Can you identify this Carvin bass?

[ejaggers]

How do you ID Carvin bass models?
All I've seen is "Carvin" on the headstock.

Also, how do you determine the year?
Does anyone know what this is?

057912

 

[UNICORN BASS]

LB75 neck thru. 1990's and up to ?

 

[shade_1313]

That is incredibly similar to my LB75. Mine is fretless and all Koa, with an ebony board.

Mine is mid-90s, that one is probably in the same time period.

 

[luciens]

I'd say it's an LB75, but couldn't say the year. Probably made in this century. They're worthless, but the highest quality worthless basses on earth. I was a Carvin fanatic for a few years and, despite the miserable resale, they're top notch quality instruments.

L

 

[cdef]

How do you ID Carvin bass models?
All I've seen is "Carvin" on the headstock.

Also, how do you determine the year?

The Carvin Museum is still a resource, though really old school as far as navigability: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[shade_1313]

I'd say it's an LB75, but couldn't say the year. Probably made in this century. They're worthless, but the highest quality worthless basses on earth. I was a Carvin fanatic for a few years and, despite the miserable resale, they're top notch quality instruments.

L

Truth. I got my fretless used, really reasonably, and it’s quality is fantastic. If I were to see the one in the OP in a store’s used instruments, for a decent price, I’d probably snatch it up as a nice companion to my fretless.

 

[shade_1313]

Okay, so digging a little deeper, I would guess that’s mahogany, two-piece neck. Koa looks lighter, and walnut neck throughs started in 99, and weren’t a two-piece, and I believe the four-knob setup was gone by 99, with the addition of a mids knob.

One thing I’m not certain of is when they started with the separate battery compartment. Certainly, by 1996 they had it. My LB75F does not.

 

[Rabidhamster]

How do you ID Carvin bass models?
All I've seen is "Carvin" on the headstock.

Also, how do you determine the year?
Does anyone know what this is?
View attachment 4340433
View attachment 4340434
View attachment 4340435
View attachment 4340436

057912

I think its pre 1996ish, you can date them by what bridge they have but I forget exactly when they changed.

 

[shade_1313]

Looks like Carvin tuners, so 95 or later, and it looks like a Wilkinson TW5 bridge, which is through into 1997. So about a three year window.

Also, in 98 the five knob layout (with mids boost) became standard.

 

[Ekulati]

I believe the four-knob setup was gone by 99, with the addition of a mids knob.

Yes, my 98 LB70 has five knobs, mid being the new one.

 

[Reedt2000]

If it's the old Wilkinson bridge be prepared to change it. The "claw" the ball end sits in can break and there's no such thing as parts for those. At one point Wilkinson added a post to go through the ball end which helps. I had an old Carvin 5 string and my bridge broke. I put a Hipshot on it and it did improve the tone (to my ears anyway)

 

[TheReceder]

The Carvin Museum is still a resource, though really old school as far as navigability: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

sdef nailed it. the Carvin museum is a great resource for those older basses. That's definately a 92-95 model

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[DanAdams]

I wanted a Carvin so much in 92... why? because they were the only guitar maker that sent full color leaflets to my parent's house, like a magazine subscription when I was in high school.
I'm sure I would have got one if it weren't for the pointy headstock.

 

[yodedude2]

If it's the old Wilkinson bridge be prepared to change it. The "claw" the ball end sits in can break and there's no such thing as parts for those. At one point Wilkinson added a post to go through the ball end which helps. I had an old Carvin 5 string and my bridge broke. I put a Hipshot on it and it did improve the tone (to my ears anyway)

i slapped a string as an accent to end a song onstage once. the string popped out of the wilkinson bridge at a sideways angle and detuned--& would not retune ... it took me agonizing through a song to figure out what the helll happened

it was a carvin bass, sounded fantastic!

 

[ejaggers]

I'd say it's an LB75, but couldn't say the year. Probably made in this century. They're worthless, but the highest quality worthless basses on earth. I was a Carvin fanatic for a few years and, despite the miserable resale, they're top notch quality instruments.

L

I'm not familiar with Carvin other than the name.
Why do you say they're worthless, and how can you tell one model from the next?

What would you pay for this particular bass based on just the pics,
in fair condition with the preamp battery connector cut off?

That is incredibly similar to my LB75. Mine is fretless and all Koa, with an ebony board.
Mine is mid-90s, that one is probably in the same time period.
View attachment 4340493

Nice looking bass, did the ebony board come stock?
What's a decent price?
057912

 

[Tubehed]

I'm not familiar with Carvin other than the name.
Why do you say they're worthless, and how can you tell one model from the next?

What would you pay for this particular bass based on just the pics,
in fair condition with the preamp battery connector cut off?



Nice looking bass, did the ebony board come stock?
What's a decent price?
057912

"Worthless" is an insult and an exaggeration. They are very undervalued and can often be had for real bargains used. Looks like the output jack is not original. Preamp cut off? Passive only? I probably wouldn't go above $400. Yes, ebony boards were standard. The Wilkinson should be fine if it has the pins that the strings ball ends go over.

 

[Reedt2000]

I'm not familiar with Carvin other than the name.
Why do you say they're worthless, and how can you tell one model from the next?

What would you pay for this particular bass based on just the pics,
in fair condition with the preamp battery connector cut off?



Nice looking bass, did the ebony board come stock?
What's a decent price?
057912

Carvin just doesn't command high dollar on the used market. The same is true of US made Peavey basses and both are well made, high quality instruments. Carvin stuff was customizable so you picked a base model and added extras.

For the bass here I'd expect to pay between $400 and $600 (just my $.02)

 

[Reedt2000]

"Worthless" is an insult and an exaggeration. They are very undervalued and can often be had for real bargains used. Looks like the output jack is not original. Preamp cut off? Passive only? I probably wouldn't go above $400. Yes, ebony boards were standard. The Wilkinson should be fine if it has the pins that the strings ball ends go over.

I missed the preamp thing, definitely puts it at the low end of the range.

 

[shade_1313]

"Worthless" is an insult and an exaggeration. They are very undervalued and can often be had for real bargains used. Looks like the output jack is not original. Preamp cut off? Passive only? I probably wouldn't go above $400. Yes, ebony boards were standard. The Wilkinson should be fine if it has the pins that the strings ball ends go over.

It looks just like my output jack.

 

[shade_1313]

I'm not familiar with Carvin other than the name.
Why do you say they're worthless, and how can you tell one model from the next?

What would you pay for this particular bass based on just the pics,
in fair condition with the preamp battery connector cut off?



Nice looking bass, did the ebony board come stock?
What's a decent price?
057912

That’s a tough question. I would take on a bass in that condition as a project to fix up. I’d certainly have to splice in a battery connector and replace the battery compartment (it appears to be missing the cover/door). That’s not the real kicker, though. The unknown status of the rest of the wiring and the preamp is where putting a value in it is dicey.

Edit to add: the more I look between the pics and my own bass, the more they seem like near twins. I’m no longer sure that the bass in question isn’t Koa, just like mine.