Carvin SB5000 / SB4000 Roll Call...Part 7! - Page 14

Quackhead · #**261** 12-05-2012, 08:54 AM

I sold most of mine in a fit of stupidity. Hopefully I land one of these jobs and I'll be back in the game soon. That SB5000 is on the short list but a rig comes first.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fivestringgecko

Thanks for the positive support.

I hope something happens soon too... It's been about a year and I'm kinda going out of my mind!

I haven't really bought any bass gear in about 10 months!

5sg.

**DougD** · #**262** 12-05-2012, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fivestringgecko

+1, I really dig that look and spec'd out one very similar as well. Sadly, still waiting on a full-time day gig before I order. Stupid !@#$%^&! economy...

DougD, that's a sweet strap too! Mind if I ask where you picked that up?

5sg.

Its a Gayle Wind custom strap. Theyre a litle pricey, but worth it

**DougD** · #**263** 12-05-2012, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rizzo9247

SWEET! I have almost the exact same bass spec'd out...just waiting on my tax return!!

The only disappointment is right after i received mine i find out that now they can do maple boards with block inlays which is what i wanted all along.

anybody wanna trade?

fivestringgecko · #**264** 12-05-2012, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quackhead

I sold most of mine in a fit of stupidity. Hopefully I land one of these jobs and I'll be back in the game soon. That SB5000 is on the short list but a rig comes first.

I can dig that. I'm toying with the idea of selling a couple pedals that I never thought I'd part with to pick up a couple others. lol Fortunately I'm set on rigs, so aside from a couple last pedals to finish my main board, a SB5000 is at the top of my short list. It's tied between that and an NXT 5-string.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DougD

Its a Gayle Wind custom strap. Theyre a litle pricey, but worth it

Thanks for the info, I'll check them out.

5sg.

Ewo · #**265** 12-07-2012, 11:09 AM

Was wondering if anybody had tried using the Audere J bass pre in an SB..?

Got one of those in a Lakie Skyline Joe Osborne 5 I just picked up. The impedance switch is a cool feature.

fivestringgecko · #**266** 12-07-2012, 11:18 AM

I've wondered the same thing. I have one in my Jazz V and love it, but I'd definitely want to give the Carvin preamp a try first.

Good question.

5sg.

Ewo · #**267** 12-07-2012, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fivestringgecko

...but I'd definitely want to give the Carvin preamp a try first.

5sg.

For sure! I've been very happy with the tone of my stock SB5000. Just curious if that was a mod anybody had done.

Jarrett · #**268** 12-07-2012, 11:29 AM

There is a guy here that did it I think. Southpaw maybe. Plays a cool red lefty SB. Think he went Audere. I like the stock stuff so much I haven't given it much thought.

JoeVictim · #**269** 12-07-2012, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarrett

There is a guy here that did it I think. Southpaw maybe. Plays a cool red lefty SB. Think he went Audere. I like the stock stuff so much I haven't given it much thought.

+1. Still loving my bass 6 months later!

Jarrett · #**270** 12-07-2012, 04:12 PM

**DougD** · #**271** 12-07-2012, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ewo

For sure! I've been very happy with the tone of my stock SB5000. Just curious if that was a mod anybody had done.

Bassmods makes a pre that should work. Im going to try one and see whats what

videomagician · #**272** 12-08-2012, 12:54 PM

It is getting harder and harder not to order an SB5000 with some of the new options...

Carvin BBS

macribas · #**273** 12-08-2012, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by videomagician

It is getting harder and harder not to order an SB5000 with some of the new options...

Carvin BBS

Ok, I waited seven threads for the SB, for someone else to come forward, but I can't hold it anymore.

Am I the only one that does not like Carvin's blocks? They are too small!

wvbass · #**274** 12-08-2012, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macribas

Ok, I waited seven threads for the SB, for someone else to come forward, but I can't hold it anymore.

Am I the only one that does not like Carvin's blocks? They are too small!

Agreed. They use the same blocks on four, five, and six string necks, I think. Looks silly on the fives and sixes.

I have a five with silly looking blocks.

