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  #16  
Old 10-10-2017, 02:44 PM
PorkPieGuy PorkPieGuy is offline
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Default Carvin going out of business

Just heard the news that after 70 years in business, Carvin is going out of business. I think they will keep the guitar shop open, but as far as amplification is concerned, well, they are liquidating right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ92u5bWoP4


Right now, pretty much everything is 25% off.

https://carvinaudio.com/
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  #17  
Old 10-10-2017, 03:29 PM
Song Song is offline
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I bought a lot of guitars and a few amps from Carvin. Sad to see them close.
Thank goodness Kiesel is still taking my orders. I'm waiting for a custom now (hurry up Thanksgiving!)

Last edited by Song; 07-08-2019 at 01:44 PM.
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  #18  
Old 10-10-2017, 04:17 PM
3317 3317 is offline
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Makes me scratch my head,,,

I remember them switching the company into two companies. One company Carvin would be audio/amp and Kiesel guitars. The split resulted in Carvin Amps/Audio and Kiesel Guitars formerly Carvin Guitars.

I never really had good feelings about this and I really didn’t care for the owners son who spearheaded this Kiesel idea with branching into a separate company. I think his father clearly ran the company to his best ability but once his son was given more power then things started going down hill.

I remember watching a video a couple years back with the son saying Kiesel Guitars would be the main focus with most money being invested in. I believe these moves is what lead to it.
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  #19  
Old 10-10-2017, 04:20 PM
3317 3317 is offline
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Originally Posted by menhir View Post
There are a couple of YouTube videos about the closure...sorry no links...just search for "carvin closing."

Their take is that the cost of "made in America" is getting unsustainable.

There were interesting remarks in the comments though, about the high cost of doing business in California.

I guess it's still all speculation for now, but still interesting.
I don’t understand the high cost of California thing. Heck look at Larrivee guitars, they originally were headquartered in Canada but moved everything to California because it was cheaper and most buyers were in the US. I believe there is some bigger reason here.
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  #20  
Old 10-10-2017, 04:24 PM
3317 3317 is offline
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Originally Posted by Truckjohn View Post
There could be many reasons for what we are seeing...

The most common one I have run across is:
Nobody in the family wants to take it over and run the business...

Often as not - the founder is driven to succeed and has a deep understanding of the business and market... Their kids may not share the same enthusiasm or ability..

The other thing is... The market in the USA has changed a lot. There was a pretty significant bubble 10 years ago - everybody was seeing growth and success. You didn't need managers and staff with a bunch of in depth industry and process knowledge to make money... You just had to be "In the game.."
I remember watching a video a while back with the son showing off his new Kiesel Guitars and talking about all the companies money would be focused on Kiesel Guitars and that he had no interest in the amplifier/audio side of the company.

Then just this year the company splits into two companies and now you have this outcome.

Sad to see.
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Last edited by Kerbie; 10-10-2017 at 04:40 PM. Reason: Rule #1
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  #21  
Old 10-10-2017, 05:02 PM
Uncle Pauhana Uncle Pauhana is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PorkPieGuy View Post
Just heard the news that after 70 years in business, Carvin is going out of business. I think they will keep the guitar shop open …
The two branches of the Kiesel family split up the company into Carvin Audio and Kiesel Guitars in February of 2015, and have had zero business connection since then. Kiesel Guitars seems to be doing a very healthy business, and will not be affected by this in any way.

This is from an email I received:

Quote:
Kiesel Guitars Statement on Closure of Carvin Audio/Amplifiers

With the announcement that Carvin Audio and Amplifiers is ceasing operations effective Monday, October 9 2017, Kiesel Guitars wants to let our customers know that this in no way affects the continued operations at the Kiesel Guitars USA Custom Shop. Because Kiesel Guitars and Carvin Audio became separate entities in 2015, we are in no way impacted by the shuttering of Carvin Audio and Amplifiers. Kiesel Guitars is building more guitars and basses than ever before, and we're already looking ahead to our 75th Anniversary in 2021. Kiesel Guitars continues going strong by significantly expanding our guitar and bass offerings, hiring additional personnel, offering world-wide direct sales, participating in Summer NAMM in addition to our long-running presence at Winter NAMM, and adding many new endorsers to the Kiesel Guitars family of artists. Additionally, we've recently converted our state-of-the-art Escondido facility to all solar power, and we continue to make dramatic improvements to our design, engineering and manufacturing processes so we can, and will, continue to offer the best made-in-the-USA guitars and basses at factory-direct pricing that is unequaled in the industry.

We'd like to express our sincere gratitude to our customers for your continued support, and we'd like to wish the staff of Carvin Audio and Amplifiers success in their future endeavors.

