The Kiesel Aries is one of the most innovative and highly regarded guitars in the world of custom-made instruments. As part of the Kiesel Guitars lineup, the Aries combines cutting-edge technology, top-tier craftsmanship, and modern aesthetics to deliver an instrument that meets the needs of discerning guitarists across a wide range of genres. With a focus on playability, versatility, and tone, the Kiesel Aries has earned a reputation for being a high-performance guitar that excels in both the studio and live settings.
From its sleek, ergonomic design to its customizable features and premium materials, the Kiesel Aries offers guitarists the perfect blend of comfort, power, and precision. Whether you’re a shredder, a soloist, or a player who values extended-range capabilities, the Aries provides the ideal platform for artistic expression and technical mastery.
Kiesel Guitars: The Legacy of Innovation
Founded in 1946 as Carvin, Kiesel Guitars has been synonymous with high-quality craftsmanship, cutting-edge designs, and innovation in the guitar industry. Known for producing custom-made instruments that offer exceptional value for money, Kiesel has become a go-to choice for professional musicians and guitar enthusiasts worldwide.
The Kiesel Aries is part of the brand’s dedication to creating instruments that provide ultimate playability and tonal versatility, while also allowing musicians to fully personalize their guitars to fit their unique styles.
The Design Philosophy of the Kiesel Aries
Ergonomic Body and Construction
One of the standout features of the Kiesel Aries is its ergonomic design, crafted with the modern guitarist in mind. Whether you are playing for hours at a time in the studio or performing on stage, the Aries offers ultimate comfort while maintaining a lightweight feel. This design is particularly appealing for players who prefer long playing sessions or extensive touring without feeling fatigued.
- Body Material: Kiesel offers a variety of wood options for the Aries, including Alder, Swamp Ash, Mahogany, and Basswood. These choices impact the tone of the guitar, allowing players to select a model that best suits their desired sound.
- Alder provides a balanced tone with good mids and high-end clarity.
- Mahogany delivers a warmer, fuller sound with a bit more midrange emphasis.
- Swamp Ash brings a brighter tone with pronounced highs and tight lows, ideal for aggressive playing styles.
- Lightweight and Comfortable: The Aries’ body is sculpted to minimize weight while still providing optimal resonance and sustain. The guitar features contoured edges and a swept neck joint, ensuring that it sits comfortably against the player’s body.
- Sleek Finish: Kiesel offers a wide range of custom finishes for the Aries, from traditional solid colors to burst finishes and unique custom designs. The high-gloss or satin finishes not only look stunning but also protect the guitar from wear and tear.
The Neck and Playability
The Kiesel Aries is designed to offer an extremely fast and comfortable playing experience. The neck profile, fretboard, and scale length are all engineered with one goal in mind: to help players achieve maximum performance with minimal effort.
- Neck Construction: Kiesel offers a variety of neck options, including bolt-on, set-neck, and neck-through construction. Neck-through construction, in particular, enhances sustain and resonance by eliminating the joint between the body and neck, resulting in seamless playing and better tonal transmission.
- The Carve necks feature custom profiles to suit different playing styles, whether you prefer a thin neck for fast runs or a thicker neck for added stability.
- Fingerboard: Kiesel gives players the choice of Ebony, Rosewood, Maple, and other premium tonewoods for the fretboard.
- Ebony is favored for its smoothness, quick response, and bright, clear highs.
- Rosewood adds warmth and richness, with complex overtones, making it ideal for jazz and blues.
- Maple offers a bright, snappy attack, ideal for players who want clear articulation in every note.
- Scale Length and Fretboard Radius: The standard 25.5″ scale length offers a tight string tension and makes the guitar ideal for fast, technical playing. Additionally, Kiesel offers a variety of fretboard radii (such as 12″ or 16″) to match the player’s preferences, whether they favor the ease of bending notes or the precision of flat frets for fast runs.
Pickups and Electronics
The pickups and electronics of the Kiesel Aries are engineered for maximum tonal versatility and clarity. Kiesel gives players the option to customize their pickup configurations, allowing them to tailor the guitar to fit their needs. Whether you’re looking for high-output humbuckers or single-coil clarity, the Aries can accommodate your preferences.
- Pickup Configuration: Kiesel offers the H-H (humbucker-humbucker) and H-S-H (humbucker-single-humbucker) configurations. Players can choose from a variety of Kiesel Lithium pickups, Seymour Duncan, or EMG pickups, which offer a range of tone options from bright cleans to high-gain distortion.
- Kiesel Lithium Humbuckers are designed to offer crystal-clear cleans, tight low-end response, and powerful midrange, making them ideal for genres like rock, metal, and progressive music.
- Seymour Duncan pickups are available in various models that range from vintage warmth to high-output aggression, perfect for players who demand versatility.
- Active Electronics: The Kiesel Aries is also equipped with active electronics that allow you to precisely shape your tone. Tone controls, volume knobs, and a three-way pickup selector allow for a wide range of sonic possibilities, while the active preamp provides added power, clarity, and sustain.
- Switching Systems: The Aries includes modern coil-splitting options to allow players to access a wide variety of tones, from bright single-coil clarity to beefy humbucker thickness. This flexibility makes it suitable for everything from crunchy rhythm work to searing lead lines.
Sound and Tone
The Kiesel Aries is a highly versatile guitar, capable of delivering everything from clean, sparkling tones to high-gain aggression with ease. The combination of premium woods, custom pickups, and active electronics allows the Aries to shine in a wide variety of musical genres.
- Clean Tones: When played clean, the Aries produces articulate and balanced tones with good note definition. Whether you’re playing funk, pop, or jazz, the guitar will capture every nuance of your performance.
- High-Gain Tones: The Aries excels in rock, metal, and progressive genres. With the powerful humbuckers, the Aries delivers tight low-end, punchy mids, and articulate highs, perfect for shredding solos, chunky riffs, and heavy breakdowns.
- Versatility: Thanks to its customizable electronics, players can achieve a wide array of tones, making it suitable for everything from alternative rock to experimental jazz, metal, and even blues.
Customization Options
Kiesel’s Aries series is fully customizable, allowing you to choose from an impressive range of options to suit your specific preferences. Some of the customization options available include:
- Tonewoods: Choose from Alder, Mahogany, Swamp Ash, or other premium materials.
- Pickups: Customize your pickups with options such as Kiesel Lithium Humbuckers, Seymour Duncan, or EMG pickups.
- Neck Profile: Choose your preferred neck carve and fretboard radius for ultimate playability.
- Finishes: Kiesel offers a variety of finishes including gloss, satin, and custom burst finishes.
- Hardware: Select from various bridge systems, tuners, and additional hardware options.