EmptinesOf Youth Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 im still lookin for something to ask for for christmas, and like i said i really dont want money or a gift certificate. So what about one of these? I think ive heard good things about em but does anyone here have any experience? http://www.carvin.com/products/group.php?CID=KBN its the GK1 without the tremelo. I think i could handle building it, i dont know much about finishing a guitar but im sure someone here could help. so what do you think? thanks guys ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caprae Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 I think that would be a great Christmas gift. Thank you! I'll send my address soon. Sorry, no experience, though. Raise your children and spoil your grandchildren. Spoil your children and raise your grandchildren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruupi Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 My main electric guitar for the last several years has been my Carvin kit with tremelo, 2 single and one humbucker. Putting it together was a breeze, painting it was a pain. You could just go the easy route and do a tung oil finish. It plays and sounds better than any guitar I have ever owned. I always brag on Carvin when I get the chance. I didn't expect to like the guitar but I had always wanted to build one. For $400 bucks you can hardly go wrong. I knew even before I plugged it in that it would sound good, it sounded good naturally unplugged. So if you have any knowledge at all about adjusting guitars then you should have no problems building it. The instructions tell you everything you need to know and it comes pre-wired anyway. Practice painting on scrap wood first if you are going to paint it, that was something I had little experience with. I used an airbrush and auto paint but it hasn't been very durable. I should have clear coated it, but I thought it was looking good when I painted and didn't want to mess it up, so I left it. The clear coat probably would have prevented most of the dings and chips that mine has, but even then it doesn't look all that bad from 10 feet away. My soundclick site: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=397188 My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/gruupi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtail Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 I'm just going to get a finished one. I'm too lazy to put one together myself. Also, I don't think I could do a good job painting/finishing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boggs Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 Good luck finding a better guitar for 3x that price! Check out my Rock Beach Guitars page showing guitars I have built and repaired... http://www.rockbeachguitars.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Ellwood Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 Originally posted by KPB: I'm just going to get a finished one. I'm too lazy to put one together myself. Also, I don't think I could do a good job painting/finishing it. What would it cost to get it all done? and delivered total? http://www.thestringnetwork.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted December 6, 2005 Author Share Posted December 6, 2005 i think there cheapest finished guitars you can buy are like $579, not sure about the shipping.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruupi Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 Yeah the kit is basicly their Bolt guitar unfinished and unassembled. You can buy the bolt depending on options for around $650-70. Its still a steal at that price. I just wanted to do the kit just to say I did it. If you work on your own guitars at all you really shouldn't have any trouble with the kit. My soundclick site: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=397188 My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/gruupi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtail Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 Originally posted by ellwood: Originally posted by KPB: I'm just going to get a finished one. I'm too lazy to put one together myself. Also, I don't think I could do a good job painting/finishing it. What would it cost to get it all done? and delivered total? For me, anywhere between $700-$900 depending on the paint job I choose and whether or not I get a Floyd Rose with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbach1 Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 Originally posted by EmptinessOFYouth: im still lookin for something to ask for for christmas, and like i said i really dont want money or a gift certificate. So what about one of these? I think ive heard good things about em but does anyone here have any experience? http://www.carvin.com/products/group.php?CID=KBN its the GK1 without the tremelo. I think i could handle building it, i dont know much about finishing a guitar but im sure someone here could help. so what do you think? thanks guys ryan Never tried one of their kits but I sure do love my Carvin. I've had some pretty spendy and very popular guitars, but when I first opened my box from Carvin and took out my new toy, I was actually blown away by the quality. Some may have had troubles with Carvin, but I'd buy another any day. If someone would buy me one for Christmas, I'd put it together and use it. I do prefer their neck throughs to their bolt ons though. bbach Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Gug Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 I put one together in two hours while my kids played with their new Christmas gifts on the floor right next to me. It was really easy. You could tung oil it. It certainly isn't difficult, but it is a whole week of your new guitar being in pieces, which really is the most difficult part. The guitar will simply blow away all Mexican Strats. I don't really play US Strats too much (too much $), but the ones I've played are equal or lesser quality than the GK1 I have. I did a red stain on mine. 3 coats with sanding in between and tung oil. Mikegug www.facebook.com/theresistancemusic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 Yeah, you should go for it, and just sand and fine-sand it super smooth and then do a tung-oil and Butcher's Wax job on it, it'll be the best feeling guitar-finish (especially on the back of the neck) that you ever felt. You'll turn into a guitar pervert, man. Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted December 7, 2005 Author Share Posted December 7, 2005 HEy guys, thanks so much for all the responses, and i think im gonna decide on that. Any suggested options to add? I want to paint the body, but am very interested on using the tung oil on the neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted December 7, 2005 Author Share Posted December 7, 2005 actually maybe tung oil all the way is the way to go...does anybody have any pics on what this might look like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted December 7, 2005 Author Share Posted December 7, 2005 QUOTE]Never tried one of their kits but I sure do love my Carvin. I've had some pretty spendy and very popular guitars, but when I first opened my box from Carvin and took out my new toy, I was actually blown away by the quality. Some may have had troubles with Carvin, but I'd buy another any day. If someone would buy me one for Christmas, I'd put it together and use it. I do prefer their neck throughs to their bolt ons though. [/QB] yea i was really hopin theyd have that option, ut thats probably really hard to do by yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MILLO Posted December 7, 2005 Share Posted December 7, 2005 You may want to keep that tongue oil away from your guitar... it's pretty stinky and doesn't protect much. Now, if we're talking tung-oil, that's another story. Actually I have an all-mahogany Bolt+ kit I finished myself w/ Formby's Tung oil finish. It's beautiful. However, you CAN order a finished bolt kit, and just assemble it yourself, but that takes part of its charm (and a few of your dollars) away. I would post pics, except I'd have to take them, upload them and then post 'em... naaahh, I'm going to bed soon. Go to Carvin's website forum and look around, there's a sticky w/ a bunch of pics in the guitar section. There are some SERIOUSLY GORGEOUS axes there, but some are over-the-top bling-bling expensive cheeeez. Tung oil is the way to go. Simple elegance--I always receive lots of compliments on my kit. "Without music, life would be a mistake." --from 'Beyond Good and Evil', by Friedrich Nietzsche My MySpace Space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitefly5150 Posted December 7, 2005 Share Posted December 7, 2005 I love mine. Upgraded to the Wilkinson, locking tuners, and the HB at the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted December 7, 2005 Author Share Posted December 7, 2005 haha yea my mistake, errors fixed and thanks for your advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtail Posted December 7, 2005 Share Posted December 7, 2005 Originally posted by EmptinessOFYouth: actually maybe tung oil all the way is the way to go...does anybody have any pics on what this might look like? Kind of. http://www.carvin.com/products/guitar.php?ItemNumber=BOLT This site has a pop up box of different color schemes you can apply to the guitar. I can't post the direct link because it's a link to a javascript function. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted December 8, 2005 Author Share Posted December 8, 2005 Hey guys, ive been lookin aroundin at some, and i was thinkin this route: straight tung oil for the neck and mix of a cherry, tung and turpentine for the body, then a black pearloid pickguard with gold hardware, not sure if i should spring fo rthe Sperzel tuners...any opinion on any of this? thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 YESS to the Sperzels; you will never regret it, you'll come to wonder, "what was I thinkin'?!" when you remember almost not getting them... Tuners that lock the string into the post by clamping it vise-like generally do keep the guitar in tune much better; and you don't have all that string wound around the tuner-post, either, just pull it through and a good quarter to a half or so turn of the post and you're there. I'm not so sure what you mean by "mix of a cherry, tung and turpentine for the body". Talk to a Carvin rep about finish ideas, INCLUDING the possibility of getting a finished body in the Bolt Kit. Only put the tung-oil "finish" (technically not an actual finish) on the back and sides of the neck; do not put it on the fretboard, it will make the wood around the fret-tangs mushy if you saturate it. Get a hold of Wraub and The Dirty Ol Bastid (?) from the Low Down Lowdown Bass Forum here at MP Forums; they've done some r&d finishing with tung-oil and variants and will be able to tell you loads. Tell 'em I sentcha if you want; look 'em up on the Forum Directory and send them Private Messages asking about this. Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted December 8, 2005 Author Share Posted December 8, 2005 i meant to post this last night, this is where i pretty much got the idea from, except maybe a little different tint on the body color, pretty close to this though, oh and gold hardware instead: http://www.aias-inc.com/rick/carvin/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 Oh, O.K.; it's still a tung-oil "finish", just with stain added for the color. Cool! That looks like he did a lot of buffing and polishing once he was done, to get that relatively high-gloss shine from an oiled and stained "unfinished" guitar body. Ash probably would be the best choice here, visually, if that's the sort of look you're going for. The grain and any sort of figure will be much more prominant and dramatic than, say, alder, really lending itself to a color-stain. You could do the same to just the face of the headstock, if you were careful. That would look particularly sweet. (Carvin may even put an apropriate overlay-veneer on the face of the headstock for you, better matching the body, as a charged-for option. Then any stain and oil applied to the face of the headstock would look like that of the body.) Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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