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Carvin SB5000 - Ordering Process

phillipkregg

phillipkregg

Jun 8, 2010
3,681
5,824
Nashville, TN
#1
Ok,

So I've been GASing for a Carvin SB5000 ever since I first saw them. I'm seriously thinking about placing an order for one because, well, it's the best dang bass deal on the planet.

However, I'm looking at all of the online order options and I'm a bit overwhelmed.

I'd like to hear from folks who own Carvin's and/or have ordered from Carvin before about the options available.

For instance:

Neck Options
Is the standard neck a 3 piece or 1 piece of maple?

Optional Back of Neck Finish - not sure what to do. I own a Lakland Skyline Joe Osborn 5 string and I LOVE the finish on the back of the neck - but I don't know what that finish is called. I also have a Lakland Skyline 55-02, but I don't like the unfinished feel on the back of it as much.

Frets
This is a big deal to me. I love the frets on my Joe Osborn, but I hate the frets on Ibanez SG basses. The frets on the Fender Marcus Miller jazz bass are great also. Should I get the standard "Med-Jumbo" frets on the Carvin, or should I go with something different?

Fretboard Radius
Again, not sure what to do about this one. I'm very comfortable playing Music Man Stingrays, and most jazz basses. I just don't know anything about the fretboard radii of those instruments. I suppose I could look it up first. :)
Carvin's standard is 14".

Pickups
Are the standard J9A's good, or should I try the H5A or HB2 models? What's the difference?

Are there any other issues I should be concerned with when ordering from Carvin? Does it usually take 8 - 10 weeks for completion?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! :help:
 
#2
First thing: Do not do this on line. CALL THEM. Speak to a guy. Schmooze him. You may well get a discount. It helps if you live in So Cal (I live in SD, so the one Carvin guitar I had them build I picked up - and got a pretty nice "locals" discount!)

As for neck - go with stock unless you really care. It will be fine. Have them put a tung oil finish on the back of the neck - nice and smooth, not glossy/sticky

I'd go with the standard frets; You don't have any choice in the FB radius; Pickups are another thing: The options are pretty inexpensive if you want the full active thing; I've read that going passive will not disappoint either, given that their new stock pickups are supposed to be a major improvement over their old stuff.

I actually want to get one with the humbucking p'up in the bridge position since I really dig how my lakland sounds.

but call them and do the order over the phone. You'll find out there are options not on line...
 
#3
BigOldHarry said:
First thing: Do not do this on line. CALL THEM. Speak to a guy. Schmooze him. You may well get a discount. It helps if you live in So Cal (I live in SD, so the one Carvin guitar I had them build I picked up - and got a pretty nice "locals" discount!)

As for neck - go with stock unless you really care. It will be fine. Have them put a tung oil finish on the back of the neck - nice and smooth, not glossy/sticky

I'd go with the standard frets; You don't have any choice in the FB radius; Pickups are another thing: The options are pretty inexpensive if you want the full active thing; I've read that going passive will not disappoint either, given that their new stock pickups are supposed to be a major improvement over their old stuff.

I actually want to get one with the humbucking p'up in the bridge position since I really dig how my lakland sounds.

but call them and do the order over the phone. You'll find out there are options not on line...
Click to expand...

I definitely want to go active - I hear great things about the standard J pickups and electronics. Apparently Carvin has made a big effort to improve the electronics.

I thought about doing everything over the phone, but I'm just really paranoid about it. It would be nice to have everything that I want in writing to make sure that nothing is missed.

I'm assuming if I ordered it over the phone that they would send me an email with the details of my order? If so, I have no problem with the phone thing.
 
#4
Go through the guitar builder, write down all the options you want, and then call Carvin.

The SB5000 (the 5-string) comes standard with the passive/active option. That's what I got and didn't get any extra options (such as the mid sweep, etc.). My SB5000 should be here the 1st week of August. Can't wait! It will look just like Invalid Link Removed.

On a somewhat related note, I (along with others) think the reverse Icon (or even the regular Icon) headstock looks better than the standard headstock. To each their own, however.

Yes, they will send you an e-mail with the options you selected if you tell them. I ordered mine over the phone a few weeks ago.


