Carvin AE185

2004, flame koa top, the rest is standard for the ae185

great sound for blues,early rock, jazz. accoustic isn't that great. I've tried other makes that were better.

Recieved guitar and couldn't play it. Extreme fret buzz on all strings. pickups needed adjustmen. Bookmatched koa top isn't. One half is 5 times darker than the othe. Couriouly that did not show up in the picture on their website,

Had the guitar 4 months and the bridge started lifting as well as the finish on the front, I would not trust this guitar in a live gig. play it at home or in a studio.
note: I have a les paul, a rickenbacker, and a 1962 strat. I know high end guitars and how to take care of them.

HERE'S THE BIGGY. When I contacted carvin re: warranty work for the brige and finish, I was asked not to ship it until after the NAMM show. That was 1 1/2 months away. I waited though, then shipped. After 5 weeks I phoned carvin to inquire the status of my guitar. After1 1/2 weeks the only thing I gotwhen I phoned was jokes about where my guitar was but no info. Emails went unanswered. When I finally got it back, I took it out of the case and the battery box fell out, all the screws had been stripped.

I have been playing and gigging professionally for 35 years. I also collect guitars.Considering all the B.S. I've had to put up with carvin, I would rather have a vasectomy performed with a spoon and no anesthetic, than ever own another carvin product of any kind. I've tried to sell this piece of sh-t, and my best offer so far is 200.oo.
The rest of you can rave about carvin if you like. I'll stick to reputable makers like gibson, or rickenbacker.

My AE-185 was custom made in 2005 in the San Diego custom shop.
I paid $1134.
24 frets, standard neck and body construction.
Spruce top, pearl white finish.
All electronics options included.
I opted for black Holdsworth pick-ups (the Janotti set-up).
Standard baggs ribbon under the saddle.
Gold hardware.
Stainless medium jumbo frets.
Tung oil finish on back of neck, abalone dot inlays on ebony fretboard.
Thinline body style (standard) with tortoise body binding.
Dunlop strap locks.

The guitar comes standard with an electric/acoustic combined output and acoustic only output.

I carefully studied my options before I made my decision. I debated the wood and finish for the top, but in the end I recommend going for the look you want -- the sound can be adjusted to about anything.

My music style emphasizes rich tonal quality. I also play a guild acoustic guitar. I like country, blues, jazz, soft rock, and contemporary christian.

I am using a Carvin AG-100D solid state PA. I've been playing this guitar for about 3 months.

I'm using 9 gage elixer strings.

The sound is clear, full toned, and smooth (but not as rich as a Les Paul). I have owned two custom telecasters and I tried strats and Les Pauls before I made my decision.

This guitar sounds like a custom telecaster "+". When I play the electric pickups with reverb or stereo chorus, the guitar emulates a smooth telecaster sound in my opinion. I am still experimenting on the acoustic pick-up -- it adds a whole diminsion to tone possibilities.

the instrument has good sustain but not like a Les Paul. I prefer a Les Paul over a strat for my playing style.

I don't like this guitar with heavy distortion. Though I think it could be played that way with a different set-up on the pick-ups. They'd have to be hotter in my opinion. Maybe the right distortion pedals could do it with this set-up -- I don't know because I'm not looking for distortion.

The action is great. The tung oil finish is smooth as silk. The jumbo frets take some getting used to -- I don't have as much reach down the neck, but there is a lot more room to squeeze in fingers -- I like the tradeoff, especially when I get above the 12th fret.

This is definately a professional set-up, and I'm getting used to it. I went for medium height on the frets. Higher frets are something for a real pro to consider -- all you have to do is touch the string to the fret wire.

There was a small amount of irregularity around the sound hole. I think the router was a little dull. I chipped off a splinter from inside the sound hole - no big deal.

The finish is pearl white and it is more like a bone color - there is no pink or lavender hue (I am glad).

The gold hardware and black pick-ups complement this guitar color very well.

This guitar is light as a feather (less than 6 pounds). Compare that to a Les Paul! I have played my acoustic in a band but I have not gone live with this guitar.

The sperzol tuners are strong.

There is no pick guard, but that hasn't been a problem for me.

The dunlop strap buttons are a good idea -- you can just pop the strap loose with some quick disconnects.

I haven't had a problem with this guitar, but I don't anticipate one. It does have a battery and a shielded cable.

No Problems so-far.

