Carvin DC127T

I ordered mine in May '08 and it was delivered in July. Standard stuff: 24 frets, neck through. I went maple neck (tung oil on the back), ebony fingerboard (mother of pearl block inlays) alder body, quilted maple top and triple-step crimson stain. This guitar looks killer!!! I also got the reverse headstock. It just sets the guitar apart a little.

For pickups I got the H22N (neck) and M22T (bridge). Also, I added the piezo bridge option. Of course, having the piezo means lots of controls and I wish they were spaced out a little more. There's master volume, pan between magnetic and piezo (only used when running a mono signal), active tone for both, coil splitters for each pickup and a phase switch. I use the magnetic tone a lot but it's a little hard to get to.


The Wilkinson tremolo is awesome. There is a cut-out in the body for bending up. I've had no trouble doing flutters. The graphite nut and locking tuners keep it in tune through some Vai punishment, but I don't really do that much. My favorite thing is that the tremolo arm has an adjustable collar instead of screwing it in. You can tighten the collar so that the bar stays put or flops around.

I picked the H22N because I read that it sounds like the Duncan SH-2 jazz. I have the Duncan in another guitar and I kind of hear it but it's not quite there for me. Also, the M22T doesn't suit me as well as the Duncan SH-4JB. I will probably replace the pickups sometime with a pair of Duncans, but it's not a priority. There's nothing really wrong with the Carvin pickups, they're just kind of blah. That's the major complaint with Carvin but it's fixed easily enough. It would be nice to have third party pickups as a factory option, though...

The coolest thing (to me) about this guitar is the piezo bridge. I'm a Petrucci fan and so this was a must for me. I'm able to coax pretty good acoustic tones from this guitar with my Pod X3. Nothing like a good Martin in a world class studio, mind you, but it would certainly fit the bill for a live show. The stereo outputs mean that I could switch from magnetic to piezo with a footswitch and that sounds good to me.

7/10 for magnetic pickups, 9/10 for the piezo

I've always heard that Carvins arrive in perfect tune, and I think i remember that my bass did. Unfortunately with this guitar it was about 50 cents flat on every string. In tune with itself...

As for the action, I couldn't ask for better. Low but not ridiculous, nut cut perfectly, angle of the bridge saddles (it is a floating tremolo), frets, everything is perfect.

The back of the neck is bare, oiled wood and feels amazing. I have this option on my bass as well and now I can't play anything else. It's just too silky to give up!

The finish is wonderful too. It cost a little more for the triple step stain but the way it makes the grain pop out is truly eye-catching. It's a super high gloss poly finish that you probably couldn't dent with a hammer.

I've heard horror stories about Carvin necks warping but I've had my bass for ten years now and have made a total of three (3) truss rod adjustments in that time. Here in central North Carolina we have hot humid summers and cold to mild dry winters. That neck is rock solid and I expect more of the same from this guitar.

I chose to add strap locks just for the heck of it. They were only $15 so I said what the heck. If they ever come off, I'd be surprised.

I really only gig on bass but maybe someday I'll play this jewel out. Probably not without a backup, but that's just in case I broke a string. With the floating tremolo that equals instant sharpness.

This is where the other horror stories I've heard come in...

My guitar shipped with a left handed tremolo arm. The problem is that I'm right handed. I called them the next day and the first person I spoke gave a good-natured laugh and apologized. He said I'd have the proper hardware in 2 days and I did.

Other than placing my orders that's the only experience I have with them and it was excellent. I know it's not a whole to go off of, but it's all I've got. I have no doubt that Carvin has given some crappy customer service in the past, but every company has. I'm not sure what to make of the stories so I'll just go on what I know.

This is by far the nicest guitar I own. The others are cheaper Chinese models (a Stratoclone and an OLP Petrucci) that deliver lots of bang for the buck but still don't have that refined feel. The difference is like a base Honda Civic and an optioned-out BMW M3. The Civic does everything you need it to, but the M3 does it better and with more style.

For now I only play guitar in my home office through the Pod X3 into the computer. I have no reason to have a guitar this nice. I honestly think it's too good for someone with my admittedly limited guitar skills. But I can afford the guitar and my mortgage so I don't think I really need more reason than I wanted it. :O)

If it were stolen my first call would be the cops (it has a microchip embedded in the body linked to my information). Then I would call the insurance agent to file the claim. Thirdly, I would call Carvin to order the same guitar again.

