Carvin DC127C

2005-(Approx)
24 Frets
Neck Through Body
Maple Neck, Ebony Fretboard and Alder Sides
Blue Burst Finish
Floyd Rose Trem
2 Carvin Humbuckers w/coil splitters

A fantastic machine.

Sounds fantastic for just about anything I played a lot of metal when I first got it and it's great for that. Now I play a lot more rock/indie stuff. The humbuckers aren't noisy and they are well balanced. The coil splitters make for an awesome amount of variety.

I really don't enjoy the sound of any clean electric guitar excluding hollow bodies in a jazzy context. I much prefer acoustic if it's clean, but the middle/neck position in combination with the coil splitters makes for some good sounds.

I only take away a point b/c the pots got a bit noisy after a while.

This is an awesome looking guitar. The thing is beautiful, no visual or functional flaws IMO.

I made minor adjustments and lowered the bridge just a tad but it plays great. Bends awesome, low action with little buzz, etc. Good sized frets (med-jumbo i think, whatever comes standard).

I've had it for something like 4 years and have had no maintenance issues. The output jack has started to go but this is because I hit it with my leg all the time when I'm picking up the guitar.

I've played live with it a few times and barring normal string breakage I wouldn't be afraid to play it without a back up.

Awesome. Carvin's customer service rocks.

I think I've said it all.

You CAN get active pickups/a piezo system on this guitar, but I wouldn't want either.

I can't think of anything I would add or change.

Custom Built in 2001
2 Humbuckers - Carvin
Floyd Rose Tremola
Active Electronics
Ebony Fret Board
Tobacco Sunburst Quilt-top
Gold Hardware
Maple and Mahogony
US Made

I play hard rock - Purple, Zep, GNR, Sabath, etc. I play this through a Line 6 AX2 and a Marshall Half Stack. This guitar is awesome....in the same league as any Gibson and no match for Fender. It can, by a flick of a switch go from humbuckers to single coil. The fret board is the best I've seen and very fast. The action is awesome...the tone is rich and warm. the sustain is awesome. My favorite guitar and can produce sounds from twangy country to blues to high voltage metal.

This is what sets this baby apart from its peers. To get fit and finish like this you really have to spend in excess of $2000...almost double what I paid. My Tobacco Sunburst Quilt Top w/ Gold Hardware is not just stunning, it is a work of art! The fit and finish is first rate. The guitar is set up in the factory by a guitar tech who was informed of my desires and it was perfect.

No issues yet. I play this guitar a lot. I seem to be eating a lot of strings lately.

Very freindly over the phone. I actually visited factory and shop in California....they were very laid back...not real helpful but not rude either. Best way I could say is they could have cared less. When I informed the sales rep on duty that I factory ordered a custom guitar without ever playing a Carvin (on reputation) and wanted to try one out like it...he sort of grunted and pointed in the corner.

My custom guitar arrived on time as promised - that was great

I've been playing 8 years seriously but for over 20 in one way or another. Started with a Univox Hiflier ( first guitar when I was a teenager...I'm now 42), went to a Mex Fender Strat after not playing at all for 12 years in 1997, to a Epi les Paul (1998), to a Blackmore Strat (1998), to a Gibson les Paul (2000), this (2000)and finally a EVH Wolfgang (2004). The only guitars I got rid of are the univox (that was 20 years ago while in college - wish I did not) and the the epi...really had no role for me. It did nothing spectacular. It looked good and thatS it. My standard strat is entry leval and now my son's guitar. I've played lead guitar in a working band. Obviously my lower end guitars do not compare at all to this. This guitar is much more versatile and sounds a whole lot better than my Blackmore Strat (though it does have its place in my repotoire). It has a lot more range and sounds than my EVH - though EVH rules when I want to go over the top. The real tos up is this or my Gibson Les Paul Standard DC. I prefer the Carvin because it's range of sounds is incredible, the Floyd Rose Tremola and the playability is unmatched. The tone of the Gibson though is a tad better. It is a real close call. This Carvin is truly a custom guitar at a great price....though any guitar over $1100 is not exactly cheap is it?

This guitar was built around 94 and was purchased used in 2005 for $425 US w/ case. It is all maple neckthru with tung oil finish over the entire guitar. 24 fret ebony fretboard. All black hardware with a Kahler built Floyd Rose trem, graphite nut, Sperzel locking tuners and two M series Carvin humbuckers with coil splitters. I installed a tremsetter and this thing is unbelieveably stable. Very attractive in an understated way, like a butterscotch blonde tele. This thing looked like no one ever really played it. Light fretwear but virtually perfect for about half the price of a new one.