I had to make a change order on my hardware from chrome to gold (glad I did). We were able to work through it without an additional processing fee.

At first I wasn't liking the guitar all that much. It was such a change. Some of the pros told me to hang in there with it, and I'm glad I did.

I think this is a fine guitar and it is taking me to a whole new level of guitar playing. I am intermediate in my skill level. I am very pleased with the tone quality (this is what I wanted in the first place). The holdsworth pick-ups are perfect for this guitar. Study up on alan's music --- if you like it I think you will love this instrument. I like it better than my two teles I had before.

If I could change anything I would have gone with the in-line head stock (mainly for looks). This is a beautiful guitar, and it has a classic look with the pearl white finish, gold hardware, and body binding. I thought the abalone dots would shimmer a little more, and I wonder about the mother of pearl dots in retrospect. My wife watches me play, and she says the abalone looks better than pearl. They give off a greenish irredescence.

Whe I first got this guitar I would have rated it an 8. I am up to a 9 now, and I am more impressed with it the more I play it. It's grown on me.

CArvin ae185 features active electronics, two humbuckers, a piezo bridge, optional coil taps and phase switch, and 24 frets.

the spertzal lockin tuners are much better than any tuners ihave used. they keed it in tune no matter the weather. for all those that have floyds this should be what ya get. lockin nuts are a pain in the but due to them being lockin. sure you get a set tuning but it takes so long to tune.

te semi hollow body makes me wonder due to it being thin if it will break due to weather or abuse.

i play metal - grunge. my only beef is that the pickups that carvin make are mainly jazz pickups. i play jazz for jazz ensemble in college but personally i dont like them due to the tones i get. on distortion i cant get the right punch in he bridge pickup and the neck sounds to muddy in the low ends. of course after puttin in the tone zone pick up in this baby shined.

the acoustic is bright as all get out. not a bad thing cause you get a tone pot that does the trick. i personally turn down the highs and then this thing shines. but the eq on my acoustic amp helps out tremdesly.

at high volumes this baby feedbacks due to the hollowbody construction. you can get some pretty good versatillity to this thing but it doesnt sound like a gibson or a strat. but if you wanna explore your own sounds this is a great guitar to get.

the action is set to high for my taste. also the acoustic bridge is a pain in the but due to if the bridge is slightly bent then acoustic distortion will occur. it may look nice to have the acoustic bridge but in real world id rather have a tune-o-matic bridge with a piezo than what this has to offer.

the pickups dont have to be adjusted when you recive if from carvin. its set perfeclty. but unless all you do is clean then you are gonna switch the pickups.

the volume knob over time becomes scratchy and kinda noisy if ya do volume swells. of course a little contact cleaner and all is well for a while. but until you do that its a bit due to the noise.

my acoustic sounds dont always work and thats due to the bridge not being perfeclty 90 degess with the body. its rediculus. carvin has a manual tellin you how to fix this but its hardly worth the trouble. i had just about given up on the acoustic till i glued it in. now its perfect.

i gig with a back up cause of it bein a semi hollow. it feels that if smacked hard enough it will split. my back up is a johnson modded out the wazoo with a carvin neck and a semour duncan hotrails in the bridge and cool rails in neck with a martin acoustic pickup in the middle. i did the wiring and it sounds so cool but thats a nother story.

the strap locks are awesome if you buy the option. at all my shows i whip my guitar around and it has never broken or shown any sort of wear from swingin it around. this thing is also lightweight so when you whip it it takes a lot less effort to get it around.

i had ordered it online but they had misplaced my order but after calin them they were very kind and had given me a strap strings and free case so that they wouldnt loose the buy. i was gonna buy it anyway cause this was my first not used custom guitar but they treat the consumer with respect and they can answer all your questions. these guys are awesome when it comes to customer support. you also get to speak to a real person who will try everything in their power to get things setteled. i wish all companys had a support team like this.

ive been playin for 5 years and ama music engineer on guitar at ecsu. i know my guitar junx. if this thing was stolen id kill them for takin it cause it plays so wonderfully. of course id probably go with a countour 66 from carvin just cause i can get te fishman piezo and it would be a solid body. but as for custom sound this is the best at what it does. compared to my johnson this thing is a beast. you just have to buy good pickups and then all the rest is in your hands not your equipment. thats where you get your sound.

