Who here has owned/played Carvin guitars?

[GCDEF]

Agreed, and whatever bad experience you obviously must've had with Carvin guitars is without a doubt the exception and not the rule. I can guarantee you that similar stories of Strats, Teles and LPs crapping out on their owners are legion. Nobody is perfect and Carvin can produce a lemon every so often too. They're hardly alone in that respect though and one HUGE difference there is that with Carvin I can usually call the San Diego factory and actually speak with the head guitar tech right there on the phone (no long waits and convoluted messages via e-mail, no constantly playing phone tag with voice mails...) and if there's a problem with my guitar he'll personally see to it that a UPS truck will come out and pick up my guitar, free of charge, and he'll then personally make sure that guitar is set to rights back at the factory. He'll get that guitar back to me in perfect shape in a very timely manner; much quicker than you're ever going to see (on average) when dealing with Fender/Gibson/Ibanez/PRS/whatever. Carvin's customer service is so far above and beyond that of the monolithic brands that it's not even worth debating. Their QC and their attention to set up details means that on average compared to Fender/Gibson/Ibanez they also turn out FAR fewer initial lemons.

 

 

Oh please, don't make me drag out my customer service stories too. Very disappointing. By the way, you can call Gibson and speak to a very helpful CS guy right away too.

 

As to the timeliness of service, Gibson and Fender have reps all over the country, so rather than waiting for shipping, you take your guitar to the local shop. The one time I used Gibson factory service, turnaround time was 3 days. Shipping from Florida to California is 6 days one way, so I'm not buying that argument either.

[GCDEF]

Carvin's customer service is so far above and beyond that of the monolithic brands that it's not even worth debating. Their QC and their attention to set up details means that on average compared to Fender/Gibson/Ibanez they also turn out FAR fewer initial lemons.

 

 

Should I tell you about the C1644P mixer I bought where the sides of the case came up so high that you couldn't plug any speakers into it. Not really sure how they tested it. Does that sound like good QC to you? Want to know how customer service refused to send me another unless I paid for it first, or waited about month while I shipped that one back and they processed the return? To be blunt about it the people I spoke to were real douchebags. I gave then $1100 to get the mixer and had gigs coming up I needed it for. They didn't give a rat's ass about my upcoming gigs or the fact that they'd delivered me a useless product. They made zero effort to put it right.

[VLJ]

Yes, you can call Gibson and Fender Customer Service and speak right away to a live human being. They're great that way, and much better than, say, Ibanez. I'm always calling Fender about something or another and they're super fast to answer the phone, they're courteous and they're extremely knowledgeable, nearly every time. Problem is, those people you get on the phone aren't in charge of fixing your guitar. They're in charge of answering questions about it. They can help you to trouble shoot over the phone, sure, but they aren't the guys who will be fixing your guitar back at the factory should it ever come to that.

I'm glad you had good experiences with getting your Gibby turned around quickly. That's excellent. Like I said though, on average Carvin repair work is handled much more quickly than it is with the other makers and on average they deliver a more finely detailed and better set up guitar right from the beginning. There will always be exceptions to the rule (in both directions) and I've had a bad experience or three with Carvin CS as well. Still though, on average their initial products require less after-the-sale fixes of shoddy QC issues and the proces of getting factory repair work is more direct and quicker than it usually is with the other large manufacturer's.

As to your personal anecdotal experiences, again, no brand is immune from such stories. That truly sucks, what happened in your situation. I'd also agree that yep, sometimes it even comes down to who you talk to (or even who you know) at Carvin. I'm well aware though that you can occasionally run into a douchbag agent on the phone.

No denying that.

[Smitty-PNS]

My little buddy from Live Sound with the Carvin blinders on. Nice to see you. Why didn't you mention the Carvin stuff that I always have praise and respect for along with the other stuff? Why do you always ignore things when I call you on them? Why does 98% of the rest of the Live Sound forum tend to disagree with almost everything you state there?

 

 

Nice to hear from you again bonehead. All I can say is you could NOT have picked a better board name... tlbonehead says it all.

 

Anyway... I have to admit your posts amuse me to no end. Thanks for making my day.

 

And don't stop now... I'm depending on you...my good friend.

 

P.S. Could you point me to some of those posts where you elaborate on the virtues of Carvin gear, or will you be your typical self and try ignore my request? AGAIN

 

You know those back-handed compliments where you say well Carvin is ok, BUT "so and so" is a better option for the money.... You are just too funny. Thanks.....

[presa_tito]

 

Yes, you can call Gibson and Fender Customer Service and speak right away to a live human being. They're great that way, and much better than, say, Ibanez. I'm always calling Fender about something or another and they're super fast to answer the phone, they're courteous and they're extremely knowledgeable, nearly every time. Problem is, those people you get on the phone aren't in charge of fixing your guitar. They're in charge of answering questions about it. They can help you to trouble shoot over the phone, sure, but they aren't the guys who will be fixing your guitar back at the factory should it ever come to that. I'm glad you had good experiences with getting your Gibby turned around quickly. That's excellent. Like I said though, on average Carvin repair work is handled much more quickly than it is with the other makers and on average they deliver a more finely detailed and better set up guitar right from the beginning. There will always be exceptions to the rule (in both directions) and I've had a bad experience or three with Carvin CS as well. Still though, on average their initial products require less after-the-sale fixes of shoddy QC issues and the proces of getting factory repair work is more direct and quicker than it usually is with the other large manufacturer's. As to your personal anecdotal experiences, again, no brand is immune from such stories. That truly sucks, what happened in your situation. I'd also agree that yep, sometimes it even comes down to who you talk to (or even who you know) at Carvin. I'm well aware though that you can occasionally run into a douchbag agent on the phone. No denying that.

