Carvin SB5000 / SB4000 Roll Call...Part 7!

[macribas]

Originally Posted by smeet

I've been out of the SB loop for a while now, thought I would chime in a bit, as my bass is a bit different.

I have an SB5000 with the Vol/Blend and 3-band eq, maple fingerboard, alder body, to which I had a passive tone and active/passive switch added by Carey Nordstrand's shop (since Carvin wouldn't do that). I also found the bridge pickup a bit too thin and bright, so I had them replace it with a Big Single, routed to be a bit closer to 60's position rather than 70's. It's a great bass with a HUGE range of tones now (sweepable mids, active/passive with passive tone, bright J99 at the neck throaty Big Single at the bridge).

I also have a 2012 American Deluxe Jazz V, and although they sound different, there is some overlap, with the Carvin more modern and bright compared to the Fender. Although I like it a lot, I just haven't been playing the Carvin much lately. I'm switching out the pickups in the Fender (N3's are noisy!), and then I'll do some more head-to-head comparisons between the two. The new Fenders are really nice, so it should be interesting.


Here it is in original form:


New bridge pickup:


New controls (added stacked passive tone on the volume, and active/passive switch):

Nice! Finally someone with different electronics! Would love to hear clips.

[Toptube]

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

I really cannot understand the continuing fixation & fetishism with Carvin developing its own version of the Fender Precision Bass. I mean if that's your thing, why not just pick up the real thing (at least if you want a four-string)? Fender is producing some first-rate instruments as of late. You could hardly do better than a brand new Fender American Deluxe Precision.

My feeling has long been that Carvin performs best whenever it innovates - not when it produces knock-offs of currently existing designs...even if they're high-end knock-offs.

I also do not think they should straight up copy a P or even use a pickup that physically looks like a P. But they certainly have a gap to fill with a single pickup bass. Lots of people like the aesthetic and the physical simplicity. They could do something like Skjold and just use a large box housing for a P-style. Or they could do like a music man with the split poles, or maybe come up with some new, cool looking shape. There are possiblities there. But to be clear, it should be on a new body style, not on the SB. Something that is designed from the beginning, to look good as a single pickup setup.

I'd also like to see a V-shape bass. They have a V-Guitar...

The SB line is very nice, granted. But so is the Bromberg line - and a much more sophisticated design as well, IMHO.

Seemingly lost in the whirl of TalkBass buzz is the Icon - surely one of the more under-rated bass guitars currently in production. But it's designed & styled as modern - not vintage. So I guess that automatically keeps it off the radar screens of many...

MM

I think some of it is just that they have very little marketing and you can't normally find a Carvin in any typical music store. Because that's not how they are sold. By nature, their market penetration is going to be smaller. Though, due to the recent price increases of Ibanez' Prestige line, I think Carvin could do well to advertise the Icon series more. The whole thing about the Prestige line was that it gives you hand made Japanese quality Ibanez, with slightly exotic, but tasteful wood choices and whatnot. for a price that undercut a lot of other options. Now that's not the case.

Carvin could make their own case more known...

Originally Posted by HypersoulRocks

I got my SB with a reversed Icon headstock because the SB head looks ridiculous to me.

and after I said above that the SB headstock is a great, complimentary piece to the SB body-----I do actually like the Icon headstock best on the SB >_> but again, that just shows how many different tastes there are out there. And Carvin does a great job of offering options to meet many of them!

*oops, looks like I deleted my comment about the SB headstock. In short, a neat tweak on the Fender style is exactly what it is. and it compliments the SB body shape quite well. plus, you have other options that recall many classic headstock designs. A lot of them giving me an 80's/90's vibe. I'd love to get a carvin with red body and a black reverse in-line headstock!

[bgartist]

A question about the electronics... I have a B50, alder body/maple board and active electronics. I've noticed that the E and B strings are not as "open" sounding as the others. Would you SB experts say thats the voicing of the pickups and pre or is it the standard Carvin SS strings?

[Grateful]

Originally Posted by bgartist

A question about the electronics... I have a B50, alder body/maple board and active electronics. I've noticed that the E and B strings are not as "open" sounding as the others. Would you SB experts say thats the voicing of the pickups and pre or is it the standard Carvin SS strings?

I would try (and recommend) a string change. The pre and pickups on my B50s were fine, but I never even plugged it in with the factory strings on it...

[Jarrett]

Try some DR HiBeams or FatBeams.

[bgartist]

Originally Posted by Jarrett

Try some DR HiBeams or FatBeams.

I think I'll do this. All of my other basse have Hi Beams.

[Toptube]

Originally Posted by bgartist

A question about the electronics... I have a B50, alder body/maple board and active electronics. I've noticed that the E and B strings are not as "open" sounding as the others. Would you SB experts say thats the voicing of the pickups and pre or is it the standard Carvin SS strings?

