Great video! The Kiesel builder (online) doesn't offer half of the options that are really available. As Jeff (Kiesel) says, "Call the guys!". Tell them what you want and see if they can do it.
Chris, I am looking at pulling the trigger on one of these. I have a Strandberg Boden Standard HSS that is my main player live twice a week, but I'm wanting an HH like you have in the video. Wondering what your thoughts are between the Kiesel vs the Strandberg? Your thoughts between the Strandberg neck vs the Kiesel. Is the Kiesel like a fat 50's?
I only have owned a .Strandberg "Classic". Having said that, I believe the neck shape is the same as a boden. Though I cannot speak for the build quality of the Boden. My classic, felt a little "cheap" as far as the build and material quality was concerned, so for me, the Kiesel was leaps and bounds better than my Classic. The neck shape shape of the Kiesel was really comfy. Not a Fat 50's feel. More of a medium C shape. I really loved it. The strandberg necks are IMO, not comparable to enything else really... It's it own thing. My Zeus is one those guitars which I truly regret trading. I traded it for a brand new 2019 Gibson Les Paul Standard. Which ultimately got traded as well, since I never really bonded with it. If I was optioned to purchase a .Strandberg or a Kiesel "Zeus", I take the Zeus every time.
I’m like you in that I have to buy more gear and sell other gear . Can I ask what’s those stainless steel frets like to play , do the hurt your fingers or are they just harder wherein ?
Stainless steel frets are glorious! They feel so much smoother than the "regular" frets. Since stainless steel is a harder metal than the average string, they can't wear out. Or, they take a LOT longer to wear out. I love them.
Thanks Man! Glad to hear that! I really like Dunlop strings. My Favorite set, is the Dunlop "Heavy Core" 10/48. Once they are stretched in, they rarely go out of tune and they seem to last longer for me. It just so happens that are less expensive too! Peace!
@@McChuggah the Strandberg neck, is THE best. The build quality of the kiesel is far superior though. At least against the "classic" model. I also like the bridge of the kiesel better.
Is the fourth position similar enough in sound to the fourth position on a normal strat? I've been playing a lot more funk lately, and my current HH guitar is somewhat sonically lacking because the way it is wired, and I thought this megaswitch might help out. Would this setup be able to get some of that funky goodness?
Thanks for this! I got a strandberg fusion last year but I'm not convinced with it and I'm thinking about looking into Kiesel. How do the two compare in your opinion?
I personally like the overall feel and build quality of the Kiesel better. It just felt more substantial in my hands. I had an easier time setting up the Kiesel as well. The neck is amazing and allows a really low, fast action with no buzz. I couldn't get the same action on my Strandberg. The Strandberg is much lighter though, so if weight is an issue, the Kiesel is a bit heavier than the Strandberg. If I had to choose between them again, it would be the Kiesel every time.
I really like the color combination on this guitar; striking but not too crazy. I'd like to get a get a Zeus, mostly because my back wants my next guitar to be as light as possible. According to Kiesel's web page their headless guitars are normally around 5.5 lbs depending on options. How do you find the ergonomics? Amazing sound btw...
Hi Chris, can the guitar give you a strat tone like in U2 pride? I have an Aries with similar switching but compared to my mim strat, the strat tone is closer to that of the song.
Not quite. But close, in the 2 or 4 position of the mega switch "P" that I put in this guitar. Stock switch, no. I'm fairly sure he used a strat to record that part.
Oh I see. I was checking out the Schaller site and came across the megaswitch M, which can provide the same switching as your guitar. May I know the rationale of using the megaswitch P pls?
@@eigenvector77 Yes, you can get similar wiring from the "M", its just not as easy to wire as the "P". The wiring for the "P" is far easier and less time consuming to wire up.
Hi Chris ! How do found the width of the neck and the overall feel of the neck ? Compared to an Ibanez typical wizard or a Charvel neck, do you found it to feel wider, narrower ? Thanks :) !
@@ddev49bhatt I owned a blackstar ID60 head. Good stuff. It lacked a certain feel for me though. Hard to explain. But, I got some good use out of it. :)
@@jasonclark3858 I rarely hang on to guitars. I enjoy the excitement and inspiration that I get from a new instrument. So, I sell/trade gear, all the time. I try not to get too attached.
Chris Tompkins I hear ya. Thanks for the quick reply! What did you think of the walnut neck? I’m considering ordering a Kiesel with one. Did this one have a Kiesel standard, thick, or thin neck carve?
