Carvin ST300

[Doughboy]

I had ordered a Carvin H2 Allan Holdsworth model a few moths ago & although it was a really nicely built instrument, it just wasn't me. I returned it & ordered an ST300 &  well, this guitar is definitely ME.  :icon_thumright:

Neck Through mahogany body & neck, 24 fret ebony fingerboard, Carvin PUs & a floyd.

Once again, I am 100% convinced that Carvin makes the best name brand off the shelf type guitars in the world. I have a CS6 that I love & the ST300 doesn't disappoint.

Carvin ST300 Bridge PU demo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psA2DMH6RG8

Carvin ST300 Neck PU demo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNsDU4UP5DM

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

I'd love to get a Carvin V220 but I have a hard time justifying the price for a guitar I may not particularly care for.  I also prefer a compound radius on a neck, an option Carvin quit offering. :icon_scratch:  Having played standard radius and and compound radius guitars, I do notice a difference in feel, even though it's ever so slight (most of the time), but there's just something about it...

While I've heard excellent things about Carvin and don't doubt most of what I've heard, I've also heard excellent things about Gibson in the past.  I think I'd need to play a Carvin and inspect one first-hand before pulling the trigger on one.

FWIW, I do make a habit of visiting Carvin's website on a regular basis just to see what's available.  They make some beautiful instruments.

 

[NQbass7]

I'd have trouble justifying a Carvin buy when I have so many builds I'd like to do with Warmoth stuff, but some of their stuff really is gorgeous - like this, for example:

http://www.carvinguitars.com/images/guitars-in-stock/large/112345b.jpg

I've heard nothing but good things about them - a friend of my dad's has a custom bass and two custom guitars from them, and can't say enough good things about them.

 

[Doughboy]

I'd have trouble justifying a Carvin buy when I have so many builds I'd like to do with Warmoth stuff, but some of their stuff really is gorgeous - like this, for example:

http://www.carvinguitars.com/images/guitars-in-stock/large/112345b.jpg

I've heard nothing but good things about them - a friend of my dad's has a custom bass and two custom guitars from them, and can't say enough good things about them.

I know what you're saying, however, if you're looking for a neck through body guitar, Warmoth is out of the question.

You just can't find as nice a name brand instrument out there, especially for the price.

For bolt ons, Warmoth is the king, for other stuff, Carvin is pretty nifty!!!!

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

I'd have trouble justifying a Carvin buy when I have so many builds I'd like to do with Warmoth stuff, but some of their stuff really is gorgeous - like this, for example:

http://www.carvinguitars.com/images/guitars-in-stock/large/112345b.jpg

I've heard nothing but good things about them - a friend of my dad's has a custom bass and two custom guitars from them, and can't say enough good things about them.

I know what you're saying, however, if you're looking for a neck through body guitar, Warmoth is out of the question.

You just can't find as nice a name brand instrument out there, especially for the price.

For bolt ons, Warmoth is the king, for other stuff, Carvin is pretty nifty!!!!

I definitely love my Warmoth guitar.  It's without a doubt one of the best playing guitars I've ever played, if not the best guitar I've ever played.

 

[Johnfv]

How is the neck profile? I have an older '90s Carvin that I bought used and I agree the wood and construction are excellent but I don't care so much for the flat back neck profile.

 

[greywolf]

I've used thier neck on 2 guitars , including the Koa capped  WGD  one  I'm working one .. Very good construction .

 

[stultzies9]

I owned a Carvin Bolt for several years, and it was a fantastic guitar.  Once I built my first Warmoth Chambered Strat, I wound up not using the Bolt anymore, so I sold it off.  There are days that I regret that, but the Chambered Strat did a better job of filling that Strat niche in my collection.

Having said all of that, I own three Carvin amps (X60B, Legacy I, and a V3M), and am seriously looking at their CT set neck carved top models.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I just bought a new Carvin 24-channel mixer, and it's sweet.
As mentioned by someone else, I have no use for Carvin guitars when I can build Warmoths. They are nice though.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

I just bought a new Carvin 24-channel mixer, and it's sweet.
As mentioned by someone else, I have no use for Carvin guitars when I can build Warmoths. They are nice though.

But you can't build a neck-through Warmoth.  :help:

 

[Strat Avenger]

I just bought a new Carvin 24-channel mixer, and it's sweet.
As mentioned by someone else, I have no use for Carvin guitars when I can build Warmoths. They are nice though.

But you can't build a neck-through Warmoth.  :help:

Quite true. I've personally never been interested in a neck-thru guitar.

 

[Doughboy]

I just bought a new Carvin 24-channel mixer, and it's sweet.
As mentioned by someone else, I have no use for Carvin guitars when I can build Warmoths. They are nice though.

But you can't build a neck-through Warmoth.  :help:

Quite true. I've personally never been interested in a neck-thru guitar.

Me neither until I played one. The sustain is definitely better, as is the access to the 24th fret.

 

[crash]

How are Carvin's acoustic guitars?

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

What's really weird is I was always a fan of bolt-on guitars, and then I played a neck-through, and for some reason it just "feels" different.  I feel like if I closed my eyes and someone handed me two of the same guitar, one neck-through and one bolt-on, I'd be able to tell the difference just by playing them, even if every other spec was exactly the same.  :icon_scratch:  Maybe it's just perception?  ???

