Suddenly really liking a couple of the new Kiesel pickups!

[Ascension]

They in the past had a couple pickups they were pretty good but none really excited me until now. Two of the new designs in particular i am REALLY loving. Both medium output A2 designs which is some thing I have never seen them do until now. First is the Beryllium line both the singles and the humbuckers. Really sweet and smooth closest this in Duncans would be the Slash set. In reality like these better. Absolutely despised the Lithium set that came in my new DC 600. Shrill harsh and absolutely would not clean up with touch and the guitar volume like I wanted. So I had to find some replacements but with the direct mounts it was a little challenging to get the right look and fit with aftermarket pickups. I had been intrigued with the clips I had heard with the Beryllium sets so started looking for a used set. While looking for them found a pair of the new Marks A2 singles with a Beryllium bridge dirt cheap so snagged that also. Dropped the Beryllium set first in the DC 600 and was floored at just how good they sounded. So next swapped the Perpetual Burn and AP11 set in my Kiesel DC 135 for the Marks singles and the Beryllium bridge. Have played both set ups out now a few times so the honeymoon is over. REALLY liking these pickups and for the first time ever am really blown away by a set of Carvin Kiesel pickups.
The Marks singles are like a cross between my Surfer !!'s and a set of Texas Hots really sweet and glassy but also have some real attitude with gain. Not just good but great sounding set and the Beryllium in the bridge is a great match. Here is a cool Kiesel jam with a couple plays running these pickups. the pink Delos Stel is playing has the same Mrks Single Beryllium set as my DC 135 and the black Solo Flanders is playing has the Beryllium set my DC 600 has.

 

[jeremy]

that would be a change for sure, never really liked carvin pups much

 

[Ascension]

Here is a live clip with the DC135 running the Beryllium bridge and Marks singles through my 91 Carvin X50 B Hot Rod mod head.

 

[Benjy_26]

I like the old AP11's and the C22's. I've never tried the new pickups. Do they sell them as aftermarket units?

 

[Ascension]

that would be a change for sure, never really liked carvin pups much

Same with me on Carvin Kiesel pickups. The M22SD was ok and I like the C22B they sound a lot like a Air Zone. Otherwise have not cared much for them. These are shockingly good though.In particular after experiencing those nasty Lithiums that came in my new DC 600. The Marks singles in particular are some of the absolute best sounding vintage Strat pickups I have ever heard. Scatter wound A2's and just fantastic sounding pickups. Because of how the DC 135 is routed would have had to go to Custom Shop or rout the guitar to use say Surfer II neck and middle single. You are only supposed to be able to get the Marks singles in a build for now and they are a $130 up charge. When a neck and middle that had been pulled out of a Delos showed up on Reverb for $100 flat with the Beryllium bridge I took a chance and grabbed them. Glad I did as they are fantastic!

 

[Ascension]

I like the old AP11's and the C22's. I've never tried the new pickups. Do they sell them as aftermarket units?

Like the C22's and AP 11's also. Some they do sell aftermarket but they aren't cheap. The Marks singles you can't get in particular outside of in a build unless you know some one. They are low production built to order. The Beryllium is about the same $ as a Duncan CS pickup. However they show up from time to time on Reverb used and that was how I got these. $130 for the Beryllium set with gold polls for the DC 600 and a $100 flat for the other set I could handle.

 

[Ascension]

here is another clip of the DC 135 with the marks singles and Beryllium bridge. This time at lower gain running a TS 9 on the clean channel and really showing more the character of the Marks Singles.

 

[Ascension]

Here is a clip with the DC 600 and the Beryllium humbucker set. Has a 5 way 135 full humbucker 2 and 4 split.At about 9 min here the tracks stop and we are freefprm playing. REALLY liking the tones with these pickups It gives me something i didn't have that is really cool!

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, good news, as every Carvin/Kiesel pickup I have tried has been just barely 'good enough'. They simply were more of a guitar company than a pickup company.

 

[Ascension]

Yeah, good news, as every Carvin/Kiesel pickup I have tried has been just barely 'good enough'. They simply were more of a guitar company than a pickup company.

Actually they started as a Pickup and amp company in 1946. Did the pickups in the original Moserite guitars like the Matthis in fact. Lot of folks really love some of the early Kiesel Carvin pickups and they bring some good $.
They kinda lost their way for a while though. Mark Kiesels newer designs for the most part have been pretty good over the last few years. It's Jeffs stuff like the Lithium series that sound like utter poo. Wouldda needed some Lithium to play that set in my DC 600 much longer.
they will never compete with a company like Duncan nor do they want to but several of the new pickup designs over the last few years and surprisingly good. like these in my guitars the Johhny Higland , Gambally , Greg Howe Parallax and the new SD 12 are all very very nice.
Check out Hilans tone here with his signature Kiesel and his pickups.

 

[Ascension]

Hiland

 

[AJ6stringsting]

I like the old AP11's and the C22's. I've never tried the new pickups. Do they sell them as aftermarket units?

Kiesel doesn't make the M22SD or any of the Classic Carvin pickups anymore ....too bad they were great pickups to my ears.

