Carvin CT6M

2nd time submitting a review...I'll keep it clean this time ;-)
2008, CT6M, C22s, Sperzels, abalone blocks, stainless frets...all the usual. AND - a custom finish from yellow to green to blue on the outside on quilted Maple. It Is STUNNING!

Features? You can order it any way you want. For that, I give it a 10...

So...the stock C22s are good. I've owned several Carvins and have played with several of their pickups so I can speak with some authority. I like the Carvin pickups and on some guitars they are perfect. I have a DC-135 (all Koa) with a C22 in the bridge and it's great. And, even though I liked the C22s in my new CT6, we all have our favorites and my favorites happen to be the Dimarzio Evolution set (DP158 and DP159) that have ultimately found their way in my CT6.
Stock Carvin isn't noisy, isn't dull, isn't anything bad. Dimarzio is better. For that, Carvin out of the box gets an 8...

Factory set-up? Damn near perfect. I changed the strings and exercised the intonation adjustments - just to see if they worked. I'venot adjusted the truss rod in a year.

Pickups? They were adjusted perfectly for C22s. And then I swapped them...

Properly bookmatched top? Please...I do not know what enchanted forest Carvin gets their wood from but I'd like to camp there. It's as good as can be had without a doubt!

Flaws? No. If nothing else, it is obvious that the Carvin people who made this instrument take great pride in their work.

Blindfold me in any Guitar Center. Hand me 9 of the highest-dollar instruments on the pegs along with the Carvin and let me pick the best playing one. Without a doubt, it would be the Carvin. It's simply that good.

Sure - all pro finish. Whatever Carvin uses for a finish is more 'ding resistant' than Gibson (I have several of each...) While I'll never gig with just ONE guitar, I've played dozens of shows with only Carvin instruments in the rack.

I've dealt with the Carvin people on several occasions. I've had nothing but positive experiences with these guys. I see some negative comments on-line but have always received all-pro treatment.

I really can't say enough about the quality of the instrument. Nobody out there can come close to this.
Would I buy a PRS with an ebony board, genuine Abalone inlay, custom three color burst finish and stainless frets? Uhhhhh. Sure. I like the PRS mystique. BUT...Would I pay $20,000 for this? No. Fortunately, Carvin has made it possible to get such an instrument for half than you'd spend on a 10-Top Custom 22.

Mine is a quilt top, abalone block inlay, ebony board, SS frets with a custom finish ($300 upgrade three color burst from yellow to green to blue I personally specified) matching headstock. It is a truly exceptional instrument. I've owned and played all of the major names in guitars (10 in my current collection) and my new CT6M is right at the top of the list in terms of quality, appearance and overall construction. Functionally, it's pretty basic - pickup selector, coil tap, volume and tone. Sperzels make changing strings a 5 minute operation. The customization options make this a 10.

While the stock C22 pickups are competent, we all have our favorites and I've substituted in a set of the Dimarzio Evolutions (DP159, DP158). This combination makes for a distinctive, complex sound that is unparalleled by any stock Gibson or PRS I've handled. As one friend put it: there's a lot of tone going on there...I also have a CT4 with a Floyd Rose and a DC135 with a Wilkinson that still has the C22. The CT4 I bought used with the M22SD pickups in it that were higher output but too thin for my taste. I like the contrast I get between the CT4 and CT6.

If I could rate it a 100 I would. The guitar handles beautifully and is the most 'precise' feeling guitar in my arsenal. With the stainless frets, it feels like a well oiled machine. If you combined a Parker with a PRS, this is what you'd have. The quality of the workmanship is absolutely top notch. I have no idea what enchanted forest supplies the wood for the Carvin tops but I'm glad I got a piece of it. I have my CT6 finished with the black back and sides option (a bit of a guilty pleasure as I'd normally scorn the notion of painting a nice piece of wood) so I can't really see the grain of the mahogany but it makes the guitar look bad azz and further enhances the appearance of the top as was my intent. My CT4 has a tung oiled neck and I like the feel of both finishes for different reasons. If I had to change one thing, perhaps the head stock could be 10% larger and be more proportional to the overall guitar but I'm really splitting aesthetic hairs now...