I bought this because I was looking for a stunt guitar and was actually checking out Carvins in their catalogue when I found it in a used guitar shop. Very clear sound, a little bright on the bridge but the tone knob actually works . Single coil settings buzz a little but hey. I was looking to use this as a whammy/wah noise generator but this is actualy a very lyrical guitar.
I play through a Dunlop Classic Wah - Boss OD20 Distortion Modeler - Mesa Rectoverb head - Westbury P7 phaser - Boss BF2 Flanger - Boss CH1 Chorus - Boss DD20 Delay Modeler into a Mesa 3/4 back 1x12 w/ Celestion Black Shadow.
This guitar really makes you want to play. I mainly play rock in a Pixies, QOTSA type style. Experimental and noisy sometimes but pretty straight forward but it's good for jazz, blues, metal, psycho feedback windwarp whatever. Responds well to pick attack and works well with every setting I can come up with between the Mesa and the Boss distortiin modeler and that's quite a few. Get a nice clean setting add some chorus and select both single coils and you can get a very good acoustic sound. Dial up the recto and the Carvin can really scream. Harmonics scream off htis thing. I can massage a note with the wah and the whammy bar forever.Chords bristle but cut through clearly. Great for open power chords ala AC/DC.

I bought this used but all I did was adjust the neck a little and it plays beautifully. Very fast, smooth bends, super comfy neck. Thin but not too thin and very sleek with the tung oil finish.
The construction on this thing amazing. Perfect frets. Perfect routing. Everything looks virtually airtight.
Construction is all maple and the color match is nearly identical. You can barely see where the wings are joined on. The Kahler built Floyd is a beauty. The pots were a little scratchy but I hit em with some contact cleaner and they're fine now.

I can't imagine this thing not working. Everything seems really tight. The finish is all tung oil so it should be easy to care for forever. Very dependable and could definitatly be an only guitar onstage or off. Built like a baseball bat. In a barfight, this is the one I'm grabbin" so look out!

Never dealt with them. Used the web site to research what year the guitar was built. I was able to narrow it down to 93 -94. Useful.

I've been playing for about 7 years. I also own a Yamaha SBG700S all mahagony, set neck , made in Japan in 2000, very nice guitar.
I would replace the Carvin if lost or stolen and I honestly wouldn't mind having another one. The Yamaha is ferocious through the Mesa, very hairy and loud as hell. The Carvin just has a little more definition. The last band I played with kept telling me to play the Carvin because the Yamaha was too loud. The Carvin sounded so good I didn,t mind. This is a straight ahead rock guitar but it can be used to create a variety of tones. Chuck Berry to Dimebag. Really. I highly recommmend you check one out. Worth the money new but look for a quality used one. Mine was a steal compared to what you can buy new for $425. I'm giving a 10 in this catagory based on it's value as a used guitar. One of the best deals you can buy.

Ok, If I was going to pay money for a custom guitar I was going to get the works. I got antique brown finish on flame (which looks fantastic but not exactly what I expected). 24 Stainless steel frets, abalone inlays (ebony fingerboard). Back of the neck is tung oil finish (awesome and highly recommended). Reverse headstock with Sperzel Locking tuners. Chrome hardware and straplocks. Floyd Rose Tremolo (best one I Have ever played). And I got my name on the truss rod cover. Allen Holdsworth pickups (creme bezel, creme/black pickup) with coil taps(comes standard).

Amazing! This guitar is way more versitle than you would expect. I can get just about any sound I want. I play heavy rock, rock, blues and clean stuff. It is great for all of it. The humbuckers sound great (better than any other gibson or humbucking guitar I have ever played). I occasionally like that single coil out of phase sound. I can get it with this guitar (and it gives it a character of its own). All i have to do is coil tap both pickups and use both of them. Notes come out clear and responsive. Bridge pickup is tight and crisp and smack you right in the face. The neckpickup is warm and rounded great for melodic leads, clean sounds, chords. Coil taps perfect for blues or twangy stuff. Fantastic guitar. I an not sure how it would sound for nu metal, but they use so much distortion that tone really doesn't matter,does it? For regular metal I think it works great. Buy one! Oh by the way, my current set up is Carvin-Boss V-Wah-MXR phase 90-Crate VFX 5212

Factory set up was stunning. However the strings were a little difficult to bend (probably because of the floyd) but it just took some getting used to. Playablity is awesome. Tung oil neck and set up felt like I was playing air (good thing). Very fast feel. I played around with the pole pieces but I have not had to do anything else. Finish was very cool but I can't really judge that. I dont know enough about it. It came with Elixer strings, which i do not like for electric guitars but they were ok. I use DR strings now and they are awesome and dont break!

