***READ THIS BEFORE COMMENTING*** Wanted to make a quick fix to the video. Turns out in the video I talk about having the Kiesel Lithium pickups with the polarity active system and that's actually not the case. I found my original order sheet and it just states Polarity Active pickups so THEY ARE NOT Lithiums. Very sorry for the confusion as I thought the PA system could be used with any of their existing pickups and for some reason remember talking about the Lithiums with the person I ordered from. Sorry for any confusion!
I must say they are making improvements with the customer service. Thankfully I've only had good experiences even when a guitar had a problem. They took it back, addressed all the issues with no hassle and no cost to me.
I know....that's my biggest bummer with it : no thru-neck on the Zeus. But the Zeus shape is the coolest - so iconic for Kiesel. P.S. Kiesel are getting a bad reputation for just sticking it to customers who dare to make a complaint.
Yeah right? Maybe one day they will introduce a neck-thru model. It's the most comfortable shape in my opinion so I wish you could choose between them. And so I've heard haha. It's unfortunate to have that mentality 😥 I still love my guitar to death but can't shy away from being honest about parts that were frustrating haha
Great unbiased review! Sorry to hear they ghosted you after you presented them with a complaint. They want to sell direct but, sometimes they behave like they don't like the customer-facing part. I find them to be a bit Soup Nazi in that way.
Thanks for watching Joey. Yeah unfortunately that seems to be the general consensus, which is too bad because I personally think that's as important as the guitars themselves. But still love the guitar and wouldn't trade it for anything 😎
It's so weird, why do they go to all the trouble of building original, great guitars, give you a great customer experience in the first instance, only to slap you in the face if you point out a mistake they made..? No other company could ever trade that way! I thought it was just here or there, but it's starting to sound like policy! 😆 *Kiesel Company Policy:* be a straight up Dikk to anyone who raises a complaint! 🤣 You know...now that I think about it.. you said Jeff worked on the top himself, right? That's why you got a poor result. Either the guy you spoke with told Jeff, and Jeff got all snooty as we've all seen him get......or, the worker didn't dare bring it to Jeff from fear of getting his head bitten off...and just 🤞hoped you'd go away and not hassle him about it... 🤷
Yeah it's unfortunate that it seems to be the general consensus with anyone who's had an issue. The paint job Jeff did is amazing, it's just the shiny spot over the logo and some small glue bits that seem to be caught in the finish so who knows how it happened haha 🤣 regardless, it's minor and the guitar plays amazing, just not sure I'd order another
I had the same problem ordered a Racing Green DC and there was black spots in the paint in certain areas. I chose the Black head stock option so I assume that is where the black came from and got into the green because they either didn't clean the gun or tape it off good. The answer I got is return it which I did lol.
Hmm that's too bad! I'd definitely be pretty upset about that. Like I said in the video, mine are only very very minor and not worth a return, you'd just think the attention to detail would be a tad better is all 🤣
I had similar thoughts about my Kiesel. It's my #1 guitar and is great to play. The neck is the best I've ever played, but the pickups aren't great in my opinion. I'll probably change them out eventually
I’m pretty sure you got the polarity active pick ups you cant get the system with lithium s or there other passive pickups that’s just not a thing the can do but great video love the guitar I have a Delos hss with berillium pickups it’s a great guitar my go too
Great video! I heard customer support is better now but im sure its still case by case. Did you sell the pickups? Id buy them. I have stock epiphone LP pups that im sick of
Yeah you never really know but I’m glad to hear they’ve stepped it up a bit! 😊 I did end up selling them close to after I purchased it, thanks for the offer though 🙏🏻
Appreciate the honest and great review. Kiesel ever get back to you? Push anymore reaching out to them? Doing a custom order soon. So, big deal to me that they have good customer service. Not a fan when a company is fully available when taking money, but not when they have issues to solve.
