GRAPH TECH INNOVATES PICKUP SYSTEM FOR CARVIN GUITARS NEW ACOUSTIC GUITAR CAPABLE OF MIDI OUTPUT

DELTA, B.C.; April 2007 – Graph Tech Guitar Labs invented new cutting edge technology allowing gigging musicians and guitar enthusiasts to play MIDI sounds from an acoustic guitar while retaining studio-quality acoustic sound and eliminating background noise. Endorsed by top Billboard jazz guitarist Steve Oliver, the NS1Nylon Synth Access guitar was showcased at the Winter NAMM 2007 show and Musikmesse show in Frankfort and will be available to the public April 2007.

“With the new Graph Tech pickup system, this guitar retains the acoustic tone and has way better tone than any other system on the marketplace,” says Mark Kiesel, Vice President of Carvin Corporation. “We designed this guitar to provide a wealth of sonic experiences enabling guitarists of all musical styles to explore new sonic territory.”

Graph Tech’s technology and system was specifically designed for this guitar allowing signals to be sent to each individual string in addition to a summed signal by the 13-pin cable and then plugged into a guitar synthesizer module providing both synth and acoustic sounds through one cable. The system uses Graph Tech’s exclusive piezo pickup technology with stacked volume controls so the player can define the volume of both the acoustic sound and MIDI synth sound separately. Its acoustic EQ circuit utilizes stacked pots for bass, mids and treble control giving full body acoustic sound and fast, accurate digital tracking that guitarists have been demanding.

“Our system produces an extremely balanced, string to string, accurate sound for both acoustic tones and MIDI tracking,” says Dave Dunwoodie, president of Graph Tech Guitar Labs. “This new guitar allows guitarists to play as hard as they want without overloading the input channel getting that dreaded piezo ‘quack’.”

Graph Tech’s new pickup system will not be directly available for guitarists until mid-2007. The NS1 with the system is available for $1399.00. For more information, visit www.graphtech.com or www.carvin.com

About Graph Tech Guitar Labs
Founded in 1983 by President Dave Dunwoodie, Graph Tech Guitar Labs manufactures more guitar nuts and saddles than any other company in the world. Focused on innovations to improve guitar tone and vibration for optimal performance, Graph Tech is the maker of TUSQ® man-made ivory, String Saver™ saddles, FerraGlide® string-saving steel saddle systems, Trem-Nut self-lubricating nuts and GHOST® modular pickup systems. The world’s leading retailers, luthiers, and guitar manufacturers choose Graph Tech products, including acoustic guitar manufacturers Taylor, Martin, Gibson, Larrivee, Carvin, Raimundo, Tacoma, and Godin as well as electric guitar makers Godin, RKS, Carvin, Tom Anderson and Schecter. For more, see www.graphtech.com or call 800-388-7011.

About Carvin
Since its launch in 1946, Carvin has specialized in building and selling high quality musical instrument products direct to the consumer. The company’s innovative factory-direct approach has grown from a catalog mail order service into a large-scale manufacturing / retail business with a strong Internet presence. Today, Carvin customers can instantly purchase everything from customized, handcrafted instruments to tour-ready professional audio systems. As it approaches 60 years of achievement, Carvin continues to grow its relationship with musicians worldwide by offering an extensive range of guitars, basses, instrument amps, recording, and P.A. products. To order, visit us online at www.carvin.com or call 800-854-2235.

-30-