Carvin C-750 Cobalt

Grover tuners, Fishman Prefix plus T pick up, Mahogany sides, once piece neck. Paid $627 w/ hardshell case; absolute great deal.

Sounds real good, smooth & balanced acoustic tone. Plugged in, it is clear and bright, and Fishman system is solid and LOUD; you get A LOT of pre-amp out of this system, I only run volume at 1/2 way. Only issue is EQ doesn't offer much in the way of 'warming up' the sound. Stays kinda bright all the time and bass response is liminted, but than can be tweaked in the EQ of the PA. Onboard Tuner is real responsive.

Good finishing work. Real smooth action. Feels real good in your hands. One issue, neck was out of adjustment when I got it. When I adjusted the truss rod, it started to buzz a bit, but it came with some shims for the bridge so i threw one in and so far so good (still some buzz, but not something to get crazy over.)

This axe is super solid, really built WELL. Honestly, if you get it you'll be impressed (if you know Carvin, you know what I mean.)

Called them once and emailed them twice, no problems/complaints.

I have been playing guitar for over 18 years & playing live for 10. I currenlty do a solo acoustic act (www.astronautjonesnj.com) and gig 2-3 times a month with this axe. For the money, it is the best axe I have ever bought & would buy another one in a hearbeat if it ever got stolen. Also currently slowing filling my different rigs with Carvin equipment since picking this up. They really make top quality gear.

The previous reviews give a good description of the guitar. I have only a few items to add:

- It's a well-made Korean acoustic. Based on the seriel numbering scheme and the quality of the workmanship, this guitar reminds me of a couple of Dillions that I own. I wonder if Carvin uses the same Korean manufacturer as Dillion.

- Carvin requires you to purchase a case with the guitar. The case is an SKB case with the Carvin logo. It is virtually identical to an SKB Freedom case that I purchased for another acoustic guitar.

- I took off one point for the satin finish neck. You can purchased the guitar body with a gloss finish or a satin finish; however, the neck has a satin finish even if you purchase the guitar body with the gloss finish. I'd like to see a gloss finish neck option.

- I also wished the neck had a less-flat radius (see comments in Action, Fit & Finish section).

The guitar is very full and very loud. Overall, the sound is pretty well balanced, with a slight emphasis onthe bass side.

The Fishman pickup offers more options that I'm probably capable of comprending!

The set-up was decent; however since the guitar was shipped from California to Ohio in the middle of December, I had to tighten the truss rod about 1/3 of a turn. The action was fine after that.

My only complaint is that the neck radius is far too flat for an acoustic. I'm guessing that it's around a 16 radius. The flatness of the neck radius is most apparent when playing the 3rd and 4th strings. It's not a deal killer, but it does require some adjustment in your playing style.

The finish, for the most part, is very good. There are a few small fish-eyes in the clearcoat finish, but you have to look very close to find them. There is a small area (about 1/4") of dust or debris that was caught in the clearcoat, near the neck.

The frets were well-dressed and the bound fingerboard was almost flawless.

My main complaint on the finish is where the satin neck meets the gloss body. It just looks strange. Had the neck also been a gloss finish, the joint between the neck and the body would'nt have look so strange. Also, the neck joint is slightly rough where the neck binding meets the body. Again, had the neck been applied with a gloss finish, the roughness would have been covered by the clearcoat.

Where the neck meets the body, the neck is made of 2 pieces of wood. This is understandable given the size of the joint. However, during the finishing process, it looks like extra stain is applied to where the 2 pieces of wood are joined together in order to try and hide the joint. On rest of the neck, the stain is applied less liberally and the natural grain of the wood shows through. I think they should have applied the stain a little lighter in this area because it looks too dark. I would have rather seen the joint (which is still visible anyway!).

The guitar feels solid. The construction and materials are top-notch. I have no concerns regarding the reliability of this instrument.

I didn't deal with support, other than ordering the instrument online. I took off a few points due to the following:

- The website said that Cobalts are available for IMMEDIATE shipping. After placing my order, I got an e-mail indicating that my shipping date would be about 14 days AFTER I placed the order. That doesn't meet my definition of immediate.

- I ended up checking the status of my order and it turns out that the order shipped 4 days after I placed it. I did not receive an e-mail indicating that the guitar shipped.

- The guitar was shipped inside of the case -- nothing covering the guitar. The case was placed inside of a box with no other packing materials, meaning the case slide around in the box. Fortunately, the guitar arrived with no damage. A few of my buddies are UPS drivers and I know how they work -- I'm surprised that I've ordered/shipped about a dozen guitars via UPS and they've all shipped without incident. How about packing the guitar a little better Carvin?

Overall, for $600, you can't beat this guitar. I've seen some reviews that compare this guitar to models selling for $1,000. I'm not sure I'd agree with that, but I think it's a very good value for the money.

I'd easily recommend this guitar to someone who was looking at paying $600 for a Taylor, Gibson or other similar brand.

I've been playing guitar for almost 20 years and this is definitely one of the best acoustic guitars I've played.

