Carvin Pups

[Pepi]

I've read a lot of stories about how many people hate Carvin pups. I just built a Bolt kit that has two AP11 single coils and the new Carvin C22B humbucker. Man, I think these pups sound great. I think the C22B sounds real close to my SD C-5. I was really prepared to changing the pups out. I just saved some money :dance:

 

[wixomwhat]

Re: Carvin Pups

i've never played carvins pup's. But I really hate the way they look. I think thats part of the reason many people hate carvin's pup's.

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Carvin Pups

Whats wrong with the way they look? The only gripe I have is they have 2 adjustment screws on one side and 1 on the otrher requiring special rings plus it looks wrong.

 

[Davey]

Re: Carvin Pups

Whats wrong with the way they look? The only gripe I have is they have 2 adjustment screws on one side and 1 on the otrher requiring special rings plus it looks wrong.

kind of like the new fender humbuckers >.<

 

[wixomwhat]

Re: Carvin Pups

Whats wrong with the way they look? The only gripe I have is they have 2 adjustment screws on one side and 1 on the otrher requiring special rings plus it looks wrong.

I dont like that they have 11- 22 poles. i think it looks wrong.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Carvin Pups

If they sound good in that guitar, just leave'em. No point in spending money you don't have to spend. Carvin's cut a lot of corners, which aren't visible, but if it sounds fine, that's all that matters.

 

[Travis]

Re: Carvin Pups

What corners do they cut?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Carvin Pups

Carvin pickups seem pretty high quality to me, especially the humbuckers.

I don't use them or anything but I've had a few in my guitars over the years.

The allen screw polepieces give a "springy" "zingy" kind of personality to the treble that is just differant from the vintage tone I hear in my head, but they're well made and sound good.

I used a 22 polepiece Carvin neck humbucker as the bridge pickup in a Strat with Duncan SSL-1 single coils for the neck and middle pickups for about a year or two...it was very cool, tho I replaced it with a JB Trembucker and then a 59 Trembucker eventually.

Lew

 

[mjsever]

Re: Carvin Pups

What corners do they cut?

Some of their electronics (i.e. pickup switches) are a bit on the cheap side. However, there are also some real nice touches in their guitars, such as copper-shielded electronics cavities and threaded screwholes.

If you like the pickups, keep 'em. I know people who like their pickups, I know people who hate them. A friend of mine felt his Carvin was the best guitar he ever owned, until it got stolen and he bought a Parker.

 

[Pepi]

Re: Carvin Pups

What corners do they cut?

I use to say this also until I got this kit. I think Carvins are top notch guitars. This is the only guitar I've ever owned that has perfect intonation. :dance:

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Carvin Pups

Whats wrong with the way they look? The only gripe I have is they have 2 adjustment screws on one side and 1 on the otrher requiring special rings plus it looks wrong.

You can mount all Carvin humbuckers with standard rings. The pickup comes with 3 holes on each leg.

BTW, I didn't like the Carvin humbuckers in my Carvin (C22n and M22SD), but I really like those same pickups in my friend's Mexi Strat.

 

[Brett Valentine]

Re: Carvin Pups

While I can't comment on the newer C series, I can tell you that the M series pickups (M22T-bridge, M22SD-bridge, M22V-neck) tend towards more of a "flat" response. I have the M22V and SD in a DC-400T (changing them out soon), and while pretty loud, they sound thin next to the Duncan Alnico II Pro neck (what wouldn't sound thin next to that pickup??) and the Pearly Gates bridge. They finally seem to warm up when I roll back a bit of the treble and bass with the active electronics.

The M22T in the bridge of an all koa DC135T is a hard thing to part with, but I did replace it with another Pearly Gates. The M22T and the koa just sang well together with distortion. Feedback was very controlable (feedback at the octave came out over a wide pitch range), and sustain was above average. My only complaints were that it did not get very bright, even in single coil mode, still tended towards flat in it's tonal response (it was a prwetty good match for my Boogie Mark 4, but not my Fender), and because it was hot wound, didn't have a lot of dynamic range, even when lowered pretty far away from the strings.