In about two weeks of playing, I broke 3 strings. But i think that is was because it was shipped during winter. I put a set of DR strings on it and i havent broke a string yet. The tuners and floyd rose are just awesome. I thought they would be a Pain in the a$$ but I want them on all my guitars. When i broke a string, the others stayed in tune! and I can change a string super fast. When i put it in tune and lock it, It does not go out of tune. and i take it back and forth from school everyday. When i string it I leave the ball end at the headstock and leave alot of extra string. I do this because, stings usually the string broke at the bridge, so I can just pull more string thru and lock it back in. Straplocks are solid. I dont thing i would ever gig with only one guitar, but i do depend on it.

Before i order the Carvin, i called and asked questions and they anwsered all of them. When i ordered it was fast and easy (i did over the phone, but i looked at the features online). The only problem i had was: i was supposed to get a call when it was to be shipped and didnt so i give them and 8

I am 18 and have been playing for 4 years. I have a gibson Sg gothic with a gibson 57 plus in the bridge and a dimarzio paf joe in the neck, a G&L legacy, Garrison acoustic and an Ovation 12 string. If there was a fire and i had to grab one item, it would be my Carvin. I think i am a Carvin man now. If it were lost or stolen, i would hope that Snagg would trak it with its built in chip for tracking, if not i would need to get a job. Fantastic guitar. I think every guitar player should get a Carvin.

Made in California in 02/2005
24 fret Maple neck through Alder body.
one volume, one tone knob. Pickup switch and 2 single/double coil switches for the two humbuckers.
One M22V in neck. M22SD in bridge position.
Classic White paint including headstock. Black chrome hardware.
Original Floyd Rose with Sperzel locking tuners.
Med-Jumbo Jescar polished frets. 25" scale 15" radius.

This is my second Carvin DC127C. Carvin is the ONLY guitar brand I play. It is the best sounding and feeling guitar I have ever played. I play metal and the M22SD bridge pickup is perfect.
This guitar has a slightly brighter sound than my first DC127C.(It is solid mahogany though.)
I have no dislikes whatsoever.
Presently Carvin is building me a DC125C due to be completed 4/22/05.

Set-up was fantastic!! Perfect intonation and tuning right out of the box. Only adjustments I made was raising the M22SD pickup poles.
This is really a beautiful guitar. No flaws or blemishes. Perfect finish. The Black chrome hardware really stands out with the Classic White paint.

I have had my first DC127C since 1995 and it has been my main recording guitar for the past ten years. It still plays like brand new. I'm sure this second DC127C will hold up just like the first.
I have been slam jammin since I recieved it 2 weeks ago and have not touched a fine tuner yet. I will not have to worry about a backup.
If I do I have another DC127C and a DC125C.

Best customer service ever. Very friendly sales and service departments.
I won't need any repairs.
5 year warranty with ten day free trial as well.

I've been playing guitar for over 30 years.
I do have Fender 6 and 12 string acoustic's and Epiphone and Hondo custom 4 string basses. But I only play Carvin electric guitars.
If it is lost or stolen it does have a snagg chip installed.
And obviously I would buy another. I am waiting on a new DC125C now!
I absolutely love everything about Carvin. Especially the feel of the neck and the sound of the M22SD pickup. It is absolutely the best!
Show me another guitar that plays and sounds this great for under a $1000.00

All-black options (Jet Black-finished alder body, Black Chrome Plated hardware, and standard black H/H C22 pickup configuration), with standard 25"-scale 24-fret neck (neck through body as standard) with tung-oil finish, ebony fingerboard with abalone dot inlays, standard electronics (master volume and tone controls, 3-way pickup selector switch and coil-split switches for each C22 humbucker), locking Sperzel tuners, licensed Floyd Rose tremolo. . . . This is an elegantly understated, yet sinister-looking guitar --- the ninja / dark assassin of DC127's! As with all Carvin electric guitars at this time, this DC127 is U.S.A.-made from Carvin's San Diego, CA headquarters. Came with ABS-plastic hardshell case. Refer to the Carvin's website (www.carvin.com) for more information about these options. This guitar would cost approximately $900 (with case, minus shipping) newly built from Carvin. . . . If I compare the features available on this guitar against my pie-in-the-sky idea of what would be a perfect guitar, it would rate an 8.5 (though it might creep past 9 if the optional pickup phase switch was on this DC127, and the pickups had separate tone and volume controls a la Les Pauls, for more versatility). But compared to the stock features of just about any other production guitar --- especially factoring in price --- the DC127 rates well above a 10. If you want a sobering experience, visit Carvin's and Charvel's respective websites, and compare the prices for comparable features and the total number of features available. Don't bother even trying this with any of the major quality brands or the other boutique makers. You'll realize that Carvin is truly a hidden diamond in the music industry. . . . I like the fact that Carvin hasn't become a commodity, and that they have an air of exclusiveness since they're not hanging in every music-store window like other brands. Yet, anyone with a credit card and a phone line can get one. So the lack of name-brand familiarity and industry-icon pedigree, as well as the fact that most buyers' dealings will be remote vs. local, hurts Carvin resale values. Point taken. Approach a DC127 objectively and open-mindedly as I describe below, and you'll be hard-pressed to consider parting with a DC127. It may not be your exclusive guitar --- all guitars, even cheap ones, have unique character that can't be exactly duplicated --- but you'll value it nonetheless.

