Great review Greg, thanks so much for testing it with a clean sound! This has been by far the best and most complete review yet, Congrats on a beautiful guitar!
You are sitting in a recording studio, and you did not have a vocal mic? The background music is as loud as the vocal making whatever information you might have lost in the noise.
Hey Greg, I really loved the Jazz segments for the clean tones! If I may ask about the tuning stability, does the headless design hold tuning better than a non headless guitar, or is it about the same?
Great review, and beautiful guitar. Loving that burled top! How would you say this compares to your .strandberg* Boden 8 as far as build quality, sound, feel, hardware, etc.?
Totally different animal. They each really have their own pros and cons. The Strandberg has its own unique look and of course the Endurneck. The Vader, I feel, has better quality hardware and much more versatile pickups. Very subjective stuff!
Thank you both for this. Thanks for the fair comparison. I currently have 3 .Strandberg* 8 models and I'm very loyal because I love them so much. However, at the time of writing this, they literally have ZERO guitars in stock and I've confirmed plans for their 6 string bass are on hold... which is very disappointing. Not having a custom shop (since my first purchase) is again disappointing is now all publicly available models are only from Indonesia. I'm still loyal, but both of these in combination are a bummer. I've thought about Kiesel as an option. I don't "need" another guitar, but having Kiesel there anytime (and totally custom), even if you have to wait 12 weeks, is very nice.
I'm not sure I like the sound of the lowest string ,im on the fence still about 8's In the recording I hear the low string and it sounds pretty cool I edited this after finishing the video.
Maybe next time use a lav mic or something? It sounds like the camera mic which is picking up room tone and with the background music, it makes it kind a hard to hear what you are saying :(
Hey man, do you think that the bending feels like natural? Like a 6 strings guitar? I hate when strings are to tight, full of tension and all that stuff, but as I saw in your video with the multiscale fanned frets you fix that. Cause I wanna get an 8 strings guitar, but I dont have the chance to test it out before shopping, so Im kinda afraid of that. Lol. What scale do you recommend? 25.5 to 27 or 25.5 to 28.625 for a Dropped E tuning with 9-74 gauge strings?
Hi Tave, I've been playing fanned fret 8 strings for around 5 years at this point. The Vader feels the most natural to me as far as bending. I think its a combination of the scale and the Hipshot bridge that does it. Its not going to feel like a short scale Les Paul but I find it easy to bend for sure. The Vader has a 27.5" bass side with a 26" treble side. The lower strings feel and sound good while the higher strings feel great for soloing. If you're going for dropped E you may benefit with a longer scale length on the lower strings (28.625). A 25 to a 28.625 is a wicked huge fan though. Its really up to personal preference, hand size and what you want to play on it.
Hi Greg. Beautiful guitar. How different is the neck thickness compared to an ibanez rg8 and strandberg? does the Vader neck thickness help with playability? thanks
Hi Javier, never played an RG8. I did have an RG7620 though. I'd say its kinda close to the 7620, maybe just a little bit thicker. The profile is a bit different though. As far as the Strandberg goes, the Endurneck has such a radically different profile that it really comes down to personal preference. Comparing the thickest part of the Endurneck to the thickest part of the Vader I'd say they're comparable. Both necks are very comfortable in their own way. I like a neck with a bit of heft to it. Thin necks, for me, are not comfortable for extended play. Hope this helps!
I'm seriously considering getting one of Kiesel's AM8 multiscale guitars but I'm a bit concerned about the fret fan, mainly because my writing/playing style is rooted in classical guitar with a lot of shifting, complex chords that require some pretty intense hand stretches at times. Would you say the fan makes chords/barre chords more difficult or awkward to play at all? In particular the lower end and the closer to the headstock you get is what I'm mainly worried about.
Great question. The fan on my VM8 is not that extreme at all. I have a Strandberg Boden 8 that is a bit more spread out. What I find good about the fan is that the frets follow the angle of your hand/wrist. I play a lot of jazz and I also play in the the classical style (pinch grip, no thumb over the neck) its very comfortable.
Alright cool, thank you very much for the info man. Aside from the fact that the AM8 has a few other features that I was looking for I was also interested in it because the fans on Kiesel guitars seem to be a bit less extreme than other brands I've seen, so I figured it would be a good way to transition into fanned frets.
travisbickle131 The construction as far as quality I feel is pretty comparable. The Kiesel edges out the Boden in fit and finish. The Boden though is a bit lighter in weight. The Kiesel has a wider tone palette while the Boden has a distinct vibe as far as sound. It's really what's important to the player. They're both great guitars!
Got to be honest I really haven't gone back to standard scale. Fanned frets makes so much more sense anatomically. Getting used to it, if its the proper scale length for you, is easy and fast. No complaints.
long transition between info but damn, this was a delight, a bit emotionless but damn dude your playing isnt haha. this might be the guitar of my dream now :O
are the pickups offset from eachother in addition to rotated slightly? I ask in regards to swapping them out with new pickups, do you need specially designed pickups for multiscale guitars? sorry never owned one
No worries! Yes you need to make sure that the pickups you are putting in are at the proper angle so the pole pieces will match up with each string. I'm pretty sure Seymour Duncans and Bareknuckle pickups may work. I would check in with the Kiesel guys for sure to see what your options are. You can use your own pickups in your build. Just chk to make sure they are compatible before sending them to Kiesel.
