Carvin Bolt-T

Here's the deal: I just received my BOLT - T and I know that I've finally found THE guitar. You know what I mean, we all search for it. Well I'm 47 years old and it's been a long, long search, but it's all over now. What a beautiful instrument. I'm not going to trash any other name brands -- I've had many guitars, mostly good ones, but this is absolutely the finest guitar I've ever owned or played. It is solid maple with the 'tung oil' finish all over. Awesome. No paint or other coating between us. Sweet. 10" radius birdseye maple fretboard with stainless frets and abalone dots. Abalone CARVIN logo on headstock. Spertzel lock tuners, Wilkinson trem. White perloid pickguard. Wish I new how to post pics. My email is georgeseashock@hotmail. I have to go now. She's calling.

Bolt-T - Jet Black with all black chrome and white pearloid guard. Sperzeil locking tuners, tung oiled hard rock maple with an ebony fretboard at 12" radius. Fender style alder body. AP-11 3 single coil pickups with a on/off mini switch for 7 different tones. One volume and tone knob. Wilkinson tremolo fixed bridge string through setup.

I play blues, rock, and alternative rhythm guitar and a little lead. I have various amps and use a Digitech RP200A pedal. The setup is S/S/S AP-11's. These pickups are very HIGH output which I guess means it's very bright. The tone knob works very well unlike most cheap guitars this one has different ranges of sound. The 5-way switch with the on/off toggle works also, but the toggle only makes the sound slightly different with the volume turned up. The guitar is very versatile.

The guitar was an "in-stock" guitar. The setup was ok since there was some slight fret buzz, but, in fairness, the action is extremely low. The back had some slight marks as well as the tremolo plate. However, as with all Carvin's, the neck is PERFECT! It is hard rock maple with an ebony fretboard and it is very comfortable and fun to play. Overall, the entire guitar is well made.

The guitar feels solid and all the parts are well made. I have the locking tuners and the wilkinson tremolo with the bolt-t. No need for a backup unless you want a different sounding guitar perhaps with humbuckers.

Have not used them, but they are very nice when calling them with questions or orders.

I've been playing on and off for 10 years. I have had many guitars and now only own two Carvins. I will probably never buy any other type of guitar except a Carvin. What makes them better than most is the neck. There really is no other way to describe it until you play one. I have had Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, Epiphone, Michael Kelly, and Godin. I have played PRS, Schecter, Dean, Richenbacher, and Mizarek guitars and not one of them is as comfortable as the Carvin. They are all great guitars, but the Carvin just seems one notch above the rest when compared with the necks. They may not have the best sounding pickups, but that is easier to replace then a neck.

The guitar was made in 2005 and I bought it in the San Diego store. I live close by so I went to the store rather than order on line. They have a "In Stock" section on the website. That's where I found the guitar. It has 22 frets, S/S/S with a tap switch, Wilkinson tremolo. Blueburst with a black pearloid pickguard. Non-locking tuners but they work well.

I play worship music but I also play an occasional jazz gig. I play through a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue. My pedal set-up is:
Boss DD-6, Boss-Ch-1, Ernie Ball volume pedal (this runs out to a Boss TU-12 tuner), Zoom PD-01, Fulltone Fulldrive. The guitar is not noisy but it is very bright. I can back off of the tone & this darkens the sound a bit. The guitar is pretty versatile. By engaging and disengaging the small toggle switch, the sound get beefier. I've got different stories from several Carvin guys about what this switch actually does. Anyway, it increases the tonal variations available. I love the neck pickup but I'm not sure about the bridge configuration yet. I'm thinking about getting a humbucker but I really haven't gigged with it enough to make an informed choice.

Set-up was get.
Pickups were set perfect.
Pretty finish, no flaws.
The toggle switch seems a little flimsy.

Overall, a beautiful guitar for the money

Seems very solid. I've only gigged with it a couple of times so far. I replaced the strap buttons with strap locks but they were solid.