I'd love to give it a 10 here, but the pickups and control arrangement just don't sit perfectly with me. All in all, though, it's an amazing instrument that inspires me when I play it.

I want to make this easy for anyone considering the purchase of a Carvin directly from the factory, which is a cool feature.

1. Carvin Guitars are very good guitars.
2. Carvin customer service is very very bad.

The guitar sounds great.
The Customer Service is horrible.

The guitars fit and finish is excellent.
The Customer Service is NOT excellent. Or even average. It is bad.

Just got it so don't know. Feels put together well. Probably up to the insturment buyer to take good care of the guitar and it will probably be fine. It better be because if you expect anything resembling customer service after they have your money, forget it.

ah, my favorite section.
Dear Carvin,

Your Customer Service is aweful. You succeed only because of your CNC and finish persons. Your sales and after order [read they got your money folks] is the worst I have ever had the misfortune of having done business with. You have probably sold me my first and last Carvin all in one shot due to your absolutely lousy customer service. Too bad for you and your good employees because I spend thousands and thousands every year, year after year on guitars. It is highly unlikely I will do business with you again. Nobody sells Fenders, Schecters, Ibanez and Warmoths like Carvins sales and customer service departments...

I am done. With Carvin.

This guitar has all mahogany neck through construction with 24 frets, ebony fingerbaord, abalone dot inlays, Sperzel locking tuners, Wilkinson tremolo, C22 pickups with coil split switches, an SKB molded case, straploks, gold hardware and more. Truly a beautiful, versatile and great sounding guitar.

I am still trying to find all the sounds hidden in this guitar. The pickups have great attack and combined with the incredible sustain of the mahogany and neck through construction this guitar just sings. I play a little of everything. In single coil mode it can handle country duties with just the right amount of spank, in humbucker mode I can get everything from Angus Young to Santana.

The guitar arrived perfectly setup. The action was low but there was no fret buzz. The intonation was dead on and the Wilkerson unit set just right. It was even close to being in tune after shipping across the country.

Just bought it but my past experience with Carvin is that everything they sell is very durable. Would use it live without a backup.

Every time I have talked to them they have been very friendly and helpful.

I have been playing for 30 years and this rates up there as one of the best instruments I have ever owned. I would definitely consider another Carvin if something happened to this one. I just cannot believe the quality for the money!

This is a new, custom-order, American made Carvin DC127T, 24 stainless steel medium-jumbo frets, 10 mm AAAA flamed koa top, koa body and neck. It has active pickups, HH configuration with coil taps and a phase switch, Fishman piezo in the Wilkinson bridge, a Carvin C22N neck pickup and MS22D bridge pickup, with dual outputs. The finish is clear gloss, except on the back of the neck, which is tung oiled. The body style is a double cutaway with rounded edges. Tuners: locking authentic Sperzels. All hardware is gold. The neck is 25" scale, on the thin side of medium or the thick side of thin, similar to an Ibanez Prestige in many respects, with a 14" radius fretboard, graphite nut, and abalone block inlays. It has a master volume control, a piezo-magnetic signal mixer, distinct tone controls for the piezo and the magnetic pickups, and a three-way selector switch. It effectively has 16 magnetic pickup configurations,

I primarily play this through a Korg AX1500G processor and Marshall amplifier.

The sound is clean and clear, deep and rich, but with a good top end too. This is the first all koa electric I've ever played, and it has the best sound I've heard on an electric.

The on-board pre-amp allows for serious sound tweaking without touching an external equalizer. The piezo system allows for a variety of sounds, as well. With some adjustments, it can sound deep and mellow, snappy and twangy, shimmering and crystaline, weak and thin, searing and screaming, and more. It is not overly bright, even in the bridge position, but is also not muddy at all.

Unplugged, it strums like a good acoustic guitar, but with less volume.

When the humbuckers are tapped, there is a very slight hum. In their normal mode, they are silent. It definitely sounds better in humbucker mode, but the coil taps are nice to get that extra crispness of a single coil when need (e.g., when playing Eric Johnson or SRV-style licks).

I wanted a piezo-equipped guitar, so I was considering a Parker. This sounds much better than the Parkers I've played.

The guitar came with very low action and no fret buzz. The intonation was perfect out of the box at the 12 and 24 fret harmonics. The bookmatched flame koa top is highly symmetrical and even, with beautiful vertical and horizontral strips. The headstock flame koa top even looks somewhat quilted. The back of the neck has significant flaming despite being regular koa. The wood is exquisite everywhere. The gold-plated hardware had no pitting or dents. The ebony fretboard is perfectly black (though I don't mind brown stripes) and the inlays were rich with character. I checked for dead spots by bending every fret position up and down as far as possible, and there were none.