2003 model, two humbuckers, bridge piezo, coil taps & phase switch, sperzel tuners, flamed maple top, 25 inch scale, and active pre-amp. The newer models have a trim pot to adjust the balance between the piezo & the mags that this one doesn't have but I wouldn't have missed it if I didn't know the newer ones had it. Very lightweight so it is comfortable to play for long periods.
a huge variety of great sounds are right there

electric side goes through a Peavey Delta Blues with some stomp boxes and the acoustic side through a Raven PMB-1 into the PA.
As I said, a HUGE variety of sounds are right there.
I'm playing it in a funk/R&B band and at church. It does everything I need from a decent approximation of a full size acoustic to dirty leads through the amp. Plus, it plays great! No it doesn't sound exactly like a Lowden jumbo or a Les Paul or a Strat but it does sound great and covers all of those bases in a reasonable way.

When I got it (used) there were some buzzes because the neck needed adjustment. A tweak of the truss rod and it was great. The finish is suburb except for a few funny discolorations at the fret ends. The newer models have a trim pot to adjust the balance between the piezo & the mags that this one doesn't have. The quilted maple is gorgeous.
I give it a 9 because of the marks at the fret ends... even though they may have resulted from humidity changes that caused the frets to move. My guess is that new, it would have gotten a 10.

I take a backup to gigs - a Carvin Bolt kit which is an incredible buy - in case I break a string. It is a semi-hollow though so it is more fragile than a solid body guitar. In general, Carvin stuff seems pretty reliable.

? haven't ever used it

I prefer single coils and a 25.5 scale to humbuckers and a 25 but nobody makes that with an acoustic bridge on a semi-hollow body so until then... this is the guitar that will be my primary guitar. I would buy another in a second.

This guitar has a beautiful flamed koa top on a mohagony body. The neck is "neck-through" mohagony with an ebony fretboard with abolone inlays. The headstock is capped with falmed koa. The body is semi-hollow, with a single thinline type f-hole on the top.
As far as hardware is concerned, it has locking Sperzel tuners (which are more to my prepference tan a locking nut) and hot bridge and neck active humbuckers with coil taps. It also has a piezo under the bridge saddle with a separate jack.
The piezo has a separate tone knob, and the guitar has a knob that switches bertween, or even blends, the piezo and humbuckers. There is also a phase switch.

The tone is outstanding. The piezo comes in handy because the humbuckers are rather hot. When the piezo is set up through a separate amp, I can play the bridge humbucker with plenty of distortion and still have a soft, round edge to the tone.
The humbucking pickups scream. The highs are pristine and the lows are dry and solid, not muddy and sloppy. The important thing about them is that I really don't like hot pickups. I'm not a shredder. However, I like these because they have plenty of character and tone. I don't know to what degreee the koa, mohagony and neck-through construction have to do with this.
I have a few guitars with coil taps, and with most of them, you end up with an option between mediocre humbuckers and mediocre single coils. I try to acvoid coil taps. With this guitar, the humbuckers don't suffer at all from the coil taps, and the single coils are above average, as well. That's pretty impressive.
I play blues and classic rock. This guitar works pretty well for both. Though the tone is bright--not at all like a Les Paul. It is hot, strong and stinging. It gives you plenty of tone and sustain to work with, so there's no chop you can't play on this guitar. The tone is somewhere between a vintage Firebird with minihumbuckers and an SG. It's wonderful if you like that searing, violin type sound.
Once you bring the piezo into play, the tone is difficult to describe. There's lot you can do with it to embellish your tone, but within limits. I think the piezo is decent on its own for brief acoustic parts or for spirited acoustic rock, but it's not like you'll be tempted to leave your Martin, Taylor or Tacoma at home.

The neck is shallow, but not too narrow in width. The action is low and fast. This thing plays very, very well.
The top is perfectly bookmatched. The stain, finish and multi-layered tortoise shell binding are beautiful and flawless. the abalone blocks are shiny and very colorful--way more attractive than the MOP inlays in my Gibsons.
The bridge is fantast--intonation is easy and the saddles are gentle on strings. The nut slots are cut a little deeper than I would prefer, but the srtrings don't seem to hang up in the nut and it doesn't interfere with tone.
The switches are quiet and easy to reach. I really appreciate the "click" at the halfway point in the knobs. I don't know why more guitar makers don't do this with their knobs. All of the knobs and switches are located in places that are easy to reach, but don't get bumped during spirited playing.
Finally, the guitar is fairly light. I haven't weighed it, but it's nothing like a 9+ pound Les Paul, or even a heavier Strat. It really is great to have a light guitar that doesn't leave a knot in your shoulder but also doesn't sacrifice tone or sustain.

