UNBIASED GEAR REVIEW - Kiesel K7 Custom 7-string Guitar
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- Опубликовано: 6 окт 2024
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DISCLAIMER - all views contained herein are mine and mine alone. My comments merely reflect my own, individual experience with this gear. They do not necessarily reflect what your personal experience may be as a potential customer of the brand I am reviewing.
Kiesel K7 7-string guitar
7-piece Walnut/Purpleheart/Maple Neck-thru consturction and tung-oiled neck finish
Swamp Ash body wings with Antique Ash treatment
5A Flamed Maple top
"Kiesel-treated" Birdseye Maple fretboard with 24 stainless steel frets
27" Scale
Kiesel Lithium pickups
Hipshot bridge
Single Volume with push/pull killswitch
Purple Arctic finish
Please like and subscribe. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the instrument or the video, please leave a comment.
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There is no excuse for less-than-smooth fretwork on any guitar that is over 3 grand.
These "tonewoods" are not nearly as expensive nor "exotic" as they'd have us believe.
The main cost of production is in the LABOR, and nothing is more time-consuming per-guitar as the fretwork.
I like Kiesel and this is why stuff like this is so disappointing, or more so how they respond to customer concerns and complaints.
Yo the riffs were seriously awesome in this video. That first heavy riff was giving me some Gojiraish vibes
Tyler Daniels thank you for making my new favorite word "Gojiraish"
Tyler Daniels he uses the Gojira pick technique. Near 100% he was going for the sound haha.
inovative
if you like the sound here check out fit for an autopsy's latest album. absolutely amazing and it sounds just like these riffs
Hi Tyler!
Honestly the response that they gave him "don't knock my work, show some respect", is absolutely disgusting. Between that, the numerous dents in the guitar, and personal experiences I've seen friends have, this was my nail in the coffin. Will never purchase from this company.
Really appreciate these videos man. You're doing the world a service here haha.
Seeing all this stuff convinced me out of getting a kiesel guitar. I'm just going to save up for a usa jackson or something instead.
I totally agree with you on the customer service aspect of this. My Vader 8 was sent in for repair and I was completely in the dark on what was going on with it. Kiesel responded to my emails about 7-8 days after I would ask any question, inexcusable. Then, when all was said and done and the guitar was ready to ship, the customer service rep said that they do not offer repair status updates. This was basically a month after I had asked for an initial update on the guitar. And oh yeah, they also only have one person responding to customer emails...
The customer is king. I know more than one business that would have shipped an entirely new product if the customer wasn't satisfied. The chunk out of the nut is the part that really blows my mind. There was no missing that. Shouldn't have been shipped in the first place. Then the fretboard treatment not extending completely over the light wood. On top of that the ridiculous arrogant attitude and refusing to acknowledge the problems. I would have just asked for a refund.
Think of what this review would have been like if the company would have been apologetic and fixed everything perfectly and maybe even threw in a little extra "Sorry about the difficulty" bonus. You'd be raving about them. Now here are 15 thousand potential customers that are turned off.
Correct! The Kiesel forums refuse to admit Kiesel just keeps taking orders regardless of realistic time frames, and is incredibly dishonest with build times. No shortage of people getting their models in with the entirely wrong neck, body wood, or paint job. How is Kiesel not bankrupt from the amount of errors they make shipping the same orders back and forth instead of you know doing it correct the first time, like Ibanez?
*THANK YOU* so much for posting this review video on Kiesel Guitars. I agree 100% that for a $3,500 guitar there is *NO EXCUSE* for these issues. Just MY OPINION...Kiesel Guitars are getting ahead of themselves and cutting corners. Today's economy is MISERABLE for musical instruments sales. The market is saturated with guitars and companies are desperate for quick sales.
If you want to spend 3500 on a guitar, grab a Tom Anderson guitar :)
@@jamesbarron7568 or Jackson custom, Ibanez J Custom, ESP Custom way superior same with Mayones and GNG as well as Framus custom. Framus custom is Arnold's favorite guitar of all time. Look at Vigier as well.
I agree that the side dot issues are important . However , there is no way to correct that other than drilling them out and putting in bigger side dots to fit the new bigger hole .It's either that or build a new guitar because this is a neck thru instrument and you can't just replace the neck.
If I were the builder and saw the blow outs , I would inform the customer and ask if he wanted the guitar or would prefer to wait for a new build . That would be before the neck is glued to the body sides .Then I might build a new neck based on what the customer says .
How could a guitar, let alone one that's the same price as a Suhr or EBMM BFR, ever make it out of the shop in that sort of shape? So you get a pretty USA custom made guitar that has worse attention to detail than a WMIC LTD EC1000 for 1/4 of the price.
