Yeah, when I can pony-up the $$$, I will be getting an SB5000. Then, onto an SB5000 fretless.
And somewhere inbetween, I'm getting a B2000 head w/BRX10.4, and a BRX10.2. Be funkin it up!!!!!!!
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Carvin SB5000 / SB4000 Roll Call!
- Thread starter phillm47
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Yeah, when I can pony-up the $$$, I will be getting an SB5000. Then, onto an SB5000 fretless. And somewhere inbetween, I'm getting a B2000 head w/BRX10.4, and a BRX10.2. Be funkin it up!!!!!!!
I am just finishing up with the band I was playing with over the last year...going back to playing bebop ...anyway, I just want to give props to Carvin for my gold SB5000 (again). I was listening back to some of the shows on archive.org and while the playing wasn't perfect, the Carvin always gave up a solid sound that served me very very well through my high volume excursions.
I anticipate continuing to use it for a lot of things. The neck is rock solid, it plays lower and faster than any bass I've owned, and the sound works well for most anything.
...anyway, I just want to give props to Carvin for my gold SB5000 (again). I was listening back to some of the shows on archive.org and while the playing wasn't perfect, the Carvin always gave up a solid sound that served me very very well through my high volume excursions. I anticipate continuing to use it for a lot of things. The neck is rock solid, it plays lower and faster than any bass I've owned, and the sound works well for most anything.
If you want a B40 or an SB4000, whip out your credit and get some satisfaction tonight! There are several very nice SB4000 in the Basses ready to order section on the Carvin website. The natural B40 is only $599 and only one SB4000 is over 1K!There is also a nice fretless SB5000 for sale too.
Here is a SB4000 with a really different headstock:
This one kind of has a Fodera Vibe.
If you want a B40 or an SB4000, whip out your credit and get some satisfaction tonight! There are several very nice SB4000 in the Basses ready to order section on the Carvin website. The natural B40 is only $599 and only one SB4000 is over 1K!
Here is a SB4000 with a really different headstock:
Id hit ADD TO CART right now if it wasn't for those cream coloured pickup covers. That spalt top is beautiful!
I pretty much dig the black SB4000, and it's reasonably cheap...I think I would prefer it in CAR though.
Hey all,
I had a second chance to gig with my SB5000, and what a difference a room can make. I felt like i was truly able to hear the bass this time. It was a 3 hour gig and there was plenty of variety and soloing opportunities. I can say that this bass, live, is the best over all sounding bass out of the 20+ basses i've owned over the years.
I have spent a good amount of $$ and time tinkering with making the ultimate jazz bass - Audere preamps, fralin pickups, dimarzio pickups, hipshot hardware, emg preamps, pickups etc... etc.... etc...
It was a fairly loud club gig, playing through my old SWR SM400s head and Goliath Sr. Cab.
Most of the night i was just thrilled with the passive sound. With both pickups on full: present, full bodied but very growly and defined. The bass just sonically supports so well and is such a pleasure to listen to. It really has that "ideal" jazz bass tone.
I found myself using the active setting for solo opportunites. Man, one pull of that knob, and you're in fat, crisp, funky, defined slap land!
Then pop the knob back down and back to really warm jazz bass tone.
One thing that has always been an issue with the jazz basses i've had in the past is - certain notes on the neck just disappear in the mix- like the d (7th fret) on the g string. So i'd have to avoid certain spots on the neck to avoid the bass getting muddy or dropping lower sonically in the mix, not so with this bass. it seems to be really present, commanding and full no matter which location i'm playing in. Of course the Timbre of the notes are different if i'm using the 12th fret d vs the 7th fret d but they are both really present and supportive.
It's really the best of both worlds: that perfect old school jazz bass sound, and in active mode, look out!
I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy with this carvin product I can't really describe it in words. I just can't wait til my next gig to enjoy the live tone of this fantastic instrument again.
At this point with a new instrument i'm usually trying to figure out what aftermarket gear would make it better - pickups, hardware, preamps etc... I'm glad to say that expensive Tail (tone) chasing won't be necessary with the SB5000 - it's so killer.
I had a second chance to gig with my SB5000, and what a difference a room can make. I felt like i was truly able to hear the bass this time. It was a 3 hour gig and there was plenty of variety and soloing opportunities. I can say that this bass, live, is the best over all sounding bass out of the 20+ basses i've owned over the years.
I have spent a good amount of $$ and time tinkering with making the ultimate jazz bass - Audere preamps, fralin pickups, dimarzio pickups, hipshot hardware, emg preamps, pickups etc... etc.... etc...
It was a fairly loud club gig, playing through my old SWR SM400s head and Goliath Sr. Cab.
Most of the night i was just thrilled with the passive sound. With both pickups on full: present, full bodied but very growly and defined. The bass just sonically supports so well and is such a pleasure to listen to. It really has that "ideal" jazz bass tone.
