The Fender American Original 50's Tele is all stock and the Kiesel has the Johnny Hiland Pickups! This is the first time I directly compared these guitars. Let me know what you think. Timestamps and links below. :) Timestamps: 0:00 - About this video 0:48 - Jam Track 2:58 - Clean Tones 5:10 - Differences 6:53 - Crunch Tones 7:33 - My Thoughts My Telecaster and Marshall: ►Sweetwater -imp.i114863.net/gzNq0 ►Thomann - bit.ly/3jM7T9A Kiesel Guitar ► Official Site - www.kieselguitars.com/ (affiliate links to Thomann and Sweetwater)
I used to play Carvins, predecessor of Kiesel. I lived about 2 miles from their store in Orange County. This was in the eighties. I had one of their T styles, set neck, 2 single coils, ebony board. It was absolutely the best Tele I've ever played, and at that time I also had a 74 Tele Custom.. The Carvins were really well made, had many different options available as to woods, colors, pickups etc. At the time I was playing them they were kind of unknown for their guitars, but Steve Vai played thru Carvin amps( great amps btw, I still have a 2x12 100 watt ss). The best thing back then was that they were priced low, compared with other American made guitars. They only had 3 or4 stores, mostly they were ordered thru a catalog, before the internet. Just thought I'd throw this in the comments.
I built a carvin (kiesel) kit guitar about 15 years ago. It was hss Strat style. It played wonderfully and was really light. It’s been my main axe for the last 15 years. They do a great job even on there kits!
The Kiesel sounded best to my ears, that's just my preference! Guitars and music gear in general is always subjective! What's important is creating music and keeping the love of instruments alive! Great playing as always! Cheers!!
I've played a telecaster for almost 60yrs and really enjoyed the keisel It's a little bit different but you get so much more variation of sounds I really enjoy your watching your reviews if I get another telecaster it will be a Kiesel
They both sound great, I like the versetility of having 3 pickups. I love tele's so before watching I thought itws going to be an easy win for the Fender. The Kiesel really surprised me.
The Fender Telecaster is such an icon and an awesome guitar.... if you get a “good one”.... Keisel really surprised me, as it’s a brand I’d never considered. I always thought they were high quality but expensive “ metal guitars” with crazy finishes and a zillion strings. I looked at their online pricing, and they’re not too bad at all. Definitely a brand to consider.. Both guitars sounded fine to me.
I think that a big part of the classic tele tone is the string through body and the metal plate bridge pickup. These connection points with the body are really important to get that tele twang. The Kiesel is still great, but it's not a tele :)
For what it's worth, I think both examples are great, it just a matter of taste.. I like the functionality and the idea of the Kiesel but I'm not ashamed to say that I am more of a traditionalist when it comes to cosmetics on guitars, you just can't beat a butterscotch blackguard...cheers!
Nothing bets the classic Telecaster tone, but this Kiesel has something special about it 🧐🧐!! I can’t bring myself to buy a lefty Stratocaster but I love theTele southpaw and the Kiesel has that Tele shape with the Strat pickup selection. 😁😁 The more I see and hear this guitar, the more I dig it. Damn Shane I don’t need another guitar!!🤣🤣🤪🤪🤪 Another great job mate!!!🎸🎸🎸🎸👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
I have owned Telecasters and now play a Kiesel. Both great guitars but the neck on my Kiesel cannot be beat. Easy to play and love the sound and many varied tones I can get from my Kiesel. I have stacked noiseless neck pick-up and love them.
I love that Kiesel. Great axe... and everyone has to love a great blackguard tele. Great video man. I love how you've relaxed your hosting style. It's working mate!
Both guitars sound great, especially considering the sound compression on the computer. Your playing is spot on ! It's just I prefer the traditional tele bridge plate pickup combination. Not much on the "whammy bar" (tremelo bridge) but everything else on that Kiesel is awesome, except it needs some pin-striping or "something" it's too plane !
I bought a high end Carvin Les Paul style guitar a few years back. Couldn’t bond with it so I decided to sell it about 4 months after I got it. Just beware that you will lose your shirt on resale. I lost $500 just to try this guitar for 4 months. I will never buy an off brand guitar again. Gibson/Fender/ PRS are the safe bet I’m sticking with.
