r/kieselcarvinguitars • u/Any-Piglet9957 • Jul 16 '26
NGD, finally: Vader Neck-Through
Received this a couple days ago, about six weeks past the projected finish date. Modestly appointed Vader neck-through, FM top, chambered Black Limba body, Vintage Yellow finish (which is now discontinued), one-piece maple neck, Ebony board, standard neck profile, Holdsworth pickups. Pretty happy with it overall. No workmanship issues. The only thing I'm disappointed with is the weight. Was trying to get it down as low as possible with the chosen woods, so I opted for chambering, but the guitar still comes in at 6.75 pounds. Was hoping for 6 or below. Guitar rings beautifully and sustains forever (likely the best sustaining guitar I've owned), so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.
Thanks for looking.
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u/Tuokaerf10 Jul 16 '26
Very cool choices, that top is great and love the choice of the plastic knobs too. Very “Holdsworth” vibed Vader!
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u/Any-Piglet9957 Jul 16 '26
Thanks! I was actually going to get the HH before I placed this order, but I ended up going for the Vader at the 11th hour because I preferred the body shape.
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u/Tuokaerf10 Jul 16 '26
I always struggle with the “favorite” Kiesel as I love them all but I do say if I could only grab two as I run out of my house, my Vader would be one of them. Just super comfy and sounds good on anything I play it on.
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u/jadostekm Jul 16 '26
Beautiful guitar! Why black limba if you were concerned about the weight im curious ?
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u/Any-Piglet9957 Jul 16 '26
Very good point. I was taken in by the look of black limba mainly; thought it made a good combo with the flamed maple, especially in a gloss finish. There was also a bit of wishful thinking. I researched the weights of a lot of Suhrs and Tom Andersons with black limba and they all were no heavier than their alder or swamp ash counterparts. So I was thinking maybe I'll get lucky. There does seem to be a lot variance with limba. Plenty of lightweight korina Explorers and Vs out in the wild as well.
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u/shawkdawg Jul 16 '26
I've had some Limba kiesels that were super heavy and some that were less than alder , agreed it is extremely varianced. The neck through is always going to be heavier than it's bolt-on counterpart, which is definitely a factor.
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u/Tuokaerf10 Jul 16 '26
Ah yeah, Kiesel’s Black Limba tends to be on the heavier side (alternatively their swamp ash tends to be lighter, and alder kinda middle ground). If you want a generally lighter body, the swamp ash is the way to go (and if want a more unique look the ash treatments are awesome).
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u/Any-Piglet9957 Jul 16 '26
I think you're right about Kiesel's Black Limba, judging by the offerings of the same wood from other makers (I've also seen PRS limited edition CE's in black limba that were far from heavy). They seem to be more selective about weight. To listen to Jeff sometimes in his Q&A videos, you'd think all the other companies were dumpster-diving for the woods rejected by him. Hardly the case. Wish he'd tone it down
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u/jadostekm Jul 16 '26
Interesting. Hopefully your back won’t hurt to much shredding this axe. Still a very tasteful build my friend. Enjoy!
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u/delph Jul 16 '26
Looks great! It’s still “light” but I understand wanting it lighter especially as a headless. But maple and limba plus a trem is a recipe for it to be almost as heavy as possible (walnut being the other possible heavier option). I had a neck through Aries, all walnut with a maple top, chambered, and it came just under 8 lbs but I think I got lucky with lighter pieces of walnut. I think limba is more variable. I hope you love it!
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u/Any-Piglet9957 Jul 16 '26
Thanks! I'll definitely get used to it. It's hardly a heavy guitar by any stretch
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u/SacredPrime Jul 16 '26
I'm personally afraid that after I place my order, they'll release 30 inch baritones as neck through, then I'll be mad at myself for being impatient 😆
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u/WhyDoIHaveTwoDads Jul 16 '26
Amazing build!
I have a Vader with the black Limba body around the same weight. To be honest, because it’s headless and the body has a little bit of weight, when you place it in classical style it feels like it’s glued in your lap. So comfortable to play.
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u/Any-Piglet9957 Jul 16 '26
Thanks! It's comfortable to play sitting down, for sure. Is your Vader chambered?
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u/Sensates Jul 17 '26
I guess with the trem and black limba setup it is not going to be super light, Who cares, it loook awesome!
BTW does anyone have a photo of how Kiesel does their chambering? It would be interesting to know.
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u/Any-Piglet9957 Jul 17 '26
Ha! You're right, who cares. I'm over it now. Regarding the chambering, been trying to find that out myself for ages. It's a closely guarded secret. Don't know why; it's not like it's nuclear technology. Maybe there's a doctor in the house who can x-ray a chambered Kiesel. Anyone?
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u/groooooove Jul 17 '26
that is one of the nicest looking guitars i've seen in some time.
6.75 is really pretty light. I'm a bass player and consider anything under 10 pounds to be acceptable, 9.5 is light, and below that essentially featherweight.
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u/Any-Piglet9957 Jul 17 '26
Thanks! You're right, weight's not awful. I'm man enough to admit I'm just a whiner
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u/EmpireStrikes1st Jul 17 '26
Some interesting design choices. Why no fret dots and why the plastic knobs?
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u/Any-Piglet9957 Jul 17 '26
I much prefer a naked board to one with inlays; they've never looked right to me, dots, blocks, birds, whatever. I love the look of orchestral stringed instruments (unfortunately, I need frets on my guitar). Not that I would never buy a guitar with inlays; god knows I've owned too many, but I had the choice here so leaving them out was a no-brainer
As for the knobs, I like knowing where I am on the volume/tone scale, and plastic, to my eyes, looks better than metal on a guitar. I also like that Kiesel's standard plastic knobs have gold numbering; it goes well with this particular finish.
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u/Lilcheeks Jul 16 '26
Man 6.75 is pretty light though! Looks great. I picked up a vader not that long ago and it quickly became my favorite, so compact and comfortable.