Carvin C22B

Humbucker. 13.6 Ohms.

1985 Gibson Les Paul Custom.
Bridge position.
Replaced high-end boutique pickup.
Stormy Monday on the neck.
Tons of artists use it. See Carvin.com
Wanted more guts and thunder in the bass response.

Output is listed as moderate high, but I say this think kick hard.
Marshall JCM600 with an assortment of pedals. Most of the time, I play it with nothing but the amp and my Carvin 2x12 cab with Vintage 30 Celestions.

I play rock, blues, ballads, pop, jazz, flamenco, shred and whatever else strikes my fancy. I write a lot of songs and play in a contemporary Christian/classic rock band at my church. This is the perfect match for what I play and gives me exactly the sound I'm looking for.

Please understand that I'm a complete pickup fanatic. I can't help it; I just am. I obsess over guitar pickups the way normal people do over sports and politics.

So when I finally purchased a 1985 Gibson Les Paul Custom in the same cream color that Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads played, I knew the sound had to match my expectations. Finding the right bridge pickup was a challenge. First I tried the stock pickup, but didn't like the bass response. So I plunked down $160.00 for a high-end, hand-wound boutiquer, but still did not find the deep, dark, biting tone I was looking for.

Fortunately for me, I found the answer while flipping through a Carvin.com catalog. Their C22B bridge pickup employs a 1/4" Alnico V magnet that is exactly twice as thick and earthshaking as everyone else's. Their ad copy also talks about extra windings and since that usually translates to more muscle, I wondered if the 13.6 Ohms of the C22B would translate into the guts and thunder I wanted.

I went to the Carvin store in Hollywood to find out. I got my hands on one of their beautiful California Carved Tops with a C22B in the bridge position. Exactly two notes after I fired up the amp, I knew the C22B ws the pickup for me. The punchy bass barked with authority and I was hooked right off the bat. The fact that it cost $100.00 less than the high-end boutiquer I had purchased earlier didn't exactly hurt my feelings.

Once I got it home, I discovered that the C22B had lots more under the hood than I initially realized. It's all blitzkrieg and barn-burner in the bass department,but it's also got more squealing harmonics than all the little piggies at the L.A.County Fair. Plug it
into a high-performance amp like a Carvin V3 or Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier and you'll hear what I mean. The other pleasant surprise was that while it's an outstanding, aggressive metal and hard rock dynamo, it cleans up very nice and sweet for jazz, blues and country. It's a very versatile pickup.

Last Friday night, I gigged my Les Paul at a large church. Running through the house PA, the C22B gave up a huge crystal clear "bell one with attitude" that place me way out front of drums, keyboard, bass, and the other guitar in our band. I wanted to kiss my C22B right there on stage!

If your axe needs a new afterburner, save yourself a hassle and plunk down sixty bucks for a C22B. That's all it costs, but the results are humongous. It's like Viagra for your guitar.

In a hearbeat!
30 plus years. A Charvel Journeyman for shredding and Ibanez AS-73 semi-hollowbody for mellower, more contemplative sound.
I love the aggressive, out front, hard-charging sound as well as the clarity and warmth. The harmonics are phenomenal. It gives the Gibson a bell-tone it never had before and can switch between sweet and sensitive to va-va-va-voom hot rod rock and roll in an instant.

There's nothing I hate about this guitar. The three leveling screws on the pickup ring are very precise and helpful. The unusual 22 pole pieces give it a menacing, unconventional appearance.

It beats the stuffing out of the two other pickups I tried on this guitar before settling on the Carvin. The only thing I wish it had but doesn't would be a hot tub and electric coffee maker . . . Nah, it's great without 'em.

No longer searching for that sound. This baby's got it in droves!

Don't pay more--get this for $60.00 and start making music. It's great for anything from metal to Mozart.

This rating program doesn't go any higher than a 10, but this is an 11 if there ever was one.

