I have a Kiesel Leia, my first headless, and not sure I ever want to go back to a headstock. Love it! So much nicer to sit at the computer or on the couch with. I find I play it more because it's so much more ergonomic.
Both sounded great. Filipping the audio was a cool idea. I thought to myself that I preferred what I thought was the zeus because it was a little bit more clear and defined, but I also thought that most people would prefer the «Martin» because it was fuller. Interresting how the smaller body actually sounds bigger than the real acoustic. Cool video, and very good playing as well. Cheers!
Fun video. I have 2 Zeus electrics and I’ve been eyeing the Zeus acoustic. I was very happy to hear that you faked us out at the end because the second guitar (which actually was the Zeus) sounded much warmer and fuller. 🤠
Yeah I have a pink Zeus electric that I love too. But yeah the Zeus acoustic is definitely great at what it’s designed to do and I think it sounds great. Thanks for watching!
Ya got me. Transference had me favoring the sound attached to the video of you playing the Martin. I didn't like the corresponding Fender version of thin body acoustic (looks like a Jazzmaster) and thought I was hearing the same bad sound out of the similarly built Keisel. I'll have to do a proper blindfold test on these guitars if I ever think I need yet another electric-acoustic.
Well done for admitting that. I fell for a similar video with different "tone woods" on solid body guitars. I actually started with the assumption that I would hear no difference but every time he switched guitars I heard a difference. Then he said listen again with eyes closed. I heard zero difference. The brain is a trickster :)
The Martin seemed a bit more crisp. But there's truly not much in it. A slight tweak to the treble would fix that right up. Very nice content and playing.
i have a Zeus Acoustic like this w/ a figured walnut top. it's extremely wall made and a fantastic gigging acoustic. i liked it so much i just picked up a headless Osiris w/ 3 single coils. really well made guitars.
Great review and a nice guitar. It seems to me that this type of guitar (like the Fender versions as well) is a semi acoustic. That, when plugged in, sounds like an acoustic that is plugged in. When we plug in an acoustic via piezo, we compromise some of the acoustic sound for convenience. Being able to imitate that sound does not make the guitar an acoustic, its a semi acoustic with a piezo pick up.
I fell in love with headless guitars a few years back and I just cant go back. ill play a guitar with a headstock sure, but I likely wont buy one. idk I just love everything about them. the look, the feel, and the fact that most people hate them lmao. I cant get enough. recently I decided I wanted an acoustic, but I was slightly reluctant because I thought I would need to get one with a head stock. was heavily leaning towards a fender acoustasonic. however I discovered these bad boys and man, I am beyond stoked these exist. they're sort of out of my budget at the moment, but just knowing they're a thing has made me so happy. ill def get one day, and man I cant wait. these things are so cool! Also, in the process of looking into these guitars, I found your channel. love the content man, you have a great energy about you, are informative, and entertaining. Your channel deserves to have way more subs dude. keep up the good work my man, ill be back!
Okay, you got me! Ha ha! But, point taken. I've owned a Cobalt Jumbo MW for over 20 years. And I'm still in love with it. But if I ever need great portability without sacrificing tone, I'll know where to look. Thank you.
Haha. Glad you enjoyed the video! And sorry for tricking you ha. The Kiesel Zeus Acoustic really is a great option when you need good portability. Thanks for watching!
I think my biggest problem with the Zeus is ONLY having piezo. I hate the way piezo sounds and guitars that are doing built in modeling like the Acoustisonic and the Martin Aura and guitars with built in mics all have a much more natural sound. I’ve had a couple of Alvarez guitars with just piezo and never liked the way they sound vs my Martin GPC Aura GT with the preamp that models different mics. The sound of just the piezo on the Martin vs heavily blending in the Aura mic sim is night and day better to my ears once the mic sim is added.
Love this video! I've been eyeing the acoustic zeus for about 2 weeks now. I love how it sounds. I would love to see how it compares to a regular zeus (or other model) kiesel with acoustic saddles built in. If it sounds similar, it might make more sense to just go with that option and also have a fully electric guitar. Awesome video!
Yeah that would be very interesting! I have a regular electric Zeus but it doesn’t have acoustic saddles. If that worked it really would be the best of both worlds. Thanks for watching!
I love mine but then I love all my guitars, the Zeus has its own dynamic active sound and unlike acoustics sounds fantastic through 100 watt tube heads and stacks or small combos.
Couldn't really tell the difference between the two guitars. And I was distracted while thinking about video and wasn't looking at the screen. It was only when I went back and was reading comments that I realized you were playing two different guitars.
Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed it. And yeah I did. I came up with it just for the video. It seemed like a nice little tune to test the two acoustics.
Kiesel’s have gotten quite expensive and I’m concerned about their resale value. Wondering about your sound demo at 8:00 - Beside the Capo are you playing Standard or Open Tuning?