DarthV506 Somewhat off topic, but man you'll never see an instrument like a EBMM JP leave the factory with any kind of issue. I've owned 7 JP7 BFR models (including some annual models) due to being an artist and they're all impeccable.
Saw a post on SSO a couple years ago with a a flawed JP6 neck. And have seen a JP7 neck that should never had made it through QC. My AD at work still has that neck on a bookshelf in his office. Can't remember the resolution for the one on SSO, but my AD had his neck replaced very quickly. That's how customer service should be.
My Axis and JP6 PDN are flawless.
I have a JPX7 BFR that is perfect, but my JP12 BFR had a slight issue with a paint run on the back of the neck that you could feel from the 13th fret to the neck heel.
mazereon That's unfortunate.
As mentioned above, EBMM does an incredible job in resolving those issues so hopefully they resolved it for you! I've owned a lot of MM JP guitars, most of them coming from my endorsement but I've never had any of them have issues.
I live in New Zealand so the process of shipping the neck back to them would have been too onerous. It didn't affect my enjoyment of the guitar in any significant way though, and I still rate them enough to have bought the JPX.
Pretty sweet review. I like how candid it is.
I own 3 Kiesel guitars (all 2016-2018) and they're my favorite guitars I have EVER PLAYED :)
The tone in this sounds like a battery powered amp
Well the pickups are Kiesel Lithium’s ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Would you like some tone with that gain?
Goire Garaat it's the pickups there's a line 6 insane setting built in
I like their guitars, BUT their new pups seriously suck. I'm glad none of mine have them, or they'd be coming out.
LMFAO this comment
I think sound is mushy
Tone sucks but is it the guitar or the settings??
you keep saying "points to them. kudos to them" for fixing their mistakes how about it doesnt leave the factory with the problems in the first place lol. by the way, hope you never decide to order from them. they'll probably blacklist you for being honest haha
Word
Kiesel kinda kustom
It’s funny how it’s only now people have turned on Kiesel and Jon was warning us for a while
@@blendernoob64 just because their customer service is so egregious as of late, especially the whole roasted fretboard fiasco. Love my Kiesel, but I probably won’t be buying from them again.
Genius workers are rarely great with people. So dedicated to their craft, they forgot how to be a normal social person. Sucks, but it's true lol! Amazing work though, worth the struggle imo. Kiesel, SIMS Paint, Echopark, Morgan Amps, Arcane etc. Customer service is amazing but at the end of the day you want kickass gear.
Having been following Kiesel for a while and liking them more and more, this review brought them in another light. Those problems mentioned in this video are things that should NEVER have been there, guitars with those defaults should never be allowed to leave the factory. If this guitar would have been ordered by me who lives in Europe, then what? Will Kiesel pay for the customs costs every time the guitar needs to be sent back for a touch-up? Hmm... Sad to see those faults in a Kuesel guitar. Great video btw, thanks. :)
In your case, you would have to take it to your own luthier, spend your own moneys, Thats not good for a 3500$ guitar
This has been an ongoing issue with Kiesel. There's a thread on Sevenstring about Kiesel's customer service being questionable lately. The person in those facebook messages also getting super defensive and telling the owner to not "knock his work" and "show some respect" is pretty bullshit to me. Stuff like that is why I'll probably never buy a guitar from Kiesel. i don't care about how good it is. It's 3500 dollars. That's a lot of money.
DrBrovahkiin agreed, man. I'll never support a company that treats customers that way.
Carvin cust support was far better in my experience. Kiesel has great looking guitars but I think he's more interested in getting tats and racing his shitty dirt car than his guitars. I'd rather have a Hapas or a Schecter.
Dude I ordered my Kiesel in December. Was supposed to get it in Feb, and they didn't even notify that it will take longer. 4 months, and 3 unanswered emails later I got it, and they locked my keys in the case.
Virus, you are spot on. Kiesel's out the door policy is just what you said; get it out the door ASAP even with mistakes on the guitar and lets see if the customer will complain; hen claim you do not see the mistakes. Message to Kiesel: "for 3500.00 the guitar needs to be PERFECT".
I've been looking at Kiesel's for awhile but what really blew me away was their pricing. They make it seem like the price is around 1000 bucks but then when you build it and it all adds up, it gets well into the 3000+ range. For that price, just speaking personally here, I'd rather get a Suhr custom or a Strandberg custom.
also Jeff Kiesel said that the Lithium pickups were not made specifically for metal. Bariums are coming and they are supposedly meant for metal. and the dyed fretboard thing is totally optional ya know? the customer wanted that so its totally preference. just a thought, love what you do.
