Well, that’s great for Kiesel, but obviously not always good for their customers. Live and learn though, right?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
NBD: Kiesel IC5 :-(
- Thread starter Bliff Curton
- Start date
Well, that’s great for Kiesel, but obviously not always good for their customers. Live and learn though, right?
Because their raw tone finish is so thin that as soon as it's touched it's never the same again and very difficult to resell. The finish is designed to let the natural wood breathe but the owner needs know for that purpose it wears easily, most concerns with any thin rawtone or satin finish is that it will become glossy over time.
I'm with you, I wanted to do rawtone with my last build but I wasn't brave enough and stuck with gloss for longevity.
once i read you say “over-nasally “... i quit reading. you basically said you’re never going to be happy with it, at that point
so you don’t like a certain bass that ya ordered online?,... end of world!(sarcasm)
Either there is something wrong with your fingers, or something's wrong with the bass. Did you check it out, as in the electronics?
Did you do a full setup on it, not just adjusting pickup height? Unless you live right down the street in Escondido or San Marcus, you'll have to after it fully adjusts to your climate.
Also, Kiesel ships their basses with Dunlop Super Bright strings. To some their hideously bright, pinging (not the ICMP type). To me, they're too bright and it forced me to raise the string height to get a cleaner tone towards the mids. Loved their balanced feel, but that was about all.
I switched my V59K to GHS pressurewounds and it made a big difference. I have the single coil radius, green dot, btw.
Did you do a full setup on it, not just adjusting pickup height? Unless you live right down the street in Escondido or San Marcus, you'll have to after it fully adjusts to your climate.
Also, Kiesel ships their basses with Dunlop Super Bright strings. To some their hideously bright, pinging (not the ICMP type). To me, they're too bright and it forced me to raise the string height to get a cleaner tone towards the mids. Loved their balanced feel, but that was about all.
I switched my V59K to GHS pressurewounds and it made a big difference. I have the single coil radius, green dot, btw.
Last edited:
Wow, feel bad for you bro. BUT, Carvin/Kiesel customer service is pretty good though(in my experience). I would get on the phone with them on Monday and walk them through your issues. They will try to make it right. As noted, tone is subjective. I am gigging my Kiesel PB5 tonight. It is from the their "guitars in stock" selection as well. only thing I have done to it is have my guy set it up. It sounds great. So much so that I ordered a new LB70 after playing it for a while. I also have an the older BB75 and an Icon 5 under the Carvin brand. Did not dig the sound so I did some mods. My BB75 has Sadowsky pickups and a glockenklang pre, while my Icon has Aguilar soup bars and and OBP3 preamp. I bought both used so the overall cost with upgrades was not to bad. That said, I think the new stuff is really good right out of the box. Sucks that you might have gotten a lemon, but hopefully they will do right by you. I would be interested to hear how this plays out.
Good luck with it, and keep us posted.
Good luck with it, and keep us posted.
I'm sorry to hear about your problem. I received a IC5 last year that a ordered. I haven't had the issues you speak of however I did not order the SS frets. I had the SCP installed and I find I use the pickup more than the standard soapbar. I do use the blend but only a little. Contact Kiesel, I found working with them very easy.
Doug Parent
Supporting Member
Those pickups are Bartolini P2 size. Thats a common soapbar shape and you have tons of pickup replacement options that will change the voice of that instrument in a nano-second. Nordie, Bart, Seymour, Aguilar DCB, the list goes on and on. The Bart soapbar is very warm but scooped sounding, some people really dig that. Good luck.
If you're stuck with it, you can probably change the electronics completely and hear a big difference in the sound. Obviously that is a larger investment than you hoped to make, but if all the other solutions people suggested here about ensuring it's wired correctly now fail, and you can't return it, it's an option.
Personally IME, if your goal is to tame an instrument that is a little too harsh on the top end, I'd consider a Bartolini setup. Those have a rep as being mellow and polite, which could be a good mix with that instrument. Alternatively, reach out to Carey Nordstrand here or an Facebook and ask him for his suggestion, which would be considerably more informed than mine.
Personally I'd avoid buying out of the in-stock inventory from a company that has a direct-to-consumer model. Those companies build as few spec instruments as they can. I guess it might just be a demo, but there are many other reasons why a bass would end up in their inventory and few of them good.
Best wishes. Poor situation.
Edit: I see that @Doug Parent made the same recommendation just above this, but much more efficiently than I did.
Personally IME, if your goal is to tame an instrument that is a little too harsh on the top end, I'd consider a Bartolini setup. Those have a rep as being mellow and polite, which could be a good mix with that instrument. Alternatively, reach out to Carey Nordstrand here or an Facebook and ask him for his suggestion, which would be considerably more informed than mine.
