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Carvin SB5000 / SB4000 Roll Call...Part 4!
- Thread starter smperry
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In my SB4000 I have the active electronics with the Volume/Volume/Tone/2 Band and I've gotten into the habit of playing with the preamp bypassed, neck volume at full, bridge volume at half and tone all the way up. I think the passive tone is just killer all on its own. If I ever order another SB bass I will go passive just for the variety. Although I do think the preamp sounds good, I just haven't needed it.
I thought the same thing after I ordered my fretless. I figured at best, it was going to be a play-at-home toy. But I'm using it more than I thought. So much so that I'm selling one of my other basses.
It really is. If playing that passive SB4000 this week taught me anything is that the SB's sound great passive. The active mode is a nice to have kinda deal. I like being able to reach down and tweak my bass eq level on the fly, but could as easily do it on the front of the amp.
Hmm... I have a gig right now that could really benefit from it. I've also kicked around just ordering a fretless neck for my current SB5000 that I have for sale. I've never swapped a neck before though. Does that usually go well or do issues arise there?
Your gain trim is simply set too high. Just turn it down and you'll be fine. There's no reason why the preamp would have to be hotter than your passive mode. That's a configurable thing.
True, but if you're the kind of player that uses passive mode a lot, maybe switching back and forth in the same set, it probably makes more sense to just set up the preamp gain to "match" passive mode, so you just set/forget the amp.
I'm aware of the trim pot fix with the active output, it just hasn't been necessary. I prefer the passive tone with my main rig and have no need to boost or cut with the 2 band. If I'm playing on one of my other amps that has more headroom the active level isn't really an issue and I never switch back and forth. I'm not that into active basses really anyway, but I figured I would give it a shot with the SB4000 and if I didn't like it I could just not use it. When I record direct into my digital interface at home I tend to use the active and have no problems with it. If I ever got to the point where I wanted to switch back and forth during a set for particular songs I would adjust the output.
Ahhh, ok, that makes sense.
BTW, clearly I'm more of a nerd about this stuff than you are, but if that was my situation, I'd probably go in and see if there was a way I could reverse the push/pull so pushed in was passive, and you'd have to pull out for active, the lesser used mode in your case.
Anyway, FWIW.
holy crap! i didn't think of that! that's the answer to your question. a neck shouldn't be that expensive and you wouldn't be out a grand or so for a fretless that you wouldn't use.
that's what i would do, if i were you. you already have the bass.
BTW, clearly I'm more of a nerd about this stuff than you are, but if that was my situation, I'd probably go in and see if there was a way I could reverse the push/pull so pushed in was passive, and you'd have to pull out for active, the lesser used mode in your case.
Cool idea, and probably just a matter of switching a wire or two on the pot.
I had another gig with new band last night, new venue, new soundman. The soundman came up a couple of times and said how he was getting a really nice signal from my rig. He asked what kind of amp it was and I told him it was Carvin BX500, but that it was a straight through/pre EQ DI and the sound was coming from the bass. He complimented the tone of it a couple of times, the guitar player did as well. I think my SB5000 is helping me get gigs
I experimented with rolling back the neck volume for a few songs. Also, rolling back the treble control instead of the passive tone to darken the sound a bit for the Motown tunes. It worked really well. Even got a little slap solo thrown my way. A good night with the SB
I experimented with rolling back the neck volume for a few songs. Also, rolling back the treble control instead of the passive tone to darken the sound a bit for the Motown tunes. It worked really well. Even got a little slap solo thrown my way. A good night with the SB
My SB5000 took a dive last night. 
We were doing an outdoor gig for a street festival, and it was just starting to really get going when... the weather was too. We were just about to call it quits and pack up when a huge gust a wind came down the street and started knocking stuff down. One light tree, cymbals, my bass... and oh yeah, our guitar player's brand new Marshall half stack... right off the 4ft stage to the asphalt below... blown right down (along with a lot of other general stuff in the festival).
