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MGR/M.G. from Pasadena, CA « Carvin DC127 »
Published on 02/07/05 at 15:00$585 (shipping included) from eBay Jan. 2005 -- would cost approx. $850 new. I've been impressed with Carvin guitars since the '80s, and finally decided to own one.
All-black (body, neck [ebony is standard fretboard wood on this model -- very nice], headstock, hardware) except for the neck dots -- the "Darth Vader" of axes! One understated, yet mean looking mother of a guitar! And that's just the cosmetics. The action is low and fast with no buzz from the locking nut to the last (24th) fret. Ergonomically, the guitar feels great (see my comments on its relatively light weight below) and balances well when played with a strap. Very versatile range of sounds since you can split the humbuckers -- can play all-out metal to match its looks, or warm and full for the tastiest of blues jams! Carvin's stock pick-ups are absolutely first-rate. You can truly see, hear and otherwise tell that every aspect of the guitar was well conceived, and that the particular strengths and nuances of the chosen components were factored into, not shoehorned into the design. Nothing about this guitar seems arbitrary or compromised.
Truly no meaningful complaints about the guitar itself. Aesthetically, if I had to nitpick, I felt that the spindly looking toggle switch that controls pick-up selection seemed underwhelming considering the prey-cat, powerful yet sleek look and feel of the rest of the guitar. Yet when you actually use the switch, it feels butter-smooth and solid -- a nice complement to the equally high-quality tone and volume pots. I could fatten up the switch with a coat of black handle grip dip, but anyone who's played a Carvin knows that the switches are fine as is. Other than that, the hardshell Carvin case that came with the guitar could benefit from a thicker outer plastic shell since the surface has become concave. However, the case's overall integrity remains solid.
Neck is straight and true, and the neck-through-body construction makes the guitar feel like it's cut from a single piece of wood. The guitar is lightweight (relative to a Stratocaster, let alone a Les Paul), yet feels more solid than either of the two venerable models I just mentioned. I own a beautiful HSS American Strat (my brother owns the Les Paul), and all I can say is, if you hold each of the three guitars one after the other, you can simply FEEL the structural superiority of the DC127. The electronics are butter smooth and tolerance tight. Despite the fact that I bought the guitar used, and the previous owner certainly played it and didn't baby it (judging by the condition of the case which I detailed above), the finish to the body remains near flawless despite a few pin-prick size dings and some pick swirl marks which I'll polish out.
I agree with other user and professional reviewers who marvel at how Carvin can produce such quality instruments offered at price points necessarily low to maintain some market share. My Strat HSS w/Sienna sunburst cost me $900 new in mid-2004 -- haggled like crazy with the boys at Guitar Center to get that price. To me that was quite a bargain (came with a hard-shell Fender case) then and now for a U.S. Strat of that quality. Yet this is approximately what one would have to pay for a new version of the blacked-out DC127 (as of Feb. 2005). I've not played any PRS guitars, but for the premium you'd pay for PRS over Carvin, I don't see how you could arrive at a cost benefit unless a PRS simply feels and/or sounds better to you. I've not seen any meaningful boasts that PRS' quality outshines Carvin's, so given the price difference, I don't see how it's justifiable for the vast majority of guitarists to pick PRS over Carvin. So here's the upshot. Considering that the DC127 is completely custom built and equals or outshines my Strat in playability, construction quality and flat-out value, I'd encourage anyone looking for a new electric guitar to visit Carvin's website (www.carvin.com) and create a profile of his/her dream guitar. When you sit back drooling at the virtual axe you've built, then get the price, I'm sure you'll have a hard time not following through on the order!
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
All-black (body, neck [ebony is standard fretboard wood on this model -- very nice], headstock, hardware) except for the neck dots -- the "Darth Vader" of axes! One understated, yet mean looking mother of a guitar! And that's just the cosmetics. The action is low and fast with no buzz from the locking nut to the last (24th) fret. Ergonomically, the guitar feels great (see my comments on its relatively light weight below) and balances well when played with a strap. Very versatile range of sounds since you can split the humbuckers -- can play all-out metal to match its looks, or warm and full for the tastiest of blues jams! Carvin's stock pick-ups are absolutely first-rate. You can truly see, hear and otherwise tell that every aspect of the guitar was well conceived, and that the particular strengths and nuances of the chosen components were factored into, not shoehorned into the design. Nothing about this guitar seems arbitrary or compromised.
Truly no meaningful complaints about the guitar itself. Aesthetically, if I had to nitpick, I felt that the spindly looking toggle switch that controls pick-up selection seemed underwhelming considering the prey-cat, powerful yet sleek look and feel of the rest of the guitar. Yet when you actually use the switch, it feels butter-smooth and solid -- a nice complement to the equally high-quality tone and volume pots. I could fatten up the switch with a coat of black handle grip dip, but anyone who's played a Carvin knows that the switches are fine as is. Other than that, the hardshell Carvin case that came with the guitar could benefit from a thicker outer plastic shell since the surface has become concave. However, the case's overall integrity remains solid.
Neck is straight and true, and the neck-through-body construction makes the guitar feel like it's cut from a single piece of wood. The guitar is lightweight (relative to a Stratocaster, let alone a Les Paul), yet feels more solid than either of the two venerable models I just mentioned. I own a beautiful HSS American Strat (my brother owns the Les Paul), and all I can say is, if you hold each of the three guitars one after the other, you can simply FEEL the structural superiority of the DC127. The electronics are butter smooth and tolerance tight. Despite the fact that I bought the guitar used, and the previous owner certainly played it and didn't baby it (judging by the condition of the case which I detailed above), the finish to the body remains near flawless despite a few pin-prick size dings and some pick swirl marks which I'll polish out.
I agree with other user and professional reviewers who marvel at how Carvin can produce such quality instruments offered at price points necessarily low to maintain some market share. My Strat HSS w/Sienna sunburst cost me $900 new in mid-2004 -- haggled like crazy with the boys at Guitar Center to get that price. To me that was quite a bargain (came with a hard-shell Fender case) then and now for a U.S. Strat of that quality. Yet this is approximately what one would have to pay for a new version of the blacked-out DC127 (as of Feb. 2005). I've not played any PRS guitars, but for the premium you'd pay for PRS over Carvin, I don't see how you could arrive at a cost benefit unless a PRS simply feels and/or sounds better to you. I've not seen any meaningful boasts that PRS' quality outshines Carvin's, so given the price difference, I don't see how it's justifiable for the vast majority of guitarists to pick PRS over Carvin. So here's the upshot. Considering that the DC127 is completely custom built and equals or outshines my Strat in playability, construction quality and flat-out value, I'd encourage anyone looking for a new electric guitar to visit Carvin's website (www.carvin.com) and create a profile of his/her dream guitar. When you sit back drooling at the virtual axe you've built, then get the price, I'm sure you'll have a hard time not following through on the order!
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com