AVOID THESE MISTAKES WHEN ORDERING KIESEL GUITARS...
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- Опубліковано 16 тра 2024
- Today's video we cover some common "mistakes" people can make within their custom kiesel guitar orders. These are all based on my personal experience so hope you all find this information useful!
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I like how the premise implies you can be a beginner and a pro at ordering Kiesel guitars. That's definitely something xD
SUPER helpful, thank you!
Thanks for checking it out! 😀 glad it was helpful
Great video and very accurate. 14 builds in and there's a lot I wish I'd known when I ordered my first. Great tips for first time buyers!
Thank you bro! Yeah I really wish I had seen a video like this years ago I could have probably saves myself some money haha glad to help pass on some wisdom to anyone just starting out!
Now I just need to get the money for the guitar
Gotta save up some dough! Lol
I used to like the satin maple kind of necks way back before I got my first Pro Line Warwick bass. After I had been playing that Ovangkol/Wenge neck a while I just couldn't go back to playing smooth feeling necks. Like you said though, it's a very subjective thing. The thing I hate the most are highly polished lacquered neck. I have some vintage guitars and basses that have it, but most of them are played enough to give them a bit of rougher texture. I'm glad that satin finished necks have become the de facto standard in modern guitars.
All solid advice! Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Super helpful information. Part of my hesitation of ordering a Kiesel is just how overwhelming the options are. This first hand experience helps me narrow down my options. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful 🙂 thx for watching
My first build was an Osiris and I got antique ash with a flamed top and trans pink finish. Only a couple of things I would redo, 1) getting rear natural clear with no antique ash, and I would’ve changed the pickup color to cream to match my Birds Eye maple fret board.
I just ordered my second build and I put it in with Flock who really took care of me. A2 8 string with the textured splatter finish
Great video. Gotta add though I have an all black limba aries with a floyd and it's not heavy. Definitely lighter than I expected.
Appreciate it! Yeah I suppose every piece is a little different. That's good to hear. Mine definitely ended up being a bit heavier than expected. The top wood is also heavier than most others as well. Just glad I went with a chambered headless otherwise it'd be probably another pound haha
@@TopShelfGear totally. My friend has a Delos, swamp ash body and that's kinda weighty. I was confused because Jeff is always saying swamp ash is lightest. Great guitar regardless.
My Kiesel Aries arrived about 2 months ago. I had a translucent blackburst edge on a quilted aqua maple top. Flock switched the blackburst to a thinner edge so that more of the top could be seen. Glad he did; I didn't even think of that.
yes! makes a huge difference! That was a great recommendation for sure!
Flock is honestly great, answered all of my questions when I called in. Actual professional
Calling (or visiting) is the best and most important tip. Many folks dont k now they have a show room. If you live in San Diego.
I agree completely about textured necks. I got a 3-piece tung-oiled maple neck on my Delos and it's awesome. I'm never getting a guitar with a gloss neck again. I also found out the hard way about satin finishes. I hope this video gets some play because it will help people save money and get the most out of their builds.
yup! I think this is often overlooked! It's easy to pick something based on looks, but most importantly it has to feel comfortable and smooth!
ordering a guitar without playing it first is the worst mistake.
So you'll never experience the joy of a custom guitar build?
I would say that's true with something used, but... If you already know the brand and basically what their builds are like, it should be fine. I've never played a guitar that didn't have some flaw. You can make yourself crazy.
Didn’t know about the thin black burst edges, will have to ask about that on my next built. I would also add that when it comes to translucent colors on the builder the real guitar always comes out much darker. I wish they’d fix that because some color options I pass up on because they look so bad in the builder and then I see someone with a real guitar that has that color option and it looks sick.
Totally feel you on the darker colors, same thing happened to me on that satin aquaburst Osiris I had. Great guitar obviously but that was always something I wished it was brighter.
did not know black limba was heavy, dont know why i thought that was a light wood like basswood. Great vid.
Oh yeah it definitely can be. It's obviously a beautiful wood but it can be a little hefty. If your going with a headless I wouldn't be too concerned.
Ngl I like how dark the satin finishes are, I often find kiesel’s a little too bright in gloss
All good I do think certain builds satin definitely works 🙂
@@TopShelfGear I mean I’m still planning on getting a gloss white kiesel with a cool splatter but their coloured tops are certifiably insane 🤘
The biggest mistake is when you do an option 50 and you aren't 100% sure what you are asking for. And then, you think Kiesel didn't make what you asked for and you demand the guitar to be returnable. And when they refuse, trying to go to social media to fight Jeff Kiesel on it personally.
