UPDATE: I ended up selling this guitar. I just couldn't get on with the thicker neck. I ended up getting a Kiesel Zeus - check out my demo & review of it here: ruclips.net/video/twDzTPdLHeA/видео.html
Honestly I bet if you called in and talked to their head tech they would send you a new switch. They've gone above and beyond in helping me out with my guitar
Yeah. I have a Carvin Tung Oiled Koa DC 135 from '93. I didn't know what to do when the neck shifted since I was starting out and knew nothing about truss rod adjustments. The local music store wouldn't help me so I had to ship it to Carvin.
Yeah, it can be frustrating. Otherwise, my Carvin is a great guitar. Plays and sounds great. The truss rod adjustment only takes a minute, and at this point, I know exactly how much to turn it after measuring where the relief is at.
I was also disappointed with one of their finishes. All of the orangeburst finishes look one way, but it came out very very brown. Nothing orange about it at all. Nothing like the photos. I sold it.
What's funny to me is that Kiesel has a “Build vs Real” playlist on their Instagram page, showing how closely their builder represents the end product... yet there are so many cases of people receiving the wrong color. (I recently did some digging) And these aren't cases of “it's not dark enough”, the examples I came across are a different color altogether...so I can understand the mixed reports about Kiesel. After I fix the switch, I'll be happy with my Crescent... but I probably won't get another Kiesel. Having to do work on the nut and the pickup selector switch straight out of the box on a $2300 guitar...yeah that kind of leaves a bad taste. If I didn't know how to fix the nut, that would've been an instant return. Aside from the issues mentioned, my Kiesel plays and sounds great.
Thanks for this. It was exactly what I was looking for. You had to wait SEVEN MONTHS? That's insane and is making me reconsider my order. Last thing....aurora blue? How could they send you a green guitar when you ordered aurora blue? That's crazy.
I think someone may have brought my video to Jeff Kiesel's attention. A few months ago, someone asked Jeff Kiesel on his Q&A livestream: "why do you no longer offer Aurora Blue on a flamed maple top?" and his reply addressed the inconsistent results when staining maple with that color. I see that Kiesel is only offering Aurora Blue on swamp ash now. A lot of people have nitpicked the color/finishes on their Kiesels, but mine is one of the most egregious examples.
Love OCD player reviews! It's all in the details. If the Kiesel/Carvin website showed a blue/green color (like Anderson's Bora Bora blue), that would make more sense. Your guitar is green, with blue highlights. But it sounds awesome, and the top is killer!
Thanks, more OCD reviews to come! Some of my bandmates think I'm legitimately insane for paying attention to these things. The green looks really good with the brown, I think. I just need to replace/fix that pickup selector switch, and I'll be happy.
Great video . Thinking of getting a Cresent with a blue flame maple top / black burst in a matte finish . I’d be choked if it came greenish like yours did . Weird it has some issues , but I guess that’s fairly common in the guitar industry , especially when you’re picky and have a good eye for set ups and play at a high level . How do you like the shape of the Crescent ? I have a Jackson Archtop Soloist that has a very similar body shape and I love that , which is why I’m looking at this . I wish I could get in 24.75” though .
Thank you! The Crescent is my favorite body shape by Kiesel, it looks killer. The look of it was the main reason I got one. I agree about the 24.75" scale. The shorter scale is noticeably easier to play wide stretch chords/licks on, which I do a lot! That's actually my biggest gripe with Kiesel - they only offer that scale on their Zeus, Leia, CS3/6, and Hyperdrive models. So, if you aren't into the headless thing, that leaves you with the Les Paul and Explorer body shape to get one on. I think they have even fewer models available in 25" scale - which is what my DC127 is - but they did away with that scale for their DC series. Jeff Kiesel said "most people are going to want the 25.5" scale for better string tension when downtuning, and the demand for 24.75" just isn't there." I don't know about that... I know a large chunk of Kiesel players tend to be into metal and tuning down, but I bet there are A LOT of people who would be interested in a 24.75" Aries or Crescent, myself included. It's not like people need 25.5" scale to tune down either. If the tension was too loose, players could just use a heavier gauge string. Anyway, this comment is too long! Thanks for watching.
