# Kraken 8 string guitars



## Galius

I was browsing eBay anc come across these. Never heard of them so im unsure of the quality, but they seem to be in the price range that might appeal to some. Looks like they are out of Korea so they could be decent.

Kraken Octa 8 Strings on eBay


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## BrailleDecibel

They do look pretty neat (especially the MF RWN), but I'd have to play one to make any kind of judgement on it. Also:

"Other brands developed 8-strings guitar with few changes from their 6-strings guitars."

Did Toki Wartooth write this ad?


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## Galius

LOL yeah I had a blast reading everything and then even going to their site to read up on them.


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## Skygoneblue

WTF is a coil taB?


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## Galius

My guess is that these are out of the same Korean factories as most big names and they are trying to sell direct. They obviously didnt pay a translator 

Sometimes the description gets pretty sexy....."arouse more sustain"


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## The Spanish Inquisition

This looks like an oversized Caparison.


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## berzerkergang

Do they make 8 strings? 

I dont think the ad specifies... anyone know? 



lol @ the relic... they nick it with sandpaper in two spots ... that is some solid work  but all jokes aside, they look nice. I wonder what the pricing is like.


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## Galius

berzerkergang said:


> Do they make 8 strings?
> 
> I dont think the ad specifies... anyone know?
> 
> 
> 
> lol @ the relic... they nick it with sandpaper in two spots ... that is some solid work  but all jokes aside, they look nice. I wonder what the pricing is like.



The ebay pages say $750 shipped


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## Skygoneblue

Galius said:


> My guess is that these are out of the same Korean factories as most big names and they are trying to sell direct. They obviously didnt pay a translator
> 
> Sometimes the description gets pretty sexy....."arouse more sustain"



Dude I swear, I could move to Asia and just offer to translate any of their communications to "actual" English, and I would die rolling in dough...


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## BrailleDecibel

I was browsing through their website, and couldn't help but notice these...copyright infringement much? I mean, I know they're customs and all, but still:


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## Galius

Yeah I seen all the build pics of that Ibby clone. Looks pretty bad ass. Again I just wonder their pricing and quality.


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## Rev2010

Am I the only one that thinks brand new guitars with faux worn finishes are the corniest shit to ever hit the market?


Rev.


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## Skygoneblue

Rev2010 said:


> Am I the only one that thinks brand new guitars with faux worn finishes are the corniest shit to ever hit the market?
> 
> 
> Rev.



Every bit as corny as jeans that have wear marks beaten into them. 

*looks down*

Oh wait...


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## Galius

Maybe they were geared toward the trendy 8 string "bro" players lol


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## TomAwesome

Something about the overall look of these reminds me an awful lot of Agiles, and those 8-string bridges look identical to the ones Agile makes for their lower end 8s. It looks like either someone is playing Kurt's evil twin, or the factory is trying to cut out the middle man.


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## brutalwizard

I am liking the name and they way they look. 

Although not nearly enough to drop almost a grand on one.


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## Galius

Also looks like the ones on lower end Schecters


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## Shredmon

i like them a lot, and international shipping is free at the moment..... fuck, i would just need some money to fall again for another 8....... im so weak when it comes to ERGs.... i just cant say no when they look appealing to me xD
greets


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## jeleopard

I can't tell if I like the headstock or not.


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## rekab

I'd be interested to try one. It's likely junk but would be fun to try


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## codycarter

I wouldn't mind this in white with black binding for around $400-900
They can't be any more "junk" than Agile. The worst I could imagine is bad fretting and neck dive


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## celticelk

^^^^ Hello singlecut!


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## Galius

codycarter said:


> I wouldn't mind this in white with black binding for around $400-900
> They can't be any more "junk" than Agile. The worst I could imagine is bad fretting and neck dive



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Looks pretty nice at least


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## codycarter

My only complaint is the fret access...but that could mean the neck goes farther into the body like a bass


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## 7phreek

FWIW guys, I recently purchased 3 different model Kraken guitars,and not only were the transactions fantastic with these guys(with superfast shipping)the guitars themselves absolutely blew me away......honestly,the fit and finish and the use of quality hardware is just too hard to knock back..


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## Shredmon

nice to hear, i really dig the Octa.....but im worried because of the taxes when i would get one..... i mean free shipping is great,but yeah....taxes will be horrible i guess....
but for unter 600 euros.....this thing looks gorgeous....


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## Hollowway

Galius said:


> Yeah I seen all the build pics of that Ibby clone. Looks pretty bad ass. Again I just wonder their pricing and quality.



I can't find that. Where did you see those? I'm curious what a custom like that would cost. That's pretty sweet.


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## MikeH

"Original headstock design".....stolen directly from Caparison.


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## rekab

7phreek said:


> FWIW guys, I recently purchased 3 different model Kraken guitars,and not only were the transactions fantastic with these guys(with superfast shipping)the guitars themselves absolutely blew me away......honestly,the fit and finish and the use of quality hardware is just too hard to knock back..



Post some pics/vids for us


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## Galius

Hollowway said:


> I can't find that. Where did you see those? I'm curious what a custom like that would cost. That's pretty sweet.



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## GizmoJunior

TomAwesome said:


> Something about the overall look of these reminds me an awful lot of Agiles, and those 8-string bridges look identical to the ones Agile makes for their lower end 8s. It looks like either someone is playing Kurt's evil twin, or the factory is trying to cut out the middle man.



I thought the exact same thing when I saw them!


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## 7phreek

rekab said:


> Post some pics/vids for us



Iv'e only got some pics of my Krakens at this stage, also there all 6's as well,but rest assured,I reckon the quality runs right through there range..even the cheapest model I have,Nexter 3.2VB is an incredible axe with great playability and fit and finish second to none,cost me the whole sum of..$99.00 + the 80 shipping...Anyhoo, the Kraken is the middle guitar in the 1st 2 pics..enjoy..


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## Grand Moff Tim

Sweet. I've been hoping a Korean company would release an 8 string before too long, so I could actually find one here for a decent price. Lord knows Korean manufacturers have enough experience building 8s for _non_-Korean companies, it'd only make sense that they'd take a stab at it themselves.

Now, here's hoping they actually market and sell them here in Korea, where not even the _seven_ string is popular at all yet...


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## Daf57

Release the Kraken!! 

Clash of the Titans Release The Kraken [HD] - YouTube


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## signalgrey

Ive seen these here in Korea...they are fuck-awful. do not buy.


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## Alekke

too big gap between bridge and the pickup for my taste


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## possumkiller

^ Same here. If they would move the pickup back and lose the relic treatment, I would be pretty interested.


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## Galius

If anyone is serious and want to try one I see they listed some at a lower auction price. Looks like if you were the only bidder they would only be about $330 shipped


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## Mysticlamp

Arouse more sustain


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## aawshred

The distance between the bridge pickup and the saddles is staggering.


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## 80H

they use cleartones. they have no idea what theyre doing.


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## codycarter

I emailed them almost a week ago about a possible custom...and have yet to get a reply


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## Corrosion

codycarter said:


> I emailed them almost a week ago about a possible custom...and have yet to get a reply



Maybe they can't understand what you wanted and need a translator? I can only imagine what you might end up with based on the ads descriptions...


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## HurrDurr

Honestly, the bridge pickup only looks about a half a centimeter too far up, so I can't really say how much exactly that'd noticeably affect the tone, but I guess it can't be *that* bad. That being said though, at around $750, it's not worth the risk. It's also essentially unplayable right out of the box with those strings. I mean, *seriously?! a 68?!* lol, No thanks, I already had noodles for breakfast. I definitely don't need a second helping.