Thanks so much! And unfortunately not. I followed up a bit later but never heard back. I agree with you there, and it's a bit frustrating. That seems to be their common downfall is customer service if there are issues with an order. I can say I had a fantastic experience and they were very communicative and quick to respond right up until I received the guitar for what it's worth. I also know they were in the middle of dealing with the pandemic and everyone was trying to figure out new work scenarios so tried to cut them a bit of slack. I'm not really sure what they could have done other than sending a new backplate 😥
A Leia model is neck-thru construction, singlecut. If you want to install push button killswitch you need to send it in and they will install it for you. Anyway, it's a beautiful guitar! 😉👍
Yeah the Leia is a beauty, unfortunately they announced it after I ordered 😥 oh really? I didn't know that was an option so I just installed one myself 😂
I'm a little confused about the pickups. Aren't Polarity and Lithium completely different pickups? Can you get a Polarity active circuit on different pickups? I'm not very familiar with the active options. I'm a big fan of the Lithium pickups. I bought them to upgrade my Carvin first. Then I bought a used Kiesel with their Illusionist pickups and didn't really care for those. Traded that guitar for another with Lithiums and I also have a custom on order with Lithiums.
I'm not an expert on their pickups by any stretch of the imagination but I believe the Polarity Active is a system and not specifically a pickup. You can get it installed on any guitar you order from them and use any pickups with it. I'll be replacing my Lithiums with Dimarzio and I've already confirmed they will work with the polarity active system as well :) hope that makes sense!
@@StandsOnSapphires That's really weird because they always present it as the polarity is it's own pickup with a passive and an active voice. Even in their pickup comparison video it was it's own pickup. I've never herd of it as a 'system' that works with the other pickups.
I've pinned a comment at the top about my mistake. While talking with their rep and ordering we were referencing both lithiums and polarity active so it was my mistake thinking I had lithiums. I had the polarity active pickups installed. I have since switched them out for dimarzios and can confirm that the actual "polarity active" wiring I've left in works with these new pickups as well, giving them passive and active voicings.
@@StandsOnSapphires ah, gotcha. I’m conditioned to think the pinned comment is some pre loaded ‘thanks for watching and they’ll me what you think…. Like and subscribe’ That’s an insane build you have. I’ve built a dc600 and a Delos with them, I’ve got an aries6-et in the build process right now
Haha totally I get that 🤣 everyone does that nowadays and unfortunately I can't re-film so I did what I could lol. That's awesome! And thanks man, I'm loving the guitar. I think I'd do an aeries 6 next as well if I order another one. I definitely would lean more towards a neck-thru next time 😊
Gonna be ordering a Kiesel soon and im considering a chambered body for the weight reduction, im just worried about it adding too much warmth especially for leads, was this ever a concern for you?
Honestly, not as much. I would recommend it though as the Kiesel is actually still pretty hefty even with the chambered body. Your final tone is really gonna be able to be changed and altered by your other gear likes pedals and amps so you may just need to adjust settings there to compensate as well 😊
I think the M22 humbuckers they used on Carvin guitars was the best..I still have an extra high gain Carvin M22 I bought new.Think it's called the Scorcher M22 humbucker.👍👍👍🔥🔥🎸🎸🎸
Oh I added those after with just a little metal loop that hooks over the high E string behind the nut. I actually don't find it getting in the way ever, just like how it looks. Got the idea from my fav guitar player, Nuno Bettencourt, and I really like how it balances the look of a headless instrument
Thanks Juan! I would do that, but unfortunately I live in Canada so shipping it out and back would be an expensive endeavor. But thank you for letting me know, I'll keep it in mind if I ever move the the States 🙂
@@StandsOnSapphires i meant before you place an order you can request all sorts or cool things and they let you know if they can do it and if yes, all the items you'll need. Im waiting on my zeus now!😆😆
Sorry, I missed this! Yes I have changed the pickups since this review. It wasn’t super easy and make sure you have the proper screw length as the pickups I bought had deeper feet to them where as the kiesel pickups just mount flat so it was an ordeal to get them installed haha
I bought a Vader headless some years ago and the tuners are somewhat difficult to use as there is a microscopic washer between the knob and the frame of the bridge. I've caught glimpses of more recent models and it looks like there is a more substantial element between the knob and frame. Can you confirm?
