The Carvin / Kiesel thread

[Agalloch]

One of my challenges with roasted birdseye, is that I think it works best with no inlays...and I do need inlays. And, yes: I'm sure. After 30+ years of playing guitar, and owning all types of fretboards, I do need inlays if I want to enjoy myself. 😂

Yeah, I definitely get that. Black inlays would probably work well, though! But I also don't think birdseye always works well with a figured top wood because than the fingerboard and body are kinda fighting for attention. I guess it depends how "bling-y" you want to go.

I could go back and forth and be totally happy with the Delos (and until the bevel-delete option came out last week, I'd have still picked the Delos for this sort of aesthetic)...but I'm really starting to dig the swept-forward, almost-offset look to the Lyra, as well as the lack of the front-mounted strat-style jack plate.

And, dang...I'm normally not a huge fan of the Holdsworth-style headstocks, but...it...I...does it really work here?

View attachment 120190

I'm typically not into the Holdsworth headstock either, but it's definitely working in that mockup! I think there's a nice balance with the longer upper bout of the Lyra running into the "short" side of the 2+4 headstock. A reversed 6-inline headstock might look pretty good for the same reason.

 

[RadoncROCKs]

If I had to pull the trigger on one right now, I'm torn between doing something fun/playful and headless, or something like this (below).

I need an SSS guitar in my stable, and I think it's time have a trem again. The last time I owned a useable trem was 2008, and my brain's ability to understand mechanics, geometry, and overall how-things-work-ness has improved tenfold since then. It's loosely inspired by a Levinson Blade RH4, the first guitar I ever lusted after as a pre-teen guitar player in the late 80s/early 90s.



Lyra, bevel delete
Purple Drink stain on quilted maple, in gloss
Satin black pickguard
Richlite fretboard with abalone ring inlays
Stainless frets and Silver logo
All other hardware is gold, and abalone-topped gold knobs
Walnut body, in natural
One-piece maple neck (or maaaybe maple/Walnut 5-piece)
Not seen here in these views, but I think I'd also add a clear maple 3PB layer (a 1/8"-ish thick layer between the top and body wood)

I was going back and forth between this config, and something with a roasted birdseye fretboard, but couldn't find a combo of fretboard, neck wood, body wood, and inlays that I liked more. It was easier with an ash body, but I already have two ash-bodied guitars. Though I do wish they offered the ring inlays in the "offset" layout (my favorite), rather than just the "offset/staggered" and "centered"...

That's an awesome looking build
I was digging Lyra with the bevel but really love with without bevel
I'd like to see a non-pickguard option...

I love the small 4+2 headstock on my Vanquish as it makes the guitar feel very compact, I think it works very well with Lyra
My Aries with the reverse 6 in line feels super long if I play it after the Vanquish

 

[spudmunkey]

They updated their builder today to allow you to save up to 6 builds, load them later, export the images without having to do screenshots, and even get a sharable link that you can send.

I'm not sure exactly how the browser/website keeps track of the builds over time, or what would close it to how show you saved builds since you're not creating an account to save them to, so you could use that "sharable link" feature and email them to yourself or same them in a Google Doc or something, and it can be pulled up by anyone/anywhere.

 

[danbox]

Browser localstorage would be my guess

That’s not guitar related though. Kiesel related, I want to try a walnut neck dangit

 

[Hollowway]

Whoever is doing the builder is just killing it these days. We went from no builder to an insane number of options, with if then elses built in. I don’t need another guitar, but I’ve been designing them on there like it’s my job.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Whoever is doing the builder is just killing it these days. We went from no builder to an insane number of options, with if then elses built in. I don’t need another guitar, but I’ve been designing them on there like it’s my job.

It's awesome until you get to the hardware options.

 

[Marked Man]

My '93 DC127T with 25" scale. My first mail ordered guitar and has been a fave over the years. I've always been a sucker for natural finishes, koa most of all. I eventually added a Duncan Distortion/'59N (requited minor routing) and EMG SPC active mid boost, although curiously, I gained a LOT by experimenting with trem springs and strings. I eventually arrived at 3 heavy nioseless springs and 2 Raw Vintage springs + Dunlop Heavy Core 10-48, which transformed the feel and tone. Hits like a brick now on the low E! Made the action of the Wilkerson trem much stiffer, but I don't use it anyway on this guitar. Also has SS Dunlop 6100 frets.








I dislike to hate probably 90% of the custom finishes I see for Kiesels now. With great freedom comes great responsibility, and some people simply can't help themselves.

But the more tasteful choices are fantastic and I'm sure I'll have a Kiesel at some point, probably headless and long scale. And either natural or translucent finish. No denim or alien puke or rhinestone, please......

 

[CanserDYI]

Caught the live stream today and double took when I saw this....thought Jeff actually REHEADED an instrument instead of lopping ones head off

 

[spudmunkey]

I don't know why they so often chose President's Day to be the time of year with a Black Friday-rivalling sale, but... 😂 Must just be a slower time of year in the shop and have a bit of bandwidth before tax refund season. 🤔

Details: https://www.kieselguitars.com/presidents-day-sale

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Lol. "7A"



"You can fit so many A's..."

 

[works0fheart]

As much as I love some of the cosmetic stuff that Kiesel have, they just don't have good looking pointy guitars. It might sound silly, but style really is a must for most guitar players. Their V is ridiculous looking. So is their X and that weird squished Explorer thing. I need my guitars to look sleek and edgy, not like Salvador Dali interpretations of shapes I already like.

