If you are in the market for a new guitar, you have undoubtedly heard of both Yamaha and Carvin guitars.

Both companies are extremely well known, and make excellent guitars.

The question is, which company is the better choice when purchasing a new guitar?

We will be discussing the merits of both companies and their guitars, as well as the features you should be considering before making your final choice. The process is much easier once you have a side by side comparison of the two brands you are trying to decide between.


How We Choose Our Ratings


Man playing guitar

Image Via ​unsplash

First, let’s discuss what we will be evaluating when looking at these two guitar manufacturers.

It is vitally important to us that our reviews are as honest and accurate as possible. To ensure this, we take a few extra steps when writing out the reviews.

We read and research through customer reviews and testimonials. This ensures that we are getting a broad view of what buyers thought of the product and the company itself. Hence, the review is not biased or only based on a small percentage of customer opinions. It also allows us to pinpoint any widespread issues that may occur with items.

On top of that, we also research the specifications and features of each product thoroughly. As a result, you know exactly what you are purchasing, what dimensions an item has, and any additional accessories that come with it.

Lastly, we consider the reputation of the company making the item. That way, you know you are purchasing from a business you can trust and stand behind.

For this particular review, we will be considering a few different qualities – the overall quality of the company’s products, the pricing and how it compares to the quality, the company’s customer service, and how they compare to other brands beside each other.


What are Carvin and Yamaha & How do Their Products Work?


Carvin was an American corporation that was family-owned, and they manufactured guitar products and audio equipment. They started in 1946, and were known for using plastic in the 1940s, and making electric guitars from Resinox.

In 2015, the corporation split off the guitar parts of the business into the new company known as Kiesel Guitars. They continue to make both acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitars, MIDI synth guitars, and a plethora of other instruments under the Carvin Guitar brand. However, Carvin Corporation closed its doors after over 70 years of business in October 2017.

As of January, 2018, Carvin Amps and Audio did announce that they would be re-launching their website, and creating a new tube preamp guitar pedal.

Yamaha Corporation is a Japanese multinational company and conglomerate that offers an extremely large range of products and services. Predominantly they sell music instruments, sports equipments, and electronics. It is the largest piano manufacturing company in the world.

The corporation was established in the year 1887, originally as a reed organ and piano manufacturer by Torakusu Yamaha. The logo of the company has remained, to this day, as a trio of tuning forks interlocking with each other.

Both companies are well known in the guitar and general musical instrument community, and have decades of experience behind them.


What Makes Their Products Unique?


Carvin Guitars have a lot of unique qualities about them.

Electric guitar on table

Image Via ​unsplash

For one thing, they sell all of their guitars through special order. Unless you are near one of their three physical locations in California, you have to order one online.

The guitar you order is specially made for you, and built from the materials and the design that you request (unless you go with one of the handful of premade instruments they offer). This can be unnerving for guitar players, as they aren’t able to physically play them and try them out before purchasing a Carvin guitar.

Being able to customize every single aspect of your guitar is a fantastic way to ensure you are getting a product that you will absolutely love, and Carvin can do that for you.

They also have a wonderful 5-year warranty, as well as a 10- day money-back guarantee. This is an amazing feature, especially with products that you are specifically having made for you.

Yamaha also has unique qualities to speak of as well.

Hanging guitar

Image Via ​pexels

Their guitars are known to be consistently well made and to have an amazing sound. The company has been making guitars for decades, and really knows how to make a quality product.

Another feature of Yamaha guitars is that many of them are extremely reasonably priced. Yes, they do have some extremely high-end guitars that will cost you much more, but their moderate and lower-end guitars as far as pricing goes are still known to sound amazing.


Pricing


Overall, their prices for premade guitars are fairly comparable to each other. The acoustic guitars range anywhere from $150.00 to $1500.00 depending on the design you go with, and the electric guitars are similarly priced.

However, the big difference between the two is the fact that Carvin Guitars makes custom made guitars that you can choose everything for. This is where you will spend the most money – typically the ones we see are at least several thousand dollars.

