Anyone use Carvin guitars?

[Big Jim]

I was hoping I could get some feed back from users that use a carvin guitar with their VG-99.
They seem very nice.
http://www.carvinguitars.com/catalog/guitars/hf2s
thanks.
jim

[Elantric]

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https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=2978.0

There are many Carvin owners here

[hading]

I hadn't thought about it this way before, but I use two of the big 13-pin guitar manufacturers, but in each case with a GK-3, not a built in 13-pin model. A Carvin DC-127 and Godin Progression.

Carvins seem to be quite polarizing. Clearly I and many others like them, but it's pretty easy to find people who hate them too. A lot of what many people dislike about them are the electronics, which is less important in this application.

[montyrivers]

I use Carvin, not because it's a good GK guitar, but because it's one of the most cost effective way to get an american made factory custom guitar that has all of the features you'd expect in a quality instrument.  I installed an after market gk3 internal pickup on my ST300 and I couldn't be happier.  The weight, tone, precision, it's all great.  You definitely get a great value for your money.

[aliensporebomb]

Another ST300 Carvin user here:



But really even without the GK pickup it's just a lovely wonderful guitar all by itself:

[montyrivers]

I hadn't thought about it this way before, but I use two of the big 13-pin guitar manufacturers, but in each case with a GK-3, not a built in 13-pin model. A Carvin DC-127 and Godin Progression.

Carvins seem to be quite polarizing. Clearly I and many others like them, but it's pretty easy to find people who hate them too. A lot of what many people dislike about them are the electronics, which is less important in this application.

I second the electronics argument.  Anything outside of a simple passive pickup and some pots is usually very cumbersome and somewhat bland, at least in terms of internal preamps (don't much like their active bass guitar electronics).

[hading]

I second the electronics argument.  Anything outside of a simple passive pickup and some pots is usually very cumbersome and somewhat bland, at least in terms of internal preamps (don't much like their active bass guitar electronics).

My aforementioned DC127 has passives (M22N and T, I think) and is probably what I like best, but that's also colored by the fact that it was my first guitar and the only one that I had for almost ten years, so to me it just sounds like me more than anything else.  At that point I got a DC727 with active electronics. I don't use that as much. When I do I'm often pleasantly surprised by it - during the down times I kind of forget that it has its own thing going on and some good sounds. I find that I don't actually wind up using the active tone controls all that much, and it's worth noting that Carvin sets up the circuit so that you can bypass the internal preamp and have a passive circuit (with a passive tone control). Still, I like the DC127 better. Either way, I think that to like them you have to be contented that they have their own thing going on and are not going to sound like something else.

[aliensporebomb]

I should mention - the guitar I have is a maple cap on a mahogany body with the maple thru neck and an ebony fingerboard.  It's got a very nice growly tone.  Some friends have Carvin instruments and one friend had an all maple DC200 and the same friend had a SC90 with a maple top and an unspecified body wood but their guitars sounded more trebly whereas mine sounds more like a Les Paul than a strat (although it can do a convincing strat sound in the 2nd position).

If you spec out your guitar with "tried and true" combinations of woods you should do okay for yourself I think, the neck is not to be believed and the stainless steel frets will spoil you.

[ericar123]

I have played my Brother in law's Carvin carved top with Floyd Rose and it is perfect. Every bit as nice as a PRS at half the price. Top quality, many good sounds and setup very well right out of the box. I have a Carvin V3 amp that
I bought used and it is a monster.

[Ingesecition]

I've only bought 1 new Carvin, all others have been used because I've always been able to get them cheap. They are incredible guitars that don't hold resell value.

[jwhitcomb3]

Really digging my Holdsworth Fatboy 2 with synth access. Been playing it with flatwound strings and getting tones from jazzbox to tele. It is a bit sensitive to weather changes, but it is not hard to adjust. In retrospect, I should have gotten a 5 piece neck.

[Big Jim]

I recently contacted Carvin about which of their guitars have the 13 pin out (midi/synth as they like to put it) and their response was;
" The guitars that we offer with the 13 pin midi ouput are as follows:
NS1-Nylon synth guitar
SH575 -Steel string
HF2S- holdsworth fatboy
FG1S-The Frank Gambale model
Sh675-Steel String guitar with flamed maple top
Sh475-Steel string with plain maple top
SH275-modeled after the AE185 acoustic Electric guitar
SH65-modeled after our tl60 guitar
* note: All synth guitar models are "semi hollow" construction.  We do not offer solid body guitars with synth access.
thanks
Eddie"

This kinda settled my dilemma because I was looking for a solid body. Too many bad experiences with hollow body.
Thanks for all the input.

[germanicus]

Had bad experiences with Carvin. I own one of their 5 string basses, and owned a Holdsworth Fatboy. The bass has had electronics problems, and the bridge literally fell apart. It was cheap pot metal. Had to replace it entirely.

The fatboy was extremely sensitive to weather and had severe neck issues. It was also extremely microphonic, to the point I couldn't use it live. I think they make pretty guitars, but their quality/workmanship has been poor in my experience.

[aliensporebomb]

Wow, that's really unfortunate.  My friends Kevin and Jeff have owned Carvin guitars for years and never experienced anything like that but there's always the opportunity for a lemon to slip thru but for you to get two that's really unfortunate.  I've only had mine a year but so far so good.