This guitar stands up to live playing. It has blocks beneath the F hole to support the body. It stays in tune. I've had no problems with it.

I've only talked to Carvin once. They answered the phone and responded to my questions. More than I can say of Gibson.

Perhaps nothing's a 10, but if you love it, you can't rate it less than an 11. I love this guitar and it splits playing time pretty evenly with my other favorite, an old Zion. While it won't give you the low end beef of a Les Paul, it will make you not miss it. I own more than 20 guitars. Most of them range somewhere between pretty good and very good. Only a couple are great. This one is great. I would replace it in a second if it were stolen or lost. It's not hard to do, because Carvin, God Bless their hearts, sells these things for a lot less than the 3,500 to 5,000 PRS asks for their 10 Top McCartys. While I might trade this guitar for a McCarty, I would play the McCarty less than I play this guitar, so I would probably turn around and sell the McCarty and buy three more of these.

It's a hybrid: half electric, half acoustic. Essentially the AE-185 is a thinline Telecaster with a solid spruce top and an acoustic bridge. Pickups are extremely versatile -- Fishman piezo under the saddle and two Carvin magnetic humbuckers. Coil-splitting and phase-switching options are minimal-cost upgrades. Stereo output jacks split the acoustic and electric signals for separate amps, or both signals can run through the electric jack. Nice!

The 25" scale took some getting used to, but I found myself liking it.

Ordered direct from Carvin in early 2000 mostly stock, but stock from Carvin would amount to upgrades from the Big Boys: Sperzel locking tuners, Dunlop StrapLoks, top-quality woods including an ebony fretboard and bridge, active electronics with easy-access battery compartment and the smoothest, fastest neck I've ever played. Upgrades included top binding and a tweed case.

Comes with a small neck adjustment wrench and helpful maintenance and adjustment instructions.

A small complaint is the single volume knob. Yes, I know that you don't absolutely need separate volumes for each pickup. In fact, the Carvin has a clever blend knob (with a center detent -- sweet!) that adjusts the signal mix from all-magnetic to all-piezo, and any ratio in between. (Similar guitars, such as the Hamer Duo Tone, feature a far less versatile toggle for selecting acoustic/electric/both.) But there are times I'd like to fine-tune the mix of the magnetic pickups -- more neck and less bridge, for example -- which the single volume control doesn't allow.

That said, I realize that a guitar already packing four knobs, a large toggle and three small toggles already runs the risk of having too many controls on-board -- for reasons of both aesthetics and ease-of-use. Maybe a push-pull knob could control volume for each magnetic pickup separately.

I can't imagine anyone giving the AE-185 a low score on features. They're packed, almost to the point of being unwieldly and confusing. More than once, I had to stop and think, "Is this the acoustic tone knob or the magnetic tone knob?" But I got used to the layout pretty quickly.

I play many different musics -- blues, rock, country, jazz. Not having to haul around several different guitars is one selling point for the AE-185.

That said, most of my playing these days is at home. I found myself playing this guitar unplugged often. Bass frequencies aren't audible beyond 2 feet, but mids and highs carried throughout my house. Sometimes my wife and daughter, sleeping upstairs behind closed doors, heard me playing at night.

For a semihollow, it'll produce a pretty good amplified acoustic sound -- for strums, anyway. It's convincingly open, woody and airy. Flatpicking just doesn't work -- either because of the shorter scale, smaller body or less-vibrating soundboard. You just don't get those bold, ringing bluegrass notes, even when amplified. Stick with an acoustic when flatpicking.

The Fishman piezo, like all of them, requires some serious EQ not to sound nasal and quacky. You can also warm up the acoustic sound with the blend knob, rolling in just a touch of the neck pickup.

Working from the other direction -- primarily neck mag, rolling in a bit of piezo -- makes a great jazz sound. The neck provides the warmth,whilethe piezo providespunch and clarity. It's my favoite of the AE-185's many possible tones. Both mags plus piezo gives you a punchy rock rhythm sound. Bridge plus piezo works only if you really roll off the trebles; it's almost ear-piercing crystalline otherwise.

