Carvin AE185

Mine is one of the early AE185s made. I got it back in the 90s. I mine is bright white, Spruce top and a koa neck and ebony finger board. Carvin Humbuckers. Fishman piezo(which I had to replace after 10 years).
24 Frets, 25" scale.

Electric sound:
No noise from the humbuckers but a little to harsh. When split there is just a little buzz. Lots of good combos. I find engaging the phase switch makes it sound lo-fi.

Acoustic sound:
It's a nice sound but definitely doesn't sound like a big acoustic.
Blending the electric & piezo gives you great rhythm guitar sound.

The action was horrible when it arrived. Since this was the most expensive item I had ever bought at the time I took it to Roger Sadowsky's shop in NYC and they got the intonation to be as perfect as perfect can be, they reshaped the bridge bone where it almost looks like an custom Earvana nut. I think strings may eat the fret wire.

The koa neck feels outstanding and the smooth neck/heal transition is truly amazing.

I went for bright white. It's a beautiful guitar to look at.

The circuit board and/or the piezo died. I had to take it to a shop. I know the guy didn't enjoy working on it --it's a complex set-up and I'm not sure calling Carvin for help was a fun experience. :-) Carvin charged me for the replacement piezo.

I have gigged with no issues accept you don't to ding up an expensive guitar. I've played without a back-up because I live dangerously. This is a pretty delicate gutiar so if you treat it gently it should be fine.
But do expect circuit board issues.

I was shocked by their attitude. I guess cause I wasn't expecting them not to give a ****. I guess it also depends who answers the phone.
Basically, I think they know building a great custom guitar yourself will cost you a little more so they'll have business. They shouldn't take this for granted in this economy. IMHO, they should kiss their customer's asses. It all about the customer.

I've been playing about 21 years. This guitar is a fantastic rhythm guitar for singers. I wanted something light that I could play for 3 hours if need be. It's outstanding in that regard. Locking tuners are a must for me now. I also enjoy being able to play this thing unplugged to noodle around on the couch. I also love that IT'S SO LIGHT.

I greatly dislike the scale. I'm a Strat guy. 25.5" should be an option. Also, why have 24 frets on a hybrid??? My fingers are too fat to play way high on this. Its almost like mandolin frets up there.

I should note that you can rock out on this. It may not have the sustain and it's hard to bend on but it does sound like an electric, perhaps a little E335-esque.

Like Joe Walsh Says" I don't know anywhere you can order a Guitar the way you want it for a fair price and receive it in less than 7 weeks!I ordered my Carvin guitar after several weeks of research and listening to the demo cd.I ordered the AE185 with an umber stain on a flamed maple top with body binding, stainless medium jumbo frets,an ebony fretboard with Abalone dots and cream benzels with black & cream pickup covers!!I requested that the mahogany for the neck & body be the same tone as the umber stained top!Kudos, it looks killer!I also ordered the california carved top headstock which adds a modern look to this singlecut layout.Gold hardware adds a bit of class to this package and the gold carvin logo looks good on the headstock!

This is were the AE185 really shines.I have been playing 25+ years and am not easily impressed, there is no honeymoon period, the guitar either inspires me or "Not". Within the first hour , I can tell if I'm going to sell or keep a new guitar and I plan on keeping the AE185 for a very long time!I have been floored everytime I pick this guitar up.I have been running the guitar into a Carbon Copy pedal and then into a Fender G-Dec 30 and into an Avatar 2/12" "special" cabinet, the sounds are incredable.

The Carvin AE185 had absolutly no flaws in either the finish or setup and my playing has gone up another level because of the setup and action.

I have had 3 other Carvins over the last 10 years and have had "No" issues with any of them.

I read several negative reviews regarding the customer service staff.I had absolutly no problems and actually received the guitar 1& 1/2 weeks early!

8 years ago I ordered a "Custom" guitar from a well known builder in Louisiana.I paid almost the same price as the Carvin and the guitar had about 1/3 of the options.Carvin is truly amazing,outstanding quality and playability for an unheard of price.I will buy again!

all mentioned - the bridge is/was my only concern w/ this guitar. Time will tell.

my set up is pretty much stock except for stainless frets, different pups and dunlop strap locks

It is pretty good on both. I got their brightest pups (i forget the name) and they sound pretty good. The acoustic side isn;t that bad at all. Yeah yeah, it's not a full bodied sound - but 90% of the time when I hear acoustics live they sound like *** anyway. At least this way you are playing something comfy. I have a hard time playing acoustics. It's a circulatory issue. My hands go numb when I play an acoustic. They still go numb on this but it's more manageable. I also use this as a back-up for electric gigs.

my first carvin. i was impressed. plays very nice. feels very solid. neck is smoooooth

i will write back in a few years, but it feels solid

I gotta say I've been getting carvin catalogs since I was a kid and pretty much ignored them because buying a guitar you can't play first is like marring a chick you don;t know. (and my life NEVER works out like the movies!!) furthermore, waiting several months to realize if you like something is a drag as well. they should have tester models they ship to you to fidddle w/. I would have paid shipping to check one out. I only went w/ this gtr out of desperation - nothing quite like it on the market (well, there are a few but I hated ALL of them.).
their web site bugs me too. So I can;t play it before I buy it - but this guitar has been around for a long time. the fact they don't have pics of EVERY conceivable set up is COMPLETELY unacceptable. Even a flash thing where you can build/see your guitar. I got a black guitar w/ no fret markers and a black logo thinking it would look cool (c'mon, it's black). it doesn;t. now i'm stuck w/ it. . . and 10 days to see if you like something is WAY too short!!
Ok - now for my gripes w/ personnel. The guy who sold me the guitar was obnoxious, arrogant and pushy. I almost hung up right away. When I received the guitar the pup selector made LOUD pops. so I called and they said they would send me a new one (I would have to install myself - that pissed me off) but 2 e-mails later, it's been several weeks and I have not received the part. Every time I call they are out to lunch or busy. I am VERY disappointed in this.

I think you would really have to want a guitar to go through all this crap. Yeah they offer sorta-custom guitars at a reasonable price, but they are a hassle to get. I am really particular about my instruments. I mod almost everyone I get - I was hoping to really dig this experience so I could get more. I really had my eye on a bolt plus, but i'm skeptical now.

others say they have had a good experience w/ them. fwiw the guitar itself is nice. I have no issues w/ that, but call me old fashioned, I feel like I got screwed in all of this. I may not go back on principal. . . we'll see

Mine is flamed maple top, birdseye maple fretboard, mahogany back and sides with binding. Graphtech nut, Tusq saddle, ebony bridge. Love those Sperzels. Carvin c22 humbuckers, L R Baggs acoustic pick-up. Coil taps, phase switch, blend pot for elec/acoustic, tone and volume controls.

I've waited a year to write this review, so I would know the guitar. Acoustic. No as full sounding as a fullsized acoustic, but nice sounding once you've taken the time to experiment with it. I like to blend a little single coil into the acoustic. One great thing is the lack of feedback. Electric. Nice and bright. Low noise when in humbucker mode, bit noisey in single coil. Very reponsive pick-ups. Not a "metal" guitar, but covers most other types of music well to very well.

The action, as it should be with a true acoustic bridge, is of course higher than most electrics. I have no problem with this, as most astute purchasers I think would see this as a rhythm guitar. Anyone who buys an axe with a true acoustic bridge and acoustic style neck expecting a "shredders" action, hasn't really done their research, have they. The finish is faultless, this is a truly beautiful looking instrument. I always have people asking me about it after gigs.

Gigged with it for a year, still looks like new. No problems thus far.

Bought from the NZ agent, so haven't dealt with Carvin.

While there are better electrics, and better acoustics out there, this will do both jobs very well. It excels in some areas, and is adequate in others. When you take the price into account, I rate it highly. I would buy another one without hesitation.

made in USA, 24 frets, quilt maple top, 3 way toggle switch, dual to single coil switches, phase switch, piezo underneath saddle, active treble boost and cut for acoustic and electric aspects of this guitar, non-adjustable acoustic style bridge, Carvin M22 pickups, mahogany body and neck, neck-thru , sperzel locking tuning pegs, medium frets

The guitar sounds fine with a lot of distortion but then again that can be said about many guitars. The Carvin pickups sound very thin and tinny. The guitar has a lot of sound options but all of them are are too bright and thin and tinny when on a clean setting. I have a $350 Ibanez that sounds way fatter than this $1400 Carvin. I'd rather own a guitar that does a few things really well as opposed to many things half assed.

This guitar is a hybrid which means that it's essentially an electric guitar that can get acoustic sounds as well because of having a piezo underneath the bridge. There are a good number of hybrids on the market these days and to me this one ranks pretty low. I don't know what possessed Carvin to go with an acoustic style non-adjustable bridge on this guitar. The action is way high. Like that of most acoustics. The guitar ends up not being played all that much because my other guitars have adjustable bridges that I can adjust for ease of play. Combine the action with the fact that the guitar has a big, fat neck and it makes for an electric that certainly is not meant for rippin'.

I've had plenty of bad luck with my Carvin gear. I had a mini PA that had a power transformer go after only 2.5 years of very infrequent use. As for my AE185, it doesn't get used all that often and has had several problems. The battery compartment broke when i was changing a battery. The acoustic pickup didn't pick up the high E string for a while so that needed to be fixed. The guitar fell down from my guitar stand at one point and the neck got a very deep crack and needed to be fixed.

When the neck got a deep crack I called them asking them what to do and they told me to throw the guitar into the garbage. $1400 dollar guitar and they tell me to just throw it away and buy another one. Thanks idiots! Plus they never play ball with local repair personnel. They want all the repair work themselves. They expect you to eat shipping to and from CA. They do not send parts to local repair people for repairs. Mention Carvin to a local repair guy and watch them roll their eyes in disgust. When my Mini PA had a power transformer die after only 2.5 years of slight use they only offered a slight discount on a new one. Why would I want a new one when my old one had problems with only occasional use?

It has high action and a really fat neck. It has had a bunch of problems despite only being played once in a while. Miserable guitar. They say they're cheaper than other companies because they're factory direct but their prices are very high. I've had more fun playing a $400 Ibanez than this guitar. The Ibanez has great action, fatter pickups and a much, much faster neck. People create a custom guitar because they want something that's better than what's in their local music store. This guitar is far worse than what you find in the local store and it costs a lot more than most guitars (mine was$1400). I think that even if Carvin wanted to be in the local stores they wouldn't be welcome because of all the problems associated with their lousy products.

AE185. Not what I ordered.

Sounded nice after the chunk of yellow polishing compound fell out of the f-hole.

The guitar would not stay in tune whatsoever. Nice action. They should try a multiple compound radius neck like a Warmoth.

Sent it back for a refund. I'm sure they have some nice stuff but I wouldn't buy from them again.

Hippies

I order a Koa flame top (go to carvinmuseum.com, click on in-stock archive, do a search for a 185 Koa flame, then look at plain Koa. Quite a difference). I actually pick out the wood top that I like at the carvinmuseum.com. Flamed Koa "up and down flames" was written on the order sheet which is supposed to travel with the guitar during construction. What showed up was Figured Koa. The headstock was flamed Koa and the color didn't match the body. Finish was nice except for one flaw on the body. I was going to have them fix the headstock so the body would match, but than I played the guitar. It would not stay in tune. New strings, not in tune. It really reminded me of a 149.00 guitar. This was never going to be acceptable. Advice for Carvin 1) When you use a cardboard case for a bass guitar to ship a six string guitar, pack the empty 10 inches or so of the box with newspaper so the guitar case won't be smacked all over(my guitar case was actually bent when you would open the lid, it would pop over to one side). 2) Hire people that can read more that a three letter word (maybe from "KOA" to "FLAMED KOA". If you didn't have flamed Koa, you should have called me. You had my number. 3) The big picture - I can't believe that out of everyone that saw this guitar go out the door, no one noticed the headstock and the body didn't match and say "hey, that looks like crap". 4)Remove all polishing compound from the inside of your guitars before you ship them. 5) Fix the inherent bridge problem this model has(a higher quality bridge with an adjustable intonation).
6) A nice touch would be to counter sink the string Ferrules flush.

They did refund my money fairly quickly though.

Plenty of tone variation available. Using the "acoustic" pickup and combining with the humbuckers via the round selector you can get a wide range of tone before even adjusting the actual tone controls. Also split coil switches on both humbuckers.

For lighter rock, country, jazzy styles this is a great ax. I use it for praise and worship music and it never fails to amaze with its tonality.

Action is low, but I use a bit heavier strings to make the acoustic sounds more full, this holds it back some on the rock/electric side.

Been used live for 10 years. Always solid, never a problem.

Yes phone support was needed once for a minor issue I could not figure out. They were responsive,and I was able to repair it myself. ( battery plug was the issue)

PLaying 40+ yrs. Own Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Yamaha, Takamine. This is one of the most versatile guitars I have ever owned, and would be seriously missed if it was gone. My favorite feature is the acoustic fishman transducer, which on this thin body still gives a very strong acoutsic guitar sound thru the amp.. I use a Boss GT6 effects unit and set it up for acoustic sounds on two pedals, these add to the sweetness of this Carvin.

