It still remains a mystery for me how the idea for creating this guitar model was born. Two guys, Sebastian and Simon, came up with the idea to build a brand new handmade guitar model based on the original Phen body shape, which I basically use for my bass models. Somehow they had seen the potential of its body design to be used for a guitar. After a short conversation, the three of us agreed to go ahead with this project. There were not too many things left to do after finalizing the body and headstock designs. I only had to take care of the LED lights, which somehow had to be inserted in the neck as side position marks, and of course to build the guitar.

These guys succeeded in accomplishing a guitar design idea, which not only looks amazing, but also sounds fantastic!

Thank you, guys, once again!

Technical specification:

Body: African Padauk
Neck: 3 pieces seasoned Balkan Maple plus two stripes Mahogany. CONE Core construction.

• 12″ (304.8mm) fingerboard radius
• 25.5″ (647.7mm) scale
• 20mm (0.787″) thickness at the 1-st fret
• 22mm (0.866″) thickness at the 12-th fret
• 43mm (1.692″) width at the nut
• Two way/course truss rod
• Matching headstock

Fingerboard: Red Coral – stabilized flamed Balkan Maple
Construction: Bolt-on, 4 screws ferrules
Tuners: GOTOH locking
Bridge: Schaller tremolo 2000
Frets: 24 stainless steel
Pickups:

• Haeussel VIN N neck, wooden top
• Haeussel TOZ B Fat XL bridge, wooden top

Nut: Indian Water Bull horn
Electronics, controls:

• VOLUME
• 3-position toggle switch
• TONE
• Two mini toggle switches which split pickups to splitcoil mode
• One mini toggle switch for LED lights in the neck

Finish: Oil
Strap pins: Standard
Weight: 3,750kg (8.2lbs)

LED lights: This feature is an achievement which took a lot of energy and hard work. The main goal was to develop two coloured lights (red and blue) that would work in synchrony, which was a challenge that my friend, Georgi Vlaev, solved in a fantastic way. He developed a pure analog 9V preamp that the LED lights require.

Stainless steel electronics box cover plate.

Copper shielding protects the entire electronic box and pickups.

"I have always paid close attention to and have been impressed by combinations of different and contradictory style elements. When I was developing the Phen Chabby design, I imagined a guy with a modern hairstyle, a close-cut beard, dressed in a white shirt with cufflinks and a tie with a tie pin, a dark jacket and . . . old, ripped jeans and sneakers. In spite of the fact that to many people this combination of styles is incompatible, I envisioned it as an outstanding idea for the creation of the exotic bass, Chabby.

The bass is completely wood-carved. This job was accomplished again by my friend and partner, Jeff Stratton.

I must mention two very important things:
– The body shape is the regular size for the Phen model;
– No chemicals or fire/burning techniques were used during the treatment of the body surface in order to avoid damage to the wood itself or a change of its properties." - Kostadin Dimitrov

Technical specification:

Body: Air dried Bulgarian Sycamore, handcarved, aged and special color hand-treatment
Neck: Air dried Bulgarian flamed Maple, 3 pieces plus two stripes Ebony, CONE core

• 16″ (406.4mm) fingerboard radius
• 34″ (863.6mm) scale
• 20mm (0.787″) thickness at the 1-st fret
• 22mm (0.866″) thickness at the 12-th fret
• 40mm (1.574″) width at the nut
• 24 medium Jumbo frets
• “Lucky charm” inlay style
• Redesigned headstock for GOTOH tuners

Fingerboard: Balkan flamed Maple, inner natural binding
Construction: Bolt-on, 4 screws ferrules
Tuners: GOTOH
Bridge: Individual, 20mm (0.787″) spacing
Pickups: Haussel JB, open poles, SbS (noiseless)
Nut: Indian water bull horn
Finish: Oil
Strap pins: Standard
Hardware: Chrome
Electronics, controls:

1. Mini toggle – Active/Passive mode.
2. Mini toggle – Switches both pick-ups in series/parallel.
3. Master VOLUME neck pickup.
4. Master VOLUME bridge pickup.
5. EQ – TREBLE
6. EQ – BASS

Weight: 3,700kg (8.1lbs)

NOLL – TCM2  onboard preamp, 9V

“Thumb nest” feature

This is a very special feature, which I invented in 2011. To indicate KD’s trademark, I usually make a small wood carving in a certain place on the back side of the headstock, somewhere between the tuners. This time I decided to do something completely different. I turned the decorative element into a very useful and helpful feature, which I called a Thumb nest.
I meet musicians every day and all of them have their own biological individualities. Like the length of the fingers or the way they hold the neck while playing. Due to these specifics, for some musicians playing can be met with serious difficulty. So I decided to do something in order to find a solution to the problem. That’s when I came up with the Thumb nest idea.
It took me some time experimenting with it, but the outcome was more than successful! It provides incredibly easy access to the first frets, making the hand flow on the neck and unleashes a great freedom while playing. And the most important thing – it makes the musicians Happy!