The routing for the Wilkinson bridge is nearly invisible, but deep enough to allow a 1 1/2 step bend sharp, which is as sharp as my FR-equipped guitar is set up to go.

The strings needed a little stretching, but they do not go signicantly out of tune even with a 5 whole step dive bomb.

The guitar is easy to play. Even though I am used to Wizard necks, the neck doesn't seem too thick. The combination of tung-oil, stainless steel frets, and ebony fretboard makes for a smooth play. I am not sure whether it's just that the frets are new or whatnot, but they certainly feel smoother than nickel-silver frets. It is easy to fingerpick, flatpick, left-hand and right-hand tap, and generate pinch harmonics.

Time will tell. This very much seems to be one of the the best made guitars I have ever played. I expect this to be a 10.

The sales staff was friendly, and my emailed questions were answered right away. It was completed within three days of their estimate completion time. It comes with a 5 year warrantt.

I want a great shred guitar that had a lot of tone, versatility, and some sort of piezo system. This guitar was competing with a Parker, some Ibanezes, and a Music Man John Petrucci. While the other guitars are excellent, they are simply not on the same level as this Carvin. This is my dream guitar. It is magnificent.

Not sure when this puppy was made. I purchased this on ebay for $640(included vintage hardshell tweed case-nice!).
Two humbuckers, with one pick-up selector, two coil spit switches, phase switch.
Passive Carvin humbuckers (standard).
Alder body with maple neck (neck-through design).
Ebony fretboard(this is real nice and a joy to play).
Strat style body with a Wilkinson tremelo
Sperzel locking tuners. Neck is flat and thin and I really like it( I have small hands by the way, the neck feels very comfortable regardless).

Overall, the sound is good. The pickups do seem weak for the purposes of harder rock, but they can get the job done (just tinker with amp and pedal). I play through a small Marshall Practice and a digitech rp2000.
Pickups are quiet.
Actually, I purchased this guitar to get more of a vintage sound, and it does not disappoint. Also, I wanted something that sounded different (I'm tired of hearing so many bands coming out with the same sound).
Guitar sounds very good when not plugged in.

Guitar is set-up well. Remember, I purchased this from ebay used, so.
No flaws noticed. I love this thing.
When you think of Carvin, think of the word, "smooth".
That word sums up this section.

Not sure how this guitar will withstand live playing. It appears to be built very well. In fact, when I opened the guitar from the ebay sellers packing, my wife and brother (who were present) thought that I had bought a brand new guitar. I do know that the previous owner had purchased the guitar to play professionally. The guitar doesn't look like it's been used.

Have not dealt with them, but I plan on contacting them just to get some general info re: proper care and maintenance for the guitar.

Been playing off and on for more than 10 years, but would still consider myself an intermediate player, as I play mostly as hobby (man, playing just helps me relax).
I am very fortunate to have chosen a guitar that suits my needs and my direction as a player. I love the appearance and the playability of the neck. Pickups? Well, I can't complain. They are not bad, and like I said, provide a variety of tonal possibilities (except perhaps Metallica,MachineHead,Slipknot). I'm into a Hendrix phase right now, and for that, this guitar is perfect.
If stolen? Uggh, I suppose I'd buy another if I had the money.
For me, this guitar is perfect.

First of all, I've owned this guitar since 2002 when I ordered it from Carvins Custom Shop.

Mine has M22SD bridge and a M22N neck (dual -humbucker design). A wilkinson tremolo, 24 frets neck-thru. Ebony fingerboard.

Coil split switches for both humbuckers

Very versatile. A nice and sweet clean sound if you go single-coil at the neck. Bluesy if you go the humbucker route.

The 22SD is a great Straight Distortion pick-up. Do not have this installed if you do not dig metal.

It just lacks a tiny bit of sustain from your high strings

THE BEST ACTION, period. No fender comes close. Great finish, 12 years old and still shining.

After being my main guitar for 12 years of playing anything from raw power-metal, jazzy instrumentals or anything else, NOTHING has gone wrong with it. For $$ reasons I could not have a back-up for 11 years... it never let me down.

So so

Some of them talk to you as If they are doing a favor...
bad bad

Some are great people though... Good luck when you call...