Humbucker (passive/active)

Dc 400
bridge
stock

medium-high
5150 straight amp with no effects
Tone-very full sounding, nice singing highs and surprisingly balanced,alot of sustain, agressive sound overall
style of music-prog. rock-metal
definitely bridge pickup and is well suited for metal

If it broke, I would go for a seymour Duncan JB or a custom custom.
Been playing for about 18 yrs. It took about 2 wks to get used to since its very different from SD or dimarzio.I would recommend that you give it a chance and well worth the time playing with the eq.Also
I would suggest to plug your guitar in the high gain input of a tube amp. If I had to compare to another pickup it would be the gibson 490
with more lows and fuller sound and a touch more agressive. Quite happy with it overall

Pickup features: Passive humbucker with 1/4" Alnico5 magnet
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Carvin DC400
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: C22N
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Metal, Alternative, Instrumental, Blues
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Seems about as hot as a JB or Carvin SD
Tone: THICK, THICK, THICK Chunky tone but retains clarity.
Sonic evaluation: Used with numerous high-gain amps and a '65 Fender Twin and Dr. Z Route 66. This pickup is great! The double thick Alnico5 magnet really pumps up the tone. Sound is thick and fat, but with a nice top end - surprising clarity for a pickup that is so chunky. Good palm mutes, smooth in the upper register, really sings when soloing with heavy overdrive - not harsh at all - very smooth.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly rock, metal, and some blues - this pickup works great for all three.

Comments: I'd buy this pickup again, it really has a unique character - fat, but clear.. aggressive without being harsh.. very nice - much more of a modern sounding pickup than Carvin's old C22T.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: extra thick 1/4 inch magnet

Model of guitar or bass: DeArmond M-something
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Red Rhodes Velvet Hammer
Other pickups on guitar: Carvin H22N
Artists using this pickup: aaargh...ack
You musical style(s): junkspazzbluzrawk
Reason for pickup change: Velvet Hammer was a bit too crunchy for some situations, however, it may soon be back in the guitar.

Perceived output level: Somewhat hotter than an average stocky.
Tone: Big bottom, ballsy, a little honky (not "vintage," get me? Not that I was looking for "vintage,"... ack...)
Sonic evaluation: DeArmond M-(75?72? whatever)into a variety of amps including
an ancient tube Sivertone, transistor Roland Cube 40, Roland DAC15, Dean Marley K-20 practice amps. Zoom GM-200 and Yamaha DG Stomp modelers/processors. Also: Dean Markley Overlord, Peavey TG Raxx, ProCo Brat/Roadkill. Blah Blah Blah (Shove your boutique gear up yer ass.)
Unfortunately, the C22B seems to kill sustain. I think this is due to the extra thick 1/4 inch magnet. The H22B in the neck position
sustains nearly forever (as advertised). Tonally the C22B is not bad at all, big balls in all the right places, lotsa drive, but the lack of sustain is a deal killer. I also seem to be getting a few wolf tones on the 'g' string. (Maybe I'll lower the pickup a little more - I started with it rather close and have been progressively lowering it.)
I may end up putting the Velvet Hammer back in, or I'll order the Holdsworth H22B bridge pickup from Carvin...if it's as good as the neck model, then it's a winner. I debated ordering the set, obviously I probably should have. (CARVIN: PLEASE NOTE: I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR A VERSION OF THIS PICKUP WITH REDUCED MAGNETISM.)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is definitely a rock pickup, it also might work ok for "traditional" metal, although I think the sustain killing properties would be an issue.

Comments: I should note that the shielding tape was sloppily applied. I peeled it off and reapplied it somewhat straighter, but couldn't get it perfect, as it had stretched. A cosmetic issue, not the biggest deal, just a pain in the ass (requiring the pickup to be completely removed from the ring). It seems that quality control on all products from all musical instrument manufacturers is going into the toilet lately. Caveat Emptor.***
However, I will still order pickups and parts from Carvin. The order was shipped quickly and correctly. The C22B pickup was not for me.
I have used the M22SD in the past and liked it much better.
(But the Holdsworth H22N in the neck position, oooh, "schwing!" The M22V is also a great neck pickup.)
I'm not gonna give this a numeric rating. I think it's a somewhat flawed design. I think Carvin can improve it. (If they listen.)
Your Mileage May Vary.