Yeah, I know what you're talking about. In the 80s and 90s I had a few Carvins. I lived close to one of their stores in SoCal. I loved them, but not as much as my old Fenders. When I went to sell them, nobody knew what they were, and I had to almost give them away. Now, I see that the old Carvins have gone up a lot i value. But I stick with the main brands now pretty much all the way.
@@misterknightowlandco I've looked at reverb just for about 5 seconds and the resale value of kiesels is literally the same as almost every guitar you will ever buy, 200-300$ less than when you bought it new. This myth about carvin/kiesel has been propagated and it's not backed by evidence at least from what I've seen. When carvin was a much smaller brand on the internet I can see people having a hard time selling them. Now that doesnt seem to be the case at all.
@@colelewis9940 first off we all know what people ask for on Reverb, home of the most bloated prices on Earth, and what people actually pay are two different things. Second, Carvin/Kiesel has gotten more popular over the last couple years so maybe they've caught up a little bit. Wouldn't doubt it. Back in the day Carvin and Peavey's American guitars used to be dirt cheap used. Maybe they've caught up though idk.
Both of them sound excellent but it's hard to beat a Telecaster at BEING a Telecaster. But I do think the Kiesel is a very fine looking and sounding instrument. Wear 'em both out brother. Ya can't go wrong performing with either or, better yet, both of them. Either way Shane, enjoy them both !!
Well the Tele is definitely more Tele. I however am a Strat guy and would probably be more inclined to the Keisel. I think I would just actually get another Strat though.
The Kiesel is nice, and I'm sure it's made with top notch craftsmanship (just down the road from me in Escondido)...but, the Fender tele still does that tele thing better.
The Kiesel sounds great but the bridge pickup and design of the the original telecaster still places it at the top for me. I love the Nashville tele pickup configuration of the Kiesel but would prefer the tele bridge assembly. I’m looking forward to receiving my Fender Brent Mason telecaster. I’m buying sight unseen because they are impossible to find or try. Fender can’t keep them in stock. But they are pricey. But I have the feeling you’ll be hooked if you can try one. It has a chunkier neck that you would like, super quiet pickups, and even a b bender. Check out the reviews. Cheers
If I were to choose between these two axes, I'd get the Kiesel with no hesitation. The reason might surprise you, though: I HATE TELE NECKS! They feel too big for my fretting hand. Even though they really don't do it, they feel like they're big enough to get in my way. Strat-style necks have yet to do that -- ever! I also like vibrato bars, so ....
You definitely are playing more comfortably on the tele and its coming across in how it sounds. I love Kiesel and I love a traditional tele too. Kiesel has a pretty modern voicing with emphasis on articulation. The tele is a lot warmer in comparison.
The Fender has more mid range presence and is more full bodied, the Kiesel has more of a scooped midrange and more hifi. Both nice and useful for different applications.
Similar but the Kiesel was a bit "fuller/wider". Your playing makes them both sound great. The Kiesel body thickness is a huge improvement over the slab Tele............... IMO.
Tele all the way. The Kiesel has its own thing going on. Might be a good option for recording to get some different sounds, and I bet it will sound really good through one or more of Shane's amps when playing live. But, it's hard to beat that Tele.
I have owned several Carvin/Kiesel guitars and they are very well made but they always seem to miss the mark. I still own a TLB60 similar to your Solo and I put Fender CS pickups in it.
Well, I did not expect that. I thought that the Kiesel would have the edge in this contest. However, so far I've only watched the jam section and in my opinion the Fender was vastly superior. EDIT: Just watched the rest of the comparison, and agree that the Kiesel's neck pickup sounds a little better than the Telecaster. I also know from experience that the former's neck heel and joint are much more comfortable to navigate. Aside from that, the Fender is my clear favourite.
Kiesel makes amazing guitars, but I find they work better through high gain amps. Their stock pickups sound sterile at lower gain/crunch. Same complaint I have with PRS pickups.
I liked the Keisel more in the neck and tele mid positions. The bridge was better on the Tele. I think you came to the same conclusion. I might swap out the bridge pickup on the Keisel. If I got it closer to the Tele, I might get rid of the Tele. Even now, though you think they are different, they aren’t so different for me that I could justify having both. I need a wider variation than most people.
The Tele is authentic plus but the Kiesal is close, very usable and has some great options. Just wondering if the Kiesal had more wood (deeper profile) in the body if it would sound even better?
