Carvin M22V

Humbucking neck pickup. Can be wired in a variety of ways. Mine was wired for straight humbucking.

I have to say that I think Carvin pickups in general are kind of ugly. The multiple pole pieces may be functional, but they are not atractive. This is an all black model so the ugliness is not visible beyond a few feet. If it sounded great, I wouldn't care at all about the appearance.

Installed, neck position, in a guitar that I built with a bolt neck and a solid mahogany body.

It sounds like a single coil to my ears. Not a bad single coil but it lacks the character of a great single coil. It sounds so much like a single coil that I checked and rechecked my wiring because it just sounded thin. It was wired correctly though.

Very little low end. Not humbuckery at all. Not warm. Sterile is the best word to describe it. Uninspiring is another. Thin would be another.

And I've since used other pickups in that guitar and they sound fine, so it isn't the guitar.

I would never buy this pickup again. It's only redeeming quality is that you can get an o.k. single coil Blues tone from it but that's it. Not even a great Blues tone. It tends to be harsh and thin. It lacks harmonics and is just disappointing. Period.

This is not a rant against Carvin either. I know a lot of you Carvin people are very sensitive to criticism. Cavin's forte is great guitars and bases. Beautiful wood and solid craftsmanship. I'm not a big fan of their electronics but I think their C22 pickups are pretty decent. By comparison to the C22's, I think the M22V is a complete p.o.c. So this isn't a Carvin thing. It's a sound thing and I can't rate this pickup higher than simply a barely usable tone and nothing more.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Carvin DC125 2-pickup guitar
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Carvin M22N
Other pickups on guitar: Carvin M22SD
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): classic rock, blues, some metal
Reason for pickup change: The M22N was bassy like virtually all neck humbuckers. Through the years I always found neck pickups pretty unusable. The M22V has changed this, Now I have 2 lead pickups .

Perceived output level: Not real hot, but sings in the distortion mode up high on the neck. Great rhythm sound for clean leads. NOt muddy but very smooth and less bite than the bridge. The M22SD bridge pickup is quite a bit louder.
Tone: Does not have nearly as much bass as Carvin's standard neck M22N. I am delighted with the sound. For a few years this became the standard order pickup for Carvin. Now Carvin has a new C22 and Holdsworth line, but the M22 series can still be ordered on guitars or separately.
Sonic evaluation: This is used on a Carvin maple DC 125 guitar through a Carvin X60C 60 watt combo amp. Frankly I love this neck pickup and use it as often as the bridge pickup. It is full but not muddy. I have a coil split option and both single and humbucker sound good. There are 22 pole pieces to taylor volume. My model, purchased in 1991 has one red and 1 black coil. Tone is very subjective but this pickup still suits my needs after 8 years.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock, blues, metal, sometimes country. This is a neck position pickup with no laws against putting it in any position you please.

Comments: I might try a different model just for comparison, but I have no complaints of any kind for this pickup. The guitar and amp mentioned above is about it for my equipment. It is a very melodic usable pickup. Other neck humbuckers are way to bassy for me. As far as searching for THAT SOUND; a lot is psychological. Have you ever played a gig, come back the next night when nothing has changed and nothing sounds the same? Has it ever happened from one set to the next? Equipment can only do so much. This is an excellent sounding pickup at a very good price. I am satisfied with it after 8 years of continued use.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: not a clue

Model of guitar or bass: phantom tele copy (cheap plywood... good neck though)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: big hole behind neck (see below)
Other pickups on guitar: emg select
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Lould rock.
Reason for pickup change: I bought a cheap tele copy at a used gear shop in new jersey and it had no neck pickup, so i figured id modify it to be like that fender with a neck humbucker i want, and the guitar forum guys had a few suggestions..so i decided to do it.

Perceived output level: odd. it seems loulded than my strats with bridge humbuckers, but clean it doesn't overload my amp at the same level they do. I'd say about average humbucker.
Tone: I'd say balanced-fat.
Sonic evaluation: Well this pickup sounds very big, even my mom thinks so (and she likes classical music). Its proably a combination of it and the guitar, but even clean it sounds very.. i hate to say big again. Not like a single coil strat, almost like an accoustic. Very fat tone. Distorted its not quite what i was after but i prefer bridge pickups for distortion. I put a coil tap on it, doesnt make much of a difference distorted but clean its almost strat-like. Basically, fat clean sound but mellow distortion.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Well its probaly a combination of things, but it doesn't seem to be a punk rythym sound like a wanted. I bet it'd be great for blues though.

Comments: I proably woudn't buy it again unless it had a carvin guitar attached. It was cheaper than the other pickups i was considering. It has 22 polepieces which means it picks up the e strings well too, unlike my bridge pickup which barely picks up my high e-string at all (and its non-adjustable). Overall, the whole guitar has a fat lead-type sound, but doesn't quite capture the les-paul through marshall sound i was after, but i guess it's because its a tele through a peavey rage.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez and Carvin
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock on Ibanez; came stock on Carvin
Other pickups on guitar: Carvin M22SD in bridge
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues, Metal, Progressive
Reason for pickup change: Wanted sweeter, warmer sound--and more power

Perceived output level: this pickup has plenty of output for good overdrive, but still retains a good neck pickup feel
Tone: The tone is sweet, not at all muddy, but with plenty in all tonal ranges, with a little extra presence
Sonic evaluation: I really love this pickup! It has a great soulfull tone that is great
for soloing-no one I would use for rhythm, but I don't like neck pickups
for that anyway. It also has a good clean sound for both chords and picking--great presence
and at the price ($36), it can't be beat!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup would work for any style but is mainly a neck pickup--who knows, it might sound good a a lower powered bridge

Comments: LOve it! would definitely buy it again!
It also has 4-conductor wiring for all coil-splitting and phase options.