Carvin Pedal Steel

Tom Olson · From: Spokane, WA

I've seen pictures of Carvin psg's here and there on the internet. This brand of psg appears to have a Fender-type full-periphery cast frame as well as an early Fender 400/1000 type of changer mechanism. In fact, the overall appearence of the Carvin is almost identical to a Fender with the exception of the tuning keys.

What, is the history of Carvin, and what, if any, relationship is there between Carvin and Fender? Just curious.

Jim Florence · From: wilburton, Ok. US * R.I.P.

Carvin is still in business, but in the days of the Fender 1000 etc, Carvin sold kits from which you built your own steel guitar, standard guitar, mandolins,amplifiers, etc. I never owned any of them but they were endorsed by Joe Maphis who played a double neck standard guitar, best I remember the other neck may have been a mandolin. Anyway they were reputed to be good stuff. I remember staring at their catalog and longing for the steel guitar kit, but alas, I couldn't afford it.Carvin has a web site even now, and is quite big in amplifiers.

[This message was edited by Jim Florence on 21 August 2004 at 11:46 AM.]

Tom Olson · From: Spokane, WA

Jim -- thanks for the info. That's interesting. I wonder if Carvin bought parts from Fender for their kit. Like I say, from the looks of the ones I've seen, some of the major components of the Carvin look exactly the same as those of the Fender 400/1000.

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

Tom- I played on a Carvin pedal steel one night in someplace south of Sanfrancisco, around 1968. I was filling in for a steel man.
So it was his steel. I couldn't get used to it, so after the first set I
went out and got mine.

A 14 string black one I built with a multi-chord head and finished the night with it.

The band was real good, lead singer who played a mean lead telecaster was very good. But like most lead players, he was trying to play steel licks all over the place, so I just sat back and let him show off.I got paid anyway......al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

Jussi Huhtakangas · From: Helsinki, Finland

There's no connection between Fender and Carvin pedal steels. If I'm not totally mistaken, it was Chuck Wright ( Wright Custom and Sierra ) who built them, or at least designed them. Sierras and Wright Customs from that era are exactly like the Carvins. Our own David Wright might know more.
Joe Maphis and Larry Collins did endorse the Carvin guitars. The connection here lies in the pick-ups of their original Mosrite double necks; they were Carvin PU's. Joe's guitar went through many modifications and Semie Moseley wanted to put in his own PU's, but Joe always insisted getting back the old Carvin PU's.

[This message was edited by Jussi Huhtakangas on 22 August 2004 at 01:42 AM.]

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

History for Carvin? Well, I was pretty familiar with them back in the early '60s. They made solid-body steels and guitars, basses and mandolins, too. They were (for all intents and purposes), the first Fender clone, built in Covina Calif.. Styles, models, most everything Fender offered, they offered. (Now they offer clones of other major manufacturers, too.) They gave something close to the Fender look and sound for a fraction of the price, most models selling for about half what Fender was charging. Their guitars were all natural finished wood at first, so Fender clearly had the "color advantage", but Carvin had the Bigsby tremolo! They did offer pedal steels back in the early and mid '60s, but they were quite rare. They were very similar to the old cable Fenders, with the wrap-frame and all...pedals were different, though. The made all their own bodies, too, and they were aesthetically less pleasing than the Fender pedal steels. They did offer kits for most of their guitars, too, but I'm not sure they were available for their pedal steels. Carvin stuff was seen a lot more on the west coast, so maybe some other guys here will have pictures and info on the old stuff.

Gary Jones · From: Mount Vernon, Wa

Check the Carvin Museum website at http://www.carvinmuseum.com/ - Look under Guitars, and starting with the 1966 model year you will find pedal steel guitars. The models seem to be simular to the Fenders of that era, and the guitars do seem to improve from year to year. The 1969 model looks like it has cast pedals, and a knee lever. I wonder if they went from a cable system to a rodded mechanism at that time?

Gary Jones · From: Mount Vernon, Wa

Well, I answered my own question. Looking under the 1970 model year the catalog shows a picture of the underside of the guitar, and it is definitely a Fender type cable system. Still an interesting bit of PSG history.

Tom Olson · From: Spokane, WA

Gary -- thanks for the neat link. There's a number of interesting things on it.

That 8-string electric mandolin from the early 60's looks like a really cool little instrument. I wish they still sold it.

Also, some of the early non-pedal steels had a 3-position lever that could change the strings to one of three different tunings -- pretty cool.

I don't know what Fender psg's cost in 1967, but I'm assuming that they were more than Carvins. But, it's interesting to note that in '67 a double-neck Carvin psg listed at just under $600. That was a pretty big chunk of change back then -- considering you could buy a brand new chevy for about 2-grand.

Looks like Carvin dropped the psg about '72 or '73. Was that about the time Fender stopped selling theirs?

Tom Olson · From: Spokane, WA

I forgot to mention -- another interesting thing is that Carvin apparently sold Martin guitars in the 60's.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Tom, in the mid '60s, a single neck Fender pedal steel would set you back $600 or more, and a double neck would start at $1000. It looks like Carvin used the Fender casting and legs, and made just about everything else (bodies, changers, keyheads, etc..) They were certainly a bargain, but they just had a "clunky" look to most of their stuff, IMHO.

Also, it was my experience that Fender dealer's discounts back then (off the list prices) were very small compared to the 30%-40% that's normal today.

[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 22 August 2004 at 04:44 PM.]

Quesney Gibbs · From: Anniston, AL

My first pedal steel was a Carvin. It was a fender clone for sure. I think I paid about $500.00 for it and had to wait forever to get it. It did play well enough for that time and place but along came a bargan on a Fender so the Carvin went and the Fender moved into the house.

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