Carvin

[EscalonJon]

How about Carvin? Super high quality, custom order, factory direct guitars (and amps, and other musical equipment). Does anybody out there have experience with Carvin guitars or own one? I have a Carvin Bel Air amp and love it. I would like to maybe order a California Carved Top in the future. They sure are purdy. I've seen them in person and they look, feel, and sound great. About half the price of PRS. They seem like very serious guitars. What do you think?

 

[Robert]

Hey, Allan Holdsworth plays them, doesn't he? I'm sure they must be good then. They have nice amps too I hear.

 

[tehuti]

I have one of their solid state amps and it's great. Fortunately for me Carvin has a few retail stores in the area. So I have had an opportunity to test drive some of their guitars and amps in the store. Excellent quality. If you don't mind looking and sounding a little different from the rest of the herd Carvin is not a bad choice.

 

[EscalonJon]

tehuti,

I picked up my Bel Air 2x12 at the Santa Ana store and the extension cab in Hollywood. My only tube amp. Not totally versatile, but very nice tone after swapping out to JJ Tesla tubes. Actually pretty nice tone before, but I'm high on the JJs, they made a pretty noticeable and positive improvement. (tone being subjective, of course)

Where do you live? I'm in the Central Valley inland from the East SF Bay. I grew up in Fullerton, and lived in Anaheim till 1991.

 

[tehuti]

Where do you live? I'm in the Central Valley inland from the East SF Bay. I grew up in Fullerton, and lived in Anaheim till 1991.

Actually I live in Fullerton!

 

[Tomko]

Carvin guitars

I have two Carvins. I think you get what you pay for but be carefull about the pickups. The first one I bought several years ago was a TL60 with two humbuckers and two single to dual coils switches and a three way. I had MV series pickups I think and they had to go for SD JB bridge and 59 neck. Much better. But the guitar, which I still own but I'm thinking about selling, is a maple neck thru with poplar or alder wings (they were changing right about that time). It doesn't quite have it when it comes to tone. I think it's too stiff due to the maple neck thru (ebony board). However the guitar is very well built and is structurally sound. And it looks pretty good. Haven't had a problem with it. It's a good all around guitar that just lacks that magic tone. The second one I bought is a SH250 recently. I'd been waiting for a 22 fret glued in neck. I love the 25 inch scale. I am very happy with it and the pickups. My favorite guitar right now. 22 fret, ebony on mahogany neck glued in- not through. Body is semi-hollow mahogany with maple top. I got the vintage PAF style bridge pickup- not the hot one. And I got the lowest impedance, brightest neck pickup (not sure they still offer it). It's got vol and tone pull for single coil. This guitar has much more expression and does the humbucking and single coil thing very well. I think their overall quality has gone down a little in the last 10 years but they are still very well constructed instruments. Just watch out for the "hot" pickups and get a mahogany neck thru if you want to go that way. Just my opinion. Cheers!:beer:

 

[Robert]

Cool! Carvin make great guitars. :master:

 

[mrmudcat]

I have 3 carvin guitars 2x on the 220 one old from 80's one new made of swamp ash with maple neck!! Oh yea cali carve top .and whats that yep a x100b stack from 80's with celstion cabs!!! Head is from early 90's fuzzy head:master:


http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=5122

The 84 not shown is white with the original kahler pro trem !!!!

Never got the copperhead cs but got a nice gibby for my boys ........chase is my oldest holding the cali ct:rockon:

 

[LeftyBlues]

Well you can drop $3-4K on a Gibson or $750-$1500 on a Carvin. We lefthanders loooove Carvin, get any flavor we want with no price hit. I have a Carvin acoustic that a luthier friend just drooled over, just picked up a California single cut that just blows my mind. If you're not hung up on name recognition, buy a Carvin!!!! Family owned, made in San Diego (they make their own p/ups too) and killer quality. If you don't like it send it back, all you pay is shipping. Yea it's a risk because you can't grab one off the local dealer rack and try it, but I can't imagine many get sent back. Oh yea, they're made to order in whatever flavor you want. Can't go wrong.
L.B.
p.s. no I don't work for them!