Yes, I gig with no back up.

I've heard horror stories about Carvin but they've always done right by me. They've been helpful and friendly the 4 or 5 times I've contacted them with a variety of questions.
No input on the warranty.

I've been playing for 40 years. I've got tons of equipment. If it were stolen, I think I would replace it. I love the sound of the guitar and the neck is super playable...very nice.

It isn't really Strat like but I like it better than Strats. Considering how nicely it plays and sounds, I would have had to pay twice as much to get a Strat this good. I've always wanted a Carvin and I think it's a great value. It's a fine instrument and I'm looking forward to playing it for many years.

The guitar that I am reviewing is a Carvin Bolt-T ordered January 10, 2006 and received on March 22, 2006. The guitar was manufactured in San Diego, California. It is a cross between the Super-Strat and conventional Stratocaster styles and has a 22 fret Bolt on 25 ?-scale maple neck topped by an ebony fret board with abalone dot inlays. The neck is mated to a jet-black ash body. The guitar came with a Wilkinson locking tremolo, Sperzel locking tuners, and all of the hardware is black. I ordered the guitar with a black pearloid pick guard and opted for three Twin-blade humbucking pickups. The controls were simple, a five-way switch, one volume, one tone, and a toggle switch that gives some extra pickup combinations. The guitar shipped in a G&G tweed case and came with an allen wrench and a truss rod tool.

I purchased the guitar with the intention of replacing the pickups with a set of EMG pickups. I ordered the Twin-Blades because I wanted to test their sonic quality. After playing them extensively through several amplifiers, I came to my conclusion that they were excellent pickups and I actually thought about leaving them in the guitar. I have played through some of Carvin?s other pickups and I have found that the Twin-blades are my favorite pickups that Carvin produces. They were quiet and the tone was pleasant to the ear. I would not have any problem with using a stock Carvin. The guitar suits my personal style fine. I play country, rock-a-billy, rock, southern rock, jazz and blues.

Setup of the guitar was absolutely fantastic. I have never unpacked a guitar and found it to be that easy to play. The action of this guitar makes it very difficult to put it down. I am neglecting all of my other instruments becasue I love the way this guitar feels. I inspected the guitar thoroughly and found no flaws inside and out.

Carvin guitars are built like an Abrams tank. If you break one, you did it on purpose.

The customer service representatives that I have spoken to were friendly and helpful. If they do not know an answer, they will put you through to someone who does.

I started playing guitar about 15 years ago. I also own a Jackson Soloist, a Fender Mark Knopfler Strat, a Fender Muddy Waters Tele, a Guild GAD-50, my other son is a Robin Savoy and I play all of this stuff through a Mesa Boogie Mark I Reissue, a Carvin Vintage 16, and Carvin Bel Air 212. I use a Vox Wah, Vox Volume, a Budda Phatman, an Electro-Harmonix Memory Man, and I keep things in tune with an indispensable Boss TU-12. I use Levy straps, mostly, and Hercules Guitar Stands and Planet Waves custom series cables, only. Over the years, I have owned several Strats, Teles, Ibanez guitars, Epiphones and amps galore from Ampegs and Fenders to Mesa Mark IV's and in fact, there are not many brands of guitar equipment that I have not experienced.

I purchased a Bolt-T because I have always heard about Carvin?s commitment to excellence and about the quality of their instruments. I own several other guitars but I wanted one that I could depend on for a workhorse in the studio and for live performance. I selected an Ash body and maple neck but, from the start, I intended to put EMG Vince Gill Pro Series pickups in the guitar. It was not because I had reservations about Carvin?s pickups; my reason was I wanted a particular sound. I ordered the guitar with the Twin-blade humbuckers in it because I wanted to preview the company?s pickups.