I have played for 16 years. I play this Carvin to a Boss metal-zone, DOD ice box, Boss DD3 into a Yamaha T-100 and Marshall Half stack.

I love its neck-thru sound but ended up buying a bolt-on to complement on it. Its sound is great but will never be trebly enough for some pop/funk applications in my humble opinion. If Rock is not your main thing, choose a different pick-up configuration from mine.

Versatile enough for anything else

This is one very feature laden guitar. It is similar to a Stratocaster? in basic appearance being a double cutaway, solid body electric guitar, but the similarity really stops there. It has everything anyone could ask for. I will try to list them all:
? Hard rock maple neck through body with 25? scale length
? Premium alder body sides (wings) with fully rounded edges
? 24 medium-jumbo German steel frets polished and leveled to perfection
? 6-in-line tilt-back headstock (no string trees) with Sperzel? locking tuners
? Graphite and Teflon? nut
? 2-way adjustable truss rod with two additional graphite reinforcement rods
? Incredibly smooth, black ebony fingerboard with 15? radius
? Abalone dot inlays
? Almost no neck heel for unobstructed access to all 24 frets
? H22N Carvin? ?Allen Holdsworth? neck humbucking pickup with 22 adjustable pole pieces, seasoned AlNiCo 5 magnets and plain enamel wire
? H22T Carvin? ?Allen Holdsworth? bridge humbucking pickup with 22 adjustable pole pieces, seasoned AlNiCo 5 magnets and plain enamel wire
? Separate passive volume and tone controls for each pickup
? 3-way pickup selector toggle switch
? 2 mini coil tap toggle switches
? 1 mini phase toggle switch
? Flush mount side ?? input jack
? Wilkinson/Carvin? floating vibrato with locking string saddles
? Black chrome hardware
? Flawless Sea Foam Green polyurethane finish on body, neck, and headstock.
? High quality, form fit, ABS hardshell case

I just recently ordered this guitar over the telephone after considerable debating over which one of their varied models and options I wanted. My guitar was completed only a few days ago at the Carvin? custom shop in San Diego, CA. I have had a number of opportunities to visit the Carvin? retail store in Covina, California so I wasn?t really buying this guitar blind since I had played various different models at the store. One thing that I noticed with the different models Carvin? offers was the quality and consistency of assembly and sound from one guitar to another. These are indeed impressive, well U.S. made instruments with high quality components rivaling any guitar on the market today. The minute you pick one up and strum the first chord, you know you?re playing something a lot more than your typical, run of the mill, assembly line guitar. Because of this, I really felt no discomfort or anxiety purchasing it before playing it.

Carvin?s? necks are quite impressive. Carvin? claims to have one of the fastest necks in the industry and I have to agree with them. I really like a wider neck with a relatively flat fingerboard and the Carvin? delivers this in spades. I find it similar to a PRS wide, thin neck, but more comfortable with incredibly light action. Also the entire build and finish quality of the instrument is every bit as good, if not better, than a PRS. I can?t say enough about this instrument.

The maple neck through construction with alder wings and ebony fretboard equates to a bright but warm tone with infinite sustain. The sustain is so good, that if you use an Intellitouch? tuner, you must physically mute the string you just tuned so the tuner can read the next set of vibrations. I find that exceptional.

Another thing that just trips my trigger is the Carvin/Wilkinson? vibrato (tremolo). Trev Wilkinson and the R&D team at Carvin? have done wonders with Leo?s original Stratocaster? design. The two-point, knife-edge vibrato is extremely fluid and smooth in operation. Both Strat? players and Bigsby? users will be right at home with this unit. The arm has a separate tensioning setscrew, which takes the slop out and allows you to tension the sideways movement of the arm to your desired specifications. Also, the individual bridge saddles lock into place with a setscrew once you have set the intonation and string height to your preferences. Best of all, you can work the vibrato in any manner you choose and the guitar stays in tune. What a concept!

This is one very versatile guitar. You have the choice of warm full humbucker tones, or the snap and brilliance of single coils at the flip of a switch. The phase switch also allows for additional tonal colorations and the separate volume and tone controls for each pickup give you infinite control of your tone.

The neck pickup is very warm and sweet with just a hint of darkness in the humbucking mode. This is exactly what I was looking for. It has the warmth and overtones of a hollow body guitar with the sustain and feedback resistance of a solid body. In single coil mode, it has a very P-90 type of tone with a bit more oomph on the treble end without being harsh or sounding over wound. The output is similar to a P.A.F., but does not sound like a Gibson, or a Fender for that matter. This guitar has it?s own unique sound and personality that I find very appealing.