I can understand people have high expectations for something "custom" but when making very specific one-off requests that may or may not have been done before customers need to understand those types of builds are not going to be returnable. This is also fully disclosed on your quote before ordering. There is absolutely no reason people need to be fighting on social media over things like this.
Very good insights and summary! :) One thing: string count! Do one really need the 7 strings for exapmle? It could be very temping to "try out", but in the end I personally don't use it that much and since the guitar is too beautiful don't want to sell it off. :) Ended up using mostly as a 6 string guitar and the 7th is usually kind of "in the way". However very rarely it comes handyt when I want to play along some 7 sting guitar based songs.
Great point! As a 6 string player I could understand how that extra string could be overwhelming haha
7 and 8 string guitars are different instruments. That is the part you and I have learned the hard way. I have found that I like baritone 6 strings or 26.5 length 7 strings. I dont like the 27 and 28 inch 7 strings. Its arguable if you really need any extra length on a 7. An interesting choice is the 26.5 inch 6 string. Very versatile.
@oldgoattheantichrist3468 very good point. Same here I prefer a baritone or multi scale 6 string. I have decent sized hands and always felt 7 strings were a little wide for my taste. I'll be doing a separate video on this topic as well.
I don't think I'd call any of these a "mistake."
It's all good advice though, that a lot of people just won't realize when ordering. Especially when choosing body wood.
When I ordered mine, I knew exactly what I wanted, so didn't call the guys. But one of the guys called me! They actually had a question about one of my spec choices.
I went with a DC800. Swamp ash body, maple neck with dual walnut stripes, ebony fretboard, stainless frets, satin metallic grey finish, with satin clear neck.
In hindsight, I should have gone with the gloss metallic grey. As you said, the satin finish tends to "polish" in the high wear areas.
Absolutely! I massively regret getting satin on that aquaburst. Wish I had gone gloss. I hope this videos helps people make choices that result in their desired outcomes with builds. Of course all comes down to personal preference 🙂 thx for watching
I don’t know if I’d call this a “mistake” but one thing I think people don’t keep in mind is how the choices you make might impact resell value down the line. Generally speaking it seems builds that have “standard” options and finishes that aren’t too out there will be easier to potentially sell down the road. Granted everyone generally thinks that when they’re buying a guitar they’re going to keep it forever, but it is something that is worth considering imo.
Strong point! I was actually planning on doing a separate video on resale value. Of course we all know things depreciate but I feel like with kiesel often it's because people pick obscure options. For example diamond inlays. I personally can't stand the look so right away used I'd buy any other inlay but that lol same thing with odd colors that just don't appeal to as many people
Great point. I've had over 100 guitars that I swore I'd never sell. Maybe 6 left that have stood the test of time; our tastes change as we get older. Still buying and selling though 45 years later!
Thankfully I didn't make any of these mistakes when I ordered my Kiesel in 2020, but damn I almost made a few of them! Good video man.
Haha glad you liked the video! Yes I have learned from past mistakes! Lol
👌
I ordered a flamed maple top with a purple satin matte finish and they accidentally did a gloss finish instead. I was not happy with the finish because with the money I spent on the order it should have been done right. Well after a little time and input from others I actually like the gloss finish better due to how well the flame top pops.
100% gloss is the way to go especially on translucent purple flame maple. Not that satin wouldn't look good it just doesn't have that "pop" 😀 they do charge $50 for gloss now so think of it as you got a free upgrade 😉
What did kiesel do for you for screwing up?
@@mariuszsyposz918 they told me that I could send it back and have another one made the way I ordered it. I started to get used to the gloss finish so I asked for some swag instead and they said no problem.
Mark spent years and years emphasizing the giant advantages of quarter sawn hard rock maple necks, mainly their stability, and also offering stripes like walnut, etc. for them too. Jeff came along and did this as well. Jeff spent years talking about how their gloss is the best in the industry - zero stickiness, etc. Now it's walnut necks without gloss? Amazing. Back then he would caution us about neck dive for such a choice, not to mention the wear that happens on finishes other than gloss.
A ton of super-dedicated users of the bulletin board on their website (BBS) carefully curated the kind of information you are providing over a period of more than a decade. Later they made radical changes and a series of suggestions of the kind of choices you emphasize, while starting to call us "legacy buyers". Then a couple of years later they killed off the BBS. We will see if Zak eventually takes over, calls those who are today's younger buyers a derogatory name, and does something odd like eliminating any and all automatically included features, and base prices for each model. Time will tell. Coming back to this vid in 2034 or later will be interesting.
