Carvin Guitars?

[cincy_cosmo]

I have a friend that had a Carvin bass. After a string change, the neck looked like the flight deck of a British Aircraft Carrier...flat to a point and then swooped up. I tried adjusting the truss rod, but the truss was already tightened all the way up/and or/ was not working. I put light strings on it and it had the same bend.

 

I called Carvin and they said the guitar was out of warranty (??) and they would not fix it for less than $300.

 

Fender, Gibson and the rest have lifetime warranties (for the original owner). Carvin, I believe, has a 1 year warranty. It says alot about how durable they think their products are.

[bigconig]

I have a friend that had a Carvin bass. After a string change, the neck looked like the flight deck of a British Aircraft Carrier...flat to a point and then swooped up. I tried adjusting the truss rod, but the truss was already tightened all the way up/and or/ was not working. I put light strings on it and it had the same bend. I called Carvin and they said the guitar was out of warranty (??) and they would not fix it for less than $300. Fender, Gibson and the rest have lifetime warranties (for the original owner). Carvin, I believe, has a 1 year warranty. It says alot about how durable they think their products are.

 

 

Carvin has a 5 year warranty on guitars.

[RaVenCAD]

SOLID 1 YEAR WARRANTY
All Carvin products have a full 1 year warranty against manufacturing defects on parts and labor, except wireless systems, and guitar and bass amp tubes which have a 90 day warranty. DCM Series power amps come with a longer warranty of 3 years, while all Custom Shop guitars and basses carry an even longer warranty of 5 years. In fact, if any product becomes defective at any time during its warranty period, we will send that product through our Quality Assurance Lab to ensure that it meets all factory specifications.

[jrfan]

I have a ct6 and a dc135 and both are excellent instruments.
The potentiometers and switches used on these guitars made in 05 and 04
are not the best.
Decent but not the quality of say a CTS brand potentiometer.
I've nerver had a problem but I don't gig either.
The wiring and sheilding is excellent though. Otherwise the guitars are top notch and practically no other production guitar will play any better. I've also had excellent and crappy customer service, it just depends on who picks up the phone.
I believe Carvin has a high employee turnover rate in customer service.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y127/basshnter1/HPIM0900.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y127/basshnter1/HPIM0898.jpg

[cincy_cosmo]

Lifetime > 5 years

 

I guess I had a bad taste in my mouth after talking to the customer rep, who really came off as uncaring, unapologetic and uninterested.

[RaVenCAD]

I've also had excellent and crappy customer service, it just depends on who picks up the phone. I believe Carvin has a high employee turnover rate in customer service.

 

 

I've only had to deal with CS for 3 things.. First being the fact that my Blueburst DC400 came in looking like a black guitar with a blue bruise in the middle. Not what I wanted, so I got a full refund, no questions asked. Went with a CT4 for the rebuild and paid $100 extra to get the specific shade of blue that I wanted. Guitar came, guitar was again too dark, so I got the $100 refunded.. Then bought my DC127 and called them when it had tuning issues. Was told how to properly string the locking tuners and all was well..

 

I've also called them for build tracking purposes, and that's where things have been less than wonderful..

 

What I learned from those calls.. 1 of 2 guys is gonna answer.. Either Bart or Giovanni.. If it's Bart, it's gonna be great. If it's Giovanni, ask for Bart. Giovanni says he's gonna do this, gonna do that, gonna find out and call you back, blah blah blah.. He's never done jack {censored} for me. Bart, on the other hand, goes out of his way to get an answer, a status or whatever.. He calls, he emails, whatever it takes to satisfy, he does. Bart is, I believe, the CS manager and I can see why. So for all you haters complaining about Carvin's CS, be mindful of who you talk to. Ask for Bart and you'll be a LOT happier..

 

Sales guys, again, it depends on who you talk to. My first salesman was a guy named Aaron that didn't really give much of a {censored} it seems.. I told him some specific things about how I wanted the blue, and they didn't happen. I told him again on the rebuild, sent him a picture of what I wanted and again, they didn't happen. For my 3rd build, I took the advice of the people on Carvin's forum and asked for Kevin Wall, and I couldn't ask for a better build.

 

So for me, there are 2 people to deal with at Carvin. Bart in CS and Kevin in sales. Stick with those guys and yer golden. I know, you shouldn't have to pick and choose who you deal with. But if you know certain people are going to be excellent, why would you not take the extra 30 seconds of hold time and ask for them?

 

btw, their lead guitar tech, (sorry, the name escapes me.. Mike? maybe?) is great too.. He took the time to explain how to use the Sperzel tuners to make my DC127T more stable.