I'd describe my preferred playing style as heavy-groove blues-based rock --- the kind of stuff that starts out vamping with muted chords and pieces of arpeggios played clean or with moderate overdrive --- drums laying down heavy backbeat with funk-inspired syncopated kick patterns (somewhere between Ohio Players and mid-'90s Red Hot Chili Peppers) --- swelling into screaming double-stops, chords and riffs with full overdrive, chorus, wah and/or flange. So I'm not a pure metalhead; but I like melodic crunch at significant volume, and as alluded to earlier enjoy morphing the guitar sound from one extreme to the other during the course of a song. . . . To that end, I wanted a rig that had maximum tonal flexibility, plenty of power headroom, and modularity; so I built a custom "head" consisting of a Line 6 Pod Pro rack unit and Carvin DCM150 (75 watts per channel feeding 4-ohm loads) power amp along with an ART power conditioner in a 4-space shallow SKB rack case, feeding a Carvin 412B/T stereo-cabinet stack. Carvin amps and speakers are top-quality products as well, but those items may get their own reviews on this site at later dates. This rig is more than plenty to judge the sound of a guitar in a reference / studio environment or at live ear-bleeding volume! . . . It's interesting that Harmony-Central reviewers are all over the charts in their opinions of Carvin's pickups --- namely the C22's. After all, it's music we play, and it makes sense that evaluating the "sound" of a guitar (or any instrument / component) is going to be the most subjective of the rating categories. First impression when playing my DC127 was that the output was SUPER CLEAN --- with or without the humbuckers operating as single coils. Try finding a fully shielded electronics cavity with machine screws matched to metal inserts meticulously set into the body offered in the entry- to mid-level offerings of other companies for under $1,000 (more comments on craftsmanship under Action, Fit & Finish). I own a Les Paul as well as an American-made Stratocaster, so I've got quality guitars against which to evaluate the DC127. The Strat, which I'd say overall the DC127 closer resembles in shape, playing feel and sound, is what I'll use for my comparisons. The Strat is a U.S.A.-made HSS with S1 switching, so quite a nice entry from Fender. Compared to my DC127, this Strat has, to my ears, a more full, robust sound played clean or with the same distortion settings. Hey, the sound of a U.S. Strat is a classic, and a high bar for ANY guitar to reach --- one which many makers try to emulate. (I'd be interested to hear what someone has to say who can compare a dual-humbucker neck-through-body Charvel against a DC127.) The DC127 sounds more compressed and somewhat "thinner" when evaluated side-by-side with the Strat, but noticeably cleaner and offering more sustain as the 4x12's (or headphones) crank up in volume. So while I'd say the Strat has more (of it's famed) character out of the box, the overall quality and crispness of the DC127's sound makes it a joy to mold into your OWN, SIGNATURE guitar sound! If you throw out expectations of hearing someone else's or another guitar's great sound out of the box, and think of a DC127 as a tool with which to create something OF EQUAL OR BETTER VALUE UNIQUE TO YOU, then this is your guitar. With the POD Pro onboard, I'm still in bliss letting the DC127 be a sonic chameleon! If versatility and pure quality is something you like in a guitar sound --- vs. trying to emulate Hendrix, Clapton, et al for the Strat set; and Page, Perry, et al for the Les Paul set --- then pick up a DC127 and good-quality amp + effects and explore the endless possibilities!

