Carvin Allan Holdsworth Model

[Doughboy]

Saw one of these for sale on ebay cheap;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Carvin-H2T-w-gigbag-/120783026904?pt=Guitar&hash=item1c1f3abad8#ht_500wt_949
. I played one of these before....sounds awesome but the thick neck and flat radius weren't for me

With all the wear & tear on this 10 year old guitar, it's not that good a deal as they go for under $1000 & Carvin always has specials & sales going on.

Carvin necks are thick, which I don't really care for. I had my CS6 sanded down for a thinner radius & it feels much better.

My Holdsworth model arrives in about 2 weeks, so I'll have a review up. I hear their necks are even fatter than the CS6's.  :sad:

 

[dNA]

Carvin necks are thick, which I don't really care for. I had my CS6 sanded down for a thinner radius & it feels much better.

thinner radius?

 

[Cagey]

I have to say that the Carvin I had several years ago was probably the nicest guitar I ever owned. It played like a dream, sounded wonderful, and it was gorgeous to boot.

That being said, they're thinner necks. i don't know if they make a fatter contour than the standard. And on top of that, i think the Holdsworth model has a 20" radius that's supposed to feel and play comparable to a nylon-string's neck isn't it?

I've never owned a whole Carvin guitar (although I've lusted after them for many years), but I did buy one of their necks once that I still have around here somewhere. Ebony over Maple. Put it on a Fender Deluxe American Standard Strat that came with a Maple/Maple neck, which I've never been able to get next to. The Carvin neck made the thing "just right", other than the body color, so I eventually put the Maple/Maple neck back on and sold it. Carvin makes some nice necks with good fretwork, but they are thin. Didn't bother me, but I could see where some people might complain.

 

[Doughboy]

Carvin necks are thick, which I don't really care for. I had my CS6 sanded down for a thinner radius & it feels much better.

thinner radius?

Back radius or back contour.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

Why they're not a household name is a mystery to me.

Probably because of their unorthodox distribution system.  Since people can't see and play them in their local music store they lack the brand focus of the other major companies.  In general, it takes a knowledgeable consumer to order a Carvin since they can't just pick one up at Guitar Center or a local store.

I'm totally gassing for a V220, but this is the #1 reason why I don't own one; there's no distribution system.  I have my reservations about purchasing a guitar I've never played.  This is just exacerbated by the fact that I've never seen a Carvin, nor ever held one in my hands.

All things considered, the Carvin V220 is in my "Top 5" list of guitars I really want.  I'm just extremely nervous that I'd get it and I wouldn't connect with it.

 

[Doughboy]

Why they're not a household name is a mystery to me.

Probably because of their unorthodox distribution system.  Since people can't see and play them in their local music store they lack the brand focus of the other major companies.  In general, it takes a knowledgeable consumer to order a Carvin since they can't just pick one up at Guitar Center or a local store.

I'm totally gassing for a V220, but this is the #1 reason why I don't own one; there's no distribution system.  I have my reservations about purchasing a guitar I've never played.  This is just exacerbated by the fact that I've never seen a Carvin, nor ever held one in my hands.

All things considered, the Carvin V220 is in my "Top 5" list of guitars I really want.  I'm just extremely nervous that I'd get it and I wouldn't connect with it.

I was in yor shoes for YEARS. I had never seen a Carvin, let alone played one. But I broke down & ordered a CS6 as I've always wanted a Les Paul but would never buy a Gibson for obvious reasons. Suffice to say, the Carvin is one of my best sounding guitars & plays really well. The quality & craftsmanship is almost as amazing as their low prices.

 

[drewfx]

Carvin necks are thick, which I don't really care for. I had my CS6 sanded down for a thinner radius & it feels much better.

My Holdsworth model arrives in about 2 weeks, so I'll have a review up. I hear their necks are even fatter than the CS6's.  :sad:

Thick compared to what?

For buying just a neck, the bolt on necks specs say .76" 1st fret & .90" 12th fret; neck through specs are .78" & .88".

I'd consider getting a C neck for something, but they sound like they're too thin to me.

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

If you happen to have calipers, could you take a measurement of the Holdsworth neck?  From what I can tell, it's about equivalent to the W fatback on a 1 11/16" neck, but there's not a lot of solid info.

When I lived in SoCal, I went to the Carvin store many a time, and their guitars never did feel quite comfy to me - the thin neck is, I realize years later, the reason.  My longtime Carvin bass (built from a kit) has a thick enough neck, but I can't bring myself to think about one of their guitars again... except the Holdsworth Fatboy.  That inspires GAS to magnitudes I can't describe.  If were to order another "factory" (aka - "not parts to be built by me") guitar, it'd be a Carvin.