**DougD** · #**275** 12-09-2012, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wvbass

Agreed. They use the same blocks on four, five, and six string necks, I think. Looks silly on the fives and sixes.

I have a five with silly looking blocks.

Id rather have the silly little abalone blocks than the silly diamonds

even if they are small, they still give the bass THAT look

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**DougD** · #**276** 12-09-2012, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by videomagician

It is getting harder and harder not to order an SB5000 with some of the new options...

Carvin BBS

The white abalone blocks wold give the natural one that cool 70s look

I'm a sucker for that

Handyman · #**277** 12-10-2012, 05:54 AM

Has anyone else removed their saddle lock screws? They don't seem to have any function other than making bridge adjustments more complicated than necessary.

Jarrett · #**278** 12-10-2012, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Handyman

Has anyone else removed their saddle lock screws? They don't seem to have any function other than making bridge adjustments more complicated than necessary.

I haven't removed mine. I thought they were to hold the saddles in place to avoid unwanted adjustments due to vibration.

New bass note:

I got two gigs in over the weekend with the new SB5000 fretless and I am digging it much. With the Maple capped, chambered Swamp Ash it has a different tone and frequency range than my fretted Alder SB5000. While I don't like the sound of a chambered Alder SB that is fretted, it works with this fretless/wood combination.

I do notice that I have to increase the input gain on my amp about 25% with this bass. I might need to pull the plate and check and see where the preamp volume pot is set. Also, the volume knobs are wired backwards. I don't know if that was at the request of the person who originally custom ordered this bass or if it was an accident in production.

Funny side note, I didn't have the bass out of the box for more than 5 minutes before I dinged it, hehe. I was putting on some straplocks so I could use my old straps and bobbled it. Chipped a tiny piece of finish off the headstock. I figured that accomplished two things. One, I can't return the bass under the 10 day trial. Which is a good thing since its a gift and I love it. And two, it got me immediately past the stage of babying it since the first scratch is out of the way

I did a little tweaking on the setup and made it more to my tastes. Next I need to get some DR strings on there and it will be complete. Great bass. Light, plays well, sounds good and looks stunning under the stage lights. Really brings out the colors. The first gig I was a little embarrassed at how pretty the bass was on stage

I usually have more plain basses and this one is definitely an attention getter once the lights hit it.

I've found that a lot of times the prettiest basses aren't the best sounding basses, but this one is definitely an exception. Looks great and sounds great as well. And the GF is extremely happy she finally found a present that I'm smitten with

Handyman · #**279** 12-10-2012, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarrett

I haven't removed mine. I thought they were to hold the saddles in place to avoid unwanted adjustments due to vibration.

That's the intention, though I've never had a saddle move around on its own with any of my basses before. Somehow I'm thinking they'll stay put on my SB5000, too.

For the record, I also think the saddle lock screw on my G&L is pretty silly, as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarrett

Also, the volume knobs are wired backwards. I don't know if that was at the request of the person who originally custom ordered this bass or if it was an accident in production.

I'm guessing this was an oops in the factory. They also get the pan pot wired backwards with their neck through basses fairly frequently, too. You'd think this would be on some sort of inspection checklist or something like that.

Vic · #**280** 12-10-2012, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Handyman

Has anyone else removed their saddle lock screws? They don't seem to have any function other than making bridge adjustments more complicated than necessary.

Their function isn't to keep the saddles from "moving around" per se... it's to lock the bridge up tight as if it were literally one big forged piece to reduce absorption of string vibration in all the "connections" introduced by all the adjustment capabilities.

This theory definitely holds water as other manufacturers also offer this, and, some luthiers will literally prefer a simpler bridge design over a more complex/adjustable one for this same reason (which is actually where the locking features came from... this feedback from luthiers and their customers).

Is it night/day? IMHO, no.

Is it worth taking them out? IMHO, no. I don't adjust my bridge hardly ever, so any benefit they present, I'll enjoy.

About the only thing I adjust with any regularity on an instrument is the truss rod (which is really the way it should be unless you're going through a phase of string/action experimentation, in which case just leave them loose until you settle on a config and then lock them tight again).