I was impressed with the quality of the guitar as it came out of the package. The Twin-blades were a good match to the instrument and the sound was impeccable. The pickups were not harsh and picked every nuance of my phrasing. Most of all, the guitar was quiet even at the highest volumes.

I liked the extra feature of the toggle switch instead of a second tone control. It gives you the ability to use all three pickups at once and also the bridge and neck, similar to a Telecaster. I have read other reviews where people said that this guitar is not at all like a Strat. A Fender Neck will fit on it, A Carving Bolt-T neck will fit on a Fender body. The forearm and contour cut is shallower on the Carvin. The headstock is angled and the upper cutaway is a bit longer but it is a Strat style guitar. It combines all of the best features of the Super Strat Style and the Vintage Strat Style guitars. In addition, with single coils it does too sound like a Strat. Everything that I ever wanted different about a Strat, Carvin has changed already. I am completely satisfied with it and it is my primary guitar over all of the others that I have.

When I unpacked the guitar, the setup was fantastic and true to reviews, I have not played an instrument that responded better out of the shipping crate. I took so long to review it because I could not put it down long enough to sit down and tell you what I thought about it. If it were stolen, the SNAGG microchip would ensure that someone would at least be arrested for Theft by Receiving and go to jail for having it. I would replace it if I were stupid enough to lose it. (How do you lose a guitar? I think that would definitely be worthy of consideration for a Darwin award)

USA custom made from factory 2005 Bolt-T. This is the bolt on neck with the strat style body. The T refers to the wilkinson floating trem. Mahogany body with flamed maple top in umber stain. H/S/S pick-up config and 5-way selector with separate switch for the humbucker to switch to a single coil. Perloid pick guard. Tone and Volume control. 22 fret neck with ebony fretboard and tung-oil finish. Sperzel locking tuners. Guitar came with SKB case.

The tone out of this guitar and the standard Carvin PU's is well suited for all musical styles. The Hum in the bridge is fairly hot so rock and metal sounds are easy to come by. The two single coils and the Hum when split to a single coil give the tone a more glassy feel. The neck PU is very bluesy and darker while the middle sparkles. A lot of people knock Carvin for being too bright but I have not noticed this and compared to my Yamaha AES620 (Les Paul style) with a SD JB in the bridge the two guitars a really similar in fatness and richness of tone.

My only knock is that the PU are maybe a bit noisier than I would like but not enough to cause me any problems.

Everything came from the factory in A+ shape and quality. This guitar plays like an absolute dream. The neck is fairly thin, thinner than a strat but not as thin as an Ibanez RG or Jem. I have it strung with 9's and it plays so well. Easy to lower the action without fret buzz. The finish is absolutely gorgeous as well and Carvin really takes pride in selcting a good piece of wood for the quilt. I ordered umber stain and the color was a bit lighter than I perceived from the pics on their site but this is not big deal, it's still beautiful as can be. The Wilkinson plays great and with the sperzel locking tuners stays in tune even with the most generous whammy bombs. Finally, the tund oil finish on the nuck is well worth the extra $50 I paid for it. My hand glides so easy up and down the neck and just feels so natural.

Guitar feels well built and put together well. Only time will tell!

The ordering process was great though it did take 10 weeks to receive the guitar when I was quaoted 6-8. But each time I called they gave me an update and were very friendly. I would not hesitate to deal with Carvin again.

I wanted a guitar that could cover a lot of ground stylistically yet was something different from the norm. Carvin offers a lot of great options and fabulous finishes and the Bolt-T seemed the perfect match. I actually patterned the look after a Tom Anderson that I saw and liked and though I am sure the TA kills for less than 1/2 the price this guitar looks nearly a killer and plays and sounds great.

For those who are looking for a custom built USA guitar Carvin offers many selections of styles, elecronics, and options and I am sure that you will not be disappointed for the $$$.

Swamp ash body, Sperzels, 3 single coils and a Wilkonson twang bar. I picked out all the options...you gotta like that luxury.

