New Carvin/Kiesel Model! And a Throwback!

Z

ZackKhoury

Member
Marty anyone? :D I'll copy and paste:

"X220 is back, this popular 90's era model is now available again. With it addition we have also made a 7 string version called the X227. Both models are standard with Hipshot Products Inc bridges and are available with optional "Official" Floyd Rose bridges.
For more info check them out here:
http://www.carvinguitars.com/customshop/xguitars.php"





 
I don't know... Any more pointy guitars are in a very specific group to me, Nice guitars! but not very high on my got to have list. I think I would much rather see Keisel moving in a direction that is gunning for PRS or Suhr without the huge cost that comes with those guitars.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AZG
Had one back in the day. Very well made, a solid rock machine. They had a V type too, also a great player and much lighter.
 
Sixstring said:
I don't know... Any more pointy guitars are in a very specific group to me, Nice guitars! but not very high on my got to have list. I think I would much rather see Keisel moving in a direction that is gunning for PRS or Suhr without the huge cost that comes with those guitars.
Click to expand...
They have those.
Carvin has the California series. Aside from the sticker, these are made in the same place. It looks like it's aimed at the PRS market and the Suhr carved tops. Very pretty. The bolt series is pretty much strat and tele territory. Look like solid offerings to me. I think you could even get those with a Kiesel sticker.

I think the headstock of the bolt looks like a giraffes mouth, though...

Being in Europe makes Carvin less appealing to me, servicewise. They had a store in the Hague a couple years ago, but I'm afraid they had the wrong people in there. They're just too far away now.
 
Still have my original V220 I bought... 32 years ago. Good grief has it been that long... Still a great playing guitar but stays in the case most of time.
 
Dutch said:
They have those.
Carvin has the California series. Aside from the sticker, these are made in the same place. It looks like it's aimed at the PRS market and the Suhr carved tops. Very pretty. The bolt series is pretty much strat and tele territory. Look like solid offerings to me. I think you could even get those with a Kiesel sticker.

I think the headstock of the bolt looks like a giraffes mouth, though...

Being in Europe makes Carvin less appealing to me, servicewise. They had a store in the Hague a couple years ago, but I'm afraid they had the wrong people in there. They're just too far away now.
Click to expand...

I can understand why the EU guys would not find them as appealing. With Carvin being a direct sales company it would be a huge commitment for them to establish sales stores over there and try to make a go of it.

I currently have a Cali Carve top, my second one so far and I like it a lot. However there are some refinements that can be done to the Carvin/Kiesel line of guitars to make them a true competitor to PRS or Shure. They are really close but as having owned a few Carve tops and a few C66 models I can say without a doubt that both guitars have some minor things that could be fixed that would make a huge difference.

Kiesel has already fixed one of them by rethinking the pickups. Now he just needs to go in and change the rest of the electronics (if he already hasn't), IMO the volume, tone pots and pickup switch are one of the biggest flaws on Carvin guitars. The pots are way too sluggish and the toggle switches they are using are of poor quality. All one has to do is open up the cavity and see the obvious and compare it with the competition. You will see difference in quality, Play it and you will hear and feel the difference in that quality. These are all just minor things but they make such a big difference in the playing experience.

My only other beef is the fret finishing on the sides of the neck. Maybe it's just this particular guitar but if it is then there's the issue. I have never once picked up a PRS or Suhr guitar and had one issue with anything and I have picked up quite a few.

Carvin is so close with the Kiesel line on all the little extras that they are doing, change the few things I have mentioned and it would be a no brainer from the money stand point.
 
@ Sixstring. Could not agree with you more. I have several PRS's, and Suhr's and Carvins. This is certainly not a Carvin putdown. The pups just sound lifeless compared to the Suhrs and PRSs. Carvins have great playing necks, beautiful finish, and are great utility guitars. They could hit it out of the ballpark with better attention to the electronics.
 
Geezerjohn said:
@ Sixstring. Could not agree with you more. I have several PRS's, and Suhr's and Carvins. This is certainly not a Carvin putdown. The pups just sound lifeless compared to the Suhrs and PRSs. Carvins have great playing necks, beautiful finish, and are great utility guitars. They could hit it out of the ballpark with better attention to the electronics.
Click to expand...

And their tremolos are also bottom feeders on quality. Why they don't at least give customers the option to pay more for a top shelf unit is beyond my comprehension.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
AZG said:
And their tremolos are also bottom feeders on quality. Why they don't at least give customers the option to pay more for a top shelf unit is beyond my comprehension.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

last year befor I bought the Cali Carve top I have now I was going to do a custom build with Carvin. I called Carvin and asked if they would cut for a Floyd Rose Pro and the answer was no. The reply I got was because they would have to program the CNC machine in order to do the cut out for the pro and didn't want to do it even as an option 50 :?. I was kind of annoyed by this and thought if I was a pro player and asked for this to be done they would have done it.

To me this is the kind of thing they need to overcome if they really want to one up the competition and truly be a custom order guitar shop. Really... I mean how hard is it to program in a different cut that would be stored in the CNC machine for later call up for a customer supplied trem or one they could order in and install on any of their bodies?

I still have the FL pro and still want to have it installed but I want to get another guitar before I do it, I like to change tunings on the fly to much to have it done just yet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom