Opinions on Carvin guitars - Maybe getting a DC200

[YJM]

Just wondering what Jemsters think about Carvin guitars in general (and more specifically the DC200)?

My questions...
[*]What have you played?[*]Do they sound any good?[*]How do their necks play?[*]Are they comparable to Ibanez in terms of playability and craftmanship?[*]Final question: Should I buy one (I'm looking at a used DC200 with Mahogany body and neck and a quilted flame top - really really nice - and I've always wanted a neck-thru body)? :help:

-Bill

[jemsite]

my thoughts in random order...

* i hate all locking trems except the Edge/LoPro, so i'd get a fixed-bridge carvin and never one with a FLoyd.

* carvin's have a rather poor resale value if that matters

* quality is very good and the axe should play great w/ nice, low action.

* their body styles are generic and clumsy looking... no "soul" comes to mind when i think of carvin

* pricing varies widely based on options (can get very pricy)

* sound is subjective and pickups can be replaced

good luck... glen

[JESTER700]

The quality is unbeatable for the price. *The pickups are high quality, but may or may not be to your liking; as YJM said, it's a personal thing. *Same with the body shapes. *At least now they have a rounded body sides option.

The options are half price now, so it would probably be cheaper to actually get a DC127 and add the options necessary to make it a DC200!

I love their necks. *Kind of a cross between a wizard & an ultra, with better frets, an ebony board, and graphit reinforcement.

Too bad they don't make a radius or sabre body shape; I'd have a couple!

[YJM]

Thanks, Glen and Jester!

I've found this really nice looking DC200. It's a fixed bridge, active electronics, blue burst finish, quilted flame top, mohagony body and neck, abalone block inlays, and so forth. It's pretty much fully optioned and less than a year old in showroom condition. All for a very reasonable price of AUD$1000 (USD$500).

Resale isn't an issue as I don't sell my guitars.

Only problem is the guitar is in another state and I can't see or play it prior to purchase. Hence me asking for your help again! Look, that money was originally funding the purchase of a JS1000BTB. If I do get the DC200, then it'll be another 9 months before I get the JS.

My decision comes down to whether the above DC200 is worth getting? I can't make up my mind now!!!!! I'm going insane! Please help!!!! Arrrrrrrgh!!!!! :idunno:

-Bill

[Jimi D]

Well, my opinion's unpopular, but I'll express it anyway... After years of wondering I picked up a DC127 with a Wilkinson on it last year and I was very disappointed. "Soul-less" is a good description of how this guitar played and sounded, and there was the odd finishing glitch that made me wonder about Carvin's rep as a "Custom Shop"... Another thing, the pots, switches, jack and plastic back-plates on this guitar were the cheapest crap available anywhere, I mean ABSOLUTE GARBAGE! All would need replacing eventually if I had decided to keep the guitar. The fretboard felt very square-edged and uncomfortable to me, and I ultimately kept the guitar for all of three months before ditching it. Besides my DC127, I've played a Carvin V and a semi-acoustic-y thing (don't know the model number, but it's a hollow or semi-hollow electric with an acoustic-style bridge) and neither's swayed my opinion... In the case of Carvin, I contend that you get what you pay for.

[jem7vwh]

Hmm.. well, I like Carvin on principle, but I have a few problems.

a. I disagree terribly with the "buy before you try" situation they put their customers in.

b. The stock pickups are typically pretty crappy

c. They're tough to get rid of once you own it.

[YJM]

OK.

I've never bought a guitar without even trying it first. Now that you say it's not so hot, I'll take your advice and give that Carvin a miss.

-Bill

[jem7vwh]

FWIW- there are some people who are all about Carvins. You'll find a few of them on the Harmony Central forum. Beware though: HC's forum is a total mess. Troll Central.

Anyhow- I always thumb through Carvin's catalogs when they come, and I find them interesting, but there's just too many drawbacks for me when I'm not rich My biggest fear is shelling out the $900+ and deciding I don't like it. Then I'm stuck with an expensive guitar that no one's ever heard of. I wouldn't want to end up selling it off on e-bay for $400 or whatever it gets up to.

[gkelm]

All things considered, at that price in that condition...how wrong could you go? I'd suspect you'd lose little if any if you decided you didn't like it. Use usual caution...phone calls, digital pics, etc to gain confidence before committing if you decide to do so.
Greg

[Polaris20]

Originally Posted by jem7vwh

FWIW- there are some people who are all about Carvins. You'll find a few of them on the Harmony Central forum. Beware though: HC's forum is a total mess. Troll Central.

Anyhow- I always thumb through Carvin's catalogs when they come, and I find them interesting, but there's just too many drawbacks for me when I'm not rich My biggest fear is shelling out the $900+ and deciding I don't like it. Then I'm stuck with an expensive guitar that no one's ever heard of. I wouldn't want to end up selling it off on e-bay for $400 or whatever it gets up to.

The only thing you're actually losing is the shipping costs. They allow you to return it for up to 10 days after you receive it.

It's still somewhat of a risk, but not quite as much.

[rlintz]

I own two Carvins - both 7 stringers. I bought both used and have only about $750 in both of them. Carvin pups sound very good in my opinion - not super high output but with enough gain, they rock. Clean, they're crisp and articulate. Workmanship is not quite up there with the high end Ibanez stuff IMO.

Great thing about Carvin is they offer many models and options and you can always return a guitar if it's not to your liking.

[Gresh]

I have played Randy's Carvin Sevens and they are well made guitars. I have also owned a 6 string all koa carvin that I liked very much. I wasn't nuts about the trem or the tone...but I had crap amps at the time. The guitar played beautifully though...some of the best necks in the business, right up there with Parker in my opinion, and some of the Ibanez shapes. It is rumored that they don't age their wood long enough and it shrinks allowing some frets to protrude to the edges of the fretboard...but I can't comment on the validity of it.

[JESTER700]

Originally Posted by Gresh

I have played Randy's Carvin Sevens and they are well made guitars. I have also owned a 6 string all koa carvin that I liked very much. I wasn't nuts about the trem or the tone...but I had crap amps at the time. The guitar played beautifully though...some of the best necks in the business, right up there with Parker in my opinion, and some of the Ibanez shapes. It is rumored that they don't age their wood long enough and it shrinks allowing some frets to protrude to the edges of the fretboard...but I can't comment on the validity of it.

My Carvin neck from '92 is still perfect in this regard. In fact, the only neck I ever HAD do this is on my Ibanez SC620 - and only slightly at that.

[Gresh]

As I said, I cannot validate the statement...but it is out there, true, false or otherwise. The only guitar I have owned that did that was a $1000+ Gibson acoustic, sometimes you don't get what you pay for.

[urkoman]

A friend owns a dc-127 and all I have to say is i donīt like it at all. No good clean sound, no good high gain sound...seems it has nothing exceptional. The neck is not bad but itīs too thick for me. My suggestion is to buy the JS by far...