So happy to see there are people out there that know the awesomeness of the Carvin M22SD pickup! Best kept secret in the Metal pickup world
Moshe Alvarez this isn't the M22SD, the M22's have 11 pole pieces, this is a Kiesel Lithium which is a completely different sound
Bryan D. You didn’t hear him mention the Carvin pickup and say it was the best? Lol
I love Kiesel. My SCB model was perfect. Plays beautifully and sounds fantastic with the S22 pups I had them put in it. I am deciding on final specs and going to order another one very soon.
I do not like lithium pickups. I put a set in another guitar and hated them. Just replaced them with the M22SD and M22N. Totally love the M22 pups. The M22SD just screams!
All that being said, those issues should never happen with a guitar that cost that much. I could probably live with one, maybe two, very minor flaws, but the whole of the issues is way too much. I would have sent it back too. And the K inlay? No way! I do understand that filling in inlays with epoxy is a standard practice. It's how it is done. But the K was too far off, it should have been recut.
I hate to say it, but the side dots were likely not fixed because it could not be fixed. A new build would have to be done and it seems they were trying to avoid that. If I remember correctly, from the post about this guitar on the Kiesel facebook group, they did offer him a rebuild at some point. But the owner turned down the offer because of the bad experience. Can't say I blame him.
And being told to not to disrespect his work is total BS. That is not how customer relations are done.
Communication is definitely not Kiesel's strong point. Right or wrong, I think it is something that those of us that like Kiesel have come to accept and deal with. If you call in or email with questions they are usually really good about taking care of you, but unprompted information about your build is lacking for sure.
Kiesel have recently put additional QC steps into the process. Perhaps in part because of this guitar. I hope that prevents issues like this in the future.
As for me, I will continue to order from Kiesel. The issues I have seen are far outweighed by the many great experiences, including my own. To me, they make fantastic high quality custom guitars for a very reasonable price.
I'm not a builder, so I have no idea what it takes to make a perfect guitar... but... why is it that mass produced instruments coming out of Korea, Indonesia, and Japan rarely have finishing issues? Point and case:
1. Have have had three Carvins and one Kiesel. The Kiesel Aries is the only one that didn't have obvious finishing flaws, though they did give me the wrong fretboard wood (asked for maple, they gave me burled maple, which is fine, though I would have preferred the plain maple I ordered).
2. My Suhr S3 has noticeable fret buzz on the B and G strings that I cannot for the life of me get rid of. Guessing it needs a profession setup, even though I've been setting up my own guitars for 20+ years.
3. The Virtuoso that Mike Lipe (RIP brother) made me has tool marks on some of the fret ends. Aside from that it's absolutely gorgeous and sings like a billion trillion nightingales, I will never ever let that guitar go! Mike Lipe was the real deal. But I digress,
4. A PRS SE I once had and three Ibanez's are flawless. Not a single flaw to be found. Not one.
What gives? Lol!
Hey Arnold, I got a Kiesel V220C in Kiesel Racing orange in November and the masking was pretty bad at the neck. You can see some of the white coats peaking through. Also, there were some imperfections in the paint in the OFR trem cavity. Some of it had scraped off somehow. Yeah I didn't pay 3500 dollars for it but for all the clamoring Jeff Kiesel makes about "Asian-made guitars" being worse than Made in USA, I've got used Ibanezes that are cleaner than that.
It doesn't sound like they can match workmanship at Tokai's level on guitars that cost half as much. I doubt that Tokai is the low-hanging fruit they're aiming at when they say "asian-made", though.
When you make great claims about your own workmanship, bad masking isn't acceptable.
@arnoldplaysguitar I bought this guitar on reverb because of this review and I couldn't be happier! Yes the 'K' on the fretboard is slightly miffed and there is a side dot or two off but it is a gorgeous guitar that I am so happy I purchased! Thank you for your review!
The innlays would have pissed me off also.
I dont understand how u only have 23.5k subs, you deserve at least 100k and i really think u have one of the best channels on RUclips all categories
Damn another guitar manufacturer which I was really considering but now cant imagine wasting my HARD ERNED money on! I have a really strong eye for detail so aesthetic issues on top of just flat out broken hardware would kill me.
What brands are worthy of our money hahah.
eyeball the used carvins and find a straight one. If a guitar is 5 or 10 years old and still dead straight, it probably will be for a long time. I've only ever had one carvin - a CS6 that I got used. i don't think the original buyer knew what they were doing, set it up wrong (strings all the way down on the frets and truss rod wound tight back bowing the neck up into the strings). AFter fixing that, it's perfectly straight.
