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Ordered a Kiesel bass

#21
Medford Bassman said:
Well, I bit the bullet and ordered an Icon 5 from Kiesel. There was a lot of going back and forth of options i wanted. I ended up going with Claro Walnut top. I've read a lot of reviews and I find most are very happy with their Carvin/Kiesel.

I felt it was time, (age 52) to order myself a custom bass the way i wanted it. I'm pretty stoked and now the exercise in patience begins. I'm told 9-10 weeks to completion, so hopefully end of October or early November.

I will definitely post pics when it arrives!!
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Medford Bassman said:
Well, I bit the bullet and ordered an Icon 5 from Kiesel. There was a lot of going back and forth of options i wanted. I ended up going with Claro Walnut top. I've read a lot of reviews and I find most are very happy with their Carvin/Kiesel.

I felt it was time, (age 52) to order myself a custom bass the way i wanted it. I'm pretty stoked and now the exercise in patience begins. I'm told 9-10 weeks to completion, so hopefully end of October or early November.

I will definitely post pics when it arrives!!
Click to expand...
I got mine in late 2015. It's beautiful.

Unfortunately, I discovered Dingwalls shortly after I got this. I can back up the claim that Kiesels and Carvins have terrible resale value. I have listed it in several places several times for $1400 (it's essentially like new and cost $2k) and there hasn't been one single serious nibble.

So... I absolutely hope you enjoy it!

They are fabulous instruments and I believe worth every penny.
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#22
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So, here it is at last. Just came in today. My new Icon 5. Claro Walnut top.i went for a walk it body as well just like that look.
What can I say? I like abalone.

It feels very well built in my hands.a lot of detail went into building this bass. I got the split coil pickup option. Now I just have to figure out the controls.

Been playing with it a little and the 18v pre amp has a lot of headroom. Good tones so far but I want to play with it some more.

Did I mention the Walnut? Poops forgot about the weight but still not bad.

I'll try it out and let people know.
 

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#32
Medford Bassman said:
View attachment 2813227 View attachment 2813228 View attachment 2813230 View attachment 2813227 View attachment 2813228 So, here it is at last. Just came in today. My new Icon 5. Claro Walnut top.i went for a walk it body as well just like that look.
What can I say? I like abalone.

It feels very well built in my hands.a lot of detail went into building this bass. I got the split coil pickup option. Now I just have to figure out the controls.

Been playing with it a little and the 18v pre amp has a lot of headroom. Good tones so far but I want to play with it some more.

Did I mention the Walnut? Poops forgot about the weight but still not bad.

I'll try it out and let people know.
Click to expand...

Looks great! Enjoy!
 
#34
GlassToMouth said:
Congratulations! My Vanquish multiscale is the finest instrument I've ever played. I dig the Icons and Vader's quite a bit as well. I did have EMG'S installed, but the stock humbuckers still sound great. I just wanted coil splitting and a little more top end. I hope the wait goes by smoothly for you.

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Gold logo EMG-X - are those "AX" models? If so, they're real unicorns.....
 
#36
The AX series are the ones with Alnico V magnets. For the PJAX set EMG described it as "The Alnico V magnets in these pickups provide a smooth top end that has a more vintage character to their tone." I have a 35P4A-X set on order for a custom build, and it isn't something anyone stocks, from what I can tell.
 
#37
GlassToMouth said:
Congratulations! My Vanquish multiscale is the finest instrument I've ever played. I dig the Icons and Vader's quite a bit as well. I did have EMG'S installed, but the stock humbuckers still sound great. I just wanted coil splitting and a little more top end. I hope the wait goes by smoothly for you.

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That looks spectacular
 
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#38
I've studied Kiesel basses a bit and I have to say that I am very impressed! The quality detailing they do plus the very reasonable price just blow me away. This will be my next bass for sure! When you consider you can get a fully customized bass for around $1500, compared to $3500 for Fender Custom shop or $4500 or much more for a Sadowsky it makes it a "no brainer". Plus the details. Every neck has dual carbon fiber support rods. Kiesel uses oiled ebony for rear cover plates (not plastic like everyone else). Then the plates are fastened using brass machine inserts and machine screws (again, not wood screws like all others). There are also so many options. Lots of different woods, inlay material, pickups, etc. I would clearly check them out if you haven't already. Kiesel basses are works of art.
 
#39
bertbassplayer said:
The Carvin/Kiesel stuff is great, well made stuff. But man the resale value on them is really bad.
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I think for the low price and the value you get with the new Kiesels, I would not personally worry too much about resale. Because they are all customized, I can see where the resale wouldn't be high, but if you have exactly the bass you want for about $1400, it would be no concern to me. I have to say that every bass I have (or would want from other companies) has always been a compromise. I do plan to buy a customized Kiesel bass next and I love the fact that they will build it with everything I want on it.
 
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