Frank Gambale and his DV-Mark / Carvin Rig

**jzucker** · 08-19-2011, 03:25 PM

Heard Gambale with Chick Corea a couple nights ago. It was one of the worst sounding guitar rigs I've heard in a band of that caliber. You literally couldn't hear a note he was playing because it was so dark, mid-rangey and muddy.

Wipe the Carvin Semi hollow and DV Mark off my gas-list.

**GreyJazz90** · 08-19-2011, 03:35 PM

Thats too bad. I checked out those Carvin videos of him playing his new signature model and thought they sounded thin and weak. I wonder what led him to choosing that brand? Really liked his sound a lot more with his Yamaha.

**jzucker** · 08-19-2011, 03:36 PM

my guess is that he gets royalties on both

**GreyJazz90** · 08-19-2011, 03:40 PM

Yeah, sounds about right. Do you know what he was playing through before the DV-Mark? Just curious.

**AlsoRan** · 08-19-2011, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

Heard Gambale with Chick Corea a couple nights ago. It was one of the worst sounding guitar rigs I've heard in a band of that caliber. You literally couldn't hear a note he was playing because it was so dark, mid-rangey and muddy.

How can this be? Surely the sound man was at fault in some way. And I can't believe Chick would tolerate a sub-standard mix. Are you sure it wasn't a failure at the mixing board or some other technical difficulty?

**GreyJazz90** · 08-19-2011, 03:50 PM

I think the tone in the 1st video is exceptionally weak in comparison to his older rig in the 2nd vid

**Loobs** · 08-20-2011, 06:29 PM

Can't say either were ever on my GAS list. Carvin guitars = no thanks.

**jorgemg1984** · 08-21-2011, 03:18 PM

Actually I never liked his sound, I think he sounds with his new rig like he aleays sounded. I still wish Scott Henderson played on that band.

**jzucker** · 08-21-2011, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by AlsoRan

How can this be? Surely the sound man was at fault in some way. And I can't believe Chick would tolerate a sub-standard mix. Are you sure it wasn't a failure at the mixing board or some other technical difficulty?

no, it's the rig. Lots of folks have reported the same thing on the RTF II concerts at various venues across the country.

**Vihar** · 08-21-2011, 03:55 PM

Maybe it was just the mix.

**jzucker** · 08-21-2011, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by jorgemg1984

Actually I never liked his sound, I think he sounds with his new rig like he aleays sounded. I still wish Scott Henderson played on that band.

I don't. Scott is great but Gambale is harmonically and rhythmically one of the true masters of the guitar. He's taken the instrument way beyond what virtually any other guitarist has every done.

I don't agree that his sound is the same as it's always been. Did you hear one of the RTF II concerts? If not, how can you say that? At any rate, his sound was better in the early days before he had all his custom made endorsement gear.

**Vihar** · 08-21-2011, 03:58 PM

I sure like his 80s stuff, but in a retro kind of way.

**Revelation** · 08-21-2011, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

Heard Gambale with Chick Corea a couple nights ago. It was one of the worst sounding guitar rigs I've heard in a band of that caliber. You literally couldn't hear a note he was playing because it was so dark, mid-rangey and muddy.

Wipe the Carvin Semi hollow and DV Mark off my gas-list.

Do you think it had to do anything with the sound guy, the hall, where you were sitting and not Frank's guitar and amp? I have played many gigs where the sound guy ...the room (no acoustic treatment) just messed up my sound. You say his sound was dark, and muddy. Another guy listening to him on the Carvin channel through his computer speakers says his sound is thin and weak. I get a $200 guitar through my Mesa/Boogie and make it sing. I agree that the Yamaha clip has a fuller sound, but I bet if you used the same amp with the same settings and A/B the guitars they would sound a lot closer. The Yamaha clip sounds like they are miking his amp in a small room. With the Carvin, they are more likely going direct from the amp into a board. If you had a mic like a Beta 57 or Audio Technica 4033, you would also get much different results too. You also have to consider beside the different amps, the settings....perhaps the bass knob on the Carvin one was set lower for he wanted that particular sound. Guitars can sound different on different amps. So I would not blame the guitar.

I think your not looking at all the aspects of how he is getting his sound. I tried the Carvin 575 Semi hollow body (Chambered really) and it had a wonderful sound through my Fender Twin that was not thin, weak, or muddy. It had a wonderful jazz/blues sound that I just loved. As someone who wanted something different than the traditional Gibson sound, this Carvin was it for me. Craftmanship is very high, and the sound of the pickups had a more even balance with low's mid's and highs than a 335.

**jzucker** · 08-22-2011, 07:20 AM

as I wrote before, folks all over the world are reporting the same problem so I doubt it's the same bad sound guy doing the whole tour who knows how to mix violin, piano, drums and bass but not guitar!

**Vihar** · 08-22-2011, 07:30 AM

Yeah that makes sense. Unless the sound guy is part of their team.