The M22SD had a Dimarzio Evolution vibe to it but it has clearer bass, better upper mids and an old Bill Lawrence XL500 treble response , if you raised the poles of the G,B and high E string.

 

[Ascension]

Kiesel doesn't make the M22SD or any of the Classic Carvin pickups anymore ....too bad they were great pickups to my ears.

The M22SD had a Dimarzio Evolution vibe to it but it has clearer bass, better upper mids and an old Bill Lawrence XL500 treble response , if you raised the poles of the G,B and high E string.

I still have a couple maple spacer mesh shield original M22 SD's on hand. they are cool pickups. One is loose in my parts box the other in my Pink 91 X 220C with a M22N. It's still offered in the Jason Becker sig guitar with a M22N in the neck. They now have a M12SD that is really really cool. It was introduced in the new Jason Becker Ying Yang guitar with a Marks single in the neck and sounds fantastic! Not many clips up yet with it but had a chance to play a Ying Yang and like this pickup a lot. Bigger and smoother than the M22SD not overly compressed very articulate pickup.

I also liked the old Carvin AP 11 singles a lot as well as a couple of the C22's in particular. My White 13 DC 600 has a C22B/C22J seat in it and it's really nice. The C22B reminds me a lot of a Air Zone and the neck a Air Classic Dimarzio set up. Big round and sweet and will stay in that guitar.

 

[Mincer]

Hiland

His playing was great. I didn't like the pickups. My favorite tone for that style playing is Albert Lee.

 

[Teleplayer]

It was an interesting demo because the pickups have Strat form factor, but sound more similar to a Tele.

 

[Ascension]

One of my biggest surprises with the new Kiesel pickups was the combo of the Marks singles and the Berrilium. Because my 17 DC 135 was not routed for the bobbin for a conventional single where they are normally wired I would have had to go to the Custom shop for say a pair of Surfers or Texas Hots so the Marks singles looked like a good choice to at least try. When a set showed up Reverb with a Berrilum bridge for $100 grabbing them was a no brainer. What I didn't expect was how good they would sound. These are a departure from what Carvin Kiesel has been doing in that they are A 2 mag scatter wound singles that are at about the same output as my Surfer set is. The Berrilium is also a A 2 slightly overwound PAF style pickup. The tones overall were stunning.
Will put the Marks singles in the same class as the Duncan Surfers and Texas Hots or the Lollar Vintage Blonds not just good but great pickups.
Here is a nice piece by Stel with the exact same set up I have in my DC 135 that is pretty representative of what I'm getting with this set up. The cleans with this set up are absolutely breathtaking also!

 

[AJ6stringsting]

I still have a couple maple spacer mesh shield original M22 SD's on hand. they are cool pickups. One is loose in my parts box the other in my Pink 91 X 220C with a M22N. It's still offered in the Jason Becker sig guitar with a M22N in the neck. They now have a M12SD that is really really cool. It was introduced in the new Jason Becker Ying Yang guitar with a Marks single in the neck and sounds fantastic! Not many clips up yet with it but had a chance to play a Ying Yang and like this pickup a lot. Bigger and smoother than the M22SD not overly compressed very articulate pickup.

I also liked the old Carvin AP 11 singles a lot as well as a couple of the C22's in particular. My White 13 DC 600 has a C22B/C22J seat in it and it's really nice. The C22B reminds me a lot of a Air Zone and the neck a Air Classic Dimarzio set up. Big round and sweet and will stay in that guitar.

If you ever want to get rid of those Carvin M22SD's let me know.

 

[Ascension]

If you ever want to get rid of those Carvin M22SD's let me know.

The new M 12 SD is the exact same wind with the same double thickness A 5 in a conventional 12 pole not 22 pole pickup BTW. Always thought the Carvin M22 and C 22's sounded a little like Duncan PA trembuckers because of the 22 poles.

 

[bigcupholder]

The new Holdsworth pickups are good. PAF-level output and compression but a more modern voicing. They've got a broad midrange bump and controlled bass. Nothing spikey or harsh, just a fairly good all-around pickup.

I have a set of Dimarzios I've been meaning to install in that guitar for almost a year but I haven't had that moment yet where I'm recording and getting annoyed by some character of the pickup, so it hasn't been a priority. They're growing on me now that I have it set up in D standard and I'm playing more high gain stuff.

The Lithiums are trash for most styles or if you want to keep amp settings remotely similar between guitars. Way too bright and thin. I could get something reasonable with a 10-band EQ in front but it wasn't worth the hassle.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

The new Holdsworth pickups are good. PAF-level output and compression but a more modern voicing. They've got a broad midrange bump and controlled bass. Nothing spikey or harsh, just a fairly good all-around pickup.

I have a set of Dimarzios I've been meaning to install in that guitar for almost a year but I haven't had that moment yet where I'm recording and getting annoyed by some character of the pickup, so it hasn't been a priority. They're growing on me now that I have it set up in D standard and I'm playing more high gain stuff.

The Lithiums are trash for most styles or if you want to keep amp settings remotely similar between guitars. Way too bright and thin. I could get something reasonable with a 10-band EQ in front but it wasn't worth the hassle.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

The Holdsworth ones are the only ones I'd be interested in anyway. In many of his guitars, he used a neck 59 in the bridge (with double screws).