Think I`m going to get a Carvin Carved Top instead of a Les Paul.

[GCDEF]

Originally posted by batotman You'll also lose your ass on a new Gibson!

I sold an R7 used for $200 more than I paid for it new. I sold an ES-335 after a year for for $500 more than I paid for it new.

[Cougar Hunter]

Originally posted by GCDEF I sold an R7 used for $200 more than I paid for it new. I sold an ES-335 after a year for for $500 more than I paid for it new.

sweet. I can sell my mesa for $600 more than I aid for it. I can sell my vht cab for $500 morethan I paid for it. I can sell my ibanez 3120 for $300 morethan I paid for it.

[FPFL]

Originally posted by GCDEF I've had two Carvins and more Gibsons that I can count. Both my Carvins have had really serious problems with reliability to the point I couldn't trust them for live use. Haven't ever had a Gibson let me down. Carvins have had be grabbing my backup several times.

 

 

I'm not a fan boy of any company but I always find these reports surprising from anything other than very, very low end stuff.

 

I've had lots of guitars from many companies thru the years, as have band mates and friends. I've never seen any guitar "let someone down" unless they were getting their Jimi Hendrix smash style on with it.

 

Its not that I'm doubting you personally, but in 20 years of playing I've never seen failure other than string breakage, springs on old tremolos getting old and worn out and frets getting worn down, and other getting old stuff.. all of which I'd rate as normal as guitars age.

 

Amps on the other hand go all over the place and have even blown smoke, but guitars are wood, fret wire and a tiny bit of electronics.

 

If things are failing you repeatedly, I have to ask what is different about your environment and usage than mine? I'm shuffling stuff all over the city week in and week out so I'm not babying anything either.

 

-P

[silverfacechamp]

Originally posted by GCDEF I've had two Carvins and more Gibsons that I can count. Both my Carvins have had really serious problems with reliability to the point I couldn't trust them for live use. Haven't ever had a Gibson let me down. Carvins have had be grabbing my backup several times.

 

 

Sorry, but I'm gonna call BS on that one.

 

There are literally 2-3 solder joints and a couple of $3 pots that make up the bulk of the parts that can 'fail' on a guitar.

 

There's more to that story than you're telling. Either that, or there's some serious brand loyalty going on.

[batotman]

Originally posted by GCDEF I sold an R7 used for $200 more than I paid for it new. I sold an ES-335 after a year for for $500 more than I paid for it new.

 

 

Nice!

 

A used $2200 LP Standard goes for an average of $1600!

[SFW]

As someone who owns both a Les Paul AND a Carvin (DC127), I can tell you that you can't go wrong with either guitar. My next "high" dollar guitar will be a CT6. Carvins are very nice, and the construction is exellent. That said, only a Lester will sound like a Lester.

[badtoneno]

Originally posted by guitarslinger sweet. I can sell my mesa for $600 more than I aid for it. I can sell my vht cab for $500 morethan I paid for it. I can sell my ibanez 3120 for $300 morethan I paid for it.

I've had similar experiences. If you buy used Gibsons, generally you'll be able to move them and not lose a whole lot.

I don't care what anyone says on here, only a LP is going to sound like a LP. PRS doesn't do it and neither is this Carvin.

I'm not bagging on them, I'd actually like to get one sometime but I'm not buying it new and taking a hit. I've heard the playability is fantastic. Just don't expect LP tone.

[badtoneno]

Originally posted by silverfacechamp Sorry, but I'm gonna call BS on that one. There are literally 2-3 solder joints and a couple of $3 pots that make up the bulk of the parts that can 'fail' on a guitar. There's more to that story than you're telling. Either that, or there's some serious brand loyalty going on.

 

 

You're assuming it was an electrical problem.

[Darkburst]

Originally posted by batotman Nice! A used $2200 LP Standard goes for an average of $1600!

 

 

Who pays $2200 for a new LP Standard? I guess if you shop at Guitar Center or Musicians Friend? When I bought two Standards a few years ago they cost me $1650 new. I doubt the prices have gone up that much. I remember R7's going for $2200 new.

[batotman]

Originally posted by Darkburst Who pays $2200 for a new LP Standard? I guess if you shop at Guitar Center or Musicians Friend? When I bought two Standards a few years ago they cost me $1650 new. I doubt the prices have gone up that much. I remember R7's going for $2200 new.