Although you can plug into a single amp and still get good acoustic and electric mixes, this guitar sounds best when both jacks are employed. Position the acoustic and electric amps on either side of the room. You now have the ultimate rhythm guitar for almost any style of music (metal and its ilk excepted.)

Versatility is this guitar's greatest asset. Need a humbucker sound? It's there. Single-coil? Covered. Acoustic? Gotcha. And there's the AE-185's array of electric-meets-acoustic rhythm sounds.

But be warned: It will only come close to familiar tones. For one, it has precious little sustain. And the stock pickups, although pretty good, aren't vintage PAF's or new Seymour Duncans. Don't expect this guitar to growl like a Les Paul (although it comes close to an SG, and even closer to one of the newer 135's), nor will splitting the coils deliver complete Fender spank. It won't sound like a Rickenbacker, although some jangle can be coaxed out. Think of this guitar as one with its own identity that has the versatility to approach those touchstone guitar sounds.

This guitar made me a better player. The jumbo frets (and they're JUMBO) forced me to press the strings lightly. My poor fretting technique (like I was gripping an ax handle) caused intonation problems otherwise. Once I figured out what was wrong, a lighter grip improved my control and speed. Thanks, Carvin!

The setup was flawless out of the box. In the three years I owned this guitar, I never even adjusted the neck. The fretwork was perfect -- all crowned evenly, and not a single sharp fret end. The graphite nut was slotted to exact height/depth for each string, and to the neck's curvature. The Tusq saddle was intonated just right.

The action was so low, I couldn't play slide. But because I loved the buttery action so much, I left it as-is and played electric slide on my trusty old Ibanez. (Of course, this runs counter to buying a versatile, all-in-one guitar; but I suppose not all guitars can be everything to all players, or even to one player in all settings.)

Alternate tunings aren't this guitar's forte. Open E works well, but G and D feel too slack. I'm not sure why. Sure, the 25" scale is shorter than the 25.5" Fender that I'm most accustomed to playing, but I also have a good bit of playing time on a 24 3/4" Gibson, and the Gibson doesn't feel as slack in lower tunings as the Carvin. Maybe it's the slinky neck. I don't know. I can only assume that this guitar was designed and built only with standard tuning in mind. But it handles standard smoother than any other guitar I've ever handled.

The only trouble I ever had was scratchy electronics. A spritz with electronic cleaner every now and then fixed that problem.

Although I bought it to play live, I never did. I wonder how well it would have withstood the rigors of smoky bars and precarious guitar stands. That spruce top, after all, isn't exactly a slab of nitro-coated maple.

The f-holes, which are unbound, seem particularly vulnerable to top cracks -- either from atmospheric extremes or a nasty ding.
I suppose I'd take it out to play, but I'd baby it -- putting it in the case between sets, for example.

I'd probably also bring a backup, but that would negate the whole reason to buy this thing -- one guitar, versatile acoustic and electric tones. And would your backup be an acoustic or an electric? Or both? Maybe a second one of these ... ?

I had several questions that neither catalog nor Web site answered. (Both have improved in the past few years.) The phone rep was very helpful, spending almost an hour answering everything. He didn't try to sell me upgrades and options that I didn't want.

A few days after I placed my order, I got a postcard stating the approximate shipping date for the guitar, about six weeks away. It arrived a week early.

Months later, when I first started getting scrathy noises from the pickup toggle, I called their support line. Within a few minutes, I was talking to an actual human being -- and a knowledgeable one at that -- who told me how to spray contact cleaner on the controls.

I'm very impressed by Carvin's customer service. If I'm ever again in the market for a premium guitar, I'll strongly consider another Carvin.

I can't say enough good about Carvin -- from its product to its customer service to its hybrid production method (half assembly line, half custom shop). They're top-notch.

That said, I no longer own the AE-185. I bought it because I thought I would start gigging again after a long layoff, and I wanted to simplify my gear -- acoustic and electic in one guitar, fewer to haul around and keep up with in bars. The gigging didn't work out, but I enjoyed playing this guitar around the house. I sold the Carvin and a mid-level acoustic to buy the Gibson Nick Lucas of my dreams.

I miss it, and occasionally I toy with the idea of someday buying a replacement. I've even considered buying the 12-string version. I doubt I wiil, though. The Nick and a terrific early-80s Ibanez Roadstar satisfy my acoustic and electric guitar needs.

