New KOA TL60

Hobo · Big Guppy Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 45

I received my KOA TL60 yesterday while I was out of town. Got back today and got try it out.
I put some new strings on it and did a quick setup. It plays AWSOME!

I have some questions that maybe you guys could help me out with.

First of all, I LOVE the neck PU. It is a single blade single coil. I went to the Carvin website and they show it as a recommended bridge PU. Also, they don't give the specs on it. Anybody know what the output is?
The tone is true single coil with lots of mids. Very Stevie Ray Vaughnish. I like it a lot better than the twin blades in my DC135.

Now the Bridge Humbucker - I have no idea what PU this is. I took it out and looked underneath. It has a gold bottom plate with an "N" written in magic marker. This makes me think it was meant to be a neck PU.
Also, there is a mini 3-way toggle switch for the bridge PU. I'm guessing that it is for Humbucking, Split Coil, out of phase? Anybody know for sure?
It has two height adjusting screws on each side of the PU.
Also, the 3-way PU selector is wired backwards from an Fender. With the selector towards the back of the guitar the neck PU is on. Selector towards the neck and the bridge humbucker is on. Is this normal on a Carvin?

On to the neck. It is a thinner, more shallow neck than on my DC135. The fretboard is actually thinner at the nut and the neck has a very slim profile, like a shredder neck. I LOVE it.
Any idea how old this guitar is? My DC135 is supposed to be a 2000 or 2001.
I bought the TL60 from an older gentleman who didn't know much about the guitar. He said that he did some work for his nephew and his nephew paid him by giving him this guitar. It has a very nice Tweed Hard Shell Case.

One more thing. The KOA is a natural finish. How do I go about caring for it. Do I put guitar polish on it or use Tung Oil.

Thanks for your help and here are some pics:

Herb · Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:22 am Post subject:

Congrats, Hobo!

She's a beauty! Cool

I would get your serial number and call Carvin Customer service and ask them for the specs on your guitar. They are one of the most friendly and helpful customer service organizations I have ever dealt with. My first guess on your mini-toggle switch is that it's a coil tap for the humbucker. It could be a phase switch; but that wouldn't make as much sense. You should be able to tell quickly with an amp. Using the bridge pickup only, if it sounds like a Les Paul, and you flip the switch and it sounds like a Tele; it's a coil tap. You have to use both pickups together for a phase switch to work. Your 3 way selector switch has been reversed. Who knows why? The neck is designed to be more like a Tele neck than a Gibson neck like on other Carvins. Use Tung Oil on the unfinished koa. Guitar polish will not give you very happy results..... Wink

Hobo · Big Guppy Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 45

Thanks.

It looks like the 3-way mini toggle for the humbucker switches it from humbucker/single coil/other single coil.
In other words. in position 1 it selects the inner coil of the humbucker, position 2 is full humbucking mode, position 3 selects the outer coil of the humbucker.

I am going to break out the soldering gun later this evening & try to get the 3-way PU selector fixed.

Hobo · Big Guppy Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 45

Got the PU selector switch working correctly.

Herb · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:17 am Post subject:

Good deal! I'd guess that if you had the selector switch on both pickups and set the mini toggle on one coil you're in phase, and on the other coil, you're out of phase. Usually the "hum-canceling" 2nd coil is either wrapped backwards or wired backwards to cancel the hum; and that would be out of phase with the neck pickup. All functions in one switch! Smart! Cool

Hobo · Big Guppy Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 45

There are a lot different of tones in this guitar with that mini toggle.

My wife went to the store for a few minutes and I got to turn my amp up for a few minutes.
I like this guitar a lot better than the DC135. The humbucker sounds a lot better and splitting it sounds really good.
The neck single coil is GREAT!
Middle position is nice but without that third middle PU I can't get the "Sultans of Swing" tone.
Maybe I'll add a third PU sometime in the future.

Herb · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:16 pm Post subject:

The closest thing you'll get to that st-RAT middle pickup sound with that one is the humbucker only, tapped on the coil closest to the center. And it's still too close to the bridge to get real close to the proper tone. Wink

As an matter of fact; the neck pickup mat be even closer than that!

SAguitar · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject:

That looks like a beautiful chunk of Koa in the Tele style, Hobo! Congratulations! Cool

No, that is not the standard setup for the pickup selector switch, but I'm glad you got it sorted out. If your humbucker does have an "N" designation, then it likely is a C22N, and designed for the neck position, as you suspected. But that shouldn't be a problem, no worries.

You can also use something Old English furniture oil polish, that's what I use on mine, and it works great. It cleans and shines, and helps preserve that wonderful finish.

Enjoy,
Stan

Hobo · Big Guppy Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 45

Stan,

Thanks for the tip on Old English. I had some in the cabinet and used it on the guitar. Gave it a much "Deeper, Richer look.
You said you use it on yours. I looked thru some of the old posts and couldn't find any pics of any natural finish guitars.
What are you using it on?

Dave

SAguitar · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:06 pm Post subject:

Well, I use it on these four for sure! You could say I'm a big Koa fan, too. Laughing

Hobo · Big Guppy Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 45

ShaZoiks! Those are awsome!

I guess your DC135 is what mine would have looked like without the translucent blue finish.

SAguitar · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:37 am Post subject:

Thank you, thank you very much... Embarassed

Yah mon, if you ever got the wild hair to strip your DC135, and then slapped some tong oil on it, that' pretty much what you'd have to put up with... Wink

Actually, I don't know why anyone would order a Koa with a finish like that on it, but y'know, there's no accounting for taste.

Like you, I was looking for many months on Ebay for a Koa Carvin, and those both came up in the same week. I couldn't make up my mind, so I ended up getting both of them, thinking that I would sell one of the two. Well, they both moved in and became "The Twins." I couldn't unload either of them. They both have different voices but the same great necks. *I Think Your Mom's Calling...Time To Go Home Now* them, they both had gold hardware, which I didn't care for, so I changed them over to chrome, which has left me with two sets of unused gold hardware.

My two basses are also great axes. The one on the left I ordered in '96 from Carvin, that was the first time I'd ever done that! When it arrived, I was so blown away, I couldn't speak for awhile. Since then, I routed it out and installed that giant humbucker, and put on their through-body bridge, so it's had some upgrades. The one on the right I got off Ebay about 5 years ago, and it is a fretless model, which I have found to be a lot of fun.

Herb · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:20 pm Post subject:

Yeah, Koa Carvins are cool! Cool

Mine's got the gloss finish.

Hobo · Big Guppy Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 45

Hobo · Big Guppy Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 45

Well the DC135 is gone. Sold it today.
I couldn't really afford to keep the DC135 & the TL60 and I like the TL60 better.

Oh well, I think my next Carvin will be a Bolt.
I really wish they would make a Bolt Tele.