Since I bought the DC127 used, I can't comment on the factory set-up. The previous (first) owner had the guitar professionally set up prior to shipping it to me, and what I received was a guitar with EXTREMELY LOW, BUTTERY SMOOTH ACTION and NO FRET BUZZ at any point along the neck. In contrast, my Strat was factory set up and has a few areas as you creep up the neck where I get minor buzz. . . . The DC127s neck feels solid but not heavy, and if you haven't played a neck-through-body guitar like this, you owe yourself a treat. There's something different about quick runs, hammering, vibrato, bends --- as delicious as these feel and sound when executed on a Strat or Les Paul, they are almost effortless and even more defined when played on a DC127. Interestingly, I agree with other reviewers that the neck feels almost custom-made for my hand, though Carvin doesn't offer different neck widths and fretboard radii for the DC127. The tung-oil finish should allow for an 11 rating in this category. . . . I don't own a Paul Reed Smith, but have had the opportunity to see and experience many at the local Guitar Center. Both makers pride themselves on craftsmanship, consistency of tolerances, and use of the best-quality materials. Many reviewers put Carvin in PRS' company when it comes to this category, and I agree. It's a toss-up in terms of craftsmanship when comparing these brands. But if you factor in the near-endless customization available from Carvin, and the difference in price between PRS and Carvin, there's no comparison --- Carvin wins in a landslide! I think that top to bottom PRS's have a more distinctive look and aesthetic character --- whereas Carvin admittedly has taken proven Fender and Gibson designs and re-invented them. But the Carvin DC line has a lean, sportiness to it that's truly apart from Strats and feels comfortable in its own skin. All that aside, when you close your eyes and pick up a DC127, you can simply FEEL the quality --- the instrument feels resonant at rest! Ditto for a U.S.A.-made PRS (but at twice or thrice the cost of a DC127). I didn't comment on the DC127's sound vs. that of a PRS because I haven't heard a PRS played under the same conditions as I described in the Sound portion of this review. . . . I can't vouch for the durability of Carvin finishes topped off by clear-coat (see other reviewer' fears that Carvin finishes are thin compared to those on Strats, etc.), but I can tell you that the Jet Black is extremely tough and long-lasting (see Reliability/Durability section). In any case, if you have the opportunity to walk into one of Carvin's Southern California retail stores, you'll see that the finishes, which look gorgeous online and in the printed catalog, look like fine art in person! . . . I described the neck as solid but not heavy, and that applies to the entire guitar. It balances well when worn with a strap; and unlike a Les Paul, you don't feel the weight of the guitar after a long playing session.

The seller forwarned that this DC127 is not mint, but despite being heavily played has few cosmetic and no functional issues. He was right. Other than a few very small surface dings (similar to some "new" guitars that have been at the mercy of Guitar Center's looky-loo's) and some pick marks/swirls that can't be seen unless you're within one to two feet and angle the guitar so that the light accentuates them, the guitar's finish polished up as good as new! Up close, you can see that a small amount of the Black Chrome finish has worn off of the Floyd Rose's fine-tuning screw heads, but these parts could be re-powder-coated. This betrays the amount of use that this guitar received in the past. Yet there's no accompanying noticeable fret or neck wear, dings other than the two or three incidental ones mentioned above, scratchniess or noise from the electronics or jack, looseness in the tuners, etc. Remember that this guitar is all black (except for the Carvin headstock logo, and the back of the neck), so imperfections and wear can't hide. It FEELS and slmost looks brand new! The pick-marking I mentioned above is extensive, but is so shallow that I could use jeweler's polishing compound to remove most or all of it. . . . The pickup switches seem a bit spindly at first glance, but once you use them, you can tell that they're well-made.

Since I live in the L.A. area, I've experienced Carvin customer service both remotely by phone and in-store. Both have been excellent. Any savvy consumer should build a relationship with one or maybe two reps with whom they have good rapport, and after doing so with the San Diego customer support team and the local store, I haven't been disappointed. I've bought a new made-to-order DC135 that I ordered by phone, and the aforementioned DCM150 amp from one of the retail stores --- as well as asked questions pertaining to the DC127 which they have less vested interest in helping me with since I didn't buy it new --- and have received very thoughtful, professional and frank advice (the phone rep I deal with talked me out of adding more-expensive components that he felt would lessen or add no value to the quality of the DC135 I ordered). For the DC135, I wanted a custom TRIPLE-COLOR-BURST finish over quilted maple top that Carvin doesn't offer among its options. It took a few days for the sales rep to confirm whether or not the paint shop could accommodate this, but he believed enough in what I wanted that he took the time to work out the logistics and process. This guitar arrives later this month (March 2005), and I'm constantly salivating anticipating its arrival! . . . Remember that while Carvin is a boutique compared to Fender or Gibson, they do turn out several hundred a month using semi-automated processes (with exceptionally tight quality management nonetheless) --- so the consumer benefits from the cost savings found in mass production and Carvin's direct-sale approach while receiving a product that is still largely worked by skilled hands (the custom paint job mentioned above is hand sprayed). . . . Give 'em a 15 alone for how they've handled the DC135 order, but since I'm yet to deal with Carvin when something goes wrong (though the stuff I've bought from them [the 4x12 cabinets were also plucked from eBay for less than $400 FOR THE PAIR --- running Celestions just like Marshall stacks costing a heckuva lot more), I'll relegate customer support to a 10.

