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Carvin ID?

R

rdcowan

Aug 13, 2009
121
19
Central Texas
#1
I found this bass at the local pawn shop. I don't know that much about Carvin, so I need an idea what it is worth. It has an ebony fretless neck, maple through body. I don't know what the other wood is, maybe Koa? It is supposedly a custom build. Hardware is brass. My best guess is mid/late 90's LB70? It is passive. Plays like buttah, but I think they are asking way too much for it at $1100! I got them down to $800, but still think it is too high.
 

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#3
LB20 I think, because of the knobs and if its passive.

Check this out

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I would say its to expensive, I just got a 90's fully loaded LB70 for 550 euro, $1100 is just nuts for a 4 string.
 
#4
its not an LB 70 ITS A LB 20 the LB20 was the passive model, hope that helps ,also although they are great basses that seems like a high price you should be able to score one on evil bay for about 4 or 5 hundred bucks. good luck
 
#5
Moonbot, correct on the LB20, I misspoke earlier. I saw that site when researching the bass. Even Carvin can't tell me a whole lot about it. What do you think is a fair price? The neck is straight as an arrow and I have not played a fretless that had this low of an action.
 
#7
BigBee, I told them they were asking way too much for it. They keep playing up the "It is a custom bass, special made". I explained that it was not made for me. It has no intrinsic value for resale. If it did not play so well, I wouldn't bother. I am trying not to show too much interest. I live in a small town and they have had this thing for nearly a year now. I was hoping they would say heck with it, here! $200 get out!
 
#11
It looks like that one has Walnut... Then add for gold hardware. If you add it up, you could buy that one new right now for about 8 something. Tell them that. If it's in perfect shape with a case, come in and lay 450-500 on the counter. If they don't take it, then oh well. It's not worth more than that.
 
#13
rdcowan said:
BigBee, I told them they were asking way too much for it. They keep playing up the "It is a custom bass, special made". I explained that it was not made for me. It has no intrinsic value for resale. If it did not play so well, I wouldn't bother. I am trying not to show too much interest. I live in a small town and they have had this thing for nearly a year now. I was hoping they would say heck with it, here! $200 get out!
Click to expand...

At the time that one was made, all Carvins were "custom made." You ordered one meeting your specs from the multitude of options they offered. That one was made before they started rounding the edges of the body, so I've got to guess it's at least 10 years old. I think $600 would be max on that, and that may even be a little high.
 
#15
elgecko said:
I don't have an old Carvin catalog handy but I don't even think that would've cost $1,100 to have that built back in the day! That was their least expensive model with just a few upgrades.
Click to expand...

A local guy was trying to sell a Bunny signature from '96 for $2000 here locally. It cost well under $1000 then... He used the same argument as the shop and walked away from the signs that it's worth $800 tops, including several locals selling for $375-700. He was just trying to rip someone off.
 

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