Carvin Allan Holdsworth HH2

**Toat** · 03-25-2013, 10:59 AM

Hello,
I'm a fan of carvin's chambered bodied guitars, I currently play a sh-65 and it's litterally a swiss army knife. Anyway, I'm going back to school soon for music and looking to pick up an HH2 for a nice compact package to take between school and home everyday.

My design philosophy is for this to be purely a jazz axe which for me means neck humbucker. I like a lot of midrangey warmth but balanced with decent sustain.
I'm going to ask if they will build one with only neck humbucker, kind of opposite of the HH1 if you follow.
Back to the real topic of this thread, tonewoods, I'm considering these two options:

1.) maple back and sides, maple neck, plain maple top, maple fingerboard. (tung oil all around)
2.) mahogany back/sides, mahogany neck, plain maple top, maple fingerboard. (tung oil all around)
3.) mahogany back/sides, mahogany neck, mahogany top, rosewood fingerboard. (tung oil all around)

I'm cosidering option 3 but worried that it would be too dark and muddy. Option 2 is somewhat of a safe bet it that it will have warmth and brightness which can be tweaked with eq. Option 1 I'm sure I would always be fighting to get it dark enough for my taste, but then again methany plays a nearly all maple guitar (lots of tone nob rollage).

What would you choose. is opt. 3 viable?

**rpguitar** · 03-25-2013, 11:31 AM

Because the HH2 is chambered and has 24 frets, it will never be dark and muddy no matter what woods you use. I think I'd stick with the maple top (option #2) but go with a rosewood fingerboard.

**Jim Soloway** · 03-25-2013, 01:27 PM

When I was actually considering one for myself I was thing of a mahogany body and top with a maple neck and rosewood board.

**Socalbill** · 03-25-2013, 02:09 PM

Hi,
I said this in another thread, but I think it is worth repeating. I have an HH2 that is all all mahogany including the top and a 5 piece neck with maple stringers in mahogany. It has an ebony fretboard, and the push/pull tone pot for split coils. The guitar is very much an electronic device in that the electronics can overpower the acoustic nature of the instrument in a heartbeat. I run mine through a POD HD into a PA head and full range speaker, but I also play through a Cube 60, a Cube Lite and anything else lying around. In every case, I can get a very nice jazz tone with pickup selection and the tone pot. When I bought mine, I had a chance to play two other maple bodied HH2s and although I could hear a slight variation in tone, I don't think I would have noticed at all if I hadn't played them back to back.
It is tiny at 31 inches and I have found it to be a wonderful traveller. Forget the Carvin case though and buy a gig bag from ProBags. Much smaller. Oh yea, mine has the tung oil finish as well. It feels wonderful. Good luck with your purchase.
Bill

**Toat** · 03-25-2013, 09:12 PM

Thanks for the feedback.
Bill, you don't happen to have pictures of yours do you?
I'm really partial to the all mahogany idea, maybe all mahogany with maple fingerboard?
I'm not so much a fan of rosewood and would prefer a maple board to ebony.

**JPMike** · 03-25-2013, 09:24 PM

I had the same question a few weeks ago, I ordered mine as follows.

Koa body, Koa Top, Koa neck with 2 maple stripes, ebony board.

Koa is something like mahogany. I still have like 4 weeks of waiting or so.

**Bryan T** · 03-25-2013, 09:35 PM

If you do go the mahogany route, make sure you understand/specify what the finish will look like. Many years ago I ordered a Carvin with natural mahogany, expecting a milk chocolate brown guitar. What was delivered was much, much lighter. I was disappointed and that contributed to why I returned the guitar. To Carvin's credit, they didn't give me any hassle with the return. I ended up buying another Carvin from the Hollywood store after playing it in person.

**Jim Soloway** · 03-26-2013, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Bryan T

If you do go the mahogany route, make sure you understand/specify what the finish will look like. Many years ago I ordered a Carvin with natural mahogany, expecting a milk chocolate brown guitar. What was delivered was much, much lighter. I was disappointed and that contributed to why I returned the guitar. To Carvin's credit, they didn't give me any hassle with the return. I ended up buying another Carvin from the Hollywood store after playing it in person.

They have some pretty good photos of the HH2 in natural mahogany finish. I happen to love that color myself.

**Jim Soloway** · 03-26-2013, 11:13 AM

Here's a look at the photo of the HH2 in natural Mahogany (although this is gloss not oil). I think this looks great.

**Bryan T** · 03-26-2013, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

Here's a look at the photo of the HH2 in natural Mahogany (although this is gloss not oil). I think this looks great.

I think it looks great, too. If the guitar I received had looked like that, I would have been happy. What I got was much, much lighter.

More like this, but even lighter:

Carvin Allan Holdsworth HH2-mahogany-genuine-jpg

Carvin Allan Holdsworth HH2-mahogany-genuine-jpg

**GreyJazz90** · 03-26-2013, 11:30 AM

I would just go with option 1 or 2. Mine is pretty much stock except for the flame top and SS frets. Here is a vid of me playing it in a more straight ahead setting.

**Socalbill** · 03-26-2013, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by GreyJazz90

I would just go with option 1 or 2. Mine is pretty much stock except for the flame top and SS frets. Here is a vid of me playing it in a more straight ahead setting.

