The Carvin Bolt is the California music company's submission into the customizable "Super-Strat" market. Though Carvin is usually celebrated for their set-neck models, they remind us that they used to make bolt-on neck guitars several decades ago, so the design is nothing new for the mail-order only company. Since everybody and their grandmother offers a Strat-style guitar, the question then becomes, what does Carvin add to the market? As you'll see soon, they add quite a bit!
The Carvin Bolt and Bolt-T are just like other Carvin guitars (except for the Cobalt acoustic) in that they are available with literally thousands of different configurations due to the various options of hardware, pickups, wood, and colors. With our custom Bolt-T, we chose an alder body with a flamed maple top. We got a gorgeous red finish as well. We decided on a black pickguard and a humbucker in the bridge position. We kept the single coils in the neck and middle positions, just to keep some of the sounds truly Strat-like. We also replaced the hardtail bridge with a Wilkinson vibrato.
Regarding the layout of the electronics, our Bolt-T has a master volume and tone control along with a standard 5-way switch. The instrument includes a mini-toggle that lets you to bring in the bridge pickup in positions four and five, something not usually found on a "real" Strat. There's also an extra mini-toggle that splits the bridge humbucker into single-coil mode. So, the variety of sounds available on the Carvin Bolt-T are wide and helpful.
We tried as hard as we could, but we couldn't make the Wilkinson tremolo to go out of tune, even with some extreme "Van Halen" whammy work. Adding the optional Sperzel locking tuners didn't hurt the tuning, as you'd expect. When you add the fine Wilkinson bridge and the locking tuners with the Graphtech nut, you've got a recipe for perfect tuning!
We ordered our Bolt-T with an ebony fingerboard and 22 medium-jumbo stainless steel necks. Carvin necks are some of the finest in the industry, and the Bolt-T is no exception. The guitar's 25.5" scale and 15" radius felt extremely comfortable, and the necks tung oil finish was super smooth and added to the playability. Like all Carvin guitars we've ever played, the Bolt-T was smooth, fast, and silky.
The guitar was shipped in a solid ABS case that is durable despite its lightness. Amazingly, the Bolt-T was tuned to concert pitch and wholly playable when we took it out of the box, which is hard to believe!
The Carvin Bolt-T is a great playing and sounding guitar, but its ultimate feature might just be the cost. We opted for numerous upgrades (including a flamed maple top), and the guitar was still less than a grand (shipping included). Other guitar makers (including Fender) should take note of what Carvin offers for such an affordable cost.
All in all, the Carvin Bolt-T is an amazing guitar for the cost, especially if you can find a used one. If you want a guitar that gives you world-class sound and playability at a low price, the Carvin Bolt-T is sure to satisfy! - 32370
The Carvin Bolt and Bolt-T are just like other Carvin guitars (except for the Cobalt acoustic) in that they are available with literally thousands of different configurations due to the various options of hardware, pickups, wood, and colors. With our custom Bolt-T, we chose an alder body with a flamed maple top. We got a gorgeous red finish as well. We decided on a black pickguard and a humbucker in the bridge position. We kept the single coils in the neck and middle positions, just to keep some of the sounds truly Strat-like. We also replaced the hardtail bridge with a Wilkinson vibrato.
Regarding the layout of the electronics, our Bolt-T has a master volume and tone control along with a standard 5-way switch. The instrument includes a mini-toggle that lets you to bring in the bridge pickup in positions four and five, something not usually found on a "real" Strat. There's also an extra mini-toggle that splits the bridge humbucker into single-coil mode. So, the variety of sounds available on the Carvin Bolt-T are wide and helpful.
We tried as hard as we could, but we couldn't make the Wilkinson tremolo to go out of tune, even with some extreme "Van Halen" whammy work. Adding the optional Sperzel locking tuners didn't hurt the tuning, as you'd expect. When you add the fine Wilkinson bridge and the locking tuners with the Graphtech nut, you've got a recipe for perfect tuning!
We ordered our Bolt-T with an ebony fingerboard and 22 medium-jumbo stainless steel necks. Carvin necks are some of the finest in the industry, and the Bolt-T is no exception. The guitar's 25.5" scale and 15" radius felt extremely comfortable, and the necks tung oil finish was super smooth and added to the playability. Like all Carvin guitars we've ever played, the Bolt-T was smooth, fast, and silky.
The guitar was shipped in a solid ABS case that is durable despite its lightness. Amazingly, the Bolt-T was tuned to concert pitch and wholly playable when we took it out of the box, which is hard to believe!
The Carvin Bolt-T is a great playing and sounding guitar, but its ultimate feature might just be the cost. We opted for numerous upgrades (including a flamed maple top), and the guitar was still less than a grand (shipping included). Other guitar makers (including Fender) should take note of what Carvin offers for such an affordable cost.
All in all, the Carvin Bolt-T is an amazing guitar for the cost, especially if you can find a used one. If you want a guitar that gives you world-class sound and playability at a low price, the Carvin Bolt-T is sure to satisfy! - 32370
About the Author:
If you're wanting to buy a quality Carvin Bolt guitar, then search no further than Ray's Guitar Shop, which offers the most competitive prices on all used Carvin guitars available online today!