This is the only whining I can do. It's not a Strat or really even a Strat clone. I didn't buy it expecting it to be a strat, either...I have two "real" strats. I bought this because I love the 3 other Carvins I own.

Soundwise, I think Carvin is much better at humbucking pickups. That said, the neck and middle pickups sound great. The bridge is thin and bright (not in a good way). And it's going to be replaced. Pronto! Noise isn't bad (my strats are worse). Single coil noise isn't much of issue for me anyway-I can ride my volume knob and take care of any buzz or hum like I've done for years.

I can't really think of anything this guitar can't cover tone-wise. I've played it clean as a whistle, distorted to the max, effected...you name it. Vintage amps, new amps-doesn't matter. The bridge pickup is the only area I have compensate for. Requires EQ changes on all my amps and I still don't get what I'm after

I don't know how they do it. Anyone who's played a Carvin knows what I'm talking about. This thing was only a few cents flat right out of the box! Built like a tank, flawless finish on beautiful wood, excellent hardware and setup (I raised the action a tad but I don't fault Carvin for not knowing how I play). This is my first Wilkonson trem and I'm having stupid amounts of fun with it! Fretwork is first rate and I really love ebony on the fretboard.

First off, like many others will tell you, don't gig without a backup!

First live gig the Bolt ever did was 1oo degrees and humid to the max. After 1 hour including twang bar/feedback solo at the end of set...still in tune!

I'm not worried about the finish as I have 20+ year old Carvin that still looks great. It helps to take care of the things we spend hard earned $$ on, too. So I do.

I think a friend put it best..."It feels like you could play baseball with it and still do a gig!"

Great from the point of sale and afterward, they quickly and cheerfully sent out a small hex screw for the Wilkonson-no charge. As I stated, I own 4 Carvins and have not had to deal with them beyond the hex screw. To me that speaks loudly! I've read other complaints but I don't have any.

I've been playing 23 years and owned a LOT of guitars. Still do. Gibsons, Hamers, Godins, Strats, Frankenstrats, Carvins. Amps...Gibson rvt (1965), Ampeg Gemini (1965), Fender Super, Fender Deville, Home made class A, home made Fender Deluxe copy. A zillion pedals. I can cover most anything I feel like doing. I play mostly original rock and I'm always learning something new. This guitar will be on the A Squad for a long time.

As I said, my only niggle is with the bridge pickup and that may be simply a matter of personal taste.

If lost or stolen, I will buy another one just like it! Simple as that.

One thing I must say...Do not buy this if you expect an inexpensive strat clone. It is it's own thing and due to construction, neck technology and body size, doesn't sound or feel like a strat. On the other side of that coin, I haven't played anything by Fender or anyone else that can match it's playabilty or construction. Sound is subjective. All of my guitars sound different, but they all sound like me. The Bot T is, hands down one of the finest playing guitars I've ever owned.

E-mail me if you have other questions about this axe.

Swamp Ash Body -tobacco finish, Sperzler tuners, Wilkinsen Tremola bar, ebony fret board. The Ap11 - replace with Tim Jagmen hand wound single coils.

Original sound was great -very articulate. I wanted a little more bite and bottom end so I had my friend Tim Jagman wind me some hot and saucy pickups. Wow - raw blues power. As received, I give the sound an 8. Now with Tim's pickups, I give it a 10.

Flawless.

after 5 years, still no problems.

Have not had to deal with them over problems, the order itself went great!

Carvin gear is top notch. I'm about to get a new neck, as I've worn my first one out playing blues - lot of string wigglin. I bought the Bolt T because I knew their necks were cheaper than a fret job. Their new necks have a more rounded back shape and easier to play. I look forward to taking it for a spin.

Swamp Ash Body -tobacco finish, Sperzler tuners, Wilkinsen Tremola bar, ebony fret board. The Ap11 - replace with Tim Jagmen hand wound single coils.