Pickup features: Medium-high output passive bridge humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Carvin AE185
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: C22T
Other pickups on guitar: C22N
Artists using this pickup: Me
You musical style(s): Acoustic/Electric Progessive Rock
Reason for pickup change: The C22T had a very harsh sounding high end. I had difficulties warming up its sound.

Perceived output level: Seemed slightly hotter than the C22T, but it could be that it's more "full" sounding versus actually having a higher output.
Tone: Warm and full, with excellent string clarity
Sonic evaluation: My AE185 has two outputs, one for the electric pickups and one for the piezo pickup. I run the electric output into a Vox Valvetronix 60 watt amp and the piezo into a Marshall 50 watt acoustic amp. Sweet stereo sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I'm kind of a "textural" guitarist, using a lot of effects like delay, rotovibe, tremelo, etc. I also need to cut through the mix when it's time for a guitar solo. This pickup suits me well. There's something about the Carvin pickups that really give nice string definition. I think this pickup could be suitable for any time of music.

Comments: I've been playing for about 12 years and have owned a ton of equipment and have gone through a variety of musical phases in my life. I started out as kind of a "Metal Head", then went strictly acoustic, and now I'm somewhere in between. Only in the last few years have I really focused on tone. I thought the tone I was searching for only existed in my head, but with this new pickup I can get very close to that sound I was seeking... much, much better than the C22T (I think "T" stands for TREBLE). I would definately buy this pickup again if something happened to the one I have. It's a good price for a high quality pickup also.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: See www.carvin.com

Model of guitar or bass: Carvin Bolt Kit
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: This came OEM
Other pickups on guitar: Carvin AP11 single coils
Artists using this pickup: Many Carvin users
You musical style(s): Rock, Metal, Blues
Reason for pickup change: I chose this due to its sonic versatility.

Perceived output level: Slightly hooter than a vintage pickup, this gives you enough power to cover metal and hard rock, while still covering blues or jazz.
Tone: Very evenly balanced with a little spike in the lower mids.
Sonic evaluation: I am using this on a custom built bolt kit from Carvin through a V-Series british-voiced tube 1x12 combo. I use a Boss SD-1 to push the preamp gain and a CF-7 in the loop for clean nuances. This pickup is impressive and should rank as the best humbucker in the Carvin arsenal.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Metal, rock, blues -- perfect match!

Comments: I wouldn't replace this with another model. It suits my musicals goals perfectly and is the answer to a more versatile pickup quest. Carvin made the right decision when they introduced this pickup. The Carvin C22T just doesn't have enough power or a wide enough tone range as the C22B. Nothing is perfect, though.

Pickup features: double thick 1/4 " thick Alnico-V Magnet
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: DC145 - Mahogany neck and body
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: it came with it
Other pickups on guitar: AP11 in the middle, and a C22N in the neck
Artists using this pickup: Me
You musical style(s): Thrash Metal & Death Metal some Black metal
Reason for pickup change: I bought this guitar new and this is what came with it.

Perceived output level: Hot , yet not super Hot . Although plenty hot enough to play crushing Death Metal and maintian clarity. It is much thicker then the M22SD it has much more bottom end then the M22SD and really sounds alot better then it. It may not be as distorted as the M22SD but it does Metal without any problem at all.
Tone: Thick ThickThick and Warm. very balanced and a great BASS response, yet harmonics sound great as well.
Sonic evaluation: Line 6

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It is great for Thrash riffs, very tight and solid sounding. I can get a thrash sound similar to Testament with it. Thick and kick ass

Comments: I have been playing guitar for 16 years and this is one of my favorite all time pickups.