 

[Doughboy]

Having only played the CS6, I can't imagine it being too thin. It's a FAT neck. However, their other guitars may have much thinner necks.

The Holdsworth is supposedly their fatest neck, but I'll find out in 2 weeks.

If the Holdsworth turns out well, I'm going to order one of their ST300s as well & those probably would have thin necks since they're 80s type shred guitars.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I like Carvin products, but it irritates me that they don't list the specs on any of their guitar neck profiles, like Warmoth and Ibanez do.

 

[bagman67]

I like Carvin products, but it irritates me that they don't list the specs on any of their guitar neck profiles, like Warmoth and Ibanez do.

Bolt-on neck specs are here:
http://www.carvinguitars.com/necks/2009_10_bn_dimensions.pdf

And the neck-through:
http://www.carvinguitars.com/necks/2009_10_nt6_dimensions.pdf

Couldnt find anything for set necks, though.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

Why they're not a household name is a mystery to me.

Probably because of their unorthodox distribution system.  Since people can't see and play them in their local music store they lack the brand focus of the other major companies.  In general, it takes a knowledgeable consumer to order a Carvin since they can't just pick one up at Guitar Center or a local store.

I'm totally gassing for a V220, but this is the #1 reason why I don't own one; there's no distribution system.  I have my reservations about purchasing a guitar I've never played.  This is just exacerbated by the fact that I've never seen a Carvin, nor ever held one in my hands.

All things considered, the Carvin V220 is in my "Top 5" list of guitars I really want.  I'm just extremely nervous that I'd get it and I wouldn't connect with it.

I was in yor shoes for YEARS. I had never seen a Carvin, let alone played one. But I broke down & ordered a CS6 as I've always wanted a Les Paul but would never buy a Gibson for obvious reasons. Suffice to say, the Carvin is one of my best sounding guitars & plays really well. The quality & craftsmanship is almost as amazing as their low prices.

My main concern is the neck profile; is it gonna be too thin, too thick, too wide, etc.

As another member posted, it would be nice if they'd post their neck profiles.  While I got an answer from a rep on their neck profile (12"-16", and 1.7" at the nut, 2.25" at the 24th fret), it would've been nice to just find that info immediately instead of waiting 3 days for an Email.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I like Carvin products, but it irritates me that they don't list the specs on any of their guitar neck profiles, like Warmoth and Ibanez do.

Bolt-on neck specs are here:
http://www.carvinguitars.com/necks/2009_10_bn_dimensions.pdf

And the neck-through:
http://www.carvinguitars.com/necks/2009_10_nt6_dimensions.pdf

Couldnt find anything for set necks, though.

Thanks. I never saw that before (it's not in their paper catalog).
.760" @ the nut is perfect for me (that's what my Soloist has), but it get's pretty thick at .900" @ the 12th. Mine is .830".
'Seems like quite a spread. I think a taper of .70" is pretty common.

 

[juanhonglo]

hey guys. i have had an H2 hardtail for 9 years now. still play it everyday in fact. i have that and a w strat w/ '59 profile and W tele with a fat back.

The H2 is NOTHING like either of them! The best was to describe an h2 neck is a bigger, meatier ibanez wizard profile ( have an rg520qs too).  it has a similar thickness (front to back) as a 90's american standard (perhaps a little thinner?).  the big difference is that it has a big, flat D-profile. with lots of shoulder.

for me, it is the ultimate neck shape.  so much so that i want to see about getting a neck made with that shape for a future strat build.

i don't get it when people say it has a "baseball bat" sized neck.  that describes the fatback to a "t".

blasphemy, i know, but check out usacg's u-shape contour. shrink the depth by about 25% or so and that is essentially it.

BTW the h2 is such a nice guitar!  different, but nice.  i want another one in fact.

my perfect guitar would be the holdsworth neck on a fully contoured full hollow strat.  or even better, a hollow rg body!

 

[juanhonglo]

oh btw, carvin will now cut any back profile you want on their necks. i think it is a $100 upcharge and non returnable.

that is all.

 

[Strat Avenger]

oh btw, carvin will now cut any back profile you want on their necks. i think it is a $100 upcharge and non returnable.

that is all.

That's cool. Warmoth should do that (at no extra charge like USACG does).

 

[Johnfv]

...flat D-profile...

Not sure what options are available today but I have a Carvin TL60 (neck through) that I bought from a friend (built in early 90s). The wood and craftsmanship are very nice but the flat back neck is not my favorite shape. I much prefer a Warmoth standard thin.