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.

This guitar was made for me in USA between March and April 2002.
It is a 24 fret solid-body electric. I customised it with several options, so I'll do my best to discuss each in turn.
My guitar has 1 tone, 1 volume, 1 three-way selector, 2 coil taps, and 1 phase switch. The phase switch does not operate properly, when it is flipped down any position except the neck humbucker is silent. I assume this means that a solitary connection for the out-of-phase selection became loose in shipping (hey, it came all the way up to Canada!). It's a 7.50 option so I'm not going to send it back or anything gay like that. It lets you do cool toggle switch tremolo!
There are two Carvin Holdsworth H22 pickups. I had originally intended to order M22 pickups because I play a lot of metal, but I said the wrong option numbers when I ordered it. They are very good pickups... the straight 10's reviews in the pickup section do them justice! I'm quite glad that I made that fortunate mistake!
My guitar has an alder neck and an alder body. The fingerboard is ebony, with mother of pearl inlays. The finish is Classic White, a very awesome creamy color with just a shade of green. A lot like a Malmsteen Strat. My guitar has a painted back of neck, as opposed to tung oiled which is an option... And it's VERY comfortable.
The body style is of course a double cutaway, RG shape guitar, but the edges of the body are sculpted (and masterfully so!).
My bridge is an original Floyd Rose. Ten successive dive bombs cannot throw it out of tune... not joking!
Sperzel locking tuners are standard on all Carvins except the Bolt.
I got gold hardware. It's quite attractive.
I also got Mother of Pearl block inlays. They are very highly figured and frankly awesome... I must have spent 30 minutes just looking at them yesterday. The entire guitar is beautiful... The inlays build on it.
The neck is relatively round as compared to other shred necks, but still thin. The rounded profile of the back almost gives you the illusion that the extreme middle of the back is flat... This neck is extremely comfortable and I would recommend it to anyone looking to make their own guitar, you can get one from the Carvin catalogue. The fingerboard itself is quite flat, 15" radius, and the scale length is 25.0" as opposed to the common 25.5". That provides a bit more facility for bending strings and vibrato, an excellent idea!
Straplocks... Tres cool and I would highly recommend them.

I give it ten because you can order anything you want (anything reasonable... no LED inlays or dragons!) for a sweet price.

It sounds perfect. Honestly. I'll go through every pickup choice and describe its advantages. The single coils are one coil of the correct humbucker, the coil tap switches are standard.

In general, the guitar is very responsive to the volume control, which has a very smooth and linear taper. The tone control has a markedly different effect on each pickup selection... On some, it reduces the high band to almost nothing. On others, it warms up the tone, such as the front humbucker. On others, it has no effect on presence but a vast effect on the character of the selection.

Front humbucker: It is excellent for any and all distorted passages! Frankly I don't see how this pickup cannot be found suitable for metal. This humbucker crunches, and when you turn up the gain to obscene levels on your amp (I use a Peavey Prowler 2x6L6 1x12" beast with an active EQ +12dB that provides massive gain) the notes achieve a smooth, buttery quality similar to that of a certain DiMarzio Evolution used by Steve Vai. Of course this position is not suitable for clean. But it sounds very colorful and has absolutely limitless reams of thick, round tone... Which can be easily sharpened by EQ!

Front single coil: Absolutely incredible. It chops every Strat I've ever heard into pieces in two areas. A: The tone is amazing. Just like the humbucker, it's very colorful and round. B: It sounds like a true single coil. It carries a very sharp edge and has a distinct, almost wah-pedal like vowelly character when the string is picked. Think of the SC tone in "The Ocean" (Led Zep) and you won't be far off! Very fun for flamenco and other world styles when used clean.

I have not really explored the middle positions very much. The neck humbucker used in conjunction with the front single coil has a very sweet-sounding clean tone, and also sounds almost like a Strat and a JEM doubling a part exactly when used under distortion. The humbuckers together have boundless gain. The front humbucker and neck single coil used together are very powerful and colorful. The single coils used together have an absolutely incredible acoustic emulation... The front coil is defined with lots of attack and the back coil sustains forever with a warm tone.

Neck humbucker: Very full and warm tone. It is not at all muddy, and has a particularily unique singing tone. You don't even have to carefully EQ it like many other neck humbuckers. Brilliant.

Neck single coil: As good as the front single coil, but with less attack and more warmth! One quality I have noticed is that it works excellently as a rhythm pickup to the front single coil's lead... Wow. The single coil settings on this guitar are as flexible and responsive as any Telecaster. Absolutely awesome.

Overall, the guitar is not at all noisy. I again use it with a Peavey Prowler tube amp. I have no effects. The sound is very rich, but quite defined... I would describe it as being quite similar to that of a JEM under heavy gain and high treble, and very similar to that of a JS1000 with gain and treble slightly backed off. As you may have seen above it is very versatile. The single coil settings (taps) of course have some hum, but it is quite reasonable.

There is no part of the tone I dislike. Some of the middle selections are not immediately as good-sounding... You have to play around with the knobs and have your amp EQ'd right to really draw out their nuances. I am quite glad that I picked the alder neck (option) and body and the painted neck (standard), they contribute to an awesome tone.

Sustain... I could hear the low E for 20 seconds on clean, after playing it with my thumb... AWESOME.

