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Carvin Basses

#61
Guys, I don't have a ton of money to spend on like 1500 basses, and I'm looking for something to help cure the GAS for a bit. The SB4000 when customized is out of my price range, but the B40, when customized, seems to fit nicely. Would you recommend getting one?
 
#64
Fender American Standard for 2011 ad 2012 is a few steps closer to "American Deluxe" territory due to the rolled fingerboard edges, carbon fiber stiffing rods in the neck, and neck profile changes.

I've seen and played this product line when it first appeared in 2008. A great idea from Fender, a passive Fender bass without the active (noisy) pre-amp or "noiseless" pickups.

Although I like Fenders single coil pickups, the 2008 offering was a "fail" in my opinion due to lower level of execution in the neck and fretwork compared to the American Deluxe line.

I've owned the Carvin SB5000. Can't think of any reason NOT to buy a Carvin aside from these two factors, which for ME, have significance:

Nut width on the 5 string basses are too narrow (for me, I prefer Fender's 1.81" nut width and 18 mm string spacing)
Carvin Fretboard radius is flatter.
Resale value is lower on the Carvin.
 
#65
afzoomie67 said:
Guys, I don't have a ton of money to spend on like 1500 basses, and I'm looking for something to help cure the GAS for a bit. The SB4000 when customized is out of my price range, but the B40, when customized, seems to fit nicely. Would you recommend getting one?
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I have the predecessor of the B-40, the B4 that I used on Teach Me Bass Guitar. It's got a great neck, is very comfortable to play and sounds really nice even as a passive bass. I'd do that.
 
#71
WoodyG3 said:
I love the H50 stacked humbuckers, and have them in one of my LB70s. Don't feel badly that your bass has them. Remember, too, that replacing pickups is pretty easy and not very expensive. You can always put J99 pickups in later if you want to experiment. :)
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yeah, or anything else you want to try since they are standard jazz pickups. the world is your oyster. i settled on the dimarzio model J in one, which is a humbucker that sounds really huge and fat. J99's in one and nordstrand singles in one. 3 great tones in 3 solid basses that play as well as some "high end" ones that i have.
 
#72
shwashwa said:
yeah, or anything else you want to try since they are standard jazz pickups. the world is your oyster. i settled on the dimarzio model J in one, which is a humbucker that sounds really huge and fat. J99's in one and nordstrand singles in one. 3 great tones in 3 solid basses that play as well as some "high end" ones that i have.
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Well, Carvin's pickups are both standard Fender bridge size pickups. I'm not sure that the slightly shorter standard Fender neck pu would always fit in the bridge pu route due to the "ears" being in a slightly different location. I know plenty of people have traded out pickups, but I'm not certain what they may or may not have had to go through to make them fit.
 
#75
I have a couple of B50's, and can vouch for that line of basses 100%. I tried to buy 5 string American Fenders multiple times and never found one that didn't feel like $300 bass. Fret sprout, shoddy factory set-up, etc...

Every Carvin that I have played or owned (SB, B50, B25) has been fantastic, whether straight from the factory or on the used market. If you can find a SB4000 or B40 used, you are golden.
 
#76
WoodyG3 said:
Well, Carvin's pickups are both standard Fender bridge size pickups. I'm not sure that the slightly shorter standard Fender neck pu would always fit in the bridge pu route due to the "ears" being in a slightly different location. I know plenty of people have traded out pickups, but I'm not certain what they may or may not have had to go through to make them fit.
Click to expand...

correct, 2 bridge sized pickups will fit into a carvin
 

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