I have 8 Carvin/Kiesel guitars and love everyone of them. Bought my first one over 30 years ago and still going strong. I have 36 guitars in my collection with just about every major brand and my kiesels are among the best that I have. Just letting my experience known.
I live 5 miles from the Kiesel factory. I own two PRS core guitars and was not in the market, but I was curious about the California CT6M. I noticed on their website that they had one in stock, so I went to the showroom to check it out. It wasn’t on display, so I inquired about it. When they brought it out I was blown away. Fit, finish, wood quality and playability are virtually on par with PRS. I bought it on the spot and I think it is my new favorite guitar.
That hot/cold thing has defined Kiesel even back in the Carvin days, and I think that inconsistency really hampers a brand that you can’t demo at your local music store.
I just got my DC600 yesterday, and owned a V220 since 1991. Love 'em both! I've had worse experiences at GC with the crap that hangs on the racks almost forever.
@@Leo9ine If you publicly try to shame Kiesel, then yes Jeff will not allow you to buy again. Let's not fool around. Dissatisfied customers go to social media all the time, trying to cause reputation damage and use that as leverage in some negotiation attempt. In fact, people have done this to Kiesel as well.
@@pizzaface4079 they don't at all because they say they're cut to fit etc, but imo that's kinda lazy. They should really check if the frets are level and if the ends poke out
Pizza_Face I have five and the playability of all is excellent, if slightly different. I like Scott Grove, even ordered some of his videos. But I think his problems with Carvin are personal. He likes what he likes and wants what he wants. You can’t run a business catering to every little whim of every guitar player there is. It’s just not realistic. If I’m not mistaken, he lives in the desert too, and that can really affect the frets. For most people, I’d say buy a Carvin / Kiesel and you probably won’t regret it.
Make enough product and your going to get errors. Build an internet community brand and your going to get the extremes of the community on either side. I have two and if I had an issue I would take it up with the company. They would sort it as everyone wants happy customers. Take it to the internet and then you can expect the extremes that exist there.
Own two Kiesels, absolutely love them. They play so much better than any other guitar I've ever owned it's almost like a different instrument. Never had any issues ordering, online or via phone. The one minor issue I had with the trem on one of them was answered promptly by their lead tech who walked me through the process of correcting it. If you keep your build reasonable without getting carried away with the finishes or high end woods, you can't beat Kiesel.
I had Carvin build my DC127 in the mid 90's and it is a gem that will never leave my collection. Hands down my favorite guitar. Fit and finish are second to none and the tone and feel are amazing. When they rebranded and stopped the amp division I feel we lost some great amps. Don't know that I will ever have Keisel build me a guitar but I am so glad I had mine built when I did.
My friend's Kiesel experience has been amazing. He has 2 of the best guitars I've ever played and the whole process was good for him. He raves about them.
@@darrellmcdonald7883 i'll check that out. my distortion pallette is tubescreamer > muff > tc electronics dark horse. the dark horse is what I use most of the time for a smoother distortion but if things need to get rowdy i just use the BM and TS.
What a better world this would be if companies had the gumption to work as Sweetwater does. One that is open to a negative critique and use that to improve their business and bring it to the next level.
I have 8 Carvin guitars not keisel name on headstock love all of them great playing sounding and looking first one i bought in 1981 Carvin DC160 natural quilt gigged with that guitar for most 80s have no experience when they changed to keisel
Just got my dream build from Kiesel. The quality is amazing and exactly what I asked for. Had a few minor hiccups during the ordering process, mainly because I wanted something that they don’t offer and I wanted to push for it, but ultimately it was just a minor thing and I ended up with an incredible guitar.
Here's my opinion. Their bare bones options guitars (around $1,100) are incredible for the money, high quality wood, great finishing, stainless steel frets, great quality hardware and electronics. Obviously as you start adding "custom" options the price can skyrocket just for cosmetics and wood choices, and at that point one can argue that they aren't worth the money (A $3k build has the exact same quality as a $1k build) The place they are going wrong in my opinion is customer service. Any guitar manufacture will have some small percentages of issues that slip through, but Kiesel seems to be less than happy to rush and correct any issues with orders that may arise, so it creates lack of trust with some consumers.
You can always return your guitar within 10 days. Even if it turned out flawless, but you somehow don't like how it looks or feels. All the stories online about Kiesel refusing to take back a guitar were either option 50, or people that tried to return them at least a few days outside the 10 day window.
I've never heard anyone say the Kiesel they ordered is crap unless they are being super picky about it, i.e. "there is a thin line around my inlay" -- no shit, I've seen that on 5-7k custom shop guitars. I have heard a ton of customer service griping--but I think we only get 1/2 of that argument. Some people are not happy if the guitar comes out of the box requiring a setup. Others are content to get a functional instrument that they can massage to what they need. I have a Kiesel. I'm on the fence about ordering another--mostly for financial reasons, but also because of the potential customer service stuff too. I know a lot more people who've never had an issue though.
i have a bunch of guitars, i love my kiesels the most, i have three Vaders and an Osiris and they are just perfect for me,there is just some type of mojo with those guitars that many modern guitars lack.
I tend to stick with Gibson/Fender brands, I have LPs, strats teles and a couple great BC Rich... I ordered my first Kiesel last summer and got it 2 1/2 weeks ahead of my quoted time. The guitar is absolutely nothing like what I have or previously owned, yet It has worked its way to being my #1 stage guitar to this day. In and out of the studio, on and off the stage. The guitar has paid for itself...
Thank you for replying to my response about the leftstage 15 watt amp. So far it still works. I love it. My favorite sounding amp was a harmony. A tube amp made in the 60's. I was 8 years old and my dad bought me a used gibson skylark 6 string lap steel korina that I still own today. I'm 59 now. That harmony was the sweetest cooling amp i ever owned. If I remember right, it had 3 tubes about the size of the 1st joint on my thumb. Couldn't be more than a watt but the sound was so awesome.
am i the only person who hasn't had any great experiences buying from them? i respect them as a company and everything surack has done for the community, i just can't get a decent deal from them on any gear ever.
@@froshanddink I think I see what you mean... I bought something the other day from Sweet Water, even though it was $10 cheaper from Amazon... simply because of Sweet Water's rep. It's like having $10 insurance policy:) It isn't just "price" for me. I had a unit, $400, I had to 23 months, and I just "thought" something wasn't right about it. I called them and they sent me a brand new one, no questions asked:) I called them to see if there was some place I could send it for repair:) In the end there was nothing wrong with it:)
@@batmandeltaforce Their customer service should be studied and modeled by other companies. The customer service model ought to be taught in business schools. That being said, I appreciate their involvement but I'm the kind of person who does my research and knows exactly what I'm going to buy. I don't need any hand holding. Just be there in case a problem arises but otherwise just stay out of my way.
@@froshanddink Nope, I banned Sweetwater after I ordered an LP cowbell as a gift and they didn't ship it or contact me. I called asking why it was still sitting there and the guy told me UPS doesn't ship to the post office. Total lazy bullshit. Since I was on a time-limit, I was pissed, and immediately cancelled the order. Anyone with at least half a peabrain knows UPS will deliver to a post office if you use the post office's address with your PO BOX..... "Unit 123", etc. I order from zZounds and my shit is here OVERNIGHT, literally the next day from NY.
I have two Kiesels, I really love them both, play and sound excellent. That being said, their customer service is certainly lacking. My second I had asked for a specific wiring set up, which they said they could do. It was a piezo equipped guitar and I wanted a magnetic pickup tone pot and a piezo master volume rather than two master volumes. I had come into some medical problems and wanted to cancel my order, they said absolutely no go because of my wiring request. Fine, sure, I'll just try to resell it after I get it. Turns out to take over a month over the estimated build time, and they didn't even do the wiring I requested, ended up having two volume pots anyway. That being said, I do love both my Kiesels and I didn't end up needing to sell it. But, I'd be very hesitant to ask for anything that specific on a build again.
Attention all guitar companies...Level and crown the frets properly before you send that POS out to a customer. Almost all the guitars I see off the shelf regardless of price and brand have terrible fretwork and it's the most important aspect of making a guitar play well.
I received a fender elite strat, a fender elite tele, a PRS SE, and a Kiesel aries. The two fenders were not finished properly (shameful) but the PRS and the Kiesel were both perfect.
@@nw379 yeah, I have a Kiesel sh 445. the frets are excellent. The intonation on this guitar is among the best I've ever heard. I don't think I'll ever sell this instrument
I bought a Glarry strat for $67 to my door. The fret work was better than most stuff on the wall at guitar centre. Plays pretty good the neck pickup sounds great the others meh but usable.
