• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Carvin SB5000 / SB4000 Roll Call...Part 7!

Status
Not open for further replies.
#961
David_70 said:
Rather than let these issues fester, Carvin would be smart to start doing some proactive PR. Obvious - duh.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Carvin seems to be very good in reactive mode, but not proactive at all. Yet another reason I don't spend amy time on their forum anymore. Any criticism from owners is met with deletions and PMs, yet non-owners seem free to gripe all they want (usually based on outdated or total lack of info). It means a great deal to me to see manufacturer's and/or their reps posting in various threads here on TB.
 
#962
rmars said:
So what's the story on the truss rod on these? I know it's a 2 way truss which I've had and am comfortable adjusting but mine was totally loose and went from totally loose and turned smoothly but came to a stop in 1/4-2/3 of a turn (turned in increments). Was just getting close the the .015" relief that the manual states and it was just starting to play nice but it went from smooth to a stop and I'm not going to crank it (as stated in the manual). Hope this isn't all the adjustment this truss has.
Click to expand...

I've learned (from experience and Gary Willis's 101 Tips book) that it's good practice, when tightening a truss rod to decrease the neck relief, to help the rod out by flexing the neck the way I want it to go (flatter) and then snugging the truss rod nut to hold it there. IOW, not asking the truss rod nut to bend the neck by itself.


Willis's book has several pages of tips on doing your own setup, including that way of tightening the truss rod adjustment. Well worth a couple bucks.

I bought my SB5K used, here on TB. I like a slightly lower setup than factory spec, and it wasn't a problem to get it there.
 
#963
Ewo said:
I've learned (from experience and Gary Willis's 101 Tips book) that it's good practice, when tightening a truss rod to decrease the neck relief, to help the rod out by flexing the neck the way I want it to go (flatter) and then snugging the truss rod nut to hold it there. IOW, not asking the truss rod nut to bend the neck by itself.


Willis's book has several pages of tips on doing your own setup, including that way of tightening the truss rod adjustment. Well worth a couple bucks.

I bought my SB5K used, here on TB. I like a slightly lower setup than factory spec, and it wasn't a problem to get it there.
Click to expand...
I also agree with this practice, but there shouldn't be as abrupt of a change as he makes it sound like, either.
 
#964
I agree with the relieving tension on the neck before turning the truss rod. I usually brace the bass b/w my knees and apply pressure with one hand while turning the truss rod with the other.

I also like my strings to be low and my Carvin tends to have the lowest action of any of my basses. :)
 
#965
attachment.jpg


rmars - that's a good clean looking bass you've got there. Classic!
 
#966
Ewo said:
I've learned (from experience and Gary Willis's 101 Tips book) that it's good practice, when tightening a truss rod to decrease the neck relief, to help the rod out by flexing the neck the way I want it to go (flatter) and then snugging the truss rod nut to hold it there. IOW, not asking the truss rod nut to bend the neck by itself.


Willis's book has several pages of tips on doing your own setup, including that way of tightening the truss rod adjustment. Well worth a couple bucks.

I bought my SB5K used, here on TB. I like a slightly lower setup than factory spec, and it wasn't a problem to get it there.
Click to expand...
Funny enough before seeing your post I remembered to do this. It's been some many years since I've had
a new bass I completely forgot about that technique. I backed the truss off a couple times and flexed it and all is good now. Now the action is almost too low!:bassist:

Probably going to have to cut a new nut or shim this one, the B and E slots are cut way too low and it has really bad open and back buzz on those string. I'm going to call them tomorrow and see if they can at least send me a nut blank.

Vic said:
I also agree with this practice, but there shouldn't be as abrupt of a change as he makes it sound like, either.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's what surprised me. Loose to smooth to tight. Usually the tension kind of ramps up when tightening a truss rod but on this one it was almost too easy and then it abruptly when tight.
 
#969
rmars said:
Yeah, that's what surprised me. Loose to smooth to tight. Usually the tension kind of ramps up when tightening a truss rod but on this one it was almost too easy and then it abruptly when tight.
Click to expand...
Yeah, this behavior is more akin to literally running out of threads... "maxing" out the rod... but it's so hard to believe. If that is what's happening, it'd almost have to be a bad truss rod... like not threaded as much as it should be. Carvin has this kind of stuff totally down pat as a generic and highly repeated/duplicated simple manufacturing step. The slots are are all cut the same, the rods are all put in the same way, etc.

Otherwise, if that's not what's happening, I don't know what to say. If it was a single action rod, you could unscrew the adjuster and lube it, in case it was simply binding under tension... but if these are dual action (I honestly don't know!), then I'm not sure if you can do anything like that without removing the rod (if possible... in some cases it is... otherwise, new neck time).

Anyway... check into it, and involve Carvin as needed. The rod on mine works PERFECTLY and I never need to crank it hard for seasonal adjustment.
 
