Carvin SB5000 vs Carvin SB5001

[G On Bass]

I have a B40, which has the same electronics as the SB series, in ash and it does sound killer, I have a few bass covers on YouTube using it, and I can dial in any tone I want with the J99's. I can't say anything in chambered or solid, but go for Carvin, you won't be disappointed!!

EDIT: It's also only 8.5 pounds on the bathroom scale for a solid body.

+1. My B50's 8.5 pounds. Both my SB5000's were over 9.

Awesome. Thanks for the input. I thought about what type of neck finish I would get, but I doubt I would get a painted neck if I were to have a chambered SB5001 since I would select Ash for the body and get a figured Walnut top.

I get mine with the regular, standard. included-in-the-price Tung oil finish on the back of the neck, as I love smooth, satin'y necks. When I get that has a gloss neck finish, I steel wool it down to satin. I personally can't stand glossy necks, especially when it's hot and/or humid. But neck finish is a purely personal option.

Awesome. What do you think would be the best option for the back of the bass? I'm thinking paint would be an odd choice but don't want to have a "two tone" effect either (Ash body and Walnut top).

You're either going to have some kind of a 2-tone effect or you'll have to paint it. I don't know if they paint the sides.

Just order what you want. it sounds like you already know. You're the one who is going to own it, so buy it for yourself, not us!

 

[Latinferno]

I actually just scored a SB4000. So if I like it, I'll snag a SB5000.

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[TMart99]

Wow!!!

That's a gorgeous piece of wood, for that body! Congratulations on that!

Let me know how you like it.

I actually just scored a SB4000. So if I like it, I'll snag a SB5000.

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[Latinferno]

Wow!!!

That's a gorgeous piece of wood, for that body! Congratulations on that!

Let me know how you like it.

This bass sounds KILLER. It's like a Fender Jazz on steroids (I have the upgraded 18V electronics/pre-amp that is featured in the SB5000). While you can feel the neck frets (on the side of the neck) the bass itself feels solid and sounds amazing. I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't already (or thinking of buying one). Stoked!

 

[TonyP-]

This bass sounds KILLER. It's like a Fender Jazz on steroids (I have the upgraded 18V electronics/pre-amp that is featured in the SB5000). While you can feel the neck frets (on the side of the neck) the bass itself feels solid and sounds amazing. I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't already (or thinking of buying one). Stoked!

Nice...Stoked for You.
These things rip...

 

[bluesdragon]

I've got a 4001 with a mahogany body and a flame top. The bass is amazing. i had a fretless 4001 ash with flame top.. Not so good.. I sent it back. I Like the tonal qualities of mahogany. not as bright as ash,.... But still has plenty of bite.

I am very , very happy with 4001. It is a go anywhere and do anything thing bass. I also love the looks. Top quailty instrument.

 

[boristhespider9]

This bass sounds KILLER. It's like a Fender Jazz on steroids (I have the upgraded 18V electronics/pre-amp that is featured in the SB5000). While you can feel the neck frets (on the side of the neck) the bass itself feels solid and sounds amazing. I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't already (or thinking of buying one). Stoked!

To answer your orginal question, I have an SB4000 and one feature I'm glad I got was to replace the separate volumes with a master volume and pickup pan knob instead. I like having a master volume on an active bass. I bought mine before they made the SB4001, but I would definitely get the chambered version if I was buying today. I don't buy that chambering is going to affect your tone. Your pickups, strings, and fretboard wood have a much more significant effect than whether the body is chambered. I also like the abalone capped knobs, especially if you get abalone inlays on the fingerboard. Looks classy and unique.

Two things I don't like about it are the shape of the headstock -- still too pointy in my opinion -- and the Carvin logo which is boxy, outdated, and just uncool in every respect. However, there's not much you can do about those two issues (well, you can get the Icon headstock, but it's kind of odd on the SB basses).

 

[Latinferno]

To answer your orginal question, I have an SB4000 and one feature I'm glad I got was to replace the separate volumes with a master volume and pickup pan knob instead. I like having a master volume on an active bass. I bought mine before they made the SB4001, but I would definitely get the chambered version if I was buying today. I don't buy that chambering is going to affect your tone. Your pickups, stings, and fretboard wood have a much more significant effect than whether the body is chambered. I also like the abalone capped knobs, especially if you get abalone inlays on the fingerboard. Looks classy and unique.