I grew up with Carvin catalogs and vividly remember ogling them in high school. I've since had two Carvins and two Kiesels (dc127, bolt, dc600, aries). Here's the deal: Pros: Lots of options, super fun to build and spec, relatively inexpensive for an American made guitar, playability is ok, sound is generic and works great in digital platforms, neck-thru construction is cool, great for metal, the bolt has the most sustain of any guitar I own, the soft case is fantastic. Cons: Probably won't turn out like you expected, there will likely be minor QC issues, piezo is crap, they all sound the same (generic), not much difference between neck and bridge positions, don't expect magic sustain in a neck-thru. Summary: If you want one, you owe it to yourself to try one. You can even skip the build process and buy a used one at half the price. Yes, resale value is terrible, but I didn't list that as a con because I don't buy guitars with resale in mind. These guitars are great for rock and metal, but there are much better options for different genres. And from a tonal perspective, don't spend much time trying to figure out which guitar shape, wood, and pickup combination you want, they all sound the same. Seriously, they all sound the same. Just pick the shape and color you like.
@@darkstarrtech Yes, without a doubt. My Carvin Bolt has more sustain than any other guitar I have ever owned or played, including two Les Pauls. Second place would go to my Ibanez RG550 Genesis or my PRSs. There are some videos out there doing tests between the different neck joints and sustain, if memory serves correctly bolt ons sustained the longest.
@@sublyme2157 I recently bought an RG and have noticed the same thing. Much better sustain than my LP. Just kind of crazy that it's a major selling point for neck-thru construction.
I bought my Kiesel on a whim and It's an amazing guitar... Love it... Customer service could use a little work. But for the most part they have been great to me. And the guitar is top notch. You won't regret getting a Kiesel. But make sure you know all the dimensions of what you want. Neck, nut, etc.. etc..
I owned a Carvin Les Paul styled guitar and I liked it a lot. It may have had the best giutar neck Ive ever played. I ended up selling it (wish i never did). I now own a Kiesel Delos, their strat model, and I love it. Its one heck of an instrument.
i own 2 kiesel 8-string Solo models. one is HH the other is HSS. i love both my kisels. the build quality is amazing. neck and frets feel great. true workhorse guitars. i can get many different tones from them. both of my guitars have arrive to me 2 weeks early.
Put me down as a happy client!! Love my new Kiesel Aries!! Quality is unreal compared to the major brands I’ve played. Will be ordering another In the future
When I ordered my first Carvin, I waited 3 months, then somebody from Carvin called and said it would be another month before they started on it. I thought WTF! And almost cancelled the order. The guitar showed up less than a week later. ??? What a mistake that would have been. Honestly, I have loved that guitar since the first time I opened the case. It will be the one I keep forever! I’ve got about 13 guitars and 5 are Carvin. Kiesell is at the top of their game right now and someday I’ll bite the bullet and get one. I have no doubts about the quality. The prices are outrageous now, but when you see all the options, you think maybe, just maybe. I’m left handed and you just don’t find lefties like that anywhere else. I may not be able to afford many, but Kiesell probably has a customer for life. And to think, I almost cancelled that order.🥴
I just ordered my first Kiesel (Osiris 6) over the phone a few days ago. Guy on the phone was awesome and patient with all my questions, talked me through all the option 50 choices and was up front about some extra costs/even waived shipping for me
I have a 5 string Keisel bass, and it’s amazing. It plays well, and it has the exact tone that I wanted. If the guitar sucked, I would be honest about that too, but I’ve been nothing but happy with it.
I built a Keisel guitar last year. Nothing but good things to say. Build took 6 weeks...My Delos has replaced my Suhr as my No 1 and never saw that coming.
Just to add my experience with Kiesel, it was slightly mixed but almost totally positive. I ordered a guitar with a very important option selected, which got completely lost in their web form submission, so when they shipped it, that important option was wrong. They gave me no hassle whatsoever about the return and in the 5 minutes I had the guitar before I put it back in the box, I found it to be a very well made beautiful instrument, and really wish I could have kept it. But their web ordering form is unfortunately straight-up crap and unreliable. They even mentioned it themselves and said I should have called for the order, but why not fix the website? Their work product is fantastic, but their web front end should not be trusted.
Optioned out a CT3 around ten years ago. A "live" changer interactive feature would be great so you'd have a better idea of what you'll end up with would be much appreciated. Hell, if car websites can give live updates when you make a change, a guitar company's website should be able to do it as well. The guitar was really nice by the way.
i bought a carvin bass in 1979 this is when they only had black or clear finishes but jesus those guitars where TOUGH, solid maple 8 COATS OF POLY!!!! HARD AS A ROCK guitar sounds beautiful never a problem in all those years not even a recrown
I rarely catch these live because of work but these are my favorite videos on your channel. I appreciate that you take the time every week to hang out, answer questions and talk about the big news in the industry. Sharpen my axe is great and so are many of your other videos but i mostly enjoy these because of the random nuggets of knowledge. So thanks phil! I have learned a lot from these.
For the microphonic ringing at high volumes, besides tubes, some designs include 'disc' style ceramic capacitors, that are incredibly enough transducers, or a kind of microphone/speaker device... depending on which part of the circuit they're in. Tapping them with a stick will reveal their nature. A good source to research is uncle Doug's site for amp repair. Good luck
Personally own a custom kiesel 8 string zeus. It's so wonderful that touching any other solid body electric guitar feels wrong. It's a beautifully crafted instrument that's worth every single penny and meal that I skipped on to save up and buy it. Jeff can be a little abrasive in how honest he is , but I'd rather have someone who just says what's on their mind instead of a owner that just gives you lip service.
This is just for everyone who is interested in ordering the Harley Benton 212 cab, I ordered mine a week ago and had to wait until just two days ago for the new shipment to come in oh, mine is already on its way I bought the vertical 212. Grand total I paid $262 u.s. dollars, so if Phil paid $230 then yes they did raise the price, and yes they did sell out previously but they have a new shipment in so if you're going to order one I would do that when you can but still a good deal. I am not sure about the horizontal cab I believe that grand total is $230 total with shipping and everything so I believe they raise the price on both cabs. This isn't me guessing this is actual fact, because I just ordered one and just wanted to clarify for everyone.
I just ordered mine last Saturday and had a few things to straighten out because I ordered a guitar a cable, and a Joyo Atomic with case. I think it was arouns $250 for the cab if I was just ordering with shipping. As I was reviewing my order for a few days the price in dollars was changing just due to exchange rates shifting. Seems that is likely the problem. Everything shipped Thursday.
Yeah my cab shipped out Thursday as well, it was kind of strange you're right because when the total was calculated when I actually paid for it it ended up being $7 more than that which they deducted from my bank account because I had a an exact amount in my PayPal account and it went over and they deducted it from my bank account that's linked so I don't know but like all together I'm pretty sure it was like 260 something dollars just for the 212 vertical cab
@@aaronderrick5721 it's totally worth it I think. I got a Monoprice 15 watt amp I'm excited to hear hooked up to that thing. Picked up an HB-35 Plus with the order. It's going to be a fun week once it arrives.
The "don't touch stuff and we're too cool for you" was a popular philosophy among guitar stores when I started playing guitar in the early 1980s in SoCal. I was in my late teens and I would go with cash to these guitar stores in the Los Angeles / San Diego area. I experienced the same thing - no one would help me, I would get "attitude" when I asked to try a piece of equipment, I would get rushed when I did try the equipment ("You've been trying that pedal for two minutes! Are you going to buy it or not!?!?"), I was treated like a shoplifter, I was laughed at when I said I wanted to try a Strat or LP, and don't even think about asking for a pick... There was definitely an a$$hole factor going on with these guitar store employees back then. It got so bad that I could only buy equipment in pawn shops. But, it's nice to know that most of these guitar stores are now out of business. Dreams do come true!
Phil, growing up in SE Wisconsin I never had a problem finding any brand or model, between Milwaukee and Madison music stores. There were two stores that had the same condescending tone towards young, long-haired customers like me. After one particularly bad visit to one store I made a decision to give back what I got. I would go in these two stores after any significant purchase, insist on needing to try amps, guitars, basses, pedals, whatever. I would crank up as loud as I could, play thrash riffs, and shred non-stop, complete with dive bombs, bombs dropping and exploding, and kept going until they pulled the plug. They'd inevitably ask if they should ring it up, to which I would always feel great in answering, "Oh no, last week I just bought a new one, over at (insert competitor's name) so I'm not buying today." It just pays to not treat people like they're trash, especially in retail.
I have 6 Carvin guitars. 2 acoustic and 4 electric. As for the acoustics- they are just ok. The electric guitars are great, their necks can’t be beat. They had many options and I got most all on the electric guitars. Spent a lot on them at that time. I build guitars and have bought some of their through body necks and they are great. Everyone who plays them brags how nice they play. I have high dollar PRS, Gibson’s ect. I own about 35 or so guitars now and keep thinking I may buy a Kiesel but can’t talk myself into one having so many at this time. The options they offer stand way above any guitars out there. They have wonderful wood also. They are the reason I got into guitar building. Wish I could do some of the things they do. Their personnel could use some people skills though. I now order what I need on the internet so I do not have to talk to them. Haven’t needed customer service yet, thankfully.
I think if.you call kiesel and request an "in stock" guitar to review, they would send one over to you. For anyone else, they cut their build time as of August 2019 to 5-8 weeks depending on options.