The PG added a much more aggressive mid range and top end, and has a wider, more useable dynamic range, though a bit less powerful.

The Carvin "M's" are not terrible pickups, just not to everyone's taste. I'm still keeping mine for now, at least.

Brett

 

[Jim K]

Re: Carvin Pups

I have a Carvin DC 127 that I recently had Carvin replace the M22N and the M22 SD with their Allen Holdsworth pickups, and I love them. I also have a Carvin DC150 with C22N and a C22T. I like the neck pup but not the Bridge PUp. I'm thinking about replacing the Bridge PUp with Carvin's C22B, or with a set of Holdsworth Pups. I do like the Carvins; they are easy to play, light in weight and the vintage yellow finish on my DC 150 is beautiful.

Guitars: Carvin DC127, Carvin DC150, American Standard Strat, Kramer (made in USA) Aero Star - a relic from the 1980s. I played a lot of Blondie and Pat Benatar on that one!.

Amps: Fender Hot Rod Deville, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Fender Blues Junior (do you see a pattern here?), Carvin SX100 (it's for sale), Legend A60 (another 80s relic - for sale, too.) V-amp Pro with midi foot controller (also for sale)

Pedals: Boss V-Wah, Boss: Chorus, tremelo, tuner, compressor, flanger, Metal Zone, Delay, Accoustic simulator, SD 1 distortion, volume pedal, Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, 2 Vox Wahs. I think that's it, but I probaly missed one somewhere. Oh yeah, a Morley A-B switch.

 

[jcarlos]

Re: Carvin Pups

i've never played carvins pup's. But I really hate the way they look. I think thats part of the reason many people hate carvin's pup's.

I've played a couple of Carvins sound cool. I too, can't stand the way they look. I mean I would change them based only on the looks. Seems goofy I know.

 

[D-EJ915]

Re: Carvin Pups

...you could always get pickup covers, couldn't you?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Carvin Pups

A solid pickup cover *might work, as there are 22 very small hex polepieces. I think thisis a good designe idea. I like to think of them as adjustable blades.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Carvin Pups

I have a friend with a few carvins and the pickups are ok. If you like them, thats all that counts. The vast majority of players leave the stock pickups in.

I don't.

 

[milkbone]

Re: Carvin Pups

I have had the c22s and didn't care for them too much. I got my new Carvin DC127(Mahogany neck and body,flame maple top, fishman and the satin finish neck)with the Holdsworth h22s and WOW! I would recomend to anyone ordering a Carvin to get these! Big round kind of "spongy" sound. I love them. I would even tell people to order them and try them out. They are only about $55 I believe. I do agree with the crappy hardware comment. I've had two volume pots sent to me already but Carvin never gives me a hard time! Great company to deal with.

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Carvin Pups

You can mount all Carvin humbuckers with standard rings. The pickup comes with 3 holes on each leg.

BTW, I didn't like the Carvin humbuckers in my Carvin (C22n and M22SD), but I really like those same pickups in my friend's Mexi Strat.

Bengy I tried mounting an older M22SD I got fronm Dalastecoffee and since I never got the ring or screws from him, I got stiffed. They do have 3 holes on both sides with the exception that only the holes that are tapped are the ones they use. In my case the two outer ones are tapped so using this in a normal pickup ring is impossible short of re-tapping the middle hole for threads. I'd try that but trying to find #3/48 tap is nearly impossible.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Carvin Pups

Bengy I tried mounting an older M22SD I got fronm Dalastecoffee and since I never got the ring or screws from him, I got stiffed. They do have 3 holes on both sides with the exception that only the holes that are tapped are the ones they use. In my case the two outer ones are tapped so using this in a normal pickup ring is impossible short of re-tapping the middle hole for threads. I'd try that but trying to find #3/48 tap is nearly impossible.

Try your local machine shop. That's where I got my tap, and it only cost me $5. :burnout: