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Carvin SB5000 / SB4000 Roll Call...Part 8!
- Thread starter Bryan R. Tyler
- Start date
Thanks! :Bassist: Yep, I dialed back the neck pickup to about 80% almost immediately and it's perfect. And I'll say this...
Fretless SB5k + Polytope = Instant Jaco.
5sg.
Oh yeah... I talked with Tony at Pickguardian... I'm thinking about getting a single layer black guard to get rid of the white stripe around it. He said when he did yours, he didn't get a chance to make a template since it was a quick turnaround. I'm going to let the stock guard sink in a bit and see, but I told him if I send it his way, he can take time with it to make a template. I'll need to practice practice practice with a tuner tuner tuner since it's my first unlined fretless. lol Won't be playing it out in public any time soon!
5sg.
Let me know if you're going to get a guard from Tony, and I can run one of my extra guards down to him for a template. Save you some time and shipping $. It's seriously no problem, his shop is right next to my daughter's school in a neighborhood I'm in frequently.
--- actually, that reminds me! I'm gonna take my bass down to him so he see it with his guard on, and so he can make me a matching truss rod cover. I can take it over then and he can cut a blank for his personal collection of templates.
But if you want to get rid of that white line (which I also am NOT a fan of), then just get some black model paint and paint over it. Save you $40. (sorry, Tony!)
Thanks for posting that. I didn't want take away from the bass, but I was more interested in the strapI picked up the strap before I even had the bass. I knew generally what my SB would look like, so I knew I had to have the strap. It's an LM Strap, and I want to think it's a limited edition of some sort, because they don't have the version with the crackly look on their site.
Thanks! :Bassist: Yep, I dialed back the neck pickup to about 80% almost immediately and it's perfect. And I'll say this...
Fretless SB5k + Polytope = Instant Jaco.
5sg.
I also notice on my SB4K, that if I dime the bridge volume it gets a different tone than if I back it off just a hair. Backing it off a hair mellows it out a little.
What's a polytope (besides something in geometry)?
Plong, thanks for the tip! I may give that a try. If you're already going, I'm sure Tony would appreciate being able to make a template!
Jarrett, no problem. It's definite a unique strap. HAD to have it!
Freddels, I haven't noticed the tone difference yet, but I still need to get this bass into a live situation. I'll bring it to rehearsal tonight to give it at least an initial trial run. Also, check out the Invalid Link Removed. I can't stand "traditional" watery/warbley choruses, this one has a KILLER detuner mode (takes your sound and doubles it just a few cents off pitch).
5sg.
Jarrett, no problem. It's definite a unique strap. HAD to have it!
Freddels, I haven't noticed the tone difference yet, but I still need to get this bass into a live situation. I'll bring it to rehearsal tonight to give it at least an initial trial run. Also, check out the Invalid Link Removed. I can't stand "traditional" watery/warbley choruses, this one has a KILLER detuner mode (takes your sound and doubles it just a few cents off pitch).
5sg.
A friend had a Bromberg fretless for about a week before he sent it back. I played it a little and thought it was very bright sounding. It had the sweepable mids instead of the tone. I preferred my SB4K to it.
The Bromberg preamp with single coils is brighter at the default settings, but has an enormous tone pallette. The pre takes some time to get to know in order to really take advantage of it. It's something you need to spend some time with. The preamp with humbuckers is the same one as in the Icons, Brunels, etc....
IME, the SB will get you into the more 'vintage' tones quicker and easier with the passive tone control configuration, and the Bromberg will give you a wider array of sounds. IMHO, one of the main reasons to buy the SB is the Pre w/the passive and tone control. If ordering w/sweepable mids instead of passive option, IMHO you'll have more tonal room on the Bromberg and you''ll get its active volume pot.
The Bromberg is an insanely comfortable bass from an ergonomic standpoint.
Hey Ross
And you should be! That's an awesome bass! I'm happy for you that it came out to your liking. The glossy head a great touch. It's definitely a less painful wait time than our Stambaughs were.
I have both but it's hard to compare the two. Neck thru vs Bolt, two distinct tones. I will say that the preamps are cut from the same cloth. If they don't have the same freqs as each other, they're very close. But, my guess is that they're the same with the difference being the Bromberg having and active volume and blend circuit and the SBs don't. I still prefer my Bromberg over my SB, not by much, though. These are two of the best and most refined Carvin basses in their history IMO.
Hey Ross
And you should be! That's an awesome bass! I'm happy for you that it came out to your liking. The glossy head a great touch. It's definitely a less painful wait time than our Stambaughs were.
I have both but it's hard to compare the two. Neck thru vs Bolt, two distinct tones. I will say that the preamps are cut from the same cloth. If they don't have the same freqs as each other, they're very close. But, my guess is that they're the same with the difference being the Bromberg having and active volume and blend circuit and the SBs don't. I still prefer my Bromberg over my SB, not by much, though. These are two of the best and most refined Carvin basses in their history IMO.
What up G!
Ain't that the truth about the Stambaughs. But... he's just one guy, isn't he? Mine is definitely a one-of-a-kind work of art, but quality-wise, I'd be willing to put my Carvin up against it!
I do have to admit, I got the black gloss headstock idea from a bass that Dan @ Premier Bass set up. He put a Lakland 20th Anniv. Legacy (?) neck on a Lakland P Inca Silver body with a black pickguard and it looked stellar (and sounded HUGE).
The subject of Precision pickups for Carvin has popped up quite a bit lately, I'd love to get a Bromberg 5 with a P/J combination... maybe get a Doug Johns kind of sound. A good P/J 5'er is about the only thing I'm missing from my stable now.
Don't forget the Denver area bass player Get Together at Premier Bass on July 7th, 2pm. We're starting to get people to RSVP... we're going to look into getting something catered (most likely Qdoba), and people are starting a list of some gear we're going to bring. Here's the link to the RSVP info, Eric's one of the cool dudes that works there.
I'm bringing my SB5k (and my Stambaugh)!
5sg
You know, I thought about it, and if I'm going to get rid of the white stripe, I'm going to do it right and get an actual single layer guard from Tony. My gear OCD would probably go nuts if I just painted it. Let me know if you drop off a guard and I don't have to send him mine?
I stopped up to see Dan at Premier Bass today and we definitely liked the sound of the Carvin (LaBella) flats on my SB, but Carvin threw in a set of their 5-string nickels, so we put them on and the bass REALLY came alive! Man, it sings!!! What. A. Difference. I'm off to a thing at a drummer friend's house tonight, but I'm planning on recording some clips tomorrow... Several musician friends want to hear it.
I wish I would've recorded it with the flats for a before/after, but I spaced I wasn't really expecting to put the other strings on right there at the shop!
5sg.
You know, I thought about it, and if I'm going to get rid of the white stripe, I'm going to do it right and get an actual single layer guard from Tony. My gear OCD would probably go nuts if I just painted it. Let me know if you drop off a guard and I don't have to send him mine?
No problem. I'll try and get it to him on Monday afternoon.
Dan loves to tinker with things, doesn't he? I like flats a lot in general, and they sound very good on my SB 4000 , but putting rounds on the SB is really playing to the strength of the bass and it's natural tone, I think.
That's awesome man, I sure appreciate it! I'm on the fence if I like the white stripe or not, so I'll order from Tony and have both. I don't mind the stock one, but I'm pretty sure I'll like solid black better. Heck, I may order two, because the next SB I see in my head has black hardware as well.
He does! He's got three new projects going (including a Rickenbacker that he's moving the pickups on!), but he sold that Lakland P screamer that was super hot.
I kind of knew I'd end up with rounds on it, but I was a little surprised that the flats got replaced after only three days. Lol
The nickels are a little more loose to begin with, but they're also a gauge lighter, so that bass really plays like a dream now, along with sounding so killer. 5sg.
That was the 10th Anniversary, hence Decade bass.
I saw pictures of that hybrid, looked awesome.
That was the 10th Anniversary, hence Decade bass.
I saw pictures of that hybrid, looked awesome.
Oh yeah! Decade... THAT was it. My bad. I didn't quite remember and I'm not up on my Laklands enough to know the right name. It's a shame he sold it, that was a killer bass. If it was a 5'er, I probably would've had to take it home.
Anyway, here's a little ditty for a rainy day. I apologize for some wonky pitches and the tacky slide at :13. I haven't played fretless in... Pfft... 8 years? And this is my first experience with unlined.
wish it would stop raining so I could wash my car...
5sg.
Carvin SB5000 with nickel rounds into my pedalboard... A little compression with my PWNZOR, some detuner chorus with my Polytope and a touch of EQ'ing with my B7K. I dialed the neck pickup back to about 70%-ish. You can hear the single coil hum just a bit at the end of the clip. They're not quiet pickups, but they sound GREAT, IMO.
[SOUNDCLOUD]https://soundcloud.com/rosshoekman/carvin-sb5000-fretless-over/s-lAOhw[/SOUNDCLOUD]
LOVE the tone, 5sg, and great song choice for a rainy day! Like you said before, the chorus really makes it sing. Just what I needed, effect pedal GAS...