My third review for the same guitar, already in the database

I play in a band and the sound is good in some situations. In other situations it can't be heard. It depends on how loud the band is.

set-up was fine. Everything was fine but changed over time. The root cause of the problem is the tweed guitar case that came with the guitar, explained in next section.

Over time my neck warped into an "S" shape and I took it to Wilcutt's in Lexington. The base E string was buzzing real bad. This guitar is two octaves in the clear without bridge adjustment -- hence not a lot to work with.

Bob straightened it up by steaming the neck where it joins the body. He got it perfect. He also put in a bone saddle. This is the best my guitar has ever sounded.

I'm using 9 gage strings. He changed the strings over to something a little stiffer, but I'm still using 9 gage.

He told me my guitar case lacked neck support, and I needed to make adjustments. So I filled in the loose spots with foam rubber and pads.

I think it's a keeper. I still get some miscellaneous static sounds every once in a while from the jack connection.

The neck action is low and even. Carvin should sell a better case for this guitar.

My AE185 guitar has great features. Koa Neck, satin finish on back of the neck, twho humbuckers you can split or set out of phase, a piezo pickup under the bridge. The Sperzel locking tuners are fast when changing strings and helps to keep the guitar in tune.

I bought this when they first came out. At that time I was doing a lot of solo acoustic type gigs and rhthym guitar. Then is was really nice. No, it doesn't sound like a Taylor acoustic but is a pretty, warm tone. For soloing on the electric side, the humbuckers produce zero buzz. However, because it's a hollow body it has very little sustain. I think it a perfect rhythm guitar and it's so light you can play for hours without strain.

This guitars' biggest flaw is that normal strings eat the frets away. The fret wire is like play-doh. B String 2nd fret is totally worn, I can play D chord anymore for the intonation is off. I had it set up when I got it and when you spend a LOT of money on a guitar the fret wire should hold up better than my budget Ibanez.
Another problem I have is I'm not sure the battery powers anything anymore. The shielding is great but I may have some wire issues.
Also, I wish they'd make a 25.5" scale option on this model. This Les Paul scale doesn't do it for me.
The knobs, tuners, wood are seem top shelf.

Having battery issues. Frets are wearing away FAST.

If the frets held up and the battery compartment worked I would give this a high over-all mark. The fret thing is a big deal because the intonation is now off.
Everything else is pretty amazing.

I got it "painted black." There was a miss on the inside of the f-hole, but otherwise, the finish is flawless and beautifully black.

This is the tele semi-hollow body. String through body.
Locking tuners, which I am getting used to.

I got the full electrics set up - two humbuckers with coil taps and a phase switch. The peizo pick up in the bridge. A notched blending knob. All knobs are helpfully notched, so you aren't guessing where you are.

I love the sound this guitar makes. However, it is not a guitar that does everything. Don't dump your ES-335 or SG. While I am told it does not sound exactly like a Telecaster, that is the family where it lives. This means that all sounds are on the trebly side, even when you have dialed in the electric pick ups only and both are set to hum bucking.

However, it is a rich and varied treble voice, ideal for fitting into a band. The option of splitting the sound is wonderful. I am using a Fender Deluxe Reverb, and sent the electric out through a Boss Blues pedal and the acoustic out through a Boss Chorus, each to a different channel. I also sometimes send the acoustic side to my pa. The possibilities, while hardly endless, are extremely varied, and consistently delightful.

As someone told me, the challenge with this guitar is to avoid spending 100% of your time tweaking to get a 5% incremental change in your sound. I found my home setting - neck pick up set as hum bucker, bridge as single coil, with the blend halfway between the peizo and the other pickups. Kick in the phaser when I want a honky sort of sound that has a great rawness to it. Use the pedals when appropriate. This is a phenomenally versatile rhythm, second lead guitar.

I will rate it 9 only because I don't hear this as a real jazz box. It is just too bright. Trot out the 335 (or in my case, the Washburn HB30)

The action and the neck are dizzyingly delightful. I join others in relating that I am playing things inspired by the feel.

The locking tuners are strangely slippery. That is, I have to use the locks to pin down the string, being careful to just barely do so at first, then use the tuner keys to fine tune, then finally fully engage the locks. I still find the tuning wandering a bit. But I think it could be a matter of me learning how to use them well.

I will give this a nine, too, if only for degree of difficulty. Keep in mind it could say as much about my limitations as about the guitar.

I have had this only a month. My impression is that it will be reasonably durable.

No experience as yet.

I have been playing since my pre-teen years, so for four decades. This Carvin joins my 1965 Gibson Melody Maker with its two unique single coil pickups, and my Washburn HB 30 with its humbuckers to round out my family of electrics. While the Gibson has some historical interest, and both are workmanlike guitars, neither compares in quality with this Carvin AE185.

I am looking forward to more time playing with others, because that is when I expect it to shine. It is not the strongest choice for a singer-songwriter solo gig, and as I said before, I will break out the Washburn to accompany jazz or standards, but if the tunes rock or twang, this guitar will certainly be my choice.

Bought my AE185 slightly used 2 years ago. Blue quilted maple body, color matched reverse in-line headstock, abalone dot birdseye maple fretboard, picked up the case with it. Two coiltapped humbuckers with piezo, phase switch, twin outs for amp and PA (acoustic piezo).
Suh-weet looking axe. Not a mark on it.

I play mostly rock and blues. Run it through a Line 6 Flextone II XL right now. I'm trying to save up the small fortune for a Boogie Lonestar Special. The single coil sounds don't strike me as being quite as musical and full as my Mexican Fat Strat, but they have a tone. The humbuckers seem to get crunchy quicker than my Fat Strat, but hey, the Strat is probably a fairly low resistance set of pickups. Generally I'm running drive, distortion and delay on leads and trying to get it to sing. It will. I think part of my problem is my settings got knocked out of whack at a gig last month and I haven't had the time to dial everything back in yet. Back off the dimed volume and the crunch still cleans up. Kind of nice being able to mix the piezo into the tone. Haven't set up to run the piezo through our Mackie PA yet. Just blend and go. Are the pickups "all that"? No. Are they crap? No. actually, they are fairly decent. I have some scratchiness from a dirty volume pot. Yes, I've gotta clean up the pot. My bad for not knocking it down and dealing with it. The hollowbody allows more breathing to the sound which I really like. Definitely a different tone from a Casino or a 335, but probably because it doesn't have the cavity size they have to work with. Great sustain. I can hold a note a lot longer than my partner's USA tele will. I think I'll like it better with a better amp. That's my gameplan.

I gave this guitar a fairly good once over before buying it. Surprisingly, it looked pretty clean. Since then I've noticed something that bugs me. You have to pay attention to the bridge when changing strings. Make sure you tap it back into a completely upright position, because if you don't, you're intonation will get a little screwed up. It seems it wants to sag towards the the nut when I tighten the strings up. Does it bug me? Yeah, but now that I know, it isn't a problem. I stick the .010-.046 Elixers on and repeatedly tap during installation. Practice is ~20 miles away, and during the cold weather this thin still holds tone. My Strat is all over the place until it warms up. This one barely needs to be touched. Other than that, the birdseye maple fretboard seems a little sharp on the edges, but not really too bad. Could they have cleaned it up better? Yeah. Is it that bad? No. Frets are good, no buzz, action is fairly low. I might shave the bridge a little to lower it some more, but really it isn't necessary. Just my preference. Pretty well set up from the get-go.

I had a battery quit on me during a gig. Weirdest thing I ever experienced--I thought the jack was fried the way it was cutting out. I had a battery in my case, but didn't think that was the problem based on the way it was acting. Besides, I didn't think the passive humbuckers would go away if the battery died! You won't get squat out of this guitar without a good battery!! Carry spares, and make sure it's the first thing you swap out in an emergency! Since then I haven't played it live. But I've been practicing with my band more and more with it lately. It's kind of growing on me. I was thinking of selling it to help finance a new amp, but I think I'd miss it. Nope, I'm keepin' it. The strap buttons loosen up all the time. I have to tighten them every time I play. Need to address that as well, but hey, my Strat's buttons loosen up just as much. Good thing I carry a tool set in my gig bag. The bridge likes to fall out, but that's normal for a piezo bridge. Same thing happens with my Takamine A/E.

Never contacted Carvin other than to ask questions about what I had. Never had to deal with them on a guitar-threatening issue. The emailed questions I sent were answered in about three days. Not bad, but if I had a serious problem, maybe not good enough for a response.
I've got no opinion on this, just that Customer Service can make or break a music company. All manufacturers should keep that in mind.

I've been playing (again) for about 5 years after taking a 20 year break to raise children. I've got this guitar, a Mexican Fat Strat, a Yamaha 12 string acoustic with a transducer pickup, and a Takamine A/E. I'm moving back towards analog signal chain when my wife says I can afford it. Something about fixing the house and getting my kids through college seems to keep coming up as an obstacle. The one guitar I wish I had back is my old '63 Gibson SG, complete with the whammy bar. But the AE185 is actually far superior to that guitar.
I love the way it looks. It plays like butter. Plenty of tonal options. 40+ year old axes can't do that.

Left hand, plain white, black headstock, gold hardware, coil splits and phase, otherwise "standard". See carvin.com for stock and options.

It was actually really confusing when I first bought it. Too many knobs and switches, but once you learn what everything does it's fine. Won't play without a battery and a jack in the main outlet. There is a switch on that jack that turns on the preamp.

Note I am in Australia. The price quoted does not include shipping.

I bought the guitar on ebay very second hand just to see what carvins are like. I had intended to move it on and buy a DC127 or similar. Trouble is I seriously like it, so now I am probably going to keep it. It has a really punchy attack, plenty of sustain, lots of high frequency. It lacks harmonics, and other AE185 owners have suggested this to me. I prefer Fender sounds and don't like the typical Les Paul Std sound at all (LP with ebony fretboard I do like). The Carvin does a very good telecaster, plus offers humbucking so you can get a tele deluxe sound. The phase gives a punchy gritty funky sound. Add the accoustic pickup and as everyone else has said it's stupidly versatile. It is no use having 1000 sounds if they all suck. I REALLY like what it offers. I ahven't tried tons of distortion as I usually don't play that way, but the clean sounds are really good. 9 is only for the lack of bell like harmonics...

Bought very secondhand. Paint chips, fretwear and it's taking a while to deal with the shift to ultra high humidity so I have fret buzz. I am confident it will settle. Arguably the best finished and built guitar I have owned in 30 years of playing. Gold is starting to go off as it does. If you bought a new one and looked after it I am sure it'd last as well as any guitar. I have seen Gobsons that retail at 3 times the price of this that are much less well built. Of course IMO gibsons are the worst value for money guitars around so...

100% confident that it'd handle anything short of a Hendrix/Townsend incident.

They don't sell direct overseas and the dealer prices are too high. I have emailed them and got some info.

This is my first Carvin. I am prepared to believe they make the odd bad guitar and mess up customer service, but this instrument is wonderful and I will buy another, maybe several, on ebay etc. If I get a dud I'll just sell it on. In my opinion they are the best value guitars I have ever seen, and even more so secondhand. I think the extra you pay over say a japanese/mex fender, epiphone or no name korean is really well spent. They are unquestionably better than say an American std strat and signifigantly cheaper for a bolt/dc127 etc.

Before you order a custom new Carvin maybe dip your toe with a second hand one, that way you can move it on if you don't like it. Or just go for it. They will take returns and refund your money. I have read that if you talk to them (and be civil) they will extend the 10 day thing sometimes, and also negotiate addressing your issues.

I already gave this guitar a review two years ago,the description is there:

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.

It suits my sound just fine. Think "telecaster +". Sweet tone, good sustain, and a decent amount of punch when the coil taps are set right and phase reverse is on. I didn't go with the standard pickups. I used the Holdsworths instead.

I've been playing in a band with a Marshall DSL 400 super lead valve amp. Nice combo. Puts out a nice vibe. Looks are pretty flashy too -- gold, pearl, and black on both amp and guitar.

I have a few extraneous static sounds on start-up, hence I rate it 9 for not being perfectly clean. It smooths out in a few seconds. I don't know if the amp is part of the problem.

Otherwise the guitar creates the sound I want - a telecaster that's suited for rock, country, blues, and jazz. Without the miscellaneous sounds I rate it a 9+. I got better cables and that helped soem.

Set-up was about perfect from the factory, but I was getting a very small amount of fret buzz on the base E string. Over time this got worse.

Recently (after 2 years of use)I took it to a local luthier (one of the best in our state). The frets were high where the neck joins the guitar. Carvin claims they stabalize the neck wood before putting it in a guitar.

The luthier fixed it up. The action is a little higher now but the sound got better. The luthier said the neck was squirrely to work with, but it's good now. Some of the Nashville artists let her do their work.

It's still easy to play, but not like when I first got it.

I can depend on it in a gig, but I've always had a few electronics annoyances. I don't know if the amp is part of the problem.

They helped back when I bought the guitar new.

I haven't made my final decision on whether this guitar is a keeper for life because of reliability issues. I really like the sound. It plays easy. It looks good.

Will it stay that way?