The nice thing about ordering a custom guitar from Carvin though, is the fact that you can order one for as little as 20% down to get started.


Public Perception (Other Carvin Guitars/Yamaha Guitars Reviews)


Now we are going to take an in-depth look at reviews for both companies, to get a better idea of how they are perceived by their customers.


Carvin Guitars

Starting with Carvin, there is a lot of positive feedback for this company and their guitars.

Purple guitar

Image source: rjshop.ph

PROS

  • their ready-made guitars or the custom designs, customers absolutely loved the product they received
  •  the buyers loved the quality of the parts
  • the rich sound that the products were able to produce,
  •  how intricate and beautiful they looked
  • customers could pick and choose every part that went into their custom guitar from Carvin
  • Most guitar companies stick to premade products, making this an even more sought-after commodity.
  • Having such a unique business model was something that the majority of customers really appreciated about the company and the products they purchased.​​​​​
  • Most guitar companies stick to premade products, making this an even more sought-after commodity.
  • Customers also really loved the company’s return policy and warranty as well.
  • Having a five-year warranty in case anything breaks or goes wrong is a great way to win over skeptical buyers, and it gives customers peace of mind knowing that they have that to fall back on if anything happens. 
  •  The fact that the company also has a ten day money-back guarantee is also a great quality too.
  • Lastly, those who have either had to handle a return of their guitar, or go into one of their physical stores to talk to employees, have had great experiences with customer service. 
  • The employees have been described as friendly, quick, and able to answer any question that you throw at them. This is an incredibly important quality for a company to have, and it looks like they definitely do.

CONS

  • that the company does not have any way for you to play the instruments before you purchase them, which can make it really difficult to decide whether you want to purchase a guitar from them or not.
  • pric​ing
  • it does make sense for the type of product you are purchasing, especially a custom made guitar, they are expensive.
  • They aren’t necessarily affordable for everyone looking for a brand new guitar, and that is an important aspect to consider before you purchase one.


 Yamaha Guitars

Yamaha also has many great reviews to its name as well.

PROS

  • One of the top qualities that users mention the most frequently about this company’s products is the vast range that they offer
  • They have so many different styles and options to choose from, that they really do have a product for everyone.
  • Yamaha also has extensive experience in making quality musical instruments
  • Many customer reviews mentioned that they quality of their guitar could not be compared to any other instrument that they have tried in the past.
  • Customers also loved the vast amount of accessories that come with their Yamaha instruments.
  • They offer fantastic gig bags and hard bags, tuners, straps, and metronomes that will fit with your guitar perfectly.
  • Having the same company who makes your guitar make your other instrument products ensures that they will efficiently work together and be a great fit.

CONS

  • some of their cheaper designs definitely needed a lot of adjustments for a more advanced guitar player
  • weren’t as worth the money as some of Yamaha higher end guitars.


What We Think: Which Brand is Better?

Overall, both of these brands provide consistently wonderful products. They have both been in the business for decades, and know how to treat their customers correctly.

So which one is better?

Personally, we think that it truly depends on what you are looking for.

For a custom made guitar, you cannot go wrong with Carvin Guitars. They allow you to pick each and every aspect of your product, and have a great return policy in case you decide that you would rather go with something else. Their pricing, while expensive, is well worth the hand crafted, custom guitar that you will end up with.

Now if you want a ready-made guitar, we would be more prone to suggesting Yamaha for your new instrument. They specialize in premade guitars, and they have been making them for decades. Their prices range from extremely affordable, to high–end guitars for more advanced players. They also have a range of accessories that will be perfect for your new musical instrument.

No matter which company and design you decide to go with, we definitely think you will be thrilled with your choice.

If you have either a Carvin guitar or one from Yamaha, would you recommend it to others? Why or why not?

Last update on 2021-11-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Why I use Guitar Trick to learn guitar (and maybe you should too)

x