Suffice to say that this guitar outplays anything I have ever touched. But for those who want more information...

The pickups were perfectly set up. Note that Carvin pickups have tilt and height adjustments, as well as 22 pole pieces... That's 25 screws per pickup... And they were all adjusted perfectly.

The bridge was perfectly routed, as you would expect from a CNC machine!

No flaws, anywhere, that I have seen, and I have gone over it with a fine toothed comb looking for them. There's a reason almost nobody ever needs to honor Carvin's 10 day money back guarantee... These guitars are masterfully built.

Note that the neck bow, neck angle, fingerboard, action (especially on the higher frets), intonation, tremolo, and finish are perfect. Not one part is loose or incorrectly installed. The fret tacks, although not covered, are perfectly filed all the way down to the wood, they are indistingushable to your fingernails!

It WILL withstand live playing. It is very solid and the tuning is unshakeable.

The hardware, although of course the gold will rub off (one of my intents) looks very tough.

The finish looks quite tough. Not sure if it will last, but I'm positive that It'll outlive me if it lives up to the standard of the rest of the guitar!

The straplocks (option) are very cool and seem quite invincible.

Yes. I depend on it highly. I would use it on a gig without a backup, although I will keep my old Ibanez and use it as a backup. I'm generally quite careful, but you never know if your audience is.

They were quite helpful. In fact they even asked me to phone after I got it and tell them what I though, the guy said he liked to here customers' stories about Carvin gear if they're happy with it.

Obviously haven't got it repaired yet.

Warranty is FIVE years. Awesome.

If it were stolen: I'd buy another one just like it.
I compared it to everything, specs-wise, and no other guitar for this amount of cash could stand up to my Carvin config... Nothing at all. They'd maybe have two or three of the Carvin's roughly 10 or 20 incredible features and sounds.
My absolute favorite sounds... Hard to pick, but I really like the front and back single coils and humbuckers. The middle positions are a little harder to make sound awesome.

I cannot find a flaw or any other little niggles in this guitar.
I wish the phase switch worked, but oh well it only cost me 7.50 and the rest of the guitar is goddamned perfect!
They even pay Canadian duties and GST for you.

Frankly, I can't avoid being glowing when I've bought a JEM killer for half of a JEM's price!!! Up here they're easily 3000 dollars and frankly this Carvin for 1422 is superior to every guitar of every make that I have ever played. As I said, some guitars have two or three of the ten or twenty amazing features that this Carvin does.

Email me if you'd like to see a few pictures...

This guitar was made for me in USA between March and April 2002.
It is a 24 fret solid-body electric. I customised it with several options, so I'll do my best to discuss each in turn.
My guitar has 1 tone, 1 volume, 1 three-way selector, 2 coil taps, and 1 phase switch. The phase switch does not operate properly, when it is flipped down any position except the neck humbucker is silent. I assume this means that a solitary connection for the out-of-phase selection became loose in shipping (hey, it came all the way up to Canada!). It's a 7.50 option so I'm not going to send it back or anything gay like that. It lets you do cool toggle switch tremolo!
There are two Carvin Holdsworth H22 pickups. I had originally intended to order M22 pickups because I play a lot of metal, but I said the wrong option numbers when I ordered it. They are very good pickups... the straight 10's reviews in the pickup section do them justice! I'm quite glad that I made that fortunate mistake!
My guitar has an alder neck and an alder body. The fingerboard is ebony, with mother of pearl inlays. The finish is Classic White, a very awesome creamy color with just a shade of green. A lot like a Malmsteen Strat. My guitar has a painted back of neck, as opposed to tung oiled which is an option... And it's VERY comfortable.
The body style is of course a double cutaway, RG shape guitar, but the edges of the body are sculpted (and masterfully so!).
My bridge is an original Floyd Rose. Ten successive dive bombs cannot throw it out of tune... not joking!
Sperzel locking tuners are standard on all Carvins except the Bolt.
I got gold hardware. It's quite attractive.
I also got Mother of Pearl block inlays. They are very highly figured and frankly awesome... I must have spent 30 minutes just looking at them yesterday. The entire guitar is beautiful... The inlays build on it.
The neck is relatively round as compared to other shred necks, but still thin. The rounded profile of the back almost gives you the illusion that the extreme middle of the back is flat... This neck is extremely comfortable and I would recommend it to anyone looking to make their own guitar, you can get one from the Carvin catalogue. The fingerboard itself is quite flat, 15" radius, and the scale length is 25.0" as opposed to the common 25.5". That provides a bit more facility for bending strings and vibrato, an excellent idea!
Straplocks... Tres cool and I would highly recommend them.

I give it ten because you can order anything you want (anything reasonable... no LED inlays or dragons!) for a sweet price.

It sounds perfect. Honestly. I'll go through every pickup choice and describe its advantages. The single coils are one coil of the correct humbucker, the coil tap switches are standard.

In general, the guitar is very responsive to the volume control, which has a very smooth and linear taper. The tone control has a markedly different effect on each pickup selection... On some, it reduces the high band to almost nothing. On others, it warms up the tone, such as the front humbucker. On others, it has no effect on presence but a vast effect on the character of the selection.