Transparent Flamed Maple top on mahogany, ebony fretboard with no inlays, black hardware, C-22 pickups, Active electronics with coil taps and phase reverse, locking tuners. It's got a boost/cut on both the pickups and the piezo and the standard dual-output which is very handy. This is thing went into the oven with tons of awesome ingredients and came out looking like a ferrari. The quality of the materials and components is exceptional.

I play everything from classical guitar to Helloween and this thing can do it all. The trick is you have to be a little adaptive and willing to get to know it. Honestly, when I first got this guitar, I thought maybe I'd shoulda spent the money elsewhere... I had a hard time finding its mojo. I have a Custom Strat, a Rickenbacker 360, a goldtop Les Paul, a hotrodded Tele and a Bluesbird and a few others... and I, like a lot of people, was expecting this guitar to fill their shoes. At first I was disappointed because it certainly didn't. And then I spent more time with it. With the exception of the bell-tone of a strat neck pickup, this guitar and these hands (now) can pretty much do anything I'd want to do on any of my other guitars. It's got loads of sustain, a very musical and expressive voice, and thanks to the blending pot, can produce tons of NEW tones!! The piezo alone is worth the money since you get a great acoustic sound (through an A/E amp or PA) and there's zero feedback.

This guitar was absolutely flawless. Of the 30+ guitars that I've owned in my time, this one was absolutely built the best. If you consider the selection of materials and components as ingredients in a recipe, regardless of the opinion of the final product (sound), the execution was superb.

The entire axe is premium quality, built very solid and roadworthy.

Never had to call 'em.

I've been playing for 17 years and I'm down to 13 guitars... I've gotten rid of over 20 guitars, some of which I regret. This guitar will never leave me. It's my do-everything guitar that fits right, hangs right, feels right, and sounds right. If this guitar had a magical tremolo that would enable it to maintain it's sustain, tuning (this guitar never goes out of tune!) and unique voicing, it would be perfect. If you consider what you're getting, the price is a pittance to pay. You can't touch this kind of craftsmanship for less than double the price elsewhere. I hope to God Carvin continues to do business without the expensive middle-man, since I'm buying all of my future guitars from them!!

Options custom......cedar top, birdseye maple fretboard, sunset burst, tortoise binding, tuxedo look (cream bezel, cream and black pickups), standard pups plus LR BAggs piezo, phase and coil taps, locking Sperzels,

gonna be a long time discovering all the sound possibilities..... acoustic sound is OK, electric is the better of the two (duh!).....cool sound when dual outputing (electric to amp, acoustic to PA)...some switch noise on the phase shift selector

no visible flaws, period.

some question about switches, have to cycle the phase switch some times, with crackle until cycled.....pickup toggle switch seems flimsy

no idea

owned gear for 35 years, serious player last five years....own Taylor and Goodall acoustics, Fender Strat HT, 1973 Hagstrom double F-hole semi hollow body. neck playability is excellent, the sunset burst color is darker than my mental image, but it's very good looking

2006 semi-hollowbody. Neck through construction. 24 medium jumbo frets. LR Baggs ribbon transducer along with a C22N humbucker in the neck position and a C22B humbucker in the bridge position. Active electronics with master volume, 3-way selector, seperate active tones, blend potentiometer and duel outputs. Sperzel locking tuners. Ebony TUSC acoustic bridge. Blue quilted AAAA maple with gloss finish. The guitar came with a tweed hard-shell case.

I play rock, blues, country, classical, praise & worship, and anything else that catches my ear. I am currently plugging directly into a Carvin AG100D with no other effects.

The sound is the best I have come across in some time, especially in this price range. The electric tone is warm and full. The acoustic side is actually very good - better than I expected it to be. The blend pot allows for mixing the electric and acoustic sounds, which is really cool!

The Guitar arrived with the setup & intonation dead on. From what I can see the construction is perfect. (Believe me, I went over it with a magnifying glass) The paint job is great but not perfect - I found a small blemish on the back, about the size of a small pea. It wasn't a big enough problem to send it back. For that small blemish I'll rate this section a 9.

The guitar has a very solid feel to it. The glossy finish seems like it could withstand heavy use. I don't gig anywhere so I can't say anything about that. I would be willing to leave this guitar sitting out of the case around my 4 year-old son. (That's a tougher scenario than you might think.) It's a hollow guitar, so I'll give it a 9 for this section.

I called Carvin's customer support when the guitar first arrived because I was having trouble getting sound out of the acoustic side (my fault, not the guitar's). The customer support guy was less than completely helpful. In fact, he actually gave me some incorrect information about the guitar. (He told me the blend pot would only work with two cables connected to the guitar, which isn't true at all).

I have called Carvin's customer support several times over the years and for the most part they are pretty good. I guess no company is perfect these days...

I have played guitar for over 30 years. In that time I have owned more guitars, amps, and effects than I care to admit. If this guitar was stolen I would hunt the thieves down like vermin, then I would either get this guitar back or buy another one. I didn't compare the guitar to any others because I live too far away from a Carvin store.

The bottom line is that the AE185 is a sweet guitar with tons of features and an incredibly versatile sound. The guitar is a super value for the money.

2005 hollowbody. 24 frets and a 3 way selector switch. Double Carvin C-22 humbuckers with active electronics, pretty sure its an all maple body with rosewood fingerboard (mother-of-pearl block inlays). Regular all black finish and SPERZEL LOCKING TUNERS, which were a big plus. Came with a nice Carvin hard-shell case. Would have been perfect if I had bought it new.

I play almost all rock of all different kinds with some Eric Clapton style blues-rock and the occasional harder songs and very little punk. I play straight through a Carvin SX-100 amp(man it is great) and sometimes with a Line6 distortion pedal. I was doubtful if a hollowbody could give me the kind of rock sound I wanted, though knowing Carvin I was sure it would have many other benefits, and the price was low so I could resell if not satisfied.

BUT IT BLEW MY MIND. This thing has this wonderful tough overdrive, slightly brassy on the low notes (which I love) but gritty hard and strong. Its extremely quiet and can really nail both rock lead and rythm riffs. It sounds really good on the lower frets. That said, it is also VERY versatile and can get some really sweet blues/Dire Straits type rock going on with a flip of a switch. Also a beautiful, full, acoustic sound.

Carvin is famous for its fit/finish but I found this guitar lacking. The construction was great, very solid and well intonated, but I thought that the black paint job left alot to be desired. Though solid, its not glossy, kinda dull, and seems to not really show what Carvin guitars can be. The neck inlays are sweet though, and all the hardware is top-notch.

Oh I am certain it can withstand hard live playing for a long time. Everything on it is very solid, and the strap-locks are great. Its very dependable. I gig with a back-up though, just in case. Finish is strong, if dull. I give it a 9 because hollow-bodies in general aren't your pure durability guitars. It probably wouldnt be able to take a heavy blow, but hey, who expects that?

I got it used.

I have been playing for about 3 years now, am gigging actively and love the improv solos I can get on this thing. I also own a Gibson SG for a little while (borrowed) and an Schecter Omen 6. If it were stolen, I would buy another, then steal the thief's car. I am planning on buying a new one from Carvin soon, with a cooler looking and more impressive finish (maybe red or sunburst), but everything else stays EXACTLY the same. I compared this guitar's sweet overdrive to a LP Special, and though the LP was great in its own way, I really liked the AE's better. The LP can't really get gritty, it's almost always pure without screwing with the amp too much. Plus this guitar is more versatile and has more features.

I have an AE 185 that I ordered back in 1996, made in the factory U.S.A. It has 24 frets, it's a semi hollow body (like Tele), 2 Carvin buckers (I had the "hot" pick up M22SD? installed at the bridge position), and it has the Piezo? under the saddle. Active electronics, never can remember what they all do just leave them all up. Has master volume, tone for both pick ups, and a knob for the Piezo accoustic pick up, really let's you dial in and mix the sounds. You have to order the case with it, it's a sturdy plywood job nicely lined inside, tweed outside.

This guitar has worked very well for me. I play rock, blues, country, and spent many years playing with a latin group that was into all sorts of eclectic sounds. I use the Carvin Bel Air 212 amplifier. The guitar is not prone to noise (unlike my MIM Strat). It has a bright sound, thin sometimes, but with the right effects you can dial in a whole lot of sounds. In the hands of a virtuoso (which I am not) I am sure it would be capable of a full range of sounds and work well with many styles-probably not METAL though. I always use regular slinkys classic nickel 46-10.

Carvin brags about their fit and finish in their ads, and I have to say for this guitar it has been true. It came set up perfectly, intonation, action, etc. However, there were small flaws finish wise-they left a piece of masking tape inside the body, slight overspray on the f hole binding, an almost imperceptible run of clear finish on the back of the neck near the nut. Other than that it is absolutely gorgeous. Carvin makes their guitars to your specs, and it is an absolute thrill to open the case for the first time and see your custom guitar! Ala Tom Petty "The waiting is, the hardest part" because it takes eight or ten weeks to be built.

I played in more honky tonks and absolute hole in the wall bars than I can remember, outdoor festivals, hundreds of rehearsals, trucked it around in the back of the equipment van, in the heat and the cold, rain or shine, and it has held up better than I could have dreamed of. Don't get me wrong, I take care of it-never let it get too much heat or cold and I watch the humidity-but I don't baby it and it has held up remarkably well. The gold hardware plating on the gnurled knobs has worn off, but what do you want after ten years? I am proud that I played enough to wear that plating away! The finish is holding up very well, I have knocked it up a bit but any finish flaws now are because of my carelesness, not from poor workmanship. I replaced the strap buttons with the locking type, the pick up selector switch wore out and I replaced it, the battery needs to be replaced several times a year depending on use. I gigged all the time without a back up and never had a problem. That is usually a matter of checking your axe out before the show-which all us players do right? By the way the neck is great with it's ebony fingerboard, great action and straight! I usually adjust it twice a year, in summer when the humidity increases, and again in the winter as it gets drier.

I have to agree with most of the reviews on Carvin customer service within these pages, some folks are helpful and some are not. Depends on who you talk to and how you talk to them. Have only dealt with them a few times and it was about amplifier questions not about the guitar.

I have been playing forty years! I have had Les Paul, Strat, etc. This is one of my favorite guitars. It is a very light guitar so I think that is why it sometimes sounds "thin", but I remember the Paul was so heavy it hurt my neck. My favorite feature is the through the body solid neck-probably why it doesn't warp or go out of tune. Sperzel tuners are cool too. I would most definitely replace it, of course it has great sentimental value now and you can't replace that. Death to tyrants and guitar thieves! Carvin sort of touts that this guitar goes from electric to acoustic sounding, and that is true, However, keep in mind that it sounds like an acoustic electric guitar i.e hollow body electric or Tele type sounds when you go to the acoustic pick up. It will not sound like a jumbo body steel string acoustic. If you are an intermediate or professional player this is a great guitar for the money and you can have it built and finished to your specs with a money back gaurantee.

This Guitar was made April 2005 in Carvins San Diego factory. It has a perfect KOA top and tung oiled neck. It has a master vol. and a tone control for each of the acoustic & elec. set-ups & a blend pot. It has active pickups & a ribbon transducer under the bridge. It came with sperzel locking tuners, which is a first for me, this is a super set-up. THe only drawback is a non-adjustable bridge due to the acoustic set-up BUT the intonation is dead-on. Guitar came with .010 Elixer strings & carvins tech guy said as long as I keep the same guage strings I should have no problem. It has 2 out puts 1 each for acoustic or elec. or they can be blended or isolated. It came with med. jumbo frets & they agreed w/ me in about 8 seconds.

This guy is now my main axe in my praise & worship team, & it does more than I could ask due to it's versatility. I am the only guitar in this group & our style runs from very acoustic ballads to heavy christion ROCK. I use a MESA Lone Star special on the elec. side & a Fender acoustasonic II on the acoustic side. I use several pedals. a Boss GE7 eq a Boss Phaser a Boss tremolo and Boss Chorus & Delay & a vol. pedal through the efx. loop. on the acoustic side I use a Boss AD 8 processor & I put a micro sw. on the vol. pedal to turn the acoustic side on & off. So now I can go from any mode to any mode instantly.This guitar is as quiet as they come in most venues, except in 1 of churches but that is due to the lighting. My Boss NS 1 Fixes it there. It has a bright sound when I eq it up but I can get an almost Les Paul sound from it. Keep in mind that the amp I use is a tough act to follow. It has great sustain plays as clean as you can get but is articulate as well with any amount of distortion.

The factory set up was perfect. it needed no adjustment whatsoever. the finish is bookmatched as good as any wood I have ever seen & I have had some expensive guitars. there are no flaws that I can find at all. The action is as low as you can go with no buzz (which is what I like) It might not be the fastest guitar, but I'm not good enough to make a judgement on "fast".

I have been playing out with this guitar since april & have had my Les Paul as my back-up till august. I started a Christian Rock Band with the intention of going all electric & using my Paul only. Well I been using this one & am glad of it. It is light as a feather but built real well. It looks like it will stand up to any use. I have been using it without back-up some time now. It has dunlop straplocks which came in the case, I installed them myself. The screws were long enough to secure a battleship to dock!!