Paul
 
#5
I concur with Harry...

I've ordered a bunch of Carvin gear over the years - including three bass guitars, two of which I still own. By all means, order by telephone. Carvin's web ordering process is fine for simple, static-option products - such as amps, cabs & accessories. For more complex orders with multiple options - such as musical instruments - it's still not fully "cooked". :rollno:

Most of your questions can be answered with a simple phone call to a Carvin sales rep. Go ahead. They'll actually answer your questions - and they won't even force you to buy something.

Lastly, if some of your questions relate to direct comparisons between gear that you know (i.e. Lakland Skyline 55-02, Fender Marcus Miller Jazz Bass, MusicMan Stingray, etc.), and gear that you don't know (i.e. Carvin SB5000), then logically speaking, you really ought to research & gather all the specs on those makes/models that you want to provide to the Carvin sales guy for comparison purposes - since you can't necessarily expect him to know all that stuff off the top of his head.

Right? :hmm:

MM
 
#6
I like putting stuff in writing too. I usually forget something, then have to call people back, which then opens room for screw-ups. You could always make the list, then email it or fax it to them beforehand, then call to back it up and pay. That's how most B to B ordering is done, so it's a standard practice.

As far as all the options... When in doubt, just go with the standard choice. They pick those for a reason... Most people are OK with it. And if you don't have an opinion anyway, then you don't have much to worry about.
 
#7
BigOldHarry said:
You don't have any choice in the FB radius
Click to expand...

Carvin has offered three fretboard radius choices for a couple of years now. 10, 12 and 14" options are available. This is a personal choice, so I don't know how to advise the OP on this.

The standard neck,BTW, is one piece maple. Laminated necks should be a little stronger in theory, but there are like ten million one piece maple necks out there that are plenty stiff enough, so to me that's a matter of aesthetics.

+1 to everyone who has mentioned calling in your order.

Also, the Carvin forum is a helpful online resourse. Just go to the Carvin web site and click on the "community" link.

Good luck with your order, and have fun making your choices. It's kinda' like being a little kid in a candy store, isn't it? :D
 
#9
pjchappy said:
Go through the guitar builder, write down all the options you want, and then call Carvin.

The SB5000 (the 5-string) comes standard with the passive/active option. That's what I got and didn't get any extra options (such as the mid sweep, etc.). My SB5000 should be here the 1st week of August. Can't wait! It will look just like Invalid Link Removed.

On a somewhat related note, I (along with others) think the reverse Icon (or even the regular Icon) headstock looks better than the standard headstock. To each their own, however.

Yes, they will send you an e-mail with the options you selected if you tell them. I ordered mine over the phone a few weeks ago.


Paul
Click to expand...

Yeah, I can't decide on whether to get the Icon headstock or the regular sb one. I actually like the SB headstock, but the Icon is growing on me.

BTW, the flat black paint on that bass looks awesome!
 
#10
MysticMichael said:
I concur with Harry...

I've ordered a bunch of Carvin gear over the years - including three bass guitars, two of which I still own. By all means, order by telephone. Carvin's web ordering process is fine for simple, static-option products - such as amps, cabs & accessories. For more complex orders with multiple options - such as musical instruments - it's still not fully "cooked". :rollno:

Most of your questions can be answered with a simple phone call to a Carvin sales rep. Go ahead. They'll actually answer your questions - and they won't even force you to buy something.

Lastly, if some of your questions relate to direct comparisons between gear that you know (i.e. Lakland Skyline 55-02, Fender Marcus Miller Jazz Bass, MusicMan Stingray, etc.), and gear that you don't know (i.e. Carvin SB5000), then logically speaking, you really ought to research & gather all the specs on those makes/models that you want to provide to the Carvin sales guy for comparison purposes - since you can't necessarily expect him to know all that stuff off the top of his head.

Right? :hmm:

MM
Click to expand...


Yeah, I definitely agree.

Basically, I'm just mentioning some of the gear that I like and seeing if anyone else here has used something similar and also played the SB 5000 to compare. I like the feel and the playability of those instruments I mentioned, but I've never touched a Carvin before, so the feedback helps. :)

I feel like if I call the Carvin rep and ask them to give me their opinion on the SB5000, that's kind of like asking the Honda sales guy if the Civic is a good car.
 
