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Carvin SB5000 / SB4000 Roll Call...Part 7!
- Thread starter smperry
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Can't wait to see what's up in the Carvin booth this year... with the success of the SB line, it'll be interesting to see if they are more into innovating or leaving well enough alone based on the success. 
Well, the problem there is, if SB never plays a P. If he has, then no problem, but if that goes against his prefs, and he's pretty specifically just a J guy, then it probably couldn't be in this specific line.The logical next step is a P bass offering of some sort it would seem. I'd try one and I'm not even a P bass guy
I'd think that'd end up being more about the B line.
I wonder if Seiku plays a Walnut SB with a HB in the bridge? It's just another option to add to the long list of mods you can do to that bass.
The thing I've always wondered about Carvin is why don't they just make a jazz bass and P bass offering in their lineup like the majority of other builders do?
Is Fender stopping them? Why do a rear routed P bass with J pickups?
Why not just give many folks what they want and just make a straight up Jazz bass and P bass with a Carvin headstock and maybe an altered pickguard to make it look different enough from a Fender that it can be called their own? You know they would be flying off the racks.
Seems like they are trying to get "up to speed" with their products . I use to own carvin amps back in the early 90s and I remember I wasn't thrilled about them or their basses, but the SB seems like a step in the right direction . I think a lot of players remember the early years of carvin and that has put a bad taste in their mouth. I know I was reluctant until this new SB came out.
I was too. Prior to April 2010, my experience with Carvins was from the 90's with the pointy guitars in the catalogs, picking up a dog of a beat up used Carvin bass at a store, playing a friends Carvin guitar through a Carvin amp; all of which made me turn up my nose at them.
Then walking through the Dallas Guitar Show in April 2010, one of the Carvin stores had a booth there. I picked up one of their SBs and was surprised at how good it felt. Plugged it into one their BX500 based combos and was shocked at how good it sounded. It was everything I could do to walk away from that bass. I ALMOST bought it. The only thing that stopped me was the guy making the mistake of telling me that I could custom order one. And I did at about 1 minute after they opened on the following Monday morning.
Completely changed my perspective on Carvin. Now I have a couple of their basses, an amp, a cab and some PA gear from them. Had I not ran into them at the guitar show, I would likely still think of them the same way today as I did prior to that.
I thought that's what the B40/50 was supposed to be about? No P option on that one (yet?) that I see, but I'd think that'd be the best candidate... also noting the more Fender-ish body style? No?
I like that Carvin is at least a little unique in what they offer body style wise.
That said, I'm sure people would be quite happy if Carvin offered a Precision style pickup option, and I would probably have to order yet another bass from good old San Diego if that happened.
I agree with Vic that the B series would be the logical model for this option, but I would really love it if a PJ option was available on the LB series. A 24 fret active PJ from Carvin would most certainly get my attention!
That said, I'm sure people would be quite happy if Carvin offered a Precision style pickup option, and I would probably have to order yet another bass from good old San Diego if that happened.
I agree with Vic that the B series would be the logical model for this option, but I would really love it if a PJ option was available on the LB series. A 24 fret active PJ from Carvin would most certainly get my attention!
That said, I'm sure people would be quite happy if Carvin offered a Precision style pickup option, and I would probably have to order yet another bass from good old San Diego if that happened.
I agree with Vic that the B series would be the logical model for this option, but I would really love it if a PJ option was available on the LB series. A 24 fret active PJ from Carvin would most certainly get my attention!
I won't post yet another pic, but just order one un-routed and get a P pickup routed in! I'm eye-balling Carvin #2 to get that treatment, though it will likely be a P/J or P/MM...
Though it would be nice to have that as a factory option. The Nordstrand shop is not too far away from San Diego. Could you imagine?
I personally don't see any reason to really work hard to make an exact clone. Such a totally saturated market I'd think it'd be a risky business prop... not to mention I'd think it'd reflect poorly on them as trying to be too much of a "wannabe" when I think they can do (and have done) better.
I think if all they did was use the B40/50 line to make all their JJ/PJ/P offerings, that'd be ideal. It'd address all the classic combos, offer the familiar tones, and still maintain some Carvin identity, which would help them define their own corner of the market, which would help the business case as well the fine tone and quality of their instruments.
Also, you may disagree, but current USA models made by Fender... at least many of the ones I've played in recent years, are darn nice basses. IMHO/IME.
I think its great that Carvin hasn't tried to just make straight Fender copies. I would like to see them make a bass with a front route, but not a fender style route. Something original. One of my favorite looking recent bass designs is the "Raiden" from Schecter.
Back to Carvin, its also annoying that you can't get all of their pickup options in bolt-ons.
Actually, a step further, I think it would be great if some of their neck-thru designs had bolt-on options. Like, pretty much the only thing holding me back from blindly/irresponsibly buying a Bromberg from carvin, is that its a neck-thru and I've just never found a neck-thru that really spoke to me, as far as tone. Maybe a Bromberg would, but maybe not! I know the B24/25 is a signature design and neck-thru is what Brian likes. But hey, one can dream ; )
Back to Carvin, its also annoying that you can't get all of their pickup options in bolt-ons.
Actually, a step further, I think it would be great if some of their neck-thru designs had bolt-on options. Like, pretty much the only thing holding me back from blindly/irresponsibly buying a Bromberg from carvin, is that its a neck-thru and I've just never found a neck-thru that really spoke to me, as far as tone. Maybe a Bromberg would, but maybe not! I know the B24/25 is a signature design and neck-thru is what Brian likes. But hey, one can dream ; )
...if a PJ option was available on the LB series. A 24 fret active PJ from Carvin would most certainly get my attention!
I would be forced to sell off a bunch of gear to get one that matches my current LB75 (Koa neck and body, from 1992) if they offered a P/J set up.
Yeah, I've spent a lot of time running the racks of what Fender puts out. I did this before I got the SB and then some more after. I've also spent time in shops like Bass Emporium and Guitar Sanctuary that carry the higher end basses.
I've not compared them to the current Fender pickups, but the J99A pickups are VERY hot. Just a bit less output than the MFD pickups on my old G&L L2500.
The Carvin stacked humbuckers are significantly lower output, though.
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