I bought this from in stock & wanted the custom nameplate option. No Problemo. Shipping was quick & any questions I had were answered with respect & in a timely fashion. There is someone who knocked the serv. dept. & quite honestly I think that's B.S. in the few dealings that I have had with Carvin. I have not needed any repair just a few questions & am very happy with the way they handled al issues.

I love this guy. I would buy another if anything at all happened to it.I love everything about this guitar & find it hard to believe a lot more people don't have one. The only thing I wish it had was an adjustable bridge but the current set up works fine so it's just that I am used to having all my elec. guitars w/ an adjustable bridge.

Built in 2005 in Carvin's San Diego factory
Flamed Koa top, mahogany back and sides. Matching Koa overlay on the headstock. Ebody fretboard. Dual truss rod mahogany thru-body neck. Tung oil finish. Two standard Carvin active humbucking pickups and an acoustic transducer pickup in the bridge. 2 coil tap switches and a phase switch. Single volumn control, one tone control for the humbuckers, one tone control for the transducer, one pan control, with center detent, that allows mixing of electric and acoustic output. Dual outputs. Sperzel locking tuners.

The guitar is a semi-hollow body with an f-hole and it has a look that is somewhat similar to the '71 Fender Telecaster Thin-Line.

Functions as both an acoustic and an electric guitar and does a great of job of meeting the requirements of both.

Carvin is not a true custom shop because they don't offer their customer the ability to control every sinlge little thing. But they do offer a ton of options on each model. Carvin uses CNC equipment to carve their guitars. The tolerances are very tight and everything is finished off by hand. The customer has a choice of wood, color, finish, type and color of pickups, headstock design, inlays, and hardware. There are plenty of options to choose from so, in the end, the customer ends up with as close to a one-of-a-kind guitar as is possible without spending thousands of dollars.

I play in a classic rock band that covers music from the 50's into the 80's. This includes an occasional country song.

This guitar has extraordinary flexibility. Played as an electric there is a full range of sounds due to the fact that the coil taps allow you to play with either humbuckers or single coil pickups active. The fact that there are two coil tap switches means you can mix the humbucker and signal coil output (neck-single coil, bridge-humbucker or reverse). The pickups are very high quality and have good output. It appears that you can get or get close to any sound you want.

Played as an acoustic the AE185 sounds as good as any electric acoustic I've ever heard. There is no onboard EQ so I suggest getting a good EQ unit. It will just make something that sounds good to begin with sound better.

To get the best sounds possible, use a good guitar amplifier for the electric sounds and a PA or good acoustic guitar amp for the acoustic sounds.

Using the mix pot to blend the electric and acoustic sounds gives this guitar the ability to create sounds no other guitar can match.

One note of caution; this guitar has two output jacks. The main jack carries both signals?the electric and acoustic to an amp. The acoustic jack carries just the acoustic signal to a PA or acoustic amp (this is the preferred hookup and allows for the best sound both ways). When it's being used it shuts off the acoustic output through the main jack. Because it's necessary to use two amplification devices to get the best sounds there is a distinct possibility of a ground loop which will cause a buzz in the guitar amp and a hum in the PA. I use a passive direct box with a ground lift switch between the guitar and the PA?this remvoes the ground from the signal and solves the problem.

This guitar plays like a dream. First it has a Carvin neck. And everything everyone has ever said about Carvin necks is true. They are the best I've ever seen. The medium jumbo frets may take some getting used to if you are used to using a "death grip" on your guitar in order to push the strings down to the fretboard. This is a very high quality instrument and takes a light touch.

The humbuckers won't make this guitar sound like a Les Paul and the coil taps won't make it sound like a Strat. In fact this guitar doesn't sound EXACTLY like any othe guitar. You can come close to other sounds and you can make your owns sounds. All I can say is this is one sweet sounding guitar. Great tone and super playability. What more could one ask?

What can I say. The bookmatched flamed Koa top is nothing short of spetacular. The tung oil finish has a great feel and doesn't show fingerprints.

I've looked everywhere and can't find a single cosmetic flaw. This is an exceptionally well made instrument. I also can't say enough about the set-up. It's perfect! I imagine that has something to do with the fact that the guitar is set-up at the factory by the same people, all the time. Other manufacturers pull the guitars off the line and then send them to the dealer where they are supposed to be set-up before they are sold. For that reason, set-up quality is often very uneven.

I've had the guitar for a week and a half. I don't abuse my guitars so I have never had a problem with durability. I play a lot and gig a lot and I don't see that I'm going to have anything to worry about. I can't imagine that something this well made isn't going to hold up.

One thing I have observed is that the hardware is top notch. Carvin doesn't put cheap stuff on it's guitars. Everything about this instrument says "quality".

I've done two gigs with this thing now and I wouldn't hesitate to use it without a back-up?in fact I have.

I bought the guitar out of stock instead of making a custom order. Carvin was going through a computer upgrade at the time and that caused some snafus. But the customer service rep I talked to was always pleasant and cooperative. I talked with their guitar tech twice. He's a guy who is actually out on the shop floor making guitars. So he knows what's going on. He's not a suit in an office somewhere.

I've been playing professionally for 38 years. I own an American Fender Strat, a limited edition Takamine acoustic/electric, a Guild D-25 acousic guitar, a Guild F-412 12 string acoustic guitar, a Fender Precision Bass and a Vega 5-string banjo. I play through a Fender Hot Rod DeVille amp and the acoustic sounds go through a Yamaha PA. I also use a Digitech multi-effects pedal for electric and an Alesis effects pedal for acoustic. I have an Alesis rack effects unit that I use with the Yamaha PA.

I was reluctant to order this guitar. I've never ordered a guitar and never thought I would because a good one is unique. Each one sounds and feels just a little different?even the same model. And the neck can vary significantly from guitar to guitar. But after a year of research I finally decided to take the plunge. Now I wish I hadn't waited.

Quite simply, I am crazy about the way this guitar plays and sounds. For me that's the beginning and the end.

While I was researching I looked at the Shecter version of an electric/acoustic. There was no comparison. The Shecter electric has a great sound but the acoustic side did not measure up to what I wanted.

In my opinion Carvin guitars represent the best value around. They make honest-to-goodness professional instruments at a fraction of the cost of the big guys like Fender and Gibson. If I had been looking for just an electric I would have considered the AE185. If I had only wanted an acoustic I would have stayed with my Takamine.

For years I've played everthing the music stores have in stock?just like everyone else does. And I saw a lot of stuff I thought I would like to have. I always went home and picked up my Strat and wondered why in the world I would have considered anything else. This is the first guitar I've played that I liked better than my Strat.

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.

This was made in 2002. It has 24 frets, beautiful flamed Koa top and headstock, three pickups - two C22 humbuckers and a piezo p/u, three additional switches (two for phasing, the other to turn it off/on), 1 vol., 2 tone controls, and a nice control for mixing the piezo p/u w/ the electric p/u's. Also a 3 way selector. This is an active p/u setting guitar w/ two jacks - one for acoustic, the other for electric and acoustic to play in true stereo.

As for the shape of the guitar, it has a nice f-hole, a tele-acoustic type body (best way I can describe it), w/ a compensated acoustic saddle, Sperzel locking tuners, jumbo frets, ebony fretboard, and I believe Carvin makes this 25 scale but you'd have to check on the website to make sure. For restringing you feed the strings through the back, so the electronic setup of it is quite unique since it definitely is setup up a bit of both - acoustic and electric.

Only other accessory that I got w/ it was a case. As far as features, I believe that absolutely no guitar that I know of will encompass this amount of features for the buck and more! Most guitars that have all these kind of features cost the amount of three monthly mortgage payments man! I mean it's Koa, got stereo jacks, and u have the option of switching between electric and acoustic - what else is there to ask for except a whammy bar (but that would defeat the purpose of this fine instrument:). And just look at it - everyone I know who has seen it, from the first day I got it constantly complimented me on it, including the producers in the studio!

I've been playing guitar for 13 years, mostly heavy metal (all genres - death, hard rock, glam, thrash, neo-classical), but I've been opening to new types of music the past 5 years - Hawaiian, reggae, easy listening (acoustic stuff), blues (well, actually more of it now, than when I was 12 first learning the gtr.), and acoustic ballad type stuff.

I am currently running a Carvin SX200 w/ an additional Ampeg VH140CH head sometimes. I am a minimalist when it comes to effects, and have not used any for the 3 years I've been playing in my current band w/ this new guitar (although I own quite a few that I use at home).

As for the sound - it's a hybrid - what do you expect? It ain't gonna give you a thrash sound, nor a true acoustic sound, but it does a pretty good job of giving you a taste of both worlds. If I had to change the setup, I'd include a Carvin H22 Holdsworth p/u in the neck, and a Seymour Duncan p/u in the bridge. However, I think the C22's are perfect just the way they are for now b/c if u are a seasoned LIVE guitar player, y'know that if you play a predominantly acoustic set, and then jam into an electric (distorted) set, you don't want a heavy distorted sound, but more a warm, natural distorted sound, which is what the C22's do, and is more pleasing to majority of people's ears (I'm talking the whole gamut - young, old, diff. musical tastes, etc.). Trust me I've done this a couple of times - old people and non-rockers hate my Ibanez Sabre S540 when I switch from clean to distortion (designed for thrash metal sound that's why), but are okay w/ my AE185 b/c the distortion is more even and less intimidating. To each his/her own!

As for a "real" acoustic sound, I give it a 6.8. When you switch over to electric (using distortion) you also have to remember to move the hybrid knob or else the acoustic p/u may start feeding back! For the electric sounds, it's a 10 b/c it's unique. As a hybrid, it's a pure 10 no doubt! To beef up the acoustic sound, you can use an eq, and an acoustic simulator, but why? If you want the real thing, get the real thing. I hear a lot of people complain that it's not a true sounding acoustic - to me that's pretty incompetent. Just look at it. Does the body look like it'll project like a high-end Ovation? Doesn't all the presence of electronics, knobs and so forth tell you that the guitar ain't really an acoustic? This is it's own beast, and don't compare it to anything else! If you want something VERY DIFFERENT, GET THIS GUITAR. OTHERWISE BUY THE REAL THING!

Action is great, like I said, it's a hybrid, so it ain't Ibanez metal low, nor is it ridiculously high, but just right. The tension on the strings are great (elixir 10's) w/ the combination of the ebony fretboard makes it easy to bend Hendrix-style, due to the "slipperiness" of the wood. Everything is perfect. No flaws, absolute gift from God. It's Koa, It's ebony, It's electric-acoustic.
No complaints.

As for durability - it's electric/acoustic so don't drop it! Plus it's freaking Koa, why the hell would you be so stupid to be unaware to drop a great looking and sounding instrument! Hardware and such is great, and finish is beautiful. It ain't built like a tank - it's built like a piece of art. You don't bust something like this. You bust pieces of shit like cheapo Fenders/Fender look-a-likes.

I've bought several things from Carvin over the years, and generally they've been pretty good. I have encountered some difficuly once buying a PA system, but that was my bad since I left my PO box instead of my actual home address, so really no big problems.

Like I said, been playing for 13 years. I've owned a Fender Strat, three Ibanez's (EX, RG, Ibanez Sabre Custom 540 (Alex Skolnick), Les Paul, and a Jackson Kelly. THIS IS THE BEST GUITAR I'VE EVER OWNED. Although my mainstay is old school metal/rock, I think I found THE guitar for me. I'll keep the Sabre and RG for my thrash/death metal spells, and this one to play really soulful and melodic stuff. I think if you play something that needs a lot of tonal variety, this is the guitar. If I was still jamming my neoclassical arpeggio licks, I believe this would be the panacea for all the different melodic sounds.(electric/acoustic/distorted/clean/split/phase/etc.)

Made in the USA mahogany body with quilted natural maple top!! Breathtaking!! two humbuckers and a piezo. Three way seletor with a blend pot to blend the magnetic and acustic pickups. I changed the carvin pickups to a seymour duncan's '59 neck and bridge. Locking tuners and nice tweed hardshell case.

Awesome sound!! Love the piezo and sounds the closest thing to a $2000 marting or taylor. Love the '59 seymour duncans. Wouldn't know it from a les paul. Great tone!! It is a little limited in the sounds. Can't get much of a tele sound out of it.

The clearcoat appears to be a little thin. But I do baby my guitars and have not had any problems. Made in the USA, can't beat the quality. Not a blemish in the finish.

I have played this thing live and it appears very solid. Like I say I do baby this thing and being it doesn't have a pickguard, I wouldn't recommend aggressive "metal" playing. This finish is probably the weakest part. Everyting else is solid. I would not gig without a backup as it has an electronic board inside and a battery. Too many what if's.

Carvin does have a great web site that I could download the manuals and scematics. Other than that I have not dealt with them.

Been playing 11 yrs and owned two zion's and a korean strat. Much better than the strat, but carvin can't beat a zion. I play through an ampeg superocket and it sounds great!! I love the bend pot for the acoustic and magnetic pickups. Not so crazy about the pots mounted in the circuit board. This thing is a maintenance headache, if something breaks. The carvin pickups didn't cut the musturd. When I replaced them, it wasn't easy.