Front humbucker: It is excellent for any and all distorted passages! Frankly I don't see how this pickup cannot be found suitable for metal. This humbucker crunches, and when you turn up the gain to obscene levels on your amp (I use a Peavey Prowler 2x6L6 1x12" beast with an active EQ +12dB that provides massive gain) the notes achieve a smooth, buttery quality similar to that of a certain DiMarzio Evolution used by Steve Vai. Of course this position is not suitable for clean. But it sounds very colorful and has absolutely limitless reams of thick, round tone... Which can be easily sharpened by EQ!

Front single coil: Absolutely incredible. It chops every Strat I've ever heard into pieces in two areas. A: The tone is amazing. Just like the humbucker, it's very colorful and round. B: It sounds like a true single coil. It carries a very sharp edge and has a distinct, almost wah-pedal like vowelly character when the string is picked. Think of the SC tone in "The Ocean" (Led Zep) and you won't be far off! Very fun for flamenco and other world styles when used clean.

I have not really explored the middle positions very much. The neck humbucker used in conjunction with the front single coil has a very sweet-sounding clean tone, and also sounds almost like a Strat and a JEM doubling a part exactly when used under distortion. The humbuckers together have boundless gain. The front humbucker and neck single coil used together are very powerful and colorful. The single coils used together have an absolutely incredible acoustic emulation... The front coil is defined with lots of attack and the back coil sustains forever with a warm tone.

Neck humbucker: Very full and warm tone. It is not at all muddy, and has a particularily unique singing tone. You don't even have to carefully EQ it like many other neck humbuckers. Brilliant.

Neck single coil: As good as the front single coil, but with less attack and more warmth! One quality I have noticed is that it works excellently as a rhythm pickup to the front single coil's lead... Wow. The single coil settings on this guitar are as flexible and responsive as any Telecaster. Absolutely awesome.

Overall, the guitar is not at all noisy. I again use it with a Peavey Prowler tube amp. I have no effects. The sound is very rich, but quite defined... I would describe it as being quite similar to that of a JEM under heavy gain and high treble, and very similar to that of a JS1000 with gain and treble slightly backed off. As you may have seen above it is very versatile. The single coil settings (taps) of course have some hum, but it is quite reasonable.

There is no part of the tone I dislike. Some of the middle selections are not immediately as good-sounding... You have to play around with the knobs and have your amp EQ'd right to really draw out their nuances. I am quite glad that I picked the alder neck (option) and body and the painted neck (standard), they contribute to an awesome tone.

Sustain... I could hear the low E for 20 seconds on clean, after playing it with my thumb... AWESOME.

Suffice to say that this guitar outplays anything I have ever touched. But for those who want more information...

The pickups were perfectly set up. Note that Carvin pickups have tilt and height adjustments, as well as 22 pole pieces... That's 25 screws per pickup... And they were all adjusted perfectly.

The bridge was perfectly routed, as you would expect from a CNC machine!

No flaws, anywhere, that I have seen, and I have gone over it with a fine toothed comb looking for them. There's a reason almost nobody ever needs to honor Carvin's 10 day money back guarantee... These guitars are masterfully built.

Note that the neck bow, neck angle, fingerboard, action (especially on the higher frets), intonation, tremolo, and finish are perfect. Not one part is loose or incorrectly installed. The fret tacks, although not covered, are perfectly filed all the way down to the wood, they are indistingushable to your fingernails!

It WILL withstand live playing. It is very solid and the tuning is unshakeable.

The hardware, although of course the gold will rub off (one of my intents) looks very tough.

The finish looks quite tough. Not sure if it will last, but I'm positive that It'll outlive me if it lives up to the standard of the rest of the guitar!

The straplocks (option) are very cool and seem quite invincible.

Yes. I depend on it highly. I would use it on a gig without a backup, although I will keep my old Ibanez and use it as a backup. I'm generally quite careful, but you never know if your audience is.

They were quite helpful. In fact they even asked me to phone after I got it and tell them what I though, the guy said he liked to here customers' stories about Carvin gear if they're happy with it.

Obviously haven't got it repaired yet.

Warranty is FIVE years. Awesome.

If it were stolen: I'd buy another one just like it.
I compared it to everything, specs-wise, and no other guitar for this amount of cash could stand up to my Carvin config... Nothing at all. They'd maybe have two or three of the Carvin's roughly 10 or 20 incredible features and sounds.
My absolute favorite sounds... Hard to pick, but I really like the front and back single coils and humbuckers. The middle positions are a little harder to make sound awesome.

I cannot find a flaw or any other little niggles in this guitar.
I wish the phase switch worked, but oh well it only cost me 7.50 and the rest of the guitar is goddamned perfect!
They even pay Canadian duties and GST for you.

Frankly, I can't avoid being glowing when I've bought a JEM killer for half of a JEM's price!!! Up here they're easily 3000 dollars and frankly this Carvin for 1422 is superior to every guitar of every make that I have ever played. As I said, some guitars have two or three of the ten or twenty amazing features that this Carvin does.

Email me if you'd like to see a few pictures...