 

[duhvoodooman]

It's not just you lefties.....

We righthanders love 'em, too!!

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?p=143397#post143397

 

[guitardan777]

I have 2 of them and have played several other models that rock.

My Y2K Bolt:
I was in the market for a strat type, but with a fixed bridge.
Fenders in the same category / quality were $1K or better.
This bad boy delivered to my door w/ my specs $575.00
I changed the original 3 single coil PG for an HSS config. and later swapped the singles for the Carvin TB60's (single sized HB's)

My 2004 Bolt Plus T:
Wanted a dual HB w/ a trem, this fit the bill...in spades : )
Changed out the stock pups for some DiMarzio's, but the original Carvin's were good too. Just experimental seeking to get some more out of it, and gained ~ 10% improvement.

 

[aeolian]

I used to own a Carvin. It was a 1981 DC200 with solid koa body and neck with an ebony fretboard. I bought it out of the catalog because koa is such a beautiful wood. The workmanship was excellent and the guitar feels extremely solid.

I eventually sold it in 2008 because I did not play it very much and the neck was on the thin side (they all were if they were from the early 80s).

 

[guitardan777]

Love that KOA....

One day I'll have to get me some of that Hawiian goodness.....

 

[hubberjub]

I used to own a Carvin. It was a 1981 DC200 with solid koa body and neck with an ebony fretboard. I bought it out of the catalog because koa is such a beautiful wood. The workmanship was excellent and the guitar feels extremely solid.

I eventually sold it in 2008 because I did not play it very much and the neck was on the thin side (they all were if they were from the early 80s).

I love the early 80's Carvins. They sort of have an Alembic vibe with all the wood and switches. The only Carvin I've ever owned was a DC727. It was walnut with a laminated neck. I wanted a seven string and this was the only one I could find that didn't look like a nu-metal guitar. I was stupid and sold it to justify buying another guitar to myself. I'll never do that again.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Love the used CT6M I bought on eBay a few months back. Sounds and plays as good as it looks:

 

[aeolian]

The only Carvin I've ever owned was a DC727. It was walnut with a laminated neck. I wanted a seven string and this was the only one I could find that didn't look like a nu-metal guitar.

That DC727 is really cool, and that neck without markers is simply beautiful.

Carvin is one of very few companies that use walnut for guitar wood. I heard they sound exceptional. In a way Carvin is quite innovative. They are one of the first companies to use koa, and then walnut for guitars.

Sadly I haven't been keeping up with their product line for several years now.

 

[Bossfan]

I have a California carved top. LOVE IT. The tone from my humbuckers is great - not muddy. It has the coil tap so you can go single coil, which aren't as clear as a good strat, but certainly respectable and makes for a versatile instrument. The finish work was first rate, with comfortable neck, nice fret finishing, and I love the quilted maple top. I splurged and got the abalone inlays which I think look great. Setup from the factory was also excellent, with great playability and low action, but without fret buzz. As you can see from the catalog and online, you have significant choices which make ordering a Carvin fun and truly custom, for a significantly lower investment than a custom Gibson.

I was a little worried about ordering without playing, but they have a return policy and I took a leap of faith. Very happy with the purchase.

The only complaint was a very long delay in production and shipping with minimal communication from Carvin. I think it was an unusual circumstance, though, and not normal.

Buy Carvin!!!

 

[guitardan777]

I was a little worried about ordering without playing, but they have a return policy and I took a leap of faith. Very happy with the purchase.
Buy Carvin!!!

I felt the same way because without being able to play it how are you going to know if you like the way it feels and sounds. Mine was delivered ahead of schedule and much to my surprise, it was set up perfectly and in tune when I
pulled it out of the box and case. And that was shipped UPS ground from CA to Michigan.......:AOK