On 2002-12-05, Tim gave this Carvin Electric Guitar a 4...(3246)
Purchase: $683.99 from Carvin direct. I bought it sight unseen after playing 20-30 American and Mexican Strats in various area music stores and being appalled at their "play-ability" for the money. Also, Carvin was willing to make one to MY specification, including a custom finish. No more, "well, I SORTA like the color on that one."
Pros: The neck was beautiful. It was set down to 1/16", with no buzzing and no dead spots. The pick-ups were solid-I ordered a hot humbucker in the bridge position, and it was fat, fat, FAT. The single coils in the center and neck positions were very good. Warm tone, minimal noise.
Cons: It had 3 problems-a bad volume pot (it would not turn all the way down), a loose switch, and a rattle behind the truss rod cover (probably a rogue screw). I also didn't fall in love with the finish. I ordered a flamed maple top with what Carvin calls a "blueburst," but it had far more black than blue. So, I sent it back-and they took it (even paid for the shipping), no questions asked. They cheerfully filled my order for a new one, this time in a lighter shade of blue.
Quality: The wood was gorgeous-and the neck, including the joint, was first rate. The guitar felt very solid and had "singing" sustain. The combination of a hard rock maple neck, alder under-body, and 1/2" flamed maple cap was very musical. It's unfortunate that the electronics were not inspected completely, and that is something that should have been caught before it left the factory.
Summary: After playing the Carvin, there is no way I'd pay a grand (or more) for an American Fender Stratocaster. Without exception, all the Strats I played were much less musical, much less "playable," and, in some cases depending on options (the "Fat Strat," for example), a total rip-off. In fact, I might argue that there is very little difference between the fit, finish, and feel of a modern strat and the Yamaha P112 I let me son abuse (in my opinion, the only thing that sets them apart from the Asian copies are the electronics). The Carvin, on the other hand, was a gorgeously crafted instrument. It looked amazing, felt musical, and had the best neck I have ever played (and I've owned at least 50 guitars in my lifetime). I hope they get the quality control issues right on the next one. For this review, given that I had to send it back, it gets only 4 stars (I'd have given most of the Strats I played 1 or 2 stars). With no build issues, this is undoubtably, given its price to performance ration, a 5 star guitar.
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