Built in San Diego in July, 2001. Mahogany neck-through-body with mahogany wings and quilted maple cap, ebony fretboard. 25" scale, 24 frets, 15" radius, flat neck profile plays beautifully. Stock controls were 1 vol, 1 tone, 3-way switch, 2 coil taps. Rewired to 2 vol (one is p-p for coil tap), 2 tone (added), 3-way, 2 kill switches. H/H config. Original Carvin C22 humbuckers replaced with EMG 89 and 85. Originally all passive, now with active pickups. Floyd Rose trem with Sperzel locking tuners instead of locking nut (major plus for convienience). Came with ABS plastic hardshell case (piece of junk, get the tweed case instead). The original coil-taps were not a choice. I didn't really want them but I couldn't get rid of them. Now I'm stuck with two extra holes/switches in the top. For a custom guitar, there was a lot that wasn't customizable.

I play everything you would have heard on a rock station in the last 40 years, as well as some traditional church music. I usually play through a Line 6 Flextone for clean and a Marshall JCM 800 2204 for crunch. Effects are minimal. The original pickups were a little noisy and very muddy. It was fine for crunchy rhythm, but I could really get the crisp tones I wanted for leads, so I switched to EMGs. Now it's my perfect guitar for blazing leads (I still prefer my Les Paul for rhythm). Clear, bell-like cleans and distinct overdriven leads. Rating is for original configuration. If I were rating it with my upgrades, it'd be a 10.

Factory setup was immaculate. Action was low and sweet, pickups were at just the right height. The quilted top is wonderful, possibly the best I've ever seen. I've had to reset the Floyd after changing strings (I guess the strings I use require less tension than the stock Carvin strings) and the clearcoat has started to chip off of the side of the nut and around some of the fret ends, but everything else is perfect. The control cavity has threaded inserts for the screws, which is a nice touch. Original hand wiring was beautifully done.

It seems to be holding up well except for the aforementioned clearcoat peeling. I've only had to adjust the truss rod once, when I changed string brands. There were no issues with the original wiring in the 8 months I played it stock before upgrading it. I have and would again use it without a backup.

Carvin was great to deal with. I decided to change something after I'd placed the original order, and it was smooth as butter. Never a single hitch.

In ten years of playing, this is the best lead guitar I've found. I still prefer my Les Paul for rhythm, mostly due to the hardtail bridge and thicker bottom end, and I prefer my Strat for blues and really clean tones, but for any leads with decent gain, this is the axe. My biggest issue is with the pickups. I just didn't like them. It would have been nice to get EMGs from the factory. The other problem is that I had to route more wood out of the pickup cavities and buy new mounting rings because Carvin uses their own sizes and mounting screw configurations. But if you're going to stay stock that's not an issue. It would be nice if they didn't force the coil taps on you, or at least used push-pull pots for the switches. But bang for the buck, this guitar can't be beat.

How can you give it anything othe than a 10? This one I ordered with a Floyd Rose, Active Electronics (bass and treble controls for picks ON THE GUITAR) as well as coil splitting and phase switching. Sperzel tuners on headstock to avoid the annoying clamp on all guitars with a floyd...never goes out of tune. 24 frets and a neck thru construction...

This guitar I would say could suit ANY music style, im not saying it is the best for everything, but you can play anything on it. The active electronics let you adjust treble and bass on the guitar itself so there ya go. Can go from that Malmsteen fender single coil fast sound to that Vai thick tone. Can go from Jazz to Metal.

The action is the LOWEST YOU CAN GET!!! I go to guitar stores and try out 2000 dollar Jacksons and Ibanez, and nothing compares to my 900 dollar Carvin. The Pickups were great Finish is beautiful, custom sapphire blue on flamed maple, with an alder body and maple neck and fingerboard. You get a good 1/2 inch of flame which beats most other finishes.

This guitar would withstand anything, very solid. Hardware is emmaculate. 5 YEAR WARRANTY!!!!!

Carvin is always very helpful to me anyways...If you get an asshole on the phone, call back and get a different person. 5 year warranty.

Ive been playing six years and I play stuff from Cole Porter to Jason Becker. These guitars are simply elite. If it were stolen lost damaged I would probably cry first, and then replace the guitar. For a custom made guitar 900 bones is KING!

Ebony fret board, Floyd Rose, (even though I ordered the Wilkenson), Spertzel tuners (leaking grease), one tone, one volume, 3-way(works like shit), and two mini coil splitters.

Sounded shrill with the Carvin M series pickups so I added some real pickups from Duncan. Now it sounds about like most Korean guitars. Not sure if this Carvin is USA or Korean since they started manufacturing overseas recently,

The action was way too low, and I can't get it any higher without the neck acting up. The finish sides of the neck is screwed up. Some of the frets appear to be working loose and its brand new. Like I mentioned above, the switches and knobs suck!

It won't even play right, so how the hell can it withstand live playing?

Bunch of rude punks. I called several times trying to get a return number and they jacked me around and tried to say the guitar was fine and I was an idiot.

Never again. Worthless warranty. They tried to get me to send it back at $55 round trip to work on it after several weeks of trying to talk to a manager. I don't think they have managers or supervisors there. The people answering the phones have free reign and will talk to you like shit. Read some of the other reviews about Carvin Service. Its obvious they stink.

