Keith's Collection
Carvin BBS ID: Bundy

Keith is another old-timer on the Carvin BBS, and an old-timer in the world of Carvin guitars, having played them since the mid-80's.  He's got a great collection going, consisting of a DC135, several DC127s, a V220, a pair of Bolts, and a new CT6M.  Below are each of Keith's current instruments, as well as his own description of each.

"The Blueburst DC127 (left) is the pointy I was unsure of the body wood, but thanks to your site I must assume it is Poplar and the year is within the '93-95 era. Strangely enough, GuitarRanger bought this new from the Sherman Oaks store around 1999, meaning it must have sat on the rack for a few years!

The 1994 Pearl Blue DC127C (2nd from left) is one I recently rescued from an online music store in Boston. It was in pretty bad shape when I received it, with rust all over the metal parts, switches broken off/shoved back into the cavity, several bad dents, etc. I cleaned up all the metal parts and replaced ALL electronics with a new kit from Carvin (C22N and C22B), and gave it a neck adjustment and proper setup. The trem is the Carvin-licensed Floyd Rose made by Kahler ("Steeler" model), and stays in tune amazing well under heavy whammy abuse! It also has a tung-oiled neck and is the fastest playing Carvin I own, so fast in fact, that I had to raise the action slightly!

The Classic Sunburst DC135 (2nd from right) is a 2000 model from the In-Stock section, and has a tung-oiled neck that is flamed maple (not shown in the pic) - a nice bonus! I've put a C22B pickup in this badboy. I believe the three on/off switches to be more versatile than a 5-way switch. This is my favorite guitar for playing slide because of the tones I'm able to get with the pickup configuration. (Note: This guitar was generously donated to fellow Carvinite Nightrain in December of 2006.)

I went to the SouthEast Carvin Bash in January of '04 with two Carvin guitars and came home with three! This 2003 Sapphire Blue DC127 (far right) is from the In-Stock section also, and is an extremely hot-sounding guitar for a stock model (C22N/T), besides being a very attractive guitar!

My first Carvin guitar was a V220 in 1985 and I've been playing Carvins ever since. I've owned many others and they were unfortunately stolen in 1986, but I'm rebuilding my collection again. The four I own now I bought in the last 16 months. I own the MTS3212 combo, the X100B amp head, Midi-version Quad X w/FS77 footswitch, two Carvin V412T's (all British Series speakers), two CM67's and two CM68 mics, and lots of cables, straps, and Carvin-wear. The varsity jacket is especially nice and gives me a reason to look forward to winter."

After a long period of GAS remission, Keith dropped the dime on the Bolt in Spring of 2005.  He says:

"I was looking for a Carvin guitar that would contrast the tones of my others, and I chose the Bolt. I agonized over the options having seen so many fantastic-looking Bolts (I wanted something different, more personal) and picked Emerald Green (for my birth month of May) and gold hardware with a gold Carvin logo. The fretboard is Bird's Eye Maple with Abalone dot inlays. The action on this Bundy Bolt is perfect and the guitar sounds fantastic! It has exceeded my wildest expectations and is everything I wanted it to be in a Carvin Bolt, and more."

In the fall of 2005, Bundy picked up this beauty - a 1989 V220T.  Here's what he has to say about it:  

"This 1989 V220T has suffered much abuse at the hands of wannabe luthiers/butchers and has finally found a loving home in the Bundy arsenal. I stripped all the hardware and electronics and basically started from scratch, keeping only the Kahler Pro tremolo. It now has all new pickups and controls (C22B and C22N), Dunlop straplocks, a new Kahler Deluxe stringlock, and a local tech re-crowned the frets. Many options on this '89 V220T were added at the factory when Carvin built it in the last year this model was offered: Mother-of-Pearl inlays, pointy inline headstock, phase switch, and the Pearl Blue finish. The X100B amplifier shown (Tolex covering, square logo) was only offered in that form in 1988. The XP4 effects unit atop the amp is also no longer available and is software version R009."

As if his collection wasn't already impressive enough, Keith received this beauty in May of 2006.  It's a CT6M, finished in Carvin's extraordinary Dragonburst finish on quilted maple.  In fact, this is the first (and as of this writing, the only) CT in this finish, and it looks fantastic.  The body and neck are mahogany, and gold tuners and abalone block inlays complete the package.

"I knew after playing the Carvin California Carved Top guitars that I'd have to someday own one, and after seeing the "Dragonburst" finishes I knew that was the way I had to go. This guitar arrived exactly 2 months and 1 day after I placed my order, and my initial reaction upon seeing it for the first time was of shock and awe. In a positive way, it's darker in color, lighter in weight, and it sounds and plays better than I'd ever dreamed it would. This is absolutely the best guitar I have ever owned, and is a playable work of art---a masterpiece that is a testament to the extraordinary skills of the Carvin Custom Shop!"

As if all the other guitars in the Bundy household weren't enough, this ultra-cool pink DC145C was recently added to the arsenal.  Keith says:

"I recently bought this Pearl Pink 1989 DC145C for my wife only because she liked the color! This guitar was part of Tim Gray's collection and the owner before him was the original purchaser. This DC145C features an original Floyd Rose trem system, scorching-hot M22 pickups, and a maple (neck-through) body - a very heavy guitar! Unique to this guitar is the straight inline headstock; the 1989 DC145's came standard with a reverse inline headstock, making this one different. It is rare to find a guitar this old in such pristine condition and it arrived (setup by Tim) with incredibly low action."

Keith's 2006 C66 Contour on the right has a story all it's own.  Click here to read more...

This Bolt kit, which was finished by Carvin, isn't technically Bundy's - he actually bought it for his son.  He says:

"This is the Carvin Bolt that (after playing it for over 10 hours one weekend) convinced me to buy my Emerald Green, and many features are common to both. I actually bought this TXB-finished Bolt for my 8-year-old son! It features an M22SD in the bridge position and a Birdseye Maple fretboard with jumbo frets. The TXB finish is an extremely durable finish suitable for Carvin kids of all ages--no fingerprints and too tough to scratch or dent. My young son has been known to share the stage with me and I can't wait for him to debut his new Carvin guitar next to his Dad!"

And here is Bundy, Jr. (Nicholas) getting the feel for his new axe.  Too cool!

And here's a look at the whole lot (with the exception of the new CT6M and the pink DC145C)...