2014 GUITARS

The new SCB6 and SCB7 guitars represented a radical departure from the guitars Carvin had become known for, and would signal the direction the company would move to in the coming years. Both models had a very aggressive forearm bevel, as well as a beveled cutaway facilitating easier access high on the fingerboard than most guitars. These details looked especially good with a figured top wood and natural body binding effect, which was essentially just an unpainted border of the top wood. The SCB guitars started with the basics - alder body, maple neck-through neck, 24 fret ebony fingerboard and hardtail bridge. From there, the sky was the limit, with all of Carvin's Custom Shop options at hand, including exotic woods, solid, metallic and translucent finishes, inlays, fretwire and more.

For the 7-string player, there were two additional new models for 2014: the TL70 and the DC7X. The TL70 was based on the TL60, in a 7-string configuration with a 4 X 3 CT-style headstock. It came standard with a 7-string Hiphot bridge (TL70H), or with an optional licensed Floyd Rose tremolo (TL70C). Surprisingly, the TL70 never really caught on with players, and would only be offered until 2018. The DC7X was basically a DC700, but with a 27" scale fingerboard. It had all the design features and options of the DC700, and came standard with a Hipshot hardtail bridge, or optional M bridge or Floyd Rose. The DC7X would only last as a separate model until 2017, when the 27" scale fingerboard would be incorporated as an option on the DC700.

Carvin TL70

Carvin's California Carved Top models, the CT6/4/3 and CS6/4/3, and their 24-fret counterparts, were unchanged for 2014, along with the CT7 and CT74 7-string models. A new acoustic bridge option was added on the 6-string models, which added a dedicated volume control and output for the acoustic channel. Also unchanged was the SH550, SH575, SH445, SH475, SH645, SH675 and Frank Gambale FG1.

There was a new carved top model, the Neil Zaza Signature NZ624 (below). The NZ624 was based on the popular CT624 24-fret California Carved Top guitar, and adds many upgraded options as standard features, including Neil's preferred single-volume control layout and Zaza signature truss rod cover. Other standard features included a mahogany body with 4A flamed maple top; a tung-oiled 5-piece maple/walnut set-neck with a thinner profile; matching flamed maple 2 X 4 headstock with abalone logo; flamed maple fingerboard with abalone diamond inlays and stainless steel frets; and Classic Series C22 pickups with single master volume control and 3-way pickup selector.

Carvin Neil Zaza Signature NZ624

All of the DC models - the legacy ST300, DC127 (and DC127-12), DC135, DC145, DC400 (including A and W variants), DC727 and DC747 - as well as the new DC models DC600, DC700 and DC800, as well as the Jason Becker tribute JB200C and JB200SC, were unchanged from their 2012 models. The modern DC models, the Jason Becker models and DC400 still were featured prominently in the catalog, with the other models shown to a lesser extent or not at all.

The Allan Holdsworth Signature HH1 and HH2 headless guitars were unchanged for 2014. Likewise, the Holdsworth HF2 Fatboy was unchanged, and appeared in the catalog, while the H2, also unchanged, was not shown in the catalog.

With all of the new models, there wasn't enough room for everything in the catalog, but some models got a brief mention with instructions to check online. This included the DC6, SC90, SH275, Ultra V and V220.


2014 ACOUSTIC ELECTRIC GUITARS

As had been the case for a few years, nothing significant changed with Carvin's acoustic-electric guitars in 2014. The AE185, NS1, CL450, SH60, SH65, AC375 and CC275 were all represented throughout the year, and the AC175 and AC275 was mentioned and shown in single issue each, but with no write-up. There was no space for the SH250 or SH275, which were still available. As the 2010s continued, Carvin would put less and less emphasis on these models, as newer, more exciting solidbody instruments were designed and offered.


2014 BASSES

New for 2014 was the JB4 and JB5 Classic Jazz basses. Like the unchanged PB4 and PB5 that debuted in 2013, these basses had familiar, classic styling paired with Carvin's lengthy list of Custom Shop options. The JB Series used a partial pickguard with a metal control plate, and had the same sculpted bolt-on neck heel as the PB. The same Carvin locking bridge was also standard.

Carvin JB5 Classic Jazz Bass

Also new for 2014 was the Vanquish Series V49K, V59K and V69K. Like the SCB Series guitars, these basses adopted a radical new shape dissimilar to anything Carvin had produced up to this point. These were bolt-on neck instruments, with an alder body and maple neck, and the same sculpted heel used on other models. The Icon-style headstock was standard, as was the Icon's 18V electronics and radiused-top RADHV radiused-top humbuckers. Like the SCB guitars, natural body binding could be combined with an option top wood to create an interesting and attractive border around the perimeter of the body.

Carvin V59K Bass

The new Xccelerator Series neck-through basses - the X44, X54 and X64 - sported an aggressive body style, with sleek, beveled horns and a new headstock shape. Electronics were the same as the Icon Series, and a split-coild neck pickup - as found on the PB Series - was also available. Like most Carvin instruments, the body was alder, and the neck was maple, with a 24-fret ebony fingerboard. The Xccelerator Series was a rare miss for Carvin, and never really caught on with players; it would be discontinued just 4 years later, in 2018.

Carvin Xccelerator X44 Bass

All other bass models - the Brian Bromberg B24 and B25; the bolt-neck B40 and B50; Icon IC4, IC5 and IC6; LB Series LB70, LB75 and LB76 (plus the A and W models and XB extended-scale models); and the Bunny Brunel BB70, BB75, and BB76 - were unchanged from 2010. Additionally, the acoustic-electric AC40 and AC50 remained the same.

The SB Series basses were discontinued halfway through the year.