Just recieved my second carvin. this time in white, tung oiled neck, black hardware, holdsworth pickups, reverse headstock. came with sperzel tuners (couldnt live without them). its a custom shop, you have practically no limit to your options.

i have another carvin, this one isnt any better, its different. i wouldnt say its better, cuz the old one kick ass, but this one is a lot different.

set up perfectly.

had it for about 2 days now

This fits my music perfectly. insane guitar for an insane price.

This is a Carvin DC-127C (2000). Maple neck-thru body with Alder body sides and ebony fingerboard (scale 25"). Finished in natural wood with Clear gloss finish. Reverse in-line headstock. Original Floyd rose, black crome hardwear, Two humbers with coil taps on both pickups. sperzel locking tuners Strap lock's installed, and 24 jumbo dunlop frets.

This guitar ROCKS! This guitar and all Carvin guitars play absolutly great. I have 5 Carvin guitars and I love these guitars. I also use Carvin amps and my main rig is Carvins Quad-X pre-amp running a Carvin Tube-100 for power. effects processor in the rack is a DigiTech TSR 24S. I use a Snarling Dogs Super Bawl Whino, A Snarling Dogs Mold Sore Wah, and a Voo Doo labs Micro Vibe. I also have a Carvin X-60 head that I use somtimes. I ordered this guitar with the C22 classic humbers and I must say I prefer Carvins M22 series pick-ups much more. The C22 series are a little bitey for me. The M22 series are much more fat sounding.

What can I the action, fit, and finish of this guitar is awsome! All Carvin guitars are just great made and great playing guitars. No flaws on this baby. Carvin guitars are set-up at the factory before they ship them and let me say that they do a awsome job setting them up too. I know a guy who has a PRS and after playing my Carvin said that the Carvins neck up and down is more even than his PRS. Carvin guitars just seem to have a perfect blend of vintage/modern vibe to them. I love the tonal qualities of the maple neck thru with alder body sides really nice balance of sound.

I have been a dedicated Carvin user since the later eighties. I have never had a problem with any of my Carvin guitars. I have played lots of hours, live shows, recording sessions, rehersals and my Carvin guitars always come through for me 100%. I still use my first Carvin guitar i bought and it still plays and sounds great, and the finish is still good. I have used my Carvin's with out a back up and never had a problem. What can I say I have played the rest and to me Carvin is the best.

Customer support is top notch with Carvin, always helpful and always friendly.

I am 34 now and have been playing guitar since 12. The only thing different I would of done on this order is to have gotten the M22 series pick-ups instead of the C22 classic series pickups. There are other good guitars out there so dont get me wrong but, I have played alot of different top brand guitars and to me nothing compares to Carvin. I would forsure replace this guitar if somthin happened to it. I have 5 Carvin guitars: DC-127C, DC-127T, DC-135F, Ultra V, DC-727C. And my next I think will be a AE-185 acoustic electric hybrid.

I ordered this guitar in May 8th of 2000 and recieved it today, July 5th, probably would have recieved it yesterday if it weren't the 4th of July. I ordered it direct from the Carvin website, which i thought was better since you could see all your options in front of you. It was made in USA, 24 frets, blueburst on maple top(the blueburst looks a little darker than it did on the color generator on the website but i actually like it better) 1 volume, 1 tone, 3 way selector, coil tap for all 3 positions. I changed the pickups to M22's. I heard they gave a thicker sound than the C22's. I chose against the active electronics and stuck with the passive. the body is alder and the neck is maple. Another thing i like about it is the original Floyd Rose. No liscenced. It came standard sperzel tuners, it came with a free hardshell case. I give it a 10 mainly cause you can pick any features you want.

I play anything from metal, blues, and virtuoso type music such as Satch. It suits all that fine, it's a very versatile guitar. I was leaning towards and Ibanez RG before i ordered this and i'm glad i got this. I'm not that experienced of a player, only for about 2 1/2 years but this guitar sounds a lot better than my old epi. I play it through a fender champion 110 solid state amp, soon to upgrade to a tube amp. It sounds fine through the solid state, must sound like heaven through a tube. The neck pickup is nice, good clean tone and smooth with overdrive on. the neck pickup is allright but i wish it could have more gain on it. I'll probably replace it. I'll give it a 9 just because the of the bridge pickup.

The guitar was set up fairly well. I thought the action was a little on the high side, but nothing taht can't be fixed. The rounded body sides were done real nice. The only other flaw i noticed was that inside the routed space for the Floyd Rose(don't know a technical term for it)the paint was a little unfinished in the corners, but i don't think anyone is gonna come looking in my floyd rose. I'll give it an 8 just because of the action.

I've just had it for about a day so i wouldn't know.

I can't say more about how helpful Carvin was. i e-mailed them many times from the adress i got off of their website and they were very responsive. I would suggest contacting them by e-mail considering the horror stories i've heard from people who have done it by phone. I give them a perfect 10.

Like I said, I've only been playing for 2 1/2 years but i know a good quality made american guitar when i see one and this tops my Epiphone all the way. I got it exactly how i wanted it. If it were lost or stolen I would deftinately buy another one. Maybe try another color, not that I don't love the blueburst. I love all the features you can get. The carvin website is excellent. Before i bought it I was about to get an Ibanez RG or an S series but loved all the features you could get on this. It was also neck thru, which is really nice if you can get an american made neck thru for only $800 bucks with features, you could get it with out any added features for $569 and it would still be a great guitar. I don't wish it has anything else cause everythign i wanted i got it. I plan on my next guitar probably being another carvin.