 

 

We get it, you love Carvin. If other people don't feel the same way, then quit wasting your life defending the company. They really should pay you. Who gives a {censored} if not everyone wants a Carvin? Think of it as yourself benefiting if other people don't see what you see.

 

PS. I want a CT6 with a Floyd.

[GCDEF]

Nice to hear from you again bonehead. All I can say is you could NOT have picked a better board name... tlbonehead says it all. Anyway... I have to admit your posts amuse me to no end. Thanks for making my day. And don't stop now... I'm depending on you...my good friend. P.S. Could you point me to some of those posts where you elaborate on the virtues of Carvin gear, or will you be your typical self and try ignore my request? AGAIN You know those back-handed compliments where you say well Carvin is ok, BUT "so and so" is a better option for the money.... You are just too funny. Thanks.....

 

 

Smitty, you come off sounding kind of silly when you answer every question with "Carvin". We're all tickled that you like the stuff, but there are other companies out there making stuff that's just as good and better. To me it sounds like tl has a little more variety in his experience than you do.

[VLJ]

We get it, you love Carvin. If other people don't feel the same way, then quit wasting your life defending the company.

 

 

I don't give a rat's ass if other people don't feel the same way. My issue here isn't with brand preference, it's with misinformation being bandied about as inviolate "opinion".

 

Btw, what's in it for you that you'd waste YOUR time by coming in here to tell me what NOT to do with mine? Seems like you might want to follow your own advice and simply worry about yourself rather than give me "life" advice.

[GCDEF]

Yes, you can call Gibson and Fender Customer Service and speak right away to a live human being. They're great that way, and much better than, say, Ibanez. I'm always calling Fender about something or another and they're super fast to answer the phone, they're courteous and they're extremely knowledgeable, nearly every time. Problem is, those people you get on the phone aren't in charge of fixing your guitar. They're in charge of answering questions about it. They can help you to trouble shoot over the phone, sure, but they aren't the guys who will be fixing your guitar back at the factory should it ever come to that.

 

 

Of course they're not the same people that do the repairs because repairs aren't done by Fender. Call the local shop and you can talk to and meet and discuss your guitar face to face with the people that will be repairing it. Even better.

[tlbonehead]

Nice to hear from you again bonehead. All I can say is you could NOT have picked a better board name... tlbonehead says it all. Anyway... I have to admit your posts amuse me to no end. Thanks for making my day. And don't stop now... I'm depending on you...my good friend. P.S. Could you point me to some of those posts where you elaborate on the virtues of Carvin gear, or will you be your typical self and try ignore my request? AGAIN You know those back-handed compliments where you say well Carvin is ok, BUT "so and so" is a better option for the money.... You are just too funny. Thanks.....

I expect more from the land of America's football team. Just about every post asking for good choices in guitar amps on a budget or 4x12 cabs on a budget gets an X-serie or Carvin can mentioned by me. But that would make your arguments less compelling and less real in content if you were to acknowledge that. And many of us in Live Sound speak fondly of the days when Carvin PA really was higher end stuff. Remember the old 1330 horn loaded 15"s? You could get them with Eminence/CTS,EV,JBL,even Gauss drivers for a while. They even offered those options with their high frequency horns. And yes, I have a number of Carvin pieces yet in my stable of stuff, beyond what I posted previously in this thread. Two X-heads, a VT2800 hybrid head, four 3000 series w-horn subs(remember them?) a pair of the 1330 horn loaded cabs, the old Quad guitar preamp, a couple of DCM's, and probably a few other things. BTW, at least you found yet another thread to post your beloved Carvin gear in, this time w/o even having to make your own. Congrats! BTW, what time did the Carvin seance get over at today?

[GCDEF]

I don't give a rat's ass if other people don't feel the same way. My issue here isn't with brand preference, it's with misinformation being bandied about as inviolate "opinion".

 

 

You mean like "Carvin's customer service is so far above and beyond that of the monolithic brands that it's not even worth debating."?

[tlbonehead]

You know those back-handed compliments where you say well Carvin is ok, BUT "so and so" is a better option for the money.... You are just too funny. Thanks.....

 

Hmmm. I say the same thing nearly every time about Yam Clubs, Classic 30's, Riv Knuckleheads, the budget Crown power amps, and other stuff as well. Why aren't you definding them too?

[VLJ]

You mean like "Carvin's customer service is so far above and beyond that of the monolithic brands that it's not even worth debating."?

 

 

Exactly. On average, that's a fact.