Thanks for the video. Built out a Kiesel many times myself. Why I don't own one? It's a real hard sell for me to buy a guitar without being able to check it out first, not impossible to imagine but it's a hard sell compared to a guitar that I can put my hands on and try out first. The main reason is just because I've expended my guitar budget on used instruments and gotten great value there. I have a hard time understanding why anyone buys a new guitar given the incredible deals you can find on used gear these days. And as you mentioned, it's rare to see Kiesels used. Even older Carvins seem to have gotten rare these days.
I'm on the edge of pulling the trigger on one. I'll follow up when I get it if I order it. No idea about Jeff yet but many times genius comes with some narcissistic personality aspects. Not saying he is one, but real innovators tend to rub people wrong.
I have around 20 high quality guitars, some handmade customs as well. I got a JB200C 6 months ago from Kiesel.. Honestly, best guitar out of the box I ever played. Immaculate in every sense, perfectly tuned(!!!!!) despite having to travel transatlantic...I only set up the action to my preferences. Playing it daily, can't put it down, never needed adjustments or anything, never touched the truss rod yet! Also (despite many complains regarding customer support) the guy I spoke to actually responded very well to everything I requested, I would go back to the same person again for sure...Now....I can understand people sometimes NOT taking what they payed for and then being furious as they go into the refund territory...I can totally relate to that. I had a hugely expensive custom made guitar which took 7 years, 3 louthiers and a serious repair (change of the whole fretboard!!) to make it playable!!! However, every company has its one-off every now and then. Think about it...Has anyone ever got ANY refund from Gibson for all the crapy finishes, fretwork etc. on their custom shop models worth 2-3 times a Kiesel???? Nope.......
Fret sprout is something you live with for the first few years of a guitar’s life. If you trim them all the way when new the neck will expand and the strings will overhang. Since Kiesels are sold direct you will either learn fretwork or take it to an independent guitar tech a couple of times. The only way around this is to use a synthetic fingerboard or age the guitar several years at the factory before sale. Kissel/Carvin always did have certain issues like every other company. I like their multi-pole hum buckers and some other parts they sell and their nylon string electric is one of the better ones. But their electric guitar line is more trouble for more money than many other choices in my opinion.
I had a Carvin DC127 or 135....can't remember exactly....I bought it on ebay for $600 back in 2006 ish, the build sheet was right at $1200 back then. The original buyer just didn't like it for some reason. I was a super nice guitar with ebony fret board and stainless steel frets, action was perfect and played like butter! Both the neck and body were mahogany and it had the dual humbuckers with a floyd rose... It sounded great but was a really dark tone when compared to any other guitar, that is probably why it was sold... wish I didn't sell it, they are still worth more than $600....
I have a Kiesel CT6 with an HSH configuration and piezo acoustic saddles. I own roughly 40 guitars including gibsons fenders etc etc. The kiesel is the guitar I would save if my house was burning. Plays incredibly well. When I got it the piezo wasn't working. They were responsive to emails and we tried troubleshooting but ultimately I had to send it back. They paid for shipping both ways and we're really quick about it. So no complaints about customer service from me. Yes it would have been nice to have it 100 percent functional right out of the box but even without that they took care of the issue quickly. And quite frankly I think this guitar rivals a PRS core model and it was 1000 to 1500 $ less.
I got a Kiesel V7 used. It was a 2400 build I paid 1200 for. It’s the best built, best looking guitar I’ve ever owned. I have an Ormsby custom shop that cost a lot more and isn’t better IMO. It’s not worse, but for the dollars, Kiesel is the same quality. Some people don’t like the kiesel pickups, but I feel like they are articulate and honest. I know people have written about some bad experiences, but I recommend kiesel guitars highly and will buy more of them if I ever get the guitar budget for more premium instruments.
Built out a Kiesel 20 times on their site.... I've ordered 2(one in the Carvin era, on during the split to Kiesel), and probably built each of them more than 20 times before my final decision. I probably hit up the site and try out ideas several times a week. :)
I have a Kiesel DC600 with the bevels. best playing guitar I’ve ever had. Super high quality build.....sounds completely flat and dead. Not sure if it’s the electronics/pickups. It never gets played anymore. I just don’t want to dump more money in it if it’s going to still sound crap.
Regarding Sweetwater. I had an issue with a Taylor GS Mini, the action was way too high. I sent pictures and they agreed. Then they went way above and beyond to make it right (FYI this was a fluke, I've bought a few other guitars from them and they were setup great out of the box). Even offering to cover return overnight shipping which would have cost me something like $140 so I could get the guitar back in time for a trip. They have phenomenal customer service, fair pricing. They are really an amazing company. I don't always buy from them but I feel good when I do. I wish Sweetwater would buy out Guitar Center and bring their brand and customer service local. My only compliant about Sweetwater is that if you want something in the factory box, unopened and uninspected by Sweetwater, that isn't going to happen. They multi-point inspection and "setup" is something you MUST let them do if you buy anything from them. It's understandable for business reasons. If I really want something sealed in factory box I just buy elsewhere.
After buying and selling keisel's. You better be happy with what you order because the value drops like crazy once its used. Had a 3000$ kiesel and had to let it go, but only could get 1700$ (tons of $1300 offers) only after having it for 2 months. Amazing guitar, but expect to take a big hit if you decide to sell it.
If you think you may sell it, why order a Kiesel? They are spec'ed to the specific wishes of one customer. Why would I want your Kiesel? Doesn't make sense & defeats the entire purpose.
@@Prometheus4096 "had to let it go" was supposed to imply I was not left with any other choice. I would have kept it if I could have. If someone doesnt want "my" kiesel then why even offer?
Don’t worry about Kiesel, just buy a used Carvin. Having owned many used, and buying two I custom ordered, I still do own a custom ordered 2003 DC-145 (HSH) with tweed OHSC. I wasn’t so pleased with the swamp ash body wings figuring showing through the cherry sunburst, but the guitar played and sounded great, so I still got it. I only sold my first custom ordered AE-185 because I had picked up an incredible mint condition “three voice” Godin LGXT, which I have owned since 1999 now, and my ex had me financially jacked up and a fellow gave me good money for the AE-185 with its tweed OHSC. Win, win.
Thanks for remembering me during the live stream and the Sweetwater tip to get my choice of candy. I may get behind but watch every video you make and appreciate all that you do.
Just put together a mini board and Fulltone OCD and Fulltone Octafuzz, main drives with a Boss CE-5 and MXR Carbon Copy through a 79 Deluxe Reverb! Still experimenting but appreciate insight on it! Never a big Fuzz guy so new to me despite playing many decades! Cheers Phil!!
I bought a brand new Gibson LP Tribute from Sweetwater and had to send it back they had it for a month and never contacted me about the repair status so I cancelled the order. That was a disappointment.
I can relate to this. I ordered a Jason Becker when they first came out. The high E was too close to the edge and there was a flaw in the stain. Customer service rep was so rude to me. I was made to feel guilty about returning it. Needless to say I sent it back and reordered another one but was advised the second one would receive a restock fee if returned. I was also asking g about a color that was pictured in the guitar gallery and was told cant get it. I really want the new Delos. It looks really cool but I just dant seem to pull the trigger.
I think the Kiesel experience really depends on the individual who's making the order. On their FB page you'd be surprised at how many want to order an expensive custom guitar strictly by using the online builder. You either have to have a rock solid vision of what you want or you are kinda going blind. The only way to go in my opinion is to spend time with the builder THEN call to place the order. I have ordered two Kiesels (A CT and an Aries) and the customer service person helped me fine tune my spec for the better. As for getting a custom guitar, where else can you get one in three(ish) months? I'm coming up on 2 years for another custom build from a small builder (and I'm totally fine with that). Can you order any crazy thing you want? To a point, but then again you aren't paying the super high prices some builders get. Do your homework, do it again, and for goodness sake call your order in instead of ordering online.
I miss the live chat on the replay as well. It's my understanding that if you modify a live stream video you lose the chat replay. Phil mentioned that he has been cutting time off the beginnings lately so that is most likely the cause.
Keisel/ Carvin kicks ass. I just bought a custom LP style for 2100.00 blows away anything GC has. I brought init a GC just to piss them off. I worked!!!!
“You either do it or you don’t.” I agree 💯 % with that. Nowadays guitar players are educated in what REAL quality instruments should be. Marketing BS is no longer brainwashing guitar players. Look at Gibson... they got called out with their sub-par quality. 🤨
I always regarded ebony as an upgrade from rosewood but I'm disappointed rosewood isn't as available on guitars these days. Some of the substitute woods are pretty good but I really like rosewood so I hope it comes back.
I've owned 2 Kiesels and 3 Carvins. truly "warm water". They were okay, I just didn't love them. I think they are cool company, but I just didn't bond with the guitars for whatever reason. I wouldn't buy another unless I saw on in a store and fell in love with the way it played and sounded.
Resale values on Kiesels are crap too. I’ve ordered 2 from the factory but have bought several more from their in-stock section and have taken a big hit on every one I passed along. I too build guitars on the Kiesel site (probably a few every week) but have only ever pulled the trigger because I know I’ll change my mind in the 3 months it will take to be built. I also feel like Kiesel is doing so well and is already so backed up that they don’t really have to care about customer service.