Custom-made for me in 2001 (in USA), this guitar is the tele-shaped semi-hollow model with a single f-hole. Like most Carvins, this is a 24 fret ebony fretboard. While many wild custom finishes are available, I went for a more simple look and ordered mine with a clear finish over a solid cedar top; I rather enjoy the sound of cedar and appreciate that it tends to age faster than most other tonewoods. The rest of the guitar is done in mahogany and it is BEAUTIFUL. While the cedar and ebony are nice, the mahogany is like no wood finish I've ever seen. You could almost say that it has "flop"--the color changes depending on which angle it is viewed from (think about those mid-90s Ford products that went from purple to red to blue to green).
The electronics are rather complex. It has two humbuckers and the expected three-way toggle switch, plus two coil tap switches and a phase reverse. On top of all that, the bridge is not unlike that of an acoustic guitar, replete with a piezo pickup under the saddle. This is blended with the electric mix using a knob with a center (50/50) detent. That in turn is routed to either a single TRS stereo jack or two jacks, depending on which jacks you're plugged into and whether you want both sources going to a single amp or to two different destinations (respectively).
The whole system is active (9V) with a master volume, an active treble control for both electric and acoustic and the aforementioned blend knob.
The Sperzel locking tuners are a joy to use and make string changes--especially fast, on-stage changes--very easy.
The neck is pretty thin but not too thin (I have big hands and frequently fret notes with my thumb) and the truss rod/graphite rods combo keep it in tune most of the time.
This is a VERY comfortable guitar to play. I picked up my previous workhorse the other day, a Fender Strat with the best neck I've ever found on a Fender, and thought, "How the hell did I ever play this thing?" The difference is that big.

I bought this particular guitar, sight unseen, to handle the many different styles I play. With my main band, we'll bounce from funk to punk to bluegrass to reggae to jazz to hiphop, blues, ska and numetal. I also play solo in a singer/songwriter sort of vein, mostly to add leads over looped acoustic playing (my junker Seagull) and ocasionally on its acoustic setting when I don't want to tune my acoustic (I use a lot of weird tunings).
I also play a bit of latin jazz on the side.
It handles all of these styles as well as anyone could expect a single guitar to. While it doesn't have either a true Les Paul sound or a real Strat sound, it has its own sound (which is important to me). On the Strat subject, it should be noted that when using the coil taps to go to single-coil, the volume drop is substancial and so I rarely use the taps.
I have been running the guitar through a Carvin MTS3212 (2x12 100w tube amp) since I got it and getting great sound, but have recently added an Ampeg Rocketbass bass combo (run in tandem). The sound is incredible. Huge bass from the Ampeg and great mids, sparkle and definition from the Carvin.
Also in my rig are an Ibanez Tubescreamer, vintage Maestro phaser, Ernie Ball volume pedal and a Boomerang +.
This is the quietest guitar I've ever used. I've actually stood, volume up, distortion on directly in front of the amp and thought that the volume was off.
As far as the acoustic side goes, it sounds a little wimpy to me, but then again I have nothing in the way of a preamp. I have heard this guitar used acousticaly by others to good effect, but I use it so rarely in this regard that I have yet to spend the time and money necessary to make it sound right.
The lack of "classic" LP and Strat tones may be a turn-off to some, but I love the idea of sounding like myself AND having the control to tweak it to suit whatever musical style I'm playing at the moment.

Very well set up, impecable action, woodworking good to great. Slightly awkward transition from body binding to neck area; a tiny bit of glue around the bridge; pickup hardware rusted pretty quickly from my corrosive sweat and complete neglect.

I have gigged the snot out of this guitar for almost three years straight, practice on it daily and rehearse 5-15 hours a week on it, dragging it in and out of the cold, the heat, the AC, taking it from humid to dry and back again. I've left it in my car on days when it was too cold and when it was too hot. The finish only suffers where I've scratched it or otherwise abused it and the Dunlop straplocks work as well as the day I got it.
I depend on this guitar for every show and I think I brought a backup twice.
The only problem I've had is that the active pickup system does a slow drain on the battery, even when no cords are plugged in (which it is NOT supposed to do). As a result, I've taken to removing the battery from the swinging compartment when I'm not playing amplified. This was just a minor nuisance until one day the necessarily thin electrodes broke the solder connection. Luckily for me, my uber-geek father was in the audience and had the needed solder, soldering iron, wire AND connector (!) to patch me up. Since then, we installed a back-up connection and have been looking for some very flexible wiring.
It should be noted that 1) I'm not the only person I've heard of having this slow-drain problem and 2) while I don't know if Carvin has fixed this, I know they switched to a different style of battery compartment that would preclude the broken solder connection I suffered.

The Carvin people were very helpful and friendly when I was ordering the guitar and sent me postcard updates keeping me informed of the build progress.
While I haven't dealt with the service dept. over this guitar, they went beyond my expectations in helping me when I had a problem with my amp.
The tech rep talked me through some trouble shooting for quite some time on the phone and, even though my warranty had recently expired, sent me a new one and had the UPS guy take the broken one back--free of charge. It went from Cali to Chicago in three days.

I've been playing guitar for almost eleven years and also play drums, bass, piano, mandolin and sing. I also own a Strat, a cheap (but sweet) Seagull and a vintage Guild acoustic.
I also looked pretty seriously at the Godin guitars that do more or less the same thing, but looks, the custom aspect and the $400 price difference prompted me to buy the Carvin. Also, although I had no way of knowing it at the time, I greatly prefer the playability of the Carvin.
I seriously doubt I'll ever buy another electric, but if I do, it will surely be a Carvin. This time, however, I might pick a different model with some different options.
For the price, I'm hard-pressed to think of anything that comes anywhere near this guitar. If it were stolen, I'd eat ramen noodles for a year so I could afford another one.
I rated this a 9, but it's more like a 9.5

Usual features include coil taps on C22's, phase switch, piezo/magnetic balance, tone knobs for each circuit, dual output jacks, etc.
This one has unbound koa top and is beautiful.
24 German nickel/silver frets on shallow "C" shape neck.
Gold Sperzals & knobs.

Bought used with Carvin (SKB type) form-fit type case.

Airy sound overall. Can be as bright as you like with coil taps, active circuits, plus piezo.
I use it with a Tech 21 Bronzewood 60, and a Peavey XXL head through a open back 1 X 12" EV-L, or a Polytone MiniBrute-IV.
All styles from fingerpickin' Folk, to Satriani!

Very versatile. Easy to get good sounds.
Intonation is close enough for the kinda girls I go out with, given the Flat-top style (backloaded) bridge. It has some compensation beveled into the saddle that seems fine with 0.010" - 0.046" strings.

Really precision neck and great fit and finish.
Feels great, looks great. No flaws that I can tell.

Professional grade.
Fine instrument.
Seems solid enough.

no experience

I love the neck on this thing.
25" scale length seems perfect. Great access to all frets, even the highest.
Ebony feels great and the frets are mirror shined. Low action, no buzzes.
It flows like a shredder, yet has a meatiness too.

The Carvin plastic case is lousy. It offers good protection, but the latches have a lot of sideways slop: The pin slides laterally enough that the bail gets hung up while trying to close it. You have to center the bail (metal loops). They also jam into the receiver and get wedged if you're not careful. Otherwise, it's OK, but the latches are a big pain in the ass. Get the tweed, they're really nice!

My main reason for writing this review is to comment on the size and feel of the neck. I play rhythm in an
oldies/classic-rock band and when the other guitarist got a SCHECTER C-1 E/A ( http://www.musicgearreview.com/article-display/364.html )
we both flipped over the great sound we could get by simutaneously running into a Fender Deville (or Deluxe) and a Marshall AS50R Acoustic Guitar Amp.
If you are not hip to playing through this kind of combination, you just gotta get with the program!

Anyway, as much as I loved the sound of the
Schecter (a truly quality guitar) I just wasn't crazy about its looks. I looked at the market for these kind of piezo-hybrid electrics and the only other
quality alternative was this Carvin. The one I got was the basic Vintage Yellow on Maple (see the fantastic color selector on Carvin's web site: http://www.carvin.com/cgi-bin/Isearch.exe?CFG=2&P2=AE185&P1=GTR ) . I was a little dissapointed in that it is a bit too yellow and doesn't show
the wood grain very well.... check out those Koa models for that. (by the way, Schecter has backordered that sunburst color for months and are
still pushing the date back. We have the "black" one which is really like a very dark gray.... nice looking and classier than the sunburst if you ask me.

The main thing I've noticed is this: The Carvin is an acoustic with electric qualities while the Schecter is an electric with acoustic qualities.
The neck of the Carvin is wide and beefy. I learned on a classical guitar so I can deal with it pretty well, but anyone who is solely into the
feel of slick electric guitars definitely might not like the feel of the Carvin AE-185.

Very good.... about the same as the Schecter. Can be a grungy electric or acoustic sounding... truly versitile. Folk sining purists might turn up their noses, but for the slower Dylan-style numbers we do I think the piezo-acoustic sound is just great. Be SURE to get one of those Marshall AS50R Acoustic Guitar amps. THAT is one nice amp.

I'll not rate it higher mainly because (given the acoustic style bridge) you are not able to adjust the intonation. The intonation
on mine is not perfect but not so far off as to be a real problem. Finish is nice, this is a quality built guitar. Schaller locking tuners are a nice touch. Action is low....... however given the wider neck, dont expect the feel of a nice electric.

Hey, its a semi-hollowbody... try not to run over it with your pickup truck. The basic plastic case is very nice.

N/A

playing..... 40 years. Or do I date myself? If this guitar were run over by a pickup truck I'd probably not get another one because of the feel of the beefy neck. But hey, if you like that feel, then you will LOVE this quality guitar.

This guitar has a lot of features. with the coil taps and the phase switch you can get quite a few different guitar sounds. Mine has the holdsworth pickup in the neck position and the c22 in the bridge. Flamed koa top, birdseye maple fretboard, mahogany body and neck, black hardware, and sperzel locking tuners all with a high gloss finish. Looks great.

The sound of the guitar is super through the holdsworth pickup in the neck. The cleans are crisp, clear and classy. The distorted sounds through the holdsworth are also very good, I just always seem to use my bridge humbuckers for distortion on all my guitars because of the extra bass at the neck position--the holdsworth is a very good pickup. The c22 in the bridge postion is o.k.. I like it but not as much as the S.D. 59, or the fralin I have in other guitars. I might swap the c22(I won't swap the holdsworth!!!).

THe acoustic bridge is a nice feature, don't buy this guitar and expect a jumbo acoustic sound like a martin or taylor, but if you want a good amplified acoustic sound this guitar can do that with no problem. I play it through a roland ac60 and it sounds really nice.

Wow! I like the feel of this guitar. I is light, the finish is first rate, the action is top notch, I can't find anything wrong with it.

I have had it for 4 months now and haven't had a problem. Seems as though it will last a lifetime. I is a semi-hollow so the top is mor fragile than on a solid body, but that is what you have to expect with any semi-hollow that uses a solid wood top(it is not a laminated top)

great, I have always had the best of luck with Carvin service.

I have been playing for 22 years. I own nine other guitars, to name a few; Gibson ES335, Gibson SG, Fender Telecaster(Custom Top), Martin acoustic, yamaha classical, alverez 12string, Gibson Les Paul standard.

I would get another if it were stolen but I would get the holdsworth pickups in both positions. I would like to see the toggle switch for the pickup selection in a different spot.

I feel this is a very good guitar

Factory ordered, which is consequently the only way to get one new. Mine was made for the NAMM and so I was able to pick it up after the show was over for a song. It has a spruce top, which is what I wanted because if you think about it what do they use for good acoustics. THe inlays are the block pearl, they by the way do not enhance the sound they just look good. It has the coil splitters that work on the standard C22 pickups that come stock. The features are really what sold me on the guitar. For the price it is hard to find an American made guitar with the appointments that Carvin builds in. The finish is Blue Burst. Enough about the features, I think if your reading the reviews on this page you probably already know the options.

I play everything from Rock-Jazz, Country-Classical and this guitar handles the changes just fine. Now the reality is there is no way that I can give it a perfect because there really is not such a thing. SOme of the guys reviewing this guitar have referred to the acoustic sound as a bit hollow, to them I say if you wanted the truest of acoustic sounds why did you buy an Electric Acoustic Hybrid? I would think a Taylor or Martin would have better fit your needs. I play my 185 through a PA system and pass the signal through an outboard Fishman Pre-amp and some Chorus. I think with the slight modifications it has a very full and rich sound. As to variety of sound and versatility I say Acoustic, Humbucker, Single Coil - need I say more?

The craftsmanship was great, I do however think that the finish could have been a bit deeper, and I would prefer the satin or tung oiled neck. THe eurothayne finish can grab your hand when you sweat.

I use it live all the time, it's my main guitar I have been using it about everyday for9 months. You do need to be careful it is a semi-hollowbody.

THey have been real helpful in answering questions, I have not needed any tech support though and if I do I probably will take it to the tech that does all my other guitars.

Been playing just under 25 years and it is unquestionably the best guitar for the money that I have owned. If I had to I would replace this instrument. I probably would have one built to my exact specs instead of buying one already made. THe price was right though and they gave me the case.

