Winter NAMM 2007

[girevik]

Looks like they're taking orders now:

http://www.carvin.com/products/guitar.php?ItemNumber=NS1

[MorePaul]

they still have a "semi-flat" radius and a sub 2" nut


looks a bit like a "cross-over" guitar for guys 'sorta' interested in classical profiles

[girevik]

I thought I read somewhere comments to the opposite - the neck being "too classical".

My real hope is they'll offer the Hexpander option on electric guitars.

[MorePaul]

I thought I read somewhere comments to the opposite - the neck being "too classical".

you probably did!!
It's going to be based on what the individual user

if, for instance, the player isn't a classical player, but comes from a different background - the "crossover" style may seem not like the steel string or electric neck that they are used to

likewise from a classical background (yeah, I still call it classical, not classic damn it!) it may not be "classical enough"

Godin might be another option for ya as they have RMC pickups with 13 pin access and come in a couple of different neck profiles

[girevik]

I've tried guitars from both Godin and Carvin and prefer the feel of the Carvins. Not that I'm all that great, but I prefer low action and a light touch and the Carvins are suited for that. Surprisingly, the action on the Carvin Holdsworth model (original, not the Fatboy) is actually a little higher than the other models', despite Holdsworth being known for a legato-based style and very, very light picking touch.

[MorePaul]

yup It's totally a case-by-case for each player (for me for instance, "too classical" is like saying "too exactly what I want" -- playing a lot more contrapunctaul stuff..having the extra space is helpful and playing fignerstyle, having a little more action to dig into can be nice)


sounds like you are maybe from more of an electric guitar background?

[tms13pin]

Definitely like a Godin Multiac ACS.

I think Carvin's really missing the boat by not providing the Graphtech
system on all of their guitars. Their Fishman system is very limited in
that they can't do 13-pin with it and there are no Tune-o bridges.
The GHOST system has all that. Why just offer it on a Nylon guitar?

I had to install a GHOST system into my Fatboy myself.



Frontal shot:



--Tom

[girevik]

MorePaul, I'm in a Mogwai-influenced post-rock band, so I definitely need an electric axe to control my upcoming VG-99. I was originally the bassist, playing a Michael Kelly Dragonfly acoustic bass. The other guys were cool with this electro-acoustic bass, but we play so loud that the bass fed back easily. tms13pin, Very nice looking custom work on that Fatboy!

[MorePaul]

MorePaul,

I'm in a Mogwai-influenced post-rock band,

hmm, not familiar with the band, so I can't help you much there

so I definitely need an electric axe to control my upcoming VG-99.


Ah, in that case you may want to go to other-than-nylon totally

My comments were pretty much abt the nylon options with synth access as that's where the thread started
(I was looking at it more as a thread abt the nylon SAs out there as opposed to a "find me a guitar" type thread)

but you may want to look at other options as it sounds like nylon really ain't your game-- there are a number of manufactuerers making piezo hex pickups...and you have the hex mag pickup option too )

[tms13pin]

I've owned a bunch of Godins and now have a bunch of Brian Moores.
I just like the necks on the Moores better, but I thought the Godin's were
fine instruments. Do you need a solidbody electric? Semi-hollow?
Chambered? If you need mag pups in addition to the SA, then these
nylon axes aren't for you (like the Carvin and the Godin Multiac ACS,
which I had as well and it was nice, except I never ended up playing
the nylon as much as I thought I would). I also had a Godin Jazz Multiac
which I really liked, but it only had the front mag and it was really voiced
for jazz... not a problem, but I just wasn't using that very much either.
I might get another one of those someday. If Godin had the SA in
something like the b5X, with a pair of buckers and semihollow, that'd
be nice.

I have a Brian Moore semi-hollow now with 13-pin. Its a fairly thin
semi-hollow, but I love the neck on it, but its a somewhat thin neck
(1 5/8" at the nut, 15" radius... mild C) and not everyone might be
after that. The Fatboy is nice, but the neck is big, and flat. Also
not a problem if you like that, but you'd have to mod one as I did for
SA.

VG-99? Didn't even hear that they were finally coming out with
something! I'll have to poke around for some specs....

