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Carvin SB5000 / SB4000 Roll Call...Part 2!

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#262
Jarrett said:


Just found that on the Carvin site, very nice. Love the pick tone/lick. Sounds familiar ;)
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Oh yeah! Can't wait for the full review. More so, I can't wait until my SB5000 comes in 2 months from now. I was very close to getting an XB75 for the extended scale and asemmetrical neck option. However reviews kept pushing me to the SB. Many Carvin lovers agree that this is the best sounding Carvin yet. Even Ed says so and I reckon this guy knows what he's talking about.

Thanks for the link!
 
#265
Well, after watching these things for a year or so now, I finally pulled the trigger and bought one. For the longest time I wanted a Lakland J 5-string and almost pulled the trigger on multiple occasions but found the neck to be a bit chunky for my tastes. As a former Carvin owner, I was ecstatic when the SB5000 arrived (and WAY more in my budget) because even after 17 years I still love the feel and playability of my Bunny Brunnel fretless 5. Supposedly Ed Friedland is a fan of the BB necks so when I read that he compared the profile of the new SB to it, it was the final piece of the puzzle I wanted to hear (Since I'm on the other side of the Country, the Carvin store isn't exactly easy to go check out).

Here's the specs.

Custom Order Guitar
$949.00 - SB5000 - 5-String Bolt-Neck Jazz Bass Right Handed
$0.00 - F - Fretless
$0.00 - PB - Pearl Blue
$0.00 - -CG - Clear Gloss Finish (Standard)
$40.00 - ASH - Maple Neck/Swamp Ash Body
$0.00 - -TN - Tung Oil Finish Back Of Neck (Standard)
$30.00 - BMNH - Birdseye Maple Natural Clear Headstock (Non-Painted)
$0.00 - -SBH - SB-Style Bass Headstock (Standard)
$0.00 - -EB - Ebony Fingerboard (Standard)
$50.00 - FID - Fretless Fingerboard w/ White Lines & Dots
$0.00 - -R14 - 14in Fretboard Radius (Standard)
$0.00 - -CH - Chrome Hardware (Standard)
$0.00 - -J9A - J99A Alnico Single Coil Pickups (Standard)
$0.00 - -BLK - Black Pickups
$10.00 - FWS - Flat Wound Med Light
$10.00 - SL - Dunlop Straplocks
$15.00 - WP - White Pearloid Pickguard
$5.00 - IVN - Ivory Graph Tech TUSQ Nut
$0.00 - HC8WS - Black Tolex Wide Hardshell Bass Case FREE

Pretty much backed off on the options so ya, nothing too flashy... Sure, a nice Koa or Walnut top would be hawt and one of Carvins fantastic translucent colors with matching Headstock would have been out of this world, but I'm really looking for a top quality 5-string J-bass without having to save more for a Sadowsky yet has the looks of a traditional J'er... I also find the body profile to be pretty cool so it should make for a nice clash between Vintage and retro/modern.

This will be my 3rd Carvin and I am soooo looking forward to this one!
 
#267
...well for me it's hard to write this but have to say no more Carvin for me!. I was ready to buy one "in stock" SB4000...well after mine ordering email I get just one answer...I send few emails... than no answers, so I call there ...Keith from Carvin give me his email for finishing mine order...than no answers...Carvin?...no thank you!
 
#268
wimpy said:
...well for me it's hard to write this but have to say no more Carvin for me!. I was ready to buy one "in stock" SB4000...well after mine ordering email I get just one answer...I send few emails... than no answers, so I call there ...Keith from Carvin give me his email for finishing mine order...than no answers...Carvin?...no thank you!
Click to expand...

Let me see if I have this right: You ordered a bass using the on-line order system and haven't heard back from them? Or were you unable to actually order the bass, even after talking to someone at Carvin?
 
#271
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got that yesterday. i'm very impressed. it feels better and sounds better, to me, than the sadowsky r5-24 i had. better fret job, just feels and sounds smoother. and, it's much better than the 3 fender american deluxe 5er's i had.

i was surprised a how big the body looks in person, hangs very well though. i was thinking this thing is huge (my main bass for a while had been a warwick thumb neck through 5).

i bought it from the in stock page. i was looking for rosewood board, abalone dots and sunburst. personally i don't like the vol-vol set up. i'll probably change it to vol-bal.

this bass is 100% on par with the pedulla rapture 5 i had a while back. the build quality is dead on. i like the flatter fretboard better. rapture it 12", this is 14". if i had to compare it to anything i've ever played, it would be the pedulla rapture.

it has a superb neck, excellent fret work and no high ones or dead spots. is it the greatest bass i've ever played? nope, that was my fodera. is it the best $974.00 i've ever spent on a bass, yes.
 
#272
BigOldHarry said:
I just noticed that they raised the base price for the SB5000 from $899 to $949...
Click to expand...