Some absolutely raging tones there! How do you feel when playing the 'headless' guitars? I can't help but think that it would feel like if you had lost a limb, your brain is telling you it's there and you get like a pseudo feel for it but it's not there lol. I reckon my hand would slip right off the neck when i go to choke up on chords near the headstock. Have you had to adjust your playing style to accomodate this? Or is there like a lip or something behind the fretboard that you can feel and that's basically telling your brain to stop and go down no further?
It's a very short adjustment period. For me, it was playing the 7th Frey and thinking you're on the 5th fret. It's like subconsciously, your brain is used to the length of a standard neck and makes your hand go an appropriate distance from the end of the neck. It went away pretty quickly though. I truly prefer the headless. 🤘🧔🤘
Actually, I only "had" to change the pots... I changed everything else, as a preference. Though, to be honest I never really gave the Kiesel pickups a chance. I may put them back in at some point to hear them with proper 500K pots. The "bad pots" were put in by the previous owner, for reasons unknown. I'm quite pleased with the trade. Though it doesn't exactly line up monetarily, I don't mind because I will play it a lot more than I did the Tele. That, makes it more valuable to me personally. Peace!
I'm sure this guy's Warmoth was great. But, as a buyer, I'm more skeptical of Warmoths in general vs. brands, simply because you don't know what kind of surprises you might find when people put their Warmoth's together. I've gone through the Kiesel custom process and have played a few, and I think they're great guitars.
I liked this overall, much better. The only thing better on the Strandberg, is the endure neck shape. Literally everything else, with the Kiesel, is better quality.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear Thanks a million for the input! In terms of ergonomy, I tend to prefer the Strandberg due to: 1. less weight; 2. lower body cut which sits perfectly on the lap for a more upright position; 3. output jack position; 4. gentle fan of the frets; 5. EndurNeck. What do you think?
@@holierthan The standard "Bodens" are superior in every way to the classic model, imo. They may be better now? I think I read that they changed the factory that was making the classic model originally. I had one from the 1st run, so they may be better now.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear Nice! I meant, however, to have your opinion on wether you think that the Strandberg is more ergonomic, in comparison to the Zeus regarding: 1. less weight; 2. better lower body cut which sits perfectly on the lap for a more upright position; 3. output jack position; 4. gentle fan of the frets; 5. EndurNeck.
Came here for the Zeus, stayed for the licks. Great playing
I ordered mine about 5 weeks ago I’m sooo stoked for it
Ordered mine 1 wk ago. 24.75 scale with Fishmans! Can't wait.
So nice to see an intelligent, solid review. Right-on.
You've really sold me on this, it looks amazing.
Can't wait to see your new build!!! Please make more videos on this guitar especially if you put back in the Lithiums
I have two kiesels. Both are Zeus! Awesome
This is the best instrument what i saw
The guitar audio on this video is impeccable.
sick guitar! good decision!
Great video! The Kiesel builder (online) doesn't offer half of the options that are really available. As Jeff (Kiesel) says, "Call the guys!". Tell them what you want and see if they can do it.
Your picking is super clean, sounds great.
Chris, I am looking at pulling the trigger on one of these. I have a Strandberg Boden Standard HSS that is my main player live twice a week, but I'm wanting an HH like you have in the video. Wondering what your thoughts are between the Kiesel vs the Strandberg? Your thoughts between the Strandberg neck vs the Kiesel. Is the Kiesel like a fat 50's?
I only have owned a .Strandberg "Classic". Having said that, I believe the neck shape is the same as a boden. Though I cannot speak for the build quality of the Boden. My classic, felt a little "cheap" as far as the build and material quality was concerned, so for me, the Kiesel was leaps and bounds better than my Classic. The neck shape shape of the Kiesel was really comfy. Not a Fat 50's feel. More of a medium C shape. I really loved it. The strandberg necks are IMO, not comparable to enything else really... It's it own thing.
My Zeus is one those guitars which I truly regret trading. I traded it for a brand new 2019 Gibson Les Paul Standard. Which ultimately got traded as well, since I never really bonded with it.
If I was optioned to purchase a .Strandberg or a Kiesel "Zeus", I take the Zeus every time.
LOVE YOUR VIDEOS, THANKS!!!
Aside from the work of art guitar, I love the shirt! Ga Ga Grandma! lol
I’m like you in that I have to buy more gear and sell other gear . Can I ask what’s those stainless steel frets like to play , do the hurt your fingers or are they just harder wherein ?
Stainless steel frets are glorious! They feel so much smoother than the "regular" frets. Since stainless steel is a harder metal than the average string, they can't wear out. Or, they take a LOT longer to wear out. I love them.