I found myself using the active setting for solo opportunites. Man, one pull of that knob, and you're in fat, crisp, funky, defined slap land!
Then pop the knob back down and back to really warm jazz bass tone.
One thing that has always been an issue with the jazz basses i've had in the past is - certain notes on the neck just disappear in the mix- like the d (7th fret) on the g string. So i'd have to avoid certain spots on the neck to avoid the bass getting muddy or dropping lower sonically in the mix, not so with this bass. it seems to be really present, commanding and full no matter which location i'm playing in. Of course the Timbre of the notes are different if i'm using the 12th fret d vs the 7th fret d but they are both really present and supportive.
It's really the best of both worlds: that perfect old school jazz bass sound, and in active mode, look out!
I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy with this carvin product I can't really describe it in words. I just can't wait til my next gig to enjoy the live tone of this fantastic instrument again.
At this point with a new instrument i'm usually trying to figure out what aftermarket gear would make it better - pickups, hardware, preamps etc... I'm glad to say that expensive Tail (tone) chasing won't be necessary with the SB5000 - it's so killer.
The passive tone on these basses are unbelievable. I have a active / passive SB5000 put never even had to use it in active mode.
I know what you mean. If i didn't have the active option i'd still be really happy with the bass. But, having that active just throws it over the top!!
Sorry, didn't mean this to be long, but once I started typing it just happened 
I kinda feeling like larryelwood at this point as well. I'm far from a Jazz bass connoisseur, I was just looking for a different sound than my trusty old Warwick Streamer Stage I that I have been playing the last 17 years when I went on my latest Jazz bass hunt. In the last year or so I've made it a point to pick up and play every J bass I've come across in stores. From the cheapest Fender offshore deal to the highest end Custom Shop stuff and all the other J bass like basses I could find in between. Even ordered a $3000 Sadowsky to check out since they are touted to be the pinnacle of the J bass thing. To me the SB5000 was the hands down best of all of those I tried.
So I placed an order back in April and got the bass last week. I admit I didn't immediately bond with the bass out of the box. I've been playing a that Maple-bodied/Wenge-fretboard/3-band EQ/Master/Blend knob equipped Warwick for a long time. So adjusting to my Alder/Maple/Dual Master/2-band EQ SB5000 has been a bit of a learning curve over the past week. I'm still in the process of finding the best settings and so forth. But it has really grown on me big time. I play bass quite a bit and this is the first time my finger tips have been sore in a long time. And I have barely touched my Warwick this week. This SB5000 just makes me want to play.
After a few days of tweaking around on it, I feel like I've found a really good sound out of it at home for jamming and recording and stuff. At first I was hung up trying to tweak the SB to sound like my Warwick but I finally realized, these are truly two completely different basses. Once I let go of that I started really enjoying the bass. Then I practiced with one of my bands on Saturday with it and sounded good all day long. By this time, it started feeling natural to reach for it instead of the Warwick.
Sunday was the big test to decide whether I would keep it or not after I determined how it would do on a gig. I got there a little early and got setup so I could spend some time with it. I didn't bring my Warwick so I would be forced to try and make it work. I was running direct for this gig through my Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0. The soundman brought me up in the house and in my monitor. I noticed it was much quicker dial time than previously with the Warwick. Then he dropped me out of the FOH mix and left me with my monitor.
At this point, I started tweaking and dialing and trying different settings to see what sounded good. I was struggling a bit with it to be honest. Thinking to myself, this might not sound that good in the mix. Seemed a little too raw and in your face by itself in the monitor. About that time, the soundman walked up and said, "New bass huh? It's better than the old one?" And I said, "Not better just different." He said, "Well it sounds better to me. I didn't have to do anything to it and it sounds great in the mains." First time he had ever complemented my tone.
At this point, I'm a little worried that I can't dial in a sound I like with just me in the monitor mix, but that quickly subsided as we started soundcheck. When the whole band came in, the bass sound was just perfect to me in the mix. What was raw before was now just right with the whole band. Sounded great and sat so much better than my Warwick in the mix to my ears. I wasn't having to crank anything to be heard and didn't step on any toes with volume. I was pretty floored by how great it sounded with the band.
The SB5000 just gave up this big, fat, round tone that sort of just wrapped itself around the kick drum and filled out the whole room without much volume at all. Everything was even, the low B didn't boom, it was just like an extension of the E string. When I would reach for a fill in the upper registers, it didn't leap out but also found a nice spot in the mix below the guitars. It just sat in the mix effortlessly, perfectly with no crazy dialing effort on my part. I was floored to say the least.
So we did the set and the whole way though I'm thinking I have never been so happy with the sound of my bass in the mix with this band in this room in the last 3 years of playing with them. Afterward several people came up and commented on how great the bass sounded today. Filled the room many said. Wanted to know what the bass was, etc.