The bridge pickup is a little hotter and accentuates the high end, again without being brittle or harsh. The low notes are clear and well articulated. When kicked into single coil mode, it sounds like a cross between a DeArmond 2K (Gretsch Dyna-sonic) and a Strat? bridge pickup with a little Tele? twang thrown in for good measure. All in all, it is a very nice pickup indeed.

Used in combination with the coil taps and phase switch, the tonal colorations are infinite. This guitar would be as at home with Rockabilly, or Country, as well as Blues, Jazz or Rock. I don?t however think these pickups would be the right choice for Metal or some of the other more modern forms of music, but Carvin? makes a wide range of pickups for any type of player.

I play a solo gig at a supper club with prerecorded rhythm tracks and play a wide range of styles. I might go from a tune like ?Stardust? or ?Misty? to ?Guitar Boogie Shuffle? or San Antonio Rose.? I do a lot of instrumentals and where before I would need a number of different guitars to get the tones I was looking for, I feel my new Carvin? DC127T will give me the flexibility and tonal shadings I have always wanted and needed without the need to switch guitars so often. As you can tell, I really am impressed with this guitar. It will take me months to experience all the tonal versatility of this magnificent instrument.

I play through a Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue amp and use a Danelectro Daddy-O overdrive pedal, a Danelectro Cool-Cat chorus, and an Ibanez EM-5 digital delay. I use the effects sparingly and this guitar sounds great through this combination.

One other thing I want to cover is the sound of the instrument acoustically. You can have the best electronics and hardware in the galaxy, but if they?re attached to a piece of driftwood, you?ve got squat as far as tone goes no matter what you try to do. When I took my new guitar out of the box, I must have played it for a good 20-30 minutes acoustically before ever plugging it in. I do this with any guitar I buy for the very reason I mentioned.

My new Carvin? sounds exceptionally well and surprisingly loud acoustically. It is very alive with good string balance and articulation along with abundant sustain to please even the most discriminating player. This was a bit of a pleasant surprise for me as I really wasn?t expecting it to be this good acoustically taking the polyurethane finish into consideration. Personally, I like the look and durability of polyurethane, but it seldom sounds as good as nitrocellulose lacquer. That doesn?t seem to apply in this case and that pleases me.

The guitar arrived from Carvin? in nearly perfect tune. The neck relief, overall set up and intonation had been done to absolute perfection. This is the first guitar I?ve purchased in my over forty plus years of playing that I did not have to set up to my preferences. It was dead-on perfect for me right out of the box. Way to go Carvin?!!! The quality of the finish is exceptional; all of the controls and switches feel solid and click into place with authority. The volume and tone pots are the most linear I have ever encountered. Even the slightest turn of the knobs yields a very noticeable change in tone or volume. I am thinking about replacing all of the pots on my guitars with Carvin? units. They really are that good.

The guitar comes strung with .010 - .046 Elixir Nano-Web strings. Although I like the Elixirs on acoustic guitars, I?m not sold on them on electrics. They are just a tad too bright and jangly for me. I am going to change them to Thomastic-Infeld .010 -.047 Jazz Swing flatwounds. I?m sure that will make a major improvement in tone.

Now I must say also, that I ordered my guitar with one of Carvin?s? no extra charge finishes. However, besides the standard alder, they offer an incredible assortment of beautifully figured. woods like koa, mahogany, walnut, swamp ash, AAAA flamed or quilted maple, etc., in an incredible array of translucent finishes. I?ve seen many of these first hand at the Carvin? store in Covina and they are awesome. I just happen to like the tone of alder. I also prefer a solid color on a solid body and I am a sucker for Sea Foam Green.

You can also choose the type of fretboard wood that you prefer. Black ebony, my favorite is standard, but you can order plain or birdseye maple or rosewood. The choices are virtually limitless. Carvin? also offers many different fret styles and materials. This is truly what a custom shop should be.

This is one of the best-built instruments I have ever encountered. I firmly believe it will last many lifetimes without a problem. Carvin? does warranty the guitar for five years, but I doubt I will ever need to take advantage of their service.

I don?t move around a lot on stage, so I didn?t opt for the upgraded strap locks, but the standard strap buttons seem to be of the same high quality as the rest of the instrument and are solidly attached.