I would blame the particular set of strings put on your bass. I'm sure Carvin strings are generally fine, but everyone makes duds. Try a string change to a favorite brand/model and you will probably be fine. I've had dull E strings from just about every brand from which I have used more than one set of the same string.

IF you ever get a dull or even a very dead string, simple email to the manufacturer will often get you a free replacement. As such, I'm sure Carvin would be willing to send you some replacements.

[Ewo]

String preferences are personal, of course--tone goals, feel, attack, etc. are factors in one's satisfaction with particular strings.

I've been using a Circle K balanced tension set for about 8 months now on my SB5K, and I'm very happy with them. That .142 B string is big, but it wasn't a problem getting used to it. I find the tone clear, with a well-defined pitch even on low notes. They last a good time, and come back to life almost 100% with an alcohol soak. I get about three passes on a set, using the alcohol soak, before I junk them. By that time the windings have deformed from contact with the frets--but I could prolly stretch 'em even a bit longer!

[Grateful]

So I'm an SB5000 owner again with the acquisition of this fretless. I sold off a B50 that I had and was able to grab this from local fusion-god Rufus Philpot.

It's my first foray into V V Mid/sweep T/B controls, so we'll see how it goes. It pretty much looks like it just came out of the showroom....

FWIW, keep your eyes open in the classifieds, as he may be selling one or 2 of his personal SB5000's in the weeks to come. Here's the fretless...

[qervo]

Nice..😊

[funkometer]

Help me out here guys. Is this bass tobacco sunburst or black burst edges, or something else?

[David_70]

Originally Posted by funkometer

Help me out here guys. Is this bass tobacco sunburst or black burst edges, or something else?

That's a three-tone sunburst - very popular, very traditional. Carvin calls it "Classic Sunburst." Go to Carvin's site, find the SB4000, go to Bass Gallery, and you'll see pictures of their sunbursts.

[temmrich]

Has anybody ordered or seen in person an SB with maple board and block inlays? I know this was a sought after configuration a while ago, and carvin wasn't doing it, but I recently got a catalog from them and they now offer the option.

[basswave]

Originally Posted by temmrich

Has anybody ordered or seen in person an SB with maple board and block inlays? I know this was a sought after configuration a while ago, and carvin wasn't doing it, but I recently got a catalog from them and they now offer the option.

+1

[Ewo]

Speaking of the latest catalog, a maple board is now standard.

Yeah, man--this bass says '70s Jazz, big time.

[Grateful]

Originally Posted by Ewo

Speaking of the latest catalog, a maple board is now standard.

Yeah, man--this bass says '70s Jazz, big time.

Rosewood and Maple are now the only 2 standard choices. Ebony used to be a standard/no cost option but is now $20 additional. Birdseye/flame maple are still available as upgrades as well. They've also done away with the free $100 in options.

[AMJBASS]

Originally Posted by David_70

That used to be the case, but now they offer a $150 option to have the SB5000 chambered, so that you could have a solid color, versus the chambered 5001 which has wood grain tops. Thanks.

Hmmm, I wish I had paid a bit more attention when I placed my order as I may have chosen this option. Especially since the SB5000 I spec'd out is finished in Vintage Cream. Still, unless its a boat anchor which I doubt it will be, I am sure it will be a terrific bass chambered or no

[WoodyG3]

Originally Posted by Grateful

Rosewood and Maple are now the only 2 standard choices. Ebony used to be a standard/no cost option but is now $20 additional. Birdseye/flame maple are still available as upgrades as well. They've also done away with the free $100 in options.

With the scarcity of ebony, I guess I'm not surprised that it is now an upcharge. I looked at the LB70 specs and saw that ebony is still the standard fretboard material for that bass. Carvin has used ebony on their fretboards for many, many years. There just isn't much ebony left in the world, though.

[pbasskalas]

Originally Posted by temmrich

Has anybody ordered or seen in person an SB with maple board and block inlays? I know this was a sought after configuration a while ago, and carvin wasn't doing it, but I recently got a catalog from them and they now offer the option.

I just ordered one last week with a birdseye maple board and MOP block inlays. I'll post pictures when it gets here

[Jarrett]

Had a cool SB experience last night. We had a good drummer sitting in last night that is also a bass player. He had played my SB5000 one time before through a TC Electronics RH750 and liked the tone. Last night between sets, I offered him my SB5001 fretless to jam on and see what he thought but this time I was playing through a Carvin BX250 head and just had all the controls at noon since the SB sounds great by itself.

He started playing it and said, "Man, this one sounds as good as the other one and its going through a Carvin head. I thought the other sounded good because of the TC Electronics head." I pointed out to him the controls were all at noon on the Carvin head as well and he looked really surprised. I said, "They are just great sounding basses, man."

I left him alone and he jammed on it for a good long while. When I came back before we started the next set, he again said it sounded great. He asked me if I could setup his Fender American Jazz V as well as my Carvins and I told him I would try. He said he couldn't get this kind of sound/punch out of his Fender. I think he was pretty smitten with the SB