Here are my suggested mistakes to avoid when buying from them: 1) thinking that the builder and its options are the only options available, and that the ones they show are accurate and complete; 2) not asking if the instrument is returnable; 3) failing to put your ideas up on their social media to see what the dedicated buyers and players have to say or suggest; and finally 4) failing to order what you would if you were brave, and playing it safe, rather than taking advantage of the 10 day trial period and always regretting playing it too safe.
I'd say Mark and Jeff have done a fine job with their innovations. I agree the quartersawn necks were a huge improvement. From what I can tell they were early adopters of carbon fiber reinforced necks. We've all seen many big names implement this as well.
I'd also agree that Kiesel does in fact have some of the best looking gloss I've seen comparing to all the other high end brands. I really see no issue with that being an upcharge as it's more of a time consuming process. I don't personally see why anyone would want a gloss neck but to each their own. Walnut has been my personal favorite as it just has such a nice smooth feel.
I can't speak to the BBS you are referring to, perhaps that was during the Carvin days. The current resources available with their weekly live FAQs and so many knowledgeable people in the Kiesel FB groups are quite helpful though.
I always recommend calling the sales guys for the best experience. It's going to be stated on the builder or email quote if the guitar comes with a 10 day trial so there should be no confusion there. I do agree it's good to be somewhat "brave" or adventurous with options so you end up with something a little more interesting. :)
@@TopShelfGear Good points. The BBS was kept alive for the first few Kiesel years. PS: in 2012 I got a solid walnut body, claro walnut top, neck-through bass with a walnut neck and 2 maple stripes. It's heavy, but I knew it would be. The 3-piece body I got on that bass is a maple layer that's a few millimeters thick (not a thin black synthetic line). Birds eye maple unlined fretless board with hard as nails finish. I did the brave thing on that one, not returnable, but the final bits of advice on the specs came from the OG crew members on the BBS. :)
You were extra brave on that bass for sure! lol my shoulder would be dying in pain if I did that haha. I can imagine that's a beautiful instrument! A good friend of mine (who got me into Carvin/Kiesel about 10 years ago) has a Carvin Icon 5 string. Its a walnut body/neckthrough that he still gigs. A little heavy but looks really cool. He's also been playing more headless as well. That does sound like a cool resource from back then.
@@TopShelfGear LOL!!! Beautiful is right.
What if the weight of a guitar has the weight of a traditional Gibson Les Paul but it still sounds great, plays well, and looks good anyway?
Do you reject it out of hand because of the weight?
Might not necessarily reject it, perhaps not pick it up and play as often lol 😆
Depends how much you value your shoulder and back health
It was never a problem for me. Of course I ran and lifted weights.
Yeah, great to stay in shape, but unfortunately, all the fitness in the world won't fix the awful Gibson headstock angle 😂
Funny, of course I owned Dr a Gibson for over 50 years and that was never.a problem. Never had to replace the headstock or the neck. I suppose you just need to know how to care for your guitar.
6.8 pounds is not heavy... that is insanely light. Your body adapts and I am comfortable with my Gibson Les Paul which weights 11 pounds.
Yes its a good weight overall for sure. It is over a lb heavier than my other headless so that is a pretty significant difference. 1lb is gonna be alot more noticeable from 6-7 lbs than 1lb from, say, a 10-11lb guitar lol
Upper body exercise will solve the weight problem!
definitely great to make some gains yo! I still love headless for best ergonomics
@@TopShelfGear I want a Steinberger...but cautious on the plunge.
I think those are the more square bodied headless? I know there is also Stranberg. Lot's of people like them too. For me I just dont care for that unique endur shape neck thats like a trapezoid. Super expensive too for being Indonesian made.
Simple, get an aristides instead
Great option too!
You cannot customize Aristides except for the visuals. 20 inch fingerboard radius is a must for me for example. And Kiesel manufactures your guitar in a few months whereas it takes 1 year for Aristides.
If you have ordered a Kiesel you have already won
You know eventually you'll order another one 😉
After they shut down carvin the quality went to absolute dog shit.
How did you reach that conclusion? Since the kiesel rebranding, they have implemented quite a few improvements such as carbon fiber rods for neck stability, new sculpted heel joints, quarter sawn neck woods, and Jescar stainless steel frets standard across the board.