Lots of people! Not me....lol. They've raised prices twice in the last year.

I pricematched EM Shorts on my Standard Faded for $1600. Yeah I know you can get some decent prices at other places but the vast majority are payin that $2200!

[FPFL]

Originally posted by badtoneno You're assuming it was an electrical problem.

 

 

What else would it be... Frets fall out? Tuning peg stops turning? He's talking about it like it happened at show(s) and he grabbed a backup.

 

-P

[GCDEF]

Originally posted by silverfacechamp Sorry, but I'm gonna call BS on that one. There are literally 2-3 solder joints and a couple of $3 pots that make up the bulk of the parts that can 'fail' on a guitar. There's more to that story than you're telling. Either that, or there's some serious brand loyalty going on.

 

 

Call whatever you want. The first one I had before they put graphite rods in the neck. It was seriously unstable. Needed a truss rod adjustment pretty much every day. Pickup switch died within a week.

 

The second had the Fishman piezo active electronics in it. Worked fine for a few months, then started hissing and cutting out. The pickup selecteor died in that one too, the volume pot was crackling after a few weeks, the input jack shorted and had to be replaced twice, and the Fishman electronics finally quit making any noise at all and had to be replaced.

 

I imagine I had worse than average luck, but that is my experience with Carvin guitars. I'm not the only one here. There's another guy who's been throug 5 or 6 of them all with significant problems.

[GCDEF]

Originally posted by batotman Nice! A used $2200 LP Standard goes for an average of $1600!

 

 

I'm not saying you can do it every time, but at the time Musicians Friend was selling Standards for $2100, other dealers were selling them for $1689. I got a great deal on my R7 and sold it right after Gibson raised their prices. The ES-335 had a discontinued finish that was very hard to find, and again, I got an excellent deal when I bought it new. You won't make money buying at MF prices, but if you know where to look and take your time, it isn't hard to make money with Gibsons.

[GCDEF]

Originally posted by FPFL What else would it be... Frets fall out? Tuning peg stops turning? He's talking about it like it happened at show(s) and he grabbed a backup. -P

 

 

That's true for the second one. When it started to die, we were sitting there between sets, when this gawd-awful hissing spitting sound started blaring out of the PA. It was my Carvin. It was pretty much downhill from there. I eventually sent it back to Carvin. They replaced all the electronics. I never plugged it in after that. Just stuck it on ebay.

[V-Type]

Another great alternative to the gibbo LP is the Heritage LP's. Made with the same equipment and in the same shop that the Best Gibsons were produced. Similar in price to the Carvins and more of a LP than most of the Gibsons produced over the past 30 years.

[FPFL]

CDEF,

I'm on the believing you side, but I'm going to suspect you are a little down with hyperbole. Adjust it every day? This sounds not logical on a variety of fronts... Did you send it back? If the neck was that gone you'd hopefully notice from the start.

Also, I laugh at the people who have trouble with some brand but keep going back to the well. Had 5 or 6 guitars with problems? Please! The problem is the buyer. Either he's got cinder block hands and leaves his stuff out in the rain or he's an idiot for buying every guitar after the second one.

-P

[Cougar Hunter]

Originally posted by GCDEF That's true for the second one. When it started to die, we were sitting there between sets, when this gawd-awful hissing spitting sound started blaring out of the PA. It was my Carvin. It was pretty much downhill from there. I eventually sent it back to Carvin. They replaced all the electronics. I never plugged it in after that. Just stuck it on ebay.

how do you know it worked:p :p

[GCDEF]

Originally posted by FPFL CDEF, I'm on the believing you side, but I'm going to suspect you are a little down with hyperbole. Adjust it every day? This sounds not logical on a variety of fronts... Did you send it back? If the neck was that gone you'd hopefully notice from the start. Also, I laugh at the people who have trouble with some brand but keep going back to the well. Had 5 or 6 guitars with problems? Please! The problem is the buyer. Either he's got cinder block hands and leaves his stuff out in the rain or he's an idiot for buying every guitar after the third one. -P

 

 

I honestly don't care if you believe me or not. I'm reporting my experiences honestly and accurately.

[LithiumZero]

Originally posted by omni If you don't like the carvin and decide to sell it you will lose your ass. At least the gibson retains more of it's value.

 

 

+1000000000

[silverfacechamp]

Originally posted by badtoneno You're assuming it was an electrical problem.

