Strat Pickguard Blues
Strat Pickguard Blues
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It seems like nearly every guitar company offers their take on the time-honored Stratocaster model. Indeed, such "Super-Strat" guitars are to be found everywhere. When a maker opts to make an entry into this already-crowded market, we have to ask if they really have anything unique to offer. With their Bolt and Bolt-T line of guitars, Carvin re-enters the bolt-on neck guitar market, and does so in a spectacular manner. As we'll soon show, the Carvin Bolt and Bolt-T would even make Leo Fender proud.
As is the case with all of their guitars and basses (except for the Cobalt series), Carvin's Bolt guitars can be purchased with a number of options, including customizations of wood, hardware, color, and pickups. The guitar we reviewed came with an alder body and a beautiful flamed maple top with crimson red finish. We ordered a humbucker in the bridge position and a black perloid pickguard. We left the single coils in the neck and middle positions, just so we could still get some realistic Strat-like sounds. We also ordered the Bolt with the Wilkinson vibrato bridge.
With respect to the guitar's electronics, it relies on a master volume and tone as well as a standard Stat-style five-way selector switch. It also has two mini-toggles. One allows you to add the bridge pickup in positions four and five while the other allows you to split the bridge humbucker. Obviously, the Carvin Bolt-T has a huge palette of sonic possibilities.
We tried as hard as we could, but we couldn't make the Wilkinson tremolo to go out of tune, even with some extreme "Van Halen" whammy action. Adding the optional Sperzel locking tuners didn't hurt the tuning, as you'd expect. When you add the fine Wilkinson bridge and the locking tuners with the Graphtech nut, you've got a recipe for perfect tuning!
If you've never played a Carvin guitar before, then you're missing out on some of the fastest guitars in the world. We opted to get our Bolt-T with 22 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets and an ebony fingerboard. We were completely blown away, as it was far better playing than instruments that cost two or three times as much! The neck's tung oil finish added to this silky smooth feel and playability.
When we opened the box, we were amazed that the Carvin guitar was actually tuned to pitch and didn't require any adjustments when we removed it from the light but bulletproof ABS case. Again, Carvin just amazed us with their attention to detail.
The Bolt-T has numerous selling points: a gorgeous finish, extreme playability, and wonderful sounds. Perhaps the most compelling reason to pick up a Bolt, though, is the price. You can get a custom-made instrument for less than $1,000, including shipping and a hardshell case. Other major guitar-makers should stand up and notice.
All in all, the Carvin Bolt-T is an amazing guitar for the cost, especially if you can find a used one. If you want a guitar that gives you world-class sound and playability at a low price, the Carvin Bolt-T is sure to satisfy!
If you're searching to purchase a quality Carvin Bolt guitar, then search no further than Ray's Guitar Shop, which offers the best prices on all used Carvin instruments available on the Internet today!
