Carvin CT6M, left-handed

2008 CT6M left handed model, made in USA

22 fret ebony fretboard
1 volume w/push pull coil splitter, 1 tone and 3 way pickup selector
HH pickup configuration (Carvin passive pickups - M22SD bridge and C22J neck)
Mahogany neck and body, flame maple top
Tune-o-matic bridge with string-thru body
Sperzel locking tuners
25" neck scale with 14" radius
Stainless steel jumbo frets
Graphite nut
Tung oiled neck
No fret inlays (side dots only)
Dunlop Straplocks
Blue stain finish with black edges

I love this guitar. I wanted to try out some features which I'd never had before (tung oiled neck, stainless steel frets, M22SD pickup, 14" neck radius).

I was very happy with the stainless steel frets and 14" neck radius as they make playing (particularly bending) very easy (i have a Carvin DC135 with a 12" neck radius, bending is slightly harder with the 12" radius). The bridge pickup is very loud and full - great for distorted rhythm guitar (75% of what i play).

I really like the tung oiled neck, however i don't see how it is superior to regular neck finishes. people say that you can play faster (i am assuming they mean when shifting positions) with this option however i find that it just feels different in your hand.

The volume and tone controls are positioned well - not in your way but easy to reach. It's a little hard to pull the volume control out (to split the coils) - i have seen a push/pull control from a caparison guitar which was much easier to pull. this is not a major problem though. The pickup selector is positioned perfectly. it's the easiest selector i have ever used. before this guitar i used to love the position of the 5 way blade on my ibanez rg guitars but this one is actually in a better position for quick switches - just behind and below the bridge.

tuning is easy and holds very well. i always check tuning before i play and some times i don't even have to fine tune at all. after buying my 1st Carvin and this one i will never get a guitar without Sperzel tuners as they are far superior to any other tuners i have used.

the only criticisms i have are i like having a 24 fret neck (not available on this model) and not being able to have a single coil middle pickup (however i do enjoy the simplicity of just 2 pickups). just small details. overall the features work very well - this guitar is very enjoyable to play.

playing this through a peavey bandit 112 amp head (the original speaker blew so i disconnected the head unit and run it through a marshall 1960AB 4*12 cab) and a boss GT6 effects unit

this guitar suits my style very well. i play metal and rock music.

Bridge pickup: i mainly use this pickup for distorted rhythm guitar and wah lead guitar. It produces a great full distortion tone with good sustain without being to harsh or piercing. harmonics are easy to get (natural and pinch harmonics) and sing well. clean this pickup yields a lovely crunch tone at full volume and cleans up nicely when turned down. the coil tap produces a gentler tone which is great for clean rhythm - very sparkly and clear.

Neck pickup: i use this for smooth lead and clean sounds. produces a nice round singing distorted tone with good sustain. i often find myself noodling for minutes on end with some delay just because it sounds so nice (clean and distorted). clean this pickup is mellow but not mushy and you can achieve a little crunch if you want it (obviously not as crunchy as the bridge though), but i use this pickup more for smooth chording than crunch. again the coil tap produces a lighter tone, which is great for strumming clean chords. i find that i use the full humbucker for deep mellow jazzy chords and the coil tap for more rock oriented strumming.

both pickups are balanced well - all strings ring at an even volume and the overall volume does not jump when switching pickups. there is some volume loss when engaging the coil tap but this is to be expected anyway.

this guitar was set up well from the factory. however it came to me with the volume and tone controls wired backwards, which was a little annoying, but easily fixed. i also had the nut refiled so i could use slightly heavier strings.

other than that the finish was great, pickups and neck were set up well, and all the hardware and electronics were top notch.

this category loses points for the incorrect wiring and not being able to have the guitar set up with my choice of strings (you have to choose either .009s or .010s)

i've played this guitar live and of course it was up to the task. any decent guitar will withstand live action - why would you use a guitar at all if you weren't confident it would last a gig? i even used it without a backup a couple of times (inviting disaster i know, but it was in a friends band and only for 1 song each time).

the guitar maintains tuning even under the hot lights. strap locks are very solid. i have complete confidence in this guitar.

haven't really dealt with them as i live in australia and had to order this through a dealer here. i have emailed them a couple of times with product enquiries and they are prompt in responding.

initially when i orderd this guitar i wanted a floyd rose. this was approved until a couple of weeks later when i got an email (from the dealer in autralia) saying that they didn't offer it on left handed models. this should have been pointed out straight away rather than finding out after i'd already paid the deposit

i wish they would sell direct outside of america as this guitar was quite costly when ordering through a dealer. i even tried getting quotes from several different Carvin dealers here but they all gave me exactly the same price.

i love the guitar, but the service could be better - the dealer here was good, but they need to get it right the first time.

i also own a Carvin DC135, 2 Ibanez RGs, and 2 Fenders (strat and tele). this guitar is my favourite, though i do love all my guitars for different reasons.

it's my main guitar for my band as it feels amazing to play and sounds great. when i first brought it in my drummer loved the sound immediately - when i don't bring this to practice i get in trouble!

compared to my other Carvin i find that i have a larger choice of sounds due to the coil tap and it is a little easier to play.

compared to the Ibanezs the tone is more rounded and clean sounds are sweeter. again it is easier to play too.

it has more sustain and fuller tone than the Fenders, mostly because the fenders are only single coil guitars. definately a lot easier to play too.

all that said i didn't buy this guitar to "beat" my other guitars tones or feel, but to have another unique sounding instrument. i don't try to match the sounds i get from my other guitars as i can just play them instead. why people always say they can get a strat sound or les paul sound out of a different brand instrument puzzles me. if you want a certain tone buy the guitar that has it in the first place. this guitar has a unique tone which is great for the music i play and it feels and looks amazing.

if it were stolen i would cry for week and get an emo haircut. then get back to work and replace it asap. and fix my hair too.