When I heard about keisel I really wanted one, but could not justify the price tag on them. So I went out and find a beautiful blue 1993 Carvin DC. That has been the best guitar purchase I ever made. It plays and feels better then any of the other guitars I have (Ibanez, schecter, fender). All in all, super happy to have a Carvin and if Keisel is anyting like it, it's probably worth it. ( Though I did a pickup swap to Seymour Duncan JB in bridge and Jazz in the neck cuz the Carvin pups were too bright for me)
I actually owned a Carvin around ten years ago. It was one of those CT3 guitars. Overall, it was a really nice guitar. Well made, sounded and played great. I was still on my tone quest and trying to find the right guitar for me back then. I ended up selling it... and that's the worst part about owning one. You have to find a person looking for almost exactly the same guitar you have since it's all custom. Otherwise you'll end up giving a big discount just to get it out of your hands. The option process was fun but having an interactive "live" option changer on the website would be much appreciated. You'd have a much better idea of what you'll end up with.
The value with Kiesel is at the basic options build level, nothing fancy, incredible quality at that price point, say around $1200. They way overcharge for all the fancy options.
Phillip, love the channel watched many of your shows, reviews and factory tours. I have owned three Kiesils. I did get rid of them. I liked and then not liked them but I may try one more time. The strandberg I like and I have strats and teles Mexican and American. I just played a Mayones Hydra and I was knocked out. I played it for hours and not once did it go out of tune and the neck was perfect. What I did not like was the prices. 4k for a nice body, bolt on neck and Duncan's. I cannot bring myself to buy it. I may try another Kiesil Osaris and thinking of black limba, the Mayones production model in black limba was beautiful. I cannot see what I'm getting so its shooting in the dark. Will see, great videos.
Interesting thoughts on kiesel, i do own a carvin ct4c, After 6 years i can Say i love the Guitar, am trying to get a kiesel, but the Building time Is too long, but also would like the Ibanez AZ,can only buy One, but i think i would prefer kiesel because it's US made,
I have an 80's double neck Carvin, and love the coil and phase switching. Slapped a M22 carvin pickup in a BC Rich and wired it out of phase. I asked about getting a keisel neck for it, customer service was cold. Will try Warmoth next.
I generally have had positive view of Kiesel, I have a couple and I do really like them. My only real issue with the instruments or gripe is neck selection options, I think they’d do a lot for their customers to give a wider set of shape options perhaps scale as well, but I do get there are some satisfaction risks that come along with managing that. Their website is beyond bad, in fact in general their POS system and IT backend is a big hindrance to their operational success. It’s costing them unrecorded amounts of profit. The other issue is the owners quirks. He’s got some great ideas, is very talented, seems to keep quality in check etc... on the other hand he does some very frustrating things. The odd posturing specials where you put in a request to be on a list then have to wait to be called back, if you call to check on the status you get pushed to the bottom of the list.... Once in a lifetime chances to get Chrome hardware on certain models and no way on just buying that for your existing models. Can’t stock that due to lack of storage space, too many CNC templates too keep. It’s a bit like going to a restaurant and you only get what “Chef” makes no changes, be happy or leave! Yes, I left. I decided to back off on my plans for additional purchases and look at other ideas and vendors for a while. After watching him in the Q & A for a few weeks I really started to get a bad impression. My initial excitement was quashed so I scaled back my purchase plans from them a lot. Buying guitars are a luxury so I’m not interested in drama. It’s a bit more cult of personality than works for me. I also not only didn’t see a vision to improve. I also saw he seemed to be planning to stay right there. That’s probably good and bad. I expect if Kiesel stays profitable they’ll be building the same stuff in the same quality with the same web site same same same. Rather than staying a great custom builder, figure out how to be an awesome untouchable custom builder. All that said, I “might” buy one more from them, but beyond that I don’t think it’s likely as since I’m buying on the differentiators right now, other makers have more appealing desirable options. Basically I focused on what Kiesel is doing with headless, but once I go back to buying standard guitars I’m looking elsewhere. They’re busting their hump right now doing their thing they don’t have time for my quirks anyway. ;) Now if I could just get Music Man to fix/remove that aweful Majesty logo from the John Petruci signature ... (the plates on the back suck too). I could really love that guitar otherwise. It’s like finding the woman of your dreams and she has her last boyfriends name tattooed on her face. Then there’s the giant tribal tattoo on her #$&.
I've bought/sold/traded a LOT of guitars; my only regret was trading in my Carvin. I traded it during the middle of the Carvin--Kiesel transition period and got SMOKED on trade-in value. I will comb thru the used guitar market daily until I find it again...
Hey Phil! Hope everything is great with you! This one is more related to cheap amps vs 2nd hand, but let me ask your precious opinion: I have bought recently a Peavey Triumph PAG120 (from what knowledge I managed to gather, seems to be one of the precursor of the 5150's, one of the first designed by James Brown, produced in 1990 and 1991, but I just got this info from online sources, so I'm not sure of it's veracity) I think it was a great deal, everything is in working order, just a minor problem w/ the footswitch, for €160. (only one owner ever, and the power tubes/valves had been replaced some years ago, but not had that much use since then). Not a great price, but I think a fair one... your opinion on this "price tag" would also be much appreciated! But my question is: comparing this for what i would find new for that same ammount, do you think any amp would be a competitor? up to maybe €/$200? Due to the lack of physical music stores in my area, I never tested Joyo, Boss Katana, Line6 or similar amps, but i really like the sound from this little old "monster". Effects I get from pedals, so don't need anything too complex on the amp... Cheers from Portugal, thanks for all your important and educational videos!
I have the same Carvin/Kiesel experience as you, Phil. I've been building and pricing their guitars for years, far longer than the rebrand. And yet, I see the price at the end, make a few concessions, look at the price again afterward, and just can't pull the trigger. Is it the bad press haunting my decision? I'm not sure, but I just can't do it... but I really want to!
Sweetwater is truly a great company. Always responds to my emails and fix issues without push back. I have a wonderful sales engineer Brendan Murphy!!! Sent emails direct to the President and always responds as well.
I have 3 Kiesel Zeus that I ordered all within this year and they are exactly what I wanted and more. With what I have experienced I have no doubt that if something was wrong I would be taken care of well. Also one of the most amazing things about the worlds largest pedalboard for me being a major Rush fan was Alex Lifeson's cameo.
I was going to order a Kiesels FG1 ( Frank Gambale ), but because of the mixed reviews, I not going to, because it seems 50 / 50, it either goes smoothly or it doesn't, and as I live in the UK, you don't want it to go badly, cost of sending it back, waiting for it, customs tax charge, doesn't seem worth it
I have 8 Carvin/Kiesel guitars and love everyone of them. Bought my first one over 30 years ago and still going strong. I have 36 guitars in my collection with just about every major brand and my kiesels are among the best that I have. Just letting my experience known.
Oh yeah? Y'ever had a Gisbon?
Benedict H lolololol
How would you rank Charvel? Went from ibanez/fender strat to Charvel and can’t see myself ever selling it.
Daniel Velkovski Charvel modern line up is damn nice... love the dk24 and GG USA custom.
How recent was your last one Kevin ? After they switched back to Kiesel ?
I live 5 miles from the Kiesel factory. I own two PRS core guitars and was not in the market, but I was curious about the California CT6M. I noticed on their website that they had one in stock, so I went to the showroom to check it out. It wasn’t on display, so I inquired about it. When they brought it out I was blown away. Fit, finish, wood quality and playability are virtually on par with PRS. I bought it on the spot and I think it is my new favorite guitar.
That hot/cold thing has defined Kiesel even back in the Carvin days, and I think that inconsistency really hampers a brand that you can’t demo at your local music store.
I just got my DC600 yesterday, and owned a V220 since 1991. Love 'em both!
I've had worse experiences at GC with the crap that hangs on the racks almost forever.
Not being able to demo at your local music store is why you can always return your guitar if you don't like it within 10 day, and get a full refund.
@@Prometheus4096 Except you can't, without Jeff lambasting you on social media and refusing to sell to you ever again. He's a child.
@@Leo9ine If you publicly try to shame Kiesel, then yes Jeff will not allow you to buy again. Let's not fool around. Dissatisfied customers go to social media all the time, trying to cause reputation damage and use that as leverage in some negotiation attempt. In fact, people have done this to Kiesel as well.
I own 3 Kiesel / Carvin great guitars. Customer setvice lacks a lot.
How are the frets are they on the cheese grader side? I herd they don't really file down the frets.
@@pizzaface4079 they don't at all because they say they're cut to fit etc, but imo that's kinda lazy. They should really check if the frets are level and if the ends poke out
@@darktempest53 yeah totally I always hear they don't file the frets at all even Scott Grove says all his are like that
Pizza_Face I have five and the playability of all is excellent, if slightly different. I like Scott Grove, even ordered some of his videos. But I think his problems with Carvin are personal. He likes what he likes and wants what he wants. You can’t run a business catering to every little whim of every guitar player there is. It’s just not realistic. If I’m not mistaken, he lives in the desert too, and that can really affect the frets. For most people, I’d say buy a Carvin / Kiesel and you probably won’t regret it.