The only sustain this guitar arouses In me is a desire to sustain my money for something else.


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## celticelk

^^^IIRC, Carvin ships their 8s with a 68 as well.


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## codycarter

HurrDurr said:


> No thanks, I already had noodles for breakfast.



Noodles for breakfast? You poor hungry man 

The bridge pup being that high isn't THAT big of a deal like everyone is stressing. Think Strat/Tele. It gives you a cleaner bottom end on the low strings. Think about fanned fret guitars with straight pickups, same thing. Only difference everything is going to have better bass.

Now about that 68...maybe they are tuned low b high a?


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## aawshred

HurrDurr said:


> Honestly, the bridge pickup only looks about a half a centimeter too far up, so I can't really say how much exactly that'd noticeably affect the tone, but I guess it can't be *that* bad. That being said though, at around $750, it's not worth the risk. It's also essentially unplayable right out of the box with those strings. I mean, *seriously?! a 68?!* lol, No thanks, I already had noodles for breakfast. I definitely don't need a second helping.
> 
> The only sustain this guitar arouses In me is a desire to sustain my money for something else.



I had one of the first run Jackson X-series sevens with the bridge pickup displacements. the bridge pickup on that guitar was even a little closer than these and it still affected the tone, in a negative way (for my tastes). The placement on these is worse than those Halo Morbius guitars or whatever.


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## codycarter

aawshred said:


> I had one of the first run Jackson X-series sevens with the bridge pickup displacements. the bridge pickup on that guitar was even a little closer than these and it still affected the tone, in a negative way (for my tastes). The placement on these is worse than those Halo Morbius guitars or whatever.



Taste does come in with stuff like this. Would you say it made your tone less aggressive? Because that's exactly what I got, and wanted at the time.

So far in this thread Halo and Agile have been brought up...not a good sign if you ask me


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## aawshred

codycarter said:


> Taste does come in with stuff like this. Would you say it made your tone less aggressive? Because that's exactly what I got, and wanted at the time.
> 
> So far in this thread Halo and Agile have been brought up...not a good sign if you ask me




Yeah, considerably less tight. It also gave the over-all EQ a "honkier" tonal disposition, like you would imagine with a middle pickup, just not as extreme. For the kind of sound I'm going for it just wasn't really up to par.


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## raybeast

Just pulled the trigger on the white 8 with the maple board; nobody bid on it on eBay except for me so I score it for 250 bucks, plus 80 shipping. Can't complain for that price! Review inbound when it arrives


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## IamSeth

raybeast said:


> Just pulled the trigger on the white 8 with the maple board; nobody bid on it on eBay except for me so I score it for 250 bucks, plus 80 shipping. Can't complain for that price! Review inbound when it arrives


 
Yeah, just saw some more pop up on e-bay. I might pull the trigger on that spalted maple one... I'll definately look out for your review


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## Ganjatron

I'm rolling the dice on the black one with rosewood fingerboard. I respect your white bid beast.


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## Galius

I've seen a ton end with 1 bid. Waiting to see if they were at least worth $330 for people wanting to try one out.


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## HUGH JAYNUS

YJGB said:


> This looks like an oversized Caparison.



and that is exactly why i am interested now......


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## Ganjatron

Thanks a-holes for sniping me last minute, now 7 auctions ended and I got nothing. F-you. I hope your neck breaks, your fingers fall off, and you get electrocuted.


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## HUGH JAYNUS

i emailed them about a custom 7 string version of the MF spalted M with these alterations:
-7 string
-bridge volume, neck volume, tone (no coil tap), 3 way toggle
-spalted top on headstock to match body (no truss rod cover, i don't use them)
-gold hardware
-black offset dot inlay

they responded after only 15 minutes:
"Thanks for your kind inquiry.
It is semi custom shop and it costs US$975 based on using all Kraken parts +
Shipping US$80.
And After we get 50% downpayment, it takes 4 months to complete.
This guitar will be built only one, so, price is higher than regular
production.
Thanks."

now my dream of having a custom 7 string Caparison with a hipshot-like bridge for less than several thousands of dollars is possible!!!

SUCK IT CAPARISON


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## HUGH JAYNUS

also contemplating having some custom inlay.....
the meteor from Final Fantasy VII on the 12th fret. more like accross the 13,12,11, &10th frets....

and a roman numeral on the 7th fret....


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## Agnostix

Hi guys - new member here. I made an account to share my review on the Kraken 8 string...here is the video:

Kraken Octa 8 String Guitar Review - YouTube

I just got this guitar yesterday. I will post pics in high res if you want.


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## meambobbo

Ganjatron said:


> Thanks a-holes for sniping me last minute, now 7 auctions ended and I got nothing. F-you. I hope your neck breaks, your fingers fall off, and you get electrocuted.


 


...please enter your MAXIMUM bid...


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## FromTheMausoleum

This is what "she-hung-joe" has to say about kraken guitars


"You can see the good ooze" Am I hearing things or?


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## HUGH JAYNUS

Agnostix said:


> Hi guys - new member here. I made an account to share my review on the Kraken 8 string...here is the video:
> 
> Kraken Octa 8 String Guitar Review - YouTube
> 
> I just got this guitar yesterday. I will post pics in high res if you want.



1- welcome!
2- pictures, yes please!


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## HUGH JAYNUS

but will it djent.........


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## crg123

signalgrey said:


> Ive seen these here in Korea...they are fuck-awful. do not buy.



Good to know, I think this needs more attention then it got when you posted it

although....



codycarter said:


> I wouldn't mind this in white with black binding for around $400-900
> They can't be any more "junk" than Agile. The worst I could imagine is bad fretting and neck dive



that is awesome looking (besides the obvious photoshop 6th fret)


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## Ganjatron

Thanks for that review bud! Have you messed with the coil tap switch much? If I'm not mistakin the Alumitone Deathbucker or Deathbar coil taps so it should be an easy swap, I think that's something I'd try out if I can get one. I haven't been able to p/u an 8 string yet since prices have only recently become affordable to me. I assume those are passive pups?


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## meambobbo

I want someone to put decent pickups in these and do an A/B comparison to a different 8 with the same pickups where the bridge bucker is closer to the bridge - curious as to the tonal impact of the positioning. My initial thought is that it could be a complete dealbreaker, especially how dark that 8th string is.


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## Hollowway

These look like they might be a good starter 8 string. I'd love to bid on one because that price is so tempting, but I can't imagine wanting to pick it up in place of one of my other ones. Too bad they just started on ebay now. If they'd been around pre $399 Agiles and Ibbys this might have been a game changer.


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## ra1der2

I was going to snag one to check them out but I just couldn't bring myself to do it because of that bridge pickup location.

Instead I popped on one of the B.C. Rich Outlaw 8's and it's a pretty bad ass 8 for under $400. The pickups are active duncan designed and I am really impressed with them. I can say without a doubt I like the rich way more than the rg8 I had.


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## Seagurt

Decided to just give it a try. If it is as awesome as it claims to be (save for the pu placement) it should be pretty decent. May do some work on it as well and maybe exploit the coil tap and try out the new Ionizer pu's from Abasi.



Gotta love that spank!

Should be here in about 10 days..... 

Will post impressions.


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## Tesla

Very tempted to get one...