I love my Warmoth guitar, but damn, sometimes I wish it were a neck-through.  IMO, if it were a neck-through, it would be pure perfection. 

As for the neck-throughs offering more sustain than a bolt-on neck, I can assure you that my Warmoth provides just as much, if not more sustain than my neck-through 2003 Jackson KV2.  When you think about it, a neck-through is just a neck with wings attached to the sides.  It's really not all that different from a bolt-on neck, other than there aren't wings attached to a bolt-on neck.  Yes, the neck-throughs have longer necks which equate to longer pieces of wood, but where's the huge significance?

 

[Doughboy]

How are Carvin's acoustic guitars?

No idea. I'm sure they're quality instruments though, as they don't seem to make anything poorly.

The nice thing is that they offer a full refund for 14 days if you're not happy with your purchase. I returned my Allan Holdsworth model & got a refund right away & no hassles at all.

I just ordered the SH645 model so hopefully it'll be in line with the quality of the CS6 & the ST300 that I have.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

How are Carvin's acoustic guitars?

No idea. I'm sure they're quality instruments though, as they don't seem to make anything poorly.

The nice thing is that they offer a full refund for 14 days if you're not happy with your purchase. I returned my Allan Holdsworth model & got a refund right away & no hassles at all.

I just ordered the SH645 model so hopefully it'll be in line with the quality of the CS6 & the ST300 that I have.

Okay, but a Holdsworth model is pretty much a "line" of guitars built to a particular spec, not a custom like a lot of people order.  How are they about taking back a custom within that 14 days?  What if I don't like my custom and I don't want to order another one?  Am I stuck eating the cost?

 

[Doughboy]

How are Carvin's acoustic guitars?

No idea. I'm sure they're quality instruments though, as they don't seem to make anything poorly.

The nice thing is that they offer a full refund for 14 days if you're not happy with your purchase. I returned my Allan Holdsworth model & got a refund right away & no hassles at all.

I just ordered the SH645 model so hopefully it'll be in line with the quality of the CS6 & the ST300 that I have.

Okay, but a Holdsworth model is pretty much a "line" of guitars built to a particular spec, not a custom like a lot of people order.  How are they about taking back a custom within that 14 days?  What if I don't like my custom and I don't want to order another one?  Am I stuck eating the cost?

No, they take anything back within 14 days. My H2 was a cutom shop order & all I had to do was let them know it was being sent back & they gave me a refund the day after they received it.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

How are Carvin's acoustic guitars?

No idea. I'm sure they're quality instruments though, as they don't seem to make anything poorly.

The nice thing is that they offer a full refund for 14 days if you're not happy with your purchase. I returned my Allan Holdsworth model & got a refund right away & no hassles at all.

I just ordered the SH645 model so hopefully it'll be in line with the quality of the CS6 & the ST300 that I have.

Okay, but a Holdsworth model is pretty much a "line" of guitars built to a particular spec, not a custom like a lot of people order.  How are they about taking back a custom within that 14 days?  What if I don't like my custom and I don't want to order another one?  Am I stuck eating the cost?

No, they take anything back within 14 days. My H2 was a cutom shop order & all I had to do was let them know it was being sent back & they gave me a refund the day after they received it.

I just left their site not even 30 seconds ago (I was building a custom V220) and I didn't see any options for a compound radius.  How far will they "stray" from a build sheet?

 

[Doughboy]

How are Carvin's acoustic guitars?

No idea. I'm sure they're quality instruments though, as they don't seem to make anything poorly.

The nice thing is that they offer a full refund for 14 days if you're not happy with your purchase. I returned my Allan Holdsworth model & got a refund right away & no hassles at all.

I just ordered the SH645 model so hopefully it'll be in line with the quality of the CS6 & the ST300 that I have.

Okay, but a Holdsworth model is pretty much a "line" of guitars built to a particular spec, not a custom like a lot of people order.  How are they about taking back a custom within that 14 days?  What if I don't like my custom and I don't want to order another one?  Am I stuck eating the cost?

No, they take anything back within 14 days. My H2 was a cutom shop order & all I had to do was let them know it was being sent back & they gave me a refund the day after they received it.

I just left their site not even 30 seconds ago (I was building a custom V220) and I didn't see any options for a compound radius.  How far will they "stray" from a build sheet?

I don't think they offer compound radius, however, I do know they will stray from the build sheet for a $100 fee. You'd have to call them.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

How are Carvin's acoustic guitars?

No idea. I'm sure they're quality instruments though, as they don't seem to make anything poorly.

The nice thing is that they offer a full refund for 14 days if you're not happy with your purchase. I returned my Allan Holdsworth model & got a refund right away & no hassles at all.

I just ordered the SH645 model so hopefully it'll be in line with the quality of the CS6 & the ST300 that I have.

Okay, but a Holdsworth model is pretty much a "line" of guitars built to a particular spec, not a custom like a lot of people order.  How are they about taking back a custom within that 14 days?  What if I don't like my custom and I don't want to order another one?  Am I stuck eating the cost?

No, they take anything back within 14 days. My H2 was a cutom shop order & all I had to do was let them know it was being sent back & they gave me a refund the day after they received it.

I just left their site not even 30 seconds ago (I was building a custom V220) and I didn't see any options for a compound radius.  How far will they "stray" from a build sheet?

I don't think they offer compound radius, however, I do know they will stray from the build sheet for a $100 fee. You'd have to call them.

I'll give'em a call!