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Guitars
1978 brought
consistency to Carvin's guitar lineup. In most previous years,
there had been an assortment of body styles, headstocks, and
electronics configurations, making one Carvin model look nothing like
another. 1978 saw a consistent headstock design, standard
electronics configurations, pleasing body styles, and a limited number
of finishes. These changes were paving the way for the modern
Carvin guitar, but in 1978, at least made it easy to identify a
Carvin.
Click
each picture to see the entire catalog page. |
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The opening of the
guitar section of the 1978 catalog showed the best detail of the
"wider-at-the-top" headstock found on the Hofner-made Carvin
#860 neck. This was the last year that this headstock would be
used, and was already being phased out by the new 3X3 found on the
#900 neck. The catalog also showed a great close-up of the
DC150, which was in it's 3rd year of production. |
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One of the most
significant developments of 1978 was the introduction of the M22 and
M22B pickups. These 22-pole adjustable pickups would become the
mainstay of Carvin's guitars and basses for many years, and would
evolve into a whole line of 22-pole humbuckers over the next 25 years. |
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The DC150 was available
in two models, the DC150C (left) and the DC150B
(right). Both were constructed of Eastern hardrock maple with
24½" scale maple fingerboards, MOP dot inlays, Schaller #M6 mini tuners, and 2
new M22 pickups with dual volume/single tone controls, coil splitters and
phase switch. The only difference was one was black, and the
other was clear. Interestingly, the DC150C was available as a
left-handed model (DC150L), but the DC150B was not. The
DC150C and DC150B sold for $355.00, and the DC150L sold for
$375.00. The HC10 hardshell case was an additional $45. |
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The CM140 Stereo
(left) was based on the same singlecut design Carvin had sold under
other names (CM95, CM96). However, the new CM140 could be
considered the first "modern" Carvin, with the new M22
pickups, stereo wiring, Schaller hardware and other features that
would become staples of the Carvin line. The neck was a
25¼" scale model #860, which had an ebony fingerboard and MOP
block inlays. The CM140 was available in black or clear
finishes, and sold for $375.00. The left-handed CM140L was
$395.00.
The CM130
(right) was essentially the same as the CM140, but it had mono wiring,
and a rosewood fingerboard with MOP dot inlays on a #820 neck.
It was not offered in a left handed model, but was available in black
or clear. The CM130 sold for $285.00.
The HC11 hardshell case
for either model sold for $45.00. |
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The CM120 was a
12-string variant of the CM140. It had the same construction,
materials and features of the CM140, with a #950 12-string neck that
had an ebony fingerboard and MOP block inlays. It was
stereo-wired, and had a pair of M22 pickups with dual volume controls,
single tone control, and coil splitters and phase switch. It was
offered in black or clear finishes, and sold for $410.00. A
left-handed model was not offered. |
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The DT650 (left)
and DB630 (right) would be the last of the small-bodied
doublenecks Carvin would produce. There would be no doublenecks
in 1979, and in 1980, the DC-inspired DN612 & DN640 would be
introduced.
The DT650 used the #650
neck of the CM120 and the #860 neck of the CM140 (both with ebony
fingerboards & MOP inlays), and a solid Eastern hardrock maple
body with a pair of M22 pickups with dual volume controls, single tone
controls, phase switching and coil splitters. It was available
in clear or black finishes, and sold for $695.00. A left-handed
version was offered (in clear only), and sold for $755.00. The
HC18 case was $55.00.
The DB630 bass/guitar
doubleneck had all the same features of the DT650, with a #790 bass
neck. The DB630 sold for $665.00 in black or clear finish, or
$725.00 for a left-handed model in clear. It was also offered as
the DB120C, which had a 12-string guitar on top, 4-string bass on
bottom, and a clear finish. The DB120C sold for $715. The
HC19 case was $55.00. |
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