Hmm, I can't 100% confirm without comparing side by side but I have no trouble with the tuners at all and to me it looks like there is a substantial element between as you said. I would some this means they've updated it a bit ☺️
I asked about getting the crescent inlay with luminlay and they said it was like a $500 upcharge, how much was the upcharge for the diamond luminlay if you don't mind divulging? Sick build, I have a vader 7 and a vanquish 6 with hipshot trem. Kiesel makes great guitars . This is probably one of the sickest Zeus builds I've seen and I've never really been a huge single cut fan personally.
@@StandsOnSapphires I agree it sounds like a lot but that’s what I was told on a live stream when I asked before in the past, never went thru with it because of that reason, my Vader has luminlays but just the staggered dots on the fretboard
I have the active polarity. Sorry, I was confused in the video and thought I had the Lithiums with an active system. I pinned a comment stating that it's actually the polarity pickups. Hope that helps ☺️
@@StandsOnSapphires it's all good. I'm looking to get the active polarity pickups in case I want to switch to active EMG's. Guitar looks and sounds great. Prob my fav paint job to date.
Niiice and thanks. Yeah I love the paint job too! I actually just swapped my pickups out this week with Dimarzio Crunch lab/liquifires and they scream. The also still work the polarity system so I get two different voicings out of them which is awesome!
Two questions: does the guitar slide down your leg at all because the lower horn is smaller than a standard RG shape like from ibanez? Also, does the top part where the upper horn would be dig into your chest?
No to both of those questions. I find it sits perfectly, with the downward angle of the lower horn it archs around the leg to keep it where it us. For the top part the back has a pretty massive angled cutaway all the way to from the front to the back to it actually sits perfectly comfortable. Just hugs your chest :)
Oh one other thing, you got a roasted maple neck on yours but on the site it says you can't get the thinner neck profile with that. Did they let you get it anyway?
@@spectre3492 Awesome, you won't regret it! Plays like a dream. Yeah that wasn't a problem at all when I was ordering it. I requested the thinner maple neck and he asked what material and I said I'd like roasted maple. No issues. Although I know around last summer they had a big roasted maple fiasco so I'm not sure if that changed anything? If you called in I'm sure they could make it happen for ya. just say you know someone who got it done ;)
@@StandsOnSapphires Haha thanks, yeah I saw that roasted maple video, still comes up if you search Jeff Kiesel. Really looking forward to getting this 7 string
The polarity pickups engaged sound thinner but hotter , more compressed. Disengaged the midrange frequencies seem fuller and the bass frequencies sound wider or maybe less compressed .So these are probably voiced for more of a modern metal sound.
One confusion....you mentioned lithium pickups in the video at one point and in replies to comments, but also mentioned that it had polarities in the video twice. Polarities are their active pickups (which feature a split), and lithium’s are one of their passive pickup offerings. Which pickups does this guitar actually have? :)
Hmmm I could have sworn that the polarity system can be used with any of their pickups, I thought I had the polarity system with lithium pickups, that's what we talked about when I specd it out. If that's not the case, they would be polarity pickups :)
Honestly it really depends on what specs you order. I don't publicly like to discuss what I spend on music gear BUT you can build your own on their website to see a rough estimate ☺️ www.kieselguitars.com/
No I went to the factory and played a ton of their different models and then custom ordered it out of combined specs of each model I liked the most so I knew what I was getting ☺️
I totally see where you're coming from but like I said in the video, these are very minor issues and most would never even notice these "flaws" or may not even consider them that way. This kinda comes with the territory of handmade instruments many times. The pickups themselves are totally personal preference as many others have said in the comments they love the Lithiums. And customer service was fantastic through most of the process with them spending 2-3 hours helping me spec it out exactly as I wanted and their communication as I waited. It's a bummer that it ended poorly but I understand they are very busy and dealing with COVID. I'm not sure what they could really could done other than send a new back plate. At the end of the day, like I said,these are all minor little things I wanted to mention and be honest about BUT its first and foremost about the playability. It is the nicest feeling and easiest to play guitar I've ever had. You can tell the build quality is outstanding and the finish is gorgeous. One tiny little spec in the finish doesn't change the look or playability. Most guitar players end up changing pickups on their guitars regularly and they aren't bad by any stretch of the imagination, they just aren't to my preference. Totally see where you're coming from, I hope that all makes sense ☺️