Factory ordered from Carvin, 2002
Flamed maple top and peghead, classic sunburst finish, gold hardware, body binding, abalone fingerboard inlays, M22 pickups, coil tap switches.
Came with tweed Fender-style case.

Obviously, as I ordered it from the factory, I got all the goodies I wanted on it. If I had it to do over, I would have gone with the tung-oiled neck, as the polyurethane finish on the neck can "grab" your hand if it is damp.

I listened to the sound sample of the AE 185 on Carvin's web site and loved the flexibility of the guitar; it went from a pretty decent acoustic sound, to some nice clean electric tones to some heavy crunch tones. When the guitar arrived, it was strung with Elixir electric strings (.10's, I believe). When I plugged it into my Fender amp for the first time, the sound from the guitar was very harsh and trebley. I turned the tone controls down into the bassier range on both the guitar and amp, but I lost too much high end "shimmer". The Elixirs were not really well-matched to the pickups (in all fairness to Carvin, I've tried Elixirs on other solid and hollow bodied guitars I have and they sounded the same - nasty). I experimented with several other brands of strings, finally settling on DR High-beams. They have a great overall tone (to my ear, anyway) with nice full bass and good high end sparkle. However, on the AE 185, the treble strings still sound a little harsh when played hard. Also, with the guitar plugged into an electic amp (Fender Cyber-Twin), I can't get a true acoustic sound with any of the patches I've tried. I could plug the acoustic pickup into my Acoustasonic to get a better acoustic sound, but if I'm going to go as far as having to lug around two amps, bringing along my Martin acoustic is not much more of a hassle plus I get a killer acoustic sound.

Out of the box, the fit and finish of the guitar were marvelous. It looked super with the flamed maple peeking out from the yellow center of the sunburst finish, and even the flaming on the headstock was nice. Action was low as Carvin advertises, but after changing strings so many times in such a short period and several months where I barely played it, the truss rod needed to be adjusted as the strain relief was too little and the action was too high. I just finished putting on the DR strings yesterday and I note again that the neck shows too much convex curvature. I will adjust the truss rod again and hope that the neck doesn't keep bending.

The one thing I noticed more than anything about this guitar is the very small size of the body. It has the general shape of a Tele, but is smaller. The body also seems thinner than most of my other solid bodies, so I guess I'd say I tend to treat it a little more gingerly than most of the others. I would say the finish and the hardware would stand up to average playing, but if I were going to do some heavy gigging, I might consider bringing a more substantial electric solid body and a nice dreadnought acoustic instead.

Have not had to deal with Carvin about service, so that's an unknown, but after I ordered the guitar online, I received a postcard with an approximate date the guitar would be finished, which I thought was a nice touch. (They only missed the promised date by a few days).

I originally ordered this guitar to be sort of an "all-in-one" kind of thing that I could take on car trips with a small practice amp and be able to play electric or acoustic at my whim. As it turned out, even after finding a brand of strings that sounded decent on the guitar, I can still get a much better electric tone from just about all of my other solid bodies (Fender Tele, Custom Shop Tele and Strat, Gretsch DuoJet, Epiphone Les Paul Custom) and a better acoustic tone from any of the four acoustics (Gretsch G3100 Hawaiian, G3700 Sierra and Martin Custom SP000C16RE and SPD-16K). I guess this shows that one axe cannot be all things at one time. I have placed this guitar on my "B" list and will likely sell it as I can't seem to get the tones out of it that I want and $900-plus is too much to pay for a rarely used instrument, no matter how nice it looks.

My AE185 was purchased on Ebay, but it's probably exactly what I would have ordered had I gotten it directly from Carvin. Mahogany body and neck, with a quilted top. Mine was just the natural color, with a beautiful clear gloss finish. It was also pretty well decked out with all of the options - abalone block inlays, body binding, matching headstock, gold hardware, coil splitter/phase option, tung oiled neck, tweed case. You get the idea.

I'm pretty sure mine had the standard C22 pickups, plus the piezo ribbon in the bridge. Of course all of the pickups were controlled by the active electronics, with two output options.

The guitar has a 25" scale neck, which is actually a nice compromise between the standard Strat and Les Paul scales (25.5" and 24.75" respectively). With a set of 9's on it, it plays like a well tuned electric. With some 10's it begins to feel (and sound) more like an acoustic. The neck is a very nice shape, about ideal in my book. Some may find it a bit thin if moving from a guitar with a beefy neck (PRS, some Gibsons), and others may find it a little thick if moving from a "metal" guitar like an Ibanez or Jackson.

Aside from the absolute sheer beauty of this instrument, the sound quality is what I really liked. Granted, it's not a shred machine (although with the M22 pickups, it probably could be), it's got a pretty huge tonal palette. Being a semi-hollow guitar, you do get a bit more of a resonant tone from it. The active electronics let you adjust the tone qualities of both the magnetic and piezo pickups to a large degree. The neck pickup has a great mellow sound, that actually works extremely well clean. The bridge pickup has the traditional bridge humbucker "honk", and really cuts through. Even loaded up on the distortion, it manages to retain note and chord clarity. I was initially a little skeptical about Carvin using their own pickups, but I have to admit they are just right for this guitar.

The acoustic pickup was what really blew me away, though. There are quite a few companies starting to come out with these hybrid instruments now, but most are using the Fishman or Baggs systems that are mounted in metal bridges. I've heard several of those systems, and I don't think they sound nearly as convincing as a piezo ribbon. In fact, coupled with the active electronics, and the ability to blend the magnetic and acoustic pickups, you can honestly get a better sound than many electrified acoustics.

I used the AE185 primarily at church, where I was finding myself switching between my acoustic and electric. I sold them both off and got the Carvin, and was thrilled. No more switching instrument, and I can change between the two sounds almost instantly. I didn't know if I'd ever actually do that, but when you have the option, you find yourself using it more and more. The Carvin was run through an older Digitech RP-12 direct into the PA. With a good sound engineer, I could get a sweet sound. Nothing better for an acoustic electric than a full range system.

One thing you should know is that you aren't going to get a Strat sound out of this thing. Splitting the coils really only gives you the effect of a weaker humbucker, and not a true single coil sound. I liked having the option, but then again, I don't know that I'd ever really need a true single coil sound.

Despite having been used by someone else for a few years before I got it, it is absolutely apparent that Carvin knows what they are doing building a guitar. The top on this guitar was a full 1/8" of quilted maple. So many manufacturers are putting flamed and quilted maple "tops" on their guitars now, but when it's just a veneer, it has not life or depth to it. A real chunk of solid wood is a glory to behold! Everything about the guitar is quality - the knobs spin effortlessly, although there is just a little bit of resistance there. The Sperzel tuners are great, and do a pretty reasonable job of holding a tune. The block inlay is about the best I've ever seen. Unlike most of the inlays you see anymore, there's absolutely no filler around the edges - not necessary when you have a perfect fit. The neck has a great feel to it. I really love the tung oiled feel. The action can be set pretty well, although the strings you use, and your playing style will probably dictate how you have it set up. I'll also say that an ebony fretboard is the only way to go.

While I didn't light it on fire, or throw it from a 3 story building to the parking lot below, I'd say this thing is almost as durable as any other guitar out there. Granted, it is partially hollow, so you probably have to be a little more careful than with a solid body. It's got a neck that runs through the body, so you don't have neck joints or stripped screws to ever have to worry about.

The pots seem considerably more durable than most. They better be, as they are mounted directly to the active electronics module, and are probably not very easily replaced.

As with any guitar, if you slam it in a door, you'll ding the finish. It's not magic - it will still get belt buckle rash.

I've become a pretty strong believer in keeping a backup on hand. You never know when a battery will go dead or when you'll break a string. That will happen with any guitar. The one thing that's a little disappointing (and the only reason it gets a 9 in this category) is that there is no passive mode, in case the battery craps out on you. Carvin's other active guitars and basses have this option, and it would be nice for the acoustic equipped axes as well.

I've emailed Carvin a number of times for some information from them. They have always responded promptly (usually the same day) and given me clear directions. I think customer support is a big deal with them, so I wouldn't forsee having any problems with dealing with the company.

I've been playing guitar for a good 10+ years now. I'm not a virtuouso and probably never will be. I made a pretty big step up from my last guitars to the Carvin, and I think it really helped motivate me to become better and especially to be more creative with my playing. There's just something about owning "the best" that makes you want to work harder to prove that you are worthy of such a fine instrument.

After all of the praise, there are a couple of things that might detract potential buyers. First, if you really want a single coil or tele sound, I don't think you'll get it from this guitar. It's got a more mellow, Les Paul-ish sound to it. I think the mahogany body still gives it a good bite and growl, but it's not a thrash metal instrument, either. Maybe with an M22SD pickup at the bridge you'd get that seering distortion, but not with the stock C22s. I think you also need a Floyd Rose to really get that edgy sound. So bottom line is that if you're not a thrash metal guitarist, and really want a quality, versitile instrument, this is the one.

Now for the really bad news - people see these and KNOW they are top notch. Proof: mine was stolen (from the church, no less).

The good news is that I can actually say "If mine was ever stolen, I'd get another one."

This is a semi-hollow body, telecaster-style, neck-through guitar with single F-hole and an acoustic bridge ? very unusual and very cool. Full specs are at carvin.com. I also own a 1989 Fender Stratocaster Plus Deluxe (with lace sensors in the neck and middle positions and a Seymour Duncan Hotrails in the bridge position) and a Simon & Patrick dreadnought acoustic guitar, which I will use as points of reference.

I ordered my AE-185 direct from Carvin in March 2003. I got it with the flamed maple top, body binding, inline headstock with flamed maple overlay, clear gloss finish, standard silver hardware, abalone dot inlays, coil taps/phase switch, and M22T/N humbuckers + L.R. Baggs transducer. I also got the form-fitting ABS case, which is no frills but very functional. I rate the features a 10 because all of the options were specified, and it is exactly what I wanted.

The neck is different from my Strat?s. The scale is .5? shorter, the width at the nut is slightly larger, the radius of the fingerboard is flatter (15? vs. 9?), and it is neck-through in construction. The thickness of the neck is very comparable to the Strat (the Plus Deluxe neck is relatively thin as Strats go); both are modern/C-shaped. The woodwork and fretwork on the neck are outstanding. From a feel perspective, all of this translates into a clean, fast neck and a fingerboard that feels slightly wider/flatter than the Strat. The difference is noticeable, but not negatively so. I will say that if you are into Hendricks/SRV thumb-over-the-neck fretting, you would probably find the Strat a little more conducive. The body feels compact, light, and comfortable to play.

Let me start by quoting the most insightful comment I have seen on this site from Rob in his 3/14/2001 review: ?Most reviews on this site are from people raving about their guitars (unless they got a true lemon). Let's face it: Guitars are fun. If they intonate well and have a nice neck and decent pickups, well, most guitars will be a blast to play, no matter if they cost $300 or $3000.? Well said indeed. It seems that you either like an instrument or you don?t, and your opinion doesn?t necessarily offer much guidance to the next person. So, with that in mind, I will go ahead and get this part of the review out of the way:

Yes, I think this guitar is just fabulous! The combination of a semi-hollow body, flexibility between the electric tones and acoustic tones, excellent workmanship, unique styling, and drop-dead great looks really makes it a blast to own and play. This is a very cool axe that really stands out. I give it a very biased 10; it is everything I hoped it would be and more! OK, so now I will try to be descriptive instead of euphoric?

The AE-185 is physically lighter and has a louder, more acoustic, open sound than my Strat when played unplugged. However, as you would expect, its unplugged sound is nothing near a dreadnought acoustic; this is an electric guitar all the way, but it has a very resonant, acoustic tone. Its unplugged tone is more in the direction of a 335-type guitar, but with a smaller body and a tighter sound.

I previously ordered and returned a Carvin DC-150 with the C22 humbuckers and found it to be too bright. The M22T/N combination in the AE-185 is more to my liking. The M22s are definitely not muddy/classic-humbucker sounding. They deliver a comparatively clearer tone that sounds well balanced to my ear. They also deliver good crunch without being over the top. The guys at Carvin explained it this way: the H22s are designed for a jazz application, the C22s for ?classic rock,? the M22T/Ns for slightly heavier/fatter tones, and the M22SD/V offer variations on the M series (SD=super distortion, V=vintage). This isn?t presented very clearly on the website and was one of the most difficult things to figure out in the ordering process. (I have suggested to Carvin that they put comparative tone clips on the website and provide better written descriptions.)

Sonically, my (very general) reference points go from a Strat with standard configuration to a Gibson SG to a Les Paul. My AE-185 seems somewhere in between the Strat and a Gibson SG (closer to the SG) due to its combination of the pickups, fingerboard scale, and construction. With no effects, its native tone is less twangy than a strat but not quite as heavy as an SG. I would generally characterize it as having a bright tone, although you can definitely get some round, warm tones from the neck pickup. The semi-hollow body and humbuckers translate into a ?looser,? less dense amplified sound when compared to my Strat. It has a very resonant, alive feel to it. Between the coil taps, the 3-way switch, the L.R. Baggs, and the acoustic/electric blending pot, you can cover a lot of sonic territory.

