The Carvin / Kiesel thread

[sezna]

what about a dark roast to unroasted fade fretboard?

oh no, now that I've said it, is Jeff contractually obligated to create it?

 

[spudmunkey]

what about a dark roast to unroasted fade fretboard?

oh no, now that I've said it, is Jeff contractually obligated to create it?

Especially if he says, "no plans"

 

[AdenM]

Curious as to what a luthier's take is on the "dark roast". I'm not sure if Kiesel's roast is actually a stain or really a roast, but is heating the wood to that color bad for the structural integrity? I feel like we'd see more maple roasted to that color otherwise - maybe I'm just not looking in the right places.

 

[spudmunkey]

Curious as to what a luthier's take is on the "dark roast". I'm not sure if Kiesel's roast is actually a stain or really a roast, but is heating the wood to that color bad for the structural integrity? I feel like we'd see more maple roasted to that color otherwise - maybe I'm just not looking in the right places.

As of The beginning of last year, Kiesel has been offering actual oven-roasted maple for necks and fretboards, and roasted ash bodies.

 

[mbardu]

Curious as to what a luthier's take is on the "dark roast". I'm not sure if Kiesel's roast is actually a stain or really a roast, but is heating the wood to that color bad for the structural integrity? I feel like we'd see more maple roasted to that color otherwise - maybe I'm just not looking in the right places.

My take on it was not necessarily that they were going to change anything to their actual process for roasting the necks (to the point of extra roasting and make the wood brittle). Rather, considering the variations in the source pieces of wood as well as how different each piece can react during the process, there are going to be variations. Just put the pieces in different groups and sell them based on that.

Just assumptions though.

 

[Electric Wizard]

Curious as to what a luthier's take is on the "dark roast". I'm not sure if Kiesel's roast is actually a stain or really a roast, but is heating the wood to that color bad for the structural integrity? I feel like we'd see more maple roasted to that color otherwise - maybe I'm just not looking in the right places.

According to John Suhr:

The more the roast the more the benefit, I have been offered a very light roast which just looked like aged wood but I didn't like it because it didn't really have the same benefits. Like more dimensionally stable. The Vulcanized is the darkest chocolate brown but is also very brittle to work with, hard to refret. There is a happy medium most people use in the light chocolate range. Still OK to work with, very stable. But remember this is a patented process, torrefaction, with patented ovens yet there are people I'm sure selling the stuff that made up their own process.

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/30371337/

 

[AdenM]

According to John Suhr:

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/30371337/

Thanks for the info. Seems like each manufacturer may have their own process.

 

[diagrammatiks]

Anderson has been using a thick dark chocolate maple for years. don't really have to worry about how hard it is to work with if they never need a refret.

 

[cardinal]

Roasted plain maple necks and fretboards are now free. If you call in (not on the web, only by calling at least for now) you can select light, medium, or darker coloring.

Flamed, birdseye, quilted will continue to be an upcharge for roasted options.

As for "if roasted is free, why would anyone get unroasted?", a couple reasons could be:
1) Aesthetics (unroasted is generally still lighter in color, and maybe preferable on some builds..including my own in-the-oven (pun intended) SH6, with a plain maple and purpleheart 5-piece neck).
2) They don't currently roast wood long enough for any neck through except the standard scale headless
3) They currently don't offer any of their multi-piece necks in roasted maple. No 3, 5 or 7 piece necks are available with any roasted maple

View attachment 79859

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regarding why choose non-roasted: I've had only one guitar with a roasted neck, and it was expensive. It showed up and was riddled with deadspots. I think it was the G note wouldn't sustain anywhere on the neck. I immediately called the builder who replaced the neck with normal maple and fixed the problem.

Was it because the neck was roasted? I dunno, but that was just awful and I sure won't buy another guitar with a roasted neck without playing it first.

 

[Jeff]

regarding why choose non-roasted: I've had only one guitar with a roasted neck, and it was expensive. It showed up and was riddled with deadspots. I think it was the G note wouldn't sustain anywhere on the neck. I immediately called the builder who replaced the neck with normal maple and fixed the problem.

Was it because the neck was roasted? I dunno, but that was just awful and I sure won't buy another guitar with a roasted neck without playing it first.

No.

 

[ScottThunes1960]

Was it because the neck was roasted? I dunno

The implications here are mind-boggling.

 

[spudmunkey]

OK, so I had a feeling this was the case...that previous image showing the 3 roast color options, to my eye, looked like they were coming across WAY darker than they actually are. I think the very directional showroom halogen-style mini spotlights combined with the oiled finish, made the darkest sample almost look like ebony.

This photo in their just-uploaded video is more how I pictured it in my head:

 

[Nlelith]

I suddenly remembered this comic, and it's quite fitting.

 

[narad]

I suddenly remembered this comic, and it's quite fitting.

"I'll have the Kiesel roast"

"Fuck you"

"That wasn't very good"

"Well +roast is an option 50 so if you want to return it it's gonna cost you a $250 restocking fee"

 

[olejason]

Anyone have thoughts on the Delos versus Charvel DK22? Similar price points when you spec the Kiesel like the Charvel. Compound radius on the Charvel though is tempting.

 

[JSanta]

Anyone have thoughts on the Delos versus Charvel DK22? Similar price points when you spec the Kiesel like the Charvel. Compound radius on the Charvel though is tempting.

I like the neck shape on the Charvel way more than anything I've played from Kiesel/Carvin, so that get's my vote. I did own a DC700 right at the time of the switch, and have had my DC400 since 2003. That guitar holds sentimental value for me, which is the only reason I haven't sold it.

 

[spudmunkey]

Anyone have thoughts on the Delos versus Charvel DK22? Similar price points when you spec the Kiesel like the Charvel. Compound radius on the Charvel though is tempting.

Compound radius is avaliable from Kiesel. 12-16", $80.

 

[mbardu]

Anyone have thoughts on the Delos versus Charvel DK22? Similar price points when you spec the Kiesel like the Charvel. Compound radius on the Charvel though is tempting.

Both are great guitars.
For me the Kiesel would take the cake because I'm able to pick my own options, and the fretwork is going to be slightly better. Made in USA doesn't hurt and you can tell the finish will also be a bit better. But you can't go wrong with the DK22 either if you like those specific options.

 

[spudmunkey]

Man, this thing is almost a dead-ringer for one of the first guitars I ever lusted for when I was, like, 11. I've got another guitar on it's way, but holy shit...this thing is tickling me in all the right places.

Looks like it's got the Gotoh 510 trem, and with the 22-fretboard spec, that means it's set up as a dive-only bridge.

 

[spudmunkey]

Looks like only a few more weeks until this beauty is in my arms. It's exactly as I pictured it in my head (note: the low-res screenshot from a live video almost blends away the blue tape inside the body, in the f-hole (it's their semi-hollow SH6, not their solid-body CT6).