Other fingerboard options include choices like Rosewood (similar to Ebony, but not as durable), Maple (also similar to Ebony, but offers more of a vintage look and needs to be cleaned more), and Zebrawood (which offers an expensive look thanks to heavy, dark streaks throughout). Most of Kiesel's guitars are made with Alder, a lightweight wood that's been used in electric guitars since they were invented. These woods form the core of each instrument - and as experienced musicians know, the choice of wood is one of the single greatest factors in how a guitar ultimately sounds. Here's a brief look at the main areas where Kiesel offers customization on guitars. From rainbow-hued pickups to stand-out reds, blues, pinks, and more, Kiesel makes guitars that will stick out in any venue. It's hard to look at Carvin guitars without noticing the bright, exotic coloring they favor. For those who just want an instrument, the company also stocks some ready-to-ship units. They even sell the basic components if you'd rather make an instrument yourself. After all, the Custom Shop is what made them famous - and there's something to be said for choosing the exact parts you want. Today, Kiesel maintains a large showroom and an active online store, with particular emphasis on customizing guitars. Things really took off in the 1980s when outlets like MTV showcased their products. It wasn't long before customers began to flock through the doors to get their hands on the perfect instrument. Rather than offering an assembly-line product, Mark allowed customers to select the options and parts they wanted. In something of a rarity for the time, each instrument was unique and custom-built for customers. Mark had a vision that went beyond following someone else's instructions, and he soon set the company to work developing its own line of guitars and basses. Mark's goals were different from what the company had been doing.įor the last ten years or so, Carvin guitars had focused on building instruments with Hofner components - essentially, they were a factory for another brand. It also moved several times, going from Baldwin Park (an area near Los Angeles) to Covina (1956), then Escondido (1968).Īt that point, the company needed a guiding hand - and it chose President Mark Kiesel, a relative of the founder, to lead its popular Guitar division. They expanded various product lines, including their steel guitars, electric basses, electric guitars, double necks, and other instruments. Aside from their own instruments, Carvin sold rebadged guitars from other manufacturers and slowly increased its visibility through advertisements in magazines and mailed sheets of information.īetween the 1950s and the 1960s, Carvin guitars experienced plenty of turbulence - though most of it was ultimately good for business. Sales started to pick up, and it wasn't long before it branched out to other types of instruments and accessories. At that point, the company was rebranded Carvin in honor of Lowell's sons (Carson and Gavin Kiesel). The move was not permanent, though, and the company returned to California in 1949. In 1947, the business briefly shifted from the original shop in San Diego, California to Gothenburg, Nebraska when Lowell lived there for a short time. The company didn't limit itself to pickups for long - in short order, they were also manufacturing steel guitars. At the time, the company focused on creating guitar pickups to help magnify the sound of electric guitars (which had been invented in 1931 and were an established type of instrument by this period). Kiesel Company, named for its founder Lowell C Kiesel.

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