The coil taps are useful in producing different tones, and I am glad I ordered them. The phase switch produces a really odd sound, but it came with the package and might be interesting to use from time to time. The L.R. Baggs is a lot of fun. Blending it with different amounts of the humbuckers/coil taps produces a wide range of very good, useful tones. As noted by others, the tone won?t be confused with that of a well-amplified acoustic guitar, but it sounds great. Combine this with the comfort of the Tele-body, the fast 24-fret neck, and some compression/chorus/reverb, and you are onto something.

This guitar has excellent craftsmanship. It is clean, solid, and well detailed. The action is 1/16? and the neck is very comfortable and easy to play. Aesthetically, this guitar is really stunning. The clear gloss finish, the natural woods, and the tortoise body binding all work very well together ? striking but still understated. The way the neck and body seamlessly integrate works well functionally for the player and is very well executed. Overall, the quality and value delivered by Carvin are outstanding.

No rating on this yet, but I don?t expect to have any problems. I was initially concerned about having an acoustic bridge on an electric guitar in terms of its durability, but after playing it for a while I don?t think it is going to be an issue.

As I mentioned earlier, I returned another guitar before accepting this one. The service was great, and I feel that Carvin worked very hard to get me exactly what I wanted. Going ?mail order? for a guitar was a difficult thing for me to do, but in return for the uncertainty and the wait, Carvin delivered a good customer experience and an impeccable, custom product and a relatively low price. I feel very confident that if anything goes wrong in the future, they will stand behind their product.

I have been playing for 15 years and have owned my Strat for 13 of them. In the past I have played with a 80s- & 90s-rock band and been in many jam sessions, but I spend most of my time playing at home for personal enjoyment or accompanying my wife on vocal pieces. I listen to a wide variety of guitar-driven music, from Parkening to Lifeson to Hammett, and like to play both light and heavy stuff ranging from The Beatles to Rush. I am by no means an advanced player, but I can carry a tune.

I am not viewing the AE-185 as the ?one guitar that will do it all? but as a new axe to add to the collection. It offers good differentiation from my Strat, both sonically and aesthetically, so I am very happy with it. I plan to hang on to the 185 and would absolutely try to replace it if it were stolen.

1998 model bought used on EBay 1/2003. Made in USA, 24 frets Semi hollow body, mahogany sides, spruce top, toroise binging, gold hardware, sperzel locking tuners, coil splitters. Although I did not order this from the factory, Carvin builds to order so there should never be a bad mark for features, right?

Three MAJOR Caveats: 1) Wood choices play a pivotal role in the sound of the guitar 2) You can't expect wood/combinations of woods used on a solid body (ie: Mahogany/Maple on a Les Paul) to sound the same in a semi-hollow body guitar 3) You can't expect a thinline acoustic guitar to sound exactly like a dreadnought. For that matter, if you're looking for an exact, specific sound, get the real deal or you will be dissapointed. This having been said, I am very happy with the sound of this guitar. I closely- and I say closely- replicate sounds from SRV to Steve Howe, Larry Carlton, and beyond. And close is definitely good enough for me! Heck, even your hands affect tone, and every guitar is different. So you'll never have the 'exact' sound of your idols , even with identical gear. I run the electric out to a Line 6 Flextone IIXL and it sounds amazing. The acoustic out I run straight to the console or mixing board and process from there. Not a totally authentic acoustic, but a good sound to get the acoustic feel across, especially in live situations. Good tight acoustic rhythm sound for recording.

The workmanship was excellent. The only flaw was that the neck shrunk and bowed slightly from a lack of humidity where the previous owner stored it. A shim in the bridge, quick filing of the sides of the frets, and a neck adjustment were all that was needed to erradicate the problem. No gaps in the binding, all gluing and fret work clean as a whistle. The finish was flawless and the spruce had an irradescent quality about it. Not exactly book matched, but I happen to like the way the two pieces 'flip flop' when you hold it at different angles. Others might not be satisfied with this asthetic. It's a beautiful looking guitar. Would've been a '10' but since top was not exactly book matched as touted, I have to drop the score a notch, even though it's ok with me.

No doubt it's a well built guitar. Another review here states it's not "a tank like a Strat". Totally unfair to compare a semi-hollow body with a thin resonating top to a solid body. It's like saying a sheet of veneer is not as sturdy as a plank. Same reviewer didn't like the lack of a pickguard. Sounds like he has a heavy hand, and this guitar is not really suited for that type of playing. Granted, you do have to treat it a little more carefully than a solid body, but that's not a reason to trash the axe.

CS at Carvin is spotty. If you get a good person, it's great service. If not, it sucks.

I've been playing over 30 years professionally and have played everything from Les Pauls to Strats to BC Rich to Guild- YOU NAME IT. I have had incredible luck with Carvins (I own 4). The only guitar I regretted parting with was a Hamer Sunburst (s/n 0007) that was THE best sounding guitar straight up, without any embellishments. I have never looked for the exact sound of other guitars in Carvins, so I have been very satified. They have a tone of their own which is just as good as anything else out there (see caveats!) Quality for the buck is unsurpassed, but like anything else there are good and bad coming out of the shop. But at least youcan return/replace what you get until it's right.

2002 USA Carvin AE-185. 24 fret very smooth tung oil neck and Mother of Pearl block inlays. I wish the neck were a little rounder or not as wide, its quite wide and flat. It harder to pick quickly with wide string spacing. Its got a GORGEOUS Flamed Koa top, I think I really got the pick of the lot. I ordered it with the H2 pickups, and its standard with the acoustic bridge (I REALLY would prefer a hardtail). Locking tuners are a must. They arn't the same gold as the rest of the hardware however. Finally I got coil splitters and phase switch (a must)

THIS IS NOT WHAT THEY ADVERTISE IT AS!

This guitar can do intresting hybrid sounds, but don't treat it as both an electric and acoustic. Its primarily an electric wish so so acoustic tones. However its still not what I expected. It's not as magnificent as I thought it would be. It does good jazz tones, I can get some pretty good crunch of it, but I have trouble getting really warm cleans (non jazz). I think I'll do better with it as I mess around more.

I'm thinking of changing to some Gibson 57s, but I'm not sure yet.

I give it a 7 because its clearly not an acoustic, and its not the best electric I've heard.

The finish isn't perfect, had 2 or 3 small flaws, but all on the back so it wasn't that big of a deal. The Flamed Koa top is breaktaking.

The action has much to be desired when your as picky as I am. Its very difficult to adjust the action on ones own b/c of the acoustic bridge and I still don't understand why there isn't a hardtail option. The action is good, but its not SUPER low like Carvin advertises. Definatly not 1/16th of an inch. I've had 1 truss rod adjustment, but I think I might need to sand down the saddle next, I really want low action. Also the string tension is quite high, bends arn't as easy as you would think. I think its because of the string through body.

Finish and Action is good, just not what I was expecting.

This thing is light and fragile, I've already dented it up too much. It's easy to make the smallest nick, and one has to be VERY careful with this guitar.

I doubt it would ever fail on me, its well built and all, but its not a tank like a strat is.

I wanted a tung oil neck and the option wasn't on the website and I had to call in to get it. No problems. Did have to wait around a bit on the line though.

This is a decent guitar but certainly not my last. Nothing is as good as I expected with the exception of looks, its a beautiful guitar. The tones and action arn't top notch so I need to figure out what to do in that department, I think with the right pickups and a more perfected action this guitar could be really really great. The string tension issue is really unfixable, its just the nature of the gutiar, most likely tha acoustic string through bridge.

4/2002 Semi solid body acoustic elect. guitar made in USA,flamed tobacco sunburst 1/8" maple top on mahogany ,25 fret ebony neck with abalone dot markers,medium jumbo frets,Sperzel locking tuners,gold hardware,body binding,Active H22T and H22N humbuckers. LA Bags acoustic pickup mounted under an acoustic bridge.Humbuckers have coil splitters/phase switch..010 Elixir nano web strings.

When I first played this guitar unamplified I found it to not have the unamplified acoustic sound that I was expecting.
However I imediately like that feel and action.
Played through a Marshall 100w half stack the sound is full and rich. The guitar is bright and I had to lower treble mid and presence settings on the Marshall and tone controls of the guitar. That not to say that you can't get bass out of the lower notes. It just different than my Les Paul or Washburn 335. On the Carvin discussion board,people comment that they think it's a great guitar and they can't wait to change out pickups or strings. I think the Carvin stuff sounds good.
Yes thats right it sounds like a Carvin. That's what I was looking for when I bought it.The comments I got from my other band members was that it was a smooth sounding guitar and then that they could hear what I was playing. I play rhythm and if you've ever been there you know it's not just a matter of turning up the volume. Remember, I'm playing a Marshall.

The guitar comes strung with Elixir nano web .010's. which is the gage I use but the AE185's action seems slinkier more like .009's
The guitar is almost feather weight 6 1/2lbs.The finish was flawless.
The flamed maple is indeed beautiful but is unlike the Les Paul flame that were used to seeing. Again Carvin has a look unto itself.
The Sperzel locking tuners are a must however the gold finish has more of a mat than a gloss finish. Maybe that finish will be more durable? I know my gold Les Paul tuners look partially silver now.

My AE185 is almost 8 months old. I've replaced the 9v battery once.
Carvin recomends a change every 6 mo. The guitar has performed well for me, I live in New England now and the guitar has stood up to both a humid summer and now the beginning of a cold winter.The big news is I've only just recently changed the Elixir strings for the first time. The Sperzel had me changing them in record time.
I've read on the Carvin discussion board that some have had difficulty learning to re-string with these locking tuners but I had no trouble.
Many also have changed string brands,either not liking the sound or feel. I'm not one of those I'll stick with Elixirs.

The guitar has a 5yr. warranty but I can't really comment on Customer Service.I ordered online and had no problems.

I have been playing guitar for 30 years and would I replace this guitar if lost In a heartbeat.
It's not an acoustic guitar,it's an electric -acoustic guitar with a variety of good sounds. Please don't ask me if it sounds like a Gibson or a Strat. It sounds like a Carvin. Yes... I know I sound like a Carvin salesman.

Made in the usa, I received it on Oct. 9, 2002. Has 22 frets, two coil taps and a phase switch, inline headstock, C22 carvin pickups, Koa body with koa head stock, active electronics, with an acoustic bridge

I like to play Jazz/Blues/Rock basically anything i feel like at the time. The sound on the guitar not plugged in is very rich and full which is common for a semi hollow body guitar. When plugged in the guitar is very tinny there is nothing special about the stock pickups on this guitar. I figured, when I bought the guitar,that with the coil taps, phase switch and acoustic bridge that I would be able to play any style I wanted with a flick of a switch. WRONG!!! Instead of having one really good sound from a guitar I have the option of about 7 different crappy tinny sounds. I would not buy this guitar for the pickups!!!

The action on this guitar is amazing it's exactly what I wanted. The finish is very bright and clear. The guitar came in mint condition it's truely a beautiful guitar

Perfect very light weight and durable.

The costumer support is great.

I've been playing for about 5 years I've played gibsons, fenders, peaveys, Ibanez, PRS, basically all the name brands. I love everything about this guitar but the sound which shouldn't be a problem after I change the pickups. If it were lost or stolen I would buy another one without their pickups. If possible I would just buy the body.

2002 Made in USA. 2 Humbuckers plus piezo acoustic pickup. Active electronics. Pickups have coil tap and phase switching. Active electronics. The humbuckers and piezo are blendable for an incredible array of sounds. Mahogany neck through body with clear flame maple top.

This guitar has a incredible amount of tones. I play jazz/blues/rock and I can get plenty of tones for each style. The ability to blend the acoustic sound into the electric is a blast. I play the guitar into a old Fender Twin (72ish). The guitar sounds a little brighter than I expected considering it has humbuckers on it.
The acoustic tone is good, but not great by itself. It works great for some acoustic fill-in. I gave the sound a 10 because of the blended tones that are possible.

The guitar played perfectly from the time that I purchased it. The flame maple top could have matched up a little better.

This is the only guitar I have been playing for the last 2 months. It has replaced 2 zions and a vintage 62 jazzmaster. I have totally depended on it during live performance and it hasn't let me down.
It does tend to go out of tune quicker than my other guitars.

The warranty on the guitar is 5 years. I haven't had any problems with it. All of the people were great where I purchased it. (Carvin store in West Covina, CA)

I have been playing for over 20 years. I would definitely purchase another one if this was lost or stolen. I love the ability to blend to acoustic and electric tones together, and the overall sound of the guitar. The neck is fast. Another nice thing is the guitar is at least a pound lighter than my other electrics. This is very nice during long playing sessions.

The thing I would change about the guitar is the body of the guitar. The telecaster shape is fine, but it would be nice if it was contoured like a Warmoth Telecaster body.

2001 Carvin AE185, C22 pickups, Blueburst on quilted maple finish, chrome hardware, abalone dot inlays, multi-laminate body binding, active electronics, coil taps and phase switch. This was one of the In-stock guitars, so I only had to wait 6 days to get it. Showed up in perfect condition, and not a scratch on it. Every time I open the case my jaw hits the floor...this is the most beautiful guitar I've ever owned. The features of this guitar are impressive: Acoustic-style bridge, chambered body, mahogany neck, magnetic and acoustic pickups...it's really versatile. You can split the acoustic and electric signals into seperate output jacks, or blend them into one.