Make enough product and your going to get errors. Build an internet community brand and your going to get the extremes of the community on either side. I have two and if I had an issue I would take it up with the company. They would sort it as everyone wants happy customers. Take it to the internet and then you can expect the extremes that exist there.
Own two Kiesels, absolutely love them. They play so much better than any other guitar I've ever owned it's almost like a different instrument. Never had any issues ordering, online or via phone. The one minor issue I had with the trem on one of them was answered promptly by their lead tech who walked me through the process of correcting it. If you keep your build reasonable without getting carried away with the finishes or high end woods, you can't beat Kiesel.
I had Carvin build my DC127 in the mid 90's and it is a gem that will never leave my collection. Hands down my favorite guitar. Fit and finish are second to none and the tone and feel are amazing. When they rebranded and stopped the amp division I feel we lost some great amps. Don't know that I will ever have Keisel build me a guitar but I am so glad I had mine built when I did.
I have a mid 90s DC127 too. It's great! I also have a 1984 V220T which is awesome.
My friend's Kiesel experience has been amazing. He has 2 of the best guitars I've ever played and the whole process was good for him. He raves about them.
just so everyone knows, if you take a big muff op amp and push it with a tube screamer that thing sounds KILLER.
Take a big muff and push it with a dyna comp makes a great sound too. Goes to feedback if you hang on to it.
@@darrellmcdonald7883 i'll check that out. my distortion pallette is tubescreamer > muff > tc electronics dark horse. the dark horse is what I use most of the time for a smoother distortion but if things need to get rowdy i just use the BM and TS.
And this is why I love Sweetwater. They have the best service ever, and will always get my business.
What a better world this would be if companies had the gumption to work as Sweetwater does. One that is open to a negative critique and use that to improve their business and bring it to the next level.
I have 8 Carvin guitars not keisel name on headstock love all of them great playing sounding and looking first one i bought in 1981 Carvin DC160 natural quilt gigged with that guitar for most 80s have no experience when they changed to keisel
Just got my dream build from Kiesel. The quality is amazing and exactly what I asked for. Had a few minor hiccups during the ordering process, mainly because I wanted something that they don’t offer and I wanted to push for it, but ultimately it was just a minor thing and I ended up with an incredible guitar.
Nick Wood well if there a 100 % full custom shop they should offer whatever you want. My opionion anyway.
@@Terrysoddy yeah, even little things like "can you not put your shoddy Alpha electronics"
Here's my opinion. Their bare bones options guitars (around $1,100) are incredible for the money, high quality wood, great finishing, stainless steel frets, great quality hardware and electronics. Obviously as you start adding "custom" options the price can skyrocket just for cosmetics and wood choices, and at that point one can argue that they aren't worth the money (A $3k build has the exact same quality as a $1k build) The place they are going wrong in my opinion is customer service. Any guitar manufacture will have some small percentages of issues that slip through, but Kiesel seems to be less than happy to rush and correct any issues with orders that may arise, so it creates lack of trust with some consumers.
You can always return your guitar within 10 days. Even if it turned out flawless, but you somehow don't like how it looks or feels. All the stories online about Kiesel refusing to take back a guitar were either option 50, or people that tried to return them at least a few days outside the 10 day window.
Kiesel customer service is understaffed and absolutely overloaded.
I've never heard anyone say the Kiesel they ordered is crap unless they are being super picky about it, i.e. "there is a thin line around my inlay" -- no shit, I've seen that on 5-7k custom shop guitars.
I have heard a ton of customer service griping--but I think we only get 1/2 of that argument. Some people are not happy if the guitar comes out of the box requiring a setup. Others are content to get a functional instrument that they can massage to what they need. I have a Kiesel. I'm on the fence about ordering another--mostly for financial reasons, but also because of the potential customer service stuff too. I know a lot more people who've never had an issue though.
i have a bunch of guitars, i love my kiesels the most, i have three Vaders and an Osiris and they are just perfect for me,there is just some type of mojo with those guitars that many modern guitars lack.
I've owned many basses in 50 years, 30 of those years were/are Carvin/Kiesel's. I'll never buy another brand. Love my Kiesel's.
Really? Im debating on whether to bite the bullet
I tend to stick with Gibson/Fender brands, I have LPs, strats teles and a couple great BC Rich... I ordered my first Kiesel last summer and got it 2 1/2 weeks ahead of my quoted time. The guitar is absolutely nothing like what I have or previously owned, yet It has worked its way to being my #1 stage guitar to this day. In and out of the studio, on and off the stage. The guitar has paid for itself...
Did over 1000 gigs with my Carvin bass. That makes it a $100,000 guitar (for $865 in 1999)
Thank you for replying to my response about the leftstage 15 watt amp. So far it still works. I love it. My favorite sounding amp was a harmony. A tube amp made in the 60's. I was 8 years old and my dad bought me a used gibson skylark 6 string lap steel korina that I still own today. I'm 59 now. That harmony was the sweetest cooling amp i ever owned. If I remember right, it had 3 tubes about the size of the 1st joint on my thumb. Couldn't be more than a watt but the sound was so awesome.
My kiesel plays like butter. Love it.
Sweetwater is a great company.
THE BEST NO DOUBT!!!!!
am i the only person who hasn't had any great experiences buying from them? i respect them as a company and everything surack has done for the community, i just can't get a decent deal from them on any gear ever.
@@froshanddink I think I see what you mean... I bought something the other day from Sweet Water, even though it was $10 cheaper from Amazon... simply because of Sweet Water's rep. It's like having $10 insurance policy:) It isn't just "price" for me. I had a unit, $400, I had to 23 months, and I just "thought" something wasn't right about it. I called them and they sent me a brand new one, no questions asked:) I called them to see if there was some place I could send it for repair:) In the end there was nothing wrong with it:)
@@batmandeltaforce Their customer service should be studied and modeled by other companies. The customer service model ought to be taught in business schools. That being said, I appreciate their involvement but I'm the kind of person who does my research and knows exactly what I'm going to buy. I don't need any hand holding. Just be there in case a problem arises but otherwise just stay out of my way.
@@froshanddink Nope, I banned Sweetwater after I ordered an LP cowbell as a gift and they didn't ship it or contact me. I called asking why it was still sitting there and the guy told me UPS doesn't ship to the post office. Total lazy bullshit. Since I was on a time-limit, I was pissed, and immediately cancelled the order. Anyone with at least half a peabrain knows UPS will deliver to a post office if you use the post office's address with your PO BOX..... "Unit 123", etc. I order from zZounds and my shit is here OVERNIGHT, literally the next day from NY.
"A lot of time, honesty really kicks you in the nuts." - Phil McKnight
Sounds like a Buddhist philosophy. With more pain
I have two Kiesels, I really love them both, play and sound excellent. That being said, their customer service is certainly lacking. My second I had asked for a specific wiring set up, which they said they could do. It was a piezo equipped guitar and I wanted a magnetic pickup tone pot and a piezo master volume rather than two master volumes. I had come into some medical problems and wanted to cancel my order, they said absolutely no go because of my wiring request. Fine, sure, I'll just try to resell it after I get it. Turns out to take over a month over the estimated build time, and they didn't even do the wiring I requested, ended up having two volume pots anyway. That being said, I do love both my Kiesels and I didn't end up needing to sell it. But, I'd be very hesitant to ask for anything that specific on a build again.
That sucks to hear man. I hope all is well with you ..Keep jamming man.
Attention all guitar companies...Level and crown the frets properly before you send that POS out to a customer. Almost all the guitars I see off the shelf regardless of price and brand have terrible fretwork and it's the most important aspect of making a guitar play well.
I received a fender elite strat, a fender elite tele, a PRS SE, and a Kiesel aries. The two fenders were not finished properly (shameful) but the PRS and the Kiesel were both perfect.
@@nw379 yeah, I have a Kiesel sh 445. the frets are excellent. The intonation on this guitar is among the best I've ever heard. I don't think I'll ever sell this instrument
Plek should be a requirement. Ship you the shavings to prove it. Which manu would then show more attention to detail in their product?
I bought a Glarry strat for $67 to my door. The fret work was better than most stuff on the wall at guitar centre. Plays pretty good the neck pickup sounds great the others meh but usable.
I grew up with Carvin catalogs and vividly remember ogling them in high school. I've since had two Carvins and two Kiesels (dc127, bolt, dc600, aries). Here's the deal:
Pros:
Lots of options, super fun to build and spec, relatively inexpensive for an American made guitar, playability is ok, sound is generic and works great in digital platforms, neck-thru construction is cool, great for metal, the bolt has the most sustain of any guitar I own, the soft case is fantastic.
Cons:
Probably won't turn out like you expected, there will likely be minor QC issues, piezo is crap, they all sound the same (generic), not much difference between neck and bridge positions, don't expect magic sustain in a neck-thru.
Summary:
If you want one, you owe it to yourself to try one. You can even skip the build process and buy a used one at half the price. Yes, resale value is terrible, but I didn't list that as a con because I don't buy guitars with resale in mind. These guitars are great for rock and metal, but there are much better options for different genres. And from a tonal perspective, don't spend much time trying to figure out which guitar shape, wood, and pickup combination you want, they all sound the same. Seriously, they all sound the same. Just pick the shape and color you like.