Personally I'd avoid buying out of the in-stock inventory from a company that has a direct-to-consumer model. Those companies build as few spec instruments as they can. I guess it might just be a demo, but there are many other reasons why a bass would end up in their inventory and few of them good.
Best wishes. Poor situation.
Edit: I see that @Doug Parent made the same recommendation just above this, but much more efficiently than I did.
I bought a B5 out of the in stock section about 8 years ago. After about two years I had an issue with the active preamp cutting out. Batteries changed had no effect. I called tech support and they sent out a new preamp because the electronics we're still under warranty. That might be an option.
I also put a set of Hi-Beams on my B5, and a set of Black Beauties on my LB75, and neither sound very good, especially the Hi Beams. I'm not very impressed with the Hi Beams.
BnB
I also put a set of Hi-Beams on my B5, and a set of Black Beauties on my LB75, and neither sound very good, especially the Hi Beams. I'm not very impressed with the Hi Beams.
BnB
+1 I was surprised at how pickup character can radically change with height. Something else to try...
Ive changed the batteries.
Changed the strings.
Tried different pickup setting froms super close to super distant and everything inbetween.
Different truss rod settings.
Different action.
Changed my righthand technique.
Checked the electronics (with my eyes, not instruments).
I went from 1mm to 3mm action and none of them or anything in between was acceptable.
My LB70 had amazing sounds everywhere with any setup. Using the blend knob created a variety of sounds and was far from hust three settings.
Again, I dont want to have to be limited to certain strings or drop several hundred more dollars on an electronics/PU swap to chase a tone that may or may not be acceptable.
Im going to push for a refund when I call on Monday.
Great bass for a slap-style player, awful for me.
I will ask Kiesel about the history of this bass. When was it made? How long was it in the demo/showroom without sale (basically how many other people were unhappy with it)? Was it ever sent out and returned?
Changed the strings.
Tried different pickup setting froms super close to super distant and everything inbetween.
Different truss rod settings.
Different action.
Changed my righthand technique.
Checked the electronics (with my eyes, not instruments).
I went from 1mm to 3mm action and none of them or anything in between was acceptable.
My LB70 had amazing sounds everywhere with any setup. Using the blend knob created a variety of sounds and was far from hust three settings.
Again, I dont want to have to be limited to certain strings or drop several hundred more dollars on an electronics/PU swap to chase a tone that may or may not be acceptable.
Im going to push for a refund when I call on Monday.
Great bass for a slap-style player, awful for me.
I will ask Kiesel about the history of this bass. When was it made? How long was it in the demo/showroom without sale (basically how many other people were unhappy with it)? Was it ever sent out and returned?
It should've come with a build sheet with the specs and build date info. It sounds to me like it needs repair and you can get it fixed with the warranty, they're quite firm on refunds unless you're buying something else but I haven't had to go there personally. Just explain everything in detail to them like you have here and I'm sure things can be worked out.
I'm sorry you're unhappy with it, I would be murderously angry if I sprnt that kind of dough on something I didn't like.
If there is something wrong with the bass then I think they should fix it for you for sure.
If you just flat out don't like the sound, or it does not suit your style, well that's all on you. Because you don't like how it sounds does not mean it's not someone else's dream, and hardly a QC issue.
Not a fan of Kiesel myself at all, but reading through all of this it seems it does not make a noise you like and you want them to give you your money back because you have buyers regret. I'm not saying you're wrong for that at all, and I'd feel the same way personally. But you can't pin the blame on them for that.
If there is something wrong with the bass then I think they should fix it for you for sure.
If you just flat out don't like the sound, or it does not suit your style, well that's all on you. Because you don't like how it sounds does not mean it's not someone else's dream, and hardly a QC issue.
Not a fan of Kiesel myself at all, but reading through all of this it seems it does not make a noise you like and you want them to give you your money back because you have buyers regret. I'm not saying you're wrong for that at all, and I'd feel the same way personally. But you can't pin the blame on them for that.
Some of the instruments on the in-stock page are indicated as "NO 10-DAY TRIAL OR RETURNS ON THIS INSTRUMENT." Appears the OP's may have been like that.
I don’t have stainless frets, as I have heard they are harsh, but the EVO Golds sound wonderful. I just mailed a deposit for another bass and I am getting EVO Gold frets again. They add a different sound, like the stainless ones, and they are harder than nickel frets but they are softer than stainless steel frets. Highly recommended...a great sound indeed!