I've gone to great lengths to detail my experiences with and impressions of the DC127, so not much more to say except that in summary I recommend the DC127 over any other passive-electronics solid-body six-string available (I may change my mind once I receive the DC135, but that remains to be seen) --- at any price. . . . I have a good friend who is a Strat fanatic, who has also owned Les Pauls and also plays Ovations. This guy knows and appreciates quality when it comes to guitars. He hadn't heard of Carvin, however, and I handed the DC127 with no fanfare to get his raw, first-timer's opinion. I simply asked him, "how much do you think this guitar costs?" He worked the fretboard, scanned the finish, held it for a few more seconds, then said, "$2,000, maybe more." Not bad for a second-hand axe, eh?

Made in USA, January 2005. Ordered directly from Carvin.
24 frets
Flamed maple top
1 volume, 1 tone, 3-way toggle switch, two mini toggle switches for coil splits.
2 passive Carvin Humbuckers, C22N in neck and M22SD in bridge
Maple neck, mahogony body, flamed maple top
Black stain on flame maple finish with matching headstock
Original Floyd Rose with lockin nuts
Sperzel locking tuners
25" neck scale, neck thru
Abalone dot inlays
Ebony fretboard
Black chrome plated hardware
Vintage tweed case


Chose not to have to many features because of my budget and because i've never dealt with carvin before. Would probably want to get other features like piezo's or neck laminates when i order another one (which i'm sure i will at one point or another)

I play death/doom/black metal. I study at Berklee College of Music so i cover other styles such as jazz, blues etc. Very versatile sounding guitar. Coil splits almost make it sound like a strat and the bridge pickup has a high ouput and is crunchy as hell with distortion.
Run it through either a line 6 spider II. Sounds amazing. Very lush, glassy clean tones, as well as tight, crunchy metal rhythm and lead tones. Perfect for all kinds of metal as well as progressive/fusion shred shit. It could probably pull off a lot of other styles as well.
Couldn't be happier with the sound of guitar/pickups. Thought that i would have to replace them with dimarzios but they sound great.

Everything about this guitar is perfect. Very well constructed, beautiful neck joint, excellent finish and high quality looking flame.
Action, intonation, truss rod was perfectly set up. In fact, nothing on this guitar needed to be changed or setup in anyway once i got it.

Only had it for a week. Feels solid as hell though, doubt i'll have any problems with it.

Ordered the guitar over the phone after checking out prices and features on the website. Customer service was helpful and friendly. No complaints.
I was originally told that it would take about 6-8 weeks for the guitar to be built but in fact it was 5 weeks from when i ordered the guitar till when it arrived. Excellent.
Came with 5 year warranty and money refund etc. Feels safe to buy from them.

Been playing guitar for almost 5 years, played bass for several years before that. I study music at college now so i'll definitely be playing music for my whole life.
I own two other guitars. Both japanes made Ibanez RG's. One is a bolt-on and the other is a neck through prestige. I love both guitars to death and i never thought i'd find anything i liked better than the Japanese RG's.
I did a fair amount of research before i bought the guitar and was sure that i wouldn't regret it from the moment i ordered it. There are a few tiny things that i would change though: The headstock design, i would make it a little bigger and sharper; i'd change the 25" neck scale to 25.5" just because the RG's are like that and that's what i'm used to; i'd also change the 3-way toggle switch to a 3-way blade selector, but that may change once i get used to it.
This is probably one of the best guitars i've played, although it is nowhere near the most expensive. This guitar looks/feels/sounds just as good as any of the best guitars i've played.
I do wish that i added more features. If i had put some piezo's on it, there would be very little this guitar couldn't do. My next guitar is probably going to be a Carvin 7-string

I ordered this axe because I wanted a US made custom guitar, but I didn't want to pay the BIG BUX. I had heard that Carvins were the best value for US made custom guitars, so I decided to order one, even though I couldn't play it before buying.

