spudmunkey
Well-Known Member
The Solo bridges are cheaper, interestingly. I forget the exact ath, but I wanna say it's like 10-20% cheaper to use the solo bridges (though I only recall checking the black finish...no idea how the others pan out)
The Carvin / Kiesel thread
- Thread starter soliloquy
- Start date
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kriff
You've failed me for the last time, Admiral
huh that is interesting. I wonder if the cost of rebuilding the CNC outweighs the benefits?
also, meant to respond to this, that is stunning! Is this the one that was on Reverb recently? If the shipping to England had been cheaper I'd have gotten in there myself, amazing find.
What do you mean that it doesn't sound acoustic?
spudmunkey
Well-Known Member
Damn, that's a sexy bass...
slim231990
Areola51
Man that thing is sick! I find it super interesting that Kiesel pumps out some of the most amazing paint jobs in the game day after day, but people are like "ewww they make cum burst finishes" lmao.
See, I don't personally like that crackle. It's too blotchy, whereas I like more cracks and smaller black patches. On the flip side, having larger non-black areas lets the wood figure come through more. I like the idea, but not the execution as much. All preference though.
Hollowway
Extended Ranger
Different strokes, I guess, because I find that crackle ideal. I love the big blotchy ones!
Hollowway
Extended Ranger
I don’t this this was on reverb recently, as I got it from Guitar Center. But it’s been bought and sold a number of times, so it likely was on reverb in the past.
By not sounding acoustic I mean that, unplugged, it sounds just like any other electric. That sound hole is really just for looks, as it can be best considered a chambered solid body. But, it definitely sounds more acoustic when plugged in, and running the piezos. Pretty much all the acoustic electric Kiesels don’t project when played unplugged, except the 375. That’s the only “true” acoustic.
narad
Progressive metal and politics
That's the weirdest looking cow I've ever seen
slim231990
Areola51
I have a 7 string zeucoustic
. I love mine, but when I first got it I kept hearing a buzz when playing around the 12th fret. Thought it was fret buzz until I found the real culprit: the battery in the battery box would vibrate when I hit certain notes causing a buzz lmao. Just put a piece of foam in and G2G.Sorry to hear about the action set up tho. I do believe 2019 is around the time they started to shifted into MS only, but if it's been through multiple owners you never really know. I'd take it to a good guitar shop and try to get it fixed because it's a really cool couch guitar IMO.
Also totally agree about the acoustic loudness. It does sound amazing through my 800 on the low input setting. I like to turn up the bass knob on the guitar until it sounds like a plugged in dreadnought. Who would've thought a JCM could give me the best acoustic electric tone I've ever got.
Anyways hope you get it figured out man. Like you said it has its own thing going on, and for the price you paid for it + the repair you'd still be getting away with murder lol.
spudmunkey
Well-Known Member
For decades, a repeated refrain about Carvin was, "Decent guitars, and pretty good value, but the electronics suck."
Since the Carvin days, in relation to those electronics complaints, they've:
• Discontinued their entire line of pickups* and generally smaller-than-average route, and released something like 10 new humbuckers, and 5 new single coil pickups with routes that are more 3rd-party-friendly
• Upgraded their 5-way switches from a no-name switch to an Oak Grigsby
• 99% sure they changed to Switchcraft jacks**
• Upgraded their pots to Bourns***
• a few months ago, they switched their 3-way pickup toggle switches. Jeff mentioned it on their recent live stream, and will try to ask more about it during their next Q&A
* technically, they still kept the Carvin S60 single coils (though the plastic covers may be labelled "Kiesel" now...not 100% sure on that), They've kept the M22SD available on on the JB200C until they run out, and the TBH60 Twinblade single-coil-sized humbucker (the one guitar pickup they don't make themself in-house - I believe it's an Artec)
** though they are the "enclosed" style, which I know some people don't care for over the "open" style.
*** Still mini "dime" pots. There are plenty of people who will say "GIve me full size pots, or give me death", but name brand CTS and Bourns mini pots seem to be fairly well-regarded by those who've actually used them.
So what do we think? Are these changes enough to shake that "Nice, but crap electronics" reputation?