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## raybeast

Got mine! NGD inbound


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## Seagurt

Ganjatron said:


> Thanks for that review bud! Have you messed with the coil tap switch much? If I'm not mistakin the Alumitone Deathbucker or Deathbar coil taps so it should be an easy swap, I think that's something I'd try out if I can get one. I haven't been able to p/u an 8 string yet since prices have only recently become affordable to me. I assume those are passive pups?


Yes they are passive pups.


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## lelahel

can you post some videos


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## Galius

And another finish pops up. Looks like it may be a test color.

Kraken OCTA RF Rainbow Color Proto No Reserve 8 Strings Electric Guitar | eBay


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## will_shred

dat bridge pickup placement


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## Galius

will_shred said:


> dat bridge pickup placement



I think I posted this in another thread, but when I had 2 different Agile Intrepids they had different bridge pickup placement. One was like this and I could never tell a difference to my ear compared to the one with the pickup closer to the bridge.


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## Seagurt

Ok, so I got my Kraken Octa 2 days ago, I wanted to play it a bit, and let the impression sink in before writing something like "Iz Sooo Goods and Cools an everyone should buy!"

My initial impressions.

Materials are all of good quality, not great, but definitely decent! The neck is a little thick, but a day of noodling will fix that. The nut is cut to accommodate a 68, which wont do at all, need to file them out a bit to accommodate an 80 gauge in the f#.
The bridge is not comfortable, no protruding metal pieces to speak of, but palm muting feels weak. Again, I'm sure in time I will re adapt to playing this particular setup. Another thing to mention about the bridge, is that the f# intonation was the only one that was really off. I needed to add all of the string space in order to get it intoned correctly.

The Pick up placement is not detrimental to the sound at all, I know that I was worried about this, and so were others. Now I am sure there is a slight attenuation or boost in certain harmonics relating to the placement, but if you don't have golden ears, there is no issue. 

That being said, the pups are surprisingly not that bad, for all the other strings save for the f#. It sounds undefined, muddy and has no punch. Forget open f# and B power chords until you swap the pups (I am referring to metal or djent styles) if you are planning on using this for an ER jazz guitar, these will do you just fine.

The shielding on this guitar leaves something to be desired, in total there are 6 different tone options with the coil tap, 4 of these give a high amount of hum. To describe the pick ups I woud have to say that they sound decent clean, on all pickup voicing about a 6/10 and distorted all of the strings are rated about the same at 6/10 except the f# which I would give a 2-3/10. Def changing out the pups, and if you do metal/extreme metal, you will want to as well.

The pick ups also don't have springs under them in order to raise the pups, this is also easily fixed 

Don't let the negatives sway you though, as this is a very decent built guitar, the wood is nice and bright, the neck plays smooth, and the guitar is surprisingly light.

With a few mods it will be perfect for production.

If you are looking for an ERG and have some guitar knowledge (lutherie and electronics) this is a nice little project. Definitely cant beat the price if you get it on E bay for the minimum price.

Any questions please feel free to ask.


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## Tesla

Seagurt said:


> Ok, so I got my Kraken Octa 2 days ago, I wanted to play it a bit, and let the impression sink in before writing something like "Iz Sooo Goods and Cools an everyone should buy!"
> 
> My initial impressions.
> 
> Materials are all of good quality, not great, but definitely decent! The neck is a little thick, but a day of noodling will fix that. The nut is cut to accommodate a 68, which wont do at all, need to file them out a bit to accommodate an 80 gauge in the f#.
> The bridge is not comfortable, no protruding metal pieces to speak of, but palm muting feels weak. Again, I'm sure in time I will re adapt to playing this particular setup. Another thing to mention about the bridge, is that the f# intonation was the only one that was really off. I needed to add all of the string space in order to get it intoned correctly.
> 
> The Pick up placement is not detrimental to the sound at all, I know that I was worried about this, and so were others. Now I am sure there is a slight attenuation or boost in certain harmonics relating to the placement, but if you don't have golden ears, there is no issue.
> 
> That being said, the pups are surprisingly not that bad, for all the other strings save for the f#. It sounds undefined, muddy and has no punch. Forget open f# and B power chords until you swap the pups (I am referring to metal or djent styles) if you are planning on using this for an ER jazz guitar, these will do you just fine.
> 
> The shielding on this guitar leaves something to be desired, in total there are 6 different tone options with the coil tap, 4 of these give a high amount of hum. To describe the pick ups I woud have to say that they sound decent clean, on all pickup voicing about a 6/10 and distorted all of the strings are rated about the same at 6/10 except the f# which I would give a 2-3/10. Def changing out the pups, and if you do metal/extreme metal, you will want to as well.
> 
> The pick ups also don't have springs under them in order to raise the pups, this is also easily fixed
> 
> Don't let the negatives sway you though, as this is a very decent built guitar, the wood is nice and bright, the neck plays smooth, and the guitar is surprisingly light.
> 
> With a few mods it will be perfect for production.
> 
> If you are looking for an ERG and have some guitar knowledge (lutherie and electronics) this is a nice little project. Definitely cant beat the price if you get it on E bay for the minimum price.
> 
> Any questions please feel free to ask.



Thanks for the review! Been waiting on a non-biased review of these. I'm swaying further towards getting one. I would swap the pups anyway, so this is goooood!


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## Chuck

will_shred said:


> dat bridge pickup placement



This needs to stop lol. 

Go look at a MIJ 7421, its nearly the same gap between the bridge and bridge pickup as these Kraken 8 strings. The thing is you barely notice it on the RG because of the bridge with the base-plate sticking out beyond the saddles.


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## ra1der2

I have to agree to disagree on the pickup location. Pickup placement effects the sound. That is why there are different pickup placements. 

Traditionally, the neck pickup is used for soloing because it naturally produces a thicker / warmer tone. A bridge pickup is traditionally used more for rhythm as it products a tighter / crisper tone. Moving the bridge pickup away from the bridge makes the tone less tight, crisp, and clear.

Making an argument by saying that it doesn't matter on a standard guitar is really comparing apples to oranges here. In the extended range and extended scale world, it does matter, specifically because of the low end.

Everyone wants their ERG's lows to be as tight and clear as possible, not muddy, correct? Well, moving the bridge pickup away from the bridge is doing the exact opposite of the desired result.


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## Chuck

Refer to my last post.


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## downburst82

Anyone here bidding on the green 8 string on ebay right now? If so I will back off


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## axis_musicman

damn it! i was bidding for a green one
now i'll have to buy black relic and that suuucks
i'll post some photos\videos upon receiving


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## Seagurt

I got the white relic and was bummed out about the "look" as well, but you need to look at the competition for the spalted maple for example. I have seen it go up to about 800$ by the end of the bidding time. I decided to go with the white relic because I knew I could get it cheap, as the paint job is horrible. I have decided also to strip it and re stain it with some sort of funky nuclear blast blue and yellow. If you are handy it is no big deal, and if you aren't, know is a good time to learn. Alternatively, you could put a few decals on the "scratched" areas.


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## Seagurt

I wanted to add a post about some slight modifications that I have made to my guitar as well.

I have since filed the nut to accommodate an .080 gauge string. I also filed the tuning peg out as the .080 didn't fit through. I achieved this by filing the nut with a .065 ibanez rounded file and slightly rocking it, all the while checking the size every so often. It really didn't take long, honestly about 15 to 20 rubs and everything was perfectly even and snug. 

The tuning peg took a little longer as I was using a diamond coated needle file (2 mm) and continuously checked to make sure that the spacing was even. I spent about 10 minutes making fine adjustments and making sure there were no burrs (sharp metal edges that will break your strings). 

