Carter Guitars

[Tony Prior]

Tony,John was upset with me,no humor at all.

I hear ya Stu, I'm just sayin' that doesn't sound at all like John, thats way out if his character. Hundreds of players owned Carters then moved to another brand, it's not like he didn't know this !

[b0b]

Please, there's no reason to bash Ann Fabian in a post about steel guitars. She was just the office manager - she did not design or build the steel guitars. And as for John Fabian, it's best not to speak ill of the dead.

If you must, go to Twitter. That's the site where people slam each other mercilessly. Any more comments along those lines will be deleted. I may even suspend memberships.

This topic is about Carter steel guitars. Stay on topic.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Carter guitars are just fine, but the parts are smaller than the better guitars and some prone to quicker failure. I personally don't like their "module" knee lever linkage and I'm changing a couple of the left acting levers to direct cross shaft mounted hubs on the guitar I'm using.

I see people complaining that they don't have the re-sale value of say, Zum, Mullen, Emmons etc., but you have to remember that they never had the retail value of the others and sold for a lower price to start with.

Right now, there's a sharp looking U12 on one of the online music sites for $1500. That price is just about right and I'd be on it in a heartbeat if I had the funds.

[Paddy Long]

I always wondered why they never had adjustable lower return springs - seems for a fairly progressive instrument they would have had them by default !!

[b0b]

I always wondered why they never had adjustable lower return springs - seems for a fairly progressive instrument they would have had them by default !!

The main reason was support. John Fabian explained to me once that the main thing people mess up when adjusting their guitars is the return springs. By making them non-adjustable, he (and Ann) had a lot fewer support calls to deal with.

Truth be told, I've never had to adjust the return springs on any guitar. I tried it once on a Williams and screwed things up. I had to call Bill Rudolph to figure out what I did wrong. So I see John Fabian's point. If the guitar is designed right, return springs don't really need to be adjustable.

[Joe Drivdahl]

I have a doubleneck Mullen RP I am thinking of trading for an SD10 Carter. I just don’t use the back neck. But maybe I shouldn’t trade?

[Billy Carr]

Not that it really matters but I purchased seven new Carters during there time. Only had two problems. A piece on the VKL of a U-12 broke but was replaced quick and no charge. The other thing I think was probably just a mistake on Carters end about pu's on my first Carter. I ordered XR-16's on a D-10 but it had something else on it instead. Carter wouldn't swap pu's, so I just bought the XR-16's from someone else and forgot about it. I ordered six other new Carters at different times but had decided on GL 10-1's on everything after the first one. Bud Carter was the main reason I played Carters.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I have a doubleneck Mullen RP I am thinking of trading for an SD10 Carter. I just don’t use the back neck. But maybe I shouldn’t trade?

Only you know what's right for you Joe. I stated that Mullen was my favorite but it might not be yours. I understand some players are dumping D10s for S or SD10s. If it were me looking to trade down, I'd look for another Mullen in a SD10, but don't go by me.

I wrote about my like of Carters a couple times here but I also stand by my earlier statement that I would not trade a Mullen for a Carter. YMMV.

[John DeBoalt]

I have the first Carter assembled in 2001. It was made as a D10 8 and 5. I had seen them on display at a couple of shows. They had one in a glass case with the under carriage facing out so the workmanship could be easily seen. They advertised a 30 day delivery, and no other maker was even close to that. Mine was delivered 29 days after I placed the order. Also I knew John Fabian was a manufacturing engineer, and Bud Carter a master inventor in the field. Couple that with seeing Guys like Mike Auldrige and Tommy White playing them made buying one a fairly easy decision. I still have the guitar, and play it some almost every day. Several years ago I took it up to Al Brisco and had a knee lever added, the Franklin change put on pedal 4, and the Carter decal removed, and the new plastic name plate put on. The guitar stays in tune, and if it goes out due to temperature changes, it all goes out the same. There is very little cabinet drop if I'm to believe what I see on my Peterson strobe. The only thing I've disliked is the tone on the E neck. When I like what I hear on the bottom 12 frets, I don't like the sound on the upper end, a problem I blame on the pickup. some day I
may change it out.

[Joe Drivdahl]

Jerry Overstreet. I had a double neck Magnum (made by Carter) that I liked pretty well and I traded for this Mullen. The guitar I had that I liked best was an SD10 GFI and I stupidly sold it. Greener grass. No I’d like to get the GFI back but am intrigued by this SD10 Carter. I guess it’s guitar we play the most that is our favorite. I’m not playing the Mullen much. Don’t really know why. Maybe I just need a change. To get me reinvigorated.

Any comments?

[Jerry Overstreet]

Sometimes a gear change will boost interest. I've no experience with the Magnum, but I understand they are very similar to the Carter Pro. If you go for the Carter, I think you will like it just fine. Best of luck. JO.

I have very limited experience with GFI...I can't comment on them, but I will say this...when you find the guitar that speaks to you, that is the one.

We don't all hear and feel the same things. The way a guitar plays, feels and sounds can be highly personal to ea. individual player, so when you find the one that you can play all day and don't want to get up from, never let it get away from you.

[b0b]

One of my students has a Magnum. Fine guitar!

[Mike Perlowin]

Several years ago, Jim Baron put on a show in Sacramento, with Jeff Newman, Bobby Black, Davis Wright and Jay Dee Maness. Jay Dee played a push pull Emmons, Bobby played a Carter, David played a Sierra, and Jeff brought both a Zum and a Carter.

It was a great show for a lot of reasons, one of which was that we got to hear and compare the sounds of Jeff's Zum and Carter. The Zum had a teensy bit more growl, but basically the 2 guitars sounded very similar.

Speaking personally, I'd be happy with either one. I think Jeff liked them both.

[Mike Perlowin]

Please, there's no reason to bash Ann Fabian in a post about steel guitars. She was just the office manager - she did not design or build the steel guitars. And as for John Fabian, it's best not to speak ill of the dead.

If you must, go to Twitter. That's the site where people slam each other mercilessly. Any more comments along those lines will be deleted. I may even suspend memberships.

This topic is about Carter steel guitars. Stay on topic.

Thank you b0b. This forum has no place for personal attacks. Chances are many of us don't like somebody else here but the rule against this kind of nonsense is what makes this one of the best places on the entire internet.

[Stu Schulman]

I would like to apologize for my spewing venom about John,and Anne on this Carter guitar thread...My feelings for them has absolutely nothing to do with Carter guitars which are wonderful well built,good sounding pedal steel guitars.

[Erv Niehaus]

Likewise.
Erv