Joined the Carvin club!

[tcsned]

I got a guy on the Carvin forums to photoshop me an idea, this is what it should look like!

http://i.imgur.com/sOqZx.jpg

looks like you're gonna have a great guitar!

[monroe]

Nice! I really struggled with the decision between an inline headstock or traditional.

[Pete B.]

Hey that Carv' your ordered looks really nice.

Here's my 7-straang:

[gr8fulbluz]

I got a guy on the Carvin forums to photoshop me an idea, this is what it should look like!

http://i.imgur.com/sOqZx.jpg

nah you dont want that, no non no. When ya get it just send it along to me I will take care of it for ya no problem.

te he he.

Seriously
I like the Abalone blocks on mine, they are classy looking i think.
If i Had gotten a DC150 i would have goten the traditional headstock but I like the inline headstock on this model like ya got.
the waiting is the hardest part

Good luck!

[vwjodyme]

i have read that the phase switch just kind of gives a nasally sound, but does anyone know what the active controls do? I think they are standard on the dc 400.

[Pete B.]

i have read that the phase switch just kind of gives a nasally sound, but does anyone know what the active controls do? I think they are standard on the dc 400.

My Carvin is a DC727, but it is basically a DC400W with 7 strings.
The active electroncs is like an onboard EQ... The lower 2 knobs are bass and treble with a notch at the 50% rotation point. You boost/cut you bass/treble with those knobs in Active mode.
The top knob is master volume, and you pull up on it to go to non-Active mode, at which point the top knobs are Master Vol/Tone and the bottom two are out of the picture.
The two top switches are single coil/humbucker.
I rarely if ever use the out of phase switch.

I am considering sending this guitar off to be "Jerry-fried" at some point in early 2011.

[vwjodyme]

Thanks for the explanation Pete!
I've been going back and forth between dc 145 (w/middle p/u) or a dc 400 (w/ active ctrls and a piezo). i think i am leaning torwards the 400 with the same thought...that i can always have it jerry-fied at some piont later.

[Pete B.]

Thanks for the explanation Pete!
I've been going back and forth between dc 145 (w/middle p/u) or a dc 400 (w/ active ctrls and a piezo). i think i am leaning torwards the 400 with the same thought...that i can always have it jerry-fied at some piont later.

Here's 'something you might consider if you are currently ordering a Carvin.
I have an idea that I haven't ran by a Carvin tech yet to see if this is possible, but...
Ya know how they won't do Active Electronics with 3-pick-up configs?...
Well how about this..
Put a 3rd humbucker in the middle position, and then connect the neck pickup and middle pickup to a switch that takes the place of the Phase Switch, such that you have Active Electroncs with a max of two pickups at a time (per Carvin rules), but you use that switch to select between the neck or middle pickup.
You would then use the existing 3 way switch for: [bridge, bridge/middle, middle], or, [bridge, bridge/neck, neck].
You would need to add one more switch for the single-coil/humbucker on the middle pickup.
You would still have the option of pulling up on the Master Volume to defeat the Active electronics, which gives you basically a whole 'nuther tonal pallette to "draw" from.
You no longer have a Phase Switch, which is no loss for any self-respectin' Jerry guy.
(If it's a Bobby rig you might seriously consider keeping the Phase Switch).

[monroe]

I asked (after placing my order) the customer service guy about doing some non-standard "mods" to mine. I got a couple of answers.

One question was even though they wouldn't do the active electronics, could they still cut out and put an empty compartment for the 9V battery in it. That way, I could add a waldo buffer or something on my own later and the battery compartment would already be there.
The answer on that was, "Let me let you talk to <insert luthier's name here>, who is actually building your guitar". I thought that was really cool of them, to let me talk directly to the luthier. Unfortunately he had already left for the day so I didn't get to talk to him. I called back a few days later and talked to the same Customer service guy. He said he talked to the luthier, and he said they couldn't/wouldn't do it. Weak.