I am awaiting my Dimarzio D activator 8's before shielding the pickups and the control cavity. I have since produced one track, and found that this is a very decent guitar for production, you just need to adjust technique in order to not get mud out of it. That will change with the new pups. 

I am planning on making a video with the mods and without the mods, and also uploading a clip to soundcloud.


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## Tesla

Seagurt said:


> I got the white relic and was bummed out about the "look" as well, but you need to look at the competition for the spalted maple for example. I have seen it go up to about 800$ by the end of the bidding time. I decided to go with the white relic because I knew I could get it cheap, as the paint job is horrible. I have decided also to strip it and re stain it with some sort of funky nuclear blast blue and yellow. If you are handy it is no big deal, and if you aren't, know is a good time to learn. Alternatively, you could put a few decals on the "scratched" areas.



Are you gonna post a New Guitar Day (NGD) thread with your Kraken?


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## axis_musicman

hey, Seagurt
why the D Activator 8 and not Ionizer(as i can't decide for myself yet but i'm sure i'll want to replace the stock kraken pickups)? And hurry up with the video review(you can do that with stock pickups for now) as i just can't wait for that, waiting for some decent riffage and stuff as it's only 1 video on youtube with review of that guitar, but unfortunately the dude just can't play well and that makes me sad
rock on..emm i mean djent on!


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## Seagurt

Here is a quick, dirty and unfinished djenty, death metal and chord trial. I am using Reason 7 with the line 6 amp sim, as well as a line 6 pod xt for additional tweakage. The guitar doesn't sound so good on my 5150 :/ but that's probably because I am playing at bedroom volume in an apartment. Set to 3,4 or anything beyond I'm sure would kill though. As I said, this is really just me screwing around and not necessarily tight or "produced". I found I was able to get a nicer tone out of the F# with my personal distortion patch and a little moderate tweaking. It is standard tuned with the stock strings for now except the .068 was changed to a .070 d'addario before the filing of the nut and tuning peg.It has since been completely restrung with .086 to .011 strings. 

https://soundcloud.com/seagurt/kraken-octa-8

Check out some other stuff there while you are around, feel free to drop me a line and direct me to your material. What goes around comes around!


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## Seagurt

axis_musicman said:


> hey, Seagurt
> why the D Activator 8 and not Ionizer(as i can't decide for myself yet but i'm sure i'll want to replace the stock kraken pickups)? And hurry up with the video review(you can do that with stock pickups for now) as i just can't wait for that, waiting for some decent riffage and stuff as it's only 1 video on youtube with review of that guitar, but unfortunately the dude just can't play well and that makes me sad
> rock on..emm i mean djent on!


I have decided to go with the D activator as I had a chance to hear them both in action on the same guitar/amp/setup, and the D activator is definitely more what I am looking for in my pups. I may get a secondary octa and stick some Ionizers in it, also I didn't feel like routing the single into the center and having to mess around with what I am sure would be more trouble than it is worth just to have the whole tone option. Some Ibbys have the "strat" config, and so I may end up going with that.


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## Tesla

Seagurt said:


> I have decided to go with the D activator as I had a chance to hear them both in action on the same guitar/amp/setup, and the D activator is definitely more what I am looking for in my pups. I may get a secondary octa and stick some Ionizers in it, also I didn't feel like routing the single into the center and having to mess around with what I am sure would be more trouble than it is worth just to have the whole tone option. Some Ibbys have the "strat" config, and so I may end up going with that.



What did the D Activators offer that the Ionizers didn't? Curious as to I was going to get an Octa and put Ionizers in it.


----------



## Seagurt

Tesla said:


> What did the D Activators offer that the Ionizers didn't? Curious as to I was going to get an Octa and put Ionizers in it.


For me personally, I focus more on rhythm. The Ionizers would suit more of a soloist or lead player, don't get me wrong, they are sweet as all hell, I just veer more towards the articulation of the fat bottom end. 

The ionizers do it too, there is just more twang in all respects (frequency zones, which is why I personally feel they are better suited towards a lead player), they are quite heavily modeled off the vintage stat sound, the "spank" as it were. 

I also found that it really wasnt forgiving of technique errors (hitting the wrong string, even lightly) It hides nothing. I cant stress enough that this is my own personal opinion, and you know what they say about opinions... 

I would suggest seeing if you can go to a music shop that has different sets of pickups, and let them know that you are very interested in buying one of them, get them to show you a few different types, preferably in the same axe, a good retailer will want to make you happy, and cares about your tone. This may not be possible, so another route is to save up a bit, get a few different pups, and sell the ones you don't like. But, if you know that you want the ionizers, get them, install and never look back... unless of course some bkp (Bare Knuckle Pick ups) warpigs or aftermaths fall into your lap. I can dream... and good luck on the future purchase and mods


----------



## Tesla

Seagurt said:


> For me personally, I focus more on rhythm. The Ionizers would suit more of a soloist or lead player, don't get me wrong, they are sweet as all hell, I just veer more towards the articulation of the fat bottom end.
> 
> The ionizers do it too, there is just more twang in all respects (frequency zones, which is why I personally feel they are better suited towards a lead player), they are quite heavily modeled off the vintage stat sound, the "spank" as it were.
> 
> I also found that it really wasnt forgiving of technique errors (hitting the wrong string, even lightly) It hides nothing. I cant stress enough that this is my own personal opinion, and you know what they say about opinions...
> 
> I would suggest seeing if you can go to a music shop that has different sets of pickups, and let them know that you are very interested in buying one of them, get them to show you a few different types, preferably in the same axe, a good retailer will want to make you happy, and cares about your tone. This may not be possible, so another route is to save up a bit, get a few different pups, and sell the ones you don't like. But, if you know that you want the ionizers, get them, install and never look back... unless of course some bkp (Bare Knuckle Pick ups) warpigs or aftermaths fall into your lap. I can dream... and good luck on the future purchase and mods



Much appreciated! Cheers.


----------



## axis_musicman

Hey, Seagurt
Just checked out your demo, sounds very decent for me. Guess it'll do just amazing with some Orange or Mesa
my channel is youtube.com/user/axismusicman but unfortunately all vidz are with 6 string guitars as of yet) 

p.s. twilight song is amazing, now it's in my head and i want to sing something over it)

p.p.s what can you say about the coil tap on kraken? and what about bkp aftermath are they better than dimarzios?


----------



## Seagurt

axis_musicman said:


> Hey, Seagurt
> Just checked out your demo, sounds very decent for me. Guess it'll do just amazing with some Orange or Mesa
> my channel is youtube.com/user/axismusicman but unfortunately all vidz are with 6 string guitars as of yet)
> 
> p.s. twilight song is amazing, now it's in my head and i want to sing something over it)
> 
> p.p.s what can you say about the coil tap on kraken? and what about bkp aftermath are they better than dimarzios?


Thanks for checking out the demo and twilight. Feel free to sing something on it, maybe send me a copy? I just checked out your stuff too. Very decent. I like the melodic style. The coil tap on the kraken, like all guitars simply reverts the signal from parallel to series, creating phasing, and giving a more hollow tone, although it is hard to really hear as it effects the stereo image of the sound more than the sound itself. Scratch that. It effects the sound, just it's not by much. It will still sound like your kraken octa, but a little different. I personally prefer bkp pups, but I am not a rich man, and so I will be getting the dimarzios. If you have the $ get bkp. Tighter and more articulate, even if it is just a bit. I notice it.