At this point, I think my old Warwick is going to get a much deserved break. This SB5000 has passed all the tests I've thrown at it with flying colors. Home playing, home recording, band practice and most importantly, on the gig. This thing kills. I haven't been this happy with a bass since I bought the Warwick 17 years ago. Thanks Carvin for making the SB5000, it is one KILLER bass!
I kinda feeling like larryelwood at this point as well. I'm far from a Jazz bass connoisseur, I was just looking for a different sound than my trusty old Warwick Streamer Stage I that I have been playing the last 17 years when I went on my latest Jazz bass hunt. In the last year or so I've made it a point to pick up and play every J bass I've come across in stores. From the cheapest Fender offshore deal to the highest end Custom Shop stuff and all the other J bass like basses I could find in between. Even ordered a $3000 Sadowsky to check out since they are touted to be the pinnacle of the J bass thing. To me the SB5000 was the hands down best of all of those I tried.
So I placed an order back in April and got the bass last week. I admit I didn't immediately bond with the bass out of the box. I've been playing a that Maple-bodied/Wenge-fretboard/3-band EQ/Master/Blend knob equipped Warwick for a long time. So adjusting to my Alder/Maple/Dual Master/2-band EQ SB5000 has been a bit of a learning curve over the past week. I'm still in the process of finding the best settings and so forth. But it has really grown on me big time. I play bass quite a bit and this is the first time my finger tips have been sore in a long time. And I have barely touched my Warwick this week. This SB5000 just makes me want to play.
After a few days of tweaking around on it, I feel like I've found a really good sound out of it at home for jamming and recording and stuff. At first I was hung up trying to tweak the SB to sound like my Warwick but I finally realized, these are truly two completely different basses. Once I let go of that I started really enjoying the bass. Then I practiced with one of my bands on Saturday with it and sounded good all day long. By this time, it started feeling natural to reach for it instead of the Warwick.
Sunday was the big test to decide whether I would keep it or not after I determined how it would do on a gig. I got there a little early and got setup so I could spend some time with it. I didn't bring my Warwick so I would be forced to try and make it work. I was running direct for this gig through my Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0. The soundman brought me up in the house and in my monitor. I noticed it was much quicker dial time than previously with the Warwick. Then he dropped me out of the FOH mix and left me with my monitor.
At this point, I started tweaking and dialing and trying different settings to see what sounded good. I was struggling a bit with it to be honest. Thinking to myself, this might not sound that good in the mix. Seemed a little too raw and in your face by itself in the monitor. About that time, the soundman walked up and said, "New bass huh? It's better than the old one?" And I said, "Not better just different." He said, "Well it sounds better to me. I didn't have to do anything to it and it sounds great in the mains." First time he had ever complemented my tone.
At this point, I'm a little worried that I can't dial in a sound I like with just me in the monitor mix, but that quickly subsided as we started soundcheck. When the whole band came in, the bass sound was just perfect to me in the mix. What was raw before was now just right with the whole band. Sounded great and sat so much better than my Warwick in the mix to my ears. I wasn't having to crank anything to be heard and didn't step on any toes with volume. I was pretty floored by how great it sounded with the band.
The SB5000 just gave up this big, fat, round tone that sort of just wrapped itself around the kick drum and filled out the whole room without much volume at all. Everything was even, the low B didn't boom, it was just like an extension of the E string. When I would reach for a fill in the upper registers, it didn't leap out but also found a nice spot in the mix below the guitars. It just sat in the mix effortlessly, perfectly with no crazy dialing effort on my part. I was floored to say the least.
So we did the set and the whole way though I'm thinking I have never been so happy with the sound of my bass in the mix with this band in this room in the last 3 years of playing with them. Afterward several people came up and commented on how great the bass sounded today. Filled the room many said. Wanted to know what the bass was, etc.
At this point, I think my old Warwick is going to get a much deserved break. This SB5000 has passed all the tests I've thrown at it with flying colors. Home playing, home recording, band practice and most importantly, on the gig. This thing kills. I haven't been this happy with a bass since I bought the Warwick 17 years ago. Thanks Carvin for making the SB5000, it is one KILLER bass!
Jarrett- my experience matches yours and Larry's. When I first got it, I was kinda like "mmm, maybe I'll just send it back." After a week of playing it, my other basses just sounded weak in comparison.
Got mine today. First impression - Very well made but neck may be too wide and string spacing may be too great. I'll probably send it back.
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:
Link Removed
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
This is more style:
Link Removed
After listening back to the clips today, I'm starting to dig the bass more and more.
Man, after hearing those clips (especially the first one) I really want one of these but I've got a custom on the way so I can't
. However, if by some act of God I don't like my basses this the next thing I'm coming for or a Spector, lol.
I'm thinking about swapping out the ebony 4+1 neck on mine for a maple Icon headstock neck w/ satin finish on the back. $289...pretty nifty to have the option. (and a tort guard instead of the pearloid).
I think that the headstock mismatch thing is because the headstock is finished in gloss and the neck/board is tung oiled?
Just a guess.
Just a guess.
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