#972
rmars said:
Been trying to get info out of them about problems with my bands new powered mixer and it's like pulling teeth. Still never gotten a response on that after about 12+ phone calls and 6+ attempts to email. :scowl: Carvin kinda been on my crap list over this mixer so after seen some of the other problems others have been having I totally expected issues with this bass!
Click to expand...

Have you tried talking to Albert? He's the head tech dude...
BTW, your SB...so sexy!
 
#973
Vic said:
Yeah, this behavior is more akin to literally running out of threads... "maxing" out the rod... but it's so hard to believe. If that is what's happening, it'd almost have to be a bad truss rod... like not threaded as much as it should be. Carvin has this kind of stuff totally down pat as a generic and highly repeated/duplicated simple manufacturing step. The slots are are all cut the same, the rods are all put in the same way, etc.

Otherwise, if that's not what's happening, I don't know what to say. If it was a single action rod, you could unscrew the adjuster and lube it, in case it was simply binding under tension... but if these are dual action (I honestly don't know!), then I'm not sure if you can do anything like that without removing the rod (if possible... in some cases it is... otherwise, new neck time).

Anyway... check into it, and involve Carvin as needed. The rod on mine works PERFECTLY and I never need to crank it hard for seasonal adjustment.
Click to expand...

After I bent the neck over my knee it seemed to be able to travel further but I've actually had to back it quite a bit now as the neck didn't have quite enough relief. There is what appears to be a chunk of clear coat flaking off the truss rod nut. I wonder if some clear coat didn't work it's way down the truss rod making it stick or gumming up the threads. Seems usable now.

I'm going to call and ask them about it and about replacing the nut. Fender usually cut's the nuts too high, which is easy to fix but I never a new bass with a nut cut too low. I'm capable of replacing an making a the nut...... though I really don't want too. I have a J bass build going on now and was planning on this bass not being an immediate project.
 
#975
rmars said:
After I bent the neck over my knee it seemed to be able to travel further but I've actually had to back it quite a bit now as the neck didn't have quite enough relief. There is what appears to be a chunk of clear coat flaking off the truss rod nut. I wonder if some clear coat didn't work it's way down the truss rod making it stick or gumming up the threads. Seems usable now.

I'm going to call and ask them about it and about replacing the nut. Fender usually cut's the nuts too high, which is easy to fix but I never a new bass with a nut cut too low. I'm capable of replacing an making a the nut...... though I really don't want too. I have a J bass build going on now and was planning on this bass not being an immediate project.
Click to expand...
Yeah, call them. If the nut comes off, it's not a dual action rod. That's kinda' what I was getting at earlier, but if it is a single action, you can easily just take the nut all the way off and put a little white lithium grease (not petroleum based, so it's safe, and doesn't break down over time as easily, etc) and it should be great from there on out. Just make sure to loosen the strings all the way if you do. And put the tension back on in a few phases with pauses in between.

But if it is a dual action, don't try to remove the adjuster... it's not removable. You could damage your neck or the rod or both.
 
#976
Vic said:
But if it is a dual action, don't try to remove the adjuster... it's not removable. You could damage your neck or the rod or both.
Click to expand...

These are dual action so your correct they don't come off. When I first adjusted it I went the wrong way and it started to bow forward. When the truss rod in in center (or at rest) the nut is quite loose but once you apply tension one way or the other it tightens but seems to turn smooth (except mine stopped! LOL!)

I had a Warwick Dolphin that I had to replace truss rod on. Just loosed it up and the whole thing pulled right out of the neck. Replaced it with heavy duty steel one. Not sure how they make them anymore but it was a cool design.
 
#977
The whole truss rod issue is strange. When my bass arrived it was set up great. I just prefer my strings lower so that's about all I did. I've done one or two adjustments of the neck the first year but that's been pretty much it. All my basses need seasonal adjustments except this one. It's very stable.
 
#978
Freddels said:
The whole truss rod issue is strange. When my bass arrived it was set up great. I just prefer my strings lower so that's about all I did. I've done one or two adjustments of the neck the first year but that's been pretty much it. All my basses need seasonal adjustments except this one. It's very stable.
Click to expand...
Well maybe mine backed off all the way on the way to Iowa but I get a feeling who ever set it up didn't know what they were doing and never adjusted the neck before they fit the nut. I bought one of Dan Erlewine's books which is how I learned to make nuts and set up the height of the string slots and this nut follows no of those rules. When fretting at the 3 fret the B and A strings rest on the fret, the E is slightly higher but the G is the highest of all. The nut slots should be cut a bit higher than the fret and the larger sting slots should be (decending G to B) shallower so those string have more clearance over the 1rst fret.

It probably did't buzz for them because the neck had a boat load of relief. Gonna call tomorrow. Hope I get better service than I did with the bands new mixer....
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back