----------



## axis_musicman

i forgot to ask what's the kraken's situation in the filed of shielding and humming if we compare it to some PRS/Godin?
and how does it stand against the Schecters and Ibbys in terms of sound and build quality?


----------



## will_shred

Galius said:


> I think I posted this in another thread, but when I had 2 different Agile Intrepids they had different bridge pickup placement. One was like this and I could never tell a difference to my ear compared to the one with the pickup closer to the bridge.



maybe it's just me, but for example my Jackson's bridge pup is about that far away and I notice a fairly substantial difference. I've used other guitars with EMG 707's but with the pickup pretty much right on the bridge and it was tighter/clearer. 

Then again my memory might be fuzzy.


----------



## Seagurt

axis_musicman said:


> i forgot to ask what's the kraken's situation in the filed of shielding and humming if we compare it to some PRS/Godin?
> and how does it stand against the Schecters and Ibbys in terms of sound and build quality?



Uploading my video to youtube now, complete with shielding examples.

As for build quality, it isn't an Ibanez, but its decent for the price. Schecters tend to be a little more robust, but a lot of the low end models are basswood, denser wood, and they end up being heavier.

It really is too bad that retailers don't carry these guitars so that people can try them out. I was very weary buying a guitar I had never played, and normally I would never do it, but I lucked out. 

I am happy with my purchase for the price I paid. 

Ibanez is never a bad deal though, if you can spring for it or get a deal! Definitely try it out too, and remember if the pups are bunk, then you will end up dropping another couple of hundred. 

All in all my guitar will end up costing me about 650$ with all the mods, which is sweet considering what I have.


----------



## Seagurt

Delivered in HD.

Enjoy!


----------



## axis_musicman

awesome and informative review!
can't wait till i receive my kraken (dunno how do i get a proper shielding on that though)
i've already bought some daddarios 10 - 74(and i'm gonna tune that to e b g d a d b e high to low), strap locks and the strap itself)


----------



## Seagurt

axis_musicman said:


> awesome and informative review!
> can't wait till i receive my kraken (dunno how do i get a proper shielding on that though)
> i've already bought some daddarios 10 - 74(and i'm gonna tune that to e b g d a d b e high to low), strap locks and the strap itself)



There are a few ways to shield your guitars control cavity and pickups. You will have to remove all electronics in order to line the cavities with conductive tape, making sure everything is connected to your ground wire. ( refer to wiring diagrams for the particular model)

With the kraken octa look up a telecaster wiring diagram. You can also use conductive spray but I find it isn't as effective. 

Do a search for conductive copper tape. Alternatively you can use tinfoil like you find in the grocery store, but it's not as good at rejecting the magnetic interference. 

Also with the low E you may want to opt for something closer to a .090. But it may be just what you are looking for.


----------



## axis_musicman

anybody compared Krakens to Agiles?


----------



## axis_musicman

just received my kraken today
68 gauge sucks) tuned it to standard
neck seems to be heavier than the body - probably i'll have some problems with the balance
checked the cavity - yeap, no shielding at all
review with a lot of playing - coming soon


----------



## Tesla

They've put up some more finishes and auctions. Some of the natural ones look nice.


----------



## Seagurt

Swapped the pickups out for some Dimarzio D Activators,

Needed to do some mods to the pickup cavity, and also took the time to shield it. (More on that in the next video)

I also added a Grind core cover of Nirvana's Mr. Moustache at the end.

Please enjoy!


----------



## axis_musicman

guys, i've finally made a demo
please check it out and post some comments


----------



## Nsjohn130

A.) I'm new here. You can thank S Leduc/Seagurt for that.

B.) I purchased the Mahogany/Spalted Maple Veneer w/ Maple fretboard last night for 277$ + shipping.

C.) There are many reasons the internet rocks, and from just this experience of asking S Leduc a question on YT, and he actually is nice enough to reply, makes it rock more. It truly can bring people together.

D.) Very excited to get my guitar. My father is pretty good with wood, with his help I'm sure filing and shielding the guitar will be good. I don't have the $ to throw down on some new pup's but maybe in the future. 

E.) I'm in grad school with no real equipment to post a video, but if I find a way to I will. Pictures will be easy.

Lastly, I was one of the guys bidding on those sweet colored ones. Now I'm actually happy I didn't win one! I'm a sucker for the natural look.

\m/


----------



## Trayen

These guitars look badass.. Love the 3-5 headstock. Also the name "Kraken" just screams metal. Wish I could test one out!


----------



## Ganjatron

It wasn't meant to be. It's cool tho, I've got a new white Ibanez RG8 in transit to be delivered the day b4/of/after my bday(tues). Oh ya...haven't spent a dime on it yet either with my handy new amazon store ccard.


----------



## FermentedAndOffal

So, csh8373 just took all their guitars and basses down from their ebay.

Kinda worried because it says they shipped my Kraken Octa yesterday. 

It's most likely nothing though, in the description on the auction i won, they wrote that they wouldn't be able to ship during June fifth to ninth due to a S-korean holiday.


----------



## Tesla

I wonder why they took them down.


----------



## FermentedAndOffal

Might be because of the holiday. Say an auction ends today and they can't do anything until the tenth. 

BLAME NORTH KOREA


----------



## FermentedAndOffal

Found it out. The seller has listed being away. ebay put a banner on one of their auctions.


----------



## axis_musicman

hey guys
i've finally replaced the strings to 10-74 Daddarios
here's some demo


also you can check out my vocals here
https://soundcloud.com/axis_musicman


----------



## axis_musicman

guys, anyone compared these to Ibanez 8s?


----------



## axis_musicman

just made another demo, check it out guys


----------



## ticklemeasian

who ever bid me up to 400 dollars for the quilted MF octa did a great job of messing up my plans of actually buying a guitar and having enough money for my text books next semester.

guitar - 1
school funds - 0

I'VE COMFIRMED IT! the factory that makes agiles are own by the kraken guitar company. basically we're all paying retail for agiles. the octa is basically a septor with a different neck (even just headstock for that matter). the quality is suppose to be really good but i'll check on that when the guitar comes to me in ~10 days.


----------



## Kroaton

Anyone play a Kraken and an RG8? How do they compare?


----------



## Skygoneblue

Seagurt said:


> Swapped the pickups out for some Dimarzio D Activators,
> 
> Needed to do some mods to the pickup cavity, and also took the time to shield it. (More on that in the next video)
> 
> I also added a Grind core cover of Nirvana's Mr. Moustache at the end.
> 
> Please enjoy!




Maybe I'm tone-deaf, but those Kraken pickups really don't sound too wildly different to me. I actually preferred the Kraken tone in quite a few of the comparisons. 

Thanks for doing this!


----------



## schwiz

Of course they wouldn't have a left handed model.


----------



## axis_musicman

just ordered Dimarzio Ionizer for Bridge position
gonna record something then


----------



## Galius

Interesting


----------



## axis_musicman

yeah, just saw em on ebay
the one with maple fingerboard is just amazing


----------



## haffner1

axis_musicman said:


> anybody compared Krakens to Agiles?



I have not played a Kraken, but I own one of the new lower priced Agile 827s with a Floyd, and from what I can tell from the pictures, the Krakens 8s that start bid at $299 seem to be the exact same build, except for the headstock and control placement. I would assume that they are probably made in the same factory. I like those 2 different finish options that Kraken has though.


----------



## jake7doyle

im very tempted to get this when im back home the end of august







all the reviews seem pretty good here and the shipped price is ridiculously cheap!


