Why the Carvin Firesale on Cobalts?

[guit30]

These Korean guitars list for $800 , laminate sides and back. A Taylor 110 lists for less. Does anyone own one? They have gone from $399 to $329 to $299.

The reason I ask about guitars not found in stores is because the affordable acoustics in stores are pretty much junk imo except for Alvarez and now their quality seems to be slipping.

My local store carries Dean, Crafter, Ibanez and Alvarez. The first 3 have some nice looking guitars, but sure are not player friendly or sound good. Their Alvarez's easily beat out the competition.

GC guitars have lots of cheap guitars and their upper end guitars do not seem to be in good shape. I like my RD20 alot, but am always looking for something with more bottom end, but don't think I'll ever find a guitar easier for me to play than the one I have.

Jim

[Hudman]

That was their regular price a year and half ago. The price is fair considering they are made by Cort.

[Bitt81]

There is a fair amount of positive feelings toward the Cobalts. I own a C780 Jumbo. They have the 10 day free trial. Mine looked so much nicer when it arrived compared to the photo on the web site. The graining on the mahogony backs is beautiful. The workmanship is very clean as well.

It came out of the case set up perfectly and in tune. I didn't need the 10 days to make my decision.

I have a brother-in-law who wants to start playing and I recommended that he look at the C250. At $299, I think it is a very good deal. Excellent sounding guitar.

[macmoondoggie]

I've had a C750 for about a year. Love it!

[Etienne Rambert]

Laminate sides & back?

$800?

 

You've got to be kidding.

[Cldplytkmn]

Originally posted by marcellis Laminate sides & back? $800? You've got to be kidding.

 

 

for that much you can fly to saigon, buy a hooker, hire a little kid to cut down a tree, hire another kid to dive in the ocean to get some fresh abalone, and get a custom guitar made.

[Etienne Rambert]

$800 is pretty cheap for a ticket. This time of year, it's going to cost $1100-1200, depending on where you fly from.

 

But except for the ticket, the other items on your list are extremely cheap. But forget Grovers or Schallers. And forget getting a decent set of strings in country. And the hardshell cases are hit or miss. $20. But for $20 the quality varies from adequate to less than adequate.

[guit30]

No more experimenting, like my Alvarez, don't think a Cort will be better, had a Cort Fender DG20S in the 90's, nice guitar, not as nice as my current Alvarez
Jim

[bsman]

Originally posted by guit30 These Korean guitars list for $800 , laminate sides and back.

 

 

 

Carvin list prices are meaningless, and therefore not germaine to the conversation.

[lechip]

Originally posted by guit30 No more experimenting, like my Alvarez, don't think a Cort will be better, had a Cort Fender DG20S in the 90's, nice guitar, not as nice as my current Alvarez Jim

i have an Alvarez RD8 - and I'm amazed at how good it sounds.

[guit30]

Just got a Carvin catalog, their price for the Cobalt 250 is $429 plus $20 shipping and you have to buy a $59 case, for that I would get a Taylor 110. It's funny, there are actually 3 prices that you can get this guitar, $299, $329, or $429, it depends where you look
Jim

[Greg Bogoshian]

In the first place, they are laminate sides. Backs are solid. I am told that even the rosewood backs are now solid. I really get annoyed when false information gets printed and accepted as gospel.

In the second place, laminate does not mean cheap or bad. If you choose to believe it is, well, that is your choice and you are welcome to it. Laminates do have a lot of advantages if used properly and the guitar is well designed and engineered. If you gig a lot in a variety of conditions, this will become abundantly apparent.

Thirdly, what you get from Carvin is probably the consistently best fretwork and setup you will get on any guitar. They do that and install the nut and saddle along with the setup and fret dressing at their factory in California. Mine came to me several years ago in mid-winter and it was in perfect tune. I have made one trussrod adjustment in the 4.5 years I have owned it. They are made by the same company that builds the PRS Santana. I don't know if that is Cort, but they are extremely well crafted guitars. No, I do not work for Carvin, nor am I an endorser.

