Allan Holdsworth talking about his Carvin guitar

**jster** · 01-04-2014, 02:22 PM

Why is it easier to change strings?

**jzucker** · 01-04-2014, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

You can get the Headless Holdsworth guitar with a trem. If your eyes are closed, can you tell a guitar is headless?

do you mean, get it without a trem?

And from what I've heard, holdsworth doesn't even use the carvin guitars. He just endorses them. Maybe it's different with the new one.

I haven't played a single carvin guitar,bass or amp that didn't have at least one dealbreaker issue.

Though I do like their micro 250 bass amp.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 01-04-2014, 06:39 PM

Woops, yes without trem. (Also with trem.)

I think someone here has this guitar. I remember a jazz video posted. Maybe they could comment.

**srlank** · 01-04-2014, 06:50 PM

The OP has videos with one, and he sounds great.

TH · 01-04-2014, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by jster

Why is it easier to change strings?

Balls on both ends, no threading, knotting or securing, just drop in the ball end, put the tension back and it's solid.

The Klein looks weird but playing one sitting down, for me it's like the guitar is suspended in the air under my fingers. Just the most essential part of fingers, strings and fingerboard. Someday somebody's got to make an affordable 7 string headless ergonomic.
David

**edspyhill01** · 01-06-2014, 03:18 PM

I would love to play a Klein ergonomic guitar and the new Carvin headless guitar. The Klein type guitars may look strange but they seem to to be comfortable to play.

**jzucker** · 01-06-2014, 03:26 PM

local guy in cle had a klein. It does not have a truss rod and developed a bow. He sent it back and the "fix" was to put a lighter set of strings on it. #FAIL

**JensL** · 01-06-2014, 06:35 PM

Sorry if I am completely off topic, but is it just me or is Holdsworth sounding much more like a guitar through an amp than his earlier sound where it was harder to tell what was legato and what was not?

Jens

**Socalbill** · 01-07-2014, 05:58 PM

Hello,
Since I own one of these little guys, and I've been playing and gigging with it for about a year I thought I would jump in. Jim Soloway mentioned the case issue, and I agree, the rectangle case is the wrong choice for this guitar. You have to pay extra for the case because they are a custom shop, and they recently sent me an email saying they now have a gig bag type case for the guitar. I bought the rectangle case when I bought the guitar, instantly hated it and bought a gig bag from Probags which is a great case.
On why it is easy to change strings, and someone mentioned the double ball strings- I use regular strings, 12 gauge. The fixture at the end of the neck allows a ball or you can clamp a regular string end in there. The bridge side has these little ball drawers that you pop the ball string end in and turn the knob to tighten. It is easy to do and pretty quick.
Jzucker mentioned the tremolo, and you can get the guitar with a non-trem bridge and the term bridge locks to make it a non trem.
One thing I will add is that the bridge they use is by a company called JCustom HeadlessResearch. You can buy them on Ebay as a stand alone. This bridge is great IMO. It makes tuning and intonation easy and accurate. I play finger style and with this guitar my chords up the neck sound better then any of my other guitars.
I also love the ergonomics. I use a strap and sitting or standing the HH2 is more comfortable than my other guitars.
If I could change something about it it would be to make a full hollow version. The body is very small, but if it just made a little more noise acoustically I would feel even better about it. This guitar is not for everybody. It has a unique piano like tone and it looks weird. People have come up and asked what kind of instrument it is.
Bill

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 01-07-2014, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Socalbill

I also love the ergonomics. I use a strap and sitting or standing the HH2 is more comfortable than my other guitars.

Are you using the strap sitting down because it neck dives? How is the balance?

**Socalbill** · 01-08-2014, 12:25 AM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

Are you using the strap sitting down because it neck dives? How is the balance?

The balance is what this guitar is all about. The strap is because the guitar is very small. With a strap it hangs perfectly and moves really well with you. It even has two strap buttons at the bridge side and switching the strap between the two changes the way the guitar balances to the body, so another way that it fits well.
Bill

**Keira Witherkay** · 01-08-2014, 04:50 AM

the thing few have mentioned....... is your body type (the players that is ) is in many ways important to consider when buying one of these compact guitars ........

and i love em ...back in early 90's i owned and gigged a steinberger XL bass the all graphite one .... but it was deceptively heavy for it's size......... so i love the look and idea ...and being a "traveller/performer " the smaller the better for me... however i may be thin but i am very tall 6 foot with long arms and legs and these small guitars look quite ridiculous when i play them......... looks like i'm playing a toy .... and just looks odd .... and not in a nice/arty way hehehheh i got away with gigging the steinberger bass cos it was a bass and longer but even the steinberger guitar was so much smaller

so i see shorter people playing these instruments and i get GAS for them but when i pick one up in a store the reality of just how small they are sinks in...

i found being tall i look better with bigger instruments and yes i own a 1/2 size travel guitar but i won't perform with it and lets face it ... who wants to own a beauty like the holdsworth guitar and NOT gig it ...