Yeah, I agree with you there, I was the most bummed there. Like I said it was great till the end and I don't really know what they could have done since it was already shipped to me and I live in another country. Sending a new backplate would be nice but again, it doesn't take away from its playability. I've heard stories of their CS before so it's ultimately up to the person ordering if they are willing to risk it. Every company has good and bad CS experiences
@@StandsOnSapphires "This kinda comes with the territory of handmade instruments" ...yeah but, they aren't 100% handmade. They use a CNC machine to shape the bodies and necks which includes the cavity cover route in question. That said, I prefer a little bit of wiggle room on my cavity covers, nothing worse than a cover that fits so snug that it can't be removed without having to pry it out and risk chipping the finish (I'm looking at you Ibanez). In fact, now that I think about it, that may be intentional, and it may also take into account the different finishes they offer. A painted finish (solid colors) will be thicker than say a clear coat over stain which is essentially what you have. So rather than adjust the cavity cover or route size for every guitar depending on what particular finish it's getting, they just program the CNC to cut a route that will accommodate the thickest finish they offer. That is most likely the case. On the bright side, your kill switch and pickup swap should be easy since that cover should fall right out after the screws are removed.
@@StandsOnSapphires Great honest Review and nice guitar. I just received my custom order Zeus Today and it so far has exceeded my expectations. Like you said though "It's the honeymoon phase". ua-cam.com/video/M35E_Qbhz7g/v-deo.html
***READ THIS BEFORE COMMENTING***
Wanted to make a quick fix to the video. Turns out in the video I talk about having the Kiesel Lithium pickups with the polarity active system and that's actually not the case. I found my original order sheet and it just states Polarity Active pickups so THEY ARE NOT Lithiums. Very sorry for the confusion as I thought the PA system could be used with any of their existing pickups and for some reason remember talking about the Lithiums with the person I ordered from. Sorry for any confusion!
I must say they are making improvements with the customer service. Thankfully I've only had good experiences even when a guitar had a problem. They took it back, addressed all the issues with no hassle and no cost to me.
That’s awesome! I’m really glad they are improving there and that they helped ya out :)
absolutely gorgeous!!
Thank you! Cheers! 🎸
I have never owned a Kiesel guitar, but I own a Carvin guitar, a California Carved Top and I love the sound of it.
Niiice, I bet it's amazing 😎
What an amazing guitar! The tones are amazing. Kiesel is a national treasure.
Solid review Trevor, well done! I'm a big fan of Kiesel, they make some great guitars.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it. They really do make beautiful guitars 🤩
I know....that's my biggest bummer with it : no thru-neck on the Zeus. But the Zeus shape is the coolest - so iconic for Kiesel.
P.S. Kiesel are getting a bad reputation for just sticking it to customers who dare to make a complaint.
Yeah right? Maybe one day they will introduce a neck-thru model. It's the most comfortable shape in my opinion so I wish you could choose between them.
And so I've heard haha. It's unfortunate to have that mentality 😥 I still love my guitar to death but can't shy away from being honest about parts that were frustrating haha
@@StandsOnSapphires did you ever hear back from them man? I would appreciate at least some response
Great unbiased review! Sorry to hear they ghosted you after you presented them with a complaint. They want to sell direct but, sometimes they behave like they don't like the customer-facing part. I find them to be a bit Soup Nazi in that way.
Thanks for watching Joey. Yeah unfortunately that seems to be the general consensus, which is too bad because I personally think that's as important as the guitars themselves. But still love the guitar and wouldn't trade it for anything 😎
It's so weird, why do they go to all the trouble of building original, great guitars, give you a great customer experience in the first instance, only to slap you in the face if you point out a mistake they made..?
