The Carvin / Kiesel thread

[Albake21]

The analogy I give them is that of a pizza shop with a huge selection of crusts, sauces, cheeses, meats, and veggies...and you can even order one half-baked (badum-bum....a little dig on all those "half-baked" finish/wood combination ideas there...).

They might even be willing to make you a calzone, if they are slow or if the chef's in a good mood...and they'll even make you an oven-baked grinder if you send them the bread...but they can't make you pad thai if they don't have fish sauce and peanuts and it's not worth it to them to change the way they cook the food to source or work in ingredients that don't fit their efficiency model.

Lol not bad, not too bad at all.

 

[spudmunkey]

Their "Compare Pickups" page doesn't mention the word 'Lithium' anywhere (https://www.kieselguitars.com/pickups/). I asked for pickups that were similar to the front/back ones of a strat but not hotter, they suggested the S60As, which are described as "HIGHER OUTPUT THAN STRAT® PICKUPS". Hello? That is specifically NOT what I asked for. They didn't even suggest the 11-polepiece single that's listed. The 22 isn't even on the site anymore.

Their website has always trailed, at least since they've been on this break-neck pace the last few years. I mean...how long as the acoustic Zeus been out and it's still not online? It's partially from not devoting enough resources to the web (at this point, it should almost just be a blank page with their number on it, saying "CALL MY GUYS!"), and also because it seems like Jeff just likes to jump ahead and share things that aren't quite ready yet...like they can't really have the Zeus acoustic on the web until they have examples photographed of each variation (the last time they put it up with only using photos of the 6-string, they got crap for it), but he wanted to share the first one. And loads of people seem to be buying them even though they aren't on the web yet. Consider it a "soft launch", I suppose...like a "pre-grand-opening" if they were a restaurant.

Part of the issue is: what is a "strat" pickup? You can buy a strat with any number of pickups that vary. Just like if one were to say "I want a Mustang engine", when there's everything from a turbo 4 to a supercharged 8 cyl. I'm sure just like in the mustang's case that someone is likely refering to the 5.0L V8 that there's likely a specific type that's more common in strats than others, but they are also another company. If you asked a chinese restaurant to suggest something like another chinese restaurant across town, they might not have something to match exactly, but will suggest something as close as they think will work for you.

Yes, another food analogy...I need to go grab lunch, I think.

I'm also not sure what you mean about the 11 or 22 pole pickups not being online. They are all shown on the "parts" page on their website available for purchase. As long as I've been using the online builder (admittedly only since about 2007), they have never shown all of the pickup models being available on each model on the builder. There were always pickups left off.

I could be wrong, but I think the only "legacy" pickup no longer available on new builds might be the covered S22. I think they'll even use their active A60/A70/A80 pickups if you're ordering a model that used to come with them already.

 

[bostjan]

Continuing the analogy, though, the Kiesel pizza shop has a money-back guarantee. As long as you don't get anchovies, olives, or parmesean crust, as long as you are willing to pay the delivery fee again for the delivery boy to come pick it up from your house, and as long as you are cool with the kitchen staff trying to fix however they made your pizza wrong, you can return it for free. Then, if it gets delivered the second time and it's still overcooked or whatever, you'll be banned for life from ever ordering there again.

But yeah, as long as they make your pizza the way you actually ordered it, and you don't mind that the cook wrote his name all over it with the pizza cutter, it's actually pretty good pizza...maybe even okay pizza for the price.

 

[Vletrmx]

But yeah, as long as they make your pizza the way you actually ordered it, and you don't mind that the cook wrote his name all over it with the pizza cutter, it's actually pretty good pizza...maybe even okay pizza for the price.

Also if you don't mind that the pizza is a giant Lunchable that isn't made in an oven.

 

[Cynicanal]

The problem with the price increases is that they completely wrecked the affordable V market. Why would I buy an Ultra V when I found my Charvel CRR for only 30,000 yen? I cna buy used Jackson USA RR1s for cheaper than speccing out an Ultra V/V220/X220 nowwadays. I could also hit the used market as well.

I just checked -- the cheapest you can get a right-handed RR1 for on Reverb in decent condition is $2100; mint condition is going to push it close to $3000. A similarly specced Ultra V costs $1650 brand new. Take off $60 if you're fine with the standard neck profile, and another $60 if you're fine with the standard headstock.

 

[spudmunkey]

Also if you don't mind that the pizza is a giant Lunchable that isn't made in an oven.

Yes, they also have guitar kits.

 

[xzacx]

I just checked -- the cheapest you can get a right-handed RR1 for on Reverb in decent condition is $2100; mint condition is going to push it close to $3000. A similarly specced Ultra V costs $1650 brand new. Take off $60 if you're fine with the standard neck profile, and another $60 if you're fine with the standard headstock.

I've paid $1200 for a mint RR1. The good ones just sell fast. They're pretty regularly available in that range.

 

[CapinCripes]

I've paid $1200 for a mint RR1. The good ones just sell fast. They're pretty regularly available in that range.