----------



## nostealbucket

Rev2010 said:


> Am I the only one that thinks brand new guitars with faux worn finishes are the corniest shit to ever hit the market?
> 
> 
> Rev.



Unless you're talking about suhr's "antique" models.... I completely agree with you.


----------



## downburst82

looks like they have all been pulled off ebay again.

Another Korean holiday? or...?

Has anyone else on the board picked one up recently?


----------



## House74

the Kraken octas were sold, i was watching for that snake skin one and it got bid up aout of my range :-( i believe the bronze one sold as well.


----------



## Plexico

I got mine - fast 6 day delivery. Packed right, great heavy duty gig case, and set up nicely. Massive wide, thin neck. Floppy low F# string tuned to E because I am Tosin Abasi on weekends. Pickups are the weak link but might raise low string side to elevate volume.

Frets are nicely put together. Construction material appears solid, good tuners, low mass bridge. Strings might need a change to get the flubbies out of the low E string.


A great great value. If you are thinking of going 8, Kraken is great!

\m/


----------



## Grand Moff Tim

downburst82 said:


> looks like they have all been pulled off ebay again.
> 
> Another Korean holiday? or...?
> 
> Has anyone else on the board picked one up recently?



No Korean holiday right now that I'm aware of.


----------



## Wern

I've just won the bid about an spalted maple octa with maple fretboard... It seems Kraken Octas are a good way to get into 8 string guitars. The bid finished at 305$!!

I'll put some pictures and tell you my impressions as soon as it arrives


----------



## downburst82

ya looks like they are back up! some nice new colours to!


----------



## Veritech Zero

Holy cow only $305? I suppose at that price there is no complaining, it is hard to find any 8 string period for that price, much less with the finish options they offer.


----------



## Negav

Veritech Zero said:


> Holy cow only $305? I suppose at that price there is no complaining, it is hard to find any 8 string period for that price, much less with the finish options they offer.



+ 86.40. They raised the price of the auction from 249.99 to 299.99 and the shipping from 80.00 to 86.40. Where you to win in one bid it would be 386.39 still decent but now it is really close to the price of an RG8.


----------



## Eclipse

Kraken guitars. I'be never liked.


----------



## AuroraTide

Won the bubinga topped one today! Should be here next week, can't wait! Ill try and post some clips when it gets here.
Anyone know if Ionizers fit in them? Tempted to put a single coil in the neck for the hell of it


----------



## Galius

AuroraTide said:


> Won the bubinga topped one today! Should be here next week, can't wait! Ill try and post some clips when it gets here.
> Anyone know if Ionizers fit in them? Tempted to put a single coil in the neck for the hell of it



The routes look like standard passive routes, and I could swear somone already posted something after replacing them with D-Activators.


----------



## axis_musicman

I've put an Ionizer in the bridge and yes it requires some headache to install it
Seagurt has written an article about it
He cutted out some wood to fit the dimarzio
and i've just sandpapered the textolite of the ionizer's mounting board a bit(on the sides) and mission accomplished


----------



## AuroraTide

Finally got the guitar today and love it! Build quality is awesome! Only gripe is the inlayless neck but I know ill get used to it


----------



## axis_musicman




----------



## ld100

Just got mine today.

The build quality is really awesome, especially for a $300 guitar! I've read some reviews and was expecting stock pickups to be horrible sounding and noisy, however they are quite good! I like their sound much more than Seymour Duncan Gus G Fire Blackouts (that I have in LTD H-1001, which originally was loaded with EMGs, that sounded thin and sterile).

The noise is present but it is not very noticeable, I'm even not sure now if I'll need additional shielding for guitar cavities.

They only important issue I have now is a default strings gauge: first strings are hard as... as nails and I can't bend them without pain! While 8th string is extremely flabby, so it sounds very muddy and hits frets while vibrating. So it is useful only for playing single notes, but not chords
I've already ordered 9-46 strings set together with .060 for low B and .080 for F# at Guitar Strings and Beyond - Buy Guitar Strings Online and Save!.
Not going to replace stock pickups till I'll try to clear up that F# with higher tension string.

Going to review this Kraken in a couple of weeks, when I'll get new strings and get accustomed to this guitar a bit.


----------



## jfrey

pulled a trigger on a quilted maple one for $450 excl. shipping


----------



## Wern

My Kraken is finally here!







I've not plugged it yet (No amp at the office), but it seems to be a good quality guitar (in that range of price, I mean). It seems that the neck is heavier than the body and it's a little unbalanced.

I'll tell you how it sonds in a few days, when I have played it a little.

And I have put a decal on the guitar so I can scream RELEASE THE KRAKEN! louder...






RELEASE THE KRAKEN!


----------



## UV7BK4LIFE

That looks very nice! What is your first impression on the action, fit and finish?


----------



## Veritech Zero

I am curious it looks like quite a few people have gotten these which is good news for me since I've really been wanting to get an 8 string but don't want to spend more than 1k on one (which with new pickups looks like they will run me about $675ish if I can get one without it getting bid up too much). It seems like most everyone seems to be fairly happy with their purchases, but no one has really delved too much into what makes them tick, specifically for me, how low you can get the action before you start losing notes and sustain.

My biggest concern is actually the price, surprisingly enough how low it is scares me. I like to set my guitars actions to absurdly low (at least on the high E string), and by that I mean in the .5mm to .75mm range off the 17th fret (depending on the quality of the guitar/flatness of the neck) and I refuse to play a guitar that I can't set to that requirement since I'll just use one of my others that can... So, has anyone ever gone out and measured how low they can get the action on the high E string and still be able to at least bend up a whole note on every fret without it choking out?


----------



## Wern

UV7BK4LIFE said:


> That looks very nice! What is your first impression on the action, fit and finish?



The action is a little high for me. I'll try to low it a little bit this afternoon.

The fit is good, the fretwork is good, no tuning problems, and the construction is similar as other korean made guitars like ltd and schecter. 

I've plugged it and the pickups are just fine. No buzzes nor noises, but I think the sound can be better. The fact you can switch the pickups to single coil is very good, so you can have 3 sounds more than a active pickup set.


----------



## MoshJosh

Never played an eight and jumped on the opportunity to try it but honestly not really my thing so I'm selling my kraken but heres my take on the octa. . . found the neck to be pretty nice at least at the price point pickups were as to be expected (kinda lame) but it feels solid and well put together


----------



## Tesla

EVERYBODY STOP.

You can now buy Kraken Octa...watches.

Hot Sport Watch Kraken Octa RF Red Burst 8 strings electric guitar | eBay


----------



## jfrey

Tesla said:


> EVERYBODY STOP.
> 
> You can now buy Kraken Octa...watches.
> 
> Hot Sport Watch Kraken Octa RF Red Burst 8 strings electric guitar | eBay



wut da fuark!?


----------



## jfrey

tasty...


----------



## vansinn

Seagurt said:


> Swapped the pickups out for some Dimarzio D Activators,
> 
> Needed to do some mods to the pickup cavity, and also took the time to shield it. (More on that in the next video)
> 
> I also added a Grind core cover of Nirvana's Mr. Moustache at the end.
> 
> Please enjoy!




Well, that was interesting.. I actually prefer the Kraken pups over the D-activators - less the lack of definition in the very low end.
Seems to me they sound like having better definition in the chords, both clean and distorted.


