Frank Gambale and his DV-Mark / Carvin Rig

**JohnW400** · 08-23-2011, 04:07 PM

How many players beside Frank use one? Does anybody know any Carvin Players?

I once knew a bass player that played Carvins. He used to adjust the action on the fly using playing cards as his first fret height guide.

He was from the "Jaco" school of bass playing I believe he also used light strings and played really fast.

Aside from him I don't anybody.

**Soco** · 08-24-2011, 09:11 AM

Holdwsorth has a Carvin signature guitar, the fatboy. I met one guy that had one in Norway, I remember I didn't really like the guitar much.
I have seen Holdsworth 3 times, and he never played the Carvin, he was playing his custom-built headless guitar and at the last gig a Steinberger.
I saw Gambale once with Vital Information and he was playing an Ibanez George Benson. He played mostly clean, it sounded good. I saw a recent clip where he was playing a black Les Paul, that was by far the best sound I have heard from him. Great player and really nice guy too(I got to talk to him once)

**jzucker** · 08-24-2011, 09:29 AM

i owned a carvin holdsworth fatboy. Like most guitars with graphite rods that i've played, it had some deadspots above the 12th fret. Also very neck heavy. I owned a recent SB5000 carvin bass that was constructed in such a way that even with the bridge pieces adjusted all the way down, the action was still very high. Carvin said the only fix was to route out the area below the bridge and re-mount. Umm...No thanks carvin. Your guitars have pretty tops and nice finishes but I need a bit more...

**JensL** · 08-24-2011, 09:59 AM

Sorry for being a bit off topic...
But on a more positive note:
Can you guys recommend some good Gambale cd's to check out?

Jens

**Soco** · 08-24-2011, 10:01 AM

I thought "Brave new guitar" was good, as well as some of the stuff he did with vital information.

**Revelation** · 08-24-2011, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by JohnW400

How many players beside Frank use one? Does anybody know any Carvin Players?

I once knew a bass player that played Carvins. He used to adjust the action on the fly using playing cards as his first fret height guide.

He was from the "Jaco" school of bass playing I believe he also used light strings and played really fast.

Aside from him I don't anybody.

No one I know uses Carvin except for these few. CarvinWorld.com - Guitars, Amplifiers & Pro Audio

But it really does not matter does it. Does the guitar, or bass give you the sound you want? If it does, then you have made the right choice for you.

**JohnW400** · 08-24-2011, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Revelation

No one I know uses Carvin except for these few. CarvinWorld.com - Guitars, Amplifiers & Pro Audio

But it really does not matter does it. Does the guitar, or bass give you the sound you want? If it does, then you have made the right choice for you.

I'm sure Carvin makes a decent instrument. I own a Nomad 50 watt amp and I like the look of their semi hollow except I don't play guitars with less than 17" lower bout size. I do associate Carvin with speed though. Probably because of that bass player I know.

But that's not why I brought it up. You know, I've seen that list and I don't really put stock in artist endorsers. (Especially the players I never heard of)

Strictly speaking about guitars, of the people I have heard of on that list I do not associate any of them with Carvin. I'm going by albums, guitar mag photos, TV appearance that I've seen etc.

It's hard to believe that these guys actually play these guitars on their records and gigs. I think they took whatever freebies they could and let their picture be taken by Carvin for marketing.

I clicked on a few names. I didn't see any Carvin guitars. In fact Roy Clarks link opens to his page and he's playing a Gibson.

Most players have a guitar associated with them. I most associate Roy Clark with a Byrdland (or Heritage equivalent).

Name a famous guitar player and one could probably tell you what guitar they associate with them (Rosewood Tele? must be George Harrison from the Let it Be era. Al D and Ovation, Joe Walsh a Les Paul, etc, etc)

Jaco is on their list. Do you associate him with a Fender or a Carvin?

That's all I'm saying. I don't know anybody that plays a Carvin on gigs or uses it as their main guitar.

Not sayin' it's good, bad or otherwise. Just a question.

**Revelation** · 08-24-2011, 11:01 AM

I like some of Carvin's gear, but they are not my favorite company. Many players own Carvin but they also play other guitars as well. I personally like G&L guitars a lot. I found them better than Fenders and feel G&L make some of the best Strat and Teli guitars out there. They are Leo Fender designs of the 1980's and they are just wonderful.

What I find disapointing in the jazz world is so many want to go back to the classic sound of the jazz guitars of the 1950's and 1960's. Sure they sound and look great. But it's 2011; how about moving forward with some newer designs and sounds. Why stay in the past? I was very sad when Guild shut down their RI plant. Their X170 was a great guitar and it offered something new and fresh. The George Benson guitar to me just sounds amazing. Something new and different from the Gibson sound...though to be honest his guitar has been out for a while now. I also like the Carvin SH550 and SH575 because they also offer something new and fresh. Does Frank have a good sound with one? That is debatable, but I am not a big fan of his playing either.