 

Now, do you still wish to continue to say that Carvin doesn't give you a custom spec'd guitar or can we move past such a moronic statement and simply forgive your brain fart?

[presa_tito]

I don't give a rat's ass if other people don't feel the same way. My issue here isn't with brand preference, it's with misinformation being bandied about as inviolate "opinion". Btw, what's in it for you that you'd waste YOUR time by coming in here to tell me what NOT to do with mine? Seems like you might want to follow your own advice and simply worry about yourself rather than give me "life" advice.

I made one post about it. You're writing essays here buddy. You should go {censored} your girlfriend or something and stop promoting a company that wouldn't care if you died in your sleep.

[tlbonehead]

Exactly. On average, that's a fact. Now, do you still wish to continue to say that Carvin doesn't give you a custom spec'd guitar or can we move past such a moronic statement and simply forgive your brain fart?

 

What parameters did you use in deciding that this, indeed, was a fact. (on average, of course)

[VLJ]

What parameters did you use in deciding that this, indeed, was a fact. (on average, of course)

 

 

 

The methods used across the board to handle CS issues by each company. Carvin, being a smaller direct mail only company (well, for the vast majority of people who don't have access to Carvin's California franchise stores), doesn't have the same issues with lax QC and mishandling in the store and outright volume that's part and parcel with Fender, Gibson or Ibanez. Also, when you buy a Fender or Gibson from an online retailer or a massive guitar chain like most people do then you're usually not getting a service center with those places. More often than not they're going to direct you to the factory service centers and due to their common back log those guys tend to offer far slower turn around times, especially if they actually end up having to ship the instrument back to the factory.

 

Once a guitar has to get shipped back to Ibanez or Fender all bets are off as to how long it'll be before you see it again.

 

In Carvin's case you're going to be out your guitar for a few days in transit but once they get it they're going to turn your guitar around within a week or so on most warranty work. The other point is the most relevant one: Carvin's initial QC and set up is better by far than a GC or MF guitar so you're much less likely to ever find yourself in this situation with a Carvin. Carvin puts the guitar together, they do a fret level (which the mass produced guitars from other companies don't receive), they fully set up the action, intonation and everything associated with the bridge and then they box it up and ship it directly to you. It doesn't get a sloppy set up job followed by a trip to a warehouse or, worse yet, a trip to GC or Sam Ash, where it's then subjected to god knows what...

 

Starting off with fewer QC issues and fewer set up issues and then foregoing middle men in the handling of your guitar once it leaves the factory is always the best way to avoid having future CS issues. An ounce of prevention vs a pound of cure and all that. Carvin's business model assures fewer QC issues and more attention devoted to initial set up and the complaint call that never has to be made is a huge part of CS satisfaction.

 

~GCDEF's horror stories notwithstanding, of course, but again stories like his come with the territory for any manufacturer. {censored} happens, and it apparently happened to him.~

[tlbonehead]

And they all lived happily ever after.

[Smitty-PNS]

Hmmm. I say the same thing nearly every time about Yam Clubs, Classic 30's, Riv Knuckleheads, the budget Crown power amps, and other stuff as well. Why aren't you definding them too?

 

 

You can say anything you want... about any product... at any time...

 

But if you say something incorrect about a product, that I know otherwise about, then expect me to share my opinion.

[Smitty-PNS]

Nice to hear from you again..... P.S. Could you point me to some of those posts where you elaborate on the virtues of Carvin gear, or will you be your typical self and try ignore my request? AGAIN You know those back-handed compliments where you say well Carvin is ok, BUT "so and so" is a better option for the money.... You are just too funny. Thanks.....

 

 

Hey tlbonehead: Still waiting for some of those links to your praise of Carvin gear... my friend.

[tlbonehead]

You can say anything you want... about any product... at any time... But if you say something incorrect about a product, that I know otherwise about, then expect me to share my opinion.

What is this incorrect opinion you are referring to?

[tlbonehead]

Hey tl bonehead : Still waiting for some of those links to your praise of Carvin gear... my friend.

If its so important to you, why don't you do a search for Carvin X-amps and Carvin speaker cabs? It'll be there if it is important enough to you to find them.

[Smitty-PNS]

If its so important to you, why don't you do a search for Carvin X-amps and Carvin speaker cabs? It'll be there if it is important enough to you to find them.

 

 

Its your credibility my friend.... not mine

[tlbonehead]

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1533342&highlight=carvin+4x12

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1363408&highlight=carvin+4x12

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1380405&highlight=carvin+4x12

[IPlayMetronome]

Pics you say?





Nice to hear from you Van,your CT is still one of my favorites:thu:

[tlbonehead]

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1348080&highlight=carvin+4x12

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1533342&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1501803&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1494998&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1448362&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1444452&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1443641&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1441812&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1434216&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1379961&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1323639&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1305403&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1303999&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1299321&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1263235&highlight=carvin+x100+amp

[tlbonehead]

Its your credibility my friend.... not mine

 

For the folks who have seen your posts in LS, gaining cred from you is akin to shooting one's self in the foot. It really isn't a bonus to have the credibility of a Carvin fan-boy. But there's a few threads anyway.