I ordered this Kiesel multiscale 8-string Aries in September 2022, received it in March of '23.
After owning this guitar for a year, as gorgeous and wonderfully playable as it is, I've accepted that I'm just not into 8-strings or multiscale guitars.
I have a weird right-hand technique that usually results in some glossing on matte guitars, or scratches on gloss guitars. Somehow, I went right through the translucent finish - hence the blemish near the bridge pickup. There are also some hairline scratches in the finish that don't show up well in photos. I think it still looks cool, and I like a played-in guitar, but YMMV.
The guitar has a very minor grounding issue, where it will hum softly when it's not being played (if you touch the volume knob or start playing, the hum stops). A tech could fix this for $20-$30, but since I'm selling, I'd rather not bother, and chances are it may not even be enough to bother you since it doesn't affect the actual tone at all.
I'd like to add that I am not a fan of the Kiesel locking tuners. I don't think there's anything wrong with them, I think they're just designed oddly - they are loose when you change directions, and nothing happens at first; then, they tighten considerably and you can make very precise adjustments. They can also be a little sticky at times.
Regardless, my idiosyncratic picking technique is your gain, because I'm knocking over a grand off the original price I paid (original invoice pictured).
Here are all the specs:
Kiesel Neck-Through Aries 8-string multiscale
- Swamp ash wings with antique ash treatment
- Poplar burl top
- Translucent white finish
- Natural body binding
- Clear gloss top coat
- 5-Piece Maple + Walnut neck (tung oiled)
- Ebony fretboard
- Mother of pearl offset dots inlays
- Stainless steel jumbo frets
- Kiesel Lithium passive pickups (5-way selector)
- Kiesel locking tuners
- Black hardware
- White logo
