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Carvin SB5000 / SB4000 Roll Call...Part 8!

#181
Can any of you share opinions on maple board versus rosewood? Any huge tonal variation or do they both play similar?

Also, I hear these are very fast necks..I am looking for nice low action, straight modern , neck (like a peavey cirrus). Does this bass fit the bill?
 
#182
AngelCrusher said:
Can any of you share opinions on maple board versus rosewood? Any huge tonal variation or do they both play similar?

Also, I hear these are very fast necks..I am looking for nice low action, straight modern , neck (like a peavey cirrus). Does this bass fit the bill?
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In my experience:

Maple has a little more bite and will cut in the mix better. Rosewood is smoother, little darker, more growl.
I prefer Maple for my fretted SB5000.

The neck on the SB5000 is slim and fast. The SB4000 is a little more round and chunky. Action on both is great, imo.
 
#183
I bought a used 5K from Grateful. I gave the relief a tweak (I like .012), and started lowering the bridge saddles. Bottomed out the saddle for the G string, so I shimmed the neck with a piece of veneer, and kept going lower.

Yep--IME this bass will take a nice low action.
 
#184
Nice. How low is it coming from the factory? It seems like this bass neck is pretty flat, which is what I am hoping.

Jarrett: Good stuff. It is a tough call for me. I like the look and feel of maple, but Rosewood can really sound nice on fingerstyle. I am 90% fingerstyle now and really like the jacoish bridge tone since it keeps the lowend tighter when I play live.
 
#189
bASsplayer103 said:
Awesome plong! Can't wait to see that new hottie!!

Did you just get the standard neck profile or the BB that some TBers were discussing earlier?
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I have never played a Broberg Carvin, but I have a bunch of experience playing my buddy's koa top SB5000. One of the reasons I chose to order my own was how perfectly that SB 5 neck fit my hands. So I kept it standard.

I'm traveling to LA in September, and I've got a whole day cut out to hang in Hollywood and visit all of the great music gear shops. I can't wait to try
1) a Bromberg B24 (my new GAS)
2) an Icon 6 (someday)
3) a B40 vs an SB4000 (shootout!)
4) any of the X series (those long scales intrigue me, I'm a tall guy with long arms)
 
#192
plong123 said:
I can't wait to try
1) a Bromberg B24 (my new GAS)
2) an Icon 6 (someday)
3) a B40 vs an SB4000 (shootout!)
4) any of the X series (those long scales intrigue me, I'm a tall guy with long arms)
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The Bromberg 5 hit my GAS list pretty hard a few weeks ago, I definitely want to try one out too. That model seems to be VERY well thought out.

I got a chance to try an Icon 5 today for the first time... Stopped up at Premier Bass (near Boulder CO) and a guy was in there with his for a master class with Damien Erskine. He kindly let me play it and I was quite impressed. Nice feel, good sound. First time playing a bass with piezo pickups, quite an interesting sound option.

Extended scale basses are definitely interesting... I have a couple 35" basses and while you won't notice THAT much difference in hand placement, my 35's have a bit tighter feel. If you get the chance, make sure to check one out for yourself though. :)

5sg.
 
#193
For those of you looking to buy a used Carvin bass, here's what I check every day:

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Save that link, and open it every single day. When a Carvin gets posted on TB, you'll see it. It's also a good resource to go back and see what other basses have sold for in the past. It's how I found your bass, The_Jester.

Yes, you can change the parameters to look for any kind of bass. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for pedals or amps or accessories, just things posted specifically in the bass for sale forum.
 
#194
plong123 said:
For those of you looking to buy a used Carvin bass, here's what I check every day:

Invalid Link Removed

Save that link, and open it every single day. When a Carvin gets posted on TB, you'll see it. It's also a good resource to go back and see what other basses have sold for in the past.
Click to expand...

Thanks plong! That's super helpful. I think with all the reviews about the SB, I might just go ahead and order one so its exactly what I want. Is that a dumb move, seeing how I haven't even played one yet?
 
#195
bASsplayer103 said:
Thanks plong! That's super helpful. I think with all the reviews about the SB, I might just go ahead and order one so its exactly what I want. Is that a dumb move, seeing how I haven't even played one yet?
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It's only a bad move if you can't really afford it. The first time I played one I was hooked; I spent the next 8 months saving money till I could afford what I wanted. I also got a good bonus in February that really made it feasible. Without that I would have been looking for a used one. Which I would have been fine with. If you look at all the pages on that search link, you'll see plenty of very good looking basses for under $900.

Bonus if you order from Carvin: you have ten days from the day you receive the bass to return it for full refund. You can also use that money towards something else. So, in theory, you could buy one of the basses from the bass in stock page on Carvin's site, play it for a week, decide how you feel about it, then keep it or either return it for refund or to put the money toward a new build.
 
#196
Thanks for the link Plong. It is torture seeing that beauty Phil Jordan sold and thinking for a minute that it is available.lol.

I went and demoed multiple 5 string jazz basses yesterday. 2012 Sadowsky Metro, American Fender Deluxe 2012 (and a 2009) and a 2012 Lakland JO.

My impressions were that the Fender Deluxe 5 is just on another level. I know there are a lot of sadowsky fans, but I was not feeling it. Maybe I 'd have to buy the NYC versions, but the neck just does not have the super fast magic feel of the Jazz deluxe. It makes such huge difference to me, my playing literally jumps a level instantly with the right neck as I use a pretty light touch. All of the basses had very nice tone, but nothing that beats the sound of a real Fender (to me).

I am not sure how many of you have played or owned a Fender Jazz deluxe 5, but I am extremely impressed with these basses and would love to hear any comparisons to the sb5000.
 
#197
Well once again no disappointment playing the SB5000 in church today. As soon as I plugged in I could hear the sweetness of the bass. This time I'm not letting this go. These basses are a pleasure to play.

The pickups are hot, had to turn the gain all the way down to 3 and the volume to 4 on my Markbass F1 amp. By the way this number 4. I just keep coming back to them. Great bass Carvin.:bassist::D
 
#198
bASsplayer103 said:
Thanks plong! That's super helpful. I think with all the reviews about the SB, I might just go ahead and order one so its exactly what I want. Is that a dumb move, seeing how I haven't even played one yet?
Click to expand...

Hey, buddy--

If you like the feel of a J bass (neck and body), and you like a modern J bass tone, I just don't think you can go wrong with one of these SB models.

I'm an old cat, played Fenders Ps and Js for years, went through a boutique phase (had some pretty pricey basses, yeah)...and in the end found an ash/maple SB5K is the bass that lets me make the sound I hear in my head. I'm starting to clean out my closet.
 
#200
fivestringgecko said:
I think it depends on who you work with. I have a 6-string custom from Chris Stambaugh and I'd have to look at my invoice to be sure (at home in the case), but I believe he only charged me $100-150 for an exotic wood top option (matching headstock), and he even let me pick it out... I ordered it from Oregon Wild Woods for about $45 and had it shipped directly to him.

To think that "$400 isn't bad" makes me wonder how much more other builders are charging! :eek:

5sg.
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I've seen that option go as high as $800 with a couple of builder. It's ridiculous, charging that amount. It's just taking advantage of us players.
 

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