Great options. Too many really. Everything i wanted, i couldnt afford tho. I got a ebony fretboard, floyd, blueburst, sperzels, neck-thru, black hardware, strap locks, reverse headstock, matching headstock, tung oiled back of neck (insanely comfortable and fast), and no inlay on the fretboard. I wanted one of their quilted finishes but their a little on the pricey side. Beatiful guitar, great options.

Great sound. However, there could be a little more bass. I have a Peavey T-60 and the pickups on that have awesome bass.

Excellent finish. Like before, i wanted a quilted but couldnt afford it. Floyd was well set up. No problems.

I wanted to change part of my order. I called and told them what I wanted changed. So i figured they changed it. So a couple of weeks later i wanted to add a tung oiled back of neck. So i called and told them what i wanted and made sure my order was right. The person i had talked to got the switch messed up. I wanted to cancel the rounded edges and add strap locks. So when i called to make an addition, they cancelled the black hardware and kept rounded body edges. That really pissed me off and added extra time talking to someone who i really didnt wanna talk to for too long. They actual ordering went really good tho. No complaints there.

Awesome guitar.

You can get the guitar built with whatever features you want!! I currently have 3 Carvin DC127's. A red quilt top with a Floyd Rose, a blue quilt top with a Wilkinson bridge and my newest, a purple flame top with a Floyd Rose. Be aware that if you order yours with a Floyd Rose that it does not include the locking nut, you must ask for that separate. I ordered each of my Carvins with the tung oil finish on the neck, and I can't recommend this option enough. It increases the playability immeasurably. The guitars are all maple neck thru alder body sides. The fingerboard is ebony (although on my purple one I got a maple fingerboard). The guitar has two humbuckers, each of which can be coiled tapped, a tone knob and volume knob. Active electronics are available if you want, I stuck with the passive. I don't think you can find a guitar with more features, as they build it anyway you want it.

These guitars absolutely scream!! I run my Carvins through a rack set up consisting of a Rocktron Piranha, a digitech 2120 (effects only), a Mesa 2:90 power amp out to 2 4x12s. I also own a Peavey Wolfgang and 2 Ibanezs, but the Carvins definately get the bulk of my playing time. I did not care for the Carvin bridge pickups and swapped them out. The pickups seemed to be geared towards versatility, but really didn't suit my style. The pickups seemed to lack the low end punch that I like. I tried the M22T, the C22T and the M22SD bridge pickups in my different Carvins. I liked the M22SD the best, but it was very hot and it fed back a lot even at moderate volumes. I swapped them out for Dimarzio Tone Zones and a Seymour JB. In the neck pickups I tried both the M22V and C22N and I definately liked the M22V better as it was sweeter sounding and had a slightly hotter output. I also thought the M22V sounded better when coil tapped and it gives you very Stratty sounding single coil tones. Having the coil taps really adds to the versatility of these guitars. The guitar is slightly noisy on the single coil setting with high gain sounds, but dead quiet when using the humbuckers. These guitars have a really full sound with a lot of sustain. My Wolfgang has more of a mid range punch to it, these have a more full bodied tone (especially since changing the bridge pickups). Only rates a 9 since I had to change the bridge pickups

My guitars all came from the factory playing great. Those who have never played a Carvin neck don't know what they are missing. One of the bridge springs on my blue quilt top had popped off during shipping and I had to pop it back on in when it was delivered. It played perfect as soon as I put the spring back on. My others had no problems and they were set up flawlessly. They are all gorgeous guitars, but the red quilt top really stands out from the others. The red stain REALLY shows off the absolutely gorgeous quilt top (the best of my three). However, being a stain, the stain did bleed slightly where the body finish ends and the natural wood of the back of the neck begins (this is not an issue unless you get the tung oil finish on the back of the neck as otherwise the back of the neck is finished the same as the body). It is not noticable from a few feet away, but if you look very close you can see it (a very slight imperfection at most). This is common when using stain versus paint and quite frankly, the guitar is so stunningly gorgeous on the front, nobody is looking at the back of the neck. This was not an issue for my blue or purple guitar as these colors are translucent paint, not stain and did not bleed. One of the toggle switches went bad after about 6 months and I had to replace it (most likely a bad switch and not really Carvin's fault). Again, I highly recommend the tung oil finish on the neck. I'll only give them a 9 here due to the toggle switch, bridge spring and the very slight imperfection due to the stain bleeding. If I'm basing this solely on how my guitars play, they get a 10.

I've been playing for about 15 years and play club gigs regularly. I got my first Carvin in '96 so I've really had a chance to test them in live situations and they hold up great. I never gig without several backups due to broken strings, Murphy's law, etc.

Never really dealt with them after placing my orders. They were great when taking my orders. Others have said once they charge your credit card that customer service goes out the window. I don't know about that and it has not been my experience, but I haven't really dealt with them much. I'll give them an 8 based on them being very helpful when I placed my orders.