No other company could ever trade that way!
I thought it was just here or there, but it's starting to sound like policy! 😆
*Kiesel Company Policy:* be a straight up Dikk to anyone who raises a complaint! 🤣
You know...now that I think about it.. you said Jeff worked on the top himself, right? That's why you got a poor result. Either the guy you spoke with told Jeff, and Jeff got all snooty as we've all seen him get......or, the worker didn't dare bring it to Jeff from fear of getting his head bitten off...and just 🤞hoped you'd go away and not hassle him about it... 🤷
Yeah it's unfortunate that it seems to be the general consensus with anyone who's had an issue. The paint job Jeff did is amazing, it's just the shiny spot over the logo and some small glue bits that seem to be caught in the finish so who knows how it happened haha 🤣 regardless, it's minor and the guitar plays amazing, just not sure I'd order another
Not really sure from a manufacturing stance howd youd fix those issues without a full refinish
I had the same problem ordered a Racing Green DC and there was black spots in the paint in certain areas. I chose the Black head stock option so I assume that is where the black came from and got into the green because they either didn't clean the gun or tape it off good. The answer I got is return it which I did lol.
Hmm that's too bad! I'd definitely be pretty upset about that. Like I said in the video, mine are only very very minor and not worth a return, you'd just think the attention to detail would be a tad better is all 🤣
I had similar thoughts about my Kiesel. It's my #1 guitar and is great to play. The neck is the best I've ever played, but the pickups aren't great in my opinion. I'll probably change them out eventually
Glad to hear someone else agrees! Yeah I dunno what it is about the pickups but they just sound kind of flat compared to other brands I've loved.
I’m pretty sure you got the polarity active pick ups you cant get the system with lithium s or there other passive pickups that’s just not a thing the can do but great video love the guitar I have a Delos hss with berillium pickups it’s a great guitar my go too
So the leia body isn’t as comfortable? Because that would be the neck thru version of this guitar
They introduced the Leia body after I purchased the guitar 😭
Great video! I heard customer support is better now but im sure its still case by case. Did you sell the pickups? Id buy them. I have stock epiphone LP pups that im sick of
Yeah you never really know but I’m glad to hear they’ve stepped it up a bit! 😊
I did end up selling them close to after I purchased it, thanks for the offer though 🙏🏻
Appreciate the honest and great review. Kiesel ever get back to you? Push anymore reaching out to them? Doing a custom order soon. So, big deal to me that they have good customer service. Not a fan when a company is fully available when taking money, but not when they have issues to solve.
Thanks so much! And unfortunately not. I followed up a bit later but never heard back.
I agree with you there, and it's a bit frustrating. That seems to be their common downfall is customer service if there are issues with an order. I can say I had a fantastic experience and they were very communicative and quick to respond right up until I received the guitar for what it's worth. I also know they were in the middle of dealing with the pandemic and everyone was trying to figure out new work scenarios so tried to cut them a bit of slack. I'm not really sure what they could have done other than sending a new backplate 😥
A Leia model is neck-thru construction, singlecut. If you want to install push button killswitch you need to send it in and they will install it for you. Anyway, it's a beautiful guitar! 😉👍
Yeah the Leia is a beauty, unfortunately they announced it after I ordered 😥 oh really? I didn't know that was an option so I just installed one myself 😂
Looks awesome!
Hey to everybody having issues with their stock Lithys and sustain, get the bridge pickup wired to bypass the tone control and thank me later ;)
Oh maybe I'll have to try that! Although I've already got new pickups ordered 😂
@@StandsOnSapphires Try both!
Yeah, good call. See which I like better! Thanks for the suggestion 😎
@@StandsOnSapphires if bypassing the tone pot solves ur issues then ull have some extra pickups to use on another axe :)
Haha exactly! Gives an excuse to order a new one mwuahaha
I'm a little confused about the pickups. Aren't Polarity and Lithium completely different pickups? Can you get a Polarity active circuit on different pickups? I'm not very familiar with the active options.
