amp. The three positions between the pickups are SUPER UNLEADED the most fun, as smooth bubbly Strat tones meet Carvin’s GH24 Greg Howe Signature in-between-position Tele cluck. These also happen to be the sounds that Howe has fter decades of jumping from one guitar extra clarity, warmth, and openness. The favored on his last few releases. A manufacturer to another, Greg Howe Kiesel Parallax neck pickup was designed with The GH24’s neck is great recently began working with Carvin (more the same idea in mind, but calibrated for the for athletic runs, acrobatic specifically, Kiesel) on a signature guitar. neck position under Howe’s supervision. Touch hammer-ons, and precision Carvin passed manufacture and sale of responsiveness was a big factor in crafting chording, and its slightly wide its guitars and basses to Kiesel Guitars. The these pickups. With the help of a user-friendly aspect grows on you. While the reason for the change isn’t immediately five-way pickup selector and master Volume clean sounds are spectacular, obvious, though it makes more sense if you and Tone controls, the GH24 is the physical the guitar excels with metal know that Carvin was founded in 1946 by embodiment of Greg’s tonal recipe. So with an saturation or bluesy grit and the late Lowell Kiesel. His offspring are arsenal of amps that included a Carr Bloke, a thrives in a live-band mix. responsible for the split, citing the need for Magnatone Twilighter, and a Bogner Gold- At the end of the day, the “greater growth.” The companies continue finger, it was time to get down to brass tacks. Carvin GH24 Greg Howe is to operate under one roof. Plugging in, you immediately realize that easy to play, lightweight, and Constructed in Carvin’s Custom Shop, the GH24 is a conduit for your hands and has a nearly transparent, the GH24 Greg Howe Signature is an your amp. Its tone is light and airy, and it punchy quality that gives offset double-cut with polarizing looks doesn’t present the sometimes overbearing back whatever you put into and performance-friendly appointments. personality traits found in other guitars. it. – Oscar Jordan It sports a 25.5" scale; 24-fret, five-piece While it still maintains a maple neck; birdseye-maple fretboard; hybrid Stratocaster persona, and a semi-flat 20" radius. Featuring a the GH24’s character offers dual-action adjustable truss rod, the neck more flexibility and better also has a tung oil finish for effortless reflects what you plug playability, as well as a sculpted heel that into. It lacks deep bass provides unrestricted access to the 24th and supersized mids in fret. The neck also boasts jumbo gold EVO favor of a smooth, clear, frets, and black acrylic diamond inlays. and earthy sound that Matching gold hardware, including locking directly echoes the amp’s tuners, is fit for a king, while the bridge and personality and the player’s vintage-style tremolo is proprietary and hands. It never, ever sounded built to create increased sustain. thin or tinny in testing. Howe requested a chambered alder body The bridge pickup has plenty to offer more resonance and to offset the of articulate bite and harmon- brightness that comes with an abundance ics without being piercing of maple. The choice of a chambered body or overly distorted. These also imparts a slightly warmer sound and is, pickups have an organic, of course, lighter in weight. At 6.7 pounds woody quality that could the GH24 is easy to play and easy on the be too subtle for some, back. The body, with its flamed maple top especially if you’re ac- and natural body binding is finished in what customed to a huge Kiesel calls California Orange Burst. It has contrast between a a tangy eye-catching look – photographs sizzling bridge pickup don’t do it justice. and a warmer neck The Greg Howe Signature Parallax bridge position. The lack of humbucker has an Alnico V magnet for bottom in the neck po- sition might leave some guitarists wanting more, Price: $2999 (list); $1599 (street) but this guitar never gets Info: www.carvinguitars.com muddy – and you can always get more bass by tweaking your VINTAGE GUITAR November 2015.