@@ChrisHollandGuitar I’m on D standard with my 24.75 using 10-46 strings . Feels great . The whole tension thing is corny . Kiesel seems pretty set in their ways appealing to the more metal guys , but they miss a lot of the market considering Gibson has all shorter scale guitars and people will be used to them .
Do you have open string buzz? Or buzzing on specific frets? The frets on my Kiesel are level, and there's zero buzzing on the fretboard, even with low action. My guitar only buzzed when the low E string was played open. This was because the low E nut slot was cut a bit too low, and the string was vibrating against the first fret when played open. I raised the low E nut slot a tiny bit with a mixture of super glue with baking soda. You need to mix them into a paste, put a VERY small amount in the nut slot, and then file a new groove for the string after dries completely. I don't recommend doing this to a guitar you care about unless you have experience doing it. This trick requires you to be quick and precise, and you need proper tools for filing the nut slot.
@ChrisHollandGuitar I have a Floyd equipped Aries. I get horrible low E buzz. At the 1st fret height it's about 1/64. Which is about right I believe. I like to keep minimal relief and action about 1/16th.
@@Lesspaw41 Yes, 1/64" is a good string height at the 1st fret. That's about 0.4 mm, which is ideal. Mine came set below 0.3 mm, and it buzzed when played open - even when played lightly. I don't mind if there is buzz when playing hard - that's normal.
Hello, I also have some quality control issues such as fret buzz last year. I suggest you contact their customer service to report the color issue, and maybe you can get some compensation. Good luck.
When fretting the low E string at the 1st and last frets, I look for about 0.10 mm between the top of the 7th fret and the bottom of the string. I can probably get away with 0.08 mm, but too little relief makes big bends hard to “grip” in the middle of the fretboard, on the high E, B, and G strings.
I never thought I would hear Gran Turismo 4's garage BGM in a video of a foreign guitarist. It seems that I received a different color, but the wood grain is more emphasized and I thought it was beautiful. The curve of the top material also reflects light and gives it a very luxurious feel. This was very helpful as I was considering ordering from Kiesel. Thank you for your helpful review. from Japan
Wow I'm surprised about the neck stability on the DC. I bought a DC127 with a maple neck in 1996 and I've never had to tweak the trussrod. They had just started to use a double reinforcement rod system at that time but well before they switched to carbon fiber. Makes me wonder if there was something they switched to between what is in mine and when they started using carbon. I literally can't get more than a few cents of detune when pushing forward on the back of the neck (I'm a hardtail guy).
Yeah, I don’t know what the deal is with my 2008 DC127. My friend had a Carvin CS3 with the same neck stability problems, and he sold it. I’m okay with making the necessary adjustments though - it only takes a minute. My DC doesn’t have unusual specs either - it has a maple neck, ebony fretboard…so pretty standard there. I still love it regardless, it’s so easy to play - an absolute shred machine. It’s definitely easier for me to play than the Crescent, but I may not be used to the thicker neck on that yet. Like I mentioned in the video, the upper fret access on the DC is superior.
Thank you! Yeah, the color coming out wrong was disappointing, but I was okay with the green as well. I was more disappointed in the poor nut setup. My Kiesel Zeus didn't have any of those issues, though.
Kinda wild to me that the color passed QA especially cosidering finish is something they specifically pride themselves on.If your happy thats all that matters but considering one of the main things your paying for is "custom" guitar and they couldn't even get the color remotely right is nuts. It looks like they just never dyed it before staining it .. but you think they would have seen the issue and fixed it or gone over it a few more times to saturate the color before putting on a clear coat... i doubt that color of green is even offered to begin with.. Its funny because on one of the recent QA's they had this gorgeous guitar with a green to translucent fade on the on-bevel and even Jeff thought it was a completely different color than what the specs said, IMO that one look nice anywyas but same idea.. if your asking for a blue guitar you shouldnt get a green one.