I’m so conflicted! I think the K sounds amazing, crisp, clean, clear deep. Such a quality sound...but then the T just has that X factor that I can’t put my finger on....but sounds worse...but I like it better?....unscientific, but the T wins my vote
Nice comparison from a lefty guitar player.. Specially the ones for the left handed guitars..One question thou..can we swap the tele bridge pick up for a hot rails in a left handed Tele ? Or will it require some extra mods and screw holes?
Fender sounds more warm and vintage to me. Kiesel brighter and more "modern". I own a Fender Tele and 3 Kiesel/Carvins and love them all. Each has its place
That Tele sounds awesome, but the Kiesel is not far off. Kiesel being so light is a big selling point with me. How is the fretwork on the Kiesel? There apparently has been incidents where Kiesel didn't do a great job on the neck inlay work considering its high price point.
I am a fan of Kissel/Carvin guitars, and it dose sound/ look good, nothing beats the real deal. There are others that follow in the Telecaster's style better than Kiesel, but it is pretty good. Telecaster all the way.🍕🍺👍🤙
So the big difference here pickups aside is the bridge, The magnetic flux reacts differently with all of the steel around it. The Solo sounds good and the dirty tone in the bridge pup sounded really close. The Retro Solo and Tele would probably be a much better comparison! otherwise I would compare the Solo to a Strat.
over all they are moth great. The bridge position has on the fender has more bite. I like the options on the kiesel and the fact it has a trem makes it a bit more versatal.
The tele wins at being a tele. granted, its a better tele than most available the original series is serious quality. I'm biased i have a johnny kiesel and it wins at giving me tele and strat sounds. I live in the second position unless I need the bridge bite or spank.
I like kiesel sound it's different but that fender tele sound is unmatched and maybe it's because I so used to hearing the fender is why I prefer it. I love the low end of the fender🤷🏾♂️
It’s nice to be able to get custom from Kiesel but they have a lot of issues with their finishes. Also they handcuff you a lot with the options. For example, something important like say a neck profile... Unless you pay an arm and a leg extra, it’s either thin or normal, you can’t select the neck profile you want. Their customer service is nothing to write home about either. Nowadays I find it’s best to support local builders anyway.
Umm isn't the Kiesel like a strat mostly? Especially with this type of bridge and pickups... I don't see how could the Kiesel be called a tele except for the shape. I liked the demo otherwise, it was great :)
Tele sounds much better to me, more dimensional, more vocal. Kiesel has a very exaggerated scoop with boosted bass, unnatural to my ears. I'm glad I ordered my Kiesel with the Mark singles having heard this, thanks Shane.
Breaks my heart.. The JH6 looks and sounds like it is a really great option for dual strat and tele duty, although I would want the typical position 4. However, there isn't even an option to have a left handed JH6 built. Open the build menu and right handed only.
I am sure they'd make you one mate if you wanted one. Just shoot them an email and find out. I think their website is stuck in 1998 in terms of the design of it.
As Jeff Kiesel always says: "Call my guys". They'll tell you if it can be built and price to do it. I have two Carvins and a Kiesel. All are great guitars.
That Keisel is like a Tele but def NOT a tele. It's like a strat, but definately NOT a strat. I was/am a fairly dyed in the wool Fender player...about 2 years ago I had a Keisel Delos (Strat) built. Not only did I prefer it to my Fenders, but I shortly sold my Suhr after getting my hands on the Kiesel. In my humble opinion, Kiesel guitars are far and away better instruments to anything mass produced. They use better timbers, better tooling and the quality control is elbows and assholes above assembly line Fenders. A custom shop fender tele costs about 3 times as much as Kiesel custom, takes about 5X longer to get, and I hesitate to say its any better at all. Its amazing what Kiesel can build for the money with bypassing the retailer and selling custom shop direct.
In the mix the fender was much more spanky compared to the smoother sound on the K . Can't beat the fender telecaster american its just a perfect sound so many companies want to emulate but its never the same...stillhave both please as I'm lefty also....
The actual Tele bridge sounds much, much better imo. Other than that, not much of an opinion (aside from the Kiesel having access to an in-between tone)
I'm torn between a Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster and a Kiesel similar to this one. The Fender would be half the cost but the Kiesel could be more customized. But the Fender is more traditional even with a 3 pickup design... but the Kiesel could be.... ugh.... decisions decisions... lol.
