Yeah thats a real good price. I don't know If you guys are familiar with Hufschmid guitars, but they are seriously the most beautiful guitars I've seen ever. I've been completely converted to custom guitars.

The Carvins are amazing value for money, I highly recommend them if you're looking for a good 8 string, so far none of the reviews I've seen have had any negative comments except for the occasional botch up like not putting a logo on the guitar - which hardly affects playability or tone ? Had these been out a few years ago I probably would have rather gone this route than the RG2228. I wouldn't go neck-thru though, but that's just me ?

Hufschmid is cool, but he's a bit of a narcisist and his guitars run into incredibly ridiculous price tags, which are and aren't warranted in some ways - Personally I hate the fact that he can't do contour tops on anything that's been drop topped - It looks so horrible to have the body would sticking out at the forearm contour. If you were pricing out an Agile before then be warned as his guitars are a good 4x - 5x more expensive. The 8 strings are well into the $4,5k range and I've never seen an 8 under $3,5k from him to my knowledge. If I were going custom there are a whole bunch of other luthiers I'd prefer to deal with, but as I'm a guitarist and not a lawyer/doctor/CEO I guess I won't be going custom any time soon ?.

Hahahaha Chad, believe me, I'm very well aware of his ridiculous price tags. He's much more expensive than even Ola Strandberg.
And with custom I mean like hardcore custom. Making the whole guitar yourself. I just meant that I'm done with commercial factory guitars.
What do you mean with drop contour tops? And where would the body be sticking out?
The woods he uses are simply gorgeous though ?

Demigod wrote: Hahahaha Chad, believe me, I'm very well aware of his ridiculous price tags. He's much more expensive than even Ola Strandberg.

Not really...If you get in touch with Ola and spec out a .Strandberg* similarly to a Hufschmid in terms of wood etc they come out the same price, the prices on the .Strandberg* website are mainly just base prices. I'd rather have a .Strandberg* though, they're just better in so many elements of ergonomics, and you can get Ola to use stupidly figured woods if you ask him.

Demigod wrote: Making the whole guitar yourself.

This is a touchy subject as often people think they could build a better guitar than what comes off of say the Ibanez/Jackson/ESP production line, and quite often they don't realise how much craftsmanship has actually gone into any of these "production brands".

Demigod wrote: I just meant that I'm done with commercial factory guitars.

Nothing wrong with a nicely made factory guitar, often custom doesn't really equate to better value for money or even necessarily a better guitar, just one that is made to a set of specs that you've determined. Sure there are builders like Hufschmid who no doubt make amazing guitars, but unfortunately the concept of tone is highly subjective and just because someone has a Hufschmid doesn't mean they'll never pick up a Fender/Ibanez/ESP/Jackson etc that really resonates with them that they feel they'd be all the richer for having, thankfully we're not tied down to only owning one guitar ?

Demigod wrote: What do you mean with drop contour tops? And where would the body be sticking out?

Hufschmid doesn't seem to bend his tops on the forearm contour, so often in the part where your forearm rests you'll see the body wood sticking out in the corner on his top contoured models. I just think it ruins the entire appearance to do that rather than bend your top wood.

Chad Adam Browne wrote:Not really...If you get in touch with Ola and spec out a .Strandberg* similarly to a Hufschmid in terms of wood etc they come out the same price, the prices on the .Strandberg* website are mainly just base prices. I'd rather have a .Strandberg* though, they're just better in so many elements of ergonomics, and you can get Ola to use stupidly figured woods if you ask him.

Well, that was when I last had a look. But yes, I agree with you that .strandberg guitars are funky ant therefore awesome.?

Regarding the custom guitars, production guitars are awesome in a lot of ways, and I don't mean that that I make would be "better" than an Ibanez, I just think its nice to have a completely unique guitar. And personally I think that custom guitars are among the worst regarding value for money.

Chad Adam Browne wrote:Hufschmid doesn't seem to bend his tops on the forearm contour, so often in the part where your forearm rests you'll see the body wood sticking out in the corner on his top contoured models. I just think it ruins the entire appearance to do that rather than bend your top wood.

Aaah, now I get it. Well thats just weird that he doesn't do it. What's the use of a beautiful top if you carve a chunk of it away?


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Finally got the hang of that quote function hehe ?

Hufschmidt's guitars are awesome. Almost in the same vein as Blackmachine.

Unfortunately he doesn't have the machine you need to steam the top for the forearm contour. Strictly7 had the same problem but I think they have that resolved.
Invictus guitars are making some tasy Pieces now as well . . . VERY nice 8's at good prices.
The nice thing about Carvin is that you get more choice for your buck.
It would be nice if they offered a passive route.

I believe you can get a passive route if you ask them nicely ?
It's not about the lack of equipment. If you have a pot and boiling water and a vice or clamps you can curve the wood.

Styles wrote: Unfortunately he doesn't have the machine you need to steam the top for the forearm contour. Strictly7 had the same problem but I think they have that resolved.

It can be done by hand though, as Demigod's post shows. Hufschmid always confused me for this reason really...

Styles wrote: Invictus guitars are making some tasy Pieces now as well . . . VERY nice 8's at good prices.

The one they made for John Browne was beautiful, though I wasn't mad about the contrast of the flamed maple pickup cover over the spalted body.

Demigod wrote: I believe you can get a passive route if you ask them nicely ?

Unfortunately I don't believe this to be an option, from what I know Carvin only supplies their 8 strings with their own in house made active pickups - which are unfortunately EMG sized.

Chad, and anyone else, you said that you are on sevenstring.org a while back if I'm not mistaken. Can you access the site? I can't access it no matter what I do. Their Facebook page is pretty unresponsive, not getting any help there.

It might be problems with site hosting. Happened before. Took almost a week to get sorted out.
Ooooor they got hacked . . . . you never know.

I am abl to get in now?

BMU wrote:

Demigod wrote: Great! Thanks! Ok then that makes it about 12% Tax after shipping! Not too bad!

Huh? You always pay the normal 14% VAT. Before shipping. No other import duties on guitars, just VAT & shipping. (Someone must've said this already.)

VAT is only 12% on 8 string guitars, not 14%. ?

Btw...THERE IS NO IMPORT DUTY ON GUITARS IN SOUTH AFRICA!!!
Do you think they got it?

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