Purchased in 2004, by internet/phone order from Carvin in San Diego, CA
The AE185 is a 24 fret configuration with a mahogany neck & body. Mine has a premium bookmatched Koa top with a beautifully done Sunsetburst finish and tortoise shell body binding. Looks very classy with the ordered Gold Hardware, Rosewood fretboard with Abalone Block inlays and matching Koa/sunsetburst headstock.
Pickups are Carvin Holdsworth H22N neck and H22T bridge humbuckers, plus a Fishman F60 piezo acoustic under the bridge. The AE185 has active electronics powered by an easy-to-change 9V battery. Two outputs allow for seperate acoustic and electric wiring to seperate amps, or one jack can be used, utilizing the blend pot to mix the two pickup types in any combination.
Body style is a thin, semi-hollow single cutaway. Lighter than a Les Paul at about 6 pounds, it features a string-through body and features a single f-hole on the upper half.
It comes standard with Sperzel locking tuners on a traditional shape head stock (straight or v heads available).
Crafstmanship is superb, and unmatched in this price range. There is no evidence of corners cut in production and instrument was delivered exactly on date promised.

This is one of the most versatile guitars on the market in my opinion. With the optional single coil and phase switches ordered, it can reproduce just about any sound in the guitar world (especially when combined with a good, versatile amp).
The H22's offer a broad range with a great clarity that really makes chords sing. The piezo is one of the better acoustic pickups, offering a well-above-average acoustic sound for a thinline A/E. If you are looking for a warmer, jazz tone, you might consider ordering Carvin's C22B installed in the neck position.
This baby can make you sound like anyone from Benson to The Band, BB to The Beatles or Berry to the Byrds with just a flip of a switch or the tweek of a knob (talent not included!).

Action is very good (read - "fast"). Set up with Carvin Elixir 10 strings. The two-way truss rod needed a slight adjustment (yours would too, if you spent 3 days being bounced around by FedEx!). Waited a week or so to do it to allow finish to cure and guitar to become acclimated to its new home. Clear and simple instructions included for truss adjustment, along with a special tool for the job.
Pickups came adjusted right on - and can be adjusted using there special 3-screw setup, allowing not just left and right tilt, but some forward/aft tilt as well. The H22s are 22 pole pups (11 on each coil) with individual adjustment available for all 22 poles. How many more adjustment possibilities could one want?
The premium koa top is beautifully bookmatched and the guitars overall finish is flawless. There is absolutely no evidence of glue leak, splintering (even on the abalone blocks in rosewood fretboard), electronics or other production flaws on this guitar. Amazing when you consider what I've seen in stores for this or higher $ amounts - even on the big name American mades.

I can't see why this would not be good gig guitar. It certainly would reduce the number of guitars you'ld have to travel with, due to its versatility. Hardware is first rate, and the finish is deep and sweet.
I don't think I would use it for my "Pete Townsend-at-the-end-of-the-show" impression, but neither would I use ANY guitar of this quality for that, no matter how much money I had to burn. But it seems solid enough to stand up to any normal live situation.
Only gave it 9 because I don't have personal experience taking it on the road.

Guitars are custom ordered, so ordering is a "dealing with the company" inevitablity. Originally ordered via internet (it was my first time - since advised to always order by phone since not all options appear on Carvin's internet pages). However, the next day, before processing the order, their rep called me to confirm my order. He politely went over each item step-by-step to make sure the order was correct and emailed me a confirmation of the order within minutes.
Received a card a few days later with the expected ship date of about 5 weeks later. The day it was scheduled to ship, I sent an email to the rep asking about the progress, was it shipped, etc. He replied within hours that it had been shipped on the date promised, and even supplied the FedEx tracking number and a link to the FedEx web site to track its progress to me.
Repairs have not been necessary, but what I can see from Carvin's Bulletin Board members, Carvin takes care of their own. They apparently have learned that even if its out of warranty, its better to fix it and keep a potential repeat buyer, than not to just because a warranty expired. This probably doesn't apply all the time, for everybody, but there is sufficient indication from user comments that they will do whatever they can.
Additionally, all Carvin guitars come with a ten-day, no-questions-asked return policy. If you really don't like it, they will take it back - again, unusual for a company that only deals in "custome-built" guitars.