Hi Chris, did you do a second video on your Warmoth tele build. I watched your first unboxing video but I can't find the actual build. Thanks Bob
Kind of a sucky video, but here's what I did... ua-cam.com/video/CXEgUV4nNaI/v-deo.html
Love your channel, and all the great info you give out , what strings do you use on your guitars?
Thanks Man! Glad to hear that! I really like Dunlop strings. My Favorite set, is the Dunlop "Heavy Core" 10/48. Once they are stretched in, they rarely go out of tune and they seem to last longer for me. It just so happens that are less expensive too! Peace!
Could you describe tgat patch/routing please? It's so good
How did this become a switch review?
What option do you call the original color of the tree on the non-black edge? , I'm looking for it on the homepage, but it doesn't come out.
Its swamp ash.
RNC option
Definitely do a review on the Boss GT 1000 whenever you have time. It seems sick. Personally I’m waiting for the new Mooer GE 300 to come out. :)
Nice review as allways, man! But hey, what's that guitar behind you? Allmost looks like a headless Abasi Guitar??
also.. Your Strandberg classic vs Kiesel, what's your thoughts?
Yeah... that guitar's a secret. 😉😏
@@McChuggah the Strandberg neck, is THE best. The build quality of the kiesel is far superior though. At least against the "classic" model. I also like the bridge of the kiesel better.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear Haha oh nooo, secret forever or until next video?
That's why it sounded like Dink :) lol . Nice in depth video thx !
it was your guitar?? haha
Is the fourth position similar enough in sound to the fourth position on a normal strat? I've been playing a lot more funk lately, and my current HH guitar is somewhat sonically lacking because the way it is wired, and I thought this megaswitch might help out. Would this setup be able to get some of that funky goodness?
Heck yes! The 2 and 4 positions can get super funky.
Great playing, man! Thinking about an Osiris sometime in the next 2 years. Not sure about the headless thing, but might as well give it a try!
Kinda annoying that you didn’t leave the lithium pickups in when you realised the pots were wrong.
Does sound great and looks awesome. But did you try the lithiums with the 500k pots?
I put them in a different guitar. They are excellent!
Thanks for this! I got a strandberg fusion last year but I'm not convinced with it and I'm thinking about looking into Kiesel.
How do the two compare in your opinion?
I personally like the overall feel and build quality of the Kiesel better. It just felt more substantial in my hands. I had an easier time setting up the Kiesel as well. The neck is amazing and allows a really low, fast action with no buzz. I couldn't get the same action on my Strandberg. The Strandberg is much lighter though, so if weight is an issue, the Kiesel is a bit heavier than the Strandberg. If I had to choose between them again, it would be the Kiesel every time.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear cheers thanks a ton
I really like the color combination on this guitar; striking but not too crazy. I'd like to get a get a Zeus, mostly because my back wants my next guitar to be as light as possible. According to Kiesel's web page their headless guitars are normally around 5.5 lbs depending on options. How do you find the ergonomics? Amazing sound btw...
How is the playability of the Zeus?
It's insane!! I'm completely in love with it.
Sounds really nice!
Fogging love ur tone man
Hi Chris, can the guitar give you a strat tone like in U2 pride? I have an Aries with similar switching but compared to my mim strat, the strat tone is closer to that of the song.
Not quite. But close, in the 2 or 4 position of the mega switch "P" that I put in this guitar. Stock switch, no.
I'm fairly sure he used a strat to record that part.
Oh I see. I was checking out the Schaller site and came across the megaswitch M, which can provide the same switching as your guitar. May I know the rationale of using the megaswitch P pls?
@@eigenvector77 Yes, you can get similar wiring from the "M", its just not as easy to wire as the "P". The wiring for the "P" is far easier and less time consuming to wire up.
How is the weight compared to the Tele?
It's a bit lighter. Not sure how much lighter... I don't own a scale.
Hi Chris ! How do found the width of the neck and the overall feel of the neck ? Compared to an Ibanez typical wizard or a Charvel neck, do you found it to feel wider, narrower ? Thanks :) !
This neck is wider and a little fatter than an Ibanez. It's super comfortable.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear Wow wider than an Ibanez ! Geez that's too wide for me haha ! Well..that's a bummer..
Regarding the switch you installed, are all the positions noiseless? And are the split coil positions lower in volume?
Totally noiseless. The 2nd and 4th position have an very slight reduction in output.
how do you like this compare to strandberg? I can't choose.
