Carvin #3-SGB Two Pickup Solid Body Electric Guitar (1958)
1
/
of
13
Couldn't load pickup availability
Item #12334
Carvin #3-SGB Two Pickup Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1958), made in Covina, California, natural finish, Maple body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original tweed hard shell case.
This 1958 Carvin #3 SGB is a really cool historical piece, and a surprisingly fine little guitar despite its homey appearance! Carvin guitars and amps are a product of the same Southern California spawning grounds as Fender, Rickenbacker, Magnatone, Bigsby and Mosrite; while Carvin is not usually mentioned in connection with these other pioneers, the company was an active part of the scene from early on.
Carvin founder Lowell Kiesel moved his fledgling steel guitar manufacturing operation from Nebraska to California around 1948, and by 1950 had changed the name from Kiesel to Carvin, combining his two sons' names. Carvin became known for selling primarily electric instruments through mail order only, and as one of the few 1950s sources selling individual parts for do-it-yourself electric guitar tinkerers. Carvin's most remembered products of the era are the spectacular sounding AP-6 pickups, the early favorite of Semie Moseley for his handmade guitars.
The Model #3-SGB was Carvin's first foray into serious self-made solid-body electrics, debuting in 1956. Carvin had previously offered Fender guitars through their mail-order catalog, and no doubt took notice of the growing sales. This guitar is the second version of the model, slightly redesigned for 1957 with a very Stratocaster-like headstock; the earlier design had been a ringer for the Telecaster! Not surprisingly, by that time Fender guitars were no longer listed by Carvin, and the home-grown SGB series became their flagship line.
When this #3-SGB was built, it was the top of the Spanish solidbody line, retailing through direct mail "wholesale" at $119.90. A version with pickups lacking adjustable poles was offered at $99.90 and a single pickup version at $79.90. The next year a three-pickup version was offered at $169.90 and electric solidbody basses, mandolins, and doublenecks were added to the line. Carvin's main sale items at the time were steel guitars and amplifiers, and the Spanish guitars from this era are relatively rare.
The guitars have design elements owing something to both Fender and Bigsby. The very Fender-like maple neck has a truss rod adjusted at the heel and a very thick slab rosewood fingerboard, well before Fender introduced that feature. The deep cutaway solid (nicknamed "Butcher Block") flat-contoured maple body has definite Bigsby design touches, and a rough-cast Bigsby knockoff aluminum bridge saddle. The tailpiece is a bent piece of metal screwed to the rim, the preferable setup to the plastic stoptail used on earlier Carvins that has nearly always broken by now. The cream plastic covered AP-6 pickups with adjustable screw poles are pure Carvin. The pots on this guitar are date coded 5818 suggesting it was built in 1958.
These minimally stylish but original shaped bodies were used into the early 1960's when a more Fender-like shape replaced them. While admittedly somewhat crude-looking next to a Fender (well, a Stratocaster anyway!) this is a very solidly-made guitar, and with a 3-way switch and individual tone and volume controls is quite powerful and versatile-sounding. These early Carvins have a definite homemade aspect to them, but are well-made where it counts and this is a good playing and very fine-sounding guitar. These same pickups were used on Joe Maphis' and Larry Collins' Mosrite doublenecks, and the crackling tone is pure Hollywood Hillbilly Heaven all the way.
Known mostly to vintage tone connoisseurs, the AP-6 is regarded as worthy of listing with the pre-war Rickenbacker horseshoe, the Fender Broadcaster pickups, and the Gibson PAF as one of the finest-sounding coils of wire ever wound. Apart from a handmade early Mosrite this is their coolest delivery system!
Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) deep. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 9/16 in. (40 mm.).
This is a somewhat worn-in example of this rare early solidbody but remains largely original and completely playable. The finish is very thin and rather well-worn overall; it feels rather more like 1950's kitchen furniture than a typical guitar finish! There are spots on the top worn through to the wood mostly below the strings but really the finish is so thin it's not that noticeable! There are some dings, scratches and dents overall but nothing too serious. The back of the neck has some wear to the wood much like an old Fender neck.
The guitar retains largely original components, apart from the tuners that are correct-style reissue Kluson Deluxe. The crucial AP-6 pickups and somewhat crude single-strand wiring appear all original. Most of these Carvins have a Tele-style lever switch, but this one has a factory Switchcraft toggle, with a slightly bent long shaft and probably non-original tip.
There is no Carvin decal on the headstock, and frankly no sign there ever was one but we have to count it as missing. The very tip of the headstock has the finish polished off and two amber rhinestones added, which dresses up the guitar just a bit! The original strap buttons have been replaced with re-issue Gibson style metal buttons.