Yeah, definitely. I completely understand why someone would return this, or call them to get some compensation for receiving the wrong color. I only found one other example of a Kiesel “Aurora Blue” being green in my search on google images. That being said, color issues with Kiesel seem to come up occasionally. I saw the live stream with Jeff Kiesel that you referenced - with the colors being different than what he expected it to look like...oof. You would think checking the spec sheet and confirming it's the RIGHT COLOR would be part of the QC process.
Kiesel guitars have a mixed reception. Some people have had really bad experiences, mainly with customer service. I like them because they offer options that I can't get anywhere else, and their fretwork is great.
@@ChrisHollandGuitar all about preference, I agree,because most players I know prefer Ibanez, fender, or Gibson, full stop,I've heard nothing but bad reviews re keisel, 🤔
Yeah O.D. Guitars, Skervesen, Mayones, Esp, Suhr, PRS, Vandermeij, GNG, Rusti and Valenti are the best choices in the market right now, Top notch quality
@@ChrisHollandGuitaryea dude… I feel you. I got a PRs dw… and actually really liked the feel of nickel frets to my suprise, 10 radius though 😂, but got use to it after a few days and love the guitar
UPDATE: I ended up selling this guitar. I just couldn't get on with the thicker neck. I ended up getting a Kiesel Zeus - check out my demo & review of it here: ruclips.net/video/twDzTPdLHeA/видео.html
Honestly I bet if you called in and talked to their head tech they would send you a new switch. They've gone above and beyond in helping me out with my guitar
Thanks for letting me know that!
Yeah. I have a Carvin Tung Oiled Koa DC 135 from '93. I didn't know what to do when the neck shifted since I was starting out and knew nothing about truss rod adjustments. The local music store wouldn't help me so I had to ship it to Carvin.
Yeah, it can be frustrating. Otherwise, my Carvin is a great guitar. Plays and sounds great. The truss rod adjustment only takes a minute, and at this point, I know exactly how much to turn it after measuring where the relief is at.
I was also disappointed with one of their finishes. All of the orangeburst finishes look one way, but it came out very very brown. Nothing orange about it at all. Nothing like the photos. I sold it.
What's funny to me is that Kiesel has a “Build vs Real” playlist on their Instagram page, showing how closely their builder represents the end product... yet there are so many cases of people receiving the wrong color. (I recently did some digging) And these aren't cases of “it's not dark enough”, the examples I came across are a different color altogether...so I can understand the mixed reports about Kiesel.
After I fix the switch, I'll be happy with my Crescent... but I probably won't get another Kiesel. Having to do work on the nut and the pickup selector switch straight out of the box on a $2300 guitar...yeah that kind of leaves a bad taste. If I didn't know how to fix the nut, that would've been an instant return.
Aside from the issues mentioned, my Kiesel plays and sounds great.
Thanks for this. It was exactly what I was looking for. You had to wait SEVEN MONTHS? That's insane and is making me reconsider my order. Last thing....aurora blue? How could they send you a green guitar when you ordered aurora blue? That's crazy.
I think someone may have brought my video to Jeff Kiesel's attention. A few months ago, someone asked Jeff Kiesel on his Q&A livestream: "why do you no longer offer Aurora Blue on a flamed maple top?" and his reply addressed the inconsistent results when staining maple with that color. I see that Kiesel is only offering Aurora Blue on swamp ash now.
A lot of people have nitpicked the color/finishes on their Kiesels, but mine is one of the most egregious examples.
Love OCD player reviews! It's all in the details. If the Kiesel/Carvin website showed a blue/green color (like Anderson's Bora Bora blue), that would make more sense. Your guitar is green, with blue highlights. But it sounds awesome, and the top is killer!
Thanks, more OCD reviews to come! Some of my bandmates think I'm legitimately insane for paying attention to these things.
The green looks really good with the brown, I think. I just need to replace/fix that pickup selector switch, and I'll be happy.
@@ChrisHollandGuitar yup, would be nicer with a cream tip. Subscribed!
Gorgeous and great pick up selection
Thank you Gomez!
