$1200-$1600: What's Available?

Which 8 for $1200-1600?

  • Ormsby HypeGTR 8

    Votes: 17 30.4%
  • .strandberg* Classic 8

    Votes: 7 12.5%
  • Kiesel ZM8/DCM8/VM8/KVM8

    Votes: 22 39.3%
  • Other

    Votes: 10 17.9%

  • Total voters
    56

A-Branger

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I'm not sure of who makes pickups that would fit the fan
Ormsby also sells the pickup baseplates. So you can buy your favourite pickup from any brand and change the baseplates so they can fit.

Also I think Instrumental pickups can do replacements?
 

Benadon

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Theres a kiesel sale group with people mainly from the us if its around where you from.
Really good pricing and builds there.
 

amogtr

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My DC800 was in that range and honestly I wish that the scale was 28" v. 27". Nice guitar but I had a cheap 28" Agile that sounded snappier.
 

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Masoo2

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Given all of the Kiesel love appearing in this thread, how would YOU guys personally go about speccing a Kiesel (preferably fanned) under $1600?

Honestly just curious
 

KnightBrolaire

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Given all of the Kiesel love appearing in this thread, how would YOU guys personally go about speccing a Kiesel (preferably fanned) under $1600?

Honestly just curious
all black limba body/neck, ebony fretboard. matching ebony headstock (if going with a non headless). no dots besides side dots. wham bam donezo.
it'll be so a e s t h e t i c
 

Glades

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Given all of the Kiesel love appearing in this thread, how would YOU guys personally go about speccing a Kiesel (preferably fanned) under $1600?

Honestly just curious

I've been on the same boat. I want to get my first 8 and my Kiesel 7 is phenomenal. So for me is a nobrainer to go Kiesel again.

I am thinking about a Vader Multiscale 8, alder body/ maple neck (favorite wood combo for sound), jet black with rawtone finish (looks awesome on alder), luminlay offset inlays, painted back of neck, black ebony fretboard, delete tone knob. Comes at about $1800
 

Cynicanal

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Given all of the Kiesel love appearing in this thread, how would YOU guys personally go about speccing a Kiesel (preferably fanned) under $1600?

Honestly just curious
Here's what I came up with on the builder just now. Still has $100 left over, not sure what I'd do with it. I'd also call it in and see if six string Thoriums are available yet, they're only on the builder for seven and eight strings; if not, that $100 goes to getting someone to make a custom slanted bridge pickup for me:
Base Model Options Quantity Price
DCM6
Right Handed
1 $1,299.00

-MA - Maple Neck/Alder Body (Standard) $0.00
-CG - Clear Gloss Finish (Standard) $0.00
R - Ferrari Red $0.00
THNN - Thinner Neck Profile $60.00
TN - Tung Oil Finish Back Of Neck (Natural Wood) $60.00
-H33 - 6-String Pointed Headstock 3+3 (Standard) $0.00
-PH - Headstock To Match Body Finish (Standard) $0.00
EFB - Ebony Fingerboard (Less Color Variation) $40.00
ISOD - Offset Dot Inlays (Staggered) $0.00
IMP - White Pearl Inlay Material $0.00
STJF - Stainless Jumbo Frets .055" H .110" W $0.00
-R20 - 20in Fretboard Radius (Standard) $0.00
KLB - Kiesel Lithium Passive Bridge Pickup $0.00
KLN - Kiesel Lithium Passive Neck Pickup $0.00
-400 - Black Pickup Coils (Standard) $0.00
-PPC - Kiesel Lithium/Beryllium Silver Pickup Poles (Standard) $0.00
BC - Black Hardware $30.00
-009 - Elixir 942E Super Light Gauge Strings (Standard) $0.00
WL - White Logo $0.00
HC10 - Black Tolex Hardshell Guitar Case $100.00
Custom Shop Total: $1,589.00
Options Discount: $-100.00





Sub-Total $1,489.00
 

makecamera

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A ZM8 + $140 worth of options (e.g. translucent color, ebony fretboard with less color variation, thinner neck profile) + case + shipping puts you at about $1605.
 

Masoo2

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Any further comments on this? Especially on the 27.5 inch low end of the fanned Kiesels

Already got the bulk of the money for it but could see myself stretching out a bit if something with a 28 inch low end came up with a return policy (ie: .strandberg* Original 8, whatever random used custom, etc) that isn't necessarily the Ormsbys

Is my judgement of scale length just clouded because my only ERG for the past four years has been an RG8 with stock electronics, or am I valid in thinking I really should push the low end out with a fanned fret since I spend most of my time in Eb/D? Cause I really don't think I'd fare with any longer on the high end, 27 is basically too long for me as is even when using 9s, just don't like the stretch when playing chords and similar on the higher strings.

