Grateful Dead Music Forum

Got me a new 25.5 scale Kiesel Aries 6 to finally dedicate for Jerrycaster-ness & earnestly go for the tone... got the bug pretty bad lurking around here last couple years & want to have a close as possible (but within reason) reach-n-grab Jerry guitar. Snagged the SMS JG version, already have a Weber ceramic Cali alum dome since 2006 I'm hoping will work, also when I started playing I played metal in 90's so happen to have good ss rack amp (H&K CF200), so now I've been psuedo-Jerry-tonin' it for a while & also attempting his style changes, but I have lame ass ailments (psoratic arthritis mainly), need very good comfort in right shoulder /arm to play longer than 15 min practice times so went ahead & ordered the Aries... "Jearies" I called it... I know, I'mma nerdola! (but I bet you all are too so ha)

I have (yet to install): new SD for bridge, SDII for neck, & a Walker custom split SDII into sc for middle.

TBH, not sure if it'll ever have the OBEL or buffer, unless this truly doesn't work or someone near me can do it cheap (Portland, OR) but I don't want to ship it off. I'm just a hobby player, however I want that Tiger tone dammit & with only bedroom playing is it really truly needed? I'm hoping the pu with my ss amp & speaker will suffice but in long run I'll do it... but it'll be a while!

I love this thing so far. Same killer neck as my SH65, but that bevel just rules!

Specs just for heck of it:

-Kiesel Aries 6 with Hipshot bridge (25.5" scale 24 fret bolt-on)
-Kiesel Lithium pickups (HSH)
-Maple neck, Walnut body
-Black Limba top / headstock
-Tung-oil finish body & back of neck
-Royal Ebony fretboard
-Offset MOP dots with "K" inlay at 12th fret
-Luminlay glow side dots
-Stainless med / jumbo frets
-Black Chrome hardware, Rosewood volume & tone knobs
-"Jearies" engraving
-Soft case (yet it's pretty rigid / heavy duty)

Threw together this unboxing / tone test vid last night & today...



pics:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69141893@ ... 7326870182

whoa, nice axe!

I'd like to know how you like the stainless steel frets

I think Jerry had them on his TBeans and that that
contributed great to that liquid vibrato he had 76-77

Cool guitar. If you are going to be playing at bedroom levels, then your going to want good, clear tone at low volume on the guitar. To get that, you'll need the buffer, and a 25k volume pot. Without it, when you turn your guitar volume Down, you will lose clarity and chime. These elements are crucial to Jerry's tone. Enjoy!

DaveAlembic wrote: I'd like to know how you like the stainless steel frets

I love em for the durability... I don't wanna deal with refrets, leveling etc. They def add some brightness & are slick. They only upcharge $40 for them.
Or they also offer EVO gold same price (of course it's not actual gold) which is exactly middle between SS & nickle in hardness.

Searing75 wrote:Cool guitar. If you are going to be playing at bedroom levels, then your going to want good, clear tone at low volume on the guitar. To get that, you'll need the buffer, and a 25k volume pot. Without it, when you turn your guitar volume Down, you will lose clarity and chime. These elements are crucial to Jerry's tone. Enjoy!

Ok thanks! I do have my Weber in a iso-box (& mic'd into a USB I/O into DAW), so for my setup the main JG tone will be via studio mons from that box, otherwise I may have to get dif cab I 'spose.

Heck it's just me & my gal, no kids, mostly empty house cept for toys so I "can" be loud, but you know... it's only a normal size kids' bedroom / jamroom so = easy ear fatigue / damage. It's like we need a small venue-size basement for proper setup to be loud enough to get our dang tone! Even then it'd still be waaaaay loud! lol

I'm also tempted to ditch analog & get an AxeFxII to solve this issue... but I fear down the road I'll regret it if we get a bigger place, etc.

Sweet guitar...enjoy!