The Fender American Original 50's Tele is all stock and the Kiesel has the Johnny Hiland Pickups! This is the first time I directly compared these guitars. Let me know what you think. Timestamps and links below. :)
Timestamps:
0:00 - About this video
0:48 - Jam Track
2:58 - Clean Tones
5:10 - Differences
6:53 - Crunch Tones
7:33 - My Thoughts
My Telecaster and Marshall:
►Sweetwater -imp.i114863.net/gzNq0
►Thomann - bit.ly/3jM7T9A
Kiesel Guitar
► Official Site - www.kieselguitars.com/
(affiliate links to Thomann and Sweetwater)
The hiland pickups sound like there is more low end all the way around , but than again, I'm a sucker for teles lol, good video
I used to play Carvins, predecessor of Kiesel. I lived about 2 miles from their store in Orange County. This was in the eighties. I had one of their T styles, set neck, 2 single coils, ebony board. It was absolutely the best Tele I've ever played, and at that time I also had a 74 Tele Custom.. The Carvins were really well made, had many different options available as to woods, colors, pickups etc. At the time I was playing them they were kind of unknown for their guitars, but Steve Vai played thru Carvin amps( great amps btw, I still have a 2x12 100 watt ss). The best thing back then was that they were priced low, compared with other American made guitars. They only had 3 or4 stores, mostly they were ordered thru a catalog, before the internet. Just thought I'd throw this in the comments.
Both are great. I really like the white/black look of the Kiesel. Cool stuff!
I built a carvin (kiesel) kit guitar about 15 years ago. It was hss Strat style. It played wonderfully and was really light. It’s been my main axe for the last 15 years. They do a great job even on there kits!
Unfortunately, they have discontinued their kits.
The Kiesel sounded best to my ears, that's just my preference! Guitars and music gear in general is always subjective! What's important is creating music and keeping the love of instruments alive! Great playing as always! Cheers!!
The Kiesel is sharper. The Telecaster cries. I dig that Tele cry.
I've played a telecaster for almost 60yrs and really enjoyed the keisel
It's a little bit different but you get so much more variation of sounds
I really enjoy your watching your reviews if I get another telecaster it will be a Kiesel
Sounds Great Shane, I like both but its hard to beat a tele. They seem different enough to have both. Great Video
They both sound great, I like the versetility of having 3 pickups. I love tele's so before watching I thought itws going to be an easy win for the Fender. The Kiesel really surprised me.
The Fender Telecaster is such an icon and an awesome guitar.... if you get a “good one”....
Keisel really surprised me, as it’s a brand I’d never considered. I always thought they were high quality but expensive “ metal guitars” with crazy finishes and a zillion strings. I looked at their online pricing, and they’re not too bad at all.
Definitely a brand to consider..
Both guitars sounded fine to me.
That Kiesel is amazing!! I want those Johnny Hiland pickups!! I was lucky enough to meet Johnny.....his live playing is spectacular.
Tele has more clarity at my end. Listening through a decent set of Bose Headphones..👍🇦🇺
I always thought Kiesel guitars were aimed for metal guitarists but apparently not, sounds and look great! As always great demo to Shane!
Great vid! Definitely a question of been asking myself for my next guitar!
I think that a big part of the classic tele tone is the string through body and the metal plate bridge pickup. These connection points with the body are really important to get that tele twang. The Kiesel is still great, but it's not a tele :)
Agreed, the Kiesel has its own unique, and great tone (maybe a Strat killer), but only a Tele is a Tele.
For what it's worth, I think both examples are great, it just a matter of taste.. I like the functionality and the idea of the Kiesel but I'm not ashamed to say that I am more of a traditionalist when it comes to cosmetics on guitars, you just can't beat a butterscotch blackguard...cheers!
Nothing bets the classic Telecaster tone, but this Kiesel has something special about it 🧐🧐!! I can’t bring myself to buy a lefty Stratocaster but I love theTele southpaw and the Kiesel has that Tele shape with the Strat pickup selection. 😁😁 The more I see and hear this guitar, the more I dig it. Damn Shane I don’t need another guitar!!🤣🤣🤪🤪🤪 Another great job mate!!!🎸🎸🎸🎸👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
With Kiesel, you get the Kiesel fandom.
The FGN Iliad Standard is a great T-style.
The Kiesel guitars are pretty great. I can see why folks dig them so much after never trying one until recently :-). FGN guitars are great too.
Mate, that Kiesel sounds good.
👍✌😎
The Tele is my Choice. On single notes, it sounds like a Tele and warmer, whereas the
Kiesel sounds thin/weedy.
