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Are used Carvin guitars worthless??


SPONGEBOB

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Honestly, I'm not sure ANY guitar is holding it's resale value these days. You can buy a $4000 Gibson, leave it in the case, and then try to sell in in 5 years...and you might get $3000. Buy a $600 Epiphone, and you might get $400 for it (on a good day) used. With the internet, people can find really great deals on gear...and they do. Gibsons have been selling super cheap lately...and that always has a negative effect on the used market. I bought my Epiphone for half of what a new one would have cost me. Why buy new? Only if the item is WAY on sale. Otherwise, you're gonna take a bath if you decide to sell something.

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Even Gibson has models that have taken a resell hit. The Traditional market is in the {censored}ter because the blow outs and retooling of the les Paul line.

The Transparent red I just purchaed was ridiculous cheap.mi wa going to sell my ice tea les paul and my Taylor and get an R 9. Wth the market the way it is, I'll be waiting

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Quote Originally Posted by BushmasterM4

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I always get what I ask for them or more, so thats all I care about. And your right, I would have grabbed it up too if it was a righty, in a heartbeat !!!

 

Hard to believe that people would pay more than your asking price but congratulations to you. I have also been buying and selling guitar for years and the have decided to stay away from carvins/schecters 3 years ago because how poorly they do in the used market("worthless" that the op used is probably the right word). Even though it's been 3 years i still haven't been able to trade/sell all of em, mostly trades. Here is the last one and i've decided to just keep it. Got it for 120 with the case, neck thru, seymour duncans, great guitar.
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Quote Originally Posted by Elias Graves View Post
This. Try and sell a Godin some time. eek.gif
I would've agreed with you a couple of years ago, but Godins seem to be going up in value...maybe people are finally catching on to what kick-ass guitars they are?

In both cases(Carvin and Godin), I still say wait. This is the worst economy any of us have seen in our lifetimes...if you look at the prices of collectibles from stamps to comic books to sports cards, the bottom has dropped out. Maybe in a few years, there'll be a lot more disposable income to dispose of and quality guitars like Carvins and Godins will fetch prices closer to what they're actually worth-at least in relation to Gibsons and Fenders...
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Carvins are excellent guitars. I'll never sell mine. Bought it new in 1983 and its still a great guitar. But take some humble advice if you care to:
If you buy a new Carvin, don't go crazy with the color and finish options. Stay conservative. Even if you never sell it, chances are you'll grow tired of that purple or green flame sooner or later. Plus you'll save a lot of money. If you do decide to let it go at some point, the more normal looking it is the more people who will consider purchasing it.

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They don't pay anywhere near what the "brand power" corporates pay in artist bribes and marketing. I'm sure they still make decent margins. It's not helped by the fact that they never seem to have a clue about aesthetics.

When I was a kid my Dad had an AMC Pacer with a big engine and lots of pull. You think I'd want my friends to see me driving it though?

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Quote Originally Posted by henry h

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Hard to believe that people would pay more than your asking price but congratulations to you. I have also been buying and selling guitar for years and the have decided to stay away from carvins/schecters 3 years ago because how poorly they do in the used market("worthless" that the op used is probably the right word). Even though it's been 3 years i still haven't been able to trade/sell all of em, mostly trades. Here is the last one and i've decided to just keep it. Got it for 120 with the case, neck thru, seymour duncans, great guitar.

 

I set my starting bid (my asking price) at the least I will take. 90% of the time it goes for more. So I always get asking price smile.gif
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Quote Originally Posted by bjcarl View Post
I would've agreed with you a couple of years ago, but Godins seem to be going up in value...maybe people are finally catching on?

In both cases(Carvin and Godin), I still say wait. This is the worst economy any of us have seen in our lifetimes...if you look at the prices of collectibles from stamps to comic books to sports cards, the bottom has dropped out. Maybe in a few years, there'll be a lot more disposable income to dispose of and quality guitars like Carvins and Godins will fetch prices closer to what they're actually worth-at least in relation to Gibsons and Fenders...
Shush. We don't want those Godins going up any higher in price now, de we?
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Not a good time to be selling right now. All the big stores are having sales and discounts, and several stores a blowing out Gibsons for crazy low prices. You might have better luck after the holidays when sales are over and tax checks start coming in.

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Quote Originally Posted by Deadbeat Son View Post
Maybe not worthless, but definitely worth less.
Well put.

I was just checking Craigslist and eBay. There are definitely some good prices on guitars, Carvins in particular. But, there sure are a lot of delusional people asking way too much for used gear. I guess you can't blame them for trying. Still, when I see a price that's way out of line, I don't even bother contacting them with a lower offer anymore. The price needs to be close to the true market value or I just assume the seller is a lunatic.
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It depends on the Carvin and it also has a lot to do with the dreadful time in the 1990s when a lot of the Carvins that were bought during the 80s were sold at fire sale prices because not only did music change but the styles at the time did too - Nirvana rendered a lot of pointy headstock guitars by many brands very cheap (I saw an Ibanez RG in mind condition for $118 at a pawn shop in 1994 I think).  But they come around again and tastes change (again).

The issue with some Carvins is their custom shop nature lets you customize it to your desires and sometimes people spec out things that are either garish, gaudy, or foolish (materials not traditionally used together in guitar construction) or something so uniquely for a particular player that when they jettison it it becomes a sort of orphan.  

But some people know what they're doing and run into hard times (the guitar I recently bought in new condition was courtesy of the original owners car blowing up and needed expensive repairs and needed to sell luxury items like guitars and amps).

I'm lucky I found one that I would have specced out myself had I the money to do so and was nice looking but not so gaudy I'd be weirded out playing it in public.

 

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illinismitty wrote:

 

They just dont have the cache of brands like PRS, Gibson, etc. Part of that problem is that :

 

 

 

1. You dont see a lot of artists playing them

 

2. You cant walk into a store to play one

 

 

 

I for one have never played a newer production Carvin. I know they have a return policy, but I have never pulled the trigger on a new one because I don't want to lose 50-70% should I decide to sell it down the road.

 

 

Yup, and part of the reason you don't see many artists play them is that they refuse to put anything but Carvin pickups in them.  Now, I'm sure Steve Vai could have whatever he wanted, but the average Joe can't actually build a "custom" guitar the way he wants it...unless his wants happen to line up with what Carvin sells.

Plus, part of what sells people on any guitar is personal experience.  Not being able to play one before buying is a deal breaker for most people...especially when you have to wait 3 months to actually get your hands on one.  Then...if you order an odd finish, or something not "normal," you void the return policy.

Carvin used to be a great company, but has turned south in the past few years, IMO.  Products can be good, but when you don't stand behind your gear...you can keep it.

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I've looked at Carvin for years.... saw a few in pawn shops, but never a new one of course... but I always wanted one... so, after waiting almost 40 years I bought one... from the custom shop to my desired specs... SCB6... The color is vintage white.. and it is the color of butter... and it plays like butter. Don't really care if it is viewed as valuable... I would never sell it... besides, my grandkids are already fighting over who is gonna get it. :-) I will buy another one.... more likely two, and I have promised my granddaughter the carvin of her choice when she graduates :-)

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