JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
I wish they had actual descriptions of the pickups available. I've been dorking around with the builder for awhile, and am getting really close to ordering an Osiris or Vanquish.
Suddenly really liking a couple of the new Kiesel pickups!
- Thread starter Ascension
- Start date
Ascension
Well-known member
First off agree with you in a big way on the Lithium's one of the worst sounding pickups I have ever used.
Your spot on with the new Holdsworths. Take that basic tone warm it up a little add just a little compression and some output and you have the Beryllium.
Ascension
Well-known member
Absolutely agree with this about the only thing up on the humbuckers is this. i do have some real world insight on some of them if I can help but it's idiotic that they don't have anything up on line on pickup specs.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Was just playing on the builder again, and they have a new crescent moon inlay. Looking at all black, green zebra pickups, and the moon inlay with offset dots in green on an ebony board. I really wish they offered the Vanquish headless.
People seem to dig the Thorium for metal. Thinking that and the Holdsworth neck.
AJ6stringsting
New member
I just wish that they would add the original M22SD, those 11 poles, per bobbin made that pickup more versatile.
I'll just look on Reverb or EBay for those original M22SD's.
I've heard them described as 'minimal potting' whatever that means.
Right lol
So looking at specs, if I swap the A5 out for RC or UO A5 or just A2, Looks like I will be in Berrilium territory? I am surprised how great these pups take high gain.
Mincer I have been meaning to write about my experience with the Black Winter. Super Impressed with it in my PRS 277 in B/Bb/A. Makes me think of a more passive voiced D Activator. The clean is unreal. I think it would kill in single humbucker guitars.
Indeed they would. I think sometimes the name 'Black Winter' prevents some people from even considering it, but it does many things so well.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I always struggle to hear what the pickups are doing in lead tones like that. I mean, it sounds incredible in the vid, but those kinds of tones I find are so expresive and nuanced, that they become perfomance-dependant enough that those people could be playing Glarrys and making them sound heavenly, LOL.
Last edited:
First Carvin/Kiesel pickup I took apart as I haven't had a Carvin since I got into mag swapping. I remember digging the M22T, The Hs, and the redesigned C22B that I think had a double thick A5?
Finally took out the Bridge Holdsworth and it is potted....not sure how it compares to other K pickups but it seems less than other pickups as you can see in the pic. The baseplate is interesting...not sure if it is a circuit board type plastic or something else? Taking the wrap off, the coils are wrapped in a tape that l have never seen before... The spacers are plastic and pop in and out easily.
These pickups are BRIGHT. I am one who rarely uses tone knob and I use it often on this guitar. And the headless HxH it is chambered mahogany. For the moment I swapped in a DZ AT1 (God I love that pickup) and it rips. Still wondering if I should try A4 polished in the neck and A8 or UOA5 or even RCA4 in the bridge.
Need to figure out the coil tapping. Put the AT1 in and thought I put the tap on the same place. It is backwards from the neck.
Attachments
Ascension
Well-known member
They are built differently. The Holdsworth neck is pretty weak for me but it's still a very good sounding articulate pickup. The Beryllium is hotter fatter and smoother it's more like a slightly overwound PAF I REALLY like that pickup!
To bad Kiesel pushes the super hot ceramic nasty shrill sounding pickups they have so hard. Few know just how good some of the lower gain pickups sound.
This is my 17 Kiesel DC with a Beryllium bridge and a pair of Marks singles through my PRS Archon live.
When say built different, do you mean Kiesel versus the industry or Beryllium vs Holdsworth? On paper, the bridge pickups are both 8.8k. I find the H neck, to be just fine power wise, even though it is under 7k. The bobbin/winds look great and definitely have more room for wire. I bet the holdsworth would be great overwound for a Custom / EVH style. Not sure if that is the approach of the Lithium but many seem to have a negative opinion of it.
I put a A8 in there and wow, it is great. Definitely balanced the treble. Imagine the A2 would be great too.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
One of my DCs has the Lithium set, plus the Fishman piezo bridge and preamp. Maybe it's the preamp, but with the treble set to the center detent, the Lithiums are great. If I'm playing a guitar with humbuckers, I'm probably playing metal, and they fit the bill quite well. The bridge A5 with ceramic boosters is hot and tight without being sterile, neck keeps up with it and doesn't sound like a different guitar when you switch. Both of them split really well, too.
I mean on paper the Lithium looks like a Mojotone Black Magic or BKP Juggernaut, which makes me want to try one. Keep missing out on a used one. My buddy had a decked out DC400 and I thought the active preamp was nice. I am a bass player too, so it didnt bother me to have active tones. I even like G&Ls passive bass and treble cut circuitry. Had a guitar with humbuckers that could do series/parallel with that G&L style tone controls and you could get some awesome quack and Telesque tones.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
If your idea of humbuckers begins and ends with PAFs, you won't like them. Since you mentioned Mojotone and BKP, they're probably worth your time. My DC with Lithiums is all mahogany with a flame maple top, and doesn't sound worlds apart from my Les Paul with Nailbombs.
Regardless, Kiesel ships out loads of guitars with them, they don't show up on Reverb like crazy, and when they do they're not dirt cheap.
Checking back in due to having a custom Holdsworth build and it being hardtail instead of tremolo.
Wanting more out of the bridge and thinking of swapping out some options.
BKP Brute Force - took the ceramic out and put an RCA5. Havent played it yet.
Lithium bridge unused. debating about swapping the alnico to something fatter or rough.
Thorium bridge - similar thoughts as the lithium as I typically dont dig Ceramic, usually prefering A8 or Rough A5s
Tried and True Dz AT1 that is deaired.
Curious if anyone has done any magnet swapping on the Lithium or Thorium
Wanting more out of the bridge and thinking of swapping out some options.
BKP Brute Force - took the ceramic out and put an RCA5. Havent played it yet.
Lithium bridge unused. debating about swapping the alnico to something fatter or rough.
Thorium bridge - similar thoughts as the lithium as I typically dont dig Ceramic, usually prefering A8 or Rough A5s
Tried and True Dz AT1 that is deaired.
Curious if anyone has done any magnet swapping on the Lithium or Thorium
FYI - Here are the insides of the Lithium and Thorium. I put a A8 in the Thorium and I wonder if the boosters are magnetically interacting differently. Pretty sure I put the magnet north alligned identical to the stock ceramic. I put a UOA5 in the Lithium but wonder if I should have done RCA2. Haven't wired up yet.
RanchManSandy
New member
it's wild how kiesel managed to continue Carvins legacy of having some absolutely bangin' pickups alongside some of the worst I've ever heard from a USA made manufacturer. OP is spot on: the lithiums are trash and the Berys are dazzling.
