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Carvin SB5000 / SB4000 Roll Call!

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#607
Dirty Dave said:
My new SB4000 arrived yesterday...eight days before it was even supposed to ship (thanks Carvin). Basically, I wanted one just like the spalted maple one in Carvins image gallery and catalog...but with an ebony fretboard and active electronics. Here it is:

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That's gorgeous! What's cool about these basses is they can look very vintage or very modern (like yours), and in between.

The only thing that would make your bass even cooler is abalone on the control knobs.
 
#608
I'm still hoping someone can address my questions on the SB5000's B string. Specifically - the tension and voice the B.

I seem to prefer 35" scale basses for this reason.

Either way I'm planning on getting an SB4000 or SB5000 as I'm totally awed by the tone, features and quality everybody is raving about. I will just have to adjust my bass inventory accordingly after deciding which one to get.
Thanks
 
#609
spankdaplank said:
I'm still hoping someone can address my questions on the SB5000's B string. Specifically - the tension and voice the B.

I seem to prefer 35" scale basses for this reason.
Click to expand...

The B string is GREAT! Very even with the other strings. Great punch. I have a Hipshot D-Tuner on the B string that drops the B to an A!

Hope this helps,

Carl
 
#611
Gigged with the SB5000 last night for the first time. The band really loved the sound, it sat well in the mix and the low B was really full and had plenty of growl. I'm going to have to get used to EQing my amp for this bass. Normally, i would have to really boost certain frequencies, but not so much with the SB. I ran fairly flat all night and the bass sound was quite full and present.

I wear my bass a little high and i did notice that at times the upper horn was digging into my chest. Should be a minor adjustment though.

Still liking the SB.

l_36332b88dcb94f1890fc905989f89be1.png
 
#614
I got my new SB5000 in today.
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Here are all the pics:
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(sorry my picture taking skills are not that great)

Here is a quick clip with the stock Carvin strings:
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Here's a quick clip with some DR Hi Beams installed:
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Both clips are just quick passes with some finger playing, then slap at the end. The amp is my Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 going out the DI from that to my computer. The EQ on the amp is flat as is the EQ on the bass. I start off with the volume knobs and passive tone controls wide open. The stacked bass/treble are on the center indentations. As I go through the clip I roll back the neck pickup a hair, then roll back the bridge pickup a hair to hear the difference in tone. I think in the slap parts it was just all wide open.

Anyway, I'm kinda on the fence about the bass. First thing out of the box, I notice the headstock and fretboard don't match color wise. I'm wondering if I ordered it the wrong way or is this as close as they could get with it? The birdseye maple on the fretboard is ok, nothing breathtaking for sure. The bass weighs 10lbs and about 1.5lbs less than my old faithful Warwick Streamer Stage I 5-string that I've had for 17 years, so that's nice.

The fit and finish and everything seems nice. The neck shape is cool, feels comfortable in my hands. I'm having a bit of a hard time adjusting to the string spacing and setup a bit. You can really tell during the slap parts of the clips as I stumble a bit in there.

I did a little more tweaking on it and starting to dig it a lot more all the sudden. I raised the neck pickup a hair, it was kinda low. Then brought the low end up with the bass boost, left the treble on center and then rolled the passive tone control back about half way and it started sounded really good to me.

Other things... the upper horn hasn't bothered me yet. I wear basses on the strap standing or sitting, so its all the same for me. The balance is nice, it seems to sit well. And it *barely* fits in my Roadrunner gig bag. That might be a problem unless the case stretches out over time to fit the bass.

I was a little iffy at first, but its starting to quickly grow on me now. It's definitely a better bass (imo) than the Sadowsky Metro I had in house a while back.
 
#615
Jarrett said:
I was a little iffy at first, but its starting to quickly grow on me now. It's definitely a better bass (imo) than the Sadowsky Metro I had in house a while back.
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Hmmm...Must be different tastes. Every clip of the SB5000 I've heard sounds thuddy. None of them have the resonant Tom Kennedy vibe I've heard out of even an average sadowsky. Please don't attack me. This is just my personal view.

I'm still willing to try one. I've grown very fond of the BX500 amp....
 
#618
I LOVE Tom! Amazing tone... Couldn't quite get it out of the SB4000s I've played, but not because they were too thuddy - almost the opposite. Incredibly defined tone with a lot of resonance in it, good fingerstyle sound but more bite and snap than Tom's rich and burpy goodnes... mm..

If I get one, I'm a gonna throw in a DiMarzio Model J at the bridge, some Elixir nickels, dial down the passive tone knob, and I think that would get pretty damn close.
 
#620
Ok, Jack don't rake me over the coals here as this is definitely not my sound or playing style, but here is my quick attempt at getting an SB5000 near the sound of the clip you posted:

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But looking at that clip, he has a maple capped single cut over who knows what wood underneath with a dark wenge or rosewood looking fretboard with an unusual humbucker pickup config. My bass is kinda the polar opposite of that. Alder body, maple neck and board, J single coil pickups. I think I could get closer to that sound with my maple bodied/wenge fretboard/soapbar equipped Warwick, but you were curious about how the SB could do it, so here ya go :) I'm sure someone fluent in that playing style could get much closer tonewise than I can. It's just not my thing.

This is more style:
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After listening back to the clips today, I'm starting to dig the bass more and more.
 
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