Oh, I've heard that the Brian Moore custom shop is closing.
But, the guitars are cheap on ebay now. The custom shop
guitars really are nicer than the iGuitars, though the i2000 axes are
still pretty good, if you're on a budget. Stay away from the i1000
series.

To get back to Carvin... Carvin needs to offer synth access on the
AE-185... a fully adjustable bridge and SA on that axe would be
awesome!

--Tom

[girevik]

I was actually leaning towards this Carvin nylon string at one point because our band had broken up and the singer, who still wanted to work with me, was leaning in a more acoustic direction.

But with the full band back together, priorities changed. I like the feel of the Carvin necks 2nd-best to Parker guitars (which are far out of my budget). The action on their electrics is so incredibly low, yet buzz-free, that people who haven't tried one are going to have a hard time believing it.

Thanks for the heads up on Brian Moores possibly hitting eBay!

An aside on nylon string MIDI axes: I just saw Oregon play last night. Ralph Towner pulled out a Frameworks MIDI nylon string towards the end of the set. The natural string tone was pretty good, IMO, albeit a little more "electric" sounding due to the RMC pickups, compared to only other guitar Towner played that night - his 100% acoustic classical guitar held up against a mic. That guitar looks old enough to have been played since the time Collin Walcott was in the band.

Frameworks has some specs on their nylon string guitars here:

http://www.frameworks-guitars.com/nylon.html

[MorePaul]

yeah - the piezos, in general, tend to have that "ping" to them -- almost too good at transducing right from the string/rsonator interface so you get an exaggerated attack where, acoustically, that attack gets soaked up by the resonator (the body, the air, etc)

Yamaha made units in their "stomp" series (AG and then the acoustic magic) with "mic modelling" to scrub some of that off


for your purposes -- have you considered retrofitting the hex system to a guitar of your choice? (like TMS did)

[MorePaul]

VG-99? Didn't even hear that they were finally coming out with
something! I'll have to poke around for some specs....

Tom - I think the Anderton forum here on H/C has some (not a ton) more info -- I expect Craig will do a review or have more info for ya shortly, so you may want to hit him and that gang up

[girevik]

for your purposes -- have you considered retrofitting the hex system to a guitar of your choice? (like TMS did)

Leaning towards a Switch Innovo. Costs the same as a Graphtech Hexpander system all by itself and just a bit more than a GK pickup. Also, has a good rep in the MIDI guitar community.

[MorePaul]

hey - if it fits your application, use it -- esp if you are going to be using the system more-or-less as a full-time controller/generator as opposed to a guitar with hex proccessing option

[girevik]

Carvin announcing a Hexpander option on multiple electric guitar models would completely change my decision, of course.

[MorePaul]

write em and see if they'd be willing to do a retrofit to a current model
Or you could get the carvin of your choice and retrofit yourself

will it cost? it could, but that's the price we pay to get what we want -- it's the balance

whenever we guitarists feel "wow, stuff costs" -- I have a simple cure - I walk up to a cellist and ask him how much a set of those Larsen strings cost..or his bow

Or I talk to a bassoonist

[girevik]

whenever we guitarists feel "wow, stuff costs" -- I have a simple cure - I walk up to a cellist and ask him how much a set of those Larsen strings cost..or his bow

I play cello, actually.

[Killa J]

As of now, they do not offer it left handed

That probably doesn't affect many of you, but I'll have to look into something else, I guess.

[MorePaul]

I'm ahead of you there. Posted to their Product Suggestions forum.

I'd call sales - you know how it goes..."I wish" vs "here's money"



I play cello, actually.

rock on you know the drill

(for those kibbitzing and not familiar with that world - Larsen strings go for abt $200 and a good concert Brazilwood bow is gonna run ya $2k+ : places like Ifshin break their bows into price ranges...under $1K, $1-3K,3-6K, and $6K+

Though hopefully that'll change...I recently got a change to try those Tabary carbon bows and I must say they are pretty neat - the wonderful thing is they are way consistent -
While the codas are solid equipment - the tabary kicks ass)

- what'cha playin?