Stainless steel electronic box cover plate.

Copper shielding protects the entire electronic box and pick ups.

" was wanting an extraordinary look, which could preserve the character of the wood and at the same time make you feel as if you are holding something from out of this world.
Achieving such a difficult goal turned out to be a serious adventure. So I asked my friend Jeff Stratton to join me on the project for this hand carved bass. He enthusiastically accepted the invitation and…here we are!
I must mention two very important things:
– the body shape is 10mm wider and 20mm longer in order to keep the bass balanced;
– no chemicals or fire/burning techniques were used during the treatment of the body surface, in order to avoid damage to the wood itself or a change in its properties." - Kostadin Dimitrov

Technical specification:

Body: Seasoned Bulgarian Alder, hand carved, aged and special color hand-treatment
Neck: Air dried Balkan flamed Maple – 3 pieces

• 11″ (279.4mm) fingerboard radius
• 34″ (863.6mm) scale
• 20mm (0.787″) thickness at the 1-st fret
• 22mm (0.866″) thickness at the 12-th fret
• 40mm (1.574″) width at the nut
• Matching headstock
• 24 medium Jumbo frets

Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood, inner natural binding
Construction: Bolt-on, 4 screws ferrules
Tuners: KD
Bridge: Individual, 20mm (0.787″) spacing
Pickups: Wilkinson JB, AlNiCo V, open poles
Nut: Ebony
Finish: Acrylic matt
Strap pins: Standard
Hardware: Chrome
Electronics, controls:

• Active/Passive mode.
• Switches both pick-ups in series/parallel.
• TONE/TREBLE control. NOTE! This pot works both in Passive and Active mode!
• Master VOLUME bridge pickup.
• Active EQ – Bass control.
• Master VOLUME neck pickup.

Weight: 3,460kg (7.6lbs)

The 2- band EQ – KD preamp, 9V, works as Cut/Boost.

“Thumb nest” is a very special feature, which I invented in 2011. To indicate KD’s trademark, I usually make a small wood carving in a certain place on the back side of the headstock, somewhere between the tuners. This time I decided to do something completely different. I turned the decorative element into a very useful and helpful feature, which I called a Thumb nest.
I meet musicians every day and all of them have their own biological individualities. Like the length of the fingers or the way they hold the neck while playing. Due to these specifics, for some musicians playing can be met with serious difficulty. So I decided to do something in order to find a solution to the problem. That’s when I came up with the Thumb nest idea.
It took me some time experimenting with it, but the outcome was more than successful! It provides incredibly easy access to the first frets, making the hand flow on the neck and unleashes a great freedom while playing. And the most important thing – it makes the musicians Happy!

Stainless steel electronic box cover plate.

Copper shielding protects the entire electronic box and pick ups.

"Lava RB, 4-string pure handmade bass represents another viewpoint which I have about how I see a boutique bass and the combination of functionality and art. I built this bass model giving freedom to my imagination, which somehow affected my dreams.
I had a dream where I saw this bass and the only thing I had to do was to make it. The bass has a specific Arch body profile, and a lot of additional features that make it unique and one-of -a-kind. One of the basic aims of this handmade bass is to be elegant and comfortable for playing. The body and the contour are designed to give the performer freedom in playing and full free access to the 27-th fret." Kostadin Dimitrov

Technical specification:

Body: The bass body has an original, unique and stylish form. For designing the backside of the body I have used a completely new idea and style. A small arch-shaped channel for separating the two book-matched Maple pieces makes the style more expressive and contemporary. The channel in the middle reveals more details of the body and neck construction. The wood I used for the top and backside of the body is an extremely rare, heavy figured, red spalted burl Maple. The top is not just an ordinary top, but a semi-hidden neck-thru. The core of the body is made of solid Walnut and two types of veneer application — Walnut and Maple. The electronics box lid is made of wood with the colour and texture as close as possible to the ones of the body. The specific Arch body profile is an option rarely seen on neck-thru basses or guitars.

