The most exciting news to come out of San Diego in 2004, and actually, one of the most exciting new products in Carvin's history, was the California
Carved Top model, or CT6. This guitar was the result of many customer requests for a carved-top model, and sported a whole list of new features.
The CT6 featured a mahogany body with mahogany set-neck, standard carved flamed maple top, and 25" scale, 22-fret ebony fingerboard. Cosmetically, a new
headstock design was created, as well as new finishes (deep blue, deep green, deep red, deep purple, deep sunsetburst and deep tiger-eye triple-step
stains). The new M-style bridge was standard, as were custom wound C22N and C22B pickups with single volume and single push-pull tone/coil splitter.
It was also offered as the CT6C (with Floyd Rose tremolo) and CT6T (Wilkinson tremolo; shown below). A 2 volume/2 tone control option (VT2) would eventually be offered.
Base price on the CT6M was $1219.00.
In addition to the new CT6, there were two models based on the it that were offered. The first was the CT3 (below, bottom), which had a 2-piece carved mahogany
body with mahogany neck, but no top wood. This was desigmed to be offered in clear and standard solid colors, as well as optional translucent colors.
The CT3 was offered in the M, C & T variants, like the CT6. Base price on the CT3 was $869.00. The CT4 (below, top) featured a non-flamed plain maple
carved top, with all the finish availabilty and other other specifications of the CT3. The CT4 was also offered in a new finish variant for Carvin; the
Gold Top. Base price on the CT4 was $919.00.
Carvin's Bolt guitar was unchanged from the previous catalog. The price on the Bolt dropped to $569 for the hardtail version and $609 for the Bolt-T with Wilkinson tremolo (from $589 and $629, respectively).
The Contour C66 also dropped in price, to $799 for the hardtail version, $839 for the Wilkinson-equipped version, and $899 for the Floyd Rose-equipped model. To accommodate the additional catalog space required for the 2-page spread of the CT6, the Contour 66 and Bolt would be combined on a single page in late-year catalogs.
The DC127 and DC135 both had the new M-Series bridge as an option, signified as the DC127M and DC135M. The FT6 was still the standard bridge on both models. Base price on both models remained $669, with the M-Series models priced at $689, the Wilkinson-equipped models priced at $709, and the Floyd Rose-equipped models priced at $769.
The DC200 also had an "M" variant, but otherwise, it and the 12-string DC120 were unchanged. The DC200 retained it's base price of $769, while the DC200M was priced at $789, the DC200T, with Wilkinson tremolo, was priced at $809, and the DC200C, with Floyd Rose tremolo, was priced at $869. The 12-string DC120 was priced the same as the previous catalog, at $839. Like the DC200, the option-laden DC400 was unchanged, and the price remained the same, starting at $949. The Anniversary model DC400A and the Claro Walnut DC400W had the same base price as Summer 2003 at $1149.
The 7-string DC727 and DC747 were unchanged, and their base prices remained the same, at $699 and $729, respectively. There was not an "M" bridge for these models; they still had a basic FT-style bridge standard, with an optional liscensed Floyd Rose tremolo.
The TL60 and Wilkinson-equipped TL60T were unchanged, and their prices were the same, at $659 and $699. The SC90 was also unchanged for the Fall/Winter catalog, and the base prices remained the same, at $669 for the hardtail version, $709 for the Wilkinson-equipped version, and $769 for the Floyd Rose-equipped version. The Spring catalog devoted a full page to each model; later catalogs would combine these models onto one page.
The second generation DC150 was also unchanged, and remained priced at $769. It was displayed on the same page as the SC90 in the Spring catalog, but would be dropped from the future editions (although still available).
The Allan Holdsworth Signature H2 and Holdsworth Fatboy HF2 were unchanged, and the catalog showed two of the same guitars from the previous issue. Base prices remained the same, at $879 for the H2, and $979 for the HF2.
The AE185 and 12-string AE185-12 were unchanged from the previous catalog. Prices remained the same, at $869 for the AE185, and $949 for the AE185-12.
All the AC Series guitars, the AC175, AC275, AC275-12 and Craig Chaquico Signature CC275 were unchanged for 2004. Prices were also the same, at $769 for the AC175, $819 for the AC275, $889 for the AC275-12, and $979 for the CC275.
The nylon string CL450 and AC375 true acoustic were unchanged, and their prices remained the same, at $949 and $899, respectively.
The Cobalt acoustics and acoustic/electrics were unchanged from 2003, and the same catalog layout was used from the previous issue (although it was enlarged to fit the new format). The prices on all models remained the same, at $539 for the C550, $659 for the C650, $399 for the C250, $419 for the C250S, and $439 for the C350. The C750 was priced at $589, the C850 was $669, the C780 was $599, the C980 was $799, and the C980-12 was $869.
Carvin's bolt-neck basses, the B4 and B5, were unchanged, but like many other models in the new catalog, fully loaded models were shown, versus the mid-level equipped (or even bare-bones) models that had been shown in the past. Prices on both these models dropped, to $569 for a B4 or B4F (fretless), and $669 for a B5 or B5F.
New for 2004 was Carvin's TXB Textured Black Finish (below), which was primarily intended as an option for the bolt-neck guitar and bass
kits, for customers who wanted a finish, but didn't want to do that themselves. This finish was essentially pick-up truck bed liner spray, and because of
its thickness, care had to be used to keep it out of the neck pocket, or the neck wouldn't fit. It could be optioned onto any of the guitar or bass kits
for an additional $40, and was sporadiacally offered on Custom Shop bolt-neck instruments.
The LB-bodied four-string basses, the LB20, LB70 and Timothy B. Schmit Signature TBS4, were unchanged from the previous catalog. All three models were priced the same, at $899 for the TBS4, $669 for the LB20, and $749 for the LB70. The LB70, LB75 and LB76 continued to be available in the Claro Walnut Series (W Series), abd Anniversary Series (A Series) and had no changes from the previous catalog. The prices were also unchanged.
The XB75 extended-scale 5-string bass was moved to the page with the LB75, versus sharing a page with the XB76. Base prices on the LB75 and XB75 remained the same as 2003, at $799 and $869, respectively.
Like the XB75, the XB76 extended-scale 6-string bass moved to the page with the LB76 bass. Base prices on the XB76 and LB76 were unchanged from the previous catalog, at $969 and $899, respectively.
The Bunny Brunel Signature Basses, the BB70, BB75 and BB76, were unchanged, and their prices remained the same, at $849, $899, and $999, respectively.
The acoustic-electric AC40 and AC50 basses were unchanged from the previous catalog, and the prices remained the same, at $799 and $849, respectively.