Out of necessity that the show must go on, I never gig without backup gear. However, if this were the only guitar I owned, I wouldn?t waste a moment?s thought on its gig worthiness, even in extreme circumstances.

Carvin? sets the benchmark in customer service. Upon making my final decision to order this guitar, I spoke to their sales rep, Scott. I wanted some options Carvin? didn?t offer like the separate volume and tone controls for each pickup, passive wiring and the control layout that I wanted. He worked very closely with me and got me exactly what I wanted. He told me it would take about six weeks to complete my guitar, but it arrived at my home only 29 days after my initial order. What?s up with this? In dealing with Custom Shop promises made to me in the past from other manufacturers, it usually goes more along the line of this. They give you a ridiculously long ETA, still miss it by a month or more, then wonder why you?re upset. Go figure???

Scott returned all of my phone calls (unbelievable in today?s business world) and made sure that my guitar was built exactly to my specifications. If you decide to buy a Carvin?, call Scott. You won?t be disappointed. The big boy manufacturers could learn well from Carvin?s? customer service.

As I?ve said throughout this review, I think this is about as perfect a guitar as you can get. Playing the wide array of styles that I do, the versatility of this instrument is unmatched by anything else I have ever played or owned. If it were lost or stolen, I would be extremely disappointed, but I keep my equipment insured so I would just order another exactly like it. This is an awful lot of guitar for very little money. I guess cutting out the middleman does save the consumer a substantial amount of cash. I?m sure that if Carvins? were sold through music stores instead of factory direct, their prices would probably be double what they are. Even at that, they would still be an exceptional buy. I am a true Carvin? believer.

As I said before, I have been playing for over forty years and have owned many, many different guitars. I currently own a Fender? Stratocaster?, a Telecaster?, a D?Angelico? New Yorker reissue, a Guild? Starfire III Special with DeArmond pickups to name just a few, along with numerous other electrics and acoustics. My Carvin? DC127T rates right at the top of them. Try one for yourself. You won?t be disappointed.

I baught my DC127 in 1999 new from Carvin. It's cherry sunburst with alder body ebony fretboard, spersal locking tuners, coil splitters, graphite saddles & nut and string through fixed bridge and Big Al engraved on the trusrod cover. I was strat all the way before buying my carvin. I was gigging a lot playing classic rock and desided I needed something with humbuckers. Tried a Les Paul but was too heavey. So I went Carvin. Since then I sold my Strat and baught 2 more carvins a koa DC127 and a 1981 DC150.

I play 70's through 90's classic rock in a busy band and find this guitar to be very versitile especially with the line 6 flextone 3. I got the best of both worlds very close to Fender and Gibson tones.

I've bought Fenders and Gibsons new at much higher costs and was real disapointed at the setup from the factory. The only thing I changed on my Carvin was the strings. I'm diehard GHS Boomers 009. Other than that I could take it out gigging right out of the box. Also has the finish and quality of a P.R.S.

This thing is a work horse it's had 5 years of very hard playing. It always stays in tune and never break strings. The only were I have noticed in the time I've had it is that I'm starting to see some dents in the frets from my hard playing. My backup guitar is my DC150.

Never had the pleasure.

I've been playing for 30 years. I own a lot of PA equipment Peavey, AB, Carvin, Line 6 and love it all. (I also break guitars during my gigs but are all Fenders due to bolt on necks. They seem to break well) If my DC127 was stolen I'd have to replace it with the same thing. I love the action it is very fast also coil spliters are great it's like switching guitars in the middle of a song. Great sustain. The other guitar player in my band seems frustrated having to fight with his Gibson and Fender trying to arrive at something in the middle while I'm already there!!! To sum it all up, in my band I book and coordinate the gigs, deal with the money, own and run all the sound and lights. Playing my DC127 just makes my job easier. PS please email me I love Carvin stuff!!

This thing rocks!
Made November 2003 in CA, USA!
I think the coil tap switches and phase reverse are well worth it. They add a TON of tonal variety to this guitar. Check out the features/options on www.carvin.com

A Walnut topped guitar with a flawless neck-thru for $800 is a steal. I thnk the stock pickups sound great and do not need replacing. I own 12 guitars including a Brian Moore DC1 and 60s Gibsons, so I have a good knowledge of what different pickups sound like - these are hot and ballsy and sound nice and crisp is single coil mode.
This thing stays in tune and generally just kicks ass with every amp in a lot of setting. Its a freaking Carvin and it sounds like one, versatile, even - not like a tele or paul so dont expect it to OK!