It's just that the tone I've gotten out of my 8 has been consistently garbage, no matter gauge or freshness of strings, so maybe the scale isn't as big of a deal as I think it'd be? Like I'm using 74s right now so it's not like I'm pushing a 90-95 for F# to cause the string to become overly bassy or anything like that

I think I might try to see what's up with the Setius local to me just to get a vibe for it
 

KnightBrolaire

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Is my judgement of scale length just clouded because my only ERG for the past four years has been an RG8 with stock electronics
It's just that the tone I've gotten out of my 8 has been consistently garbage
:lol:
no wonder you can't get a decent tone, the stock pickups are hot garbage. Literally anything is better than the rg8 pickups, even emg 808s (which also blow ime). The easier solution here is at least try some different pickups in the rg8. That extra half inch of scale length doesn't make much of a difference ime. 27.5" gives you up to a pound of tension over 27" for the same string gauge.
 

Masoo2

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:lol:
no wonder you can't get a decent tone, the stock pickups are hot garbage. Literally anything is better than the rg8 pickups, even emg 808s (which also blow ime). The easier solution here is at least try some different pickups in the rg8. That extra half inch of scale length doesn't make much of a difference ime. 27.5" gives you up to a pound of tension over 27" for the same string gauge.

Man I know, I've made it work for the past 4 years or so since I've gotten the guitar but I just never felt like upgrading the pickups would be worth it as they + an installation would likely out-value the guitar

It plays fine but I just keep running into little problems, ie: stability with low low tunings, playability on the higher strings, overall just heft/size of the guitar which is why I've now been trying to see what sort of options there are

If size wasn't important I'd likely just already order an Ormsby (BIG headstock), but in my current living situation the smaller the better (added lightness is an extra plus)

It'll be interesting to see if NAMM brings anything new to the table, .strandberg* has already begun to announce some new models but seemingly no prices
 

KnightBrolaire

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Man I know, I've made it work for the past 4 years or so since I've gotten the guitar but I just never felt like upgrading the pickups would be worth it as they + an installation would likely out-value the guitar

It plays fine but I just keep running into little problems, ie: stability with low low tunings, playability on the higher strings, overall just heft/size of the guitar which is why I've now been trying to see what sort of options there are

If size wasn't important I'd likely just already order an Ormsby (BIG headstock), but in my current living situation the smaller the better (added lightness is an extra plus)

It'll be interesting to see if NAMM brings anything new to the table, .strandberg* has already begun to announce some new models but seemingly no prices
install the pickups yourself. it's not hard.
that being said if you're deadset on a new guitar, then just grab a vader or whatever from kiesel. the lithiums are a million times better stock pickups than what the rg8 has.
 

teamSKDM

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A vader with a matte gunmetal grey sparkle finish and blank ebony board alongside the headless aspect has a super futuristic vibe goin for it to if youre into that sort of thing and wanna keep the cost down on options. You can always get one of those dye pens and make the board pure black yourself with ease.
 

RiksRiks

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Given all of the Kiesel love appearing in this thread, how would YOU guys personally go about speccing a Kiesel (preferably fanned) under $1600?

Honestly just curious

S1R Stage 1 Raw Tone
APH ASH HEADSTOCK OVERLAY
ASH SWAMP ASH BODY
RTF RAW TONE ULTRA-THIN SATIN
SG SEA FOAM GREEN
MF MAPLE FINGERBOARD W/BLK DO
NIN NO TOP INLAYS-SIDE DOTS ON
STJF STAINLESS STEEL JUMBO FRET
CC <Custom Control Layout>
50 add tone
404 WHITE PICKUP
WL WHITE LOGO
SC10 ULTIMATE SOFT GUITAR CASE

All this in a Vanquish 8 Multiscale, I like it! And it was $1444. The only thing I'd change would be a thinner neck profile.
 

Brutal08

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I just ordered a m80m for 1400us it is supposed to be arrive next week i will let you know how it feel i have small hands too.but im used on playing 6string bass... Anyway i will have some ngd pics!
 

MoistTowelette

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Given all of the Kiesel love appearing in this thread, how would YOU guys personally go about speccing a Kiesel (preferably fanned) under $1600?

Honestly just curious

Wait for a pick your top tuesday and snag a cheap buckeye or poplar burl top.
 

Mathemagician

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Flat color black hardware no ridiculous wood/top combos (hence the flat color).
 

gimmeapill

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What about a lesser known model, the ESP LTD M-1008 Multi-Scale 27” - 25.5”?
xlarge.

I'm drooling on it every once in a while, since it has a relatively bearable scale for my small hands: 27” - 25.5” (Edit: sorry, I hadn't seen your requirement for 27.5")
I didn't try the 8, but had a chance to play a bit with the 7 and it's both good quality and light. I also found the fan to be very comfortable with the neutral fret around the 5th. The rest of the checklist is rather BAU, I didn't find anything really worth complaining about (ok, it's not very cheap but still in your price range).
 
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diagrammatiks

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My only thing with Kiesel is that I have to get chambered which pushes the price up too much imo.
 


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