I saw that also..and they raised the $$ on some of the body woods also..The Maple neck/Koa body SB5000 that I built online a few days ago is now $80 more. Still a good deal :)
There must be a greater demand for these basses now after all the good feedback. :eyebrow:

My SB4000 is only 2 weeks away now :hyper:
 
#274
dgce said:
Well I have 6 weeks to prep for my SB5000. I feel like I'm getting a nursery ready in time for a baby. Need a better guitar stand, new comfy strap, eventually a gig bag (I've been reading up on that one!). Right now I'm thinking strings.

I'm going to give the stock Carvin strings (Labella, I believe) a fair go. If need be, I'll likely replace. I've used D'Adarrios for years. I normally order the twin packs (best deals you can possibly get, IMHO). But it would appear in this neck of the woods that DR Low Riders seem to be the preferred choice for those of us who prefer nickel over steel. The D'Addario twin packs are a sweet deal but if these DR strings are THAT good, I'd happily pay more.

Anyone out there try D'Addariors and DR Low Riders on their SB5000s? Pros? Cons?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I'm using D'Addario Pro Steels and they sound killer on my SB5000, if your a steel string lover these work out great. I prefer these over my regular DR High beams and the price is right. Just my 2 cents.
 
#275
jzbass6 said:
I'm using D'Addario Pro Steels and they sound killer on my SB5000, if your a steel string lover these work out great. I prefer these over my regular DR High beams and the price is right. Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...

Good to know. However I'm going to stick with nickels and see how I do. First the stock strings, then maybe DR Low Riders. However if I do decide to give steel strings another whirl, D'Addario Pro Steels look like a sweet deal.

Thanks.
 
#276
TK4261 said:
I saw that also..and they raised the $$ on some of the body woods also..The Maple neck/Koa body SB5000 that I built online a few days ago is now $80 more. Still a good deal :)
There must be a greater demand for these basses now after all the good feedback. :eyebrow:

My SB4000 is only 2 weeks away now :hyper:
Click to expand...

Wow, I ordered my SB5000 on 9/23 at $899 before all my options. I guess I just made it before the price hike. I've been dragging my feet on ordering this puppy for almost a year now. What really pushed me was a $25 coupon from Carvin I had was about to expire. I was also wondering about the free case (normally $69); how much longer would they continue to offer this deal? I figured that was almost $100 off right there. “Order it now before its too late you fool!" Well apparently I saved more than I realized. The base model is now $949; the swamp ash option is now $40 and the matching flame headstock I ordered is now $40. So I saved an additional $70.

Gezz, for a change I actually I did good!
 
#278
how come u guys are seeing $949 for the base price
i tried and i saw $1715 for the sb5000

(btw, i'm not from US, just trying it with virgins island (US) to see the options available)
 
#279
I got my SB5000 a few months back with stainless steel frets and after multiple styles of gigs and a lot of amp tweaking I still can't get the tone I want out of this thing. I'm convinced it's because of the stainless steel frets I opted for at the last minute for some reason. Compared to all of the sound samples I've heard (even ones with the same wood combo - Ash/Maple) as well as what I'm expecting to hear in my head, this thing just sounds off to me. I'm about 90 percent sure I'm gonna order a new neck from Carvin with the standard frets since a refret from any tech in town would be more expensive.(Thank you Carvin for being the anti-price gouging kings!)

Just wondering what folks experience either personally or otherwise has been with this stainless steel fret phenomenon. At this moment I'm thinking that they should be outlawed. If it aint broke.......might have been the way to go in this instance.

Thanks y'all
 
#280
darkkent1 said:
I got my SB5000 a few months back with stainless steel frets and after multiple styles of gigs and a lot of amp tweaking I still can't get the tone I want out of this thing. I'm convinced it's because of the stainless steel frets I opted for at the last minute for some reason. Compared to all of the sound samples I've heard (even ones with the same wood combo - Ash/Maple) as well as what I'm expecting to hear in my head, this thing just sounds off to me. I'm about 90 percent sure I'm gonna order a new neck from Carvin with the standard frets since a refret from any tech in town would be more expensive.(Thank you Carvin for being the anti-price gouging kings!)

Just wondering what folks experience either personally or otherwise has been with this stainless steel fret phenomenon. At this moment I'm thinking that they should be outlawed. If it aint broke.......might have been the way to go in this instance.

Thanks y'all
Click to expand...

you ordered the J99As right? A lot of guys are making a huge mistake when they get that big MM-style humbucker in the bridge. Also, try recording a sound clip or let someone else play it while you listen. For me, it always helps to hear a bass when I'm not in the moment of playing. I don't know why but often times I hear the true tone of the instrument that way, something in my ear/brain gets in the way when I'm playing I find.
 
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