I don't buy new guitars that don't hold value, which is pretty much everything these days since the market is overloaded, so I don't have any experience with kiesel.
The work quality on the CS6 is almost as good as collings, and better than any gibson I've had (and I've had 12 of those). Collings is in the stratosphere in terms of quality (aesthetics, material, etc) and stability. To be anywhere close to it is an accomplishment. Gibson is nowhere close.
Mayones, Framus, GNG, Ibanez J Custom, ESP Custom Shop and Jackson Custom Shop are nice
You fucking channel Chuck's soul every time you play. I love it!
The dyed fretboards are beautiful.
Hey Arnold, any chance you might be able to get your mitts on a Daemoness? I'd love to hear your opinion on them.
Chris Bollyn I know a guy close by who has one, I'll talk to him. But right now I have a serious backlog of reviews to do.
Yeah really keen to hear about a Daemoness when you're ready. They look amazing, interested in how well they play.
Gotcha'. Would be great to see eventually! Love your channel!
those jagged edges on the side dots is due to a dull drill bit it slightly ripped the wood instead of cutting it
I believe the neck feel difference is due to one being satin, which isn't quite as smooth but holds up longer than tung oil. this one here is a tung oil neck.
great review, as always.
would love to see a string review video, especially reviews of some of the 'premium' strings out there like D'addario NYXL or Ernie Ball Paradigm/M-Steel/Cobalt.
Well, I was trying to decide between a Kiesel and a Strandberg. After seeing the comparison between this and your Strandberg video, I think the decision is clear. I'm still considering an Ormsby Hype gtr, but I'd want to swap the pickups for Fluence Moderns and I'm not sure they would fit.
I had no idea there were so many extended range and multi scale guitars out there but I do now thanks to your videos. And, while I hate to encourage click-bait list-type videos, an overview or collection would really help me in picking which one I want.
I agree, if kiesel just fixes there customer service's that'd be near perfect imo. I own a Kiesel VM8 and its great, definitely the best guitar ive ever owned but they did get 1 thing slightly wrong involving my Kiesel Treated Board, it came out a little lighter then what I was expecting, wish i had known a head of time about before it shipped. Nevertheless I still love it
that opening riff was a MONSTER holy fuck!!!!!!! kudos lol
I remember hearing Jeff say something about making a lot of changes over the past year with the factory. Looking at the conversation I see this guitar was done about a year ago. Although things could have been handled a little differently it seems like they really did try and fix the addressed problems. I'd like to see a comparison with a more recent custom from them but I know that's a stretch
Aviin1 I paid $3500 for my kiesel. Had some paint chipping on the fret board where it meets the neck. Contacted them, and they said they switched to a new type of paint recently. They paid for shipping to and from and fixed it for me. Not sure of other issues people have had, but they handled mine with ease. Most people probably don't contact directly when stuff happens, but instead slam them on social media first
Pickups sound incredibly shrill?
Chris Bollyn that's just the tone that he dials in. I love this guy's reviews and playing, but the guy can't dial in a good tone for the life of him.
yeah, sounds like metal zone going into a metal zone....
i heard about that too. in alder its a lil too bright. in swamp ash? oof i dunno. Maybe sounds good in mahogany guitar...
LOL...Guarantee they would sound the absolute same with that Kemper tone dialed in regardless of what wood is used on the guitar.
lol i guess so....
Was thinking of getting a Keisel, won't be doing so with that kind of customer dept.
Thanks for the review, a 4k instrument should not have those issues in the first place. Shame on Keisel.
I'm a simple man, I see an ArnoldPlaysGuitar video, I hit like.
Aside from the “Tonewood” part of the review very solid takes. I’m so tempted to get a Kiesel but concerned about a QC issue is not very appealing when you’re talking about a semi custom shop with a considerable wait time.
I ordered my DCM7 in april, beyond stoked!
I just got my VM7 2 weeks ago and I can't put it down. Aside from 2 tiny minuscule flaws it's mint. I'll do a review on it soon. All the dealings I had throughout the ordering process were flawless. Obviously no company is perfect, but for a 9 week build time and amazing quality I couldn't ask for anything better for $2400. Blows my old ibanez Jem 7v out of the water. I do agree the pickups could be a little better, but for stock no high end name pickups they are good.
I bought a Kiesel and received it a few months back, and I love it. That being said, my guitar was half the price of this one. Before I ordered, I did research and found that, while I was fine with a bunch of CNC work on a mid range guitar, I didn't like the idea of CNC work on a $3k guitar. I bought the Kiesel because I got what I wanted for a price that other builders couldn't/wouldn't give me. That being said, I would look at other companies if you want a $3k+ guitar.
