Carvin CM130

I am original owner of a 1978 Carvin CM130 guitar. 1978 is a watershed year for the CM130 on two counts: (1) The last year that Carvin used the Hofner neck and (2) The first year that the classic CM22 pickups were offered. You can see my Carvin CM130 and the matching Carvin CB100 Bass at this link:

http://www.dansher.com/band/b6s_twins_m.jpg

The Hofner neck has 22 frets, not including the now rare "0th" fret which acts as the nut. Scale is 25 1/2 inches, 0th fret to bridge (scale on the CB100 Bass is a compact 30").

The 0th fret has several advantages: (1) Very low action at 1st fret (easier to play a barre-F or Bb), (2) Changing string gauge does not require replacement or reworking the nut, because (3) Never a problem with string pinching or sawing at the nut. The frets are made of brass with a "low and wide" profile, and the raw fret ends are covered by the neck binding - a nice touch one seldom sees today. 30 years later the Hofner neck is still perfectly straight with almost no fret wear. The neck is relatively thin (for its day) and has a little wider string spacing at the 0th fret than do present day instruments, which I prefer. Lowest action and best playability of any guitar I have ever held. This is good as it gets.

The pickups are adjustable 22-pole magnetics - no battery or preamps required. I prefer passive sound circuits because:
1) No battery to get weak & die.
2) OK to leave cord plugged into guitar.
3) No loud ZAP when plugging into or out of amp.
4) Simpler, more robust design of sound circuit.

Each pickup can be switched into single or double coil mode. Single coil mode sounds more Fenderish, while double has a warmer (and quieter, humbucking) Gibson tone. The third mini-switch puts the two pickups in and out of phase with each other for even more tone variations. Two volume controls but the single overall tone control limits flexibility. The 3-way switch selects Neck, Both, or Bridge pickups.

The "tune-o-matic" type bridge is adjustable fore and aft for individual string intonation, and up and down for overall action (string height) adjustments.

The solid maple body is a single cutaway a la Les Paul and has a nicely rounded profile.

Very flexible tone variations from 3-way dual pickups, single/dual coil plus phase switching. Great sustain from passive sound circuit.

Schaller tuners have no apparent wear after 30 years. Oth fret helps the instrument stay in tune (no string pinching at nut). Neck is bolt-on, and the join to the body is very tight - especially considering that this is a 100% hand made (pre-computer) guitar.

This was my only guitar for years and years. Now I have seven. If I had to give up all of them but one, the Carvin CM130 would be the keeper. The only maintenance it has ever needed was a shot of contact cleaner in the pots and 3-way switch every year.

Never needed to talk to Carvin about any issue on any of their guitars I own.

I have been playing for 45 years. I am a poor to mediocre player but love it anyway. If someone stole my Carvin CM130 then I might die for lack of a beating heart.

Here is a link to my historical band page:

http://dansher.com/banddays.htm

Rock 'n Roll never forgets.

According to a web-site classifying Carvin serial numbers, my CM130 is a 1983 model. It has a single cutaway shape, blonde body with an ebony dot inlay fretboard, 24 frets, with a set-in neck. It has 2 Carvin humbuckers, four volume/control knobs, 3-way toggle pickup selector, and toggle phase switches. It has a tune-o-matic bridge with a stop tailpiece and a form-fitting hardshell case.

I play primarily blues, fusion and jazz through a Fender Blues DeVille. Effects include an Ibanez Tube Screamer, Dan Electro Cool Cat Stereo Chorus, and Dan Electro Dan Echo Delay. I can get almost any tone I need. It has a rich, sweet tone with the right edge to cut through and stand out. I have a Fender Roadhouse Strat that I rarely use on-stage because it just doesn't match the variety of tones I can get with the Carvin. There is nothing to dislike about this guitar...it's my main guitar.

I bought this guitar used and I've never changed the action. The only flaw that I could possibly say about the guitar is that the tuners have loosened twice since 1997.

I've been playing live almost every weekend for the past six years and have never had any malfunction. The guitar still looks great; just the usual little dings and scratches that come with heavy playing. I would play it on a gig without a backup and have done so many times.

I bought it used and have never contacted the company.

I've been playing for 20 years. I have a Fender Blues DeVille amplifier, Fender Roadhouse Strat, Guild D-28 acoustic, various effects pedals, Roland VS880EX digital workstation. If I lost this guitar or if it were stolen, I couldn't buy it because they don't make them anymore. It would be a great loss for me because I absolutely love everything about it. If I had to buy a replacement, I would look at a high quality Gibson SG or Les Paul.

This guitar is a '79 CM130. the CM stands for Cut-away Model. It has 24 Frets, adjustable bridge for simple action settings, glued on neck with two trust rods, 2 Carvin M22 humbucker pickups (22 indivudially adjustable poles),I just replaced the bridge pickup witht the M22SD(super distortion), thin neck, raised pick guard, three way pickup selector, and individual volume and tone controls.

I play blues based soulful rock music with a heavy edge and sometime some noisey solos. This guitar (played through a good tube amp) creates the warmest sound I've ever heard but can scream with the best of them. You can go from a standard mellow low-end solo to bright clear high-toned licks with no more effort than flicking the pickup selector.

I bought the guitar in the early 90s and it held up pretty well. No major flaws in the body. The only problem that I've had is with the tuning. I just changed the tuning pegs to Spertzel locking and it fixed the problem with little effort and cost. The pickup are easy to adjust and if you feel like playing with your sound and you can find the right size allen wrench, adjusting the poles can keep you entertained for months.

I have never had a backup, never want a backup, never will have a backup... except for maybe a PRS once I win the lottery. This guitar is amazing.

Since it's a '79 Carvin wasnt able to help out much but I found this great web site that had all the info I needed. http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/9455/carv79.html

I've been playing for over 10 years, play through a Peavy Delta Blues and just picked up an Ampeg V-4 with a Crybaby Wa pedal, Turbo Rat for chord distortion and an Ibenez Tube King for solos. Except for the amps and the Tube King I bought every piece of equipment because I thought it looked cool... I had no idea the quality and sound I was getting.