Awesome video, great playing, beautiful guitar but I did have to laugh when he said alder is known for its durability haha if you look at alder it dents but it doesn't matter I'm sure they put enough poly on it to protect it. There are high end guitars built out of alder because it's cheap and readily available. I build custom guitars and never use the stuff because I only use hand rubbed finishes and alder is very soft. Not saying anything bad about this guitar it looks and sounds great. So why am I blabbing? Who knows youtube drags you into saying all kinds of useless shit I'll shut up now.
You have a good point! I think I was trying to give people a chance to hear the Lithiums in a way they could relate to by sticking to the most commonly used chord voicings. Most guitar players are six string players. Excellent point though, thanks for your input.
Great review Greg, thanks so much for testing it with a clean sound! This has been by far the best and most complete review yet, Congrats on a beautiful guitar!
Thanks so much! It was a good bit of work but this instrument is worth it...as you shall soon see. ;)
pro tip: watch series at flixzone. I've been using it for watching loads of movies during the lockdown.
@Josiah Decker yup, I've been watching on flixzone} for since december myself :)
Thank you for the incredibly helpful review! I just ordered mine and am beyond excited!
Glad to help! Enjoy it!
very in depth, i dig.
Thanks man!
Thanks for such a detailed review.
You bet, glad I could help!
Me encanta... Great Job Greg
Thanks for checking it out!
Thanks for the clean playing with some jazzy phrases
Great review! Thank you!
Your welcome! Happy to help.👍
Great review my man !!!
Thanks man! I hope it helped!
Nice to meet you
very beautiful guitar! what is your tuning?
Thanks! Standard tuning. F#BEADGbe
Very cool, I'm looking seriously at the Aries 8 multi scale that Kiesel does.
I've never played one myself but from what I understand they're great guitars. Good luck!
You are sitting in a recording studio, and you did not have a vocal mic? The background music is as loud as the vocal making whatever information you might have lost in the noise.
Can you imagine if one day there’s an EverTune for multi-scale instruments (especially with a True Temperament fretboard)
Hey Greg, I really loved the Jazz segments for the clean tones! If I may ask about the tuning stability, does the headless design hold tuning better than a non headless guitar, or is it about the same?
Thanks for watching! I'd say the tuning stability is better since the strings dont wind around a post.
Great review, and beautiful guitar. Loving that burled top! How would you say this compares to your .strandberg* Boden 8 as far as build quality, sound, feel, hardware, etc.?
Totally different animal. They each really have their own pros and cons. The Strandberg has its own unique look and of course the Endurneck. The Vader, I feel, has better quality hardware and much more versatile pickups. Very subjective stuff!
Awesome, thanks for the reply! And again incredible review and guitar!
+Aidan Woollard you bet, glad to help!
Thank you both for this. Thanks for the fair comparison.
I currently have 3 .Strandberg* 8 models and I'm very loyal because I love them so much. However, at the time of writing this, they literally have ZERO guitars in stock and I've confirmed plans for their 6 string bass are on hold... which is very disappointing. Not having a custom shop (since my first purchase) is again disappointing is now all publicly available models are only from Indonesia. I'm still loyal, but both of these in combination are a bummer. I've thought about Kiesel as an option.
I don't "need" another guitar, but having Kiesel there anytime (and totally custom), even if you have to wait 12 weeks, is very nice.
I'm not sure I like the sound of the lowest string ,im on the fence still about 8's
In the recording I hear the low string and it sounds pretty cool
I edited this after finishing the video.
Maybe next time use a lav mic or something? It sounds like the camera mic which is picking up room tone and with the background music, it makes it kind a hard to hear what you are saying :(
I agree. That'll have to be my next investment! Thanks for checking it out!
You mention you play it in the classical position. Does this, however, affect the tuning since the tuning pegs are rubbing against your leg?
Great question...the tuners aren't that loose so they remain largely unaffected from playing in classical position...thankfully.
Hey man, do you think that the bending feels like natural? Like a 6 strings guitar? I hate when strings are to tight, full of tension and all that stuff, but as I saw in your video with the multiscale fanned frets you fix that. Cause I wanna get an 8 strings guitar, but I dont have the chance to test it out before shopping, so Im kinda afraid of that. Lol. What scale do you recommend? 25.5 to 27 or 25.5 to 28.625 for a Dropped E tuning with 9-74 gauge strings?
Hi Tave, I've been playing fanned fret 8 strings for around 5 years at this point. The Vader feels the most natural to me as far as bending. I think its a combination of the scale and the Hipshot bridge that does it. Its not going to feel like a short scale Les Paul but I find it easy to bend for sure. The Vader has a 27.5" bass side with a 26" treble side. The lower strings feel and sound good while the higher strings feel great for soloing. If you're going for dropped E you may benefit with a longer scale length on the lower strings (28.625). A 25 to a 28.625 is a wicked huge fan though. Its really up to personal preference, hand size and what you want to play on it.