Samuel Emmett kind of curious about why you might have an issue with CNC on a high end guitar. CNC is something that many top custom shops and luthiers DO employ because it makes everything more consistent.
That's a good question, and to answer it honestly, I don't entirely know. It's more of a gut feeling, which I guess isn't very fair to builders, so I guess I can understand how that makes me seem. I think it's mostly that if I was to spend that much money on a guitar I'd like to know that, at least some of it, was built through craftsmanship and not because a machine was programmed to do so. I admit that my comment was a bit unfair to many luthiers and custom shops, and I didn't mean to come off like that.
Not at all what I was implying (the "unfair" thing). Maybe I can explain why I have a different view a little bit better than just lobbing a question at you. When you spend a profuse amount of money on an instrument, or even on many components that go into the instruments, you are getting a healthy amount of human touch in the price you pay. Getting into the wood part, like the body and neck, the CNC really plays such a small part in the finished product. Sure you strap a blank of ash or mahogany onto a CNC and it carves out a rough body, but that's exactly what that is...it's a ROUGH shape. The human being operates a variety of sanders, some powered and some not and some just the sand paper under their fingertips, to make everything nice and smooth and prep it for finish work. The human being then finishes the guitar with a careful eye and steady hand to ensure a lack of drips, and then sands/buffs in between coats to ensure even application and a properly smooth finished result. The human being wires the electrical components to ensure quality solder joints. Nearly all of the time the frets are inserted, levelled, and crowned by hand. Trussrods are installed and the fretboard is glued on by hand. While sometimes the mounting holes for hardware are inserted via CNC, it's the human that ensures it is installed straight (this is actually why a lot of companies don't use single-saddle bridges too frequently, because that human touch can really mess up your string-spacing). The nut can be purchased pre-slotted, but most luthiers that I've met and talked to buy blanks and slot everything by hand to ensure proper spacing/levelling, but that actually makes it susceptible to the same room for error as the single-saddle bridge thing I was referring to. Finally, at the end, when all the major work is done, that's when the human eye/touch/heart really comes into factor because someone that takes a lot of pride, has a steady and skilled hand, and an eye for detail will go over your instrument and inspect every minute detail to ensure everything is perfect, whether it be for functionality or whether it be for aesthetics. THAT is what I pay for. I, myself, don't put too much thought into how much an instrument is machined because ultimately that process is meant to make things more consistent in terms of giving the luthier a proper platform to build upon. What makes a guitar worth those middle 4-figures though, is that final human touch going over everything and making sure that this guitar I spent stupid amounts of money on...is completely and utterly PERFECT. That's why I recommend companies like Aristides, Mayones, Paul Reed Smith, Ormsby, and the like, because althought there is a good amount of the guitar that is machined...the attention to detail is unfaltering and you can rest assured that if you spend $4K on one of their instruments, it's going to be worth that amount. It's also the reason why you can get a Chinese-built Dingwall and it is one of the best basses you will ever own. Yeah everything is machined out and all the parts are built overseas...but when it gets to the Canadian shop it gets gone over with a fine-toothed comb. My actual point that I'm trying to make here, is that CNC is not a dirty word in the guitar industry. However, "handcrafted," especially when it's the hands of someone lacking in either skill or restraint-of-ego, can very much be a filthy term.
Kiesels are incredible. I only Music Mans and Ibanez Prestige and I think the value of Kiesel is unmatched.
try G&L USA....I got a used '15 Legacy for under $900 last month and it's superior to any Kiesel/Carvin I've ever played (have owned 3, including a Bolt).
No point anymore in buying any so-called "Fender" either unless it's pre-CBS.
The little things are what separates US guitars from imports. 3.5k before tax and they have the audacity to say those side dots look okay is a con...
Shouldnt have to fix a lot of the stuff you mentioned for this amount of cash he dropped. They don't have a tier of builders like in other company's to ensure quality control. I'd say for about 1 to 1.5 grand this is a great guitar. For 3.5-4 k there is some very rough shady work going on.
Honest review, no fanboying. I appreciate that. They make very gorgeous instruments but at the $3500 price point nitpicking is necessary.
I ordered one of the first 100 Vaders and was floored at the inconsistency the treated board had compared to pics uploaded by kiesel. I ordered aqua and it came out baby shit green. I never even got an email back from CS about the problem. Sold the thing off and will never be picking a Kiesel up again.
riff was very Fit for an Autopsy and i fucking love it. when are you gonna start posting these on itunes and google play arnold?
