NGD: Carvin

[axelicker]

Starting the New Year right. Over the past 15 years I've owned 6 or 7 Carvins, mostly DC127's. Played the bejeezus out of a couple, flipped them all eventually.
This time around went with an ST300, fixed bridge, SS frets, birdseye fingerboard. I prefer a minimal "Holdsworth" headstock (nope, not even a Holdsworth fan) and also wanted to get away from pointy things... I have migrated to lower-output pickups (better articulation, let the amp do the work) so got Holdsworth pickups too...I really like them. Might be the first Carvin I actually retain the stock pickups. They clean up dramatically with the volume, and the 5-way produces very usable split tones, moreso than other HH guitars I own.
I am enjoying the honeymoon immensely :)

Apologies for the medicre-to-poor photography. I swear good guitar photography is a real challenge. Getting enough light without shadow, not reflecting yourself in the finish, getting the image tack-sharp.... I suck.

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff283/jeffe03/for%20sale/011-1.jpg





http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff283/jeffe03/for%20sale/004.jpg


http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff283/jeffe03/for%20sale/005.jpg

[robertkoa]

Nice!

How are you liking the tones?

Is it roughly as fat as an SG or brighter would you say ?

Guessing it sustains very very well.

[wizard333]

How would you compare the ergonomics etc. of the ST300 vs the 127s? I've been seriously considering a ST300.

[axelicker]

How would you compare the ergonomics etc. of the ST300 vs the 127s? I've been seriously considering a ST300.

To me a major improvement over the 127's. I never liked the square-cut 127 body, so would get the rounded body sides, yet RB is too rounded -a little slippery when sitting down. Also the ST300 has a wider waist which I like, and most importantly my picking hand seems to fall very naturally where it should so I have no muscle tension in my arm keeping it there; on the DC's the bridge seems a little too close to the forearm cut, or something (though to be fair it was NBD unless I'm playing the 2 side by side).

[soberdave09]

niccccccccccccce score

[axelicker]

Nice!

How are you liking the tones?

Is it roughly as fat as an SG or brighter would you say ?

Guessing it sustains very very well.

Very pleased. The body is just alder, nothing special...but you know what? I've had mahogany, koa, ash, alder Carvins, and the one that was the most resonant and toneful was an alder 7-string, and maybe it's no coincidence that this one I'm also finding resonant and balanced. It's also quite light. Bonus!
I would not describe it as bright, maybe due to the Holdworth pups (he favors a darker tone). I believe it will cut through very nicely however in a mix. I play heavy prog stuff so I'm thinking it would be ideal, however half my band moved away so I'm just a home player now. I'm thinking a lot more versatile than an SG, been years since I played one though...

[tsar nicholas]

FRESH

[robertkoa]

Thanks for the Tone Report- many say the Holdsworth Pickups sound great split into single coil- I like "darker " tones generally, so if you're getting rich,dark tones out of the ST 300 that's a plus IMO.

I think the ST 300 is definitely the prettiest of all Carvin's 6 string neck throughs......

I've wondered if a Koa ST 300 H-S-H might remind me of the passive Koa Mockingbird H-S-H I had years ago- which was a very warm sounding guitar despite the appearance ( heavy in weight ).

[wizard333]

To me a major improvement over the 127's. I never liked the square-cut 127 body, so would get the rounded body sides, yet RB is too rounded -a little slippery when sitting down. Also the ST300 has a wider waist which I like, and most importantly my picking hand seems to fall very naturally where it should so I have no muscle tension in my arm keeping it there; on the DC's the bridge seems a little too close to the forearm cut, or something (though to be fair it was NBD unless I'm playing the 2 side by side).


Argh now you're giving me major GAS. I've been playing my DC127 a lot lately and really enjoying it, square sides and all (i rather prefer the square sided ones).

I really want to see what they come out with for NAMM this year though. I keep hoping that a choice in back profile will become an option (probably in vain).

[Nada]

Starting the New Year right. Over the past 15 years I've owned 6 or 7 Carvins, mostly DC127's. Played the bejeezus out of a couple, flipped them all eventually.
This time around went with an ST300, fixed bridge, SS frets, birdseye fingerboard. I prefer a minimal "Holdsworth" headstock (nope, not even a Holdsworth fan) and also wanted to get away from pointy things... I have migrated to lower-output pickups (better articulation, let the amp do the work) so got Holdsworth pickups too...I really like them. Might be the first Carvin I actually retain the stock pickups. They clean up dramatically with the volume, and the 5-way produces very usable split tones, moreso than other HH guitars I own.
I am enjoying the honeymoon immensely :)

Apologies for the medicre-to-poor photography. I swear good guitar photography is a real challenge. Getting enough light without shadow, not reflecting yourself in the finish, getting the image tack-sharp.... I suck.