The acoustic-style bridge isn't for everyone...it's got a compensated saddle, and (as with all guitars using this kind of bridge) you won't get drop-dead perfect intonation. The trade-off is a bridge that contributes to this guitar's unique sound.

The AE185 sounds great, but more impressive is the amount (wide variety) of sounds you can get. The acoustic pickup provides a nice warm acoustic tone, very similar to many of today's slimline acoustics. Using the magnetic pickups and coil taps, you can go from bluesy single coil tones to an all-out shred-fest. The Carvin pickups are great sounding pickups, with no shortage of brightness. The active electronics allow you to dial in the right balance of lows and highs. Best of all, you can blend electric and acoustic sounds together and create wonderful composite tones. Unique sounds that won't leave you sounding like every other guitar player out there!

This guitar arrived in perfect condition...neck relief was right around .007" at the 7th fret, guitar was in tune, etc. No complaints with the setup. As for the fit and finish, like all other Carvins, it's handmade...the top was matched perfectly, the paint is clean and evenly applied, the electronics cavity properly sheilded...etc.

This guitar isn't going out on gigs with me...it's just too beautiful to take out of the house. Although the body is very light, it seems to be built very solidly. I'm sure it would stand up to road use, but I like it too much to risk it.

I own a few other Carvin guitars, so I've had the opportunity to talk with the Carvin folks many times. I only had one experience where I wasn't happy with the attitude of the chap on the other end of the line, so I simply hung up and called back and spoke with someone else. Simple fix. All the other times, I was helped beyond my expectations. As for the service department, I have only dealt with them once when I broke a screw on a Wilkinson trem (tightened it too much). I sent the part in for repair, and within 6 days they sent me back and entire new tremolo assembly. Try getting Ibanez to do that.

You can't get much better than Carvin right now, even if you do not take into account the great prices.

I cannot believe the negative reviews I see here on this board for this Carvin AE-185. I have a 1995 with 2 humbuckers and the piezo in the bridge. I have a 3 position selector switch and pan knob between piezo and humbuckers. It has a master volume and 2 separate tone knobs controlling acoustic sound or electric sound. I have 3+3 tuner setup on the headstock with gold Sperzel tuners. It has an ebony fretboard and medium wide neck. It's a 24 fret fingerboard with easy access battery compartment for the active electronics in the back of the body. It's a thru body neck with nice feeling smooth transition area around the 24th fret that allows comfortable playing. The body is hollow and has one f-hole.

I have used this in a variety band and had no trouble producing funky sounds and quickly changing to heavy rock sounds. I have also used this as an acoustic electric and gotten wonderful full bodied country acoustic sound. It will do piercing treble tones and mellow jazz tones. I have played it with a Boss multi effects unit and have loved the result. I play it mainly through a Rivera Thirty Twelve model amp with 12 inch speaker. I have sometimes split the acoustic sound and electric sound through the Rivera and a Musicman. I have also used this with a Park practice amp with 8 inch speaker which sounds a little snarly and lacks bottom end. I find the Carvin very clean with little background hum or hiss. If I use only one humbucker at a time I have experienced typical phase problems but only in some rooms. I love the overall sound choices the AE-185 offers me.

The action cannot be beat. This guitar was made for my large hands. I find the neck great for fast lead passages and stretch fills. The action is very low and true. It does make acoustic style playing not feel genuine due to the light action. If I were to change another identical AE-185 to be my primary acoustic stage guitar, I'd raise the action and put heavier strings on it. I have a solid black body and neck on my AE-185. The hardware is gold and the binding is tortise. I played the guitar at some outdoor gigs in the summertime and noticed the top warped a slight bit. I only see it when I hold it a certain way under a light. I have found no flaws on this guitar and have been playing it for 7 years. It was set up perfectly from the factory.

Except for the top warp I mentioned in the last category, I have to say that it would withstand any amount of stage use. Any semihollow body electric is more fragile than a solid piece of wood, but this 6 and a half pound well balanced instrument will compete in durability with any other I have seen. I have a few scratches on the back of my Carvin but that is all. The gold seems to be wearing normally and I have not noticed the bridge or Sperzel tuners wearing in any way at all. I would not hesitate to do gigs without a backup guitar.

The Carvin Sales rep was very friendly and informative when I initially discussed options and orders this custom shop product. I called for a status report and was received with respect.

I have been playing since 1964. I owned a Teisco and a Les paul in the late sixties then a Telecaster and a Strat in the seventies. I have a Danelectro electric 12 string and an Epiphone Nighthawk today besides the Carvin. I also own and play 5 bass guitars. Fender Jazz, Fender Precision,Ibanez,Univox and Rogue violin bass. I have a home recording studio and also play keyboard and drums. I have written over 200 songs and have recorded all of them either with band projects or in my studio without other musicians. I guess I'm a sixties musician carried over to 2002. I am currently in a British Invasion cover band that loves the music of the late sixties and early seventies.

Standard AE-185 features with the following extras: H22T & H22N Holdsworth pickups, coil splitter, phase switch, Mahogany neck through body, Koa top, matching koa head stock, Clear Gloss finish.
Major drawback: No Pick Guard.
Also, I've never had Sperzel tuners before. But Carvin says you shouldn't wrap the string more than 3/4 of 1 turn. Maybe with practice it gets easier, but I've strung my guitars hundreds of times with no problems, and I've never had such a hard time stringing a guitar.
Also, the color the guitar comes in as usually a few shades lighter than it appears in the catalog or on the website.

Here's the problem I had with the guitar. It was truly a beautiful looking guitar. But the sound was no good. I did a ton of research before buying this guitar. I had read that the holdsworth pickups really helped the sound of this guitar. The major problem is that they bill this as a guitar that can move from an electric sound to an acoustic sound. I found that this was simply not true. I got one good sound out of it which was an electric hollow body sound. When you think about it, that's essentially what it is. I found the straight electric and acoustic sound to be lacking. The only time it sounded good was when I blended the two sounds. I'm giving this such a low rating because the Carvin rep and the advertisement in the Carvin catalog maintained that this had two separate and excellent sounds. Simply not true in my opinion.

If you want a hollow body electric, you will find the action and neck to be super fast. However, when playing more on the acoustic side, I found the strings too close to the neck causing them to vibrate. So I had to raise the action for acoustic playing, which killed the electric action. So if you want one or the other I give it an 8.
But, because they say it can do both...

The damn case weighed more than the guitar! I only had it for 7 days because I returnded it. So I can't really comment on this but to say that it seems fairly sturdy.

If you do even a little research on Carvin, you know that their customer service stinks. I was surprised at just how bad it was. Once they take your order, you become just another number. And my rep was supposed to be good! I'd hate to get a bad rep. Well, my guitar was late in shipping, not because it took them extra time to build it, because the guys went home early, then the guy forgot, then the guys were busy, then the shipping dept all left early, then the guitar tech found there was trouble with the electronics, then he just didn't get to it. My rep started calling me back when he thought I was about to cancel the order, then I got some decent, not good, decent service. So the damn thing finally ships. And the high e string is broken. So I had to restring it, that's OK though, these things happen. The guitar came with regular strap knobs even though I ordered strap locks. Their service is sucky. If you hear, "Hey Bro..." on the other end of the phone, head for zee hills.

After trying numerous adjustments, I couldn't get more than one good electric hollow body sound and a few decent sounds. I have a pretty negative review of this guitar. I want people to know that even though I hate their service, the 1 and only reason I sent my guitar back for the refund is that I didn't like the sound enough to pay $1,000 dollars for it. If this was a $300-$400 guitar, it would be worth it. You can try it free if you like, but don't forget you will be out at least $40 for shipping round trip if you don't like it.

You will have to come to your own conclusions, but I was genuinely expecting to love this guitar even with all of the service problems, and it fell far short of the mark. I have a 10 year old Cort fender strat copy that I paid $100 for over 10 years ago that sounds almost as good as the guitar I received.

This is the AE 185 6 sting model. I got the same configuration as the picture in the catalog. The only exception is that I got the inline headstock instead of the 3+3. The tobacco stained quilted maple top is beautiful and it was this that orignally got me interested in the guitar. The finish is flawless. I have looked for any extra finish drops or blobs and I can find nothing wrong. The mahogany neck is through the body and the neck heel is very smooth. The pickups are the neck C22 and bridge C22 humbuckers with an acoustic piezo pickup in the acoustic style bridge. There is a pan control that allows you to blend the humbuckers with the piezo for a variety of sounds. The humbuckers and the acoustic each have their own tone post for adjustments. The locking sperzel tuners work well and need little tuning after they are set. The neck is medium. I am used to the Ibanez JEM thin, fast neck so this one feels a bit bigger. It's not near as big as the Les Paul's neck

I can get all sorts of great sounds out of this gutar. The power of the C22 is perfect for a full rock sound yet I can also get a shimmery jazz solo sound from the neck C22 as well. It has been said that the C22 pickups are too trebly but that can be easlily adjusted with the guitar's treble control. The acoustic piezo is beautiful. It is not a dreadnought sound by any means but it comes as close to acoustic as you can get. I play it through a Johnson Millenium 150 modeling amp and this adds to the variety of sounds. It comes equipped with Elixir strings. WHile these can be a bit slippery, I have noticed that there is very little finger squeak noise; this is a definite plus for me.

As stated before, I could find no probelms with this guitar. Even though it was shipped via UPS, all that was needed was tuning. I will see if the action needs any fine tuning, but there is no bowing and the action is fine. The body binding is thick and does not lok like cheap binding.

As far as this category goes, what impressed me is the thickness of the finish. I always think it is best to have a backup guitar, although I can see this one being tough enough to last.

The salesman wasn't the best. I seemed to be annoying him by making a purchase. I've talked to others at Carvin who were more interested in me than my initial saleman. I will try to get someone else next time.

I play for my own fun, nothing serious. I like to get a good sound that will serve whatever mood I'm in. This guitar is capable of doing many things right. I would get another one if necessary. I chose this because I was able to play one at a Carvin factory store in CA and I was amazed by the sounds. My only wish is that there could be either an adjustable bridge or tremolo option. I also feel that it is an honest price to pay for something so well made.

1999 - Base model - Mahogany neck and body with Spruce top. The stock active electronics (dual humbuckers and piezo pickup system in the bridge) but also includes the coil splitters/phase switch upgrade for the humbuckers. The dual pickup system is what makes this guitar a unique hybrid. Finish is clear matte. Sperzel locking tuners, chrome hardware. Semi-hollow Telecaster body style. Nothing 'special' to look at. Just pure function.

I replaced three guitars with the AE185. A new Gibson SG LE (cheapest SG), an Ovation Celebrity accoustic/electric, and an ancient Fender Mustang. The AE185 mimics all the sounds I got from those three, and adds the unique sound of blending the piezo/accostic tones with the humbuckers. Some reviews complain that the Carvin humbuckers are 'thin' or 'shrill'. I think that a lot of that has to do with the woods chosen. I see a lot of Carvins with maple necks and maple caps on the body. Sure, they look pretty, but add (too) much high-end to the sound. The AE185 with mahogany and spruce construction gets great warm tones from the neck pickup, and good, bright mid-rangey tone from the bridge pickup. And you get a decent piezo tone from the bridge. This certainly is the most versatile guitar I have ever owned sound-wise. If you get one get the coil splitter/phase switch options. They add even more versatility to your tonal arsenal. My main amp is a Valvestate Marshall, dual channel switching. I sometimes run the 'buckers through the Marshall, and the Piezo through an old Fender Twin Reverb - pseudo stereo and wow! A wall of sound!

Bought used on ebay. Arrived with a set of .009's. Guitar is set up by Carvin with .10's, so I changed the .009's out. Intonation on the G string immediately improved to be about as good as any other guitar I have owned. (The AE185 has a non-adjustable accoustic style bridge). This is the one downside to the guitar. The only action adjustment is the truss rod. I tightened the truss rod, but the action was still a bit high on the upper frets ... I suspect it was 'unhappy' living with .009's for a couple of years. So I took out the one-piece bridge, and (gasp!) sanded it down a bit. Eventually I got the action to where I wanted it. Now the neck is straight and flat and fast ... just awesome. As good as any ever made. That's the Carvin mystique ... fast, fast fast! The finish (matte) is thin, and noting to rave about. But as good as the one on my 2000 SG ... Because of the bridge design I knock it down two points...

Neck-through body construction. Dual reinforced neck plus the truss rod. Built like a tank. It's not gonna break but gigging without a backup for *all* your equipment is nuts. Finish like I said before is thin. But it is built better than the Gibson SG which cost 50% more.

I posted some Q's on the Carvin bulletin board system and they got back to me same day. Otherwise, I haven't dealt with them.

It's the only (electric) guitar I'll ever need. It makes all the right sounds, is very easy to play (it's also relatively light so it's easy on my back). I've been playing guitar since 1962 - it's the best guitar I have ever owned and I have had 'em all - ES-335, SG, Strat, Guild. If lost/stolen I'd order another one with the same wood/construction.