I'm a big fan of the Lithium pickups. I bought them to upgrade my Carvin first. Then I bought a used Kiesel with their Illusionist pickups and didn't really care for those. Traded that guitar for another with Lithiums and I also have a custom on order with Lithiums.
I'm not an expert on their pickups by any stretch of the imagination but I believe the Polarity Active is a system and not specifically a pickup. You can get it installed on any guitar you order from them and use any pickups with it. I'll be replacing my Lithiums with Dimarzio and I've already confirmed they will work with the polarity active system as well :) hope that makes sense!
@@StandsOnSapphires That's really weird because they always present it as the polarity is it's own pickup with a passive and an active voice. Even in their pickup comparison video it was it's own pickup. I've never herd of it as a 'system' that works with the other pickups.
I've pinned a comment at the top about my mistake. While talking with their rep and ordering we were referencing both lithiums and polarity active so it was my mistake thinking I had lithiums. I had the polarity active pickups installed.
I have since switched them out for dimarzios and can confirm that the actual "polarity active" wiring I've left in works with these new pickups as well, giving them passive and active voicings.
@@StandsOnSapphires ah, gotcha. I’m conditioned to think the pinned comment is some pre loaded ‘thanks for watching and they’ll me what you think…. Like and subscribe’
That’s an insane build you have. I’ve built a dc600 and a Delos with them, I’ve got an aries6-et in the build process right now
Haha totally I get that 🤣 everyone does that nowadays and unfortunately I can't re-film so I did what I could lol.
That's awesome! And thanks man, I'm loving the guitar. I think I'd do an aeries 6 next as well if I order another one. I definitely would lean more towards a neck-thru next time 😊
Gonna be ordering a Kiesel soon and im considering a chambered body for the weight reduction, im just worried about it adding too much warmth especially for leads, was this ever a concern for you?
Honestly, not as much. I would recommend it though as the Kiesel is actually still pretty hefty even with the chambered body. Your final tone is really gonna be able to be changed and altered by your other gear likes pedals and amps so you may just need to adjust settings there to compensate as well 😊
@@StandsOnSapphires I’ll definitely take that into consideration, thanks for replying!
I think the M22 humbuckers they used on Carvin guitars was the best..I still have an extra high gain Carvin M22 I bought new.Think it's called the Scorcher M22 humbucker.👍👍👍🔥🔥🎸🎸🎸
Interesting, Never tried one but I’m sure it’s awesome!
@@StandsOnSapphires Oh it is..Especially in the bridge position.👍👍🎸🎸🎸
Waiting not so patiently for my kiesel zm7 now and i am wondering; how did you get those feathers on there? and are they not in the way?
Oh I added those after with just a little metal loop that hooks over the high E string behind the nut. I actually don't find it getting in the way ever, just like how it looks. Got the idea from my fav guitar player, Nuno Bettencourt, and I really like how it balances the look of a headless instrument
@@StandsOnSapphires Thanks for your response, been saving feathers from my birds for something, found a good purpose now.
Definitely, gotta look the part while rockin out 😎
You can buy the push kill switch and send it in for installation
Thanks Juan! I would do that, but unfortunately I live in Canada so shipping it out and back would be an expensive endeavor. But thank you for letting me know, I'll keep it in mind if I ever move the the States 🙂
@@StandsOnSapphires i meant before you place an order you can request all sorts or cool things and they let you know if they can do it and if yes, all the items you'll need. Im waiting on my zeus now!😆😆
@@Deathbatjuan100 oh sweet I didn't know. Thanks for the tip haha. Hope you love your Zeus 😎🤘🏻
That top is insane. What a sick guitar
Thank you so much! It's a beauty for sure 😎
Have you changed the pick up, I heared some complaints when they try to changed their kiesel pick ups.
Sorry, I missed this! Yes I have changed the pickups since this review. It wasn’t super easy and make sure you have the proper screw length as the pickups I bought had deeper feet to them where as the kiesel pickups just mount flat so it was an ordeal to get them installed haha
Very in depth review and well done, thanks
Thank you, I did my best. Glad your enjoyed it 😉
Which neck-thru body did you not find as comfortable as this Zeus? Was it the Vader?