Nice review, now go nuts on the Johnny Rig👍
The fender seems brighter but I love the warmth of the Kiesel .
I have owned Telecasters and now play a Kiesel. Both great guitars but the neck on my Kiesel cannot be beat. Easy to play and love the sound and many varied tones I can get from my Kiesel. I have stacked noiseless neck pick-up and love them.
I love that Kiesel. Great axe... and everyone has to love a great blackguard tele. Great video man. I love how you've relaxed your hosting style. It's working mate!
Fender all day long but I do have a original 50s Strat and my next guitar is going to be another original tele👍👍👍
Tele sounds cleaner with better definition. Great playing!
Much prefer the Fender everytime.
The Kiesel has a fuller and more even sound, however the Tele has personality and spank. I go with the Tele.
Both guitars sound great, especially considering the sound compression on the computer. Your playing is spot on ! It's just I prefer the traditional tele bridge plate pickup combination. Not much on the "whammy bar" (tremelo bridge) but everything else on that Kiesel is awesome, except it needs some pin-striping or "something" it's too plane !
I bought a high end Carvin Les Paul style guitar a few years back. Couldn’t bond with it so I decided to sell it about 4 months after I got it. Just beware that you will lose your shirt on resale. I lost $500 just to try this guitar for 4 months. I will never buy an off brand guitar again. Gibson/Fender/ PRS are the safe bet I’m sticking with.
Fair enough mate, you gotta play what feels right for you :-)
Yeah, I know what you're talking about. In the 80s and 90s I had a few Carvins. I lived close to one of their stores in SoCal. I loved them, but not as much as my old Fenders. When I went to sell them, nobody knew what they were, and I had to almost give them away. Now, I see that the old Carvins have gone up a lot i value. But I stick with the main brands now pretty much all the way.
That's the thing with all these custom brands. There is no resale value. Once you leave the fender/gibson/prs world it becomes a niche within a niche.
@@misterknightowlandco I've looked at reverb just for about 5 seconds and the resale value of kiesels is literally the same as almost every guitar you will ever buy, 200-300$ less than when you bought it new. This myth about carvin/kiesel has been propagated and it's not backed by evidence at least from what I've seen. When carvin was a much smaller brand on the internet I can see people having a hard time selling them. Now that doesnt seem to be the case at all.
@@colelewis9940 first off we all know what people ask for on Reverb, home of the most bloated prices on Earth, and what people actually pay are two different things. Second, Carvin/Kiesel has gotten more popular over the last couple years so maybe they've caught up a little bit. Wouldn't doubt it. Back in the day Carvin and Peavey's American guitars used to be dirt cheap used. Maybe they've caught up though idk.
Both of them sound excellent but it's hard to beat a Telecaster at BEING a Telecaster. But I do think the Kiesel is a very fine looking and sounding instrument. Wear 'em both out brother. Ya can't go wrong performing with either or, better yet, both of them. Either way Shane, enjoy them both !!
Well the Tele is definitely more Tele. I however am a Strat guy and would probably be more inclined to the Keisel. I think I would just actually get another Strat though.
the tele sounds a million times better!
Hey Shane! Love that tele! Hope all is well, take care
Recording wise, the two Guitars, could really Compliment, Each Other, while each having their own Unique Tone.
Two of my favorite guitars in one video! Why choose? I’ll take both!
The Kiesel is nice, and I'm sure it's made with top notch craftsmanship (just down the road from me in Escondido)...but, the Fender tele still does that tele thing better.
The Kiesel sounds great but the bridge pickup and design of the the original telecaster still places it at the top for me. I love the Nashville tele pickup configuration of the Kiesel but would prefer the tele bridge assembly.
I’m looking forward to receiving my Fender Brent Mason telecaster. I’m buying sight unseen because they are impossible to find or try. Fender can’t keep them in stock. But they are pricey. But I have the feeling you’ll be hooked if you can try one. It has a chunkier neck that you would like, super quiet pickups, and even a b bender. Check out the reviews. Cheers
If I were to choose between these two axes, I'd get the Kiesel with no hesitation. The reason might surprise you, though: I HATE TELE NECKS! They feel too big for my fretting hand. Even though they really don't do it, they feel like they're big enough to get in my way. Strat-style necks have yet to do that -- ever! I also like vibrato bars, so ....
You definitely are playing more comfortably on the tele and its coming across in how it sounds. I love Kiesel and I love a traditional tele too. Kiesel has a pretty modern voicing with emphasis on articulation. The tele is a lot warmer in comparison.