Well dang dude!!! You fooled me ! You know that’s not very nice 😑lol. Now I have to go back and re-listen again ,that blows me away ! I don’t own a PA but if I were to buy that same kiesel acoustic you have ..is there an acoustic amp that you could recommend I get ? By the way I like your playing skills your a good guitar player ✌️🤙
Haha. Well I’m glad I could fool you. Hopefully it made it a little fun for you figuring out which one you like best. So I don’t play acoustic stuff a ton but when I play at home I use a Headrush FRFR 112. It’s a 12” speaker that has full range (like a PA). So I typically just go direct through that. You can either plug in directly or use a direct box if you prefer. But that’s all I use. And maybe add a little reverb with a reverb pedal or something. I don’t own a dedicated acoustic amp. Thanks for watching!
Hey another question: Kiesel offers this model in matte or gloss finish. I understand that the matte (or satin) can get pretty dinged up over time as there's no pick guard. However, the gloss might dampen the tone of the guitar. Which finish do you have and do you have any thoughts on this issue? Thanks.
The finish on mine is the “raw tone ultra-thin satin”. That’s the way it was written up on my build sheet. If you want a guitar to look pretty and super nice for a long time then a harder gloss finish might be the way to go. I am personally not a fan of gloss guitars. Which is why I went with the satin finish. I do my best to take care of my instruments so I wasn’t worried about it getting dinged up. But if it does then it just adds “character” to it and makes it uniquely mine. If that makes any sense. and on the point of it dampening tone…I wouldn’t worry about it. If this were a true acoustic that was getting it’s tone only from the wood vibrations then I might not do a gloss finish. But since this guitar is virtually an exclusive electric only acoustic then I wouldn’t worry about the finish. The piezo pickup is really only picking up from the string vibrations. The wood doesn’t play as much of a role. So get whatever finish you like the looks of best. At least that’s my thoughts on it. Hope that helps!
@@neoguitarconcepts20 Thanks Justin. I happen to be a gloss fan, so I appreciate your comment that the finish should have little, if any, affect on the tone.
I don’t have a solid body guitar with piezo pickups so I can’t say with 100% certainty, but I would assume it would sound similar. The piezo pickups just pickup vibrations mainly from the strings where they touch the saddles. The only difference would be whether or not a semi-hollow guitar (like the Zeus Acoustic) actually vibrates more than a typical solid body. That could potentially change the sound somewhat. But with that said, people have piezo systems on their electrics all the time so I’m sure it works. It probably won’t replace an acoustic guitar but I’m sure it could get you by. Thanks for watching!
No they aren’t double ball ends. They are just standard strings. The ball hooks in at the bridge and then there’s a screw that holds down the string on the headpiece. Thanks for watching!
Yeah. When I wrote the tune for the video I was just messing around with a capo in a higher position and stumbled across one of the main parts of the song. After I finished writing the tune I of course played it without the capo at a lower position but I didn’t like the sound of it at a lower key. And I always try my best to “serve the song.” So the higher sound just had the sound I was looking for. I think it reminded me of bluegrass tunes I grew up listening to. Anyway, thanks for watching. If it makes you feel better, I don’t think I use a capo in any of my other videos lol.
I have a Kiesel Leia, my first headless, and not sure I ever want to go back to a headstock. Love it! So much nicer to sit at the computer or on the couch with. I find I play it more because it's so much more ergonomic.
Absolutely. I still have some headstock guitars that I love but I love my headless guitars too. Thanks for watching!
Both sounded great. Filipping the audio was a cool idea. I thought to myself that I preferred what I thought was the zeus because it was a little bit more clear and defined, but I also thought that most people would prefer the «Martin» because it was fuller. Interresting how the smaller body actually sounds bigger than the real acoustic. Cool video, and very good playing as well. Cheers!
Well percieved. Are you sold? I am.
Fun video. I have 2 Zeus electrics and I’ve been eyeing the Zeus acoustic. I was very happy to hear that you faked us out at the end because the second guitar (which actually was the Zeus) sounded much warmer and fuller. 🤠
Yeah I have a pink Zeus electric that I love too. But yeah the Zeus acoustic is definitely great at what it’s designed to do and I think it sounds great. Thanks for watching!
Love the info, the humor, and the playing!
Thanks, Cody!
Great review! Thanks for taking the time!
Thanks for watching!
I have been bamboozled. and that kiesel sounds amazing
That switch and bait was genius, you got me
Keep the videos coming!! I’m glad I found your channel🤟
I’m glad you found my channel too. Thanks for watching!!
Ya got me. Transference had me favoring the sound attached to the video of you playing the Martin. I didn't like the corresponding Fender version of thin body acoustic (looks like a Jazzmaster) and thought I was hearing the same bad sound out of the similarly built Keisel. I'll have to do a proper blindfold test on these guitars if I ever think I need yet another electric-acoustic.