----------



## Megaton_900

If anyone is still looking at Kraken's, i just received my octa today (360usd).
Thought I'd pick one up as a first 8 to noodle around on, review incoming.
Took a blistering 8 days to get to my door. (Im impressed, nothing ever arrives to Australia on time, let alone ahead of schedule)


----------



## Megaton_900

We will see how it is after a few days, but here are some first impressions:
I went over this, to get an idea of build quality. For comparison, i will be comparing mostly to my Schecter Jeff Loomis 7fr. (note: it was 2.5x the price)

Starting with the frets, wich are -mostly- in much better shape than the Schecter.
Well leveled and crowned. Nice and smooth.
A few higher frets have slight burrs (on the top of the neck side only), but nothing 5 minutes with a file wont fix.
The Schecter came with SQUARE frets...  



The pickups, on inspection appear to be made of cheap black circuit board plastic.
I dont know if they are different to what the others received theirs with, or if it is the ridiculous string gauge it came with (not yet gotten around to buying some new ones) but there are NO setting on my VM2466 that stop the low f# sounding comically flabby 
To be fair, the other 7 are nice. The bridge is tight and aggressive, if a bit treble-ey, easier pinch harmonics than any other guitar i have 
When raised to the tips of the quite short pickup height screws, the neck is quite nice too (again, only on 7strings).
The Schecter has EMG 707's.



The fit and finish was top notch. Only imperfection i could find was a (very) minor miss with the headstock paint, a pictured. Invisible from 1ft away.
The bubinga veneer is paper thin, but nicely applied.
Fast satin neck, about the same thickness as i imagine an 8 string version of the Schecter would be.
A gripe with the Schecter in this category. It was -almost- well done, aside from a furry bit of rough grain on the back of the neck 
Easy to fix, but completely avoidable with a slight bit of care by the manufacturer. (was about 1cm^2)



Electronics cavity was nice and neat, with shielding paint. I'm planning on re-doing the electronics when i replace the pickups (kill-switch i hear?), but its nice that some care was taken. Clean routed and smooth paint compared to most guitars i own.
The Schecter does have some nice little metal inserts with machining screws for the back cover, to stop the thread wearing out when you replace the battery.



Surprise dual truss rod! Perfect working order.



Other comments:
Grover tuners! I missed that on the add.
Well packaged, and excellent service (via evil-bay). 
Comes with a gig bag & allen keys.
About 0.5 deg more severe headstock angle than the Schecter, no significant difference. 
Love guitars with no inlays. The inlays on the Schecter ARE NOT REAL anyway. Stickers that have been finished over, witch was disappointing to find out (derp moment). The join is only visible if you have your eye on the strings though  
Having played my friends agile scepter 827, this is basically the same guitar.

Hopefully i made most of that as accurate as i can.


----------



## Tesla

Thanks for the review...I keep toying with the idea of getting one of these. Not keen on the finishes though personally. If they released a silver burst one I'd be all over it.


----------



## RV350ALSCYTHE

Kraken Octa RF Fiesta Relic W HNCM Option 8 Strings Guitar Promotion Auction | eBay

Multiple 8 strings FS for $299 + shipping


----------



## Ethenmar

Interesting brand and prices. I love this model.






Kraken OCTA RF ISK Limited Edition Old Stock 8 Strings Electric Guitar | eBay


----------



## Ajb667

Does anyone know what the radius on the fretboard for these things are? I'm considering getting one.


----------



## SmackyChot

Saw this thread, and am bidding on the Spaulted Nat that ends soon. 

Kraken OCTA RF Spaulted Nat Promotion Auction 8 Strings Electric Guitar | eBay

First 8 string for me (and soon to be much more active on here), but if anyone else is dying to have it I will back off.


----------



## Sonofthe7thSign

To bad they dont make multiscale...
Kraken OCTA RF Bubinga Nat Promotion Auction 8 Strings Electric Guitar | eBay


----------



## jarnozz

now lets wait untill another maple boarded one comes by... slow and steady


----------



## Shawn

Ethenmar said:


> Interesting brand and prices. I love this model.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Kraken OCTA RF ISK Limited Edition Old Stock 8 Strings Electric Guitar | eBay


 Wow...that is very cool looking. Nice looking guitars for sure.


----------



## dedsouth333

Shawn said:


> Wow...that is very cool looking. Nice looking guitars for sure.



I know. That one caught my eye, too. I'd actually like to try it out but the funds simply aren't there right now


----------



## tssb

jarnozz said:


> now lets wait untill another maple boarded one comes by... slow and steady



and here i was thinking i was the only one taking this ninja approach.


----------



## FermentedAndOffal

tssb said:


> and here i was thinking i was the only one taking this ninja approach.









I stole the only one, guys


----------



## tssb

FermentedAndOffal said:


> I stole the only one, guys



There was one of these up for sale about a month ago if I recall correctly, but the pictures they had were nowhere near as nice as your specimen. Had i known how good they look when photographed better, i would have jumped on it. Went for only £190 in the end.


----------



## JoshuaVonFlash

Those are damn sexy 8-string guitars, how's the quality sound wise, the looks are certainly there.


----------



## Djentliman

Definitely interested in these! might be my first 8 if i can muster up the money.

Also, more reviews would be a plus. We can never have enough reviews!


----------



## Seagurt

I finally got around to swirling my Kraken, did it 2 times. The first time I tried the Borax and Humbrol method. My water was too hard to retain the proper surface tension, which resulted in washed out and an overall unwanted drippy and bunching effect.






Needless to say I re did the whole guitar. I then decided to go with the Magic Marble method, but first I had to strip and sand the applied paint. It should be noted that the veneer on the front of the body was only a millimeter thick, and I lifted a bit of it unintentionally I ended up repairing it with Bondo and Spot glaze.

The second time around went well and here are the pics








If any one has questions, feel free to ask. I thought I would make a video on the whole process on youtube, but it was a huge pain in the ass, and I ended up filming something like 20 hours, and frankly, the task of editing the video is not something that appeals to me. I am an audio engineer by trade, and not a video technician.

Hope everyone had a good holiday and got some good gear!


----------



## GSingleton

Someone is trying to trade me one with a maple board...I am tempted haha


----------



## ld100

I've left a comment on Kraken Octa here 5 months ago  just a few days after I've got this guitar.
This guitar has lots of pros and cons, so now I could review it based on couple of month experience.

Pros
1. It is extremely cheap for an 8 string
2. It looks beautiful, here is mine: http://ld100.smugmug.com/photos/i-kRPRBwQ/0/X3/i-kRPRBwQ-X3.jpg
3. Build quality is really good, quite comparable with 4x times more expensive guitars
5. I like the sound of neck pickup very much, both in humbucker and single-coil modes  very well balanced
6. Extremely comfortable neck... for an 8 string of course!
7. Bridge, that is solid and extremely comfortable for palm-muted playing
8. And yeah, it djents!

