player opinions

Carvin TL160

Carvin TL160

  1. Name: Mike Williams

  2. Band: Devil Ether Performance

  3. Performance

  4. This guitar was offered to me used, although never really played, at a very good price. I had looked into Carvins before, but I was a little weary of the mail order process. This time around, I was able to play before I bought it. Telecaster body, and mine has three single coil pickups, Strat style. I think I actually died for about five minutes when I realized what I had been missing. It has a feel all to its own, and is very playable. It comes without the stiffness you get from Fenders, yet has the same scale length. The spectrum of different sounds is much wider than most guitars I have played, and as shallow and unimportant as this will sound, it looks really, really good.

  5. Performance Rating: 10

  6. Sound Quality

  7. Top range, as I would expect out of a much more expensive guitar after a pickup upgrade. I played it side by side with a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion, and the Carvin actually outperformed the Gibson. Neck through body is perfectly fitted, as there it no “heel” of any sort, leaving access to any top fret you wish. Do not use this guitar to “stand in” for Fender like tones — it’s sound is unique to itself, and in my opinion a whole lot better.

  8. Sound Quality Rating: 10

  9. Construction

  10. IMy main reason for buying it was to get a Tele style guitar that was neck through body, as bolt-on necks seem to cut your tone and brightness in half. Requires a little more care, as even changing your string gauge could mean a little neck re-adjustment. One of the most solid guitars you’ll ever own, yet still light enough to have on stage for hours. Carvin impressed the heck out of me, and the list price of this guitar is one third of what it would be worth if a larger retail company made it. I’m considering removing the name from the headstock, just to keep Carvin guitars my little secret.

  11. Construction Rating: 10

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  1. Average Ratings
  2. Performance: 10
  3. Sound Quality: 10
  4. Construction: 10
  5. Ratings Key
  6. 10: Excellent
  7. 0: Useless
  8. Company
  9. Carvin

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