Well done for admitting that. I fell for a similar video with different "tone woods" on solid body guitars. I actually started with the assumption that I would hear no difference but every time he switched guitars I heard a difference. Then he said listen again with eyes closed. I heard zero difference. The brain is a trickster :)
I have to admit I prefer the sound of the Zeus. Being a bass player, I'm wishing they'd make a bass version of it.
Oh yeah a bass version would be pretty cool!
They do have Zeus bass now !
The Martin seemed a bit more crisp. But there's truly not much in it. A slight tweak to the treble would fix that right up. Very nice content and playing.
i have a Zeus Acoustic like this w/ a figured walnut top. it's extremely wall made and a fantastic gigging acoustic. i liked it so much i just picked up a headless Osiris w/ 3 single coils. really well made guitars.
Great review and a nice guitar. It seems to me that this type of guitar (like the Fender versions as well) is a semi acoustic. That, when plugged in, sounds like an acoustic that is plugged in. When we plug in an acoustic via piezo, we compromise some of the acoustic sound for convenience. Being able to imitate that sound does not make the guitar an acoustic, its a semi acoustic with a piezo pick up.
You definitely got me lol. The Zeus sounds incredible! But indeed, it's not really suitable for "normal" acoustic playing.
I agree. It’s great at what it does but it’s definitely not a perfect match for every situation. Thanks for watching!
I fell in love with headless guitars a few years back and I just cant go back. ill play a guitar with a headstock sure, but I likely wont buy one. idk I just love everything about them. the look, the feel, and the fact that most people hate them lmao. I cant get enough. recently I decided I wanted an acoustic, but I was slightly reluctant because I thought I would need to get one with a head stock. was heavily leaning towards a fender acoustasonic. however I discovered these bad boys and man, I am beyond stoked these exist. they're sort of out of my budget at the moment, but just knowing they're a thing has made me so happy. ill def get one day, and man I cant wait. these things are so cool! Also, in the process of looking into these guitars, I found your channel. love the content man, you have a great energy about you, are informative, and entertaining. Your channel deserves to have way more subs dude. keep up the good work my man, ill be back!
Thanks for letting us know you switched the sound of the Martin and the kiesel plugged in. The kiesel sounds waaaaaaaay better!
Okay, you got me! Ha ha! But, point taken. I've owned a Cobalt Jumbo MW for over 20 years. And I'm still in love with it. But if I ever need great portability without sacrificing tone, I'll know where to look. Thank you.
Haha. Glad you enjoyed the video! And sorry for tricking you ha. The Kiesel Zeus Acoustic really is a great option when you need good portability. Thanks for watching!
Freaking love this content!
Thanks so much for watching! Glad you like it
I think my biggest problem with the Zeus is ONLY having piezo.
I hate the way piezo sounds and guitars that are doing built in modeling like the Acoustisonic and the Martin Aura and guitars with built in mics all have a much more natural sound.
I’ve had a couple of Alvarez guitars with just piezo and never liked the way they sound vs my Martin GPC Aura GT with the preamp that models different mics. The sound of just the piezo on the Martin vs heavily blending in the Aura mic sim is night and day better to my ears once the mic sim is added.
Both guitars sounded the same to me. I am impressed.
Love this video! I've been eyeing the acoustic zeus for about 2 weeks now. I love how it sounds. I would love to see how it compares to a regular zeus (or other model) kiesel with acoustic saddles built in. If it sounds similar, it might make more sense to just go with that option and also have a fully electric guitar. Awesome video!
Yeah that would be very interesting! I have a regular electric Zeus but it doesn’t have acoustic saddles. If that worked it really would be the best of both worlds. Thanks for watching!
I love mine but then I love all my guitars, the Zeus has its own dynamic active sound and unlike acoustics sounds fantastic through 100 watt tube heads and stacks or small combos.
Couldn't really tell the difference between the two guitars. And I was distracted while thinking about video and wasn't looking at the screen. It was only when I went back and was reading comments that I realized you were playing two different guitars.
You are a sick player. Sounds awesome.
Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. Thanks for watching!
Sounded REALLY full! Very nice.
Dare I say the Kiesel pluged in sounds more full......
Yeah I have to agree. The Martin sounds great with the internal mic. But for just the piezo comparison I agree about the Kiesel. Thanks for watching!
I enjoyed this video for sure, but i really liked the tune you played. Did you write that?
Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed it. And yeah I did. I came up with it just for the video. It seemed like a nice little tune to test the two acoustics.
I just fell in love with this guitar. I wish I got one.
