Bolts & Kits

burma · Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2003 9:04 pm Post subject: Bolts & Kits

Was going to shop for a used Tele - then my mind wandered to the Bolt Kit for economy...I'm seeking input regarding quality, playability, sound etc of the Bolt &/or Kit guitar. How do they rate compared with the through the body necks of say the DC127? Do they take well to medium guage strings? (I hate lights!)

Herb · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2003 3:47 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the forum, burma! No bolt on guitar has the stability of a neck through guitar. However, that isn't really a relevant point, because guitars with bolt on necks have plenty of stability, or Fender would never have survived. The Carvin Bolts are as fine a bolt neck guitar as there is. I haven't checked lately, but last I saw, the only bolts were strat style. However pickup choice is yours and you can make it like anything you want. It should take to 10's without any problem, and probably 11's, too. When set up properly, playability should be excellent. Carvin makes an excellent product, I know, I have a DC200T. Best neck in my stable of guitars.

SaggyGithehe · Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2003 12:56 pm Post subject:

Carvins do make excellent guitars, and excellent kits. I've seen a few of the bolt kits that were finished and they were beautiful axes.

t0aj15 · Tadpole Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 16

I have four Carvin guitars and two of them are Carvin Bolt kits. Both have swamp ash bodies, hardtails, black chrome hardware, locking tuners, 6130 low wide frets, and are finished in Tung Oil. The difference in the two is that I went with Carvins optional HSS p/up layout with one, and for the other I bought a blank pickguard, eliminated all the standard electronics, and installed a Roland GK-2A internal p/up and related jacks, controls, and electronics for use with my Roland VG-8. The quality is excellent, the playability and sound are better then my $1300 Fender Strat Plus. The Bolt kits are in my opinion the best low priced guitars to be found anywhere, and will compare easily with guitars costing three times as much. As for heavier strings they'll handle the same strings any other guitar will handle, so go ahead and put what you want on it. To compare a bolt on with a neck through, is like trying to compare apples and oranges, they are both designed differently for different reasons.