Carvin
Carvin
Also known as: Carvin Audio, Carvin Amps, Carvin Amplifiers, Carvin Corp
UnclaimedFounded in 1946 by Lowell C. Kiesel in Los Angeles, Carvin began as the L.C. Kiesel Company, winding guitar pickups on a repurposed sewing machine. The name "Carvin" — a portmanteau of founder Kiesel's sons Carson and Gavin — was adopted in 1949 as the company expanded into amplifiers and steel guitars. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Carvin pioneered a direct-to-consumer sales model, b...
$586.84
$395.00
$586.84
in Guitar Amplifier Stacks Rank
$329.00
in Guitar Preamp Pedals Rank
$799.00
$770.46
$299.99
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in Guitar Power Amplifiers Rank
in Guitar Amplifier Stacks Rank
Founded in 1946 by Lowell C. Kiesel in Los Angeles, Carvin began as the L.C. Kiesel Company, winding guitar pickups on a repurposed sewing machine. The name "Carvin" — a portmanteau of founder Kiesel's sons Carson and Gavin — was adopted in 1949 as the company expanded into amplifiers and steel guitars. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Carvin pioneered a direct-to-consumer sales model, bypassing traditional retail distribution. The company produced its first tube amplifiers in 1948, and over the following decades built a reputation for offering high-quality, American-made guitars, basses, amplifiers, and professional audio equipment at competitive prices.
Carvin's guitar and amplifier lines attracted endorsements from prominent players including Steve Vai, whose signature Legacy amplifier series became one of the brand's most acclaimed products, as well as Allan Holdsworth, who developed a line of signature semi-hollow and headless guitars. Other notable Carvin users include Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Frank Gambale, Joe Walsh, Larry Coryell, and Alex Lifeson. In 2015, the company's guitar and bass manufacturing was spun off into Kiesel Guitars, a separate entity run by the Kiesel family, while Carvin Corporation continued under the Carvin Audio and Carvin Amplifiers brands, focusing on professional audio systems, power amplifiers, in-ear monitors, wireless systems, and guitar and bass amplifier products.
Carvin has 156 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Solid Body Electric Guitars, Electric Basses, and Combo Guitar Amplifiers. Their gear is featured by 105 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Metal, and Electronic. Notable users include Steve Vai, Jason Becker, and Johnny April. Carvin's catalog spans the full price spectrum — from entry-level options to high-end flagships.
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