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Kiesel AW5 Amos Williams sig model owners?

HeavyDuty

HeavyDuty

Supporting Curmudgeon
Gold Supporting Member
Jun 26, 2000
14,607
5,645
Central Texas
www.pbase.com
#1
I just found out that Kiesel has a single humbucker headless model in production - the AW5 Amos Williams sig. I know @MojoPenguin has a (modified?) four string version - anyone else? I've been interested in a single HB version of the Vader for months, but back then single HB was a custom option that made it nonreturnable - I felt it was too much of a risk. Now that it's in the regular catalog and is subject to their usual conditions...

I'm curious about the balance and the pickups/electronics. Is the passive mode usable? Will it run in passive if the batteries crap out?

What else can you tell me to sway my decision?

I have one sitting in my shopping cart, but I'm trying to be adult about this and do more research before pulling the trigger. I'm hoping one can be the spiritual successor to my old XM2A - I'd even consider spinning off my pair of Synapses for these.
 
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#2
HeavyDuty said:
I'm curious about the balance and the pickups/electronics. Is the passive mode usable? Will it run in passive if the batteries crap out?
Click to expand...
Actually mine is just the AW5 Amos Williams sig. in a 4 string (my preference), but yes it's a non returnable option. There's active Bass and Treble as well as a passive tone which can get a nice variety of sounds for 1 pickup. And it's Purple so it sounds great :smug:

You can hear it here"
 
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#3
MojoPenguin said:
Actually mine is just the AW5 Amos Williams sig. in a 4 string (my preference), but yes it's a non returnable option. There's active Bass and Treble as well as a passive tone which can get a nice variety of sounds for 1 pickup. And it's Purple so it sounds great :smug:

You can hear it here"
Click to expand...


What made yours nonreturnable - the color or that it was a four?
 
#7
I really like their HB pickups, as I have two basses with them (a Jazz V and one with an HH configuration)
I wish they (Keisel/Carvin) would offer them in all their basses...an Icon with those pickups would be insane!
But I was under the impression that they were discontinuing the HB's in favor of all their newer pickups.
 
#8
eastcoasteddie said:
I really like their HB pickups, as I have two basses with them (a Jazz V and one with an HH configuration)
I wish they (Keisel/Carvin) would offer them in all their basses...an Icon with those pickups would be insane!
But I was under the impression that they were discontinuing the HB's in favor of all their newer pickups.
Click to expand...
Amos revived Jeff's interest in the HB pickup. He really likes the tone if the new placement. And they offer HB + single coil on more models, now. Vanquish and Aries, as examples. Could probably get it on Icon, as well.
 
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#10
HeavyDuty said:
I'm just sitting tight waiting to see if any sales pop up in the next few months. I saw Carvin was doing Memorial Day sales, but I didn't get any sale emails from Kiesel.

If I can knock a hundred or two off the cost, all the better.
Click to expand...
Check your spam. They have a promo going.
Free stainless frets, free drop shadow logo, free thinner neck profile option (may not apply to bass. The wording seems to imply guitar only).
 
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#11
Nothing in my spam folder - I just signed up for their emails about a week ago, so I'm probably not in their system yet. If there's a promo code, can someone PM me with it?

(Edit) I'm seeing it - some of the options are no cost (stainless frets, silver drop logo)
 
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#12
Ok, done did it - ordered and deposit placed.

Custom Shop Instrument Details:
AW5 - Kiesel Amos Williams Signature Vader Headless Electric Bass Right Handed
GM - Gunmetal Gray Metallic
CS - Satin Matte Finish Changed to gloss
MA - Maple Neck/Alder Body (Standard)
FMF - Flamed Maple Fingerboard (Tung-Oiled)
IDIA - Diamond Inlays
IAB - Black Acrylic Inlay Material
STF - Stainless Med-Jumbo Frets .048" H .103" W
R14 - 14in Fretboard Radius (Standard)
BC - Black Hardware (Standard)
BLK - Black Pickups
DSLS - Drop Shadow Silver Logo
45 - Dunlop Super Bright Medium Gauge Roundwound Nickel Plated Strings
SC10B - Black Ultimate Soft Bass Case

If I like this, I'll probably go back to the well for a natural wood finished, ebony board fretless mate.
 
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#16
Toptube said:
They recently changed to a more durable satin finish.

Congrats on your order!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'm really looking forward to this! I'm hoping this will resolve my long-time Status GAS.

Oh, well - the gloss will look great I'm sure. The sales tech I spoke with before being transferred to Nobel to make the actual order change did say the matte was likely to buff up over time.
 
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#17
Longtime looky-loo, first time poster. I wanted to chime in and say, congrats on your order. As a long time GAS sufferer I know how the eternal search for the "right" bass can be. Although, I've found that the bliss of anticipating a new instrument can sometimes surpass the reality of owning said bass. That being said, I hope it's everything you wish it to be and more.

I ordered my own AW5 in March and received it just last week. Mine is actually featured in the AW5 photo gallery, and was likewise on their Facebook page. The options were as follows:

AW5
SWAMP ASH BODY
EBONY TOP
CLEAR SATIN MATTE
CHAMBERED BODY
5 PIECE BLACK LIMBA AND WHITE MAPLE NECK
TUNG OIL ON BACK OF NECK
ROYAL EBONY FINGERBOARD
STAGGERED OFFSET DOT INLAYS
LUMINLAY INLAYS [TOP AND SIDE]
MEDIUM JUMBO STAINLESS STEEL FRETS
DROP SHADOW LOGO SILVER
EBONY REAR COVER PLATE
BLACK ULTIMATE SOFT BASS CASE

I ordered straplocks for mine, however given I had no real experience with them, I went the "tried and true" route, got in touch with CS and deleted the straplocks early in the build. I was lucky enough to see much of the progress by way of walk-throughs...ended up lucking out and catching it 3 times; and even got some serendipitous "in process" photos.

I'm slow to "warm up" to a new instrument...I have MS with a lot of muscular and nervous involvement. That, plus it is actually having to travel back to San Diego for some additional attention. Thus, I don't have much in the way of insight to offer beyond the obvious - it is an aesthetically striking instrument! I've got nothing but compliments from people who have either seen it on Facebook, on the Kiesel site, or locally. I plan on saying more, offering my own review, as well as posting photos/clips etc. That being said, I wanted to, at the very least, offer my congratulations to you in the hopes that you truly love your new instrument.
 
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#18
Although I will say this in direct response to your questions...

The 18v preamp is POWERFUL. Even with my GK pad attenuation, I have to keep input gain pretty low...

The passive voice is very usable. The controls are volume, push/pull passive tone, concentric bass and treble. The levels between active and passive are surprisingly close [more so than any such bass I've played]. If I had the active/passive functionality in a mini-switch, I think that I could foresee myself using it passive just as much as I would active. That being said, there's something about using an instrument with the pot pulled up. Maybe my despising asymmetry. o_O
 
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