What strings are on it? What strings do you normally play with?
What tone are you normally after?
What tone are you normally after?
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NBD: Kiesel IC5 :-(
- Thread starter Bliff Curton
- Start date
My main is a Kiesel PB5, I love it. However, if I left the tone flat, I’d hate it. The pickups are tinny. Very tinny.
Luckily I can roll the treble all the way off and tone down 30%. That makes it one of the best basses I’ve played. Odd how that happens
So I think you’re just experiencing the Kiesel pickup issue. Maybe consider changing the pickups. But don’t know your bass to comment further. Kiesel does make good basses though.
Luckily I can roll the treble all the way off and tone down 30%. That makes it one of the best basses I’ve played. Odd how that happens
So I think you’re just experiencing the Kiesel pickup issue. Maybe consider changing the pickups. But don’t know your bass to comment further. Kiesel does make good basses though.
Came with Dunlop Super Bright .130
I switched them to DR HiBeams after 5hrs of playing.
I often play with Daddario XL, rotosound, DR.
Im going for modern, punchy, variably aggressive to bluesy.
Quantum 5 with a bit of Pbass with EQ’ing. Or even Stingray Special 5 realm.
Some other basses in the past Ive liked are Fender Active P special deluxe, SR505, Fender Jazz elite (with the right EQ), NS CR5, Hartfield/Fender Prophecy II.
Thumb NT is too wooly - all mids, no definitive low end.
I'm sorry this happened to you. I have a brand new Carvin PB4. Waited 4 months for it. Passive pickups. Sounds very good and plays perfect to my old ears. I think you maybe have a bad pickup. Hope you get it fixed. By the way, I had mine set up at a shop here in Wasilla, Alaska and he set up the strings as low as my Rickenbacker. They actually rub the frets slightly like Geddy Lee's bass. Maybe try the action but leave the pickups where they are? I believe Carvin has a good return policy .
I think you've thought of everything. It is the bass. I do not think I've ever noticed steel frets sounding clanking as you described. I've seen an AB comparison, but it was on guitar. I believe it was a warmoth video.
Thank you.
And therein lies the crux.
I bought this from their guitars-in-stock selection. Its the instruments theyve built to show what they can produce and I beleive they are used in their showroom for people to test at their San Diego facility.
I had no input to the build of this bass.
Kiesel chose to finish it with theur Raw Tone Satin finish (a simple/thin satin coat with no filler). Kiesel vetos the 10-day return policy with any instrument done in the RTSF.
I did not chose this option, but they did infom me the 10-day trial is void before I purchased it.
I just assumed they had better build quality/QC than this.
I, and others, are interested to see what Kiesel responds with when I call them Monday.
Given the myriad of deficiencies (pickups, pre, woods, SS frets, etc), I would hand the bass off to someone-in-the-know for a second opinion. This could be either a competent tech (notice I didn't say "well-known" or "trusted") or even a seasoned TBer in your area. This should not be construed as an attempt to marginalize the stated issues but rather to better define or identify that which is culpable. These findings would better support any claims for warranty support.
Riis
Riis
Sounds like you don't like stainless frets and have some sort of electronics issue. I find the current electronics pretty good though leaning towards sterile/clinical sounding. SS frets I do not like. Just feel wrong and have that clack. Maybe it's my technique. Maybe it's Maybeline. Either way I won't buy a bass with them.
That really sucks about the no return thing. Buyer beware I guess.
That really sucks about the no return thing. Buyer beware I guess.
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I have always had a sneaking suspicion that the guitars in stock section are just the instruments that got returned. What else would they do with them?
Very much sucks that your bass sounds bad. In actuality it should sound anywhere from pretty good to ok.
Very much sucks that your bass sounds bad. In actuality it should sound anywhere from pretty good to ok.
I've never agreed that Carvin makes terrible sounding instruments. I've owned Carvin basses from various eras (I currently have a 1990's-era and a 2010's-era Carvin), and can get a good sound out of any Carvin I've had. Tone is subjective, though.