[RaVenCAD]

Lifetime > 5 years I guess I had a bad taste in my mouth after talking to the customer rep, who really came off as uncaring, unapologetic and uninterested.

Gibson can do that cuz they charge double with the expectation of having problems. Carvin just builds {censored} right in the first place..

Was his name Giovanni?

[GCDEF]

I'm not calling you a liar, but I question the details of the failure. No guitar, Carvin or otherwise, just flat out stops working instantly unless the player does something stupid to it.. Guitar electronics usually go bad over a period of time, so there is usually plenty of warning before something just dies. Speakers blow instantly, volume pots don't.. Did you/they ever determine what caused the failure?

 

 

Don't know, don't care. I really think it best if you don't start this BS up again.

[RaVenCAD]

Don't know, don't care. I really think it best if you don't start this BS up again.

Who came in here to be all negative? Not me..

"Don't know, don't care" I'm sure you don't, cuz it'd take away one of your favorite posting subjects if you found out it was your fault.. Can't have that now, can we?

[jrfan]

My first ct6 I sent back because of a finish issue I should have lived with.
The guitar was great otherwise and it was minor.
Sent it back they built me another no problems.
I did call about a setup issue with that guitar and the guy on the phone was a total dick, I finally hung up.
My wife bought me a Vintage 16 and the reverb was dead.
Input jack was also faulty.
Called CS and The fellow was very helpfull.
I really wanted the Nomad and he offered me an upgrade and only pay the difference.
Carvin picked up the shipping for both amps.

[lerxstcat]

 

They are superb woodworkers and guitar painters. The quilt tops I've seen in person are spectacular. Many of the guitars they take to NAMM end up in their San Diego factory showroom, and I've purchased and played many... over many years. The necks and action are very fast. In recent years they've gone to a little more beefy necks, and the Holdsworth model is a baseball bat... but every Carvin I've ever tried in their showroom played effortlessly... at least to me. They've made progress in their pickup design, but I bet they could sell twice as many guitars by simply offering other 3rd party pickups a factory options. Even if you had to buy them seperately and ship them for installation... but for whatever reason they're committed completely to their own electronics. Many of the used ones out there have been modded with new pickups... and they are typically excellent values. I've had three Carvin guitars, and enjoyed them, but ultimately sold them... like most... for far less than I paid. Such is life. They are no more "custom" than ordering a car from the factory, and deciding what options you want. You can have anything... as long as it's on the list of options for that model. That still leaves a lot of choices in finish, certain hardware, and so on... but no chance on things like 3rd party pickups, neck shape, and electronics like switches and so on... Plenty of people love their Carvins... and they have every reason to be happy. Plenty of people wouldn't be happy with a Carvin... and they have every reason to feel that way. Like any company, people are also impacted by customer service and support issues. I've personally had exceptional service, but I'm able to go in and talk with people directly... they have TOTALLY satisfied me when they could have stuck by certain rules and made me suffer. Others have not been so lucky. M

 

 

They're a limited option custom shop. Not a real custom shop, but FAR cheaper than a real Custom Shop too. They're not like Fender where a Strat of a certain model, you basically get a choice of finish and fingerboard. You can't add block inlays for $40, that kind of thing, with Fender or Gibson. You have to pick a model that has the inlay, not add it to any model they make like you can with Carvin.

 

I think not offering more options, particularly other brands of pickups, is their way of keeping turnaround time short - around 8 weeks, right? Jackson might offer you a lot more features, but they can't seem to churn out a CS order in under a year. In a year I might not even want some of the things I spec'ed in a custom order.

 

I own a few Carvin guitars and an amp, but the amp is the only thing I bought new. Buy them used and you benefit from the low resale - which is gradually rising, btw. I actually prefer their 80s models anyway, so used is the way to go for me. See something you like, bid or buy it, wait a week to get it shipped. Beats spending 2-3x as much and waiting even the 8 weeks they take. But a lot of people want to spec it out and they pay for it.

 

Kinda funny that someone would make an issue out of not being able to get 24.75" scale on their SH 335-style. the difference between that and 25" scale is very minimal - 1/4" sprad over 22 frets. That is surely close enough unless you have child-size hands.

[RaVenCAD]

Kinda funny that someone would make an issue out of not being able to get 24.75" scale on their SH 335-style. the difference between that and 25" scale is very minimal - 1/4" sprad over 22 frets. That is surely close enough unless you have child-size hands.

SOME people will make issues out of anything..

Why do you prefer the 80's stuff over current issue? I've played current and 90's stuff, and don't notice a huge difference..