[Hudman]

Originally posted by Greg Bogoshian In the first place, they are laminate sides. Backs are solid. I am told that even the rosewood backs are now solid. I really get annoyed when false information gets printed and accepted as gospel. In the second place, laminate does not mean cheap or bad. If you choose to believe it is, well, that is your choice and you are welcome to it. Laminates do have a lot of advantages if used properly and the guitar is well designed and engineered. If you gig a lot in a variety of conditions, this will become abundantly apparent.

 

 

The Cobalts have laminate sides and backs. I have yet to find any information from Carvin claiming that they use solid backs on any of their acoustics. It isn't stated in their March / April 2006 sales catalog or on their website.

 

I'm glad you like your Cobalt. They are nice guitars. However, solid wood is more expensive.

 

I'm sorry you get annoyed when people print false information. Although, nothing has been proved to be false in this thread so far. Please point me to a source that states anything I said as being false.

[Tedster]

All I can say is when I was in L.A. last fall I played a Cobalt. It RuLeD!

[Birdy]

Own a cort solid-body electric and a fairly new Taylor 210. Taylor has cracked front and back and it never was more than acceptable (to be charitable) in holding tune. It does sound terrific, though, I have to say.


If you didn't know the electric guitar was an inherently low-class Cort, you would think it had more quality, or something.


I'm just one of those troglodytes who thinks that you should have a career like Willie Nelson before your guitar looks as bad as Willie Nelson's.

Seriously, though, if you are willing to entertain that Koreans are capable of manufacturing a good guitar, you might as well go straight to the source. Cort sells a full range of guitars under their own name. As long as you buy through one of their many intermediaries, such as Carvin, you have to add in a gratutious buck to Carvin or Fender or PRS, for their profit. You also have to deal with the pressure by the contracting party to press Cort to manufacture to a price. When they sell under their own name, they can use their formidable manufacturing efficiency to add in features at low cost. Hence, look at Cort M600 instead of PRS SE, or Cort 200 instead of Cobalt.

Most popular models right now are 900 Cedar top parlor and probably the earth 150 which is a next-to-the bottom of the line solid top. I saw one recently for sale for $138. the formerly top of the line 1200 are still sporadically available.

[Greg Bogoshian]

For the record, I have contacted Carvin and I will get to the bottom of why they have not announced in their latest PR stuff as to their construction. I don't know if it was a marketing oversight or what, but I will attempt to get an answer. What I gave out as info was as I heard it a couple of months ago. I will verify to the best of my ability what the truth is on it. In the meantime, if you don't work for them, and don't have an inside track with the company, one should refrain from announcing their construction methods as fact.

The one thing I will say about Carvin's value added is their setup work and fret dressing is first rate. The guitars are supposedly built to Carvin's specs and they did reasearch heavily to find the highest quality manufacturer for the guitars using Taylor as their benchmark for build quality. It was less costly for them to do this than to set up a whole new manufacturing facility to enter a market they had not previously entered or had any reputation in (the acoustic market).

[Cldplytkmn]

listen... announcing their specs as facts... THEY did that on the website, none of it says solid, so that should be the operating assumption. Even if they tell somebody they're solid, if their own spec sheets don't use that word, no one should assume they're solid.

and there's obviously nothing wrong with laminate, lets not make it about that.

[Greg Bogoshian]

That is an honest ASSUMPTION. They did NOT state that sides and back are laminate. You ASSUME that. It is not what they used to publish on it nor is it necessarily fact as you have stated in a previous post. Again, you don't work for them, you don't KNOW the specs. I am honestly trying to find out. Marketing sure dropped the ball on this. I have taken the "arguement" directly to them. I promise you that I will get a factual answer, or I will get banned trying . I'll keep you informed...