Duuude, it's Marky Mark and the djenty bunch.
Hi Greg. Beautiful guitar. How different is the neck thickness compared to an ibanez rg8 and strandberg? does the Vader neck thickness help with playability? thanks
Hi Javier, never played an RG8. I did have an RG7620 though. I'd say its kinda close to the 7620, maybe just a little bit thicker. The profile is a bit different though. As far as the Strandberg goes, the Endurneck has such a radically different profile that it really comes down to personal preference. Comparing the thickest part of the Endurneck to the thickest part of the Vader I'd say they're comparable. Both necks are very comfortable in their own way. I like a neck with a bit of heft to it. Thin necks, for me, are not comfortable for extended play. Hope this helps!
Thanks a lot Greg. I appreciate your time and advise. Thanks
you bet!
I'm seriously considering getting one of Kiesel's AM8 multiscale guitars but I'm a bit concerned about the fret fan, mainly because my writing/playing style is rooted in classical guitar with a lot of shifting, complex chords that require some pretty intense hand stretches at times. Would you say the fan makes chords/barre chords more difficult or awkward to play at all? In particular the lower end and the closer to the headstock you get is what I'm mainly worried about.
Great question. The fan on my VM8 is not that extreme at all. I have a Strandberg Boden 8 that is a bit more spread out. What I find good about the fan is that the frets follow the angle of your hand/wrist. I play a lot of jazz and I also play in the the classical style (pinch grip, no thumb over the neck) its very comfortable.
Alright cool, thank you very much for the info man. Aside from the fact that the AM8 has a few other features that I was looking for I was also interested in it because the fans on Kiesel guitars seem to be a bit less extreme than other brands I've seen, so I figured it would be a good way to transition into fanned frets.
The fan is easier on your left hand. Most guitarists are surprised that there is very little transition.
Great video! How does the construction compare against the strandberg boden 8?
travisbickle131 The construction as far as quality I feel is pretty comparable. The Kiesel edges out the Boden in fit and finish. The Boden though is a bit lighter in weight. The Kiesel has a wider tone palette while the Boden has a distinct vibe as far as sound. It's really what's important to the player. They're both great guitars!
Greg Rapaport many thanks for the fast reply! I pulled the trigger on a new boden original 8, so the anticipation begins.
travisbickle131 Awesome! You won't be disappointed!
How is it going back and forth between the fan fret and a standard scale?
Got to be honest I really haven't gone back to standard scale. Fanned frets makes so much more sense anatomically. Getting used to it, if its the proper scale length for you, is easy and fast. No complaints.
long transition between info but damn, this was a delight, a bit emotionless but damn dude your playing isnt haha. this might be the guitar of my dream now :O
Glad you liked the playing...still working on the presentation. ;) thanks for checking it out and I hoped it helped!
What is the standard tuning for this 8 string
The tuning is high E, B, G, D, A, E, B, F#. Thanks for checking it out👍
what bands do you like?
Hey Jebdude, I'm into Tribal Tech, Planet X, Greg Howe, MIles Davis, Yes, Led Zeppelin...bunch of stuff.
Greg Rapaport that's awesome
can I buy this song? (the intro riff) it's dope lol
:D Glad you dig the riff! Thanks for checking it out!
are the pickups offset from eachother in addition to rotated slightly? I ask in regards to swapping them out with new pickups, do you need specially designed pickups for multiscale guitars? sorry never owned one
No worries! Yes you need to make sure that the pickups you are putting in are at the proper angle so the pole pieces will match up with each string. I'm pretty sure Seymour Duncans and Bareknuckle pickups may work. I would check in with the Kiesel guys for sure to see what your options are. You can use your own pickups in your build. Just chk to make sure they are compatible before sending them to Kiesel.
Awesome video, great playing, beautiful guitar but I did have to laugh when he said alder is known for its durability haha if you look at alder it dents but it doesn't matter I'm sure they put enough poly on it to protect it. There are high end guitars built out of alder because it's cheap and readily available. I build custom guitars and never use the stuff because I only use hand rubbed finishes and alder is very soft. Not saying anything bad about this guitar it looks and sounds great. So why am I blabbing? Who knows youtube drags you into saying all kinds of useless shit I'll shut up now.
Thanks for checking out the video! Very true that Alder is not truly a hardwood, more like a semi hardwood but hey its better than basswood! ;)
eddie julian
basswood > alder any day of the week
Matt Damon?
It's kinda funny that you only played the high 6 strings while showing clean tones. This is not why we come here for.
You have a good point! I think I was trying to give people a chance to hear the Lithiums in a way they could relate to by sticking to the most commonly used chord voicings. Most guitar players are six string players. Excellent point though, thanks for your input.
Not we... I am tired of the millions of high-gain distortion riffers. Greg did the right thing.