Original sound was great -very articulate. I wanted a little more bit and bottom end so I had my friend Tim Jagman wind me some hot and saucy pickups. Wow - raw blues power. As received, I give the sound an 8. Now with Tim's pickups, I give it a 10.

Flawless.

after 5 years, still no problems.

Have not had to deal with them over problems, the order itself went great!

Carvin gear is top notch. I'm about to get a new neck, as I've worn my first one out playing blues - lot of string wigglin. I bought the Bolt T because I new their necks were cheaper than a fret job. Their new necks have a more rounded back shape and easier to play. I look forward to taking it for a spin.

Good features and options

Got a good sound, not very strat-like, which was my biggest disappointment.

great

Like a rock

cocky, arrogant, unprofessional

This guitar sounds nothing like a strat. Any guitar with single coils will have a similar chime, but the modern construction (dual truss, and graphite reinforcements) totally eliminate this as being comparable to a strat, sonically speaking. I was fooled by the looks, and i guess my lack of knowledge about construction/sound. This was an alder maple/maple 3single coil guitar that looked more like a strat than it sounded. You'll never be able to coax a strat sound out of this guitar, but i'm sure it has value as an individual voice. It is well constructed. Just don't be fooled by its looks, its not a vintage soundging guitar.

This is my 4th Carvin and its another great guitar from their San Diego factory. Maple fretboard and neck, alder body, S/S/H pickup configuration (AP11/AP11/C22T), Wilkinson vibrato bridge,Sperzel tuners, pearloid pickguard, and the reason why I bought this guitar the now discontinued Harlaquin Primistique haloflake finish. The base color is between eggplant and peppermint green and it has a lot of red halowflake in the finish. It pretty much transisitions from a green to a purple to a red. I believe Sean at Carvin has a similar guitar with this finish but with an orange base color which was a one off job. It is wonderfully cheesy while not being gaudy like a quilt top or something. I know Tony MacAlpine toured with a DC747 with this finish when he was playing with Steve Vai. That gives you an idea of the cheese factor rockstar type of vibe this has. Its a real conversation piece and not for the faint at heart.

These are the stock pickups that Carvin uses, well now they have actually replaced the C22T with the B model, but this is what use to come standard. I must say I have heard a lot of complaints about the T model but its an edgy sounding bridge humbucker great for rock. The two AP11's impress me. I am not a real single coil kind of guy, but these are fat sounding. They can transistion from that twangy clean sound to a nice EJ style lead sound with distortion. Very little 60 cycle hum and sound great with distortion, what else can you ask for? The wilkinson bridge is in the "down only" position. My other two Wilkies are in the floating position. I think I will keep this guitar as is, because I think this configuration adds sustain. The Bolt's have unbelievable sustain for their construction.

All I have to say is that its a Carvin. Nicely slotted graphite nut with no slippage. Tuners keep the guitar in tune forever, the Wilkinson is so reliable that I have it on 3 guitars, the guitar plays amazingly well, while still being super lightweight and balanced.

Carvin uses a thick Poly Finish which doesnt seem like it will ever wear off. I am going to replace the strap buttons with Dimarzio Cliplocks soon just because those are my preference. It came stock with Dunlop stralocks though which is a nice feature.

A big shout out to Raul, Doc, Sean, Albert C, Charles, Marco, Francis and all the other fine people at Carvin who I have talked to since I started using their products in late 2000. They are a great bunch of folks, and the people at the Carvin BBS board are great to talk with too. Its not only great to have these fine instruments, but its also great to have such a great community that also uses these instruments.

What more can I say? Well I am definetely keeping this guitar, and I might experiment a little bit with it. I don't usually hot rod guitars but I might do it to this one just to make it more out there and crazy. I thought today about a green pickguard, perhaps some aftermarket pickups, and even a sustainiac pickup in the neck. Just some stuff to make it a bit more extreme, because as a stock guitar its already fantastic.