Kraken Guitars Janus Custom Shop

The Kraken is a creature of fantasy after medieval Scandinavian legends, most likely inspired by the giant squid. The relationship with the guitar? I do not know!
Kraken society is relatively young, having been founded in 2004. But his expertise is older because it is actually end of the Korean Hankuk Music Compagny since 1983 which makes guitars and basses in subcontracting for large U.S. firms. Kraken branch is dedicated to the manufacture of instrument "custom shop". Truths, made to order according to customer requirements. Instruments tailored entirely handmade with the finest materials, and therefore unique.
If you read the trade press, you've probably heard of Kraken is only present in France since last year and whose models were presented at NAMM and Musikmesse.

Now that the introductions are made to turn the guitar itself. To order I made direct contact with the French importer via the website of Kraken. Appointments made, I have tried various models and choose exactly what I wanted in every detail: petrol timber, shape, handle, table, finishing, binding, inserts, key, tuning fork, mechanical bridge, tailpiece, pickups, potentiometers, electronic. Everything.

Here are the specifications of mine:
- Made entirely by hand in Korea
- Mahogany body shape Les Paul
- Mahogany, Maple, Padauk, such as Les Paul 50 '
- Rosewood headstock veneer
- Maple fingerboard, pearl inserts / abalone, pitch 24 "75 (629 mm), radius 12", 22 frets, medium-jumbo frets
- Curved maple table "burl" AAAA
- Binding table, handle, head abalone
- 2 double coil Kraken Historic wound by hand, with gold caps
- Knight-block tailpiece Gotoh ® Standard Wrap-around gold
- Mechanical 3 +3 Gotoh ® gold
- Standard Telecaster ® golden knobs: 2 volume, 2 tone
- Push / pull series / parallel for each pickup
- Push / pull phase-out phase of 2 pickups
- Delivered in deluxe flight case

If you think that Koreans are just copies of poor quality, it will have to revise your opinion. For effects, Moollon already offers superb pedals whose reputation is second to none. For guitars, Kraken excels. The quality of workmanship and finish is absolutely superb. And yet I have some beautiful models to compare (Gibson LP Standard Limited Edition Gibson Custom Shop CS-356, Gibson SG Standard, Gretsch 6120 Brian Setzer SSL-VO, PRS Custom 22 Artist Package, Fender Stratocaster VG, Fender Telecaster Deluxe ESP KH3, Martin OM42). Manufacturing quality and finishing Kraken flirts with PRS. Impressive. Even the screw plates to electronic access to the back of the instrument are golden in keeping with the rest of the hardware of the instrument!

Incidentally, the guitar pictured on top of this page is mine.

UTILIZATION

This guitar is its weight. Regarding the quality criterion used mahogany.
The ergonomics are perfect, better than a Les Paul Standard. The guitar is balanced.
The handle is a real treat for the guitarist: the frets are perfectly polished, the neck has a super slide, he allowed himself to forget the fingers, its shape fits the hand very naturally.
Obviously the standard form LP does not facilitate access to acute, but it is still better than its inspiration.
The controls are sensitive, precise and progressive.
The guitar was delivered to me perfectly adjusted for intonation and action. Holding agreement is flawless.

In short, a jewel of comfort and efficiency, worthy of the best.

SOUNDS

To recap, I opted for a fairly complex electronic: 2 push / pull series / parallel for each pickup and a push / pull to place the microphones in or out of phase. Total: 16 possible combinations.
Why serial / parallel split and not a coil or a coil tap? Reminder: 2 coils of a single microphone are usually connected in series, the microphones are themselves connected in parallel one relative to another. For a humbucker, split coil assembly that is closest to the single coil, but the loss level can be consistent and make it difficult to change from a simple dual format, and vice versa. The parallel arrangement is closer to the sounds simple, with less treble, but especially with a larger output level, so less volume difference with the dual use and therefore easier.
The Historic Kraken are wound by hand and inspired by the famous Gibson PAF present on the Les Paul Standard and Custom from 1957 to 1961.

To empty the sound is already full and generous. The sustain is remarkable.
Let's start with the dual format. The first observation that jumps you to the ears is "what level of output!". Then we notice the exceptional roundness and warmth of these microphones. The bridge pickup is biting and the amp cruncher is the clearest, but its treble is never garish. The neck pickup delivers heavy rhythms and serious without losing definition. The tone controls are incredibly efficient and expand the sonic palette. Closed with the potentiometer, the sound becomes more rounded and smooth but still accurate.
The parallel configuration lost output level quite acceptable. The sound is then more flapping and in precision what it loses in warmth and roundness. Perfect for funk, rock, surf music, reggae, ...
The configuration phase out hollow midrange and aerates the sound, but without anemic.
The sustain is loooong. A real treat for fans of Santana.

These pickups are a real success among the best I know. The wood selected only improves their quality. The electronics complex provides a formidable versatility.

OVERALL OPINION

Guitar unique handmade according to personal wishes and using the finest materials. The dream of any guitarist.
Yes but now the dream has a price. The price of mine? 2,500 euros. No it's not a typo. Like a guitar made in France or the U.S. would cost at least 6,000. How do they do these Korean? Anyway, one thing is certain, they do not save on quality! This guitar is definitely one of my most beautiful guitars with my PRS Custom 22 Artist Package, Gibson Custom Shop CS-356, Gretsch 6120 SSL-VO and Martin OM-42 (nice reference nonetheless).
A marvel of violin at the price of a Gibson Les Paul Standard! Unbeatable!