Carvin has a well-earned status for making quality custom guitars at a reasonable price. The main downside to buying a Carvin is that you won't find them in your local music shop, unless they're used. The positives definitely outweigh the negatives, however. You can order a custom-made instrument that is one of a kind, made to your unique specifications.
The Carvin CT6M continues Carvin's reputation for quality. The craftsmanship, finish, playability, and sound rival the world's greatest instruments in every way. If you need a beautiful and versatile guitar that you can personalize to your own tastes at a fair price, the CT6M certainly fits the bill. Let's see what makes this instrument so unique.
We tested a Carvin CT6M with an impressive flamed maple carved top. It came with a mahogany body and a set-in neck that we upgraded to 22 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets (nickel frets are standard). We kept the standard ebony fretboard, though we opted for the abalone block inlays. It came standard with locking tuners (Sperzel) and Carvin's Classic C22 pickups. We also invested in a set of Dunlop Straplocks.
We ordered our instrument with the standard Tune-O-Matic bridge with a string-through-body design, though you can order either a Wilkinson or Floyd Rose tremolo bridge as an option. For the finish, we chose a beautiful triple-stained deep blue and a black back and sides.
We received the instrument with our requested .009 strings setup for low action. UPS transported the CT6M all the way from San Diego to Dallas, and the instrument not only played great upon arrival but was tuned to concert pitch as well. The action was perfect, and the intonation was spot-on. We only needed to fine-tune the truss rod a touch. Like all Carvin necks, the CT6M was mega-fast, and was actually one of the smoothest I've seen in a while.
Honestly, I can't think of a single thing that could be done to make the CT6M more playable. The stainless steel frets were a smart decision, since they contributed to the effortless, easy bends and fretwork.
The guitar sounds exceptional. The 3-way pickup selector functions like a Gibson Les Paul or SG and combined with a push-pull tone pot coil tap, the sound options are broad and useful. I could definitely elicit some nice Strat-tones out of the coil tap.
If you're accustomed to upgrading stock pickups, you might actually be content with the Carvin C22 pickups in their stock configuration. We were able to get some very solid blues, rock, metal, and even country tones. The bridge pickup is pretty hot, which makes it a good choice for blues and rock sounds. The neck pickup is nice as well, though it might lack the depth a jazz player may desire. Still, it's quite versatile.
We received the CT6M with a very nice SKB-designed case that provides a really solid fit for the guitar. Even though we had no need to contact Carvin's customer service (since everything was perfect), I can say based on past experience that their customer service really does come through when you need them.
The total for this world-class custom made electric guitar was $1,550.49, quite a deal when you consider that a PRS McCarty or Hamer Studio (other guitars in the CT6M's quality range) sell for twice that amount. Carvin definitely has a winner on their hands with their CT6M. - 32370
The Carvin CT6M continues Carvin's reputation for quality. The craftsmanship, finish, playability, and sound rival the world's greatest instruments in every way. If you need a beautiful and versatile guitar that you can personalize to your own tastes at a fair price, the CT6M certainly fits the bill. Let's see what makes this instrument so unique.
We tested a Carvin CT6M with an impressive flamed maple carved top. It came with a mahogany body and a set-in neck that we upgraded to 22 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets (nickel frets are standard). We kept the standard ebony fretboard, though we opted for the abalone block inlays. It came standard with locking tuners (Sperzel) and Carvin's Classic C22 pickups. We also invested in a set of Dunlop Straplocks.
We ordered our instrument with the standard Tune-O-Matic bridge with a string-through-body design, though you can order either a Wilkinson or Floyd Rose tremolo bridge as an option. For the finish, we chose a beautiful triple-stained deep blue and a black back and sides.
We received the instrument with our requested .009 strings setup for low action. UPS transported the CT6M all the way from San Diego to Dallas, and the instrument not only played great upon arrival but was tuned to concert pitch as well. The action was perfect, and the intonation was spot-on. We only needed to fine-tune the truss rod a touch. Like all Carvin necks, the CT6M was mega-fast, and was actually one of the smoothest I've seen in a while.
Honestly, I can't think of a single thing that could be done to make the CT6M more playable. The stainless steel frets were a smart decision, since they contributed to the effortless, easy bends and fretwork.
The guitar sounds exceptional. The 3-way pickup selector functions like a Gibson Les Paul or SG and combined with a push-pull tone pot coil tap, the sound options are broad and useful. I could definitely elicit some nice Strat-tones out of the coil tap.
If you're accustomed to upgrading stock pickups, you might actually be content with the Carvin C22 pickups in their stock configuration. We were able to get some very solid blues, rock, metal, and even country tones. The bridge pickup is pretty hot, which makes it a good choice for blues and rock sounds. The neck pickup is nice as well, though it might lack the depth a jazz player may desire. Still, it's quite versatile.
We received the CT6M with a very nice SKB-designed case that provides a really solid fit for the guitar. Even though we had no need to contact Carvin's customer service (since everything was perfect), I can say based on past experience that their customer service really does come through when you need them.
The total for this world-class custom made electric guitar was $1,550.49, quite a deal when you consider that a PRS McCarty or Hamer Studio (other guitars in the CT6M's quality range) sell for twice that amount. Carvin definitely has a winner on their hands with their CT6M. - 32370
About the Author:
If you're searching for the most affordable price online for a used Carvin CT6M, then you need to look no further than Ray's Guitar Shop, which offers the best prices on all used and new electric guitars, including Carvin guitars.
