Carl Mesrobian began woodworking at the age of seven with a coping saw, a file, some sandpaper, and a section of two by four. Ingenuity and determination produced a toy truck with turning wheels and a separating tractor and trailer.

Carl got his first guitar when he was fourteen, and was soon playing Armenian dance music for local ethnic gatherings. At sixteen he got his first archtop guitar, and began playing rock music with various youth groups. A year later he acquired a Gibson archtop, his first "serious" instrument. His affection for archtop guitars was already evident.