Jeff Kiesel should really be upset with his employees that let this get out,not the buyer.
could some of these problems be due to shipping? Iv been to the kiesel showroom and the guitars just stun me. I have an incredible Ibanez Jem and its the best guitar iv ever owned or seen in any store. But the Kiesels were even better. Flawless. Pickups weren't for me though.. anyways best of luck with all orders
0 chance that the showroom guitars aren't polished to a tee, so they can keep that veneer of quality
I can hear your chuck influences in the solo. awesome!
Wow....I cannot believe how many negative comments there are. I totally agree for this price perfection should be expected, but I have heard the polar opposite of what some of these comments are saying from a lot of people who I really trust. I can't say either way, but I am just surprised to see this when I have heard so many good things.
That was some of your best playing as I go through your back catalogue!
This is very off putting considering how much work Kiesel allegedly puts into their guitars. I say allegedly for that fact that this review has me second guessing even making a purchase from them. Some people might say it's picky, but if you're paying this much for a guitar that's CUSTOM, that thing better be perfect. And honestly, that customer service portion of the review is just plain sad. Shame on that builder. That just makes the company look just plain bad.
Thanks, Arnold🍺
I wouldn't say it's picky. I'm a huge Kiesel/Carvin fan (just but in my fourth order in the last two years), but if I major flaws like these in a guitar I ordered, I'd want it taken care of properly.
I am confident that they would, as I've only received great service from them so far. Hopefully issues like ones that this buyer faced will become a thing of the past.
Joshua Salgado the problem isn't so much just Kiesel, all brands have customer horror stories, if anything the number of those from Kiesel are much much much lower than other brands, but people selectively blow Kiesel issues out of proportion because they're not PRS, Gibson, Fender, etc, the latter two of which have less than perfect quality control
Mr. Señor looking at this now, I feel like I did critique this a little harshly. But I get what you're saying completely. I just feel the Kiesel brand claims to set themselves apart from other companies based on their builds and customer service. But down the line I'll still give a chance.
Every company has customer horror stories, sometimes a customer just doesn't gel with the company. It happens. And even a company known for putting out a quality product like Kiesel, sometimes they don't always knock it out of the park.
Shit happens, as they say.
Im guessing the side dot routes at the body region arent done with the NC machine as the chuck won't fit in that space. Im guessing they use some type of hand tool or jig that is positioned by hand, and there is a lot of variability in their process there. I have Carvins/Kiesels. Ive seen these types of problems having played eleven of them. I agree, not something you will embrace at these price points. BTW, I love your reviews, playing and writing, keep it up.
Jim Foster well they could've drilled those when the wings weren't glued to the neck if they wanted it to look nice
They did end up switching to CNC for the dots about a month or two after this guitar. Probably as a direct result of the negative feedback from it.
Colin no, they apparently weren't using the CNC to do the side dots is what Jeff originally said...this is why he took a jab in the video about this where they announced their move and would be doing double dots on the 24th since the CNC was able to be more precise.
Dennis Reese yeah that's what I was kind of saying. They were drilling the dots by hand originally, this guitar included.
Which is funny since he made the snide remark about it no longer being issues and yet said there was no issue.
I'd still buy another kiesel but keep it more workhorse.
Ah, another fan of the old school carvin m22sd pickup. I've always loved it, even more than the DiMarzio super distortion that it's based on. I always go back to it for all my guitars. Hope they never discontinue it.
OH NO! The perfect cnc drilled side dots "you can take your hair pull it out split it 420 times down the middle and that's pretty much how many fucks Jeff gives about your customer requests"
GuitarMind great underrated comment haha fuck Jeff kiesel and his goons
The disparage does't lie in the entire unit, because the guitar is gloriously built in almost all regards, but that last little bit--
It's not the little thing that tastes bad on an otherwise perfect guitar but the problematic service that tells you that there isn't any fault on their part.
i had no problems with cust serv from kiesel
One thing appears to be true with Kiesel - you can get it for 4 grand new, or you can find it for about half used.
At that price, there should be Zero issues whatsoever.
Looks amazing solid review. Thinking of a 7 or 8 string string in the future.
New Kemper profile? Sounds gnarly! Gives me a 'Ashes To Ashes' Chelsea Grin/ 'The Discovery' era Born Of Osiris vibe.
they have a 10 day return policy.
he could have took advantage of that?
neways I have 2 newer Carvins (just before they went kiesel) and they are just crazy good guitars.
never getting rid of those, they are keepers.
I'm wondering if the 10 day policy is a newer thing, but otherwise I wondered the same thing. Ordering my first Kiesel sill tomorrow. (I'm looking for good criticisms of the brand before I order).