#11
phillipkregg said:
I feel like if I call the Carvin rep and ask them to give me their opinion on the SB5000, that's kind of like asking the Honda sales guy if the Civic is a good car.
Click to expand...

True, but you can always ask the Honda sales rep what the differences between a Civic and a Corolla are.

Definitely call them directly though. When I've done that they've always worked hard to add a little extra over and above what I'd have got going online - a free footswitch with an amp, or worked with the production guys to tweak an option or two on a guitar, or something like that.
 
#13
pjchappy said:
Go through the guitar builder, write down all the options you want, and then call Carvin.

The SB5000 (the 5-string) comes standard with the passive/active option. That's what I got and didn't get any extra options (such as the mid sweep, etc.). My SB5000 should be here the 1st week of August. Can't wait! It will look just like Invalid Link Removed.

On a somewhat related note, I (along with others) think the reverse Icon (or even the regular Icon) headstock looks better than the standard headstock. To each their own, however.

Yes, they will send you an e-mail with the options you selected if you tell them. I ordered mine over the phone a few weeks ago.


Paul
Click to expand...

Hey! What gives? I find the designs on these basses very unattractive. I do not care for black finishes. I've even played the 4 string version and didn't like it. (Guess what city my mother-in-law lives in.) However, that bass of yours is d^&* sharp!!! Maybe it's the satin finish, but it is beautiful.
 
#14
UncleFluffy said:
True, but you can always ask the Honda sales rep what the differences between a Civic and a Corolla are.

Definitely call them directly though. When I've done that they've always worked hard to add a little extra over and above what I'd have got going online - a free footswitch with an amp, or worked with the production guys to tweak an option or two on a guitar, or something like that.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think I'm definitely gonna call now. :hyper:
 
#17
phillipkregg said:
Optional Back of Neck Finish - not sure what to do. I own a Lakland Skyline Joe Osborn 5 string and I LOVE the finish on the back of the neck - but I don't know what that finish is called. I also have a Lakland Skyline 55-02, but I don't like the unfinished feel on the back of it as much.
Click to expand...

Re: the Lakland necks, the neck on the JO5 and the 55-02 should be identical, unless someone did something to one of them aftermarket. My guess is that the closest finish to the standard Lakland one would be the satin gloss finish. Though the Tung oil is likely closer to the legendary US necks.

phillipkregg said:
Frets
This is a big deal to me. I love the frets on my Joe Osborn, but I hate the frets on Ibanez SG basses. The frets on the Fender Marcus Miller jazz bass are great also. Should I get the standard "Med-Jumbo" frets on the Carvin, or should I go with something different?
Click to expand...

Frets are a huge reason why I love my Laklands. The fretwire is basically the same used for banjos, so it's smaller than what is traditionally often found. I know that I have a tough time going to basses with 'normal' sized frets now.

I agree with everyone else to call Carvin. I bought my amp online because it was an amp. If I was plunking down $1,000 on a bass, I would definitely have a human on the other end of the phone. For me, Carvin's always been a great company to deal with.
 
#18
Grateful said:
Re: the Lakland necks, the neck on the JO5 and the 55-02 should be identical, unless someone did something to one of them aftermarket. My guess is that the closest finish to the standard Lakland one would be the satin gloss finish. Though the Tung oil is likely closer to the legendary US necks.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... that's very interesting. Because my two are like night and day. My 55-02 was purchased used, so they may have sanded down the neck. It has a very unfinished feel to it. Smooth, but not like the Joe Osborn. The back of the Joe neck is finished - not sanded - but it's smooth and doesn't feel sticky. Kind of like an old Fender jazz bass and a little like the new Geddy Lee jazz bass.

Everyone seems to really like the Tung Oil finished necks though, so I may have to check that out.


Frets are a huge reason why I love my Laklands. The fretwire is basically the same used for banjos, so it's smaller than what is traditionally often found. I know that I have a tough time going to basses with 'normal' sized frets now.
Click to expand...

+1! Exactly! Lakland frets are perfect for me. I may have to contact Lakland to find out what fret size they are using so that I can match that to the Carvin.
 

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