Yeah it is a pretty sweet guitar if I do say so myself! So small and yet sounds great
Thank you ! Great help 👍✌️🤙
Kiesel’s have gotten quite expensive and I’m concerned about their resale value. Wondering about your sound demo at 8:00 - Beside the Capo are you playing Standard or Open Tuning?
This is seriously the best review of a guitar lol
Well dang dude!!! You fooled me ! You know that’s not very nice 😑lol. Now I have to go back and re-listen again ,that blows me away ! I don’t own a PA but if I were to buy that same kiesel acoustic you have ..is there an acoustic amp that you could recommend I get ? By the way I like your playing skills your a good guitar player ✌️🤙
Haha. Well I’m glad I could fool you. Hopefully it made it a little fun for you figuring out which one you like best. So I don’t play acoustic stuff a ton but when I play at home I use a Headrush FRFR 112. It’s a 12” speaker that has full range (like a PA). So I typically just go direct through that. You can either plug in directly or use a direct box if you prefer. But that’s all I use. And maybe add a little reverb with a reverb pedal or something. I don’t own a dedicated acoustic amp.
Thanks for watching!
Hey another question: Kiesel offers this model in matte or gloss finish. I understand that the matte (or satin) can get pretty dinged up over time as there's no pick guard. However, the gloss might dampen the tone of the guitar. Which finish do you have and do you have any thoughts on this issue? Thanks.
The finish on mine is the “raw tone ultra-thin satin”. That’s the way it was written up on my build sheet. If you want a guitar to look pretty and super nice for a long time then a harder gloss finish might be the way to go. I am personally not a fan of gloss guitars. Which is why I went with the satin finish. I do my best to take care of my instruments so I wasn’t worried about it getting dinged up. But if it does then it just adds “character” to it and makes it uniquely mine. If that makes any sense.
and on the point of it dampening tone…I wouldn’t worry about it. If this were a true acoustic that was getting it’s tone only from the wood vibrations then I might not do a gloss finish. But since this guitar is virtually an exclusive electric only acoustic then I wouldn’t worry about the finish. The piezo pickup is really only picking up from the string vibrations. The wood doesn’t play as much of a role. So get whatever finish you like the looks of best. At least that’s my thoughts on it. Hope that helps!
@@neoguitarconcepts20 Thanks Justin. I happen to be a gloss fan, so I appreciate your comment that the finish should have little, if any, affect on the tone.
The kiesel sounds incredible.
great arpeggio dude!
Bro you had me so scared when you dropped it xD
Haha. Oh I could never through a guitar down like that. Even with the best case in the world lol
A friend of mine had an Ovation years ago. Plugged in it sounded great. Unplugged it had no depth.
Nice! I thought they both sounded great plugged in.
Thanks for watching. Yeah I agree. They both have their place for sure!
If you are only using the piezoelectric pickups, would the sound be much different than a solid body with piezo pickups?
I don’t have a solid body guitar with piezo pickups so I can’t say with 100% certainty, but I would assume it would sound similar. The piezo pickups just pickup vibrations mainly from the strings where they touch the saddles. The only difference would be whether or not a semi-hollow guitar (like the Zeus Acoustic) actually vibrates more than a typical solid body. That could potentially change the sound somewhat.
But with that said, people have piezo systems on their electrics all the time so I’m sure it works. It probably won’t replace an acoustic guitar but I’m sure it could get you by.
Thanks for watching!
7:54 what's the title of the song?
I like the tone of the acoustic but I do like the Kiesel also , I feel that the kiesel doesn’t have that nice full sound of that of your acoustic
Are the strings double ball ends? Like a steinberger
No they aren’t double ball ends. They are just standard strings. The ball hooks in at the bridge and then there’s a screw that holds down the string on the headpiece. Thanks for watching!
clever twist !!!
Thanks. I thought it was a fun way to pull an unbiased opinion lol thanks for watching!
would liked to have heard the Kiesel more.
Does it use acoustic strings or standard electric?
Thanks for watching. Yes it uses acoustic strings.
Nice, long, informative video. Then demo with a capo?
Yeah. When I wrote the tune for the video I was just messing around with a capo in a higher position and stumbled across one of the main parts of the song. After I finished writing the tune I of course played it without the capo at a lower position but I didn’t like the sound of it at a lower key. And I always try my best to “serve the song.” So the higher sound just had the sound I was looking for. I think it reminded me of bluegrass tunes I grew up listening to. Anyway, thanks for watching. If it makes you feel better, I don’t think I use a capo in any of my other videos lol.
you should compare this to Stratocoustic or Teleacoustic
That would be great. As soon as I get to try one of those out I will do a video of it! Thanks for watching.
The headless doesn't have that natural bass tone that an acoustic has
I get that. It’s funny how everyone has a different option on what they hear between these two guitars. Thanks for watching!
Hilarious, thanks!
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!