, some scratches & dings but overall nothing wrong with it. Took a while to figure a couple things out, though. It has a pair of 81s, I figured it would from the vintage. While this one & my JH-600 both have a 42mm nut, the JH has a 41.5mm nut shelf where the KH has a 43mm nut shelf. Makes a HUGE difference to how it feels. I really think they should give this dimension as well in the product details. The bolt-on neck does seem to have some more mid-attack than the neck through on my JH, even though they have the same wood type & pickups. It's really uncanny how the JH sounds more "Slayer" and the KH sounds more "Metallica", even through the same amp. I really think the slightly different neck width (and radius?) also makes it easier to play the techniques from the respective songs.
At first I thought there was something wrong with it since only one volume control worked, and the tone knob did nothing- plus, it sounded like I was playing with the volume half turned down all the time- way low on gain. Battery is fine, Pup height is fine. Well, after WTFing for a while I realized that the middle knob is a passive tone knob (feels almost like a compression knob) and the bottom knob is actually a coil tap- pulled it up, and this thing sounds like a beast!! So the electronics package is entirely different from how they've been doing it for a long time. I couldn't find any reference searching for them being set up like this.
Overall after playing it all weekend I'm pretty stoked on it. I read a lot of online reviews that had nothing but good things to say about the playability & I have to agree, it is SO easy to play well. I couldn't afford the new price on one so very happy about coming across what I think is a pretty good used one. My only gripe ATM is that the 23rd fret is too tall & interferes on almost every string when fretting at the 22nd, but I bet a luthier could file it down for me. So, what do you guys think about this piece? Did I do alright on the buy or not so much?