I've not had any trouble with a Carvin instrument and don't anticipate I will down the road. My pride and joy was knocked off the stand at a gig and suffered a little ding on the back of the neck...something that would have marred any guitar. I've seen head stocks and necks snapped off Gibsons that suffered less of an impact.

I've seen some negative comments about the Carvin customer support but my experience was quite positive. I got a postcard in the mail confirming my order and ship date. I ordered it in late October and although it was about a week past the initial delivery date due to "longer time in finishing" I still had it in time for Christmas. I'll cut them some slack as the final result was stunning. I spoke with the customer service department on several occasions and they were always professional and accommodating.

I've been playing guitar for almost 25 years now. I own a couple of Gibsons that sit in their cases since getting the Carvin guitars. The Carvin product is simply superior in finish and playability. I'm motivated perhaps to get my Les Paul upgraded to the stainless frets to improve playability but it still won't look nearly as nice as the CT6. If mine were stolen, I would do two things: immediately order another to replace it and find the sorry SOB who was fool enough to walk with my axe and parade their head around town on a pike. I'm not sure how Carvin does it but they sell AMERICAN MADE, CUSTOM, TOP-SHELF instruments for mid-level dollars.

I have a California Carved Top made in 2008 with a gorgeous quilted top, "deep sunset burst" finish, gold hardware, abalone block inlays, stainless steel medium-jumbo frets... the total jaw-dropping package.

The push-pull coil tap is a nice feature and the standard Carvin C22 pickups were OK, although I ended up replacing them with Paul Reed Smith Dragon pickups (IMHO the best pickups ever made).

Having never played a Carvin guitar before I was initially impressed but considered my Paul Reed Smith Custom-22 a better instrument, but after just a few hours of breaking in this guitar it became my primary instrument... I don't even remember the last time I played my Paul Reed Smith!

I gave this guitar an 9 for features because of the standard pickups, my modified guitar with the hot PRS Dragons rates a 10.

As mentioned above, I quickly swapped pickups on this so I didn't get a lot of time evaluating the sound, but it was decent. Using it with my Carvin Legacy amp (all tube) it had a nice, warm and full sound, but I wanted a lot more power and opted for PRS Dragon pickups.

With the PRS Dragon pickups this guitar is monstrous, huge low end and bright high end, great sustain (a lot of this comes from the masterful construction by Carvin and not the pickups)... this guitar is now my ideal.

Again, considering the standard pickups I give this an 8, with PRS Dragons it rates a 10.

Set up on this was pristine. I set up all of my own guitars for intonation, action, etc... I didn't need to do anything with this guitar except plug it in and enjoy it.

I've owned this guitar for a year now and play it constantly, beating on it pretty hard, and I have had no issues. But, it's important to note that with the gorgeous woods, finish, abalone, and gold hardware I obviously treat it well... but hey, it's rock 'n roll and I am often a bit inebriated while playing it so accidents happen, and so far it's held up nicely.

I didn't have to deal with any issues concerning this guitar, so I can't really speak to Carvin's customer support on this. I do, however, own a lot of Carvin gear for my studio - PA speakers, power amps, Legacy Guitar amp, and... well... still not a lot of data points on customer service because I never need it!

There was only one issue with the initial shipment of my Carvin Legacy amp in 2001 - it arrived with a broken power tube so I called and was immediately shipped replacement tubes at no cost, and the perosn on the phone apologized for the inconvenience. It sucked to get a brand new amp and have to wait, but they were helpful.

Overall, considering I've only had one issue and they were helpful, I guess they get an 8.

I've been playing guitar for 21 years now and my other guitars include a Paul Reed Smith Custom-22, a Fender American Standard Stratocaster, a Fender HM Strat, and 10 other lower quality guitars that don't get much attention at all and aren't worth mentioning. This guitar is the best guitar I have ever played, and every time I go into a shop hoping to find something I like better I come home and am happy to play my Carvin. If it were stolen or lost, I would definitely buy another but probably need years of counseling to deal with the loss.

I love it's amazing looks, it's incredible playability, and, with the PRS Dragon pickups, it's phenomenal output and sustain. There's absolutely nothing about this guitar I hate except the way it makes me not play my other guitars often enough to justify keeping them.

At $1724 this guitar was definitely not cheap, but honestly it was worth it. If that's too big a price tag, check out the set-neck guitars from Schecter, I originally bought my Carvin because someone stole my Schecter C-1+.