So are you saying that your Kiesel guitars with bolt-on necks have more sustain than those with neck-thru construction?
@@darkstarrtech Yes, without a doubt. My Carvin Bolt has more sustain than any other guitar I have ever owned or played, including two Les Pauls. Second place would go to my Ibanez RG550 Genesis or my PRSs. There are some videos out there doing tests between the different neck joints and sustain, if memory serves correctly bolt ons sustained the longest.
@@sublyme2157 I recently bought an RG and have noticed the same thing. Much better sustain than my LP. Just kind of crazy that it's a major selling point for neck-thru construction.
@@darkstarrtech Yeah, I think it's one of those myths that we have to believe in. Even though we know it's not true, we just keep believing it... :)
I bought my Kiesel on a whim and It's an amazing guitar... Love it... Customer service could use a little work. But for the most part they have been great to me. And the guitar is top notch. You won't regret getting a Kiesel. But make sure you know all the dimensions of what you want. Neck, nut, etc.. etc..
I own a Carvin CT-6 and a Kiesel CT-6.....Both well made,great playing guitar's. Well worth the wait and money
I owned a Carvin Les Paul styled guitar and I liked it a lot. It may have had the best giutar neck Ive ever played. I ended up selling it (wish i never did). I now own a Kiesel Delos, their strat model, and I love it. Its one heck of an instrument.
i own 2 kiesel 8-string Solo models. one is HH the other is HSS. i love both my kisels. the build quality is amazing. neck and frets feel great. true workhorse guitars. i can get many different tones from them. both of my guitars have arrive to me 2 weeks early.
Put me down as a happy client!! Love my new Kiesel Aries!! Quality is unreal compared to the major brands I’ve played. Will be ordering another In the future
When I ordered my first Carvin, I waited 3 months, then somebody from Carvin called and said it would be another month before they started on it. I thought WTF! And almost cancelled the order. The guitar showed up less than a week later. ??? What a mistake that would have been. Honestly, I have loved that guitar since the first time I opened the case. It will be the one I keep forever! I’ve got about 13 guitars and 5 are Carvin. Kiesell is at the top of their game right now and someday I’ll bite the bullet and get one. I have no doubts about the quality. The prices are outrageous now, but when you see all the options, you think maybe, just maybe. I’m left handed and you just don’t find lefties like that anywhere else. I may not be able to afford many, but Kiesell probably has a customer for life. And to think, I almost cancelled that order.🥴
Somebody else probably offered to buy it and when you said you would wait they sent it??
I just ordered my first Kiesel (Osiris 6) over the phone a few days ago. Guy on the phone was awesome and patient with all my questions, talked me through all the option 50 choices and was up front about some extra costs/even waived shipping for me
As a small biz owner free ship is something you should always get on a deal like this
I have a 5 string Keisel bass, and it’s amazing. It plays well, and it has the exact tone that I wanted. If the guitar sucked, I would be honest about that too, but I’ve been nothing but happy with it.
I built a Keisel guitar last year. Nothing but good things to say. Build took 6 weeks...My Delos has replaced my Suhr as my No 1 and never saw that coming.
Just ordered a Jason Becker Numbers from Kiesel last week. CANNOT wait for it to show up at my door.
Just to add my experience with Kiesel, it was slightly mixed but almost totally positive. I ordered a guitar with a very important option selected, which got completely lost in their web form submission, so when they shipped it, that important option was wrong. They gave me no hassle whatsoever about the return and in the 5 minutes I had the guitar before I put it back in the box, I found it to be a very well made beautiful instrument, and really wish I could have kept it. But their web ordering form is unfortunately straight-up crap and unreliable. They even mentioned it themselves and said I should have called for the order, but why not fix the website? Their work product is fantastic, but their web front end should not be trusted.
Optioned out a CT3 around ten years ago. A "live" changer interactive feature would be great so you'd have a better idea of what you'll end up with would be much appreciated. Hell, if car websites can give live updates when you make a change, a guitar company's website should be able to do it as well. The guitar was really nice by the way.
Always call them when you order. More options and easier when your dealing with a custom options guitar like these. Love mine!
i bought a carvin bass in 1979
this is when they only had black or clear finishes
but jesus those guitars where TOUGH, solid maple
8 COATS OF POLY!!!! HARD AS A ROCK
guitar sounds beautiful never a problem in all those years
not even a recrown
I have a Carvin Holdsworth fatboy and a Kiesel Solo and I love them both.
I rarely catch these live because of work but these are my favorite videos on your channel. I appreciate that you take the time every week to hang out, answer questions and talk about the big news in the industry. Sharpen my axe is great and so are many of your other videos but i mostly enjoy these because of the random nuggets of knowledge. So thanks phil! I have learned a lot from these.
For the microphonic ringing at high volumes, besides tubes, some designs include 'disc' style ceramic capacitors, that are incredibly enough transducers, or a kind of microphone/speaker device... depending on which part of the circuit they're in. Tapping them with a stick will reveal their nature. A good source to research is uncle Doug's site for amp repair. Good luck
My life changed when I got my kiesel
Personally own a custom kiesel 8 string zeus. It's so wonderful that touching any other solid body electric guitar feels wrong. It's a beautifully crafted instrument that's worth every single penny and meal that I skipped on to save up and buy it. Jeff can be a little abrasive in how honest he is , but I'd rather have someone who just says what's on their mind instead of a owner that just gives you lip service.
This is just for everyone who is interested in ordering the Harley Benton 212 cab, I ordered mine a week ago and had to wait until just two days ago for the new shipment to come in oh, mine is already on its way I bought the vertical 212. Grand total I paid $262 u.s. dollars, so if Phil paid $230 then yes they did raise the price, and yes they did sell out previously but they have a new shipment in so if you're going to order one I would do that when you can but still a good deal. I am not sure about the horizontal cab I believe that grand total is $230 total with shipping and everything so I believe they raise the price on both cabs. This isn't me guessing this is actual fact, because I just ordered one and just wanted to clarify for everyone.
I just ordered mine last Saturday and had a few things to straighten out because I ordered a guitar a cable, and a Joyo Atomic with case. I think it was arouns $250 for the cab if I was just ordering with shipping. As I was reviewing my order for a few days the price in dollars was changing just due to exchange rates shifting. Seems that is likely the problem. Everything shipped Thursday.
Yeah my cab shipped out Thursday as well, it was kind of strange you're right because when the total was calculated when I actually paid for it it ended up being $7 more than that which they deducted from my bank account because I had a an exact amount in my PayPal account and it went over and they deducted it from my bank account that's linked so I don't know but like all together I'm pretty sure it was like 260 something dollars just for the 212 vertical cab
@@aaronderrick5721 it's totally worth it I think. I got a Monoprice 15 watt amp I'm excited to hear hooked up to that thing. Picked up an HB-35 Plus with the order. It's going to be a fun week once it arrives.
The "don't touch stuff and we're too cool for you" was a popular philosophy among guitar stores when I started playing guitar in the early 1980s in SoCal. I was in my late teens and I would go with cash to these guitar stores in the Los Angeles / San Diego area. I experienced the same thing - no one would help me, I would get "attitude" when I asked to try a piece of equipment, I would get rushed when I did try the equipment ("You've been trying that pedal for two minutes! Are you going to buy it or not!?!?"), I was treated like a shoplifter, I was laughed at when I said I wanted to try a Strat or LP, and don't even think about asking for a pick... There was definitely an a$$hole factor going on with these guitar store employees back then. It got so bad that I could only buy equipment in pawn shops. But, it's nice to know that most of these guitar stores are now out of business. Dreams do come true!
Phil, growing up in SE Wisconsin I never had a problem finding any brand or model, between Milwaukee and Madison music stores.
There were two stores that had the same condescending tone towards young, long-haired customers like me.
After one particularly bad visit to one store I made a decision to give back what I got.
I would go in these two stores after any significant purchase, insist on needing to try amps, guitars, basses, pedals, whatever. I would crank up as loud as I could, play thrash riffs, and shred non-stop, complete with dive bombs, bombs dropping and exploding, and kept going until they pulled the plug.
They'd inevitably ask if they should ring it up, to which I would always feel great in answering, "Oh no, last week I just bought a new one, over at (insert competitor's name) so I'm not buying today."
It just pays to not treat people like they're trash, especially in retail.
I recently met Randy Pearson, who runs Chondro Guitars up in Waukesha. Awesome inventory, and a super nice guy.
@@riffsandwichez9906 I will have to check them out. Thanks for the tip.
I have 6 Carvin guitars. 2 acoustic and 4 electric. As for the acoustics- they are just ok. The electric guitars are great, their necks can’t be beat. They had many options and I got most all on the electric guitars. Spent a lot on them at that time. I build guitars and have bought some of their through body necks and they are great. Everyone who plays them brags how nice they play. I have high dollar PRS, Gibson’s ect. I own about 35 or so guitars now and keep thinking I may buy a Kiesel but can’t talk myself into one having so many at this time. The options they offer stand way above any guitars out there. They have wonderful wood also. They are the reason I got into guitar building. Wish I could do some of the things they do. Their personnel could use some people skills though. I now order what I need on the internet so I do not have to talk to them. Haven’t needed customer service yet, thankfully.
