NGD

[Ascension]

Doing what I do I need to be able to switch quickly at times between electric and acoustic. Having a guitar that will do both was something I have needed for a while. Owned a Carvin AE 185 a few years ago but sold it. The new ones do not have the same electronics and a new build was running about $ 1800. This one in mint condition showed up on Reverb for a very fair price so snagged it yesterday. In particular wanted the older electronics as know the system well a Spruce top instead of a figured top like my last flame top KOA guitar and the Stainless frets. This one is a 2015 is mint and has what I want in options plus the price was right.
Question now is what magnetic pickups I put in it as the C22's in it are ok but pretty dull an lifeless. Have a Hybrid trembucker on hand that may be a good choice but what neck is the ? Wonder how a Saturday night Special A4 in the neck would match with the hybrid?
Have a Hybrid Sentient set up in my DC 400 with the same active module but want a little brighter cleaner neck here.
The listing https://reverb.com/item/26818544-carvin-ae185-black

[kramersteen]

Re: NGD

That's just awesome!

[Demanic]

Re: NGD

Full Shred neck?

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[Blille]

NGD

Very nice. Fun fact, I believe that was the Carvin model I wanted to get in the 90s. The flexibility is ridiculous.

Have fun!

PS: Put a Prail in the neck and tripleshots for both that and the hybrid and you have every single sound ever

[VinceT]

Re: NGD

Very nice. Fun fact, I believe that was the Carvin model I wanted to get in the 90s. The flexibility is ridiculous.

Have fun!

PS: Put a Prail in the neck and tripleshots for both that and the hybrid and you have every single sound ever

I second that PS. Would make this pretty much a “do everything” axe.


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[Ascension]

Re: NGD

Full Shred neck?

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Thought about it. Need to really listen to some clips though and see what the acoustic tone of this one is first as it may be to bright. I have a A4 mag in a 59 in the neck on my Ash Body Washburn USA MG 102 and really like that tone. Clearer than the A5 nice bite not harsh and warm but tighter and more articulate than the A5 thinking the SNS would be close in tone. Also thinking maybe black rings and chrome covers on this one with the chrome tuners and knobs on the solid black. Just noticed the Pickups in the AE aren't the C22's but these are the older design M22's which are still an option. I want to work with it a little before I decide to swap these as the M22's might not be bad depending on exactly which ones the are in particular with the mahogany body and that active module. Owned a lot of Carvin Kiesel guitars so know the pickups well. I just assumed these were C22's and didn't look close at the poll pieces on this one until just now. Shipping today so should have it in hand by the end of the week.Will post photos when she arrives.

[MGW]

Re: NGD

Doing what I do I need to be able to switch quickly at times between electric and acoustic. Having a guitar that will do both was something I have needed for a while.

I often wish for the ability to do that and have sometimes wondered about the feasibility of the Variax guitars.

[ehdwuld]

Re: NGD

I've started putting peizo bridges on my guitars

Two years ago I got a Dean Shire with a piezo TOM bridge
It is wonderful to dial in a bit of the acoustic sheen over the magnetic pickups

I have since added one to my Blue Ehdwuld branded semihollow
And have one for my most recent Ehdwuld branded double cut

The Ehdwuld branded guitars will both have a JB/JAZZ set with triple shot rings

I have been experimenting with independent volume and tone
But I believe I will just settle with a master tone and two volumes for them as the Dean engineers did

Love that guitar

A friend of mine has a red one with the m22 pickups
It sounds great

The pickups are perfectly matched to the piezo

[Mincer]

Re: NGD

Variax guitars are the real deal, and sound better than any piezo-equipped electric. Of course you need to split your signal somehow, and send the acoustic sound to the PA or a full-range amp.

[Ascension]

Re: NGD

The Variax is a using electronics to simulate sounds this one is not. The AE 185 has a LR Baggs pickup under the Acoustic style bridge with a spruce top and the a pair of real humbuckers are mounted to the Mahogany neck through the body for the electric side so is a whole different way of doing this. The Acoustic side of the AE is VERY good in fact the far best I have heard on a guitar like this!! The AE has a pair of outputs and you can run both through one jack or split the signals. Have done both but will likely run the Acoustic direct to the system through a LR Baggs Paricoustic. Guitar has a blend control so you can run either or both at the same time with an infinite degree of control which side has the most level. Had both a Purple Flame DC 400 with the Fishman bridge and a Solid Flame KOA AE 185 with this system at the same time a few years ago.