Mark Kiesel, President, Kiesel Guitars
Jeff Kiesel, Vice-President, Kiesel Guitars
.
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  #22  
Old 10-10-2017, 05:13 PM
Song Song is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 3317 View Post
Makes me scratch my head,,,

I remember watching a video a couple years back with the son saying Kiesel Guitars would be the main focus with most money being invested in. I believe these moves is what lead to it.
The guitars were always the focus for me as well. The guitars are where the money is and Kiesel makes great guitars, with exotic woods and finishes.
Gibson, Fender, etc,, cannot and will not make a guitar like Kiesel.
See if these major brands will make an 8 string multi-scale headless seven piece neck. No. Only Kiesel. They are still the best custom guitar company I know of.

Speakers and amps? Everybody is making them. Too much competition from everywhere (Asia).

This is someone's custom. Not my style but a small example of what Kiesel can build:

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  #23  
Old 10-10-2017, 08:56 PM
tadol tadol is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 3317 View Post
I don’t understand the high cost of California thing. Heck look at Larrivee guitars, they originally were headquartered in Canada but moved everything to California because it was cheaper and most buyers were in the US. I believe there is some bigger reason here.
Yeah - whenever someone closes a shop, the first thing some people want to blame is high costs, over-regulation, taxes, environmental, whatever - none of which explains why California is the 6th strongest economy in the world, and the only state to be listed among the worlds top economic engines.

They closed because they didn't want to try to make and sell amps - but they like making guitars. Always a good idea to do what you like, especially if you can make money at it -
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  #24  
Old 10-10-2017, 09:03 PM
MrHooligan73 MrHooligan73 is offline
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Sad to see after s many years. Also a hard to compete market for any musical instrument company.
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  #25  
Old 10-10-2017, 09:20 PM
Uncle Pauhana Uncle Pauhana is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tadol View Post
Yeah - whenever someone closes a shop, the first thing some people want to blame is high costs, over-regulation, taxes, environmental, whatever - none of which explains why California is the 6th strongest economy in the world, and the only state to be listed among the worlds top economic engines.

They closed because they didn't want to try to make and sell amps - but they like making guitars. Always a good idea to do what you like, especially if you can make money at it -
Everything you say about the California economy is right on, but your last paragraph is mistaken. Since February of 2015 Carvin hasnʻt made guitars, just amps and audio gear. Carvin Audio (that has closed down) and Kiesel Guitars has had no ownership, personnel, facilities, or products in common. See my post above for details, including an email from Kiesel Guitars.

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  #26  
Old 10-10-2017, 10:14 PM
tadol tadol is offline
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Originally Posted by Uncle Pauhana View Post
Everything you say about the California economy is right on, but your last paragraph is mistaken. Since February of 2015 Carvin hasnʻt made guitars, just amps and audio gear. Carvin Audio (that has closed down) and Kiesel Guitars has had no ownership, personnel, facilities, or products in common. See my post above for details, including an email from Kiesel Guitars.

.
Point taken, but it was originally all one company, spun off the part they liked, shut down the rest - so, for a little while now they've been separate, but for the previous 75(?) years - at least the Kiesel company is claiming 75 years in business, not 2 -
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  #27  
Old 10-10-2017, 10:22 PM
Uncle Pauhana Uncle Pauhana is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tadol View Post
Point taken, but it was originally all one company, spun off the part they liked, shut down the rest - so, for a little while now they've been separate, but for the previous 75(?) years - at least the Kiesel company is claiming 75 years in business, not 2 -
Youʻre right about that, too, that the Kiesel company was founded 70+ years ago and for most of its history was known as Carvin, making both guitars and audio gear/amps. My point was that for the past 2 ½ years, the companies have been completely separate, and no action or decision of the guitar company has had any effect on the audio company, and vice versa, which I believe that you know, but which has been a point of confusion for many people.

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  #28  
Old 10-10-2017, 10:24 PM
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As someone who has used a variety of Carvin equipment over the years, from instruments to PA gear, even my in-ear wireless system - all very positive experiences - I hate to hear of their closing. Truly!

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  #29  
Old 10-10-2017, 10:37 PM
Tommy_G Tommy_G is offline
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Carvin is / was in the same local community as a sister of mine. I ought to have stopped in to demo their gear when on vacation... Slipped my mind ... Not hard to do...

Alas... Woulda coulda shoulda...
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  #30  
Old 10-11-2017, 03:13 AM
Marty C Marty C is offline
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Sad to see. I remember the old catalogs where there were acoustic guitars, electric guitars, amps, speakers, mixers, and the list goes on. I imagine there is a huge challenge (and expense) trying to cover so many product ranges. Splitting the guitars off helped that part of the business survive. I am surprised they did not take some of the other successful components (maybe electric or acoustic amps) and break this off as well.

Also, I don’t think that business model gave them enough exposure. I think someone mentioned the limited places to put their hands on any equipment to trial. I have never physically seen one of their amps.

At least a last ditch effort to list maybe their Acoustic amps on Amazon might have helped gain some exposure.

Great brand they built. Someone mentioned it earlier. Could be the family is not interested in carrying on.

Might be a business opportunity for someone to take the Acoustic amps.
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