Klira Archtop

[QsDuesBlues]

What can be done with a tired-looking old c.1961 Klira Triumphator De Luxe ? (similar model to Supersoul's Klira at start of this thread, but no truss rod)

Well, you could remove the sloppy old 3-on-a-strip tuners and tarnished tailpiece, store the old unsightly plastic-looking 2-piece bridge in your 'historic bits' box, spend Lord knows how many hours cleaning the guitar with (1) Johnson's Pledge wood spray-on polish (2) methylated spirits on round cotton wool pads, and (3) Farecla abrasive car panel buffer via those same pads (Farecla is highly toxic - beware!) - in that order - then hand to a competent luthier/restorer for a refret and total revamp -

Result? A gorgeous baby-smooth finish that's brought out the classic old amberburst colours nicely, a smoothed-over fingerboard with divots and wear finish cavities here and on rear of neck all filled out, a refinished headstock with a ludicrous 'Gibson' transfer removed (!), nice-feeling Dunlop frets with graphite string spacer behind zero fret, new Grover Rotomatic tuners, new 2-piece Guild-style wooden bridge and nickel Gibbo-style tailpiece, and a left-handed and inverted (German style) WD tortoiseshell pickguard and bracket - finished off with a set of D'Addario 12 - 53 flatwounds -- and a new Koda case.

Final result looks like this below - and the most surprising thing for me is the resulting tone - hugely impressive for a type of instrument often referred to as mere "plywood guitar". I played the guitar for quite a few days before realising that it was in fact a short 24 & 1/2" scale rather than the standard 24 & 3/4", so comfortable did it feel with its fairly wide neck.

The shape, size and feel of the guitar are all totally 'right' for me (16 & 1/4" x 12 & 1/4" x 3 & 3/16" x 20") - it may be a 3-piece laminate and 3-piece neck instrument with no truss rod, but the people at Klira certainly got something right with this classic old design, which they surely must have made quite a few hundred of between about 1957 - 1963, I think - many being sold through a German mail order catalogue system.

How much did the job cost in total? Well, all in perhaps around £550-00 plus a new £85-00 case. Not cheap, but still a whole lot cheaper than a classic X-175, ES-175 or CF-1. I'd rather not think about it really - I prefer instead to think of the episode as a great little archtop rescued from oblivion - and all nicely set up for another 60 years of playing life................ et voila ! -

[QsDuesBlues]

Update 8th May 2023:

Anyone in Germany with 50 Euros to spare ? There's a nice condition 'project' Klira Triumphator De Luxe up on E-Bay.De today, identical to mine (before I refurbished it).

- starting price 50 Euros !!

All you need to do.......... is re-glue the two separated heel pieces back to the neck main piece - then re-set the detached (now whole) neck back to the body.

The guitar actually looks in better condition - especially the components - to the one I bought for £306-00, though unlike mine the neck looks like it's not a 3-piece but rather a one piece, bar the separated heel pieces. The woods on these guitars were nicely put together and will repay a fingerboard plane-over and re-fret, if necessary - mine certainly sounds and plays great. Any takers ?