The build quality of the Kiesel, is far superior to the "classic" Strandberg. 100% if given a choice between the two, I'd pick the Kiesel.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear thanks man. time to pull the trigger.
so the black top part is a different type of ash? nice review btw
It is a different piece of Ash. Thanks!
When are you ordering your own?
Hey... Greetings from India
I would like to know if u can suggest me best modeling amp that can be used for gigging also..!!!
Low budget = Boss Katana 100. High budget = Fractal into a Friedman FRFR cab. IMO.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear that katana is still out of budget for me .lol
What about Blackstar id core 100?
@@ddev49bhatt I owned a blackstar ID60 head. Good stuff. It lacked a certain feel for me though. Hard to explain. But, I got some good use out of it. :)
Nice playing!
How much the guitar weigh?
Hey Chris, Identical Zeus listed on Guitar Center Used gear. Any chance it's this one?
It is indeed this one.
It sounds incredible. Why did you let it go?
@@jasonclark3858 I rarely hang on to guitars. I enjoy the excitement and inspiration that I get from a new instrument. So, I sell/trade gear, all the time. I try not to get too attached.
Chris Tompkins I hear ya. Thanks for the quick reply! What did you think of the walnut neck? I’m considering ordering a Kiesel with one. Did this one have a Kiesel standard, thick, or thin neck carve?
@@jasonclark3858 Its the standard. Felt amazing!
Some absolutely raging tones there! How do you feel when playing the 'headless' guitars? I can't help but think that it would feel like if you had lost a limb, your brain is telling you it's there and you get like a pseudo feel for it but it's not there lol. I reckon my hand would slip right off the neck when i go to choke up on chords near the headstock. Have you had to adjust your playing style to accomodate this? Or is there like a lip or something behind the fretboard that you can feel and that's basically telling your brain to stop and go down no further?
It's a very short adjustment period. For me, it was playing the 7th Frey and thinking you're on the 5th fret. It's like subconsciously, your brain is used to the length of a standard neck and makes your hand go an appropriate distance from the end of the neck. It went away pretty quickly though. I truly prefer the headless. 🤘🧔🤘
Yeah so the muscle memory of years of playing with a headstock haven't made the transition super difficult and uninspiring, that's good to hear!
Kiesel guitars are the best. I have already 5 bad boys.
Im about to get my first one now. This comment sold me honestly lol. Going for a zeus7 with buckeye burl top
@@ianrivera2523 Nice! You won't regret.
Holy crap, I have G.A.S. too!!!
Love it ! Thx !
way to jump from the beginning to the end.. tele to zeus
So you traded a guitar that was worth $1800 for one that’s worth $1600? And u had to replace all the electronics on it?
Actually, I only "had" to change the pots... I changed everything else, as a preference. Though, to be honest I never really gave the Kiesel pickups a chance. I may put them back in at some point to hear them with proper 500K pots. The "bad pots" were put in by the previous owner, for reasons unknown. I'm quite pleased with the trade. Though it doesn't exactly line up monetarily, I don't mind because I will play it a lot more than I did the Tele. That, makes it more valuable to me personally. Peace!
To add to this, trade value is almost always higher than cash value. If I was selling a guitar for 1600 cash, id expect trade value to be about 1800.
I'm sure this guy's Warmoth was great. But, as a buyer, I'm more skeptical of Warmoths in general vs. brands, simply because you don't know what kind of surprises you might find when people put their Warmoth's together. I've gone through the Kiesel custom process and have played a few, and I think they're great guitars.
Is the body made from alder?
No. It's Ash.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear thanks
Gibson is in trouble now....
sounds fuking great
Compare this to your Strandberg Classic. :)
I liked this overall, much better. The only thing better on the Strandberg, is the endure neck shape. Literally everything else, with the Kiesel, is better quality.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear Thanks a million for the input!
In terms of ergonomy, I tend to prefer the Strandberg due to:
1. less weight;
2. lower body cut which sits perfectly on the lap for a more upright position;
3. output jack position;
4. gentle fan of the frets;
5. EndurNeck.
What do you think?
@@holierthan The standard "Bodens" are superior in every way to the classic model, imo. They may be better now? I think I read that they changed the factory that was making the classic model originally. I had one from the 1st run, so they may be better now.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear Nice! I meant, however, to have your opinion on wether you think that the Strandberg is more ergonomic, in comparison to the Zeus regarding: 1. less weight;
2. better lower body cut which sits perfectly on the lap for a more upright position; 3. output jack position; 4. gentle fan of the frets; 5. EndurNeck.
Trust me anyone watching this video knows what GAS is lol.
1800 can be accurate that’s what I spent on my zeus