Neck:

• Two pieces Walnut, Walnut and Maple veneer for lamination in the middle
• Heavy figured burl Maple headstock application, Walnut veneer lamination
• 20,5mm (0.807″) thickness at the 1-st fret
• 22,5mm (0.885″) thickness at the 12-th fret
• 27 Nickel/Silver frets
• 34″ (863.6mm) scale
• 12″ (304.8mm) fingerboard raduis
• Side position marks – white dots 2mm.
• Matching headstock
• 43mm (1.692″) nut width
• Nut made of Indian Water Bull horn

Headstock has elegantly rounded corners, fine polished KD stainless steel logo placed on the top side. Hand-made wooden lid for covering the truss- rod hole.
Fingerboard: Ebony
Elecronics, controls:

• Toggle 1: Bridge pick up in Series/Parallel
• Toggle 2: Neck pick up in Series/Parallel
• Master TONE Bridge pickup
• Master TONE Neck pickup
• VOLUME Bridge pickup
• VOLUME Neck pickup

Pure passive electronic!
Construction: Neck through
Tuners: KD Machine heads has additionally improved design, which includes new style hand-made buttons, and KD logo in the middle of the lids.
Bridge: Handmade Individual Bridge is designed, invented and developed by KD. The bridge consists of two main parts, Individual string Saddles and a Tail-piece. The Saddles are designed for ease of adjusting the height of the strings through two screws on both sides, and a string saddle for easy intonation. The Tailpiece is specially hand-made for this bass model. There are no visible screws going through the Tailpiece or the body of the Bass. Each part and detail of the bridge is 100% hand-made, which is a guarantee for unique appearance and functionality.
String-spacing: 19mm (0.748″)
Pickups: KD handmade humbuckers, ceramic magnets, put in wooden boxes in the same color for maximum compatibility with the color and the wood texture of the body
Finish: High gloss Polyester
Strap pins: Standard
Hardware: Chrome
Weight: 4,250kg (9.3lbs)

Copper shielding protects the entire electronic box and pickups.

"The story surrounding the creation of this boutique bass is rather lengthy. In short, I would describe it something like this: quite by chance one day I came across a Maple log, which I bought and immediately cut into. Upon opening it up, I was able to see how uniquely beautiful this log was, for it contained within itself everything a piece of Maple could offer – plain Maple, curly Maple, quilted Maple and spalted Maple. From that moment on I knew what kind of instrument I would craft from this precious material. A few years later, when the material was dry enough, I created the boutique bass – Earthquake" - Kostadin Dimitrov

Technical specification:

Body: Original Wooden Mosaic over the entire body top and back. The best selection among all possible varieties of wood material is used — Small Leaf Hard Maple. Wooden pieces in rectangular shapes of different sizes (10mm thick) are expertly hand-glued together for the entire mosaic picture. Every piece of the mosaic is bound with Walnut veneer to intensify the contrast of the connections.
The core of the body is made of Flamed hard Maple. The lid of the electronics box is also made as a piece of mosaic in order to preserve the overall mosaic concept.

Neck: Three pieces small leaf Bulgarian hard Curly Maple, Walnut veneer for lamination, heavy flamed hard Bulgarian Maple headstock application, Walnut veneer lamination.

• 20,5mm (0.807″) thickness at the 1-st fret
• 22,5mm (0.885″) thickness of the 12-th fret;
• 24 Nickel/Silver frets;
• Side position marks – black dots 2mm;
• 14″ (355.6mm) fingerboard radius
• 34″ (863.6mm) scale
• 43mm (1.692″) width at the nut
• Nut is made of Stainless steel
• Matching headstock

A Bass Clef is the symbol of my basses, which is carved on the end of the neck after the 24th fret.

The headstock has rounded corners with a fine, polished KD anti-rust steel logo placed on the top side — and includes a hand-made truss rod cover. The small woodwork on the backside of the headstock makes the style and appearance more elegant and unique.

Fingerboard: Heavy flamed hard Maple fingerboard, natural inner binding
Construction: Neck through
Tuners: KD Machine heads with additionally improved design, which includes new style hand-made buttons, and KD logo in the middle of the lids.
Bridge: Handmade Individual Bridge is designed, invented and developed by KD. The bridge consists of two main parts, Individual string Saddles and a Tail-piece. The Saddles are designed for ease of adjusting the height of the strings through two screws on both sides, and a string saddle for easy intonation. The Tailpiece is specially hand-made for this bass model. There are no visible screws going through the Tailpiece or the body of the Bass. Each part and detail of the bridge is 100% hand-made, which is a guarantee for unique appearance and functionality.
String-spacing: 19mm (0.748″)
Pickups: KD hand-made humbuckers, ceramic magnets, put in wooden boxes in the same color for maximum compatibility with the color and the wood texture of the body
Finish: High gloss Polyester
Strap pins: Standard
Hardware: Chrome
Electronics, controls:

• Toggle 1: Bridge pickup in Series/Parallel
• Toggle 2: Neck pickup in Series/Parallel
• Pot 1: TONE Bridge pickup
• Pot 2: TONE Neck pickup
• Pot 3: VOLUME Bridge pickup
• Pot 4: VOLUME Neck pickup

Pure passive electronic!

Weight: 4,350kg (9.4lbs)

Copper shielding protects the entire electronic box and pickups.