These guitars are an incredible deal for the money. I ordered mine with the exact features I wanted, and you can too!! These guitars sound and play GREAT. They are extremely versatile due to the coil taps and I use them to play everything from VH to Rage to Creed to Rush to 70's funk. My Carvin's handle any style I need to play. I can't recommend them enough based on versatility and tone. I was nervous when I placed my first Carvin order since you can't try one out. Ever since I received my first Carvin, they have gotten the bulk of my playing time. These guitars play the best of any of the guitars I have ever tried.

A beautiful 1999 Made in the USA custom job. 24 medium frets on an ebony fingerboard. Mine is mahogany body with a maple neck (neck thru body). I opted for no inlays (side dots only), Gold hardware, the "vintage" neck pickup, a Phase switch in addition to the two coil taps, 3 way switch, volume and tone controls. 2 Carvin Humbuckers (Neck is a M22V, bridge is I think the M22T). The bridge is an Original Floyd Rose. I got a blueburst transparent finish with matching headstock. Tuners are Sperzel Locking, nut is graphite. Came with case, hex wrenches, screwdriver, picks,etc.. EVERYTHING I WANTED EXACTLY. It's custom, ain't it!

Bloody hell, this thing has a BASS HEAVY sound considering it has a locking tremelo system. The absence of a locking nut might contribute to this, in addition to that amazing sustain. I play heavy metal, sort of classic-british-progressive. Lotsa solos, riffs, etc. No tuned down Korn shite here! A very very thick sound- I would compare the sound to Iron Maiden's "Piece of Mind" album. I use a Marshall JMP-1 preamp, Alesis MidiVerb IV, and a Peavey Classic 50/50 power amp. I have the ultimate in variety- strat sounds, tele sounds, les paul sounds, but all with a very midrangey/bass-y thick "Signature" sound. Unreal.

The action was great after it settled down (a trek from California to DC will need some settling down). EVerything was adjusted for low action, high output- a shredders guitar no doubt. Effortless playing. Only thing, i need to change strings- It came with .09-.42, I use .09-.46.

Thin-looking paint.. not in a bad way, I mean thin as in PRS thin. Hardware is solid enough. These strap buttons suck. Small. I should have got the locking ones, but I'll change before a gig.

Very friendly when I ordered, and my many calls about this or that. A small company, no doubt, but very well organized. Great website too.

I wanted a neck-thru strat style with a Floyd Rose and 2 humbuckers.. my choices were basically this, ESP, and BC Rich. I think I made the right decision with my unique carvin.. i love it! INSANE value, this guitar could cost $1800!! If you can't tell, I love this guitar, almost as much as my girlfriend! But not quite. ;)

Ordered the axe 3/99 USA made 24 fret, 2 humbuckers, volume, tone, 3 way pickup selector, 2 dual to single coil switches and I had the phase switch added for 15.00, Maple neck thru alder body, original floyd rose, sperzel locking tuners, HC11 case got it free because of the special offer

I play all types of music but I love spanky clean tones and a chunky super high gain sound (Ala Warren DiMartini). I play thru an ADA MP-2 midi preamp and this thing can do it all.

Straight out of the case I played for a half an hour before touching one of the fine tuners on the floyd and that was after some extreme string bending. After I was able to put it down I took it out side in the sun and went over it with a fine toothed comb, BEAUTIFUL!!! Only flaw I've found is one of the dual to single coil switches has to be wiggled sometimes to work. If it were not for this I would give it a 10.

This thing is built solid, should last a lifetime.

When I ordered it they were very pleasant to talk to and also when I called to check on the progress.

Been playing for 20+ years, owned every kind of guitar except a Carvin till now. The best instrument I've ever played or owned. I'd hate to think of what I'd do to the person who tried to steal this guitar. I have a friend with a PRS and the Carvin is every bit as good if not better.

U.S.A. made. GREAT guitar!!! The only thing I would compare it to would be a neck through ESP. It has a flat(15" radius) thin neck. Very fast feel. The body is Alder, and there is NO neck heel at all! It has an original Floyd Rose trem, and is recessed for pull ups. I ordered it with active electronics, and later changed all of that. This is the best guitar I've ever owned(I've owned quite a few) aside from my Jackson RR1.

The Carvin catalog mainly just lists country guitarist to their credit, but this guitar makes a hell of a metal guitar. Nice ebony fretboard with GREAT action. The only thing I don't like aout this guitar is that I don't have the money to by a few more. If I WERE able to order another, I would have it made of mahogany(body & neck) instead of alder. The pickups sounded very nice, but I didn't care for their active electronics, so I changed the bridge pickup to an EMG 85, and installed a .22mf cap. Putting in a .22mf cap takes most of the "active chirp" sound out, and really warms up the sound of these pickups. In the neck I installed a Dimarzio Multi-Bucker, and wired it to use either one of the coils at a time, or phase reversal, or humbucking.

This guitar was PERFECT!!! The set-up from the factory was fantastic! The action is unbelievable! Carvin puts Sperzel locking tuners on all of there neck through guitars. I purchased the wooden/tweed case for only $30.00 more, and it has the same great qualty as the guitar. The only change I would make if I ordered another would be to have it made from mahogany. The alder body wood is just a little too bright for my taste, butstill a fantastic sound. I think God plays Carvin guitars? They're GREAT!!!

Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, I think this guitar is PERFECT! The highest quality parts on the market! The finish is down right beautiful! Buy one! Buy two! Hell, buy me another one!

The only dealing I had with the company after purchase, was exchanging the stock bridge pickup, for another one of their Carvin pickups. They were very easy to deal with. I just ordered the new pickup, and when it arrived, I returned the old pickup for a full refund of the pickup price. Of course the guitar was only a week old at the time. My only complaint, is that the people I dealt with on the phone were not guitarists. I would prefer to deal with people who "knew" exactly was I was talking about.

I've been playing guitar for 19 years and this is one of THE BEST guitars I've ever owned. I wish I woud have had it made from mahogany, but that's the ONLY change I could have made to make this guitar better. If it were stolen I would find the guy who took it and kill his mother. Then I'd buy another one. Like I said before, the only other guitar I could compare this one to, would be a neck through ESP. They play almost exactly the same. Both have alder body woods as well. By the way, this guitar has more sustaaaaiiinnnnn than any other guitar I've ever played. Quit wasting time reading this dammit, and go buy one! Do yourself a favor though, and spend the extrs $30.00 for the tweed case. It's GREAT! Very well made and sturdy. I also have a Jackson RR1, and the difference in quality is very slight. The best value you can find. I WILL be ordering another as soon as funds allow.

Made in the USA (california I beleive) in 1996. 24 frets, two cutaways, neck thru body construction made of alder with a maple neck & ebony fingerboard. 25in scale with 15in radius. master volume, & tone 3-way selector with coil splitters, Carvin m22n & m22sd pickups in an H/H configuration. Brown sunburst type of transparent finish. Shaped kinda like a strat. Floyd Rose bridge, Sperzel locking tuners. Came with a hard case & tools for adjustments.

The pickups sounds as they should (neck is bassier, bridge louder, etc.) Very easy to drive an amp into distortion (especially the way I play) Nice texture & insane sustain. Without even running it through an amp an open E lasts 30 seconds. You really have to watch the open strings as you play; the slightest touch will make the guitar sing for half an hour. The neck pickup is not as useful as I hoped because it doesn't have as much power as I could use, but the bridge one is beautiful. I play through a JCM-900 cranked all the way up with scooped mids and I can get nice brutal flame-throwerish distortion. I usually only use the neck pickup when I play clean. I still get hum when I play really loud, but feedback hasn't been much of a problem unless I stand, like a foot away from my stack, playing at 120db or more. Your asking for it then. In general, it has more of a full sound than a shrill shitty fender tone.

Fucking beautiful. Everything was PERFECT... Except the wiring. It's a little sloppy because they left enough wire in the cavity for you to rewire it if you want. Other than this, which they did intentionally, the guitar had no flaws. God himself smiled upon the CNC machine when this guitar was made.

The finish isn't made of steel, so I have some superficial scratches already, and some of the black paint has flaked off the screws which hold the pickups on the body. Those are only appearance detractors. I've only one real problem. The 3-way switch acts up and sometimes makes poor contact so the sound gets muted. I took it apart and bent some contacts a little and that seems to be fixed. The clamps in the tuners and on the bridge pinch the shit out of the strings, so you have to be really careful when tightening it, or you could break the strings when you tune them. This guitar is a bitch to set up. With the floating bridge, it takes a year to tune it, and all the adjustments for the truss rod and intonation are directly underneath the strings, so you have to take the strings completely off the guitar for every minor tweak.
Other than the switch problem I had, the guitar is very consistent sounding. I'd use it without a backup.

Never dealt with them

This guitar is as good as I could have asked for. It has pretty much everything I ever wanted in a guitar.

Built in mid eightys (?) (I bought it used). Dual cutaway solid body; 2 Humbuckers (M22V) with coil splitters; Floyd Rose Trem.; Sperzel locking tuners; Maple neck-through alder body; Ebony fingerboard, 22 frets; Graphite nut; Metallic blue paint.

The neck-through design really enhances the sustain. This guitar is really lively sounding. The humbucker sound is full, but on the brighter side, much like "vintage" units, not for heavy distortion. I prefer the cut-coil sounds, which are like a fat-strat, but a little warmer. I play mainly through a Carvin X-100 (1981) and a Crate GX-20 practice amp. I have owned all the famous-name guitars of the past, and I am not kidding: the natural sustain is amazing. I would give it a 10, except I was looking for a little more glassy sound, like vintage single coils.

The hardware, electronics, and construction quality are the finest. I bought this one used, so there were numerous dings, but I was so impressed with the guitars construction, that I bought another Carvin (DC135T) after owning it about a year. I would give this category a higher rating, except that this guitar had a very ordinary paint-job type finish.

Without doubt, the toughest guitar I've ever seen. The black-anodized finish on the hardware rubbed off where I touch the bridge, but I have corrosive sweat that does this to every guitar. Note that the graphite nut really works for keeping the trem in tune. I had nearly given up on using tremolo guitars.

I bought this guitar used, so I didn't interact with Carvin, but since then I have bought other guitars, and they have been very pleasant to deal with.

I've been playing 34 years and have owned all the holy grail vintage equipment. I was reluctant to buy a guitar mail-order, so I bought this one used as a trial run. I was impressed enough to by another new.