I was waiting for a comparison like this. Don't see many "Kiesel vs" on the net. Next do the Vola vs Kiesel.
kiesel all the way! i’d give anything for a lefty kiesel S-guitar with a HSH configuration since i’m more a shred/fusion metal player
The Fender has more mid range presence and is more full bodied, the Kiesel has more of a scooped midrange and more hifi. Both nice and useful for different applications.
The Tele sounds alot brighter. I'd pick the Telecaster.
The fender sounds cleaner however the weight differance is a factor to consider also. Not sure how I missed this video until now.
FYI, fs you need a glossy neck, Kiesel can do that on their bolt-ons. They won't do a glossy fretboard, though.
You need at least two more KIESELS, a Headless and a Fan Fret!!!
Similar but the Kiesel was a bit "fuller/wider". Your playing makes them both sound great.
The Kiesel body thickness is a huge improvement over the slab Tele............... IMO.
The tele hands down all across the board. Sounds better to my ears.
I'm a big fan of Kiesel & Carvin. Blues On.... PS. I loved there Belair Amp.
Both are great but the Keisel is more versatile. Personal choice.
Love my Squier contemporary Tele. And a 1/4 of the cost of either these 2.
Both are very nice Shane!
Tele all the way. The Kiesel has its own thing going on. Might be a good option for recording to get some different sounds, and I bet it will sound really good through one or more of Shane's amps when playing live. But, it's hard to beat that Tele.
I have owned several Carvin/Kiesel guitars and they are very well made but they always seem to miss the mark. I still own a TLB60 similar to your Solo and I put Fender CS pickups in it.
Isn't the kiesel basically just a strat with a tele body?
Well, I did not expect that.
I thought that the Kiesel would have the edge in this contest. However, so far I've only watched the jam section and in my opinion the Fender was vastly superior.
EDIT: Just watched the rest of the comparison, and agree that the Kiesel's neck pickup sounds a little better than the Telecaster. I also know from experience that the former's neck heel and joint are much more comfortable to navigate.
Aside from that, the Fender is my clear favourite.
Kiesel makes amazing guitars, but I find they work better through high gain amps. Their stock pickups sound sterile at lower gain/crunch. Same complaint I have with PRS pickups.
For that old blues sound, I'll take the Tele every time. The Kessle has a more "modern" sound to it that better fits Southern Soul or R&B music.
I liked the Keisel more in the neck and tele mid positions. The bridge was better on the Tele. I think you came to the same conclusion. I might swap out the bridge pickup on the Keisel. If I got it closer to the Tele, I might get rid of the Tele. Even now, though you think they are different, they aren’t so different for me that I could justify having both. I need a wider variation than most people.
Trem and stainless frets that’s what I hear...love Kiesel but I alway find those 2 things to be a huge influence on tone.
Keisel has more poke and makes the Tele sound a bit thinner. Hotter pickups?
First - Love the Kiesel series
The Tele is authentic plus but the Kiesal is close, very usable and has some great options. Just wondering if the Kiesal had more wood (deeper profile) in the body if it would sound even better?
I’m so conflicted! I think the K sounds amazing, crisp, clean, clear deep. Such a quality sound...but then the T just has that X factor that I can’t put my finger on....but sounds worse...but I like it better?....unscientific, but the T wins my vote
I think the Fender sounds better, but not by much. The tremolo bridge and middle pickup option might make me pick the Kiesel though.
Nice comparison from a lefty guitar player.. Specially the ones for the left handed guitars..One question thou..can we swap the tele bridge pick up for a hot rails in a left handed Tele ? Or will it require some extra mods and screw holes?
Fender sounds more warm and vintage to me. Kiesel brighter and more "modern". I own a Fender Tele and 3 Kiesel/Carvins and love them all. Each has its place
I prefer the Kiesel
That Tele sounds awesome, but the Kiesel is not far off. Kiesel being so light is a big selling point with me. How is the fretwork on the Kiesel? There apparently has been incidents where Kiesel didn't do a great job on the neck inlay work considering its high price point.