Yeah, it was the Vader. Still comfy but not as nice as the Zeus for sure
I bought a Vader headless some years ago and the tuners are somewhat difficult to use as there is a microscopic washer between the knob and the frame of the bridge. I've caught glimpses of more recent models and it looks like there is a more substantial element between the knob and frame. Can you confirm?
Hmm, I can't 100% confirm without comparing side by side but I have no trouble with the tuners at all and to me it looks like there is a substantial element between as you said. I would some this means they've updated it a bit ☺️
I asked about getting the crescent inlay with luminlay and they said it was like a $500 upcharge, how much was the upcharge for the diamond luminlay if you don't mind divulging? Sick build, I have a vader 7 and a vanquish 6 with hipshot trem. Kiesel makes great guitars . This is probably one of the sickest Zeus builds I've seen and I've never really been a huge single cut fan personally.
Hmm that seems like a lot. I believe it was only an $80-$100 upcharge for me. And thanks so much, glad you're a fan of the build 😊
@@StandsOnSapphires I agree it sounds like a lot but that’s what I was told on a live stream when I asked before in the past, never went thru with it because of that reason, my Vader has luminlays but just the staggered dots on the fretboard
Yeah they are really cool inlay option but definitely not necessary by any means
They absolutely DO make a neck-thru version. It’s called the “Leia”...
Yes, but that shape was not released at the time of me ordering this guitar 😭
Leia is actually a smaller body than the Zeus.
Yeah it is, I love that its neck thru but I don't think I would have ordered it cause it's just too small 😂
Do you have passive lithium's or the active polarity option?
I have the active polarity. Sorry, I was confused in the video and thought I had the Lithiums with an active system. I pinned a comment stating that it's actually the polarity pickups. Hope that helps ☺️
@@StandsOnSapphires it's all good. I'm looking to get the active polarity pickups in case I want to switch to active EMG's. Guitar looks and sounds great. Prob my fav paint job to date.
Niiice and thanks. Yeah I love the paint job too!
I actually just swapped my pickups out this week with Dimarzio Crunch lab/liquifires and they scream. The also still work the polarity system so I get two different voicings out of them which is awesome!
Two questions: does the guitar slide down your leg at all because the lower horn is smaller than a standard RG shape like from ibanez? Also, does the top part where the upper horn would be dig into your chest?
No to both of those questions. I find it sits perfectly, with the downward angle of the lower horn it archs around the leg to keep it where it us. For the top part the back has a pretty massive angled cutaway all the way to from the front to the back to it actually sits perfectly comfortable. Just hugs your chest :)
@@StandsOnSapphires Thats great to hear, going to have to get me one of these now.
Oh one other thing, you got a roasted maple neck on yours but on the site it says you can't get the thinner neck profile with that. Did they let you get it anyway?
@@spectre3492 Awesome, you won't regret it! Plays like a dream. Yeah that wasn't a problem at all when I was ordering it. I requested the thinner maple neck and he asked what material and I said I'd like roasted maple. No issues. Although I know around last summer they had a big roasted maple fiasco so I'm not sure if that changed anything? If you called in I'm sure they could make it happen for ya. just say you know someone who got it done ;)
@@StandsOnSapphires Haha thanks, yeah I saw that roasted maple video, still comes up if you search Jeff Kiesel. Really looking forward to getting this 7 string
Good honest review, cheers.
Thank you so much 😊 glad to hear you thought so!
The polarity pickups engaged sound thinner but hotter , more compressed. Disengaged the midrange frequencies seem fuller and the bass frequencies sound wider or maybe less compressed .So these are probably voiced for more of a modern metal sound.
Cool vid, now what's that laptop stand you got back there to hold your MBP?
I don't know the kind, it's the recommended one on Amazon 😂
Great review, beautiful guitar.