Two things I don't like about it are the shape of the headstock -- still too pointy in my opinion -- and the Carvin logo which is boxy, outdated, and just uncool in every respect. However, there's not much you can do about those two issues (well, you can get the Icon headstock, but it's kind of odd on the SB basses).

Yeah I'm not sure about the headstock, but the icon is a go between? I think this is the type of bass I'm going to order (but an SB4001 with Birdseye Maple Neck/Headstock Option). I'm still torn between a matching headstock and also if it would be cool to do a "black burst" with this wood color:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&item=150679332464&nma=true&rt=nc&si=ViZi20lrghGYDRvzpAu%252F7hE%252F%252FW4%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

[Latinferno]

I've got a 4001 with a mahogany body and a flame top. The bass is amazing. i had a fretless 4001 ash with flame top.. Not so good.. I sent it back. I Like the tonal qualities of mahogany. not as bright as ash,.... But still has plenty of bite.

I am very , very happy with 4001. It is a go anywhere and do anything thing bass. I also love the looks. Top quailty instrument.

Have any sound clips with he mahogany? I'd like to hear it.

 

[Garysobel]

I have an sb5000 in classic alder body wood with maple neck and Birdseye board. It's got decent weight to it but very manageable . It sings like a bird tho. I don't know much about clambering. I'd like to hear one tho I go for more traditional styles. I ordered just tung oil for back of neck finish and it's amazing if u like that raw natural feel. All around I played everything and they are right up there with the us fender American deluxe models. I prefer my carvin even more.

 

[Jarrett]

It looks like I missed this thread the first time around. I figure I would add my two cents in case anyone ever goes looking for it again:

Some people say the chambered basses do sound diff, some don't. I've had a bunch of SB's out on trial and I think they do sound different. Specifically, I was hoping to replace my SB5000 with a nice maple topped SB5001 with the same back/neck woods, frets, etc, but when I received it and A/B'ed with the SB5000 both solo and with a band, I didn't care for the SB5001 as much, so I sent it back and kept my SB5000.

The difference to me was in the low end. The non chambered SB5000 has this weight/girth thing going on in the low end frequencies that sits really well in the mix. Fills in the mix well. My fretted SB5001 I had out on trial didn't do that. I was unable to EQ it back in either with the amp's EQ. It's pretty subtle, but important to me. Where the SB5000 was really felt/heard in a live band mix, I couldn't say the same about the SB5001.

I do have a SB5001 fretless now which is a little different beast to me. Since it was fretless, I didn't expect it to be the mix cutter that my fretted SB5000 would be. But like my other SB5001, this one also doesn't quite have the "girth" in the low end that my SB5000. Does great for the whole mwah fretless deal, but I find myself constantly adjusting the the low frequencies on the bass and amp trying to find that fullness that my non chambered SB5000 has though. That bass was a gift from my girlfriend, so its a keeper anyway

The weight thing seems to be a crap shoot on the SB's. Sometimes they are light, sometimes they aren't. My first SB5000 was 10lbs. My second one was 9.5lbs. This SB5001 is 8.5lbs but I've seen them heavier. The B series seems to be a little lighter on the whole.

If you look at the SB5000's on the Carvin instock page you will see these days they are ranging from 9.2-9.5 lbs. That seems to be their normal weight these days. I prefer Alder myself, but could go either way if I had to.

The cool thing about the basses is that you can always send it back during the 10-day trial if there is something you don't like about it, but then you have to wait for the next one.

To sum it up, after playing a BUNCH of SB's, if I could only keep one bass, it would be a 9.5lb SB5000 versus a 8.5lb SB5001, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Ewo]

Many thanks for the informative post above, Jarrett!

An ash/maple 5K has become my main player. I like it so much I'm gonna get another SB of some flavor--so your comparison of the chambered/non-chambered version is very helpful. Was thinking I'll get a chambered bass, but from what you described maybe I'll just look for a light weight, instead.

Could you also comment on your preference for alder body wood?

 

[Jarrett]

Thanks, I'm not as picky about the body wood as I used to be. I think Alder is a little more even across the frequency range (which I like but others may not) but its such a subtle difference from Ash, I could go either way.