Carvin Bolt with Seymour Duncan "Everything Axe" Pickups Demo

[JeffTele]

@creakystair It's in the fingers.

[js6729]

on a five way pickup selector switch you can't use the middle pickup by it's self the positions are (5)neck pickup(4) neck middle(3)neck middle bridge(2)middle bridge(1)bridge

[tonygrimsley]

@js6729 Normally, but on the standard SSS pickguard, Carvins have a mini-switch below the tone knob that allows you to get all 7 possible pickup combinations including middle only and bridge\neck. Or can also be used as the coil tap for a SSH setup.

[js6729]

@tonygrimsley sorry my bad

[wipers86]

@tonygrimsley can changing the magnets on these pickups make much of a difference ? such as can it make the pickup more full sounding I find the sound to have to much treble and the output much lower than the full size humbucker, I'm just trying to find out if it's worth keeping this pickup in my guitar or if I should just change it for a single coil with hot distortion as this pickup isn't satisfying me

[santos0x]

@js6729 Actually the standard Fender 5 way has the 3rd position (straight up) as middle only. I've got two strats, but I've had the wiring on one changed so that the 4th position, which I tend not to use, is bridge & neck at same time. But with the stock wiring setup for a strat, you can get the middle pickup by itself, which IMO is an under-utilized and very useful sound.

[topdog2328]

you most definitely have a better overdrive tone if you played a little heavier with your picking hand

[MrHideyoursheep]

Nice Duncan's! 

[wretcheddog]

can this set nail some guns n roses tone even in an alder body, if not what this would be good for? i play a little of everything, good review and nice playing!!

[tonygrimsley]

@wretcheddog Well, let's put it this way. I have since sold this pickguard and went back to the original Carvin single coils because the tone was too similar to my other humbucker guitars. This particular setup (alder body with ebony neck was probably a little too bright for a good GnR tone. I mostly used it for blues / classic rock. You may want to also listen to the song Black Bolt Blues I recorded with these pickups and posted on youtube.

[alvinbandong]

Same combination on my strat but the 59 and duckbucker doesn't sound great unlike yours.. Did you replace all the pots with a 500k? what else did you modify?

[tonygrimsley]

@alvinbandong The new pickups were already installed when I bought the guitar. I assume all the pots are factory Carvin but can't say for sure.

[tonygrimsley]

This is a factory-built Carvin (just changed out the pickups later) so the finish is the standard Carvin black. Actually it is a gloss finish but evidently just doesn't show up that way on the video.

[KingofPho75]

did you do the finish your self or is it the satin black optional finish

[nuaurea]

Hi,on these models from where do you get the trust rod access,headstock or bottom?

[tonygrimsley]

@nuaurea Truss rod access is through the headstock

[Guitarstring187]

Dude you should totally coil tap each one with allot of possibilties. you got three hjumbuckers and each coil tapped and mixed together would give you crazy sound. I hope its possible. Thats what i would do if i had another guitar.

[tonygrimsley]

@Guitarstring187 actually there is a mini-switch that taps the neck and bridge pickups.

[DALE97DSM]

Carvin has nice bolt kits but that extra toggle the replaces the second is lame.

[Zubirrex]

@DALE97DSM Why?

[DALE97DSM]

@Zubirrex Most carvin's come with it, I prefer just either one 5way toggle like fender strat or one mini 3way toggle like on Petrucci's. Carvin use oth from more tones but I prefer to keep it simple.

[Zubirrex]

@DALE97DSM Then don't use it. That's pretty simple.

[darthinfurnus]

@daveed793 It means high output.

[tonygrimsley]

@daveed793 for its size, it has high output i think, similar to a full size JB.

[rhykko77]

I wish all guitar gear demos on YouTube were as well recorded and straight to the point as this one is.

Good job ! (I am a guitar tech)

[tonygrimsley]

@rhykko77 thanks i appreciate the comment. I watch my fare share of demos too so i try to do something useful to a majority of folks.

[44eelz]

@rhykko77 i agree. Good job

[TeamXTREMEPANTERA]

@rhykko77 frettedamericana

[alex45632759781432]

Duckbuster!!! :D

[HorridFroth]

This was really excellent. Did you fit the PUs yourself, or ask Carvin to do it?

[tonygrimsley]

@HorridFroth Actually I bought it used off of Ebay and the PUPs had already been swapped out. However, I'm pretty sure it was an after-market change since there is a tiny burn mark on the pick guard. Thanks for watching.

[viccelles]

great set of pickups you got there:) would you recomend just the jb jr for my american standard bridge position?

[tonygrimsley]

@viccelles If you want more of a HSS sound from your strat but have a SSS configuration, I think a JB Jr. would be a good solution. Obviously not as "full" sounding as a normal sized JB but much hotter than a standard single-coil.

[eumemosp]

dude, excelent test,idea ,,video,,,u so helpful

[ebola359]

dude youre a badass and i love your guitar, gonna get me a duckbucker soon. keep jammin man

[tonygrimsley]

@ebola359 Thanks!

[RhoadsLivesOn]

what tuning is the guitar in? It sounds low?

[tonygrimsley]

@RhoadsLivesOn yes it was tuned in drop D if I remember correctly

[israeldogfather]

just play next time...

[HammeroftheBlues]

thanks for the post! I was thinking of this exact combo.

[spinaltap211]

im thinking about doing something like this to my yamaha fat strat copy. Dimarzio D-activator x in bridge, duckbucker in middle, and im gonna cut the pickguard to fit a full sized 59' in the neck. but im gonna put invidual tone, volume and on/off switches for each pickups.

[pdy666]

Yep...Carvin makes what some people refer to as "player's" guitrs...meaning when you buy one you are probably buying it without planning on selling it as the re-sale value is generally not that good. I have owned several Carvin guitars and amps and for the money they really can't be beat. Really nice gear. Great tones by the way tonygrimsley!!

[46wastheage]

Very helpful demo, thank you. I'd love to hear the stock pickups in a demo like this.

[mktmic7]

great post*********

[mydogdoestricks]

This guitar has a really interesting clean sound. I'm looking forward to the music that you make with it. Have a Merry Christmas down there in Georgia.

[tonygrimsley]

It's always a risk buying guitars over Ebay, but that's the only way I can afford them. But I am really happy with the way this one sounds. I now feel compelled to sell my Carvin DC 127, but I hope that feeling will pass. Starm warm dude!

[strat0caster266]

Don't you dare sell your Carvin, that's a crime in every state!

[tonygrimsley]

lucky for me the feeling did pass!

[cadwalladee]

Tony: You know more about guitar technology than I could ever hope to! It's nice lookin', great soundin'

We'll be expectin' some top notch music forthcomin!

merry christmas!!

[tonygrimsley]

Merry Christmas. Yeah, I'm a guitar nerd, what can I say?

[chuxtrux]

hi tony, i know nothing about dirty, but i really like all of your clean sounds, some almost sound like an acoustic. you must have made santa's nice list. thanks for sharing, i enjoyed it, chuck. (ps, carvin used to make damn good p a equipment for bands playing out , maybe they still do). merry christmas.

[tonygrimsley]

Merry Christmas Chuck. I have found myself gravitating to Carvin guitars. They are very well made but for some reason do not retain their value in the "used" market. I've been able to pick up some steals on Ebay.