Great video . Thinking of getting a Cresent with a blue flame maple top / black burst in a matte finish . I’d be choked if it came greenish like yours did . Weird it has some issues , but I guess that’s fairly common in the guitar industry , especially when you’re picky and have a good eye for set ups and play at a high level .
How do you like the shape of the Crescent ? I have a Jackson Archtop Soloist that has a very similar body shape and I love that , which is why I’m looking at this . I wish I could get in 24.75” though .
Thank you! The Crescent is my favorite body shape by Kiesel, it looks killer. The look of it was the main reason I got one.
I agree about the 24.75" scale. The shorter scale is noticeably easier to play wide stretch chords/licks on, which I do a lot!
That's actually my biggest gripe with Kiesel - they only offer that scale on their Zeus, Leia, CS3/6, and Hyperdrive models. So, if you aren't into the headless thing, that leaves you with the Les Paul and Explorer body shape to get one on. I think they have even fewer models available in 25" scale - which is what my DC127 is - but they did away with that scale for their DC series.
Jeff Kiesel said "most people are going to want the 25.5" scale for better string tension when downtuning, and the demand for 24.75" just isn't there." I don't know about that...
I know a large chunk of Kiesel players tend to be into metal and tuning down, but I bet there are A LOT of people who would be interested in a 24.75" Aries or Crescent, myself included.
It's not like people need 25.5" scale to tune down either. If the tension was too loose, players could just use a heavier gauge string. Anyway, this comment is too long! Thanks for watching.
@@ChrisHollandGuitar I’m on D standard with my 24.75 using 10-46 strings . Feels great . The whole tension thing is corny . Kiesel seems pretty set in their ways appealing to the more metal guys , but they miss a lot of the market considering Gibson has all shorter scale guitars and people will be used to them .
@@ellocalcrew613 I considered getting a Caparison, they have some nice guitars in 24.75"...pretty spendy though!
Sounds great and is stunning.
Thanks! The Berylliums are definitely creamy. They're the polar opposite of their Lithium pickups.
What is that trick you did with the fret buzz? My guitar suffers from the same, I’d love to fix it.
Do you have open string buzz? Or buzzing on specific frets?
The frets on my Kiesel are level, and there's zero buzzing on the fretboard, even with low action.
My guitar only buzzed when the low E string was played open. This was because the low E nut slot was cut a bit too low, and the string was vibrating against the first fret when played open.
I raised the low E nut slot a tiny bit with a mixture of super glue with baking soda. You need to mix them into a paste, put a VERY small amount in the nut slot, and then file a new groove for the string after dries completely. I don't recommend doing this to a guitar you care about unless you have experience doing it. This trick requires you to be quick and precise, and you need proper tools for filing the nut slot.
@ChrisHollandGuitar I have a Floyd equipped Aries. I get horrible low E buzz. At the 1st fret height it's about 1/64. Which is about right I believe. I like to keep minimal relief and action about 1/16th.
@@Lesspaw41 Yes, 1/64" is a good string height at the 1st fret. That's about 0.4 mm, which is ideal. Mine came set below 0.3 mm, and it buzzed when played open - even when played lightly. I don't mind if there is buzz when playing hard - that's normal.
Hello, I also have some quality control issues such as fret buzz last year. I suggest you contact their customer service to report the color issue, and maybe you can get some compensation. Good luck.
Thanks for sharing.
Where do you set your neck relief?
When fretting the low E string at the 1st and last frets, I look for about 0.10 mm between the top of the 7th fret and the bottom of the string. I can probably get away with 0.08 mm, but too little relief makes big bends hard to “grip” in the middle of the fretboard, on the high E, B, and G strings.
My late 1980's ESP's have had zero neck issues, ever, and Kiesel fixed theirs in 2015...
Which ESP models do you have?
@@ChrisHollandGuitar ESP Horizon Custom 1989, ESP custom shop 1991, ESP Horizon NT7, ESP USA M-III, ESP E-II Eclipse.
I never thought I would hear Gran Turismo 4's garage BGM in a video of a foreign guitarist.