The guitar is beautiful! I ordered a new CT6M in fall of 2006. Carvins are all made at the Carvin factory in southern California. The CT6M is a 22-fret, mahogany-body, passive dual-humbucker, "PRS-style" electric guitar with a carved, figured AAAA maple top, mahogany neck, body-matching figured maple headstock, and Sperzel Locking tuners. The guitar has one volume knob, one tone knob (with coil splitter for single coil-like sounds) and a pickup toggle switch. It also has a string-through body tun-o-matic bridge, for added sustain. I ordered mine with a Bird's Eye maple fingerboard, rather than the standard ebony. I also ordered gold-plated hardware, in addition to the Carvinlogo being inlaid with gold, which is standard. You really can't find a more gorgeous guitar. It's absolutely stunning! And Carvin has tons of available custom features to choose from.

My electric music style kind of Classic Rock, but this guitar could definitely do Metal. Right now I'm using it though a Carvin SX-200 amp, but I've used it through a Peavy solid state and a Marshall. Occasionally, I'll run it through my POD 2.0 direct if I'm at a venue where my amp is too loud (SX-200s can't be turned up over about 2 or they'll pretty much kill somebody), and that works all right. I'm not using any effect pedals with it at the moment. The sound is pretty warm and full, and the coil tap adds some nice variety, but I'm not sold on Carvin's pickups. The guitar comes standard with Carvin C22 humbuckers, and they're solid and realiable, definitely. I'm just not completely sold on their tone. I'm thinking of putting some Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers in it.

The guitar was well set-up at the factory. Certainly it played nice. All the same, I had a luthier set it up again and that made it all the better. Mostly the bridge's intonation needed adjusting, and that was it. The nut is graphite and should last longer than a typical bone. Carvin's "Rapid-Play" neck is a winner and plays great. The pickup height was fine. They're weren't any construction flaws that I could find, and I looked. The woods are gorgeous and it was obvious the thing was built with thorough attention to detail. Everything was beautiful.

This guitar is built for gigging. I've played it at 40 or so live gigs, and it's been good so far. I'm not wild about the Sperzel locking tuners, at least I haven't noticed anything special about them. I pretty much have to tune the guitar as often as any other I've owned. The finish will last, the strap buttons and cable jack were good, too. I've only had two problems with after doing regular gigs: (1) apparently you need a humidifier in the case even though it's a solid body - my fingerboard shrunk a little so I can feel the frets protruding when I run my hand up and down the neck (maybe that's my fault, or maybe that happens to maple fingerboards more often than ebony - I don't know), and (2) the coil splitter knob keeps coming loose. I have to tighten the thing about once a month. Not that big of a deal, but a little disappointing.

I only called them once during the time it was being built. The guy on the line wasn't overly friendly, but he did answer my questions. I did call them again after it was delivered to ask about some excessive buzz around the 12th fret. The guy this time wasn't particularly helpful, but since the luthier set-up fixed it, it didn't hurt in the long run either.

I've been playing for around 15 years and have some experience touring. Most of my guitar work has been acoustic, but I've been almost exclusively electric the last few years. I've played Fenders (both strats and teles), Danelectros, an Epiphone Les Paul, and an Epiphone hollow-body Joe Pass jazz guitar.

If it were stolen, I'm not sure I'd replace it. It would great to find one used for a little less and throw some different pickups in it. The only real drawback to the guitar is what I would call a very warm but not terribly exciting tone from the pickups. If Carvin offered Seymour Duncans during their custom work, this thing would get a huge thumbs-up all the way. It's well-built and beautiful, and you really can't beat it in terms of Bang-For-Your-Buck. It's a pro-quality, custom instrument for about half the cost of the PRS guitars it most closely resembles.

Custom made to order with "strat" style mahogany body, but with set neck, ebony 25" scale 22 fret board, carved maple top, Sperzel locking tuners, a variety of coil tapped Carvin humbuckers. USA made direct factory order. Every order is custom manufactured to your specifications. Pick your model of interest. Solid mahogany body, with a wonderfully thick maple top, not a thin cap, set mahogany neck with ebony fretboard (other fretboard options (2) maple, rosewood, available). No fancy binding options for fretboard. Body can come with a natural binding on the top. Fill out a form, or talk to a service rep. Pay the cost, and you get a work order number to track the manufacturing progress on their website updated as each of the manufacturing steps are completed. In four to eight weeks, you get a note saying you guitar is shipped and your custom guitar shows up on your doorstep. I ordered mine with Mother of Pearl block fretboard inlays on the standard ebony board, stainless steel medium jumbo frets, Wilkinson tremblo, standard Carvin coil tapped humbuckers, and a quilted maple top with clear gloss finish...more about that later.

