1980 GUITARS

The 1980 catalog was almost identical to the 1979 catalog, with a few exceptions. The front cover was new, and the catalog included the new doubleneck guitars. The LB60 was not shown, but probably still available. Of special note, the back cover showed the band The Knack, fully equipped with Carvin instruments. This was the first endorsers pictured in the catalog since Joe Maphis, Larry Collins and others in the 1960s. Showing artists in the catalog with their Carvin gear was a trend that would expand greatly as the MTV era of the 1980s commenced, and artists were more readily recognized.

The Knack

The DC150 was available in 3 configurations: clear finish on maple body/neck with maple fingerboard (DC150CM), clear finish on maple with ebony fingerboard (DC150CE), and black finish on maple with ebony fingerboard (DC150BE). All three models were stereo-wired, with dual M22 humbuckers, dual volume controls, single tone control, and coil splitters and phase switches. Abalone dot inlays and chrome plated Schaller tuners and bridge/tailpiece assemblies were also standard. Optional gold hardware was available for an additional $50, and MOP block inlays were available on the ebony fingerboard for an additional $50. A left-handed model was available for an additional $30. The DC150CM sold for $420, the DC150BE and DC150CE sold for $440. The HC10 hardshell case sold for $55.

Although the LB60 bass was no longer featured in the catalog, the DC160, made from curly or birdseye maple, with abalone block inlays, abalone headstock inlay and 24K gold hardware as standard features continued to get a two-page spread. Electronics were the same as the DC150. The pickguard found on all other Carvin models was noticeably absent, allowing the wood to show - a feature that would soon be standard on most Carvin guitars. The DC160, in curly or birdseye maple, sold for $690, or $720 for a lefthanded model. In addition to the HC10 case, the Anvil AN20 flight case was available for $195. The Anvil case would only be offered in 1980.

The CM130 was also available in the same 3 configurations as the DC150, and featured mono output, in a Les Paul style body shape. Pickups and controls were hte same as the DC150. The CM130BE and CE sold for $400, and the CM130CM sold for $380. A lefthanded model was not offered. The CM140 was a slightly upscale CM130 (although not as extreme as the DC160). It was stereo wired, and included MOP block and headstock inlays. A maple fingerboard was not offered, but a left-handed version was available. The CM140, in black or clear finish, sold for $490. The lefthanded model was $520. Gold hardware was an additional $50. The HC10 case for any of the CM models was $55, and the Anvil AN20 flight case was also offered for $195. Not shown in the catalog was the CM120, a twelve-string version of the CM140, which was omitted from the 1979 catalog, presumably to be redesigned from the '78 version. It was available in the same finishes of the CM140, with stereo wiring and MOP dot inlays on the same neck as the DN612. It sold for $500.

1980 saw the return of doublenecks to Carvin's lineup, both of which were entirely different from their 70's counterparts, sporting sleek looks, set necks, and a standard scale 20-fret fingerboard on the bass side. These were the first bespoke Carvin doublenecks; they were not clones of another manufacturer's instrument, and they didn't look like earlier Carvin doublenecks that appeared to be cobbled together from spare parts. Interestingly, the DN series featured the body style that would be the template for the hugely popular DC200 series of guitars that would be introduced in 1981, and the redesigned LB60 bass that would appear in 1986. The DN612 was available in black or natural finishes, both with ebony fingerboards, MOP dot inlays, chrome hardware and mono wiring, with an input for each neck. In another first for Carvin, cream bezels were shown installed on the M22 pickups. Cream bezels had been mentioned as available when M22s were ordered as parts, but they had never been shown on a factory-built instrument. Price on the DN612 was $920.00 (either finish), and optional gold hardware was an additional $100.00. The HC16 case was an additional $70.00.

The ad in the catalog gallery at the top of this page is from a 1980 issue of Guitar Player. The M22 pickup ad is from the June 1980 issue of Guitar Player.

1980 BASSES

Like 1979, Carvin's only bass was the LB50, and it's variants. It was available as the LB50BE, which featured a black body and ebony fingerboard, the LB50CM, which featured a maple body and maple fingerboard, or the LB50CE, which featured a maple body and ebony fingerboard. All models had standard chrome hardware, MOP dot inlays, Schaller #M4 tuners and a 34" scale, 20-fret neck, and M22B humbucking pickups. While the upscale LB60 from 1979 wasn't mentioned, it was most likely still available on special order.

The DN640 doubleneck bass/6-string guitar was available in black or natural finishes, both with ebony fingerboards, MOP dot inlays, chrome hardware and mono wiring, with an input for each neck. Price on the DN640 was $890.00 (either finish), and optional gold hardware was an additional $100.00. The HC16 case was an additional $70.00. Like the new DN612 doubleneck, the body shape was completely new, and very reminiscent on the DC Series guitars that would bow in 1981.