Since the Carvin days, in relation to those electronics complaints, they've:
• Discontinued their entire line of pickups* and generally smaller-than-average route, and released something like 10 new humbuckers, and 5 new single coil pickups with routes that are more 3rd-party-friendly
• Upgraded their 5-way switches from a no-name switch to an Oak Grigsby
• 99% sure they changed to Switchcraft jacks**
• Upgraded their pots to Bourns***
• a few months ago, they switched their 3-way pickup toggle switches. Jeff mentioned it on their recent live stream, and will try to ask more about it during their next Q&A
* technically, they still kept the Carvin S60 single coils (though the plastic covers may be labelled "Kiesel" now...not 100% sure on that), They've kept the M22SD available on on the JB200C until they run out, and the TBH60 Twinblade single-coil-sized humbucker (the one guitar pickup they don't make themself in-house - I believe it's an Artec)
** though they are the "enclosed" style, which I know some people don't care for over the "open" style.
*** Still mini "dime" pots. There are plenty of people who will say "GIve me full size pots, or give me death", but name brand CTS and Bourns mini pots seem to be fairly well-regarded by those who've actually used them.
So what do we think? Are these changes enough to shake that "Nice, but crap electronics" reputation?
Marked Man
Well-Known Member
Can only help. I think most of their '80s/90s pickups were on the bright/thin side and easily beaten by most aftermarket replacements. Honorable mention to the M22SD and C22B (b) + C22J (n) pickups. And the smaller Carvin-only route was obviously something that had to go. I upgraded my DC127 to a Duncan Distortion/'59N and had to route a bit, but it was worth it.
I can't say yet that I've played a Kiesel in person and therefore haven't sampled any of the new pickups, either. But I think that day will come by chance when I see someone trying to unload a Kiesel with a basic config I want on ebay/reverb at a somewhat realistic price....they always seem to start at about 2X+ the actual market value. Sorry to the original owners, but you are gonna get hosed if you sell it....
BigViolin
Reverse Headspace
I have less issue with the pickups vs where they locate them. Should a 24 fret multi scale seven string have greater distance from bridge pickup to saddle than a LP, Tele, Strat, Gretsch etc? To get this so wrong while marketing to and signing endorsers in the metal world is beyond silly.
Straight up the dumbest shit I’ve seen in the guitar world. And that fool calls himself a luthier.
Straight up the dumbest shit I’ve seen in the guitar world. And that fool calls himself a luthier.
spudmunkey
Well-Known Member
Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but it looks like it's the same or smaller as other top-tier luthiers (assuming someone like Padalka counts). Could it be that they targeted the proportion of the scale from the saddle, rather than absolute length, so on a longer scale that space would be wider?
I got bored a while back and took some saddle-pickup measurements on my strandberg and some of my straight scale guitars and did some napkin calculations to compare the ratios of scale-length to pickup placement. I don't have the numbers anymore, but I remember my conclusion being that the variation in pickup position between the strandberg 8 string multiscale and a straight scale is pretty small, proportionally speaking, if a bit more towards the bass side on the strandberg. It was small enough that moving the saddle backwards to properly intonate a thicker string will probably have more of an effect on relative pickup position.
Unless the proportional pickup position is egregiously off, I don't know that it makes THAT much of a difference? Then again, it's not like I have a lot of experience moving my pickups around on my guitar... or most of us, really. Maybe I should get a Verso guitar so I can actually learn what I'm talking about
numbers don't mean jack if my ears can't hear it.Idk if any of that makes any sense to anyone but myself.
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somethingsomething
SS.org Regular
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Can someone please explain to me why the fuck Kiesel is selling a guitar for $35,000?
"the only person who could miss with this gun is the sucker with the bread to buy it"
spudmunkey
Well-Known Member
When it was built, they used their highest grade of every wood they had, and they've mentioned that the Koa has gotten more expensive for them, but it has more sentimental value than actual value.
One of those things where when someone asks if he's ever sell it, the answer has been "probably not...it would have to be for the right (high) price)."
I think this is maybe the 3rd time it's been listed, and it goes up each time. When it was first built, I believe Jeff said the cost to replicate it, with all highest grade woods, and matching one-piece top and back, was around $20k.
I don't think it's been even a year that it was listed at $20k.
I think he knows it won't sell for $35k and it's just there to hype up the brand. It's just a statement. And if it sells, hey, he just made the easiest $35k of his life. Kinda like Rick Toone listing one of his old guitars he made for Tosin for like $1.5mil. It's just hype.
I think he knows it won't sell for $35k and it's just there to hype up the brand. It's just a statement. And if it sells, hey, he just made the easiest $35k of his life. Kinda like Rick Toone listing one of his old guitars he made for Tosin for like $1.5mil. It's just hype.
kriff
You've failed me for the last time, Admiral
Can anyone recommend a rack that fits Vader-type bodies? I've got a 7 guitar rack from Thomann, and it works fine for my Osiris but my Vader, Mayones Hydra, and Ibanez Q series just don't sit well in it as the space behind the bridge is missing.
Any recommendations?
Any recommendations?
