How To Get One
Videos and recordings only go so far. To get the full Kite guitar experience, you need to get your hands on an instrument. You can buy one, rent one, or convert one.
Buy one
Order one from us
We have several Kite guitars in stock. Prices do not include shipping. Cases sold separately. In addition to what's listed here, all rental guitars are potentially for sale. If you ever want to sell your Kite guitar, we will buy it back, or help you find a buyer.
Before you buy: Just so you know, the Kite guitar doesn't work if tuned to the usual EADGBE. All the familiar chord shapes create wolf 5ths and even wolf octaves. So you have to use either an open tuning or an all-3rds tuning. The latter is best for playing in all keys, and really unlocks the modulational freedom of 41edo. As a result:
1) There is a significant learning curve. You won't be able to just pick up a Kite guitar and play it as usual. You'll have to learn new chord shapes.
2) Tuning in major 3rds reduces the range of the open strings, and a 6-string guitar will range not from E to E, but from say E to B, or from A to E (as if one of the strings were missing). This is why we generally recommend 7 strings. That said, some people don't mind the smaller range.
7-string electric
rosewood fretboard, $875
converted by Kerry Char
6-string electric
purple heart fretboard, $700
converted by Athan Spathas
canary wood fretboard, $850
converted by Athan Spathas
We also have these guitars on hand ready to convert to the Kite fretting.
(Not shown: an 8-string Harley Benton electric)
8-string electric
$220 plus conversion costs
8-string electric
$375 plus conversion costs
5-string electric bass
$250 plus conversion costs
6-string electric bass
$450 plus conversion costs
6-string, with bag
$200 plus conversion costs
(stock photo)
Order one from others
We only convert existing guitars, we do not build them from scratch. Luthiers who have built a Kite guitar:
- Portland Guitars (Portland, Oregon)
- Tonedevil Guitars (Sandpoint, Idaho)
Furthermore, Microtone Guitars makes a high-end classical guitar with a removable fretboard. You can have a Kite-fretted fretboard and a standard 12-equal fretboard, and swap them in a few seconds.
Rent one
If you are in or near Portland OR or Bellingham/Lopez Island WA, we have a library of guitars that rent for $10/week (cable-tie guitars are $5/week). In addition to what's listed here, all for-sale guitars are potentially for rent. You can exchange one guitar for another as they become available. To help with the learning curve, we offer Kite guitar instruction (live or video-chat).
Portland branch:
6-string electric
purple heart fretboard
converted by Athan Spathas
6-string electric
zebra wood fretboard
converted by Athan Spathas
6-string acoustic
padauk fretboard
converted by Athan Spathas
6-string acoustic
original fretboard
refretted by Matthew Autry
6-string electric
original fretboard
cable-tie frets
purple heart fretboard
cable-tie frets
Bellingham branch:
6-string electric
purple heart fretboard, $700
converted by Athan Spathas
Convert your own instrument
Order a conversion from us
We can convert your guitar to the Kite fretting. Prices start at $600 plus the price of the fretboard, plus shipping. Converting a 6-string guitar to a 7- or 8-string is a possibility, if the fretboard is wide enough.
Convert it yourself, or hire a local luthier
We sell pre-slotted fretboards. No inlays, but the holes for both front dots and side dots are pre-drilled. Price is $75 per fretboard, plus a one-time setup fee of about $150 for CNC design. If the guitar you're converting is a fairly popular make/model, the setup fee may be partially or fully waived. If a previous customer has ordered the same fretboard, the CNC design has already been done, and the setup fee is fully waived. The setup fee is fully waived for the following guitars:
- Jackson Dinky JS22-7 ($200 7-string electric)
- Jackson Dinky JS32-8 ($400 8-string electric)
- Agile Septor 827 ($400 8-string electric)
If you have the tools and experience, you can remove the old fretboard, carefully position the new one, glue it on, apply a finish, install the frets, level/bevel/crown the frets, and do a set up. Or you can hire a local luthier, who we can advise on the process for free.
Luthiers who have converted a standard guitar to a Kite guitar:
- Char Guitars -- Kerry Char, Portland Oregon
- Starrett Guitars -- John Starrett, Denver Colorado
- JLJ Instruments -- John C.L. Jansen, Takoma Park Maryland
Fretboards are usually custom made to order. But we do have in-stock fretboards for the Jackson JS22-7. $75 plus shipping. Comes in either East Indian Rosewood (top) or Macassar Ebony (bottom). Note: we can't ship rosewood fretboards outside of the US due to CITES restrictions.
We also have in-stock a pre-fretted fretboard for a 26.5" scale guitar. Indian rosewood, 12" radius, 34 frets. 1.933" wide at the nut, 2.223" at 12th fret (7th 12edo fret), about 2.364" at 20.5 fret (12th 12edo fret). Fretwire specs: lmii.com/fretwire/2158-fretwire-18-nickelsilver-4-feet.html. $150 plus shipping.
Interested, but not yet ready to commit to the expense? A cheap DIY conversion can give you a taste and help you decide.
Use cable-ties (zip-ties)
Defret the guitar, then wrap numerous cable-ties tightly around the neck. Yes, the sound quality suffers, but this is still the easiest way to make a Kite guitar. Has the advantage that you can quickly and easily explore other equal divisions of the octave.
Use fretlets
Fretlets are tang-less frets that you attach to the fretboard with two-sided tape. (The tang is the part of a fret that fits into the fret slot.) They can be full-width, or they can be narrower, often only 1 or 2 strings wide. They are usually used as additional frets on a standard 12-equal guitar, but to make a Kite guitar you would of course defret the guitar first and use only full-width fretlets. You can buy fretlets from renowned guitarist John Schneider (fretlet.com). Or you can hire a local luthier to radius and de-tang a length of fret wire for you. Or you can do that yourself, if you have the right tools. The fretlets may need to be leveled to avoid fret buzz. This usually requires supergluing the fretlet into place.
This Kite bass uses short fretlets to fill in the missing 41-equal notes in the lowest string.
(all prices subject to change without notice)