What are you playing now Germanicus that has worked for you?

[germanicus]

Wow, that's really unfortunately.  My friends Kevin and Jeff have owned Carvin guitars for years and never experienced anything like that but there's always the opportunity for a lemon to slip thru but for you to get two that's really unfortunate.

What are you playing now Germanicus that has worked for you?

Yeah lol, I was disappointed as I really liked some of the finish options/woods available on the Carvins. Additionally, the holdsworth had a really pretty tone and feel to it. I couldn't get the neck adjusted as it had a subtle side twist in it, that couldn't be cured via truss rod adjustments. Claro Walnut top as well. Maybe ill give Carvin another shot in a few years. I still use the 5 string bass, but have had to have an after market bridge installed. None of my other basses have had their bridges literally fall apart (the string claws in particular).

Now Im using a JTV 59p and a Godin LGX-SA with a JTV69 as backup. None of them are the 'looker' that the holdsworth was, but functionally they are fantastic. The godin in particular plays very well and uniformly.

The other thing with Carvin and their Synth Access is that i've heard stuff about the ghost systems and noise. To the extent that people were disconnecting the preamps to minimize it. Maybe this has been ironed out recently.

Maybe a holdsworth with a triple play internal install would be cool!

[GovernorSilver]

Really digging my Holdsworth Fatboy 2 with synth access. Been playing it with flatwound strings and getting tones from jazzbox to tele. It is a bit sensitive to weather changes, but it is not hard to adjust. In retrospect, I should have gotten a 5 piece neck.

Nice color!

I once owned a Fatboy.  I got feedback with it easily, but never tested extensively to figure out if it was the pickup or my budget line amp.  I'd heard that the Holdsworth pickups manufactured by Carvin are not wax-potted against feedback.  I later sold it because I wasn't using it as much as I thought I would.

[jwhitcomb3]

Nice color!

I once owned a Fatboy.  I got feedback with it easily, but never tested extensively to figure out if it was the pickup or my budget line amp.  I'd heard that the Holdsworth pickups manufactured by Carvin are not wax-potted against feedback.  I later sold it because I wasn't using it as much as I thought I would.

Thanks! My buddy says it feels like playing an ice cream cone.

I have the S22 pickups on it, and have not had feedback problems, but I don't do much high gain stuff. Also, since I mostly play it through my GR-55, I use the hex pickups and COSM modeled pickups a bunch.

Overall, I am very pleased with the guitar, and am considering ordering another.

[glampins]

I actually own 5 Carvin guitars, (2) AE185, 6 and 12 string, a CT6M, an older one I purchased used that I have yet identified and a SH575. The 575 pictured came midi ready and I added GK3s to the CT6M and the 6 string AE185. For the money they can't be beat and the SH575 is the best feeling guitar I've ever owned.

[jwhitcomb3]

Dang, that's purty! Love the back wood. What is it?

[glampins]

It's actually koa. Carvin does great work.

[EJROCKS]

My Carvin with 13 pin jack built in.  I love it.  Gold hardware with the bigsby trem.   The acoustic patches come alive with this guitar.  Carvin is awesome.

[EJROCKS]

My guitar never showed up.  Hopefully this will work.

[GovernorSilver]

Before this Keith McMillen StrongArm thing came out, I was thinking of getting a fixed-bridge FG-1 with the Graphtech hex pickup option.  What few reviews I've read of it seemed positive.

[amplayer]

I actually own 5 Carvin guitars, (2) AE185, 6 and 12 string, a CT6M, an older one I purchased used that I have yet identified and a SH575. The 575 pictured came midi ready and I added GK3s to the CT6M and the 6 string AE185. For the money they can't be beat and the SH575 is the best feeling guitar I've ever owned.

I've been pining for a SH575 for quite some time now.

How do you like the regular mag pickups on the SH575? 
I live in the San Diego area.  I tried an SH575 a couple years ago.  I really liked it, but its mag pickups were good but not great.  If I were to buy one, I *might* want to swap out the mag pickups for something else, but not sure what.

Also, how well do you like the interface to Roland stuff (VG-99 or GR-55) from the SH575?

I will say that your SH575 is really beautiful.  What is the wood and options you selected on it?  Did you get regular frets or Stainless?

[glampins]

This SH575 is actually the first Carvin guitar that I didn't custom order. It sat on their "new guitar" website for the longest time. The wood is koa which I always liked but couldn't make it look great on some of the models I bought previously. When I saw it on the semi-hollow body I knew it was for me. The frets are stainless and I run mostly midi through a GR-55. There were no setup issues and to date it has been flawless. The mag pickups run through an older Boss GR-6 into a Mesa Boogie Lonestar with no complaints. I feel that Carvin has improved their pickups over the years as compared to my older guitars. The Bigsby was already installed along with the wooden knobs. I have only tested the Fishman for the acoustic mode and it sounded great. Like I said earlier, it's the best playing guitar I've ever owned and I've had a bunch over the years. My bass player was in the market for a 6 string and liked it so much that he told Carvin to build him one with the same specs but fewer bells and whistles.