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Post by aliensporebomb on Feb 8, 2013 0:09:20 GMT -5
I was at a local store that carries used and new and they had: -Carvin ST300 -Deep Triple Step Paint -Flame Maple Top -Matching Flame Maple Headstock -Stainless Steel Frets -Holdsworth Neck Carve -Holdsworth Headstock -Holdsworth pickups -Ebony Board -Tweed case Really, really nice - the original receipt was originally in the case from the owner who just ordered it and had some kind of life altering expense and had to sell everything he owned to pay off whatever it was (car blew up?). The same guy consigned a matching Carvin tube amp that I didn't really investigate too closely but if your car blows up you might have to sell everything and ask questions later.  Thing still had "new guitar smell" about it. Wish I had that lying around. Someone will get a hell of a deal. And yes, that's my greasy fingerprints on the upper cutaway horn. Bleah. |
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Post by aliensporebomb on Feb 8, 2013 12:22:27 GMT -5
Oh and the only other thing - I didn't much care for the Wilkinson. Tuning stability was not as good as the Supervee bladerunner on my strat. It was okay, just, you couldn't go crazy.
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Post by Infinite Ego on Feb 8, 2013 15:59:09 GMT -5
that bridge is much maligned
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Post by chrissh on Feb 9, 2013 10:54:55 GMT -5
Those bridges are okay when from a good manufacture and setup well. There's one on my Carvin that Jas remade (dimBolt? Jaz Fink?) and it will not go out of tune. Carvin and others often use a budget pot metal lookalike that is junk (thin small block, soft knife edges, sloppy screw tolerance). Actually, mine is junk too, but its original was a decent enough bridge.
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bear
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Post by bear on Feb 9, 2013 12:18:25 GMT -5
I'm often a bit shocked about the Wilkinson non-love because those bridges seemed to be in pretty high regard when they came out. I get that different manufacturers license the design, but who knew they would vary so much in execution. Any manufacturers who make them consistently right?
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Post by chrissh on Feb 9, 2013 12:55:43 GMT -5
I think Gotoh are the factory who maintain their reputation for making good licensed stuff.
In my experience, a recessed Wilkinson, or similar 2 point floater, is a damn happier medium between a strat trem and a Floyd.
I think Wilkinsons became associated with the hard rock guitar shenanigans era, before everyone just said to hell with it and went back to classic designs, and it's tough to shake a stigma.
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Post by aliensporebomb on Feb 9, 2013 21:37:17 GMT -5
It was well made - it just wasn't set up for "80s floyd rose insanity". On this particular guitar I wouldn't have done that anyway but it seemed the G string was a little flat after dropping the bar slack gently and everything else was fine.
I'm guessing with minor adjustments it would have been fine.
I was a little harsh on it maybe because I'm trying to convince myself not to buy it. Haha, fat chance. Great guitar, much nicer than anything else out there at that price point.
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mirth
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Post by mirth on Feb 10, 2013 21:10:45 GMT -5
I've heard the Carvins use the cheaper Wilkonson the VS 50 I think it is; where the VS100 like the Gotoh Govan uses among others is really primo. The 50 is really just a cheap knockoff apparently and worth changing out when you get a Carvin for a couple hundred bucks.
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Post by aliensporebomb on Feb 10, 2013 21:57:13 GMT -5
I was sitting here playing the Heartfield and realized that the neck on that guitar is similar to this but just a tad wider (which I like but similar in thickness). As nice as this is I think I can let it go for someone else to fetishize over.
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Post by aliensporebomb on Feb 12, 2013 18:00:15 GMT -5
Forgot to mention - that guitar has Sperzel locking tuners so locking the thing once it's in tune should work pretty well. It was unlocked when I tried it.
The other thing: the 2-on-a-side on one side and 4-on-a-side headstock took a little getting used to.
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Post by aliensporebomb on Feb 17, 2013 0:19:40 GMT -5
I tried it again today when I was with a friend who was buying his first guitar (ended up being a Yamaha, go figure).
One thing about this Carvin that I neglected to mention: it has the lowest damn actiion of any guitar I've ever picked up that's still playable. It was like ponies on ice.
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Post by chrissh on Feb 17, 2013 12:03:02 GMT -5
For all of their issues, Carvin do know how to make a playable neck.
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Post by aliensporebomb on Feb 18, 2013 10:23:19 GMT -5
Tried the damn thing again. Had to have it. It's in the house.
The neck is positively made for legato stuff. Whoever bought it never played it. Case came with the warranty cards, hang tags, paperwork, build list, case candy plus baggies for the case key, truss rod, whammy bar. Case was mint, I actually scuffed it a bit getting it in the car.
The Wilkinson is a lot nicer when you actually use the locking tuners the guitar came with. Facepalm.
Priced it out on the Carvin Price calculator at their website - with all the options the price was north of $1500 USD as shipped from them. Total expenditure out the door? About 100 bucks and an old guitar I wasn't playing anymore.
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Post by chrissh on Feb 18, 2013 11:36:02 GMT -5
Didn't see that coming ;D That's ... not a bad find for a trade in and a few dollars. Looks like a nice guitar with good specs  Tips: Yes, the tuners have to be locked quite snug (though the castings can crack if cranked too tight), with minimal string wrapped around the posts. Make sure the nut is cut well and the strings stretched. Keep the bridge floating and parallel to the top of the guitar. Use a guitar lubricant in the nut slots and where the knife edges contact the pivot posts. You should be golden. From many years ago, I remember the Holdsworth neck being pretty big and kind of flat on the back, much like a classical neck. True? And how are the pickups? Tried the damn thing again. Had to have it. It's in the house. The neck is positively made for legato stuff. Whoever bought it never played it. Case came with the warranty cards, hang tags, paperwork, build list, case candy plus baggies for the case key, truss rod, whammy bar. Case was mint, I actually scuffed it a bit getting it in the car. The Wilkinson is a lot nicer when you actually use the locking tuners the guitar came with. Facepalm. Priced it out on the Carvin Price calculator at their website - with all the options the price was north of $1500 USD as shipped from them. Total expenditure out the door? About 100 bucks and an old guitar I wasn't playing anymore. |
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mirth
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Post by mirth on Feb 18, 2013 14:54:47 GMT -5
Ah...look at you buying that thing. I still like my Carvin 7 string. It plays really nice; it doesn't have a lot of "mojo" or whatever that is; but it's definitely a nice guitar I use often. The necks are pretty impressive.
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