Keisels generally leave me cold, especially the headless ones they seem to be pushing, but I do like their Jason Becker's
I think if.you call kiesel and request an "in stock" guitar to review, they would send one over to you.
For anyone else, they cut their build time as of August 2019 to 5-8 weeks depending on options.
Thanks for the video. Built out a Kiesel many times myself. Why I don't own one? It's a real hard sell for me to buy a guitar without being able to check it out first, not impossible to imagine but it's a hard sell compared to a guitar that I can put my hands on and try out first. The main reason is just because I've expended my guitar budget on used instruments and gotten great value there. I have a hard time understanding why anyone buys a new guitar given the incredible deals you can find on used gear these days. And as you mentioned, it's rare to see Kiesels used. Even older Carvins seem to have gotten rare these days.
Haven't watched the vid, it just sarted. But thumbs up from the start! You always put out great stuff. Love your vids
I'm on the edge of pulling the trigger on one. I'll follow up when I get it if I order it.
No idea about Jeff yet but many times genius comes with some narcissistic personality aspects. Not saying he is one, but real innovators tend to rub people wrong.
I have around 20 high quality guitars, some handmade customs as well. I got a JB200C 6 months ago from Kiesel.. Honestly, best guitar out of the box I ever played. Immaculate in every sense, perfectly tuned(!!!!!) despite having to travel transatlantic...I only set up the action to my preferences. Playing it daily, can't put it down, never needed adjustments or anything, never touched the truss rod yet! Also (despite many complains regarding customer support) the guy I spoke to actually responded very well to everything I requested, I would go back to the same person again for sure...Now....I can understand people sometimes NOT taking what they payed for and then being furious as they go into the refund territory...I can totally relate to that. I had a hugely expensive custom made guitar which took 7 years, 3 louthiers and a serious repair (change of the whole fretboard!!) to make it playable!!! However, every company has its one-off every now and then. Think about it...Has anyone ever got ANY refund from Gibson for all the crapy finishes, fretwork etc. on their custom shop models worth 2-3 times a Kiesel???? Nope.......
To each his own..but I like to have versatility, so 3 Guitars is enough for me .Gibson Les Paul ,PRS CU24 , Fender Tele.
Todd Hansen Perfect combo! I have the same except Strat and no Tele (but a Tele will be my fourth and final).
Fret sprout is something you live with for the first few years of a guitar’s life. If you trim them all the way when new the neck will expand and the strings will overhang. Since Kiesels are sold direct you will either learn fretwork or take it to an independent guitar tech a couple of times. The only way around this is to use a synthetic fingerboard or age the guitar several years at the factory before sale.
Kissel/Carvin always did have certain issues like every other company. I like their multi-pole hum buckers and some other parts they sell and their nylon string electric is one of the better ones. But their electric guitar line is more trouble for more money than many other choices in my opinion.
I had a Carvin DC127 or 135....can't remember exactly....I bought it on ebay for $600 back in 2006 ish, the build sheet was right at $1200 back then. The original buyer just didn't like it for some reason. I was a super nice guitar with ebony fret board and stainless steel frets, action was perfect and played like butter! Both the neck and body were mahogany and it had the dual humbuckers with a floyd rose... It sounded great but was a really dark tone when compared to any other guitar, that is probably why it was sold... wish I didn't sell it, they are still worth more than $600....
I have a Kiesel CT6 with an HSH configuration and piezo acoustic saddles. I own roughly 40 guitars including gibsons fenders etc etc. The kiesel is the guitar I would save if my house was burning. Plays incredibly well. When I got it the piezo wasn't working. They were responsive to emails and we tried troubleshooting but ultimately I had to send it back. They paid for shipping both ways and we're really quick about it. So no complaints about customer service from me. Yes it would have been nice to have it 100 percent functional right out of the box but even without that they took care of the issue quickly. And quite frankly I think this guitar rivals a PRS core model and it was 1000 to 1500 $ less.
Phil- that checklist has been published for years...you also said they invited you there to help them- did you ever go?
Phil, one step ahead of everyone, as always.
Referring to the Jeff Kiesel drama.
I got a Kiesel V7 used. It was a 2400 build I paid 1200 for. It’s the best built, best looking guitar I’ve ever owned. I have an Ormsby custom shop that cost a lot more and isn’t better IMO. It’s not worse, but for the dollars, Kiesel is the same quality. Some people don’t like the kiesel pickups, but I feel like they are articulate and honest. I know people have written about some bad experiences, but I recommend kiesel guitars highly and will buy more of them if I ever get the guitar budget for more premium instruments.
A buddy turned me on to Kiesel and they look amazing and sound great. Just need to save up.
I love sweetwater even more now, what a great company
Built out a Kiesel 20 times on their site.... I've ordered 2(one in the Carvin era, on during the split to Kiesel), and probably built each of them more than 20 times before my final decision. I probably hit up the site and try out ideas several times a week. :)
I have a Kiesel DC600 with the bevels. best playing guitar I’ve ever had. Super high quality build.....sounds completely flat and dead. Not sure if it’s the electronics/pickups. It never gets played anymore. I just don’t want to dump more money in it if it’s going to still sound crap.
Regarding Sweetwater. I had an issue with a Taylor GS Mini, the action was way too high. I sent pictures and they agreed. Then they went way above and beyond to make it right (FYI this was a fluke, I've bought a few other guitars from them and they were setup great out of the box). Even offering to cover return overnight shipping which would have cost me something like $140 so I could get the guitar back in time for a trip. They have phenomenal customer service, fair pricing. They are really an amazing company. I don't always buy from them but I feel good when I do. I wish Sweetwater would buy out Guitar Center and bring their brand and customer service local. My only compliant about Sweetwater is that if you want something in the factory box, unopened and uninspected by Sweetwater, that isn't going to happen. They multi-point inspection and "setup" is something you MUST let them do if you buy anything from them. It's understandable for business reasons. If I really want something sealed in factory box I just buy elsewhere.
I've been shopping at Rainbow since 1985. They always treated me right.
Got mine super fast, customer service was on point.
After buying and selling keisel's. You better be happy with what you order because the value drops like crazy once its used. Had a 3000$ kiesel and had to let it go, but only could get 1700$ (tons of $1300 offers) only after having it for 2 months. Amazing guitar, but expect to take a big hit if you decide to sell it.
If you think you may sell it, why order a Kiesel? They are spec'ed to the specific wishes of one customer. Why would I want your Kiesel? Doesn't make sense & defeats the entire purpose.
@@Prometheus4096 "had to let it go" was supposed to imply I was not left with any other choice. I would have kept it if I could have. If someone doesnt want "my" kiesel then why even offer?
Don’t worry about Kiesel, just buy a used Carvin. Having owned many used, and buying two I custom ordered, I still do own a custom ordered 2003 DC-145 (HSH) with tweed OHSC. I wasn’t so pleased with the swamp ash body wings figuring showing through the cherry sunburst, but the guitar played and sounded great, so I still got it. I only sold my first custom ordered AE-185 because I had picked up an incredible mint condition “three voice” Godin LGXT, which I have owned since 1999 now, and my ex had me financially jacked up and a fellow gave me good money for the AE-185 with its tweed OHSC. Win, win.
For straight up gigging, the DC-145 is an excellent instrument.
Thanks for remembering me during the live stream and the Sweetwater tip to get my choice of candy. I may get behind but watch every video you make and appreciate all that you do.
Just put together a mini board and Fulltone OCD and Fulltone Octafuzz, main drives with a Boss CE-5 and MXR Carbon Copy through a 79 Deluxe Reverb! Still experimenting but appreciate insight on it! Never a big Fuzz guy so new to me despite playing many decades! Cheers Phil!!
I would rather buy a used Carvin Bass from the 90's instead of buying a new Kiesel.
I bought a brand new Gibson LP Tribute from Sweetwater and had to send it back they had it for a month and never contacted me about the repair status so I cancelled the order. That was a disappointment.
I guess thats what happens when you buy authentic. I would blame Gibson before Sweetwater
I can relate to this. I ordered a Jason Becker when they first came out. The high E was too close to the edge and there was a flaw in the stain. Customer service rep was so rude to me. I was made to feel guilty about returning it. Needless to say I sent it back and reordered another one but was advised the second one would receive a restock fee if returned. I was also asking g about a color that was pictured in the guitar gallery and was told cant get it. I really want the new Delos. It looks really cool but I just dant seem to pull the trigger.
Rainbow is definitely much better now. Talk to Mike Sydloski, the guitar guy. He's awesome.