On electric guitars, I play jazz and blues primarily using a Fender Deluxe, Peavey Delta Blues 210, or VOX AC30. I own (4) Les Pauls, (5) Parkers, PRS Custom 24, USA Fender Strat and Tele, Custom Jackson, Ibanez, Yamaha, etc. etc. etc. I chose the standard Carvin coil tapped humbuckers. There a number of pick-up models that are options for little or no money. Including harsher and muted pick-ups for metal etc, etc. The web site has charts showing the dynamic range of each pick-up option. Talk to a factory rep to make sure you get the pick-ups that suits your style of play. Mine sounds like nothing else I own. It's neither good nor bad.. its just a unique sound. The Carvin pick-ups are completely differet than anything else I own. They're clean and provide a lot of versstility with the coil tap. Not as Throaty and Dynamic as Les Paul or Seymour Duncan. Smooth with a good range, similar to a PRS... but not the same sound as anything else. The website has demos for you to listen to their versatility. Spend the time on the web-site and talking to their reps to ensure you order the right pick-ups for your stlye of playing.

All orders are custom made based on a list of options. The wood, construction, and set-up are first class as you would expect on a custom made guitar. Electronics are good, quiet when they're suppose to be quiet and set-up is low and wonderful straight from the shipping box. I ordered Pearl block inlays in the ebony fretboard with stainless steel medium jumbo frets, Wilkinson tremblo, and a quilted maple top with clear finish. It's a beautiful instrument, custom to my order, well made, sounds wonderful ... BUT THE WRONG COLOR. I wanted a clear, quilted maple top to match my PRS custom 24, Les Paul, and USA strat all in natural finishes (my favorite). I was excited to learn that I could get a custom order guitar that rivals a Les Paul limited edition / custom, or PRS Custom with "10 Top" for quite literally, thousands of dollars less than either model. While the order form says "clear deep gloss" finish, and the factory work order says "clear deep gloss" finish... I was instead sent my custom guitar with what I would characterize as their color option "vintage yellow" (think Les Paul trans amber, not clear natural, not even close to clear gloss on quilted maple... its yellow). My clear gloss finish is not even close to their color chart for clear gloss, or other "guitar gallery" photos on their website for "clear deep gloss". Yes, that's my biggest disappointment with my "custom order". Its not ugly, it's just not the finish I ordered. Other minor issue is oxidation on the Wilkinson tremblo intonation adjustments, that doesn't appear on any other of my (4) Wilkinson tremblos... but the oxidation is a minor issue (two years after manufacture) and I dont' hold that against Carvin. I can't explain the their "vintage yellow" color option being delivered as "clear gloss". They should have recognized this in the manufacturing process before shipping (it's not their first attempt at this "clear deep gloss finsh" based on photos on their website).

Guitar is well built. Construction quality is far above the price category. Have never had a problem with the electronics, (locking Sperzel) tuning, or maintaining set up even with the tremblo in use. Not as heavy as a Les Paul (thank goodness). Similar in weight and size to my USA PRS custom 24. I've owned it about two years with no problems. The gloss finish is very thick (appears to be more than three coats based on my wood working experience with maple). You can play Rock God with it without worry. I treat all my guitars as fine instuments. It's in the same category as any of the professional models in durability.

Good quality instrument in every way. Construction, fit and finish everything you would expect in a custom made guitar (.. other than my issue with being the wrong color...). I've had no problems with the construction, electronics, or other hardware since owning for about two years. I did call to discuss the color not being similar to their color charts, or being similar to there other guitars finished with "clear deep gloss", and did respond to their quality survey on delivery... and have heard absolutely nothing from them.... none of the "...return the product and we'll make it right..." nada... nothing. Put yourself in their position. It's a custom order, and they don't want it back. I choose not to pitch a fit... not my style. It's still a wonderful guitar, good electronics, well made, durable... just not the color I "custom ordered".