Best sounding acoustic guitar out there!!!! Solid spruce top. Solid mahogany back and laminated mahogany sides. Great neck. Won't find an easier action or fretting neck. Beautiful high gloss finish with hard shell carvin case.

Like I said before, you won't find a better sounding guitar. I play country/country rock and do a few acoustic songs in our set and this guitar nails it. Plugged in it has the same rich warm tone as it does not plugged in. Most of my buddies play Martins and Takamine's and when I bought this guitar they all want to trade me. I've had hard core bluegrass Martin guys tell me if they were to buy another acoustic it would be a Carvin.

The neck and action on this guitar is astonishing. Your hands and fingers fly right across this neck. It was set up great and in tune when I got it. Absolutely flawless guitar.

I use this guitar for live playing and it seems to hold up. I treat my guitars like babies so I won't have any problems anyway. I have a backup electric but not an acoustic.

The guy on the phone was very helpful and it arrived exactly the day he said it would.

I haven't been playing a long time. I guess you could say I'm a little green, but my Dad has been playing for thirty years and has the same guitar. When I was looking for my first acoustic I didn't really want to spend that much money. But every time I would go to a music shop and play a few guitars I would compare it to the sound of my Dad's Carvin and be dissappointed. So I just ended up saving my money and buying a good one. I'm glad I did. If it were stolen or lost I would cry and then buy one the same day. It is my baby.

? Dreadnought body for full acoustic volume and tone
? Special X-bracing for clear tone and resonance
? Solid Mahogany neck with smooth Satin finish
? Dovetail neck joint for superior sustain
? Bound Rosewood headstock with inlayed abalone Carvin logo
? Bound 25.4? scale Rosewood fingerboard
? Rapid Play? low action neck
? Neck width 1.7" wide @ nut, 2.24" wide @ 20th fret
? 20 medium .078 wide x .043? tall acoustic frets
? Tusq? saddle for clear and vibrant sustain
? Ebony bridge pins with Abalone inlays
? Grover? high quality chrome tuners
? Elixer NanoWeb? long lasting strings
? Precise Carvin set-up & intonation

This guitar sounds wonderful. Acoustically, it is well balanced and nice and loud. Plugged in, it sounds amazing. The love the Fishman Prefix Plus. Plenty of tone options.

Carvin's factory set-up was great. Their neck allows for comfortable, low action. Quality all the way around.

This guitar surely withstands live playing. Carvin did not go cheap on the hardware installing, grover tuners, etc....

I ordered this guitar by phone. The rep I spoke with was very helpful and informative. No experience with warranty issues.

Excellent guitar, excellent quality, excellent PRICE!! My only reserve is that I would prefer the depth (front to back) of the guitar to be a little bit smaller.

This guitar is awesome!! It has a solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and laminated mahogany sides. The neck is the best playing acoustic neck I've played with low action and great fret work. It has a cutaway and a great sounding Fishman Pickup system. The finish on the body is a beautiful high gloss. It also has high quality grover tuners. I also got a SKB case with the Carvin Logo on it for only A little over $50.00 and a free cable and some picks and truss rod wrench.

I play christian rock and worship music which is usually thick with great sounding acoustic guitars and I personally think this sounds as good as any guitar I've heard on any recording or live. It has a very balanced tone and is LOUD! If I play it at home and try to sing while I play I can hardly hear myself without a microphone. When I plug it in I use a Carvin Acoustic amp and a sansamp but even if you don't have a sansamp, you can dial in a great tone with the Fishman preamp/equalizer. I really don't have any dislikes with this guitar. I love everything about it.

The factory set-up was great with low action. The finish appears flawless and I can't find any flaws. I expected this though because I already owned a Carvin AE185 Which is also AWESOME.

I am sure this guitar will last for a very long time, especially the way I baby my guitars. It is very well made. I would definetly gig without a backup. However if I did have a backup it would also be a carvin. There are a lot of great guitars out there (Taylor, Martin, Gibson,etc.) but I don't think you could find one to compete with this one unless you spent a lot more money and then you'd just be paying for the name. Carvin makes the best guitars and a lot of retailers hate them for it because Carvin sells direct. I have seen quite a few retailers get mad at me when I tell them I have a Carvin.

I've dealt with Carvin on a few purchases and they have great customer service. I got great, honest advice from Carl at Carvin before purchasing my guitars. THey have a great 5 year warranty on their guitars!!

I absolutely love this guitar. IF it were stolen or lost I'd definetely buy another one! I've been playing for about 3 years and I also own a Carvin AE185, Carvin AG100 amp, Zoom GFX4, Zoom GFX707, Tech 21 Sansamp Acoustic D.I., Art tube mp, Roland 840ex, 60's model Holiday acoustic guitar, etc. I've compared this guitar to other acoustics from Gibson, Takamine, Ovation, Ibanez, Taylor, etc. and I like this one better than any of them. It's no wonder Carvin has such a huge following, they make the best guitars at a fraction of what other good companies charge. Chances are once you play a Carvin, You'll be a Carvin freak like the rest of us. I'd like to see them come out with a Cobalt 12-string.