Does Carvin instruments depreciate quickly?

[Tube World]

It seems that Carvin gutiars and basses depreciate very quickly and I can't seem to figure out why? They make great quality instruments but on Ebay that drop in price pretty quick even if they are in great condition. Do you think with them being a mail order company that is the reason?
Or do you think they don't depreciate any differently than a Fender or Ibanez guitar or bass?

[Animus]

Depends on the "name brand" I guess. I just sold a PRS guitar on ebay for more than I bought it for 20 years ago.

[Fisticuffs]

They only sell direct so a lot of people have never seen one in a store. It hurts their resale value. A lot of really good guitars have crap resale value. Any high end Hamer, Heritcage, or G&L for instance. great guitars. Good news is you can great deals on them used.

[biggator6]

Originally Posted by Fisticuffs

They only sell direct so a lot of people have never seen one in a store. It hurts their resale value. A lot of really good guitars have crap resale value. Any high end Hamer, Heritcage, or G&L for instance. great guitars. Good news is you can great deals on them used.

Yup.. this.

I've never played a bad Carvin instrument.. or heard a bad Carvin amp. They make great stuff for very fair prices. That said - I'd never buy one, because I don't buy guitars that I can't play first (and they only sell direct). So, if you're in California - you can go try them out.. otherwise, it's a guess.

[nedorama]

I think the Carvins play well brand new, but over time get wonky fast compared to Fender and Gibsons at similar price points. Plus, lot more demand for Tele's, Strats, SG's and Les Pauls than an Allan Holdsworth signature "Tele-ish" Carvin.

[lynyrd]

Sad but true.. I have a Hamer Chapparal from the 80's and it is a great guitar that just sings. And it is worth about $300 now. It makes me sad.

Originally Posted by Fisticuffs

They only sell direct so a lot of people have never seen one in a store. It hurts their resale value. A lot of really good guitars have crap resale value. Any high end Hamer, Heritcage, or G&L for instance. great guitars. Good news is you can great deals on them used.

[3waytie4last]

Why does it make you sad to own...

Originally Posted by lynyrd

a great guitar that just sings

?!

[Syncamorea]

Depreciate that:

[bluzkat]

Originally Posted by Syncamorea

Depreciate that:

Dude... it's bass ackwards!! Depreciated.

[softwareguy]

Beautiful quilting!

I haven't played a bad Carvin guitar either, and I don't find that they go wonky or bad. The ones I have seen have been extremely stable and consistent from one to another. I also had Carvin as my only amp for a long time in the 80's that was simply awesome. I'd like to have that one back.

All of that said, I think that if you know what you want, buying a Carvin used off of ebay can be one of the best values in music.

[Syncamorea]

Originally Posted by bluzkat

Dude... it's bass ackwards!! Depreciated.

Which makes it rare! Appreciated.

[Glenn Bucci]

Here is their SH 575. I tried it against a Gibson 335, and though I like the Gibson, I preferred this guitar. Everyone seems to have that Gibson sound,and its nice to have a different sound. This has ore of a neutral sound with just a wonderful jazz and rock sound. Compared to my Les Paul, this is a more polite, and smoother sound which is great for jazz, or even country. With the pull out knob, it goes to single coil for more sounds. This one has a quilted maple top, a piz. acoustic pickup with separate tone controls and jack.

[nedorama]

Originally Posted by softwareguy

Beautiful quilting!

I haven't played a bad Carvin guitar either, and I don't find that they go wonky or bad. The ones I have seen have been extremely stable and consistent from one to another. I also had Carvin as my only amp for a long time in the 80's that was simply awesome. I'd like to have that one back.

All of that said, I think that if you know what you want, buying a Carvin used off of ebay can be one of the best values in music.

We have 5 at the studio; cutaway acoustic bass, 12 string tele acoustic/electric, green ibanez-ish, and the holdsworth. Even after fretwork and intonation, they just don't hold up after several years. You may have been lucky, but we certainly weren't with these. The bass is unplayable on the D & G strings; 12 string won't hold a tune.

The bass shown is beautiful and perhaps their guitar QA has gone up. We do have a small tweed Carvin and it sounds great and has had no problems.

[drbob1]

I've owned a bunch of them over the years. They do seem well built, and often very pretty. Most of the guitars are neck thru which is a style which just hasn't caught on as well as glued neck or bolt neck (yeah, a lot of companies make them but the number sold is peanuts compared to more traditional construction). The electronics are flexible but unremarkable to my ears. And they aren't well known compared to Fender/Gibson/PRS. So, yeah, they do depreciate a lot, just how life is.

[ewegogetemtiger]

Carvin is very hit or miss it seems. One reason the resale is so bad is that "your" dream guitar (all customized to your likes) can be way off from what anybody else would want.

Plus, I've never heard one that didn't need all the electronics ripped out and upgraded. Either generic/bland or harsh and nasty.

A lot of folks want to like Carvin and end up in a love-hate relationship with them.....perfect example:

Psychopompos: Carvin CT6M Review

Psychopompos: Carvin SH575 Review

[Syncamorea]

Originally Posted by Glenn Bucci

Here is their SH 575. I tried it against a Gibson 335, and though I like the Gibson, I preferred this guitar. Everyone seems to have that Gibson sound,and its nice to have a different sound. This has ore of a neutral sound with just a wonderful jazz and rock sound. Compared to my Les Paul, this is a more polite, and smoother sound which is great for jazz, or even country. With the pull out knob, it goes to single coil for more sounds. This one has a quilted maple top, a piz. acoustic pickup with separate tone controls and jack.

Very nice! I showed it to my younger son, who is big time into green. He gives two thumbs up, then slaps one down on the top string.

My BB70 has great tone and it is distinctive. I love it. I want a BB75. Maybe I will try different electronics one of these days, but for now, I just don't see the need to spend money on that.