Hi GreyJazz90,
I really enjoyed your playing. In fact, I found some of your stuff on YT when I was considering my HH2 purchase, and your tone helped me make the decision. Care to share why you chose the guitar?
Bill

**Socalbill** · 03-26-2013, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by Toat

Thanks for the feedback.
Bill, you don't happen to have pictures of yours do you?
I'm really partial to the all mahogany idea, maybe all mahogany with maple fingerboard?
I'm not so much a fan of rosewood and would prefer a maple board to ebony.

Hi Toat,
sorry, I missed your post. Mine looks just like the on on the website that was shared here. Mine has an ebony FB, but the color of the mahogany is very much like the one pictured.
Bill

**Eric Rowland** · 03-26-2013, 08:39 PM

This instrument seems to have a small fan base

I ordered one a couple of weeks ago. Mahogany body, birch top, 5 pc maple neck, ebony board, push/pull, 20" radius, honeyburst satin finish with tung oil on neck. Hope it works out and I like it.

**Toat** · 03-28-2013, 11:18 AM

Thanks for the advice everyone. Great video GreyJazz90!
I must say the natural mahogany top pictures look great.
I might be leaning towards mahogany top/back/neck with a maple fretboard.
How do you think that would look?
I found a visial aid although not HH2 Carvin Allan Holdsworth HH2-boltplusc-mahogany-85907-jpg

Carvin Allan Holdsworth HH2-boltplusc-mahogany-85907-jpg

**GreyJazz90** · 03-29-2013, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by Socalbill

Hi GreyJazz90,
I really enjoyed your playing. In fact, I found some of your stuff on YT when I was considering my HH2 purchase, and your tone helped me make the decision. Care to share why you chose the guitar?
Bill

Hey thanks! Glad it helped influence your purchase. I chose it because I wanted a jazz tone in a more compact and ergonomic body. As much as I love my archtop, it isn't the most comfortable thing to play for extended periods of time. I love the way the Holdsworth hangs on the body when it is strapped on. I guess I became a convert to headless/ergonomic guitars after playing Tim Miller's Klein's and his custom Canton. Oh what I would give to own a Klein, it is an incredible and underrated instrument.

**JPMike** · 03-30-2013, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by GreyJazz90

Hey thanks! Glad it helped influence your purchase. I chose it because I wanted a jazz tone in a more compact and ergonomic body. As much as I love my archtop, it isn't the most comfortable thing to play for extended periods of time. I love the way the Holdsworth hangs on the body when it is strapped on. I guess I became a convert to headless/ergonomic guitars after playing Tim Miller's Klein's and his custom Canton. Oh what I would give to own a Klein, it is an incredible and underrated instrument.

To be honest, if it wasn't for your videos I wouldn't have ordered the HH2.

I wonder, if it can be strung up with 12s with a wound G.

**Socalbill** · 03-30-2013, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by JPMike

To be honest, if it wasn't for your videos I wouldn't have ordered the HH2.

I wonder, if it can be strung up with 12s with a wound G.

Hi JPMike,
Yes it can be strung with 12s and a wound G. Your going to love this guitar.
Bill

**Toat** · 03-30-2013, 12:41 PM

Do you think the 5 piece neck would be worth getting? I also plan to string it with heavy flatwounds, and I live in an area with cold dry winters.

**Socalbill** · 03-30-2013, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Toat

Do you think the 5 piece neck would be worth getting? I also plan to string it with heavy flatwounds, and I live in an area with cold dry winters.

Hi Toat,
I tend to think that a laminated neck is insurance against twisting, but I have not had problems with single piece necks when they are from a quality manufacturer. If the extra cost doesn't bug you then I would go for it. We don't get much in terms of cold weather here in sunny California, but we are basically a desert and it gets pretty dry a various times of the year. I don't use humidifiers, but I keep most of guitars in cases while not being played. Just my opinion.
Bill

**GreyJazz90** · 03-31-2013, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by JPMike

To be honest, if it wasn't for your videos I wouldn't have ordered the HH2.

I wonder, if it can be strung up with 12s with a wound G.

Oh so you ordered it? Nice

I'm sure you will enjoy it. As Socalbill said, the guitar can be strung with heavier gauges and will play just fine.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 03-31-2013, 12:58 PM

I've asked this before, but I hope I can get more responses: what do you think of the zero fret?

I've read some so-so things about it, about early wear and interaction with string bending. I guess even though I like the look of headless guitars I'm old-fashioned about the nut.

**Socalbill** · 03-31-2013, 02:09 PM

Hi BDLH,
The HH2 is my first zero fret guitar so I can't compare it with anything. This guitar has the best action of any of my guitars, and I find that if I only play my HH2, I have trouble on my archtops until I get used to the higher action. I am not sure if the HH2s action is just the result of the zero fret, but I would be willing to bet that its action in the first position is the result of having a zero fret. I don't bend notes too much, but just messing around with bending notes doesn't seem to cause any problems.
I think this guitar with a zero fret works pretty well. I have picked up so many guitars with a poorly cut nut, that I look at the zero fret and wonder why it isn't used more often.
Bill

**GreyJazz90** · 04-04-2013, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

I've asked this before, but I hope I can get more responses: what do you think of the zero fret?

I've read some so-so things about it, about early wear and interaction with string bending. I guess even though I like the look of headless guitars I'm old-fashioned about the nut.

I've had the guitar for 1 year now and haven't had any issues with the zero fret. I would suggest getting stainless steel frets so the zero fret doesn't wear down. I can bend strings a lot and haven't had any issues.

I agree with Socalbill, I almost think the zero fret makes more sense than a nut. The action on the HH guitar is incredible. I can get it so low and even across the fret board. Even more low than my Suhr Pro!