[lerxstcat]

SOME people will make issues out of anything.. Why do you prefer the 80's stuff over current issue? I've played current and 90's stuff, and don't notice a huge difference..

 

Well the fit, finish and playability is pretty much the same, but I like the 80s models best basically because of the styles they made at the time. I have a CM130 that hits my Les Paul Jr. Spot, a DC150 that hits my Melody Maker spot, and an early Ultra V that's a round horn with the V headstock so it gives more of a Gibson V impression than the reverse Rhoads look of the later models.

 

I guess being someone who started playing in the 70s and also likes Gibsons, I like some of their more Gibson-influenced models. I do miss my V220 which I had to part with a few years ago too.

 

Also, I like Jacksons, and the 1988 Carvins with the pointy headstocks like the DC127, DC135 and DC145 from that year with the Strat-style bodies are as nice to me as Jackson Soloists are as far as playability and sound.

 

So it's really nothing against the newer models at all, just that I like the older ones - which are also a lot cheaper since you're buying them used. I have really never picked up a Carvin that I didn't like the playability of, and I hit their showroom in Hollywood pretty regularly until I moved back to Mississippi at the end of 2002.

[GCDEF]

Kinda funny that someone would make an issue out of not being able to get 24.75" scale on their SH 335-style. the difference between that and 25" scale is very minimal - 1/4" sprad over 22 frets. That is surely close enough unless you have child-size hands.

I only mentioned that in response to somebody saying they'll build anything as an example of something they won't build.

[lerxstcat]

I only mentioned that in response to somebody saying they'll build anything as an example of something they won't build.

Right, and I even said that was an untrue statement as well, though you chose not to quote that part. But quibbling over 1/4" over the course of 22 to 24 frets is some pretty chicken{censored} quibbling and implies that the dildo up that person's ass is a little uncomfortable for them that day!

The fact is that they make a damn nice semi-hollowbody that should scratch someone's 335 itch rather well, for less money and better playability and QC than a Gibson.

[RaVenCAD]

Well the fit, finish and playability is pretty much the same, but I like the 80s models best basically because of the styles they made at the time. I have a CM130 that hits my Les Paul Jr. Spot, a DC150 that hits my Melody Maker spot, and an early Ultra V that's a round horn with the V headstock so it gives more of a Gibson V impression than the reverse Rhoads look of the later models. I guess being someone who started playing in the 70s and also likes Gibsons, I like some of their more Gibson-influenced models. I do miss my V220 which I had to part with a few years ago too. Also, I like Jacksons, and the 1988 Carvins with the pointy headstocks like the DC127, DC135 and DC145 from that year with the Strat-style bodies are as nice to me as Jackson Soloists are as far as playability and sound. So it's really nothing against the newer models at all, just that I like the older ones - which are also a lot cheaper since you're buying them used. I have really never picked up a Carvin that I didn't like the playability of, and I hit their showroom in Hollywood pretty regularly until I moved back to Mississippi at the end of 2002.

 

 

ahh, I gotcha.. Was afraid they'd gone downhill since the 80's or something.. I'll agree, the older bodystyles were pretty cool. I was introduced to Carvin in about 1988 via the Metal Method videos. Got the catalog and the GAS began.. My dream Carvin back in the day was an Ultra V, black, gold hardware, reverse headstock.. Oh man I wanted that soooooo bad.. Someday, I'll own one in the same color scheme as my DC127.. White with black, reverse headstock, probably NIN.. Too bad I'm not a metal player anymore though =(

[GCDEF]

The fact is that they make a damn nice semi-hollowbody that should scratch someone's 335 itch rather well, for less money and better playability and QC than a Gibson.

 

 

That's not a fact, that's an opinion. They have nothing resembling a 335 in their lineup right now. As to the better QC, depends if you get lucky or not. I've had much better luck with Gibson than Carvin, but that's me.

 

I don't know why you guys take these Carvin threads so personally.

[RaVenCAD]

I don't know why you guys take these Carvin threads so personally.

Why do you? And don't say you don't, cuz we all know better than that...

[bdegrande]

Never owned one of their guitars for two reasons. I don't much care for their standard pickups, especially the humbuckers, and the styling tends to be too pointy-headstock quilted top '80s hair metal for my taste.

 

I did just want to answer the question of what custom shop would build a similar guitar fot the price. Check out www.benfordguitars.com, he is a very good guitar builder and will do anything from Carvin style - pick a basic model and select options, to totally custom builds.

[RaVenCAD]

Never owned one of their guitars for two reasons. I don't much care for their standard pickups, especially the humbuckers, and the styling tends to be too pointy-headstock quilted top '80s hair metal for my taste. I did just want to answer the question of what custom shop would build a similar guitar fot the price. Check out www.benfordguitars.com , he is a very good guitar builder and will do anything from Carvin style - pick a basic model and select options, to totally custom builds.