I ordered it with pretty much all the options (Blue quilt top, abalone inlays, tung oiled neck, active electronics, original Floyd Rose, etc). When I got it, I was very impressed when opening the case. If I was putting it on display on my wall and never playing it, it would rate a "10".

I was uninpressed with the sound of the active electronics. I was expecting something like the sound of EMG 81's, but was only treated to noise. When I switched to passive mode, I got a more useable sound, but not even close to my axes with Duncan JB's. If you get this guitar and want to play hard rock/metal, get the stock pickups and change them to some real ones ASAP. Don't spend the money on the active electronics. All you'll get is noise and some fancy switches.

This is where I get off. The action is really good, and I love ebony fretboards, but the high and low E strings are much too close to the edge of the fretboard. I don't know if the non-trem models are like that, but it was bad enough to make me send this axe back. I really wanted to love this axe, but this was too much for me to handle, considering that there are some killer imports out there with REAL EMG's and bound fretboards. Of course, you don't have the amount of options you do with Carvin (Tung oiled neck!), but in reality, all that matters is how the damn thing PLAYS. I had a B.C Rich neck-thru Mockingbird, and it had the same problem. I traded it for a Schecter Avenger Elite. If you don't mind the string spacing problem, this is a phenomenal piece of wood. I never have a problem replacing pickups and shit, but I won't tolerate things I can't fix.

I can't even comment on the reliability thing. I kept this guitar for only about a week before I sent it back.

Carvin was good at their word about refunding my money. I had absolutely no problems.

I've been playing for over 25 years, and I still have every guitar I've ever bought, with the exception of this one. I really do consider Carvin to be a top notch manufacturer, as long as you don't get a Floyd Rose model. If you don't use a trem much, you should check them out. If you ARE a shredder and know how to use a Floyd, get a Jackson or ESP.

Can't remember when I got my DC127C.. '91 or '92, I suppose. I was really worried about buying factory direct, but when it finally showed up I was overjoyed. Pretty much standard build.. 24 fret, neck-thru, ebony fingerboard, poplar sides, Carvin pickups and tremolo, Sperzels, non-locking nut (my preference), blue, Dunlop Strap-Loks, etc. I played many top line, much more expensive guitars and seriously liked the feel of the Carvin guitars better at the time.. and still do. However, I recently picked up a Parker Fly Deluxe, which has the most incredible feel - like a tailored fit. But I'm keep the Carvin for many reasons. The only feature I would've liked is a toggle to switch the volume completely.

My playing is pretty much bi-polar, like my moods. It's either hyperspeed prog/technical metal, or ultra mellow jazzy blues. I've played through Peaveys, Mesa Boogie Triaxis & Mark IV and soon to have Bogner Uberschall. Even with the factory pickups, the tone is rich, somewhat dark and heavy. The stock pickups are surprisingly quiet even when I play on some of the trashy amps that my friends own. The output is high enough for the metal that I like to play and cleans have a very soothing warmth. I'm still impressed considering I paid <$700 for this new. I've received lots of positive comments regarding the sound and feel of this guitar.

Straight out of the case from the factory this thing was in tune with unbelievably low action. Pickups were adjusted, tremolo was just right.. I was very impressed that it arrived exactly the way I would have set it up.

This particular guitar smacks of top-notch quality. I've played it almost everyday for about 10 years. Played in a few bands, but mostly just in my house or garage. It's suffered countless drunken falls, a near fatal overnight in a super humid garage: came out in the morning and the neck was so warped, dead frets and string buzz, I freaked out... but amazingly within a week the neck returned to normal and to this day there's absolutely no dead spots or buzz. The pots, even the volume, STILL feel like new after all those years of spinning up and down. The paintjob is very tough. Only a few tiny knicks, still looks great when polished up. I could absolutely depend on this thing.

Sorry Carvin.. I love this guitar, but I've called a half dozen times or so and the personality of Customer Support was robotic and bordered on rude. Maybe it was a coincidence that I caught everyone in a bad mood. I'm pretty easy-going and friendly on the phone and I just got the distinct impression that they could really care less. Hopefully others have had better luck talking to their staff. When I got my Parker, the guys in the custom shop were exceptionally friendly, talkative and helpful.

I've been playing about 12 years. This guitar brought me through the earliest stages of my playing and continues to be a rock solid part of my collection. If it were lost, I would not replace it. There's a great deal of sentimental value to this particular axe, but the Parker Fly is now my guitar of choice.