I've played off an on for over twenty years - strictly for pleasure.
I also owned, up until a few years back, a Fender Jaguar that I salvaged and refinished, and I currently use a Fender 100 DSP amp (which I find a great combination with my AE185).
If my Carvin was stolen or lost I would buy the same model again it in a heartbeat. I love the superb craftsmanship and detail, the sound versatility and my favorite thing about the AE185 is the acoustic/electric blending capabilities.
I can recommend, wholeheartedly, Carvin products in general and this model in particular for anyone who needs or wants one guitar that can darn-near do it all!

You can read all about the standard features on the other reviews. And by now you surely know that you can order it custom however you'd like. I ordered mine with an antique brown stain on flamed maple with black hardware. It looks great. Made in 2003 and I've had it now for a year and a half.

The infinate flexability of features is a great reason to go Carvin.

I lead worship and this guitar is great for that. Most of the time we find we need to switch from acoustic to electric quickly and this is the solution. But you want to know how well it does that.

Very well.

The humbuckers are the best I've ever heard. A decent amp or some good emulation and they sound amazing. I actually run mine through the amp emulations on an RP-200 straigh to the PA, and it still sounds great with no amp.

The acoustic sounds like a nice piezo on an acoustic. I tweak the sound a little and it gets pretty nice. Nothing like a mic on an acoustic, but neither is any other piezo pickup. Problem is you can't mic this guy. The piezo is all you get. In short, it's no miracle worker but it is great for a piezo acoustic pickup. And I honestly don't know how they get that out of this little guitar.

Unplugged it makes very little sound. Nothing you could mic or worry about waking up your family with. This is a thinline electric guitar with an acoustic pickup in it. It's not primarily an acoustic guitar.

Everything is perfect except for one thing.

The actions is amazing, the construction is out of this world, no flaws, great wood, beautiful.

The choice to put jumbo frets on it is what I question. This causes the string to go out of tune when you push it down, which can turn into a huge problem. You'll have to work on your playing style a lot to counteract it, and a capo will knock it out of tune quicker than a cold front. I would talk to the support guys about this and see if you can get it with smaller frets or something.

But don't let that tait the image too much. The is the construction of a top level guitar. It should cost at least double what it does.

It's a guitar. Treat it like one and you will be fine.

It is very reliable, more so than any other guitar I Have played. But it's still not a miracle worker and if you break it, it will break. The hardware and electronics are all well done on it. I do gig it without a backup.

I've treated it well for a year and a half and it looks like a brand new guitar. To me, that's worth keeping it in a case and oiling the fretboard every 6 months.

Haven't dealt with them. The warranty is great, though. And the new SNAGG anti-theft chips are a great idea.

People say carvin guitars look, sound like, and are built like top quality guitars. That's because Carvins are top quality guitars. They just don't cost as much because you are buying them directly and you aren't paying for a name.

I was very afraid to buy a guitar I couldn't touch first. No one wants to do that. But you can play the thing for 10 days and then send it back if you don't like it. So I went ahead and I don't regret it at all. I will be primarily buying Carvin gear for life.

If it were stolen and I was given a thousand dollars in the same day, I would either buy another one with a few different options or buy thier bolt kit and a nice acoustic at once.

The guitar I purchased was a 2004 model with a quilted maple top, umber stain, mahogany neck and back (neck through body) gold hardware, sperzel locking tuners, pearl block inlays, coil taps and phase switch. The pickups are the C22's and the piezo pickup is a Fishman.
The guitar has dual outputs which split the piezo into one output and the C22's into the other. The case is a tweed covered hardshell which I recommend over the form fitted platic. Too much play in the form fitted case and too flimsy.