Interesting site, but they seem to just deal in bolt ons.. Did I miss something?

[lerxstcat]

That's not a fact, that's an opinion. They have nothing resembling a 335 in their lineup right now. As to the better QC, depends if you get lucky or not. I've had much better luck with Gibson than Carvin, but that's me. I don't know why you guys take these Carvin threads so personally.

 

 

Just because it's not in the current catalog doesn't mean they won't build it; they certainly will. As for QC, my experience is that Carvins have better QC and have superior fit and finish to the average Gibson product. That's going back to 1975 dealing with Gibson and 1980 dealing with Carvin. I will admit that Carvins were not as nice until they started making set-neck guitars, with the heelless neck joint.

 

It's not so much us taking these threads seriously as Carvin haters coming in and trying to talk down these guitars. They are as good as or better than the big names that cost a lot more, though the price gap has gotten a lot less in the past 10 years. That's because a lot of people have wised up though, and know that Carvin makes excellent guitars on which you can choose a lot of features for a very reasonable price and quick turnaround.

[lerxstcat]

Never owned one of their guitars for two reasons. I don't much care for their standard pickups, especially the humbuckers, and the styling tends to be too pointy-headstock quilted top '80s hair metal for my taste. I did just want to answer the question of what custom shop would build a similar guitar fot the price. Check out www.benfordguitars.com , he is a very good guitar builder and will do anything from Carvin style - pick a basic model and select options, to totally custom builds.

Those are all bolt-neck 22-fret styles. Carvins are mostly 24-fret neck-through models, so where are the Carvin styles?

Carvins have not had pointy headstocks since 1991 except fot the recent reissues of the Ultra V and V220. Granted they will do a pointy headstock for an extra $125 but it's not their standard headstock. You don't have to order a quilt top or rounded body style, and their TL60 for example is a pretty nice Tele takeoff. Teles are not exactly 80s metal, nor are their SC90 or CT or SC models. More like LPs and PRS.

[GCDEF]

Just because it's not in the current catalog doesn't mean they won't build it; they certainly will. As for QC, my experience is that Carvins have better QC and have superior fit and finish to the average Gibson product. That's going back to 1975 dealing with Gibson and 1980 dealing with Carvin. I will admit that Carvins were not as nice until they started making set-neck guitars, with the heelless neck joint. It's not so much us taking these threads seriously as Carvin haters coming in and trying to talk down these guitars. They are as good as or better than the big names that cost a lot more, though the price gap has gotten a lot less in the past 10 years. That's because a lot of people have wised up though, and know that Carvin makes excellent guitars on which you can choose a lot of features for a very reasonable price and quick turnaround.

 

 

There are a few people here who act like it's my fault my Carvins were lemons. They don't seem to understand or be tolerant of the notion that just because they like their guitars, not every Carvin (or Gibson, or Fender) is as nice as theirs. Blanket statements such as "they are as good as or better than the big names" aren't doing anybody any favors. I saw the potential in my Carvins, and I have no doubt they make the majority of them without the flaws that mine had, but you just can't say unequivocally that Carvins are better than the big names, because while that may be true sometimes, it's far from true always. As I've said more times than I can count, I don't hate Carvin. I use and recommend their PA gear. I just think people who come here and ask should at least be aware of the possibility that they may end up disappointed.

[RaVenCAD]

I just think people who come here and ask should at least be aware of the possibility that they may end up disappointed.

 

 

I think that anyone that can't understand THAT fact is an idiot. All companies are fully capable of farting out a lemon, Carvin included. All we can do is report our personal experiences with the products, and ask questions of others doing the same. My money says that your electronics problems could have been fixed really easily if you'd given them the chance. My black guitar that was sposta be blue, couldn't have.. So I daresay, my 1 failed Carvin was more {censored}ed up that yours.. =)

[ashasha]

My friend just got his CT6 delivered about 2 weeks ago and I haven't heard from him since the day he got it and sent me the initial pictures. I believe that {censored}ing guitar killed him.

Seriously though, he's been playing the {censored} out of it. He's got the usual Gibson LP and Fender tele fair as well as a sweet ass old ES-330 and he told me that none of them touch the Carvin.

Now as with any new purchase you have to allow for the honeymoon period and newness to wear off, but from looking at the specs on the site, hearing him play it over the phone (as if that is any kind of indicator) and seeing the pictures and knowing what an overly anal douchebag he can be about perfection if he likes it that much I know that it is a spectacular instrument.