I've played off and on for more than 30 years, I have about 30 guitars, ....everything worth owning (4 Gibson Les Pauls, 5 Parkers, PRS custom 24, USA Strat, tele, Jackson custom... etc. acoustics, classicals etc. Fender Deluxe amp, Peavey Delta Blues 210, VOX AC30...), and a few not worth owning.... Carvin has several models that are interesting to me including a custom bass. Carvin's market is to provde a custom made professional quality guitar for less than a custom price. Wonderful body wood with beautiful maple top, wonderful ebony fretboard with stainless steel frets, great set-up straight out of the box, good electronics and unique voice closer to a USA PRS than a Gibson humbucker with coil tapping. Even being the wrong color, I would buy other... I'm sitting here thinking about doing that right now... In the hope of getting the color (natural) that I had actually ordered.... the only thing holding me back is poor experience I had with my "custom order" and what do I do with the "custom guitar delivered in the wrong color" that I already have?

It's Carvin so there's endless amount of features that you can get. I am using the green one I cant remember the specific name of the color. It has the abalone inlays on the fretboard which makes it look very nice. Has the stock C22 pickups.

Guitar sounds awesome. Especially for blues and jam band type music. It can also be used for heavy metal. I was using a Indyguitarist Plextortion and a BBE Sonic Stomp and this guitar sounded amazing. Put the pickup in the neck position and this thing just rips. Flip to the bridge and you have that beautiful warm tone.

Clean sound the guitar is nice as well. I'm sure it would sound nicer if it were in a better amp than my stock Fender HDR. But overall it is very nice for both Clean and Overdriven.

One thing I found with this guitar was that it tended to be very bassy. I had to turn the bass on my amp down to 2 to equalize it with everything else. But with the amp adjusted the guitar sounds great.

The guitar is built and shipped in excellent condition. I believe the body and neck is just one piece of wood so there is no bolt on neck. The action was great. I have lowered it slightly and this guitar is so easy to play. I am not exaggerating when I say that it is really almost effortless to play.

One thing that I would mention is that the pickup switch seems kind of cheap or maybe not well made. When in the middle position it is really loose and sometimes will cut the guitar out.

This guitar will easily withstand live playing. And besides the pickup switch the hardware seems fine. It is very dependable and I wouldn't have a problem using it without a backup.

Really this guitar is so easy to play and it sounds so good. When you think about it the price isn't really outrageous for what your are getting. I have gone to guitarcenter and played a Les Paul for the same price that made it seem like i was playing a squier after using the carvin.

Wow, these pickups have little character. I guess the Carvin "sound" is just "sound"

pretty much flawless except for some tooling marks on the neck. the maple top looks good up close but back up a few feet and it looks pretty weak and dull

action was okay. I've had better

fretwork was a B or B+at best
the fanboys at the carvin bbs go on and on about fretwork. they need to get out more because these frets don't compare to the really good stuff (Anderson, Grosh, Parker)

but good for the price.

Horrible. I waited 18 weeks for this guitar. I emailed a bunch of times after a few months and never got a response and called a couple of times and was blown off. Cust Sup is batting .300 (okay for MLB) but not so good for a MI firm.

Really pretty guitar but kinda sterile and no vibe at all. I waited a long time and only had 10 days to try it out. No time to drop in some new pups besides youd void the deal by messing with it.

I wanted to like this guitar, waited forever, but it has to go back because I can't afford the eBay hit [probably lose $800] when I realize it isn't going to work out.

Amazing! Triple stain black with a flaim top, back was clear coat with tung oil neck (speeds up the neck play) Stainless stell jumbo frets. Its a standard guitar how many ftrs can it have... well this one has all you need

I was playing on a Schecter and didnt think of going with anything else untill I got the Carvin cataloge and saw the CT6M with in dark red. I went to the store played on it and fell in love. two days later I got one... and by got one i mean i ordered it and 5 months later got it... the sounds is fantastic but with all instruments you need to get what feels right. even if its not a "the best guitar" per every one else. get what you like and you will love it.

the guitar has an awesome sound and a perfect weight to it. All my guitars have to sit perfectly or i wont buy it. this one does! action is floating just above the jumbo friets and my sweep picking is almost efertless.