**Soco** · 08-24-2011, 11:35 AM

There are so many options out there today worth looking at when choosing a guitar. There are plenty of smaller builders and companies coming up, some of them expensive others very reasonable. I don't see any reasons to chose a company that doesn't have the best rep in terms of sound and quality control, even if you get an instrument like that for free or for a substantial discount.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 08-24-2011, 11:45 AM

I've heard it mentioned before that Carvin guitars are associated with CCM, but I don't know much about that.

**Revelation** · 08-24-2011, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Soco

There are so many options out there today worth looking at when choosing a guitar. There are plenty of smaller builders and companies coming up, some of them expensive others very reasonable. I don't see any reasons to chose a company that doesn't have the best rep in terms of sound and quality control, even if you get an instrument like that for free or for a substantial discount.

I agree with you 100%. There are a lot of options out there. If you start doing a search, you can find many guitar company's and small builders out there. I personally would rather get a guitar from a company that has been around for a while, and by using CNC machines like Taylor, Martin, Carvin, PRS, and others, there is a consistency with their guitars that you can expect the quality to be the same from guitar to guitar. Yes they still do things by hand, but the cutting and type of wood used is consistent. Liking the sound of a guitar is subjective.

When choosing a guitar, I find out information about the company, read reviews of the instrument I am interested in, and then try out the guitar with my equipment. If the price, quality, look, and feel of the guitar is there, then I will buy it. I don't like that Carvin does not have stores (except southern CA) where you can try out their equipment. Thankfully they had one in stock that they shipped to me. I tried it out for 10 days, compared it to my Les Paul, a 335, and Gibson 137. I found out for me, it was different enough in sound from my Les Paul, and I preferred it's sound over the 335. This is due to the fact that the 335 sounds too similar to my Les Paul but of course it has some acoustic property to it. I loved the Gibson 137, but it again had the Gibson sound which I did not want. Nothing wrong with the sound, in fact it was wonderful...just not what I was looking for. In addition the Carvin SH575 is better suited for playing blues/jazz and rock. The neck is a lot better since it's not so thick, and hitting the notes higher up on the neck is much easier. Though the 137 was killer with the clean channel, I did not care for it with distortion. If you listen to the samples I posted above on the Carvin, THAT is the sound that I like. I have heard other Carvin guitars that did nothing for me, but this one I like a lot. I returned the Carvin I tried out, and then custom ordered the color and features that suited my taste.

**helios** · 08-24-2011, 12:28 PM

I wish Carvin would optionally install other pickups at the factory (Lollar, Fralin etc)-even for an additional fee it would be worth it to me. Carvin then would at least have have the capacity to sound great with great pickups! I've owned three Carvins, and all were very well made.

**jzucker** · 08-24-2011, 12:39 PM

Wait, you play a G&L Strat copy and you're complaining that jazz guys want to go back to the classic sound of the '60s? haha. Somehow, that seems funny to me....

By the way, I think G&L makes awful strat copies. Very plasticy sounding.

Also, how are the carvin semis new and fresh? They are just rehashed copies of what prs, gibson and sadowsky were already doing. (Not to mention dozens of other companies).

The funny thing about carvin is that not only do their endorsers not use their instruments (as far as I can tell) but even the signature models are not used by the signatories...

Originally Posted by Revelation

I like some of Carvin's gear, but they are not my favorite company. Many players own Carvin but they also play other guitars as well. I personally like G&L guitars a lot. I found them better than Fenders and feel G&L make some of the best Strat and Teli guitars out there. They are Leo Fender designs of the 1980's and they are just wonderful.

What I find disapointing in the jazz world is so many want to go back to the classic sound of the jazz guitars of the 1950's and 1960's. Sure they sound and look great. But it's 2011; how about moving forward with some newer designs and sounds. Why stay in the past? I was very sad when Guild shut down their RI plant. Their X170 was a great guitar and it offered something new and fresh. The George Benson guitar to me just sounds amazing. Something new and different from the Gibson sound...though to be honest his guitar has been out for a while now. I also like the Carvin SH550 and SH575 because they also offer something new and fresh. Does Frank have a good sound with one? That is debatable, but I am not a big fan of his playing either.

**jzucker** · 08-24-2011, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by Revelation

Does Frank have a good sound with one? That is debatable, but I am not a big fan of his playing either.

Whether you like him or not, he's a GIANT of the guitar. To ignore him is your loss. I wouldn't want to play like him but i can't ignore what he's done for the instrument. He's revolutionized what's possible to be played on it in many ways.

And p.s. you don't get called by chick corea unless you're a total monster.

**jzucker** · 08-24-2011, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Soco

I thought "Brave new guitar" was good, as well as some of the stuff he did with vital information.

That's still my favorite. Even on the cheesy cds, there are always dozens of nuggets to rip from his lines.

**Revelation** · 08-24-2011, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

Whether you like him or not, he's a GIANT of the guitar. To ignore him is your loss. I wouldn't want to play like him but i can't ignore what he's done for the instrument. He's revolutionized what's possible to be played on it in many ways.