No damage report on the stack yet, but thankfully my bass only got as far as some stuff laying on stage, so a couple small dings in the upper horn and one small dipple on the back. Actually had to look for them. I think I mostly got lucky but it is a fair reminder these things aren't made of tissue paper... they're pretty durable. It takes a lot of abuse to really do damage to a well made bass. Actually, I was mostly concerned about the back of the neck because that's something you'd be reminded of over and over again, but thankfully, no problems.
All in all we didn't get too wet before it quit, but we did found out later that only about 1/4 mile north of us into town lots of tree branches and limbs on the streets and lots more rain.
Sucks that it happened, but all things considered, I feel pretty damn lucky.
Anyway, for your reading entertainment.
We were doing an outdoor gig for a street festival, and it was just starting to really get going when... the weather was too. We were just about to call it quits and pack up when a huge gust a wind came down the street and started knocking stuff down. One light tree, cymbals, my bass... and oh yeah, our guitar player's brand new Marshall half stack... right off the 4ft stage to the asphalt below... blown right down (along with a lot of other general stuff in the festival).
No damage report on the stack yet, but thankfully my bass only got as far as some stuff laying on stage, so a couple small dings in the upper horn and one small dipple on the back. Actually had to look for them. I think I mostly got lucky but it is a fair reminder these things aren't made of tissue paper... they're pretty durable. It takes a lot of abuse to really do damage to a well made bass. Actually, I was mostly concerned about the back of the neck because that's something you'd be reminded of over and over again, but thankfully, no problems.
All in all we didn't get too wet before it quit, but we did found out later that only about 1/4 mile north of us into town lots of tree branches and limbs on the streets and lots more rain.
Sucks that it happened, but all things considered, I feel pretty damn lucky.
Anyway, for your reading entertainment.
Jarrett,
Hey - i have an SB4000 that i decided to convert to fretless instead of drop the $250 on the neck. The job is being done now and in the interim, i've installed a fender fretless neck i had laying around, i know that probably makes the readers here cringe, but i just couldn't wait to hear how this great little bass will sound. the fender neck fit perfect. i actually did have to redrill a couple of holes in the neck.. anyway, i must say.. it's already the best sounding fretless i've ever owned, even with the fender neck on it. I looooove playing fretless and the active sb4000 fretless tone is absolutely KILLER. I've actually done two complete gigs on it with the fender neck it sounds so good.
Cant wait to get the SB neck reinstalled!
Get the neck man, you wont be disappointed.
Hey - i have an SB4000 that i decided to convert to fretless instead of drop the $250 on the neck. The job is being done now and in the interim, i've installed a fender fretless neck i had laying around, i know that probably makes the readers here cringe, but i just couldn't wait to hear how this great little bass will sound. the fender neck fit perfect. i actually did have to redrill a couple of holes in the neck.. anyway, i must say.. it's already the best sounding fretless i've ever owned, even with the fender neck on it. I looooove playing fretless and the active sb4000 fretless tone is absolutely KILLER. I've actually done two complete gigs on it with the fender neck it sounds so good.
Cant wait to get the SB neck reinstalled!
Get the neck man, you wont be disappointed.
I had another gig with new band last night, new venue, new soundman. The soundman came up a couple of times and said how he was getting a really nice signal from my rig. He asked what kind of amp it was and I told him it was Carvin BX500, but that it was a straight through/pre EQ DI and the sound was coming from the bass. He complimented the tone of it a couple of times, the guitar player did as well. I think my SB5000 is helping me get gigs
I experimented with rolling back the neck volume for a few songs. Also, rolling back the treble control instead of the passive tone to darken the sound a bit for the Motown tunes. It worked really well. Even got a little slap solo thrown my way. A good night with the SB
Cool! I'm glad the SB5000 is working out for you. If I do decide to get a J-type bass, it will definitely be an SB5000!
A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!
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