Anyone own a Carvin California Carved Top?

[Axe Chemist]

Just wondering how nice these things really are. They look really nice on the website but without being able to hold one it's hard to tell. The neck dimensions match my Ibanez RG 570 and that's my main player so I can imagine the neck is pretty fast. I was debating buying either a JS 1000 or JS 1200 until I noticed the Carvins. Any suggestions for either?

[MattyCakes]

supposedly carvins destroy anything in their price range and sometimes above. it sounds pretty badass and the fact that is a custom is really cool. i'm thinking of buying one at the end of the summer. ive played a bolt, and the neck isnt as thin as my dinky but, its close, really nice action and was setup great.

[shreddermon]

I'm curious, too. For once, Carvin really nailed the styling on this one. Dead on gorgeous.

[slayer]

I love the looks of them also!! I have a 2006 Carvin DC125 and can tell you it plays fast and sounds great with their new C22B pickup in the bridge.The neck is a nice medium rounded, but be aware Carvins have hard shoulders on their necks. Jack.

[1trussell]

I played a Carvin CT when I was in San Diego earlier this month. It was nice, but I'll stick to my Hamers.

[slayer]

I played a Carvin CT when I was in San Diego earlier this month. It was nice, but I'll stick to my Hamers.

I agree, I would take a Studio Custom over a Carvin CT6, but new to new prices, the Hamers are much more money. That been said, you can find used Studio Customs for fair prices, both brands have pretty bad resale values unfortunately!! Jack.

[wodka]

Carvin gives you so many options for an excellent price. I think people shy away from them simply because of name-brand bias.

They're good about honoring their 10 day return policy. I'm waiting for a nice instock one to pop up and give it a try.

[danastas]

My custom is arriving in two weeks. Swamp Ash body, oiled neck, stainless steel frets.

[slayer]

My custom is arriving in two weeks. Swamp Ash body, oiled neck, stainless steel frets.

Did you get the medium stainless frets or the jumbo stainless frets bro? I liie the medium jumbos, but prefer the regular jumbos. My DC125 came with medium jumbos, and I think their nickel, becasue they are wearing pretty fast, I would think stainless to wear much better Jack.

[Axe Chemist]

Yeah, I think the styling is out of this world and looks super creamy smooth (if there is such a thing ) But like you said, the resale doesn't seem to be that great. There are a few of the CT's on eBay and I'm surprised at how low they seem to be. I wonder if it's just a name recognition problem. I would think with someone like MacAlpine and Vai (Legacy) endorsing them they would be much more popular.

[slayer]

Yeah, I think the styling is out of this world and looks super creamy smooth (if there is such a thing ) But like you said, the resale doesn't seem to be that great. There are a few of the CT's on eBay and I'm surprised at how low they seem to be. I wonder if it's just a name recognition problem. I would think with someone like MacAlpine and Vai (Legacy) endorsing them they would be much more popular.

Well, I do believe the name has alot to do with it, but Hamers are top notch, but they bring lower resale also, doesn`t make any sense and Hamer has a long time name for quality. Jack.

[Flatpicker]

I have the all mahogany CT. it's nice.
BUT, my Hamer Artist Korina HB spanks it so hard that it's relegated to the stand unless I am in drop d.
Then again, Hamers spank most everything in the 24 3/4 scale range. So the comparison is moot.

The slightly longer scale and very stiff neck make drop tunings clearer on the carvin.

[danastas]

Did you get the medium stainless frets or the jumbo stainless frets bro? I liie the medium jumbos, but prefer the regular jumbos. My DC125 came with medium jumbos, and I think their nickel, becasue they are wearing pretty fast, I would think stainless to wear much better Jack.

I got the medium jumbo stainless steel. I'm hoping with the swamp ash that this one will be my player. No sense in wearing out my SLATQH and Les Paul Historic. My only other guitar (recently sold 3, Epi Joe Pass, SL2HT Limited Run, JS30) is a Fender Mexistrat that's been upgraded, but there's only so much you can do with that. My band lately is into playing a lot of Husker Du and Mission of Burma, so the Strat is collecting dust. That's why I ordered the Carvin with Swamp Ash. I'm hoping it will give me all the versatility I need and I won't feel so bad banging around with it.

Then again, I ordered a PC1, so that will be another one that never leaves the house.

[Venomboy]

I want one. I played a lot of them at NAMM and they were all very well built with excellent fit and finish.

[MountainDog]

I have a Carvin CT4T:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...inCT4Tfull.jpg
and a JS1000 painted like Satch's Donnie F. I much prefer the neck on the Carvin.

If you go on the ibanez website and click on electric guitar catalog and go to page 58, you'll note that the JS neck has a radius of 240mm which translates to about 9" which is very rounded like the 9" on a Fender Strat. The floyd saddles on the JS1000 have shims under the saddles to make them higher to better match the fingerboard radius. The Carvin neck is 12" radius (305mm).

I'm not a fender neck radius guy, I much prefer the flatter necks used on Jackson/Charvel/Ibanez/Robin/etc. and the Carvin felt very comfortable to me.

On the Carvin, I didn't care for the stock C22 pickup, not enough drive, so I swapped in a M22SD at the bridge and that is much improved! By the way, I was interested in the Carvin Carved tops, but it wasn't until I saw the Eagles and Joe Walsh played his....Definitely the best sounding guitar of all the guitars played on the stage that night. I had my own CT4 within a week after seeing that show. Fortunately a local Carvin store had one hanging on the wall with the maple fingerboard option I wanted.