 

 

What else would it be? There's really nothing else short of the body shattering mid-chord or the neck snapping off while sitting on a stand that would be directly related to the construction quality. Even if there were tuner problems or bridge instability, these are things that are generally hardware related and can be fixed relatively easily.

 

And TWO separate guitars? No. A small company like Carvin with little brand recognition doesn't stay in business as long as it has by building crap.

[FPFL]

Originally posted by GCDEF I honestly don't care if you believe me or not. I'm reporting my experiences honestly and accurately.

 

 

Easy there, I'm not attacking you... did you miss the "I believe you" part? You didn't respond to the question either.

 

If the neck was that gone, the rod would either wind out and get to the point of frozen one way or the other, or that it was wiggling back and fro' so much it would do it in any of a number of other ways before long.

 

How long did you have the guitar? Did you send it back?

 

-P

[GCDEF]

Originally posted by FPFL Easy there, I'm not attacking you...you didn't respond to the question either. If the neck was that gone, the rod would either wind out and get to the point of frozen one way or the other, or that it was wiggling back and fro' so much it would do it in any of a number of other ways before long. How long did you have the guitar? Did you send it back? -P

 

 

Had it for about a year. About half of that time was spent trying to sell it. Back then (1992) their necks were much thinner than they are now. They also put graphite rods in their necks shortly after I got mine, and it's easy to see why. When I called customer service when I first got it, they told me it would settle down in a few weeks and I should just wait. I trusted them and the 10 day return period expiered. I called them again and was told a truss rod adjustment every week or so was normal and there was nothing wrong with the guitar.

[FPFL]

That's too bad. I got my first Carvin in '95 and never had the neck problems you did.

Did you ever consider sending it back for warranty repair? It sounds clearly f'd. I'd fear the karma selling something broken.

-P

[paulintheuk]

Originally posted by GCDEF I sold an R7 used for $200 more than I paid for it new. I sold an ES-335 after a year for for $500 more than I paid for it new.

Just means you had 2 Gibsons you didn't like enough to keep

[thefyn]

Originally posted by FPFL Hmmm, gonna disagree here. They are about the same in my experience. Gibson is a far better branded image with better resale, but built better? Nope. I'd argue thats confusing brand for build... which has been the singular goal of the new Gibson ownership and the only way they can justify the laughable prices for the higher end stuff. I've spent years playing a variety of guitars from both brands. I've seen both companies do better and worse work but neither has ever done less than good of the work that I've seen. I agree that only a "insert brand X" here sounds just like brand X, but different brands can get close depending on pups and wood choice, especially neck. Standard Duncans also fit perfectly in Carvins the only issue is the mounting ring screw holes. $3 plastic part if you don't want to drill the stock ones, not a bigee. I'm not trying to make a CT4 sound just like a Paul, not really a goal I've ever had, but worrying about such things is silly IMO. The important question to ask is does it sound good to you. Some of the more money than chops collectors pretending to be players will get up in arms about this, but last and not least, on stage thru a mic'd amp out to a PA the difference between lots of guitars is completely lost. I've heard enough recordings of my own gigs to accept this. You've either got the chops or not. The band is either tight or not. Generally the folks in the audience rate you as much on how much you run around like a madman anyway. They couldn't care less what your axe says, unless you get that creepy hello kitty thing going on. Good luck. -P

 

 

I am going to have to dissagree with you.

 

I am notorious for trying to get value for money. I have made cheap ass'd cabs with good speakers. Argued the point that everyone overpays on stuff that will not make you sound any better if you pay half price etc.

 

IMO Gibson are worth every penny. I would never get a fancy custom Gibby because then there is no value in it.

 

But A Gibson standard is the epitome of an amazingly built guitar. I prefer the studios (I have one myself). But why they call them studios I don;t know..They are painful to use sitting! They dig into your ribs.

 

I am the ultimate cost cutter when it comes to tone. But a Gibby is worth the cash.

 

Gibby like anyone else has its bad guitars but when you find the right one it trully is love.

 

Trust me. Buy a second hand Gibson and mod it to your liking. Just keep the original parts for resale if you don't like it.

 

Carvins. I have tried a few and they pretty much are the most average non inspiring guitar makers out there. They get a solid C in every department. A solid guitar maker with no wow factor.

 

Take it from a cheap bastard. A standard model Gibson is awesome value for money.