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff283/jeffe03/for%20sale/011-1.jpg





http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff283/jeffe03/for%20sale/004.jpg


http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff283/jeffe03/for%20sale/005.jpg

that's cool. one of these days, i'll try a carvin. they look like nice guitars.

[t.hendrix]

I love carvins. Nice axe

[silky_sam]

elegant in its simplicity....very nice

[axelicker]

elegant in its simplicity....very nice

Thanks, the no-top choice was part tonal, part understatement, part budget.

[robertkoa]

Thanks, the no-top choice was part tonal, part understatement, part budget.

Part Tonal- figured Tops are really pretty but I wonder if they interfere with the resonance-was that part of your thinking, to just let the neck through and body sides do their thing with no possible interference from a top wood ?

Even though it's simple- it's a beautiful build ( I love Carvin's precision) , and the birdseye really adds to the appearance, interesting that you are getting lots of resonance from the Maple/Alder, plus it'll probably get more resonant as it ages and breaks in.

[axelicker]

Exactly. I mentioned above that I had some other wood combos. I've had a couple of alder/maple bodies and a mahogany/maple, and you know...Carvins are bright with their standard maple/ebony neck, or maybe it's inherent in the neck-thru design, but I didn't find any of them sweet or resonant. Works well to give aggressive riffs punch, but was bright and plinky (new word) on clean and low-gain stuff.
Not to a Tele player mind you, but it's not the sound I go for.
My feeling is that Carvins don't need the maple tops, tonally.
Had an all-koa 127 body that was tonally neutral yet rich, so I debated koa.
Yet my favorite Carvin so far, just terrific tone and resonance, was a plain alder 727. TBH, I did change the pickups on it, but it sounded good unplugged too.
So I thought maybe there is something to keeping it simple and went that way again.
Also, this particular chunk of wood is light, so maybe that makes it more resonant..?

[RSRD]

Ive been seeing more and more really nice carvins and this one is at the top of that list. Congrats! Love the color and really love that birds eye neck :dude

[HoboMan]

Very Nice!
Congrats

[ef_in_fla]

Apologizes for poor photography and then posts much better than average photos. Don't be so hard on yourself man you'll live longer.

Nice axe!!

[wizard333]

Part of the "Bright" thing is the ebony board (a big part), part is the body size itself which is very small. I always go mahogany neck/body on Carvins and I've found it makes a big difference in tone, a rosewood board helps to. Their pickups also sound very bright to me; even on all mahogany guitars they sounded bright/thin to me until I replaced the pickups, then they sounded how I expected a mahogany guitar to sound.

By comparison, I have some high end Ibanez Neck throughs that are the same size as a normal RG, with rosewood boards, but maple necks and tops, and they do not exhibit that bright character that Carvin neck throughs will tend to do with standard appointments. They are surprisingly warm sounding for a guitar that is almost all maple.

[EADGBE]

Neck-through, nice! What amp are you playing it through?

[Deathmonkey]

That is purdy :aok The H22s are my favorite Carvin pickups as well, kinda wish they'd make a higher output version.

[axelicker]

Neck-through, nice! What amp are you playing it through?

A few:
Randall RM22 head with Blackface & XTC modules
Rivera Quiana head
Blackstar HT5 head
I run these with a TC Nova Drive and/or Menatone Red Snapper pedal in front of the clean channel for low-mid gain tones.

[robertkoa]

Well - I'm not an expert, but I've talked to a LOT of Luthiers and owner/builders over many years - some famous and some not- about guitars and resonance etc. and the best way to be sure of lots of resonance is AFTER the build !

There are ways of construction and formulas and *woods etc. of course and ways to choose wood to maximize the resonance or improve the chance to get great resonance and tones-but it's not total science IMO.

I think you're on the right track with no top woods, though- if I have anything built- it will be no top wood, however on an existing guitar-if I pick it up and it has that great resonance- with a cap- I'd still buy it.

So on your Guitar- could be the weight, could just be luck- but it's going to get even better with age IMO, especially noticeable during first year or so.

*One interesting thing a lot of builders did tell me was that plain old Alder CAN be/is a very good wood for Guitars- I was/ am looking for more exotic stuff that was way better etc. which is not that easy to find. In other words, many said the tried and true woods are pretty hard to improve upon.

[axelicker]

robertkoa - so true. Of course there can be quite a variation between pieces of the same type of wood - just take a look at the range of on-the-shelf body weights on the Warmoth site. It's all part of that mystical mojo that some instruments have and make others just 'ok'.
I just spent 3 hrs playing the ST300 today and have to say this one is making me smile, I am loving the neck and tones. The electronics work well, not going to do any mods. I was getting some harmonics and overtones while playing leads on the neck hummer that made me say Cool, I am a badass!
Another note: I decided on a birdseye fingerboard for looks but stayed with a maple neck for stability. It's always debated and some will say birdseye neck - never had any problems...but I believe John Suhr is not a fan of building them. I figure...you don't really see the back of the neck, so why take a chance.