Reviewed By: Rosario Panzarella
Purchased from: on loan from Manufacturer
Street Price: $1,389 USD + case & shipping
About:
For almost 70 years, Kiesel and Carvin
Guitars have been building high-quality guitars, basses, pickups, part necks
and accessories for pro and hobbyist musicians alike. And because they sell
directly to the customer, with no middle man, we offer much higher value with
products that would sell for 2 to 3 times more if we sold through retail
stores. They are based out of San Diego, CA
This Kiesel SCB7 25.5" scale ebony fingerboard Abalone
dot inlays "M" bridge, with tune-o-matic bridge and strings
fed through the body Premium locking tuners 24 Stainless steel med jumbo frets,
Set Neck-through design 5 piece maple neck with black limba stripes featuring
the "Rapid Play" low action neck.
Hardware:
"M" bridge, with tune-o-matic bridge and strings
fed through the body Standard headstock 4 X 3 pointed 7-string style hipshot locking tuners, (1) volume (1) tone knob and a 5-way selector switch with black
toggle.
Electronics:
Matching set of Kiesel direct-mount K14 humbucker
pickups with (2) 500k pots on a 5-way selector.
Sound
Amp used:
Fuchs Mantis JR 100w
Cable used:
Conquest
Strings used:
Von York Kelvinite
Pick used:
Von York 1.5 Nylon
Selector position 1: Just Neck
A very natural sounding vintage PAF with a modern finish giving the player a loose vintage tone with a tight finish. Excellent for jazz when clean but clear and crisp for thick chunky rhythm tones for the modern metal/progressive player.
Selector position 2: Just Neck Split
A fat single coil that offers a traditional "S-style" guitar sounds with some added compression with the neck through design. Great for when you want to dial it back or get a "woody" vintage tone.
Selector position 2: Just Neck Split
A fat single coil that offers a traditional "S-style" guitar sounds with some added compression with the neck through design. Great for when you want to dial it back or get a "woody" vintage tone.
Selector position 3: Both Full Humbuckers
An even balance between the neck and bridge with slightly more of the upper frequency clarity you get for just the bridge. This was great for a fuller/thicker lead tone with the volume knob maxed, but cleaned up nicely when rolled back for a brighter rhythm tone.
Selector position 4: Just Bridge Split
A fat "S-style" guitar bridge with some added compression from the neck through design. When hit hard, there was hints of a P90 growl on the bottom end making this a very usable lead tone.
Selector position 4: Just Bridge Split
A fat "S-style" guitar bridge with some added compression from the neck through design. When hit hard, there was hints of a P90 growl on the bottom end making this a very usable lead tone.
Selector position 5: Just Bridge
A "rip your face off and laugh about" it metal lead tone that retained it's player touch sensitivity and dynamic response when played even with the heaviest distortion, but was also a very usable rock tone when dialed back.
Action, Fit & Finish:
Action, Fit & Finish:
The finish is a stunning translucent moss green with blackburst
edging on an AAAA quilted maple top. The action was low without any fret buzz
and the intonation was dead on.
Reliability & Durability:
This guitar is well made -- it is solid through and through.
There was no hum or crackles from the electronics and all knobs and hardware
were installed snug and proper.
Impression:
This guitar was shipped in an excellent rectangular box that
contained the Ultimate soft guitar case. I had never seen this case before and
I am always leery about soft cases; however, I must admit this case was as
sturdy as a lot of hard cases on the market today. Impressively well built with
space saving design, this case makes me rethink what my previous opinions of
soft cases are. Opening the soft case reveals the SCB7 which is a stunning
translucent moss green finish. The first thing I notice is the fine
detail and the blackburst edging – a nice touch for a totally badass look. This
is a single-cut bevel top with a neck through design. This beauty weighs in at
8.5 lbs and feels very balanced when wearing this on my body with comfortable
distribution whether sitting or standing. I like to test guitars without an amp
to see how they “feel,” and I would say that this guitar felt great. If you’re
not used to playing a seven string it can be a little off putting, but once I
was acclimated to where the B string was, I was able to chord normally and
effortlessly. In fact, after spending about 3 hours with this guitar, I was
officially sold on playing more than 6 strings. This guitar’s black limba wood
had a resonance that I could feel through my body. As each chord I played
reverberated through me I only wanted to play it more, and I hadn't even
plugged it in yet. I just played and
played and played this guitar. Much like catching up with an old friend,
time passed and good times were had.
What I would change:
Not a damn thing.
My advice:
You really want to play this guitar. It’s hard to
explain it, but once you pick it up it’s like a party that you don’t want to
walk away from. The SCB7 was an incredible guitar to play, and it inspired me
to write a few new songs. In my humble opinion any guitar that can help
inspire you and keep you playing is a priceless addition to your family.
Buy this guitar @ http://www.carvinguitars.com/guitars-in-stock/125037
Contact:
Posted 05/2015
KIESEL GUITARS / CARVIN GUITARS
12340 World Trade Drive
San Diego, CA 92128-3742
Phone: (858) 484-8277
12340 World Trade Drive
San Diego, CA 92128-3742
Phone: (858) 484-8277
Fax: (858) 487-8160
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Posted 05/2015
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