And p.s. you don't get called by chick corea unless you're a total monster.

I am not a big fan because I never heard of him until he advertized with Carvin. I agree he is a great guitar player. Don't get me started with there not being good jazz stations on the radio. If it was not for Pandora's web site, I would not have heard about a lot of good players. I have been more into John Scofield, Metheny, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, George Benson, Wes Mont, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, all 3 kings (BB, Albert and Freddie), Jeff Beck, Les Paul, etc.

**Revelation** · 08-24-2011, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by helios

I wish Carvin would optionally install other pickups at the factory (Lollar, Fralin etc)-even for an additional fee it would be worth it to me. Carvin then would at least have have the capacity to sound great with great pickups! I've owned three Carvins, and all were very well made.

I love your idea!

**JohnW400** · 08-24-2011, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by helios

I wish Carvin would optionally install other pickups at the factory (Lollar, Fralin etc)-even for an additional fee it would be worth it to me. Carvin then would at least have have the capacity to sound great with great pickups! I've owned three Carvins, and all were very well made.

Now I know 2 guys that play Carvin

**Revelation** · 08-24-2011, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

Wait, you play a G&L Strat copy and you're complaining that jazz guys want to go back to the classic sound of the '60s? haha. Somehow, that seems funny to me....

By the way, I think G&L makes awful strat copies. Very plasticy sounding.

Also, how are the carvin semis new and fresh? They are just rehashed copies of what prs, gibson and sadowsky were already doing. (Not to mention dozens of other companies).

The funny thing about carvin is that not only do their endorsers not use their instruments (as far as I can tell) but even the signature models are not used by the signatories...

I actaully own a 82 Fender Strat. I just like the slightly fuller sounding pickups on the Legacy..better tremolo, and his neck design is unique.

Most jazz players play clean, so by going to the old school sound is what I was talking about. You can play a Les Paul or Fender Strat and have a newer sound due to new amps with different distortion, and by using effects.

**jzucker** · 08-24-2011, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by Revelation

I actaully own a 82 Fender Strat. I just like the slightly fuller sounding pickups on the Legacy..better tremolo, and his neck design is unique.

Most jazz players play clean, so by going to the old school sound is what I was talking about. You can play a Les Paul or Fender Strat and have a newer sound due to new amps with different distortion, and by using effects.

I was just teasing you. I have a k-line strat that I love though I play jazz on it too using overdrive. Regarding gambale, it's weird because he's such a brilliant player but his recordings are so mediocre except for his soloing. There are a few bits of brilliant writings and arrangements in his catalog but by and large it doesn't measure up to what he's capable of playing. Brave New Guitar has some great compositions and is worth considerable study as his Frank's approach to playing over altered dominant chords and slash chords.

**Revelation** · 08-24-2011, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

I was just teasing you. I have a k-line strat that I love though I play jazz on it too using overdrive. Regarding gambale, it's weird because he's such a brilliant player but his recordings are so mediocre except for his soloing. There are a few bits of brilliant writings and arrangements in his catalog but by and large it doesn't measure up to what he's capable of playing. Brave New Guitar has some great compositions and is worth considerable study as his Frank's approach to playing over altered dominant chords and slash chords.

I will check it out...thanks. Frank has that West Coast sound that is interesting. Do you think he sounds better with the hairpiece or the bald look?

Larry C has a Valley Arts Strat type of guitar and it sounds pretty good playing jazz as well. Mike Stern has that Teli guitar with a sey dun back pick up. I saw him in NYC with John Pattitucci and Dennis Chambers on drums. Amazing!

**jzucker** · 08-24-2011, 02:12 PM

Frank definitely sounds better with the leather pants and hairpiece although he was about 50lbs less at that point. He probably can't buckle the leather pants any longer.

My favorite was the speed chops workout book with the aerobic girls. Not sure why he's so predisposed to all that cheesyness, particularly when he can flat out play. Pat Metheny has spoken of wanting to study with him.

**Vihar** · 08-24-2011, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by Revelation

Larry C has a Valley Arts Strat type of guitar and it sounds pretty good playing jazz as well. !

Love that one with the three EMGs. It's also a 24 3/4'' scale with a tune-o-matic.

**helios** · 08-24-2011, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by JohnW400

Now I know 2 guys that play Carvin

Hello,
I "owned" three Carvins-all long gone now. I too was never in love with the tone, but again, pickups may have solved that problem.

**jorgemg1984** · 08-26-2011, 07:05 AM

Well took a little vacation and lost a lot of action o this thread. I still think Scott Henderson was a much better choice for that band than Frank Gambale. Its just my opinion. Actually I only really like two records from that band, the first one and Paint the World - the only two records that don't feature Gambale. The other guy I also like a lot from that band is Marienthal (Weckl is on the Gambale league for me).

I know this things are always controversial but I don't really get the greatness of Gambale, I never heard anything from him I liked. And its a mystery to me why does Chick calls him to his band. But, again, its just an opinion.