10 day return policy doesn't apply to most of the builds
who are the tools who gave thumbs down, are u serious, wake up to yourself, get a sense of humour.
Great Job as always, Arnold.
Cheers,
Rob, From - Aussieland.
Saludos cordiales desde Oaxaca México, que buena guitarra, ojala pudieras poner subtitulos en español a tus vídeos. Gracias
Any effect the wood would have possibly had on the tone is drowned out by all that gain.
Tyler Gray And the fact that... wait for it you tonewood evangelicals..... IT’S AN ELECTRIC GUITAR AND WOOD HAS A NEGLIGIBLE EFFECT ON ITS TONE!!!! Hehehehehehehe
*runs away giggling*
I got a 4 week job at a german guitar builder called Heussel, who builds you a custom guitar from scretch for bout 800e.You wont believe how we all get ripped of by any big guitar brand.I wish he wouldnt told/showed me what a duncan pick costs to build it, or the real price of a les paul or a fender strat.Its brutal i tell you....
The messages between the owner and Kiesel led me to go a different direction. $4000.00 and you get that treatment? LOL NO.
I've always been interested in Kiesel guitars. The guitar selection has been much more interesting since the Carvin Guitars brand change. I was considering dumping the money for one of their guitars, so it's disheartening to see all of the QC problems. If I am going to pay over 3 grand on a guitar and wait months for it, I demand that guitar ship without issues like the many seen on this guitar. Too much money for a blemished product. Might still buy one of their guitars, but it would be one of those fool me twice moments if it turns out like this one.
edit: by the gods, he ended up selling the guitar for half what he paid. It hurts my soul to see that he went to such extent to get rid of a practically new guitar.
I totally agree with you on the points you made on the fit, finish and damage the guitar had when the customer received it. Just not good. However the way you talk about the pickups I am just not on board with. AB this guitar with the vader you did. The vader sounds so much more balanced. In the mix or separate whatever you did whether it was a different patch on the kemper it's harsh and fizzy. In the mix not so bad but by itself when you say that you like the pickups it's just fizz and nasty. No real definition and clarity of the distortion, that high end sizzle is just grating. Check out the brief bits you did using the neck pickup on the vader, that is really nice tonally. Balanced, bubbly etc. I don't believe until we AB some guitars with these pickups that we can say that their quality control is suspect, keeping in mind how time plays tricks on the mind. You didn't like the vader as much but to my ears listening on Yamaha HS8's with my focusrite Clarett 4 pre the difference is like night and day,
Yes the DTP shirt! Awesome video man, your riffs are beast \m/
Nice review. I appreciate you giving kudos where due and calling bullshit where necessary. Good balance!
Arnold, you really do a fantastic job!!
I myself would agree under the notion that the look of a worn fretboard is aesthetically pleasing, even if it was dyed...the fretboard is one of the biggest parts of the guitar that gets worn in places that tell the story between that guitar and your fingers; It's like one big finger print, no one else has walked those footprints but you...to think, amongst the dye, would create an extra, more pronounced effect to that story...I have a few guitars myself, different tunings, different styles; It's interesting looking at the fretboard of each, and seeing how much in certain places I tend to play on each guitar, and they are all different. ...Before I put new strings on any of my guitars, electric and acoustic, I wipe down the fretboard, before It is strung up, I'll take a nice long look at my fret board, admiring the warn areas that are then vibrantly popping out at me, a reflection, nostalgic and re-inspiring.
I really want a Kiesel but I've heard a few people taking about them messing up builds, I've seen Jeff doing a factory tour and having to change mistakes he found and that was him just strolling through, if he went through the factory with a fine tooth comb I'm sure he would've found more problems.
Man this is a ball buster for me. I've bought a kiesel about 3 years ago, loved it. Now seeing this, this is kinda making me reconsider buying another one from them.
They have gone down hill in the last few years. There are a lot of horror stories recently, most to do with CS... and Jeff him self in those situations. I wouldn't fell comfortable spending that kind of cash while not being sure if there is an issue it would get solved with out a huge amount of hassle... if at all. Definitely no op 50's. (no returns allowed)
Sounds brutal! I really like how this guitar looks.
I own a Kiesel Vader 7-string, and it's probably the most beautifully constructed and well engineered guitar in my modest collection. However, I find the response from Kiesel RE: the poorly created side dot inlays (clearly visible) on this unit outrageous. While it certainly has no effect on the playability of the instrument, this is clearly terrible workmanship and it has no place on a $4,000+ instrument. Their failure to even acknowledge the problem worries me a lot.... I love the Kiesel guitar that I own, but I don't think I'd buy another from them after seeing their pathetic attempt to deny responsibility for obvious mistakes by their luthiers which were NOT detected by their quality control people AND not addressed after the guitar was returned for other adjustments.... Very bad form, Kiesel - you can do better....