Thank you kindly, sir 😎
One confusion....you mentioned lithium pickups in the video at one point and in replies to comments, but also mentioned that it had polarities in the video twice. Polarities are their active pickups (which feature a split), and lithium’s are one of their passive pickup offerings. Which pickups does this guitar actually have? :)
Hmmm I could have sworn that the polarity system can be used with any of their pickups, I thought I had the polarity system with lithium pickups, that's what we talked about when I specd it out. If that's not the case, they would be polarity pickups :)
Hey I think you did a really great job on this review !
Thanks very much Vince, much appreciated 😃
How much it costs?🤔
Honestly it really depends on what specs you order. I don't publicly like to discuss what I spend on music gear BUT you can build your own on their website to see a rough estimate ☺️ www.kieselguitars.com/
Add 2k to the base price - rough estimate
So you ordered a guitar and they built one and sent it to you. So you actually bought a guitar you didn't play first.
No I went to the factory and played a ton of their different models and then custom ordered it out of combined specs of each model I liked the most so I knew what I was getting ☺️
@@StandsOnSapphires But still you received a guitar that you hadn't played beforehand.
@@mikebailey1226 that's how custom guitars work bro
I wish I could Play guitar😂
You can always learn 😎 in fact I have a beginner's guitar course in our Patreon 😉
I’ll teach you it’s easy
You got a very expensive cosmetically flawed guitar with bad pickups, and were snubbed by customer service, and you're still happy with this?
I totally see where you're coming from but like I said in the video, these are very minor issues and most would never even notice these "flaws" or may not even consider them that way. This kinda comes with the territory of handmade instruments many times. The pickups themselves are totally personal preference as many others have said in the comments they love the Lithiums. And customer service was fantastic through most of the process with them spending 2-3 hours helping me spec it out exactly as I wanted and their communication as I waited. It's a bummer that it ended poorly but I understand they are very busy and dealing with COVID. I'm not sure what they could really could done other than send a new back plate.
At the end of the day, like I said,these are all minor little things I wanted to mention and be honest about BUT its first and foremost about the playability. It is the nicest feeling and easiest to play guitar I've ever had. You can tell the build quality is outstanding and the finish is gorgeous. One tiny little spec in the finish doesn't change the look or playability. Most guitar players end up changing pickups on their guitars regularly and they aren't bad by any stretch of the imagination, they just aren't to my preference.
Totally see where you're coming from, I hope that all makes sense ☺️
@@StandsOnSapphires Everything but the customer service makes sense.
Yeah, I agree with you there, I was the most bummed there. Like I said it was great till the end and I don't really know what they could have done since it was already shipped to me and I live in another country. Sending a new backplate would be nice but again, it doesn't take away from its playability. I've heard stories of their CS before so it's ultimately up to the person ordering if they are willing to risk it. Every company has good and bad CS experiences
@@StandsOnSapphires "This kinda comes with the territory of handmade instruments" ...yeah but, they aren't 100% handmade. They use a CNC machine to shape the bodies and necks which includes the cavity cover route in question. That said, I prefer a little bit of wiggle room on my cavity covers, nothing worse than a cover that fits so snug that it can't be removed without having to pry it out and risk chipping the finish (I'm looking at you Ibanez). In fact, now that I think about it, that may be intentional, and it may also take into account the different finishes they offer. A painted finish (solid colors) will be thicker than say a clear coat over stain which is essentially what you have. So rather than adjust the cavity cover or route size for every guitar depending on what particular finish it's getting, they just program the CNC to cut a route that will accommodate the thickest finish they offer. That is most likely the case. On the bright side, your kill switch and pickup swap should be easy since that cover should fall right out after the screws are removed.
@@StandsOnSapphires Great honest Review and nice guitar. I just received my custom order Zeus Today and it so far has exceeded my expectations. Like you said though "It's the honeymoon phase". ua-cam.com/video/M35E_Qbhz7g/v-deo.html
Bro, it sounds like the customer service is SH*T. What custom guitar shop does that? SMH. How disappointing.... Strandberg for me then.
Strandbergs are great! Also look at Aristides!