1400 for one with a graphic and great condition. Problem is that a LOT of people think they can get new price or sometimes extravagantly more than new for used usa jacksons. reasonable prices pop up on occasion, just gotta look. It would have to be a special RR for me to spring more than 2k used.

 

[MatiasTolkki]

People really need to keep this in mind. They truly are just a semi-custom shop. They have options that you get to choose from. Not fully custom.

I agree. I like the idea of semi-customs more tbh, because full customs, like what ESP does, cost so much money that it's almost infeasible to get one unless you sell an unborn child or something.

 

[MatiasTolkki]

I just checked -- the cheapest you can get a right-handed RR1 for on Reverb in decent condition is $2100; mint condition is going to push it close to $3000. A similarly specced Ultra V costs $1650 brand new. Take off $60 if you're fine with the standard neck profile, and another $60 if you're fine with the standard headstock.

That's reverb, NOT Japan.

Here is the only RR1 available in Japan right now:

https://www.digimart.net/cat01/shop5000/DS04569926/

This is one of the more expensive ones, as sometimes you can find RR1s as low as this

https://www.digimart.net/cat01/shop4871/DS04593044/

 

[groverj3]

Continuing the analogy, though, the Kiesel pizza shop has a money-back guarantee. As long as you don't get anchovies, olives, or parmesean crust, as long as you are willing to pay the delivery fee again for the delivery boy to come pick it up from your house, and as long as you are cool with the kitchen staff trying to fix however they made your pizza wrong, you can return it for free. Then, if it gets delivered the second time and it's still overcooked or whatever, you'll be banned for life from ever ordering there again.

But yeah, as long as they make your pizza the way you actually ordered it, and you don't mind that the cook wrote his name all over it with the pizza cutter, it's actually pretty good pizza...maybe even okay pizza for the price.

If you get anchovies on a pizza then you deserve to have Jeff Kiesel give you the run around on your build.

 

[xzacx]

1400 for one with a graphic and great condition. Problem is that a LOT of people think they can get new price or sometimes extravagantly more than new for used usa jacksons. reasonable prices pop up on occasion, just gotta look. It would have to be a special RR for me to spring more than 2k used.

Totally. I paid under $2k for a Shannon-built Rhoads with a handful of unique features that was indistinguishable from brand new. I don’t know who would pay $3k for a mint Rhonds when you can get them brand new for $2,700 befor even negeotiating a further discount.

 

[MatiasTolkki]

Totally. I paid under $2k for a Shannon-built Rhoads with a handful of unique features that was indistinguishable from brand new. I don’t know who would pay $3k for a mint Rhonds when you can get them brand new for $2,700 befor even negeotiating a further discount.

Unless you live in Japan and the distributor is a bunch of lazy bastards who put zero effort into the jackson brand (they also do VERY little for people who actually wanna use the custom shop, the aforementioned friend of mine had to get someone to order it for him in the US and have it shipped to Japan after that because the distributor is a bunch of fuckwits.)

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

If you get anchovies on a pizza then you deserve to have Jeff Kiesel give you the run around on your build.

Yeah seriously. What is this, Trading Spaces where they glue straw and hay to the walls?

 

[TheFashel12]

Look at that terrible knot at 30:35

 

[MatiasTolkki]

Look at that terrible knot at 30:35

Agreed, that knot looks like shit.

 

[spudmunkey]

I like the back, but not the cracked knot inside under the pickup route. That should have been chopped up for neck-through body wings (to cut the knot out of the middle) or headstock ash veneers or something.

 

[MatiasTolkki]

I like the back, but not the cracked knot inside under the pickup route. That should have been chopped up for neck-through body wings (to cut the knot out of the middle) or headstock ash veneers or something.

How does that idiot rationalize that that sort of knot is acceptable for sale and that it looks "rad?" Jesus christ, after dealing with a complete retard on a facebook page and seeing this, I think i've lost about 30 iq points just today. I might be on the verge of mental retardation if my iq drops any lower.

 

[spudmunkey]

Take a look at any woodworker that does "art". They'll showcase unique and weird pieces. Hell, I'm rebuilding a redwood fence, and I purposefully hand-picked boards with weird figuring, and put those faces towards my side of the yard! So to a point, I understand getting excited about the natural/unusual aspects of wood...but this is one bridge too far, and if I saw it under the pickup, I'd send it back. Again: I have no problem with the back.

Let's just hope Jeff doesn't learn any Japanese, or else he might find out about Kintsukuroi.

 

[MatiasTolkki]

Take a look at any woodworker that does "art". They'll showcase unique and weird pieces. Hell, I'm rebuilding a redwood fence, and I purposefully hand-picked boards with weird figuring, and put those faces towards my side of the yard! So to a point, I understand getting excited about the natural/unusual aspects of wood...but this is one bridge too far, and if I saw it under the pickup, I'd send it back. Again: I have no problem with the back.

Let's just hope Jeff doesn't learn any Japanese, or else he might find out about Kintsukuroi.

Think you might have that japanese word wrong.