**jzucker** · 08-22-2011, 07:58 AM

if he's part of their team then the issue is back to the carvin/dv mark because the guy did fine mixing the rest of the group.

**Revelation** · 08-22-2011, 11:11 AM

I have not played his Carvin guitar that has a different pickup than the Carvin SH550 and SH575, but the 550 and 575 sound amazing. I don't know why they don't add more bass on the amp or adjust something to make his guitar sound better if people are complaining. But I have a feeling it's not the guitar. I have heard some clips where he had more of a Larry Carlton sound with the Carvin and it sounded just fine.

**jzucker** · 08-22-2011, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Revelation

I have not played his Carvin guitar that has a different pickup than the Carvin SH550 and SH575, but the 550 and 575 sound amazing. I don't know why they don't add more bass on the amp or adjust something to make his guitar sound better if people are complaining. But I have a feeling it's not the guitar. I have heard some clips where he had more of a Larry Carlton sound with the Carvin and it sounded just fine.

His sound was bass heavy and mid range heavy IMO. I have heard zero clips of the carvin that sounded anything like carlton. Please specify a link. In fact, please specify a link where any carvin guitar sounds amazing.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 08-22-2011, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by GreyJazz90

Comment:

wait till he sets his hair on fire - no wait - that isn't going to work.

I admit I larfed.

**Revelation** · 08-22-2011, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

His sound was bass heavy and mid range heavy IMO. I have heard zero clips of the carvin that sounded anything like carlton. Please specify a link. In fact, please specify a link where any carvin guitar sounds amazing.

Sure, here is a link of the Carvin 550. Same guitar as Frank's except is has more of a Les Paul design instead of the short fins on Frank's. Front pickup has a little more output than Franks' as well, but bascially very similar as the construction, wood, etc is pretty much the same.

with using fingers.

with using a pick

Here it is with some sustain. Due to the reverb on this clip it is a little washy, but you get the idea of it's tone. Not the Larry Carlton sound, but it's in the family.
I will have to make a clip at some point of the Carvin going through my Fender Twin with my Vox pedal board which just an overdrive effect on. I get a similar sound to Larry's guitar on his Room 335.

**Vihar** · 08-22-2011, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

if he's part of their team then the issue is back to the carvin/dv mark because the guy did fine mixing the rest of the group.

You're right, if it's a consistent quality of his tone, it must be something he actually likes, otherwise it would have been corrected by now.
Maybe it's the somewhat usual problem of seasoned musicians, losing some hearing in the top end of the audible frequency range and trying to compensate for it.

**jzucker** · 08-22-2011, 05:43 PM

my guess is that it's simpler than that. He signed a $$$$ deal to be an endorser for both companies and has agreed to use them for gigs and now is stuck. He was previously using a carvin preamp which was even worse than the DV-Mark from what I have heard.

**GreyJazz90** · 08-23-2011, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by Revelation

Do you think it had to do anything with the sound guy, the hall, where you were sitting and not Frank's guitar and amp? I have played many gigs where the sound guy ...the room (no acoustic treatment) just messed up my sound. You say his sound was dark, and muddy. Another guy listening to him on the Carvin channel through his computer speakers says his sound is thin and weak. I get a $200 guitar through my Mesa/Boogie and make it sing. I agree that the Yamaha clip has a fuller sound, but I bet if you used the same amp with the same settings and A/B the guitars they would sound a lot closer. The Yamaha clip sounds like they are miking his amp in a small room. With the Carvin, they are more likely going direct from the amp into a board. If you had a mic like a Beta 57 or Audio Technica 4033, you would also get much different results too. You also have to consider beside the different amps, the settings....perhaps the bass knob on the Carvin one was set lower for he wanted that particular sound. Guitars can sound different on different amps. So I would not blame the guitar.

To clarify I was listening to the video through expensive monitors, so it wasn't a fault with my computer speakers.

Also I have to agree with one of the above posters about Scott Henderson. I always thought he sounded better with Chick than Frank. With Frank IMO it turns into somewhat of a wankfest. I would take Scott's tone and phrasing over Gambale's any day.

**Revelation** · 08-23-2011, 03:52 PM

What do you think of the clips of the Carvin guitar? Though you may not like Franks' sound or his playing, I don't think you say the Carvin guitar lacks some good sounds.

**GreyJazz90** · 08-23-2011, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by Revelation

What do you think of the clips of the Carvin guitar? Though you may not like Franks' sound or his playing, I don't think you say the Carvin guitar lacks some good sounds.

I have played a couple Carvins and while the build quality is excellent for the money, the stock pickups are weak and the pots and wiring aren't of high quality. I think with a couple of modifications to the electronics and a pickup swap, you can really upgrade the tone immensely. The only stock Carvin pickups that I thought were decent sounding are the Allan Holdsworth H2 pickups