A lot of misinformation, not just about Carvin, seems to get posted (not just here) from well meaning people. This is one I should be able to address. Yes, Carvin did set themselves up for it... Being in industry, I see it happen all too frequently where documentation from one iteration to the next leaves stuff out in the translation so to speak. Again, I will get to the bottom of it. No, I do not work for them, but I am a long standing customer and they usually do respond to me on stuff like this. Cheers... Boggs

p.s. I have e-mailed their chief tech who I know pretty well to try and get a definitive answer...

[Cldplytkmn]

well i'm not trying to be argumentative or anything...

there's a thin thin line between saying something and NOT saying something... there's almost no manufacturer in the world who puts the word laminate on ANYTHING... in the guitar world you don't have to assume laminate if they don't say solid... you pretty much know that its laminate.

please report your findings, i'm not saying that there couldn't be an honest mistake in there. I have, however, read reviews of the guitars that have clearly stated laminate back.

[Greg Bogoshian]

This is from the Chief Guitar Tech for Carvin...

"Greg,

All of the tops are solid. All mahogany backs are solid. All mahogany
sides are laminate.

Rosewood sides and backs are laminate."

Just as it always was before marketing dropped the ball. From the horse's mouth... The defense rests... Boggs

[Cldplytkmn]

well at least we have the facts... its pretty bad for their website to not reflect that.

[Hudman]

Originally posted by Greg Bogoshian This is from the Chief Guitar Tech for Carvin... "Greg, All of the tops are solid. All mahogany backs are solid. All mahogany sides are laminate. Rosewood sides and backs are laminate." Just as it always was before marketing dropped the ball. From the horse's mouth... The defense rests... Boggs

Same stuff has been claimed on the Carvin forum for the past couple of years. I wonder why marketing continues to drop the ball? They would sell more guitars.....

[guit30]

After reading this thread and dealing with their online people , I would never buy a Cobalt, maybe a Cort

[Greg Bogoshian]

I wouldn't let that stop you. They are still great guitars, and you do have a resource you can depend on here... I have generally found that marketing is the bane of corporations in general... I work at Xeros. 'nuff said...

The thing to remember is that the website is a fairly good tool if one understands that the webmaster simply can't know everything. There are still "hidden options" to ordering a guitar if you contact them directly and ask. There is still no substitute for direct contact. Direct marketing does have its drawbacks, but it does keep the price down significantly.

Hudman and Cldplytkmn, thank you for keeping an open mind. Honestly, if you have any questions about their stuff, please feel free to contact them directly by phone or PM me directly and I will get you answers. Again, I do not now nor ever have worked for them or been an endorser. I just believe in their products and a vast majority of their people, and they seem to have a high level of trust for me. I have never gotten a discount either, nor have I asked for one as I feel their prices are already a fair asking price for what they deliver. Peace out!

Boggs

[Hudman]

Originally posted by Greg Bogoshian I wouldn't let that stop you. They are still great guitars, and you do have a resource you can depend on here... I have generally found that marketing is the bane of corporations in general... I work at Xeros. 'nuff said... The thing to remember is that the website is a fairly good tool if one understands that the webmaster simply can't know everything. There are still "hidden options" to ordering a guitar if you contact them directly and ask. There is still no substitute for direct contact. Direct marketing does have its drawbacks, but it does keep the price down significantly. Hudman and Cldplytkmn, thank you for keeping an open mind. Honestly, if you have any questions about their stuff, please feel free to contact them directly by phone or PM me directly and I will get you answers. Again, I do not now nor ever have worked for them or been an endorser. I just believe in their products and a vast majority of their people, and they seem to have a high level of trust for me. I have never gotten a discount either, nor have I asked for one as I feel their prices are already a fair asking price for what they deliver. Peace out! Boggs

I'm a long time Carvin customer. I bought a DC127 guitar back in 1991. I owned 2 different Carvin amps since then and I assembled a Carvin Bolt kit 2 years ago. They make a great product.

If you vist the Cort website you will see that they advertise their version of the Cobalt correctly (solid backs). I don't know why Carvin can't get it straight in their advertising.