Beyond that, I really only have three thoughts here.
1) I've never been a big fan of blend pots. Really, a two pickup bass has three main sounds. The subtle blend variations - even IF you can hear them in a quiet room - disappear in the mix. And that is a big IF.
2) Sometimes a bass sounds bad. I have an old Fender that I've pretty much tried everything. I've explored the bridge, pickups, neck joint, etc. It just sounds mediocre to my ears. As much as I don't like to blame wood, I think maybe that neck and body don't like each other. Carvin does all kinds of absurd wood combinations, so maybe it is possible that some of them just don't work for some people.
3) I bet there's somebody on TB that would think the OP's bass is the best sounding thing ever.
Beyond that, I really only have three thoughts here.
1) I've never been a big fan of blend pots. Really, a two pickup bass has three main sounds. The subtle blend variations - even IF you can hear them in a quiet room - disappear in the mix. And that is a big IF.
2) Sometimes a bass sounds bad. I have an old Fender that I've pretty much tried everything. I've explored the bridge, pickups, neck joint, etc. It just sounds mediocre to my ears. As much as I don't like to blame wood, I think maybe that neck and body don't like each other. Carvin does all kinds of absurd wood combinations, so maybe it is possible that some of them just don't work for some people.
3) I bet there's somebody on TB that would think the OP's bass is the best sounding thing ever.
I bought the IC 4, thought I would like have a MID semi-parametric on board, NOPE, I actually found so many tones, I did not like, boost and cut, I wasn’t crazy about the pick ops, and the electronics, as well. Sorry for you dilemma.
Coming soon to the classifieds - “Best Bass I’ve ever played, just have my eyes on something different!”
I find it hard to believe that they have a no return policy on a new instrument. What a ridiculous policy.....
All kidding aside that is a huge bummer, sure hope they do something for you. 20 years later my active LB70 is still going strong.
I have no idea what pickups these are, but this bass sounds excellent! Can you replace your pickups? Don't know if if it helps.
I should clarify.
I can't remember what pickups I ordered. I do know the frets are stainless steel...er, I think. I may have been drunk or at work when I ordered it! But it sounds great.
It's apparently specific to the Raw Tone Satin finish although I can only guess as to why. IIRC, certain custom options will void the normal 10 day return guarantee. Apparently, this applies to customer-spec'd instruments and off-the-rack purchases.
Riis
Did you put fresh batteries in?
@Bliff Curton I own 3 Kiesels and 1 older Carvin each with different pickup variations. My JB5 in the beginning had the pinging effect with the Dunlop superbrites on it and I changed them out for some Chromes and it's less noticeable. I did have to mess with the action a bit to get it where it isn't an issue for me.
As far as the pickups, have you called them? Since it's rawtone and you don't get the 10 day trial you do have a warranty to any defects or electronic failures. If you talk to them they can have you work with the head tech Albert to go over what's happening and see if it needs to be sent in for a warranty issue. They stand behind their products, just have to have a little patience and contact them about it.
Their radium humbuckers are very mellow, my V59k is smooth as silk and I do have Carvin/Kiesel flats on it's P bass tone all the way. I find that bass is best suited in the studio, I have to rely on EQ work for live performances with it. Now my other Kiesels have the single coils and they're noticeably snappier with mids and highs no matter what strings I have on them.
Call them and see what they say about the electronics.
As far as the pickups, have you called them? Since it's rawtone and you don't get the 10 day trial you do have a warranty to any defects or electronic failures. If you talk to them they can have you work with the head tech Albert to go over what's happening and see if it needs to be sent in for a warranty issue. They stand behind their products, just have to have a little patience and contact them about it.
Their radium humbuckers are very mellow, my V59k is smooth as silk and I do have Carvin/Kiesel flats on it's P bass tone all the way. I find that bass is best suited in the studio, I have to rely on EQ work for live performances with it. Now my other Kiesels have the single coils and they're noticeably snappier with mids and highs no matter what strings I have on them.
Call them and see what they say about the electronics.