The guitar appears to have been neatly refretted with appropriate wire some time back and plays well with a truly fantastic AP-6 sound. It resides in the original tweed hardshell case, which is somewhat battered but fully functional. Very Good + Condition.
View full details
This 1958 Carvin #3 SGB is a really cool historical piece, and a surprisingly fine little guitar despite its homey appearance! Carvin guitars and amps are a product of the same Southern California spawning grounds as Fender, Rickenbacker, Magnatone, Bigsby and Mosrite; while Carvin is not usually mentioned in connection with these other pioneers, the company was an active part of the scene from early on.
Carvin founder Lowell Kiesel moved his fledgling steel guitar manufacturing operation from Nebraska to California around 1948, and by 1950 had changed the name from Kiesel to Carvin, combining his two sons' names. Carvin became known for selling primarily electric instruments through mail order only, and as one of the few 1950s sources selling individual parts for do-it-yourself electric guitar tinkerers. Carvin's most remembered products of the era are the spectacular sounding AP-6 pickups, the early favorite of Semie Moseley for his handmade guitars.
The Model #3-SGB was Carvin's first foray into serious self-made solid-body electrics, debuting in 1956. Carvin had previously offered Fender guitars through their mail-order catalog, and no doubt took notice of the growing sales. This guitar is the second version of the model, slightly redesigned for 1957 with a very Stratocaster-like headstock; the earlier design had been a ringer for the Telecaster! Not surprisingly, by that time Fender guitars were no longer listed by Carvin, and the home-grown SGB series became their flagship line.
When this #3-SGB was built, it was the top of the Spanish solidbody line, retailing through direct mail "wholesale" at $119.90. A version with pickups lacking adjustable poles was offered at $99.90 and a single pickup version at $79.90. The next year a three-pickup version was offered at $169.90 and electric solidbody basses, mandolins, and doublenecks were added to the line. Carvin's main sale items at the time were steel guitars and amplifiers, and the Spanish guitars from this era are relatively rare.
The guitars have design elements owing something to both Fender and Bigsby. The very Fender-like maple neck has a truss rod adjusted at the heel and a very thick slab rosewood fingerboard, well before Fender introduced that feature. The deep cutaway solid (nicknamed "Butcher Block") flat-contoured maple body has definite Bigsby design touches, and a rough-cast Bigsby knockoff aluminum bridge saddle. The tailpiece is a bent piece of metal screwed to the rim, the preferable setup to the plastic stoptail used on earlier Carvins that has nearly always broken by now. The cream plastic covered AP-6 pickups with adjustable screw poles are pure Carvin. The pots on this guitar are date coded 5818 suggesting it was built in 1958.
These minimally stylish but original shaped bodies were used into the early 1960's when a more Fender-like shape replaced them. While admittedly somewhat crude-looking next to a Fender (well, a Stratocaster anyway!) this is a very solidly-made guitar, and with a 3-way switch and individual tone and volume controls is quite powerful and versatile-sounding. These early Carvins have a definite homemade aspect to them, but are well-made where it counts and this is a good playing and very fine-sounding guitar. These same pickups were used on Joe Maphis' and Larry Collins' Mosrite doublenecks, and the crackling tone is pure Hollywood Hillbilly Heaven all the way.
Known mostly to vintage tone connoisseurs, the AP-6 is regarded as worthy of listing with the pre-war Rickenbacker horseshoe, the Fender Broadcaster pickups, and the Gibson PAF as one of the finest-sounding coils of wire ever wound. Apart from a handmade early Mosrite this is their coolest delivery system!
Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) deep. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 9/16 in. (40 mm.).
This is a somewhat worn-in example of this rare early solidbody but remains largely original and completely playable. The finish is very thin and rather well-worn overall; it feels rather more like 1950's kitchen furniture than a typical guitar finish! There are spots on the top worn through to the wood mostly below the strings but really the finish is so thin it's not that noticeable! There are some dings, scratches and dents overall but nothing too serious. The back of the neck has some wear to the wood much like an old Fender neck.
The guitar retains largely original components, apart from the tuners that are correct-style reissue Kluson Deluxe. The crucial AP-6 pickups and somewhat crude single-strand wiring appear all original. Most of these Carvins have a Tele-style lever switch, but this one has a factory Switchcraft toggle, with a slightly bent long shaft and probably non-original tip.
There is no Carvin decal on the headstock, and frankly no sign there ever was one but we have to count it as missing. The very tip of the headstock has the finish polished off and two amber rhinestones added, which dresses up the guitar just a bit! The original strap buttons have been replaced with re-issue Gibson style metal buttons.
The guitar appears to have been neatly refretted with appropriate wire some time back and plays well with a truly fantastic AP-6 sound. It resides in the original tweed hardshell case, which is somewhat battered but fully functional. Very Good + Condition.