I also asked if (for a DC-145) they would do an H-H-S configuration instead of H-S-H. Customer Service guy said I'd have to ask someone in sales about that, but he thought that they would probably do it, but I'd lose the ability to return the guitar if I don't like it (their standard policy is if you don't like the guitar when you get it, you can send it back within 10 days and they'll give you a full refund, no questions asked). If they did any custom mods, you'd lose that ability and just have to accept whatever you get. I'm sure they'd still repair any issues or anything like that for you, but you couldn't just do a straight return. I didn't pursue that any further cause I actually want H-S-H on mine, I was just asking out of curiosity.

[Counterstriker]

Got a post card from carvin today! Expected to be completed on 02/04/11! ahh! soo far away!!

[monroe]

I hear ya! Don't worry, the wait gets easier. We've got Christmas and New Year's coming up, then it'll be january. Then just 4 quick weeks and it'll be Feb. before you know it! That's how I'm looking at it. I'm just looking forward to Christmas and New Years, then I'll have less than 2 weeks till mine ships.

[Counterstriker]

Awsome! So what did you get on yours? I plan in switching the pickups out, that is if I don't like them, I really love the sound of my middle strat pickup so I might swap them. I've had Waldo's buffer in my drawer for almost a year now, I'm glad I waited cause now I can get it put in the Carvin!

[monroe]

Mine is nearly exactly the same as the one that Brutus got and has posted pics of on here. Mine does have a few minor differences (I went for the stainless steel frets and Abalone dot inlays). Otherwise, mine and his are exactly the same. My specs are below. I've heard good things about the Carvin pups so I'm not planning on changing them. But if it turns out that I don't love them, I may switch out the humbuckers with the Seymour Duncans I have in my current guitar. I'd also like to put a waldo buffer in my carvin, but that's going to have to wait awhile. I want to do it myself, and since I've never done any wiring before, I need to do lots of practice on my beater first, starting with some more simple wiring jobs, and working my way up to tiger style wiring.

Here's the specs on my Carvin "wolf"
$ 829.00 - DC145 - Three Pickup Guitar
Right Handed
$ 0.00 - - - Fixed Bridge w/ Strings Through Body
$ 20.00 - 32 - Two Coil Splitting Switches
$ 10.00 - 36 - Add Phase Switch
$ 250.00 - QTY - Vintage Yellow Quilt
$ 0.00 - -CG - Clear Gloss Finish (Standard)
$ 50.00 - WAL - Maple Neck & Walnut Body
$ 100.00 - 5MW - 5-Piece Maple Neck w/ 2 Walnut Stripes
$ 30.00 - BPH - Black Painted Headstock
$ 20.00 - TH - Traditional Style Headstock
$ 0.00 - -EB - Ebony Fingerboard (Standard)
$ 20.00 - ABD - Abalone Dot Inlays
$ 40.00 - STF - Stainless Med-Jumbo Frets .048" H .103" W
$ 0.00 - -R12 - 12in Fretboard Radius (Standard)
$ 40.00 - RB - Rounded Body Sides
$ 0.00 - -CH - Chrome Hardware (Standard)
$ 0.00 - -C22B - C22B Bridge Pickup (Standard)
$ 0.00 - -C22J - C22J Neck Pickup (Standard)
$ 5.00 - 407 - Cream/Black Coils w/ Cream Bezels
$ 0.00 - WL - White Logo
$ 0.00 - -46 - Elixir 1046E Light Gauge .010 - .046 (Standard)
$ 0.00 - HC11S - Form-Fitted ABS Hardshell Case FREE

[Counterstriker]

About the Phase switch, I heard it comes in handy if you play funk music, getting that sound down for that if you know what I mean, is that true?

-Thanks!

Getting closer everyday!

[monroe]

Good question. I'll certainly find out, as I love the funk! Honestly, the whole reason I had them add the phase switch was so that when I do get to adding a waldo buffer and OBEL, I could use that switch for the OBEL toggle. But maybe I'll have to keep it works as a "funk switch"