The sound is just amazing. I believe all the negative reviews written are because of unrealistic expectations. Can the guitar switch between acoustic and electric sounds in an instant? Yes it can. Do you get the sound of a Martin or a Taylor? Not without some serious processing. Can you get a true acoustic sound? Absolutely. Run the acoustic pickup through a Toneworks AX-10A and you will transform the sound into a very realistic high end acoustic. If you run the piezo into an amp like the carvin AG100D you'll get a nice acoustic sound but not a really true acoustic sound. My point is this: If you want a true acoustic sound you can get it but you'll have to process the sound to do it. Like the other reviewers have said, if a true acoustic sound is what your after then buy a Martin or Taylor etc. This is not meant to be nor do they say 'switch between a strat and a taylor sound instantly'. They adverise that it will switch between an electric and an acoustic sound instantly and that it WILL do.
Now, let me comment on the sound of this guitar overall. It is the best guitar I have ever owned and the most versatile guitar I have ever heard. The range of tones you can get from this instrument is nothing short of incredible! Rich, warm jazz tones to classic 60's distortion to clean, bright bell-like arpeggiated chords to gritty blues and everything in between. I think you would be hard pressed to find a style this guitar couldn't cover with the right tweaking.
I run it through a Boss GT-5 and the Toneworks acoustic pedal and I no longer have to switch between electric and acoustic by changing guitars. I hit A or B on my AB switch box and go between the Boss or the Toneworks and I've got just the tone I want. The Hybrid sound are where this particular guitar really shines. I'm a songwriter and I don't want a guitar that makes me sound like everybody else. I want a guitar that can do that and more, like make me sound like nobody else! This guitar has a signature sound that no other guitar can duplicate. That's what makes this guitar so awesome, it can knock off the sounds of other guitars fairly accurately and then go on to do far more than the others can do. I've had strats, Les Pauls, Washburns, played all the high end PRS models, own several other Carvin electrics and a Carvin LB70 bass. I currently own a Carvin Cobalt 980 and an Alvarez Yairi. I've owned Martins,
Takamines, Yamaha APX10, Taylors, etc. They are all very nice guitars that sound excellent but they can't touch this guitar for just plain overall variation of tone and creative potential, that sound you get that just inspires you to play.

I hate to sound like a broken record but again...this guitar is just simply breathtaking! The quilt on the maple is so deep and rich. The classy look of the block pearl inlays and the gold hardware. The flawless look and feel of the frets and neck. The action that is just right...not so low that it plays like a dedicated electric and not so high that it plays like a high end acoustic. Bar chords are effortless and fingerpicking is a breeze. Full chord strumming is no problem and theres no noticeable compression when you really get into it. Just a flawless setup.

Haven't had it long enough to really comment on that but it looks and feels like it will hold up fine. Never had a problem with their other products.

Customer support is great. They're not always the best at getting your order straight the first time but in all fairness I didn't talk to the same sales person every time I called and that can get confusing when you're reading other peoples notes. They definetely work with you.

I've been playing guitar for 36 yrs. I play more a classic rock style along with an acoustic style that came out of the James Taylor-Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young era. If this guitar were lost or stolen I would most certainly replace it. I can't get the sound I'm working with now without it.
If you are expecting a guitar that will just have this brilliant acoustic tone along with an amazing electric tone running into your current amp with no processing then don't get this guitar. Getting the sound that you like will require some effort. Personally, I have never owned a guitar that I absolutley loved amplified without some tweaking and processing. This one was no different. All I can tell you is this guitar will give you far more than the usual results for the effort you put in to learn. INCREDIBLE value for the money!!

My guitar was custom made in 1999. It has the koa top with gold hardware. Beautiful! You can read about all the features on other reviews.

I originally bought this guitar because I was constantly switching between an acoustic to an electric guitar in between songs at shows. Even though I got pretty fast at switching guitars, I thought that maybe there was a guitar out there that could sound acoustic or electric. That's when I discovered the Carvin. At the time, I played through a Fender Deluxe amp. The electic tone was really nice, and the piezo pickup sounded cool but didn't sound much like a true acoustic guitar. Eventually I changed my setup a little bit. I got a Vox Valvetronix electric amp and a Marshall acoustic amp. I run these amps in stereo with the dual outputs on the Carvin and I've discovered some sweet sounds! I still prefer a real acoustic if that's the only sound I need for a show, but for any mix of acoustic/electic I gladly pull out the Carvin for tonal variety.

Everything was perfect. The only thing I may have changed would be the jumbo frets. These are great when playing lead and bending notes, but if your using a capo when playing rhythm you have to be very careful with the positioning of the capo so the notes aren't bent sharp.

I too had a case of the scratchy/faulty pickup switch. I dealt with it for years. I finally had someone look at it recently when I had the neck adjusted and they fixed it. Now it's truly perfect.

Good

This guitar is so close to what I was looking for. I think the only thing I'd love to find (or create) would be a guitar that's truly an acoustic along with having sweet electric tones along with it. This one comes close, but it falls a little short on the true live acoustic sound.