Outstanding, especially at this price made in the USA?!?!

Solid!

Carvin has great USA customer service.

Killer, killer, killer. And if I had to choose 1 guitar... I think this would be it. Its just so damn versatile and fun to play. The neck is insanely playable, and the body resonates nicely.

A Steal.

I got my 2001 127T through Ebay. Mine is about as decked out as a DC127 could get - koa body with flamed koa top (unbelievable!), 5-piece maple/koa neck, gold hardware, and no inlays on the neck (looks awesome with the koa top). Mine also has the Fishman Acoustic "FA" option, so I have 6 piezo pickups mounted in the Wilkinson style bridge. Along with that, I have the active electronics (its the same as the electronics on the AE185). Mine also has the coil splitters and phase switch, to split the Holdworth neck and M22 bridge pickups. Mine came with the cool tweed case. (I wish this category had the option of "11 - more knobs than a mad scientists lab"

The Holdsworth and M22 pickups are a great combination. The Holdsworth neck pickup actually sounds very similar to the standard C22 neck pikcup, but slightly "smoother" - maybe. The M22 has a little more bite than the standard C22 bridge pickup. I can't say how it would compare to the M22SD, but I would guess it would fit the bill for anything short of screaming death metal. Even that you can come close to with the C22 or M22 pickups.

The electronics package allows the pickups to be split, which is handy for getting a decent single coil sound. I prefer to use it when I just need a little less output or a little brighter snap to the strings.

The real thing I want to focus on here is the acoustic pickup. I used to have an AE185 (until it was stolen), and was always impressed with the acoustic sound from that guitar. The Fishman bridge definitely holds it's own. I tend to think that most piezo systems sound the same plugged in, no matter what preamp, body material, etc. So, if you've ever heard a guitar with a piezo pickup, that's what this one sounds like! With slightly heavier 10's on it, the acoustic sound is very natural. With lighter 9's, it only loses a slight amount of tone. The slick thing about the electronics package is that you can blend in some of the magnetic pickups and take the "quack" and brittle nature out of the piezo system for an even more natural sound. It's still not going to compete with mic'ing a top notch acoustic, but for an acoustic/electric sound, it's tough to beat.

I got the guitar used, so I can't comment on the factory set up. However, I received mine set up with heavier strings than I would prefer, with the action set fairly high. With some new strings, a slight neck adjustment (which ANYONE can do) and a slight drop of the bridge, it was perfect.

Mine has a satin finish on the whole guitar, including the back of the neck. It's a real unique look, but it starts to get shiney over time. I think the high gloss finish would probably keep its beauty longer. I definitely like the satin finish on the back of the neck. I think the feel is very similar to a tung oiled neck, but more durable.

Every Carvin I've played has about the same feel. The neck is pretty "in-between" in shape. Medium thickness, and pretty standard width. The fingerboard is pretty flat, which some people don't like. In all, I think it's a neck design that fits most people, and something that can become "familiar" feeling in short order.

Everything about this guitar falls into the category of "gorgeous". I can't imagine an instrument much nicer.

This thing is made of wood. If you start it on fire it will burn. If you bash it on the stage constantly, it will probably break after a while. If you shoot it with a gun, you'll get holes in it. Smacking it with a hammer will dent it. Otherwise, it should hold up as well as any other guitar. I'd even wager to say that the guitar is "overbuilt", with graphite reinforcement rods in the neck, neck through construction, and a heavy coat of finish.

The electronics have been reliable, with no scratchy pots or switches.

Carvin does a better job than almost any other company I've had to deal with in taking care of their customers. I've only ever had to get in touch with them a couple of times, and for relatively "trivial" things, but they have always been helpful, and quick to reaspond to emails.

I play primarily in a church worship band. We do a pretty wide variety of song styles, so the versatility of this guitar is really what sold me on it. To be honest, it hasn't disappointed me yet. In fact, I like it even better than my old Carvin AE185.

My opinion is that Carvin aims higher than most other guitar manufacturers, and gears their instruments for the player that demands more. It can definitely be compared to the big boys (with their hefty price tags), and hold it's own. The only thing I can possibly think of that this guitar lacks is a carved top, but with the amazing flamed koa, that can be overlooked VERY easily! Add in the unbelievable versitility, and this is the only guitar you would ever need to own.