The Guitar Player's Resource
When you've got Marty Friedman's range - from those iconic Megadeth solos to his groundbreaking instrumental work - you need a guitar that refuses to be pigeonholed, something that's equally at home with aggressive metal and delicate musical expression.
Some guitars earn their stripes over decades, and the V220 is exactly that kind of survivor. As Kiesel's oldest model still in production, this X-style instrument has weathered musical trends that would have killed lesser designs - and it's still here for good reason.
When the V220 first gained traction in the '80s, it was riding the wave of players who needed an instrument that could deliver both visual impact and serious performance. That neck-through construction wasn't just about looking cool - though it certainly does that - it was about giving players sustain that goes on forever and upper fret access that feels like the guitar was designed around your hand.
The resurgence in the 2000s proved something important: good design doesn't go out of style, it just waits for players to rediscover what works.
This particular build showcases exactly why the V220 has staying power. That translucent nightburst over burled maple creates visual depth that catches stage lights like fire, while the five-piece black limba neck with maple stripes provides both stunning looks and rock-solid stability. The Floyd Rose tremolo system gives you those dive-bomb effects that made '80s guitar so distinctive, but it's balanced by Kiesel's modern manufacturing precision that keeps it in tune.
Those Lithium pickups with beryllium gold poles deliver the clarity and punch that modern recording demands, while the ebony fingerboard with abalone inlays feels as good as it looks under stage lights.
The bottom line? The V220 survived because it solves real problems for working guitarists, not because it follows trends.
Right Handed
Floyd Rose Tremolo
Translucent Nightburst
Burled Maple Top
Clear Gloss Finish
Black Limba Neck & Body
5-Piece Black Limba Neck w/ 2 Maple Stripes
Painted Satin Finish Back Of Neck
Neck Covered By Optional Top Wood
Burled Maple Headstock
Reverse Pointed Angled 6s Headstock
Ebony Fingerboard
Block Inlays
Abalone Inlay Material
Gold Jumbo Frets .055" H .110" W
14in Fretboard Radius (Standard)
Gold Hardware
Kiesel Lithium Passive Bridge Pickup
Kiesel Lithium Passive Neck Pickup
Black Pickup Coils
Kiesel Lithium/Beryllium Gold Pickup Poles
Abalone Logo
Engraved Truss Rod Cover Black