It seems that I received a different color, but the wood grain is more emphasized and I thought it was beautiful. The curve of the top material also reflects light and gives it a very luxurious feel.
This was very helpful as I was considering ordering from Kiesel. Thank you for your helpful review.
from Japan
Glad you found my video helpful! I was curious if anybody would recognize the Gran Turismo cover. I love Isamu Ohira's music!
Wow I'm surprised about the neck stability on the DC. I bought a DC127 with a maple neck in 1996 and I've never had to tweak the trussrod. They had just started to use a double reinforcement rod system at that time but well before they switched to carbon fiber. Makes me wonder if there was something they switched to between what is in mine and when they started using carbon. I literally can't get more than a few cents of detune when pushing forward on the back of the neck (I'm a hardtail guy).
Yeah, I don’t know what the deal is with my 2008 DC127. My friend had a Carvin CS3 with the same neck stability problems, and he sold it. I’m okay with making the necessary adjustments though - it only takes a minute.
My DC doesn’t have unusual specs either - it has a maple neck, ebony fretboard…so pretty standard there. I still love it regardless, it’s so easy to play - an absolute shred machine. It’s definitely easier for me to play than the Crescent, but I may not be used to the thicker neck on that yet. Like I mentioned in the video, the upper fret access on the DC is superior.
Those pickups sound great. I've never heard humbuckers that bright. 500k or 1 Meg pots??
The pots are 500k.
Beautifully perfect 🥰 but I'm a green guy
Too bad the color didn't match :(
I am not very familiar with Kiesel guitars but I have to say yours sounds amazingly
Thank you! Yeah, the color coming out wrong was disappointing, but I was okay with the green as well. I was more disappointed in the poor nut setup. My Kiesel Zeus didn't have any of those issues, though.
Nice !!!
Thanks Bill!
Kinda wild to me that the color passed QA especially cosidering finish is something they specifically pride themselves on.If your happy thats all that matters but considering one of the main things your paying for is "custom" guitar and they couldn't even get the color remotely right is nuts. It looks like they just never dyed it before staining it .. but you think they would have seen the issue and fixed it or gone over it a few more times to saturate the color before putting on a clear coat... i doubt that color of green is even offered to begin with..
Its funny because on one of the recent QA's they had this gorgeous guitar with a green to translucent fade on the on-bevel and even Jeff thought it was a completely different color than what the specs said, IMO that one look nice anywyas but same idea.. if your asking for a blue guitar you shouldnt get a green one.
Yeah, definitely. I completely understand why someone would return this, or call them to get some compensation for receiving the wrong color.
I only found one other example of a Kiesel “Aurora Blue” being green in my search on google images. That being said, color issues with Kiesel seem to come up occasionally. I saw the live stream with Jeff Kiesel that you referenced - with the colors being different than what he expected it to look like...oof.
You would think checking the spec sheet and confirming it's the RIGHT COLOR would be part of the QC process.
Here's the playlist for all of my guitar gear demos: ruclips.net/p/PLqvGCKYNqOUh8owj8zyYG3nqxy_gfRbRE
Yea that’s green, not blue
Keisel guitars aren't that good,I know lots of players, it seems nobody cares for this brand
Kiesel guitars have a mixed reception. Some people have had really bad experiences, mainly with customer service. I like them because they offer options that I can't get anywhere else, and their fretwork is great.
@@ChrisHollandGuitar all about preference, I agree,because most players I know prefer Ibanez, fender, or Gibson, full stop,I've heard nothing but bad reviews re keisel, 🤔
@@ChrisHollandGuitar btw ty for reply ,rock on man 🤘
Waste of money
Yeah O.D. Guitars, Skervesen, Mayones, Esp, Suhr, PRS, Vandermeij, GNG, Rusti and Valenti are the best choices in the market right now, Top notch quality
If PRS had the option for stainless steel frets, a flatter fretboard radius, and a fixed bridge... I definitely would get one.
@@ChrisHollandGuitaryea dude… I feel you. I got a PRs dw… and actually really liked the feel of nickel frets to my suprise, 10 radius though 😂, but got use to it after a few days and love the guitar