Bought and paid for in 2002 - Carvin DC127C. Equipped with:

Maple Neck with Alder Body

2 Allan Holdsworth signature pickups: They've got a rich, fat tone. For someone who's into the chicken-pickin' country style, they'd drive you batty, but if you're into a thick, rich tone for rock or jazz, they're beautiful. Additionally, they've got 22 pole pieces on each pickup (11 x 2). There's one under each string, and one in each gap between the strings. Each piece is individually adjustable, and it allows you to custom-tailor the tone you get out of each string. Also, it retains much more volume during string bends because there is less "gap" between the pole pieces.

Floyd Rose tremolo: the usual Floyd Rose. Carvin makes you pay extra for the locking nut, though.

tung-oil finish on the back of the neck: do this if you buy a Carvin neck-through guitar! If you don't, they'll finish the back of the neck the same way as the body. The tung oil finish is much smoother for travelling up and down the fretboard quickly.

Sperzel locking tuners: I don't remember for certain, but i think it cost extra to NOT have these on the guitar. I would've preferred non-sperzel tuners, because if i break a string at the bridge, i can unwind a bit more string and re-clamp the string. However, the sperzels make re-stringing much, MUCH faster.

24 fret fingerboard: action is smooth and even across all the frets. I noticed that the nut is a bit higher than most stock guitars, but i favor that. you may have to adjust things a bit to your liking, but i didn't. Intonation was almost perfect, but i fixed it on the first string change.

painted body and headstock - the finish is impeccable. My only complaint is where they made the joint between the tung oil finish on the neck and the paint on the body - it could've covered more of the neck.

neck-through-the-body: if you use the higher frets and have never played a guitar like this, you'll fall in love. Plus, even with the Floyd Rose, it's got unbeliavable sustain.

Electronics: passive electronics. the output jack is secure; i've never had to tuck my cord behind my strap. the pots are linear, rather than audio taper, so you get a lot of volume at the beginning - takes some getting used to.

Overall, this guitar is about 10% off from my dream guitar, and i paid less than $1000, including case.

I'm through-and-through a rock guitarist. I love having a Floyd Rose tremolo, but I found that most guitars that were equipped with it were lacking in the tone department. Not so with this guitar. It's got beautiful sustain, thick, rich, controllable tone, and can cut through a band when it needs to.

Like I said before, you're going to be disappointed if you like a chicken-pickin' sound; that is, a very trebly sound with little bass. I've tweaked out the position of the pole pieces on the pickups quite a bit, and i recommend doing the same if you get these pickups. By doing that, I've altered the out-of-the-box tone quite a bit, and really milked some beautiful tone out of it.

So far, I've been using a Johnson modelling amp most of the time, however, i put my Morley wah in front of it. I've been using a clean sound with a bit of chorus, and WOW! This is the most wonderful sound you've ever heard. The sustain, harmonic overtones, everything, it's all there. I also use a quasi-Marshall stack distortion sound, and it's got all you'd want in the beef department, plus enough bite to really be heard in a band. I also use a heavily compressed, high-gain Satriani-ish sound, and can't really complain about that either. It feeds back a bit too much on the low tones, but I tweaked most of that out by adjusting the pole pieces.

Everything was high-quality. However, the 3-way selector switch was a bit clicky.

So far, i've had no trouble with it. However, because of the sperzel tuners combined with the Floyd Rose, i've got to have a backup because fixing a string break always means putting a new string on.

Haven't needed repairs yet, i'll submit another review if i do.

If you order a carvin guitar, DO NOT ORDER ONLINE! Call the 800 number, and talk to a technician. They'll guide you through the entire process, and warn you about something if you pick an option that might be less-than-wise.

I got a bit of a run-around on shipping: I made the final payment by credit card on the tuesday before thanksgiving, and they told me it might not ship that day, that it might ship out the following day - they still had to do final setup before shipping. I had them overnight it. As of Friday, the Carvin rep could not even tell me if the guitar had been shipped. (by the way, if you call Carvin, they almost always refer you to the salesperson that you spoke with when making the order - both good and bad) They couldn't even tell me if the guitar had been shipped until the following wednesday - over 1 week later. I finally got the guitar the following thursday, via 2-day shipping - 9 days after i paid for it. I let Carvin know i was displeased with the service, and they offered me a $50 in-store-credit. This really left me with a bad taste in my mouth, but I've heard from friends that this type of thing is uncommon.

I've been playing guitar for 7 years, and I don't think I've ever held a guitar that suited me better than this one. I must re-iterate - do not order Carvin guitars online! Always get a rep on the phone. I would have never known that the locking nut didn't come standard with a floyd rose guitar unless I did.

I recommend to anyone who can't find a stock guitar that they just love - Carvin makes semi-custom guitars cheaper than any manufacturer that i've heard of.