[Mincer]

Re: NGD

It doesn't matter how a guitar gets its tone to me. But after owning and trying many piezo acoustics of all price ranges, the Variax is simply a better idea that sounds closer to an actual acoustic. And you can get that sound with any type of strings in any tuning you want to program in. It doesn't mean that piezos can't sound good- they can. But for realistic acoustic tones (even better than some actual acoustics with preamps), the Variax is remarkable. But sometimes people want other options, and like other body styles. You either have to like the guitar, or not. They haven't really licensed the tech out to other makers.

I have a Brian Moore with an RMC piezo system that sounds great, but I do need to process it a bit to get the most out of it.

[Ascension]

Re: NGD

It doesn't matter how a guitar gets its tone to me. But after owning and trying many piezo acoustics of all price ranges, the Variax is simply a better idea that sounds closer to an actual acoustic. And you can get that sound with any type of strings in any tuning you want to program in. It doesn't mean that piezos can't sound good- they can. But for realistic acoustic tones (even better than some actual acoustics with preamps), the Variax is remarkable. But sometimes people want other options, and like other body styles. You either have to like the guitar, or not. They haven't really licensed the tech out to other makers.

I have a Brian Moore with an RMC piezo system that sounds great, but I do need to process it a bit to get the most out of it.

The Moores are really cool guitars rare to see now days.
Yes the Variax is unique and they do sound good no doubt.
The AE 185 however is not your typical solid body electric with a pizio in the bridge. Closest thing to these through the system tone wise is the Gibson steel sting Chet Atkins. Has a true acoustic type bridge Spruce top and the Baggs set up so sounds more like a high end Acoustic with a pickup rather than like the thin sterile normal electric with a Pizio tones. Same dealer had a STUNNING quilt top Carvin DC 400 hardtail with the Fishman that came from the same person for sale at $250 more. I looked HARD at both wanted a more authentic acoustic tone and went with the 185. These are the best guitars by far IMO that I have played configured like this.

[Ascension]

Re: NGD

Arrived about 4 today and man am I knocked OUT by this one!!
First off doing a big rethink on swapping these pickups on the electric side because so far they are just fantastic sounding in this guitar!!
The guitar is absolutely pristine its just flawless and is so light it's nuts! Neck is just lke the neck on my 17 Kiesel so was ordered with the thin profile slim and fast with no buzzes anywhere and it flat plays like butter. Expected it to be a good guitar but just wow am I ever blown away by this one so far!! Absolutely destroys the other AE 185 I had both in playability with the Thin neck profile and med jumbo stainless frets plus these tones!! Tones are big round and smooth. I flat did not expect it to sound this good with gain. Still working with it but through the little MT 15 it's just flat jaw dropping.
Took a break from playing it just long enough to drop a little out on my first impressions of her. It came in with a new set of strings on it but have no idea what they are so will string it with what I use tonight and then really clean it up before putting it away for the night. Will be posting photos in the next day or so. Need to go into it and clean/lube all the controls because it's a little scratchy from setting up and the volume pot is still a little stiff normal for a new Carvin Kiesel on the stiff volume until you get some lube in though. This is a flat a brand new guitar though has just never been played!! Solid gloss black and can find not a scratch or mark anywhere on it so--.
Haven't worked with the acoustic side much just ran it long enough to know it works.

[BloodRose]

Re: NGD

Congrats on your new toy! Ive always been curious about those. Glad that it was received as good if not better than expected

[Ascension]

Re: NGD

Took a little while to get used to it as first off I had the controls wrong and took a little while to find the proper manual for these electronics to really figure it all out. Has a single master volume and then a blend for the 2 systems and active tone controls for each side. Was hard at first to figure out what did what as the bleed and 2 tones all use the same pots with a notch in the middle. Once I got it all down last night and the guitar strung with the strings I use it all came together.
The acoustic side is VERY good for a guitar like this. In fact it is on par with a Gibson steel String Chet or a Taylor Crowdster at the least.
But it was the electric side that floored me. This thing is a beast it has the exact same neck profile as my 17 Kiesel DC and also the SS frets although in Med Jumbo here so it's super fast and plays like absolute butter. The tones are MUCH better than the last one I had and these M22's were a HUGE surprise in this guitar. Expected them to be lacking but here they are nice warm and sweet when you use a light touch and have a real attitude when you dig in to it. This thing flat screams with high gain and is a VERY dynamic resonate guitar those M22's are a perfect tonal match for this guitar so as of now they will be left alone surprisingly.
Struggled between buying this one or that STUNNING Dragon burst Quilt DC 400 with the fishman the seller had that came from the same person but made the right choice in the end IMO and VERY happy with this one and that's a FACT!