 

[John]

It might sound silly

It doesn't sound silly at all.
If style truly didn't matter, then duds like the infamous Lamborghini guitar or the Enigma (Guild S300 copy), etc etc, surely would've had more traction.

 

[narad]

Lol. "7A"

View attachment 121394

"You can fit so many A's..."

It's weird that people talk about fancy woods being increasingly difficult to get, but the quality of them keeps going up!

 

[CanserDYI]

Lol. "7A"

View attachment 121394

"You can fit so many A's..."

I always wondered about this grading scale and what his criteria is for "5A" and "7A". I've never seen a "7A" top that looked any better than their "5A" tops, and frankly their "4A" tops look like PRS 10 tops. My "4A" quilt on my Vanquish looks way better than a lot of 5A quilts I've seen. So I'm so confused on this and usually just throw this out the window. Is there an actual criteria/guideline for this stuff or is it just wild wild west and whoever picks the wood decides the xA?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Is there an actual criteria/guideline for this stuff or is it just wild wild west and whoever picks the wood decides the xA?

Pretty much.

The thing is, unless you're making a completely flat top you're not going to know exactly what the wood is going to look like, and even further until you hit it with stain you won't know how exactly it's going to translate to the finished product.

That's why there can be so much variation between the same "grade" from brands.

So yeah, I'm sure Kiesel separates their billet by what they feel is more or less figured, but it's not like there is some sort of official scale that they adhere to.

It's just funny because the first five "A's" have been used forever, so we get to see what bullshit marketing speak they choose.

 

[Agalloch]

Man, I want to like the "Cali package" so much.

But it's like Kiesel saying, "Hey, you know all those really hideous guitars people design? Here's a shortcut to having one of your own."

 

[spudmunkey]

I always wondered about this grading scale and what his criteria is for "5A" and "7A". I've never seen a "7A" top that looked any better than their "5A" tops, and frankly their "4A" tops look like PRS 10 tops. My "4A" quilt on my Vanquish looks way better than a lot of 5A quilts I've seen. So I'm so confused on this and usually just throw this out the window. Is there an actual criteria/guideline for this stuff or is it just wild wild west and whoever picks the wood decides the xA?

There is no industry standard or governing body that sets grade standards for figured wood.

I think Kiesel does it the best way possible, in that one person does all of the grading: Jeff. That's really the only way to get consistency. Could a Tuesday "Master Grade" be better than a Friday "Master Grade"? I suppose so, it's still being decided by a human. But until tops are computer-scanned and graded, having one person grade everything is the best way to do it.

In addition, every time a build needs a graded top, Jeff's also the one to select it, which adds another layer of review.

A couple of years ago, they put out a photo that had 3 burled poplar tops: a 4A, a 5A, and a 7A/Master Grade. There were pretty clear distinctions between them, in the ratio of acreage of the top covered by burls vs the open spaces between the clusters. If you ever get a chance to watch some if their "pick your top Tuesday" live sessions, they sometimes have multiple grades of the same wood on display.

With the other woods, the differences are much less in-your-face. Especially when a top is 4A va "barely 5A". Those distinctions would be minimal. Like, they aren't going to discard borderline tops so that there's more distinction between the levels.pp

The way I've wrapped my head around the grades:

1) ever see a standard/4A that was "meh"? Like someone drew the quilt or flame top in pencil with crisp edges and clear "pockets", but then ran over it with a bit with an eraser, making the edges "fuzzy"? The low end of 4A isn't as nice as the high end of 4A...so I see 5A as not that it's going to be appreciably better than a good or even average 4A, but that it's more of a filter against those "meh" 4A. So a 5A top is a valuable upgrade when ordering, but I don't think has much value when it comes to resale.

(1.5) 5A, I believe, is where you can start giving notes about the type of figuring you prefer...that may be mistaken and that could be 7a...but either way, at one of the two upgrade levels, you can ask that they pick a buckeye top with more grey, a quilt top with more "tubular" than "bubbles", etc. I think with Master grade you can also send in a photo, and they'll try to pick a top from what they have availbke that best matches it.)

2) Then, if you want the best of what they have that's what the 7A/Master grade is for. In quilt, this us where you see the biggest, and most well-defined figuring in the flame and quilt. More area paved in burls way more black streaks in the pale moon ebony, etc.

3) K-Top seems to be a handful of tops that Jeff keeps set aside on a couple of shelves that are a bit more unique. Extreme crotch figuring, buckeye with flamed areas, crazy sapwood/heartwood striping... some of these definitely go through the previous grades too, since Jeff only has a small area for his own stash of these "special tops". He mostly uses them for showcase builds, repeat customers, Kiesel Edition builds, etc. I dont know what yhe process is for getting a K Top or even if it's something one could even request.

And that way if thinking about tops is much more clear ever since they gave up on the additional 6A tier.

TLR; 5A isn't so much an upgrade, but a filter against "meh" tops, and 7A is their top-tier. That's all 99% of buyers should have to know.

 

[spudmunkey]

I don't normally just post pictures of random guitars, but every so often they post one that's share-worthy. Not something I'd have ever spec'd out for myself, but damn that's sexy...

 

[odibrom]

I don't normally just post pictures of random guitars, but every so often they post one that's share-worthy. Not something I'd have ever spec'd out for myself, but damn that's sexy...

That's a pretty one... rare bird...

 

[ExMachina]

I don't normally just post pictures of random guitars, but every so often they post one that's share-worthy. Not something I'd have ever spec'd out for myself, but damn that's sexy...

It's the kiesel Aaron marshall sig