EDIT: The Carvin Fatboy has arrived! (with recording)

[Jim Soloway]

This is a Carvin Holdsworth Fatboy. I've never seen one in person but I've always admired the specs: light weight, 25.5" scale length, chunky neck. I think this is a really good candidate for the Metheny octave baritone tuning (or possibly just straight B to B tuning). (And if this guitar is any indication, it may well be true that Carvins have poor resale value).

EDIT 08/08/2024:

It arrived about an hour ago. I stung it up with the Octave Baritone tuning, switched to the neck pickup and hit record. I didn't even know what the volume and tone were set to. THis is a really nice sounding guitar.

[Litterick]

Really nice guitars.

[Woody Sound]

I've owned a bunch of Carvins, *all of them* really nice. Currently have three.

[Woody Sound]

(And if this guitar is any indication, it may well be true that Carvins have poor resale value).

A lot of that is because many of them are made to order with the buyers' idiosyncratic tastes.

[Cunamara]

Enjoy!

[Bluedawg]

Nice!

I've always wanted one of those.

[Woody Sound]

[Jim Soloway]

Canada Post got their hands on it and added a day to the delivery. Oh well, NGD postponed until tomorrow.

[jads57]

Well Jim when you tire of it,sell it to me! Lol!

[AdroitMage]

Every Carvin I ever played was a really excellent guitar, I mean really excellent. Just look at the beautiful quilted maple top on that Carvin. American made too with quality parts, graphite reinforcement bars in the necks to make them strong, and choice woods. They weren't cheap, but they were reasonably priced too.

[Jim Soloway]

Recording added to the OP.

[DawgBone]

Sounds fat and glassy. I like it. Congrats on a sweet axe.

[jads57]

Jim what guage strings are you using on this guitar,standard Baritone? Thanks, sounds lovely as always!

[sm80808]

my H2 is probably my most played guitar. its just so light and handy to have around.

[mr. beaumont]

Sounds great tuned low!

[Jim Soloway]

D'Adarrio Chrome 12's (12,16,24,32,42,52) with the 24 and 32 replace with a plain 13 and a plain 16 tuned up an octave. So it's basically the Metheny octave baritone but in B instead of A.

[Woody Sound]

I've owned a bunch of Carvins, *all of them* really nice. Currently have three.

Exceptional build quality.

[Woody Sound]

It arrived about an hour ago. I stung it up with the Octave Baritone tuning, switched to the neck pickup and hit record. I didn't even know what the volume and tone were set to. THis is a really nice sounding guitar.

Great sound. Are you playing flesh w/out nail?

[GuyBoden]

Nice guitar.

[Jim Soloway]

Great sound. Are you playing flesh w/out nail?

Thanks. It's a blend but I have to give credit where it's due: it is a great sounding guitar.

[Woody Sound]

I've owned a bunch of Carvins, *all of them* really nice. Currently have three.

Unfortunately, I have found that Carvin's customer service and communication are severely poor. They don't answer or reply to phone calls, nor do they reply to the email form on their web site.

[jads57]

Carvin is now Kiesel Guitars. Carvin is the Sound System and what’s left of their amps business.

[Woody Sound]

Carvin is now Kiesel Guitars. Carvin is the Sound System and what’s left of their amps business.

Right, and neither are cooperative once they have your money.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Unfortunately, I have found that Carvin's customer service and communication are severely poor. They don't answer or reply to phone calls, nor do they reply to the email form on their web site.

That was my experience too once Lowell Kiesel left the helm. LK really cared about every customer and every product he ever produced. When his son Mark took over, things began to drift from this a bit but Carvin was still very good about customer relations and service. When Mark's son Jeff became more involved, things deteriorated rapidly and I would not buy a new Carvin today.

I picked up a custom hard tail 7 at the factory in San Diego in 1994 and loved it immensely. I ordered it by phone and got everything I wanted exactly as I asked. Everybody at Carvin was really cool and I was a customer for life, until......

about 20 years later when I wanted the frets refreshed and the electronics updated. I called the "custom shop" and discovered that they were no longer a custom shop. "All our guitars are custom." They basically told me they didn't want to touch their guitars after sale and I was on my own. I asked for the specs on the pickups and was told to look on their website. I explained that the pickups on my guitar were no longer listed. I was told "too bad".

Their guitars are still fine, but so are their competitors' guitars. Never again!

[Woody Sound]

Great guitars, cocky attitude if anything is wrong.