The Carvin / Kiesel thread

[kuma]

They did used to let you send in a photo for an upcharge, and they'd try to find something close in what they had on hand at the time they built your guitar, but no promises. No idea if they still do that, seems like that would be even more likely to lead to disappointment.

I can definitely understand not being happy with the top you get, especially with wood types that are more variable. That's the risk with buying sight unseen. For example, I'd never order a guitar with a quilt top. Even from someone like PRS who uses great wood no question, there are too many variations in what's considered quilt that I personally don't like. I'd have to find one in stock to order.

I think the thing to do with Kiesel, or really any guitar company, is to Google a bunch of pictures of the top and finish you're thinking of buying, and look at the whole range of what they've made, and decide if you're ok with the least appealing example of what you see, to help set your expectations. That's what I ended up doing when looking for an AZ2407 recently - so many of them seemed to have strange or very lackluster tops that I had to wait for a dealer to get one in stock I liked rather than preordering. Had to wait a lot longer, but I ended up with a guitar I really like. I've done that with Kiesel as well, and it's definitely helped save me from ordering something that looked awesome in my mind's eye, but probably would not have lived up in reality.

 

[somethingsomething]

The best way to avoid getting a figured top that you don't personally enjoy is to only order purple guitars.

Problem solved. You're welcome.

 

[Moongrum]

I lost the bridge saddle screw (allen head type that moves the action away/closer to the fretboard) for my headless/nontrem kiesel.
Anyone have any insight on what the dimensions of those screws are?
Pretty sure this is the bridge. I don't see screw dimensions though. normally I'd just take one of the screws and go to the hardware store, but that's a pita at the moment, so figured I"d ask here. Already reached out to Kiesel and Hipshot, but haven't heard anything yet.

 

[Moongrum]

I lost the bridge saddle screw (allen head type that moves the action away/closer to the fretboard) for my headless/nontrem kiesel.
Anyone have any insight on what the dimensions of those screws are?
Pretty sure this is the bridge. I don't see screw dimensions though. normally I'd just take one of the screws and go to the hardware store, but that's a pita at the moment, so figured I"d ask here. Already reached out to Kiesel and Hipshot, but haven't heard anything yet.

Found it!
I was really bothered because I don't feel like im the type to just crank a screw and lose it lol. So I had a suspicion it was probably trapped in the bridge unit somewhere, and lo behold it was. I got it out and put it back in. Holy crap, the screws on the Ee strings are short. I suppose that's to avoid having it poke in your hand, but dang they're tiny.

 

[achrista]

They did used to let you send in a photo for an upcharge, and they'd try to find something close in what they had on hand at the time they built your guitar, but no promises. No idea if they still do that, seems like that would be even more likely to lead to disappointment.

I can definitely understand not being happy with the top you get, especially with wood types that are more variable. That's the risk with buying sight unseen. For example, I'd never order a guitar with a quilt top. Even from someone like PRS who uses great wood no question, there are too many variations in what's considered quilt that I personally don't like. I'd have to find one in stock to order.

I think the thing to do with Kiesel, or really any guitar company, is to Google a bunch of pictures of the top and finish you're thinking of buying, and look at the whole range of what they've made, and decide if you're ok with the least appealing example of what you see, to help set your expectations. That's what I ended up doing when looking for an AZ2407 recently - so many of them seemed to have strange or very lackluster tops that I had to wait for a dealer to get one in stock I liked rather than preordering. Had to wait a lot longer, but I ended up with a guitar I really like. I've done that with Kiesel as well, and it's definitely helped save me from ordering something that looked awesome in my mind's eye, but probably would not have lived up in reality.

yeah I mean I googled spalted maple kiesel tops before ordering this and not a single one looked like burled maple with some spots of spalting. They are all actual spalted maple with varying degrees of flame. The reason I ordered this was because I saw a spalted maple Vader in stock that looked good, but that was a spalted maple top. But hey that's just how the things can go when you roll the dice on a kiesel.

I have a few PRS and Suhr guitars and I'd have no issue ordering a top like this from then, but then you're paying an actual custom shop price for the full custom shop quality.

FWIW it plays well enough, but I'd just never buy another new custom order. Just not worth rolling the dice unless it's a purple guitar, and if I ever want another headless I'll prob try a mayones or see if something is dirt cheap on reverb.

 

[ramses]

yeah I mean I googled spalted [...]

FWIW, I love that top, and I think that's a unique spalted maple cut.


You have to be ready for variance when ordering figured woods. Also, you have to be aware that "wood ratings" are a subjective judgement at each guitar shop.

The only way to get "exactly what you want" is to buy the wood yourself at a wood shop, then ship it yourself to the luthier. That's what I did for the cocobolo back and sides of my custom classical guitar.

 

[achrista]

I get variance, but I can absolutely promise you any reputable builder selling a spalted maple top isn't sending you something that's burled maple with some spalting and calling it spalted maple.

I have spalted maple guitars. This is not what any other manufacturer would call spalted maple.

These are all kiesels -- which one is not like the others

obviously some component of their QC is not right. I saw the first 10 minutes of a kiesel live where Jeff said he grades and qualifies every piece of wood and I had click out because he's either dishonest, hasty, actually retarded, or someone is putting the wrong tops on guitars somewhere in production.

 

[achrista]

which one of these guitars looks like a kiesel AAAA spalted maple top -- the kiesel or the EBMM?

 

[Albake21]

View attachment 148164

which one of these guitars looks like a kiesel AAAA spalted maple top -- the kiesel or the EBMM?

Hot take... yours looks way better, more unique, and more like an actual top. That JP looks like a cheap veneer.

I 100% get where you're coming from though, if you're looking at plenty of examples and expecting those, and yours is different, I can see being bummed. But that 100% does not make it a bad top, nor does it make it a bad piece of spalted.

I'll say it again, yours is one of the most unique looking piece of spalted I've seen. I'd kill to have that top.

 

[achrista]

I prefer the look of the EBMM top because I like spalted maple. They're doing the three piece method kiesel does w/ a thinner top but I wouldn't call it a cheap veneer -- it's a quarter inch. EBMM makes very high quality guitars.

at the end of the day, I agree that it's a unique top, but I like spalted maple and it should have been sorted out of spalted maple entirely. it technically has spalting, it's not what any real builder would call spalted maple.

I'm sure everyone else is sick of this so I'm going to stop talking about it.