Cons
1. It has lower than average sustain. Yeah, it is quite ok for a bolt-on, but all my other guitars (that are frankly neck-through or set-neck) have better sustain, even within same price range.
2. Guitar sounds quite muddy. I thought it is an issue of the bridge pickup and replaced it with Bare Knuckle Aftermath. In overall the sound became more defined, tight and agressive, but still muddy. That is quite acceptable for something like nu metal or mid-gain hard rock... but come on  who buys 8 string to play hard rock?
3. Strings sound is very unbalanced. I've tried different sets of strings and ended up with custom sets of 9-46 + 60 + 80. First 6 strings sounded way too bright, especially strings 4 to 6... even on 9-42 strings set! 7th string sounded fantastic and 8th string sounded waaay bad: it was unacceptably flabby and undefined with .068, just flabby with .074 and just slightly better with .80, so it was more or less ok for a single notes, but definitely not for chords.
4. Stock bridge pickup is quite noisy on a high gain.
5. Octa is quite heavy

I've never regreted about buying this guitar, but sold it a couple of weeks ago. It was not just my first 8-string, but actually my first extended range guitar. So here are some thoughts on that:
* Jumping from 6 to 8 is quite ok, but I needed about 1.5-2 months before I started feeling comfortable playing it.
* A lot of people tell switching from 25.5" to 27" is not an issue unless you have short fingers. My fingers length is definitely not small, but it was and it is quite challenging to play fast on first frets with 27" scale length: hard to stretch finger that much!
* 8 strings are too much for me, so instead of this guitar I've purchased Schecter SLS C7 with 26.5" scale and found it quite balanced (in terms of sound of different strings) and not hard to play (comparing to 27").
* Now I'm sure 27" is not enough for 8-string guitar to have 8th string sounding and feeling not flabby. So if I'll ever want to have an 8 string guitar again, it would be definitely a multi-scale instrument with 28.6"+ for 8th string.
* I could still recommend Kraken Octa to people, who would love to try 8 string without wasting lot of money  it is just the best thing under $500 on the market.


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## ShreddyESP

I like mine. The quality is much better than an Agile in my opinion. (Having owned an Agile in the past).


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## stuglue

Anyone know if kraken have left versions of the octa available? These look decent entry level 8 strings


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## tssb

stuglue said:


> Anyone know if kraken have left versions of the octa available? These look decent entry level 8 strings



haven't seen one come up, but they take custom orders.


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## tssb

jarnozz said:


> now lets wait untill another maple boarded one comes by... slow and steady



Just to update everyone, I've emailed them about maple fretboarded models, here's their response :



> MF models are not built because the quality of woods for maple fingerboard is not good from our wood supplier.
> So, we can build when we will get good Maple fingerboard.
> So, it will take more than half year considering our wood supplier pattern of importing woods.
> Sorry.


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## Tesla

I emailed them while ago about releasing some better finishes, didn't get a positive response but I guess the fact they do respond quite promptly is something.


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## MannyMoonjava

Are they packed nicely? Its a bit scary to order without a case..


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## Tesla

MannyMoonjava said:


> Are they packed nicely? Its a bit scary to order without a case..



If I remember correctly, a couple of members posted NGD's with pictures of it being unpackaged. Your answer will be there.


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## ShreddyESP

MannyMoonjava said:


> Are they packed nicely? Its a bit scary to order without a case..



Yeah, mine was shipped in a well padded gig bag and a hardboard box. And trust me, if it survived the Indian Postal Service, it can survive anything,


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## The Q

I ordered one last Monday, a mahogany RF one. I am a bit worried that the tracking status hasn't updated since... well.. Monday where it's stuck on "Departure from outward office of exchange", but the guy behind Kraken (Cho, a very friendly person too if I may say so myself) said that he called EMS and they apparently need to route the guitar through multiple flights in order for it to arrive in Greece*.
The non-updated status thing is supposed to be due to that multi-point delivery thing and that I should still receive it within 2-3 weeks.

I'll post a review and photos when it arrives but, dagnabbit, I want my new shiny NOW!


* Apparently, the post office here has an agreement with EMS which is supposed to ease the trouble of messing with the customs office and wasting a day of your life; from what I gather, some packages may even make it without paying for VAT and duties. Sweet, but *where's my guitar, post office?*


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## downburst82

Anyone see the beatles 8 string on ebay?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kraken-Octa-Art-Custom-LE-012-Beatles-Promotion-Auction-8-strings-guitar-/181323674156




Kind of a weird combo but I like it!!


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## Tesla

Whut.

They won't do a silverburst but they'll do this??


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## Grand Moff Tim

Kraken has done silverbursts on other guitars. There's no reason to think a silverburst 8 will never happen.


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## Tesla

Grand Moff Tim said:


> Kraken has done silverbursts on other guitars. There's no reason to think a silverburst 8 will never happen.



I messaged them asking and they said no. Said it was not something they are looking to do with the Octa.


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## Ajb667

They don't have any guitars on ebay right now. I hope they put some up soon, I was thinking about getting one.


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## patising

Ajb667 said:


> They don't have any guitars on ebay right now. I hope they put some up soon, I was thinking about getting one.


hope so too


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## Tesla

I always get the feeling that some of the users that post in this thread are people who work for Kraken.

If so: Make a silverburst one, a black stain one (m8m style) and more Matching headstock options.

Thanks.


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## armedcor

Has anyone been able to compare one of these with an Rg8? I want to break into the 8 string world and looking for the best deal /value.


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## Tesla

armedcor said:


> Has anyone been able to compare one of these with an Rg8? I want to break into the 8 string world and looking for the best deal /value.



Even without comparing, if you want the best deal and value then an RG8 would be the best to go for. They have more room for upgrading parts and are well known, should you ever sell it on. RG8's are pretty much risk free and easy to obtain, where as Kraken have had varied reviews and run the risk of shipping/customs charges on top of the price.


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## armedcor

Tesla said:


> Even without comparing, if you want the best deal and value then an RG8 would be the best to go for. They have more room for upgrading parts and are well known, should you ever sell it on. RG8's are pretty much risk free and easy to obtain, where as Kraken have had varied reviews and run the risk of shipping/customs charges on top of the price.



I'm not too worried about resale just what's a better instrument for the price. I can get a Octa for about 270 pounds including shipping and customs while a RG8 would cost me 319 pounds and not look as pretty.

Saying that if the ibby is a better built/playing/sounding instrument before mods I'm happy to drop the extra money for it. I haven't bought a "budget" guitar in 10 years and I just can't justify the kinda money I spent on my Mayones or ESP for an ERG.


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## Tesla

armedcor said:


> I'm not too worried about resale just what's a better instrument for the price. I can get a Octa for about 270 pounds including shipping and customs while a RG8 would cost me 319 pounds and not look as pretty.
> 
> Saying that if the ibby is a better built/playing/sounding instrument before mods I'm happy to drop the extra money for it. I haven't bought a "budget" guitar in 10 years and I just can't justify the kinda money I spent on my Mayones or ESP for an ERG.



There were a couple of guys earlier in this thread that got Octa's. I'd PM them directly and see what they have to say. Or do a search for any NGD threads members might have made.


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## HaloHat

signalgrey said:


> Ive seen these here in Korea...they are ....-awful. do not buy.



My first clue were the horrible string ferrules work on the back of the guitar... poke a hole here, poke a hole there... close enough for an 8 string and its on the back where no one will see


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## Tesla

They are quite pretty though, especially this one...


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## lewis

Bump, why arent these on ebay anymore?!?!


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## HUGH JAYNUS

you can get custom orders directly from their site. theyve quoted me for an Octa 7 string for only $1,000. send em an email


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## downburst82

lewis said:


> Bump, why arent these on ebay anymore?!?!



^I seem to remember seeing a message on their Facebook(I think) saying something about them being away from operations for the month of august but that they would be back in September. I will try to see if I can find where they said it.


*edit*
From their Facebook 


> We are currently on Summer vacation and arranging factory equipment. Purchasing and shipping are not available during
> Vacation. And I am out of office.
> I will come back in September with new Stuffs!! Thanks. Have a beautiful day.


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