Upgraded Carvin DC727 - PICS Warning

[djpharoah]

After about 3 weeks of non-commission use due to work being done for it or parts coming in for it I finally decided to set this up last night.

Mods:
1) Remove the BKP HD7 (A5) and replace with a ceramic Warpig metal
The HolyDiver was nice but very muddy and not at all tight (for my standards). I guess blame it on the alnico 5 magnet in there. Anyways swapped in the ceramic warpig and now its very very tight. Reminds me of a ds7 but with more output, more dynamic range, more presence and just overall better tone. The C-Pig sounds so nice recorded as well (still have to do some more). Have only had like 15min or so worth of time on the warpig but so far its tight.

2) Fill in the controls with 2V, 2T, 3 mini-toggles.
I got the pots from Max but unfortunately they are too stumpy and short for the carvin (fuck) so I'm without a volume/tone at the moment. The two grouped mini-toggles are for coil taps (eventually) and the one on its own is a 3 way for my future piezo install.

3) Sand neck to wood and then use boiled linseed oil (gunstock oil) oil it up. This took the longest. I oiled it once left it to dry for 8hrs or so then took some 400, 1000, 1500, 2000 to it before doing another coat. Now it's silky smooth and I think it plays a lot faster than before. Also visually its got this attraction to it.


Future Mods:
1) Automotive Scratch remover. There are a ton of surface scratches on the surface (clear) and I want to remove them.
2) Give that ebony fretboard a nice cleaning and conditioning with my upcoming Dunlop Cleaning gear.
3) Clean the SS frets as I've not done it in a while.

Anyways onto the pics.

 

[Mindcrime1204]

Very cool dude, I really dig it. Gimme.

 

[ivancic1al]

lookin good. i dig the all black. if i had the $$ i'd prolly spring for a black carvin. they just look sleek as hell

 

[Koshchei]

Nice work on the neck Very KxK looking

 

[Apophis]

Great

 

[caughtinamosh]

Much improved, Mesh.

Does this neck remind anyone of a KxK, anyone?

 

[Flax6177]

That looks like an awesome guitar just IMO its such a travesty to me when people cover up those beautiful Carvins with black paint. All the craftsmanship and gorgeous wood is lying in wait for someone to come rescue it. That warpig destroys in it though.

 

[djpharoah]

Haha - you guys picked up on it. I've always loved how those KXKs look with the headstock and then only the body painted.

It plays so smoothly and the neck is to die for.

 

[SnowfaLL]

whys the jazz upside down (any reasoning? I know I put evos and Dsonic's upside down, but never heard of putting a jazz upside down)

In my opinion, if you are going to keep the jazz upside down, you should nailpolish remover the logo off, it looks odd kinda. Its not hard to do, ive done it to 3 different Jazz pickups cause I like my pickups to be bare.

I really want a Holydiver 7, I think it'd be perfect for me.

 

[djpharoah]

I knew it'd be you to bring up something about the Jazz Nick

Its upside down as I found it to be smoother this way.

 

[El Caco]

It's got speed holes

 

[Koshchei]

I knew it'd be you to bring up something about the Jazz Nick

Its upside down as I found it to be smoother this way.

I do that with the Air Norton too...

A question: You got that guitar a month ago. How in the hell did it get so dinged up in that time?

 

[djpharoah]

I do that with the Air Norton too...

A question: You got that guitar a month ago. How in the hell did it get so dinged up in that time?

Honestly I'd like to say I dunno but really I don't know. I know the pick swirl was there from when it was purchased. Those scratches are my doing cuz I wasn't careful enough. But they are just light scratches in the clear which I think is just too soft.

 

[yacker]

Any particular reason why you didn't take a bit more paint off the neck down towards the body? I only ask because it looks similar to how Carvin does that feature when requested and I never quite understood why you wouldn't go all the way to where the neck meets the body. Just preference or is there some sort of other reason?

 

[djpharoah]

Any particular reason why you didn't take a bit more paint off the neck down towards the body? I only ask because it looks similar to how Carvin does that feature when requested and I never quite understood why you wouldn't go all the way to where the neck meets the body. Just preference or is there some sort of other reason?

I did it because then you start getting into the wings of the guitar which are a different color due to being a different wood. Also it gets harder to reach the edges of the neck for sanding past that point due to the body starting on both sides.

 

[kmanick]

I thought you were selling this becasue the woods weren't what you thought they were?
or was that another Carvin?
anyway looking good, how's the Warpig compared to the Holydiver?
I've used the Nailbomb (in my Carvin which just kills) and a MiracleMan
in my old 7620 (which also killed).
I may be ordering a CS at some point and I'm trying to decide which BK to go with in the bridge.
does the Warpig sound any good for lead playing (I know this is where the holydiver excels)

 

[djpharoah]

I thought you were selling this becasue the woods weren't what you thought they were?
or was that another Carvin?
anyway looking good, how's the Warpig compared to the Holydiver?
I've used the Nailbomb (in my Carvin which just kills) and a MiracleMan
in my old 7620 (which also killed).
I may be ordering a CS at some point and I'm trying to decide which BK to go with in the bridge.
does the Warpig sound any good for lead playing (I know this is where the holydiver excels)

Yeah Nick - at one point I was looking to sell or trade this as I thought it was a mahogany neck thru with maple wings. However I got an email from Carvin's head luthier who found out from my serial that it was Hard Maple Neck with Alder wings. That sealed it for me.

I exchanged the Holy Diver 7 back for the Ceramic Warpig which is just brutal and tight in the bridge. I find it somewhat similar in tone to the DS7. However its more output, clearer, tighter, more range and very dynamic to picking. Its definitely a keeper.

 

[kmanick]

Thanks for the info.
I played one of nicks (Zimbloth) ricos that has a warpig in it and I really liked it but I forgot which woods that one was made out of (plus we were playing thru his Axe-FX which doesn't give me the representation I would need against my mark III).