Kiesel CT6, Tiger Eye Flamed maple, HSC, 2017-2018 era, Player priced

I have a gorgeous Kiesel CT6 California Carved Top Series guitar here. It is paired with a Road Runner hard shell case. This one is from the 2017 to 2018 era.

Conditionally, cosmetically this guitar looks beautiful. I will give you a brief description of what I see.

The body top shows a couple of tiny surface indentations near the selector switch that do not break the finish. There are also a couple of micro indentations about the size of a dulled pencil tip. These are tiny, shallow marks that do not penetrate the finish. There is a tiny bit of fading on the black bridge from normal palm muting. Beyond that, the hardware looks excellent, and the gloss finish is lustrous, transparent, and looks nearly new throughout. Any guitar pick strumming is absolutely minimal. There are only the faintest traces of it.

The body sides and edges look very good across the perimeter. I found one small finish mark about a millimeter ot two in size.. Any superficial signs of use will be minimal to nonexistent.

The body back shows a couple of the same tiny surface indentations described on the body top. There is no buckle rash or worming. Any superficial swirling type playwear is minimal. There are only faint scattered traces with no buildup, sheen, or formed patterns. Overall, it looks very clean back here.

The neck shaft contour looks and feels excellent with nothing to report. The headstock shows just a tiny bit of superficial rubbing on the very edge of the tip. I found one micro mark on the face of the headstock about a millimeter in size. Beyond that, there are no notable marks or playwear. The fretboard looks gorgeous, and the stainless steel frets are in excellent condition and play beautifully.

The electronics are working exactly as they should. Note that this guitar is equipped with dual humbuckers only and does not have a coil tap. These are not Kiesel pickups. I have not looked under the hood to identify them, but they sound like a nice traditional PAF style pickup. Nothing overly exotic, just a warm, balanced vintage style tone that sounds very good.

Lastly, and most importantly, please read on, as there is one issue that causes me to grade this guitar as good rather than excellent.

The truss rod appears to be seized. It is not maxed out in either direction. Rather, it seems that the rod itself has become bound within the neck, leaving virtually no free movement. Because of that, the truss rod nut becomes extremely difficult to turn and begins to show signs that it could strip if excessive force is applied. I have been able to move it slightly, but I am not willing to force it further and risk damaging the nut. This is true whether tightening or loosening it.

There may be specialty tools or repair methods available that could free the rod. I have not pursued that route, as the guitar already plays exceptionally well in its current state.

The good news is that the neck relief is already just about perfect. The guitar plays beautifully up and down the neck with no buzzing, dead spots, or fret issues. Kiesel necks also incorporate dual carbon fiber reinforcement rods, making them exceptionally stable. If this guitar remains in a properly climate controlled home, I would expect it to remain stable for many years.

For someone who tours extensively through drastic climate changes, from desert conditions to humid tropical environments and back again, I would not recommend relying on a guitar with a seized truss rod. For a home player or studio musician, however, it may never become an issue because the neck is already set up perfectly.

So cosmetically I would rate this guitar about a 9.1/10, which is normally where I begin grading as excellent. I absolutely consider it excellent cosmetically. The frozen truss rod is the sole reason for the lower overall grade and the aggressive pricing. At roughly one third of the cost of a comparable new build, it represents a tremendous value for someone who appreciates what it is.

It is a beautiful specimen with an especially attractive figured maple top. I believe this finish was originally called Deep Tiger Eye Burst, which today is known as Tiger Eye Stain.

This model of guitar has a warm, rich midrange due to its nice big mahogany body. The ebony fretboard gives it just a bit more clarity and precision while retaining the fundamental warm midrange. So it’s a very well-balanced tonewood palette here. Similar to a Les Paul Custom.

If you have seen some of my listings here over the years, you know i am very high on the Kiesel brand. As a guitar player myself this brand has been my personal favorite, and i feel they offer perhaps the best pure value in performance and quality at this price point. Every aspect of their guitar building is innovative and top notch. From the use of dual carbon rods to stabilize the necks. flawless SS fretwork, specially processed/treated wood that maximizes the harmonic content, gorgeous and durable finishes. and probably the industry best long set-neck joint on their set-neck models. They in my opinion fully deserve the acclaim and following that they have garnered in the last few years.

Note that this listing may come down at anytime as I am a multi-platform seller and do sell locally and on my own site as well in an effort to keep sales fluid. State sales tax will be charged on Reverb sales when applicable, so factor that in to your purchase.

I will immaculately pack it as well. I use quality shipping boxes, ample tape on all sides. And sufficient bubble wrap filler and bracing inside the box. And always Marked/denoted as fragile. I generally detune guitars 1/2 half step prior to shipment as well if needed.

Thank you for reading and considering!