still new only played at 1 show but so far so good. I dont think i will have any problems with it

... the guys at the Carvin store in Hollywood are fantastic (ask for Mosha) the communication between them and the factory HORRIBLE lost two orders of mine. after 3 months of waiting i found out the guitar had not started yet. Talk to Carvin of Hollywood they said they would put it on rush and i would have it in 2 weeks. well when all the dust had settled my voice recovered and i had my guitar it was nearing the end of 5 months from purchase date. Not happy at all about that. I did get them to put in a bunch of free stuff saved me around $500. almost made up for it. would have been fine if i didnt brake my spare guitar in a show while waiting for this guitar to be finished.

its all about how the guitar feels. read these reviews learn something but most importantly go to the store pick one up and play on it. You will know right away if its for you. Dont buy because of brand name buy because its the guitar that fits you. You will find horrible problems with a guitar you dont really wan and be able to write the most amazing music on a guitar you love to play.

Buy it because you want it. Ignore every one else.

This guitar is fantastic for me and my purposes as a traveling musician playing Hard Rock/Screemo/Metal

American made, Strat style, black burst/deep blue triple-step quilted maple on solid mohogany body, neck through design, M-Series Tune-o-matic bridge, Sperzel locking tuners, two Carvin Classic C22 Humbuckers - selectable with a three-way toggle switch, a single volume and single push-pull tone control that doubles as a coil split, string through-body construction, abalone inlay, black chrome hardware, black gloss finish back/sides/neck.

Very versitile guitar...the neck humbucker is great for jazz/blues. With the toggle switched to utilize both pickups it's great for classic rock (ala Tom Petty/Pink Floyd), and using the bridge humbucker your leads scream and rhythms are great for harder rock/metal. Little to no noise when plugged in...I use a Roland JC120 for blues/jazz...clean, bright sound...and a Line 6 Spider III 212 for the hard stuff...very crunchy and hot sound.

I cannot say how well it was set up from factory, since I purchased it used, however, the M-Series Tune-o-matic bridge makes the setup a breeze. I will say that when I bought the guitar, one of the ground wires was loose...a simple solder and it was good as new. The hardware is in mint condition and the pickup selector is quiet as can be when switching back and forth.

I love the knob setup and toggle placement...it allows me quick adjustments for leads, etc. The hardware seems solid...it is chromed black, but hasn't scratched, chipped or rusted yet. Strap buttons are solid. So far it's been very dependable (since I fixed the ground wire). I have used it on several gigs without a back-up.

I haven't had to get it repaired, but I also live in San Diego, near the Carvin factory, so I don't think I would have any problems if I had to deal with customer service folks...I could just drive it over to them.

I've been playing for 18 years. Other that my Carvin CT6M, I own a 1992 USA Fender Stratocaster, 1980's Ibanez Roadstar II, 1985 Charvel/Jackson Strat Style, 1983 Ovation Legend acoustic, 1978 Epiphone 12 string, 2005 Washburn D-10 acoustic (for beach & bonfires). If my Carvin CT6M was stolen I would go Ape-Shit...this is one beautiful guitar...it looks fantastic and I can use it for whatever style of music I am playing. Most of all, the price was amazing...I paid $1,300 (used) for a guitar that retails for $1,800 and I would have paid more! I'll put this guitar up against any Paul Reed Smith or Gibson out there, especially for the price. A comparable PRS or Gibson would cost at least $2,600.

2006 Carved Top model. Flamed maple top. Natural body binding. Black back & sides, Mahogany neck and body. Ebony fretboard with block inlays. Medium jumbo frets. 12-inch radius. Sperzel locking tuners. Tune-O-Matic bridge. C22B and M22N pickups. Gold hardware. Cherry burst finish.

Good guitar for Jazz, Blues and Gospel. With the pickup splitting push-pull tone pot, many great sounds can be dialed in...from warm block chords to smoking leads.

The setup was great, very low action & pickups were adjusted correctly. Not flaws noted.

Seems like a solidly built guitar that will stand up to day in day out playing. Seems dependable.

No support needed

40 years of playing and owning various Gibsons & Fenders, this is one of the best guitars I've owned. If it were stolen, I'd buy another. I chose the CT6 over the PRS CE22. The Carvin just felt and sounded better. Price never came into the equation & I would have easily paid $1000 more for it.