I payed 1800 for my Aries and its flawless. It blows my mind that a K Series Had that many flaws. Especially the nicks and dings on it. Damn
please do a review on that dingwall ng2 back there
I was just thinking about the stain treated finger board . It may or may not last . But manufacturers as well as luthiers have been staining ebony boards black for a very long time and you don't really hear about the stain wearing off . Should a Kiesel board show signs of wear, it shouldn't be hard to touch it up if needed.
Nice Gojira slide, man.
Hahaha! That killswitch moment!!! I wonder if a similar incident made KsE find their name!
Dude this is my first video I’ve ever watched of yours and I have to say; FANTASTIC work. No bullshit and you know what you’re talking about. Instant sub!
This video has also swayed me away from purchasing a Kiesel they seem like great instruments but honestly I don’t want to do business with a company that treats their customers with such disregard.
That finish is gorgeous.
They couldn't see the issue with the side dots because that is a difficult repair, maybe even a rebuild.
Arnold it might be due to there only being a volume knob, which gives a hotter signal to the pickups
Sounds like they need extra QC for any guitar build over $2K. I recently bought 2 in stock Aries guitars that were both really cheap - $800 and $1200 and there were no quality issues whatsoever.
Reminds me of Fit For An Autopsy.
You and I are the same way when it comes to wanting the best possible product for the money. ESPECIALLY when the product is very expensive. When you were writing to the guitar maker, I believe it was very unprofessional how he responded, honestly. I can kinda understand that it may have been frustrating to him, since he's probably never had someone bring up the side-dot inlay imperfections. Hardly anybody, (besides perfectionists like you and I), would notice such a small detail. And to repair such a small detail is actually harder than it seems, since the hole has already been drilled to a permanent size, has been glued, AND clear-coated. BUT, I believe you're right. If you pay almost $4,000 for a guitar, you should expect perfection. If he didn't want to take it back and repair it, he should have done it right the first time. He shouldn't have given you that attitude, even if it was frustrating for him. That being said, Kiesel guitars look beautiful, and there is definitely a lot of time and effort put into their construction. I wouldn't mind buying one in the future.
I played a bunch of Kiesels at Summer NAMM 2017. I was excited to finally play them. Unfortunately, my excitement went south real quick. The craftsmanship was meh and honestly the guitars just felt cheap with a fancy exotic top veneer. Left the booth disappointed. For the price of these "custom" guitars I was expecting a bit more than feeling "meh." I'm sure there are some good ones, but I didn't find one.
I actually had a friend who ordered a Kiesel Vader 5 string bass in a pretty beautiful matte purple spec and with luminlays both on the side of the fretboard (which looked kinda like it was a phenolic-ish material) and the fretboard itself (offset without the "K") and he had a shitload of problems at first, first with the lower fretboards having some noticeable buzz, then some defects on the bridge itself which would cause it to lock up all of a sudden, and the last straw was some problem with the pickups which made the bass sound like it wasn't properly grounded.
At the end he got sick of sending the guitar in and sold it to me for $1500, then got a custom Schecter bass which gave him no issues whatsoever. So I'm asking myself...WTF is going on with Kiesel lately?
these pickups sound better with an overdrive tube vibe than distortion or saturated gain. I've noticed they sound thin or weak with distortion, just not ballsy. but throw on an 808 clone with a mid gain setting tone flat and put it into a hot channel low volume tube amp=instant balls
Nice riffage, cool guitar, good review.
great riffs great video again
These are great reviews you do - some of the best guitar reviews I've seen. I think you could chop them down a bit.... make them more fluid and to-the-point. But regardless, I'll keep watching.
That guitar is gorgeous.
I like the Kiesel treated fretboard on this one, but I've seen some that are pretty gaudy / ugly looking.
They put a light finish over it, it should not wear off. From what I've seen it's essentially the same type of poly finish Ibanez uses on their maple fretboard guitars, the only difference is the wood has been dyed underneath.
13:40 -- YIKES!
A $3500 guitar that doesn't come with hand rolled fret edges!?
That's obscene...I've seen Squier's with better fret edge finishing.
"I am not going to have you knock my work, show some respect"
Yea, you lost this customer for life. Respect for what, botched up work? Nothing that the customer said was disrespectful. Those kinds of delusions of grandeur aren't worth my time. Show some respect to your customers.