I think the Kiesel experience really depends on the individual who's making the order. On their FB page you'd be surprised at how many want to order an expensive custom guitar strictly by using the online builder. You either have to have a rock solid vision of what you want or you are kinda going blind. The only way to go in my opinion is to spend time with the builder THEN call to place the order. I have ordered two Kiesels (A CT and an Aries) and the customer service person helped me fine tune my spec for the better. As for getting a custom guitar, where else can you get one in three(ish) months? I'm coming up on 2 years for another custom build from a small builder (and I'm totally fine with that). Can you order any crazy thing you want? To a point, but then again you aren't paying the super high prices some builders get. Do your homework, do it again, and for goodness sake call your order in instead of ordering online.
why is it that recently the Live Chat replay is not available…? there are usually some hidden gems there
+1
I miss the live chat on the replay as well. It's my understanding that if you modify a live stream video you lose the chat replay. Phil mentioned that he has been cutting time off the beginnings lately so that is most likely the cause.
Reissue Guitars? My RG550 Genesis arrived yesterday. Close but not the same. Yes there are improvements.
Keisel/ Carvin kicks ass. I just bought a custom LP style for 2100.00 blows away anything GC has. I brought init a GC just to piss them off. I worked!!!!
“You either do it or you don’t.” I agree 💯 % with that. Nowadays guitar players are educated in what REAL quality instruments should be. Marketing BS is no longer brainwashing guitar players. Look at Gibson... they got called out with their sub-par quality. 🤨
Gibbons has been making Sub Par for decades . . .
I always regarded ebony as an upgrade from rosewood but I'm disappointed rosewood isn't as available on guitars these days. Some of the substitute woods are pretty good but I really like rosewood so I hope it comes back.
I've owned 2 Kiesels and 3 Carvins. truly "warm water". They were okay, I just didn't love them. I think they are cool company, but I just didn't bond with the guitars for whatever reason. I wouldn't buy another unless I saw on in a store and fell in love with the way it played and sounded.
Probably the last honest guy in the music business
Resale values on Kiesels are crap too. I’ve ordered 2 from the factory but have bought several more from their in-stock section and have taken a big hit on every one I passed along.
I too build guitars on the Kiesel site (probably a few every week) but have only ever pulled the trigger because I know I’ll change my mind in the 3 months it will take to be built. I also feel like Kiesel is doing so well and is already so backed up that they don’t really have to care about customer service.
could find specd out ones from GC used since a lot of times they charge base price
When I heard about keisel I really wanted one, but could not justify the price tag on them. So I went out and find a beautiful blue 1993 Carvin DC. That has been the best guitar purchase I ever made. It plays and feels better then any of the other guitars I have (Ibanez, schecter, fender). All in all, super happy to have a Carvin and if Keisel is anyting like it, it's probably worth it. ( Though I did a pickup swap to Seymour Duncan JB in bridge and Jazz in the neck cuz the Carvin pups were too bright for me)
This is why my PRS will be coming from Sweetwater next spring.
I actually owned a Carvin around ten years ago. It was one of those CT3 guitars. Overall, it was a really nice guitar. Well made, sounded and played great. I was still on my tone quest and trying to find the right guitar for me back then. I ended up selling it... and that's the worst part about owning one. You have to find a person looking for almost exactly the same guitar you have since it's all custom. Otherwise you'll end up giving a big discount just to get it out of your hands.
The option process was fun but having an interactive "live" option changer on the website would be much appreciated. You'd have a much better idea of what you'll end up with.
The value with Kiesel is at the basic options build level, nothing fancy, incredible quality at that price point, say around $1200. They way overcharge for all the fancy options.
Phillip, love the channel watched many of your shows, reviews and factory tours. I have owned three Kiesils. I did get rid of them. I liked and then not liked them but I may try one more time. The strandberg I like and I have strats and teles Mexican and American. I just played a Mayones Hydra and I was knocked out. I played it for hours and not once did it go out of tune and the neck was perfect. What I did not like was the prices. 4k for a nice body, bolt on neck and Duncan's. I cannot bring myself to buy it. I may try another Kiesil Osaris and thinking of black limba, the Mayones production model in black limba was beautiful. I cannot see what I'm getting so its shooting in the dark. Will see, great videos.
How many guitars you NEED is the number that you currently already have +1
More is more
Lmfao. That's gospel truth right there.
Interesting thoughts on kiesel, i do own a carvin ct4c, After 6 years i can Say i love the Guitar, am trying to get a kiesel, but the Building time Is too long, but also would like the Ibanez AZ,can only buy One, but i think i would prefer kiesel because it's US made,
Holy Crap !!! TH-cam didn't send me a notification!!
I have an 80's double neck Carvin, and love the coil and phase switching. Slapped a M22 carvin pickup in a BC Rich and wired it out of phase. I asked about getting a keisel neck for it, customer service was cold. Will try Warmoth next.
I generally have had positive view of Kiesel, I have a couple and I do really like them. My only real issue with the instruments or gripe is neck selection options, I think they’d do a lot for their customers to give a wider set of shape options perhaps scale as well, but I do get there are some satisfaction risks that come along with managing that.
Their website is beyond bad, in fact in general their POS system and IT backend is a big hindrance to their operational success. It’s costing them unrecorded amounts of profit.
The other issue is the owners quirks. He’s got some great ideas, is very talented, seems to keep quality in check etc... on the other hand he does some very frustrating things. The odd posturing specials where you put in a request to be on a list then have to wait to be called back, if you call to check on the status you get pushed to the bottom of the list.... Once in a lifetime chances to get Chrome hardware on certain models and no way on just buying that for your existing models. Can’t stock that due to lack of storage space, too many CNC templates too keep. It’s a bit like going to a restaurant and you only get what “Chef” makes no changes, be happy or leave! Yes, I left.
I decided to back off on my plans for additional purchases and look at other ideas and vendors for a while. After watching him in the Q & A for a few weeks I really started to get a bad impression. My initial excitement was quashed so I scaled back my purchase plans from them a lot.
Buying guitars are a luxury so I’m not interested in drama. It’s a bit more cult of personality than works for me.
I also not only didn’t see a vision to improve. I also saw he seemed to be planning to stay right there. That’s probably good and bad. I expect if Kiesel stays profitable they’ll be building the same stuff in the same quality with the same web site same same same.
Rather than staying a great custom builder, figure out how to be an awesome untouchable custom builder.
All that said, I “might” buy one more from them, but beyond that I don’t think it’s likely as since I’m buying on the differentiators right now, other makers have more appealing desirable options. Basically I focused on what Kiesel is doing with headless, but once I go back to buying standard guitars I’m looking elsewhere. They’re busting their hump right now doing their thing they don’t have time for my quirks anyway. ;)
Now if I could just get Music Man to fix/remove that aweful Majesty logo from the John Petruci signature ... (the plates on the back suck too). I could really love that guitar otherwise. It’s like finding the woman of your dreams and she has her last boyfriends name tattooed on her face. Then there’s the giant tribal tattoo on her #$&.
I agree on playing on the same style of guitar. I am a Telecaster guy and my Duo Sonic is very much like the Tele/Strat feel as far as neck goes.
I've bought/sold/traded a LOT of guitars; my only regret was trading in my Carvin. I traded it during the middle of the Carvin--Kiesel transition period and got SMOKED on trade-in value. I will comb thru the used guitar market daily until I find it again...
Hey Phil! Hope everything is great with you!
This one is more related to cheap amps vs 2nd hand, but let me ask your precious opinion:
I have bought recently a Peavey Triumph PAG120 (from what knowledge I managed to gather, seems to be one of the precursor of the 5150's, one of the first designed by James Brown, produced in 1990 and 1991, but I just got this info from online sources, so I'm not sure of it's veracity)
I think it was a great deal, everything is in working order, just a minor problem w/ the footswitch, for €160. (only one owner ever, and the power tubes/valves had been replaced some years ago, but not had that much use since then). Not a great price, but I think a fair one... your opinion on this "price tag" would also be much appreciated!
But my question is: comparing this for what i would find new for that same ammount, do you think any amp would be a competitor? up to maybe €/$200?
Due to the lack of physical music stores in my area, I never tested Joyo, Boss Katana, Line6 or similar amps, but i really like the sound from this little old "monster". Effects I get from pedals, so don't need anything too complex on the amp...
Cheers from Portugal, thanks for all your important and educational videos!
I have the same Carvin/Kiesel experience as you, Phil. I've been building and pricing their guitars for years, far longer than the rebrand. And yet, I see the price at the end, make a few concessions, look at the price again afterward, and just can't pull the trigger. Is it the bad press haunting my decision? I'm not sure, but I just can't do it... but I really want to!
Sweetwater is truly a great company. Always responds to my emails and fix issues without push back. I have a wonderful sales engineer Brendan Murphy!!! Sent emails direct to the President and always responds as well.
maybe i just need a different "engineer." mine has replied to maybe 1 message ever.
I have 3 Kiesel Zeus that I ordered all within this year and they are exactly what I wanted and more. With what I have experienced I have no doubt that if something was wrong I would be taken care of well. Also one of the most amazing things about the worlds largest pedalboard for me being a major Rush fan was Alex Lifeson's cameo.
I was going to order a Kiesels FG1 ( Frank Gambale ), but because of the mixed reviews, I not going to, because it seems 50 / 50, it either goes smoothly or it doesn't, and as I live in the UK, you don't want it to go badly, cost of sending it back, waiting for it, customs tax charge, doesn't seem worth it
I have 5 Carvin guitars and have been tempted to get a Kiesel. Never paid over a grand for a guitar before.