I am a fan of Kissel/Carvin guitars, and it dose sound/ look good, nothing beats the real deal. There are others that follow in the Telecaster's style better than Kiesel, but it is pretty good. Telecaster all the way.🍕🍺👍🤙
So the big difference here pickups aside is the bridge, The magnetic flux reacts differently with all of the steel around it. The Solo sounds good and the dirty tone in the bridge pup sounded really close. The Retro Solo and Tele would probably be a much better comparison! otherwise I would compare the Solo to a Strat.
over all they are moth great. The bridge position has on the fender has more bite. I like the options on the kiesel and the fact it has a trem makes it a bit more versatal.
The tele wins at being a tele. granted, its a better tele than most available the original series is serious quality. I'm biased i have a johnny kiesel and it wins at giving me tele and strat sounds. I live in the second position unless I need the bridge bite or spank.
I like kiesel sound it's different but that fender tele sound is unmatched and maybe it's because I so used to hearing the fender is why I prefer it.
I love the low end of the fender🤷🏾♂️
The tele sounds warmer which I like.
Definitely like the tone of the Telecaster better.
It’s nice to be able to get custom from Kiesel but they have a lot of issues with their finishes. Also they handcuff you a lot with the options. For example, something important like say a neck profile... Unless you pay an arm and a leg extra, it’s either thin or normal, you can’t select the neck profile you want. Their customer service is nothing to write home about either. Nowadays I find it’s best to support local builders anyway.
As a drummer and guitarist, I notice you play lefty guitar and righty drums? Just curious how that evolved.
Umm isn't the Kiesel like a strat mostly? Especially with this type of bridge and pickups... I don't see how could the Kiesel be called a tele except for the shape. I liked the demo otherwise, it was great :)
Tele sounds much better to me, more dimensional, more vocal. Kiesel has a very exaggerated scoop with boosted bass, unnatural to my ears. I'm glad I ordered my Kiesel with the Mark singles having heard this, thanks Shane.
can you make a comparison between vola and fender?
Keisel sounds a bit crisper maybe it's me? Both brilliant though.
They both sound good but the fender tele sound a little brighter and the kissel sounds more warmer to me
Just wished the TUNING perfection of the kiesel could be given to the Fender. Yes I hear intonational - diffs!
Breaks my heart.. The JH6 looks and sounds like it is a really great option for dual strat and tele duty, although I would want the typical position 4. However, there isn't even an option to have a left handed JH6 built. Open the build menu and right handed only.
I am sure they'd make you one mate if you wanted one. Just shoot them an email and find out. I think their website is stuck in 1998 in terms of the design of it.
As Jeff Kiesel always says: "Call my guys". They'll tell you if it can be built and price to do it. I have two Carvins and a Kiesel. All are great guitars.
Nothing wrong with the Kiesel, fine guitar, sounds good , looks good. No it is not a Fender Telecaster, and does not sound like it either.
That Keisel is like a Tele but def NOT a tele. It's like a strat, but definately NOT a strat. I was/am a fairly dyed in the wool Fender player...about 2 years ago I had a Keisel Delos (Strat) built. Not only did I prefer it to my Fenders, but I shortly sold my Suhr after getting my hands on the Kiesel. In my humble opinion, Kiesel guitars are far and away better instruments to anything mass produced. They use better timbers, better tooling and the quality control is elbows and assholes above assembly line Fenders. A custom shop fender tele costs about 3 times as much as Kiesel custom, takes about 5X longer to get, and I hesitate to say its any better at all.
Its amazing what Kiesel can build for the money with bypassing the retailer and selling custom shop direct.
In the mix the fender was much more spanky compared to the smoother sound on the K . Can't beat the fender telecaster american its just a perfect sound so many companies want to emulate but its never the same...stillhave both please as I'm lefty also....
The Fender wins. Translation... the Fender pickups win.
Also Fender sounds better. I have a Tele but prefer my Gretsch
Swap the graphite nut on the Kiesel with bone and it would slay the Fender.
Too bad you don't have a James Burton Tele, the one with three pickups.
Y>Ou're very hard with yourself about your drumming. You play simple but you play solid, that what matters ;)
Thanks, Dooky! :)
the tele neck kills with toan
The actual Tele bridge sounds much, much better imo. Other than that, not much of an opinion (aside from the Kiesel having access to an in-between tone)
I'm torn between a Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster and a Kiesel similar to this one. The Fender would be half the cost but the Kiesel could be more customized. But the Fender is more traditional even with a 3 pickup design... but the Kiesel could be.... ugh.... decisions decisions... lol.
Telecaster by a country mile.
Fender by far!
Tele sounds better for me Shane . but kesle still good