• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

ICON 6 - pix - quasi review

#81
I wouldn't even if you could. You'll want to mix signals.

Here's the thing though - piezo bridge saddle systems can be found by 3rd parties and a decent guitar tech can probably install them on your fav bass.

If the piezo bridge is the main reason you're looking at the carvins - I'd look into doing the bridge thing to your current bass first. If you're looking for a new bass and carvin is already on your list - my thoughts are you don't get a carvin without the piezos.

I'd actually really like to hear them on a fretless. I think that would sound particularly nice.
 
#82
Jeff,

It is clear to me that you were 100% able to separate the issues you had with the way you felt about the ordering process from the actual bass. Impressive, as it would have been easy to let the "bad taste" linger and spoil the result of your querry. That said, the fact that you've chosen to hang onto the bass impresses me even more, given the peers this new Icon has in your stable. Am I at all reading more into this than I should, when I assume this bass is hanging with the likes of MTD and Pedulla, and doing it without being "odd man out", as it were? I have had a Carvin bass in the past, it was an LB76 fretless, koa wings, one piece neck. This was back in the wilkonson bridge/sperzel tuners days. I thought that bass sounded OK, but felt and played great. I guess I am one of the folks who thinks their electronics are their weak point. The new soaps&pre are supposed to be a marked improvement. I am still toying with ordering an Icon 5 myself.

Again, great review, kudos for not letting your earlier issues cloud the "do I want this bass" decision.

Lee
 
#83
I have to agree that you gave what I felt was an honest review on a bass. I am currently going to be putting a Carvin 5 string kit bass together that is going to have a Ash body, and maple/ebony neck. For pickups I'll be using Aero jazz bass type 1's with no preamp, and the bass with only have an oil finish. my first real bass was a LB70, and I never liked how it sound....
 
#86
BassikLee said:
Jeff,
Am I at all reading more into this than I should, when I assume this bass is hanging with the likes of MTD and Pedulla, and doing it without being "odd man out", as it were?
Click to expand...

Well - yeah. Don't read too much into it. It would be unfair to compare them all directly (even thought I might have done that myself :smug: ) The fact is the MTD and Pedulla both feel and sound better to me than the carvin - but the price thing is huge.

Also - just cuz I have a few really nice high end pieces doesn't mean EVERYTHING I play has to be at that level. I never wanted or expected the carvin to be a replacement for those basses - only offer another pallete of sounds to play with and get me moving into 6 string world. For that purpose it's a solid instrument.

And in regards to joining the club - actually - I'm simply coming back for a while. I had 2 LB75s (fretted & fretless) that I used as . . . well . . .gateway basses to the MTD and Pedulla. Perhaps a year from now I will have found another 6'er more to my liking - but for now the ICON works.
 
#88
Jeff,

What was the final verdict/fix for your issue with the switch? Is it a phase switch, or a dual/single for one/both pickups?? Wired wrong, or just not what you expected? Again, sorry for "20 questions" but I am "this close" to ordering an Icon 5, and want to have all my ducks in a row, as it were. Wow, no fewer than FOUR cliches, and all in the same sentence.


Lee
 
#93
I didn't realize the other thread was done, my bad. So anyway, I got a question. Do you suppose if they gave another option besides the soapbars on the Icon, like, say, the HBs, would they sound be better? Also, Im willing to wait as long as they really do get my specs right, so, are the Piezos really worth it?
 
#94
Some how I stumbled onto this forum topic after checking up on Jeff Schmidt on YouTube. Great playing btw and I have to say its refreshing to hear a bassist use the bass in a way that allows it to be a much more complete instrument musically. But anyway on to the topic at hand. My main bass for almost 8 years was a Carvin B4 with hipshot detuner, maple fingerboard, and the older style stacked jazz pickups, I think they were h50n's? I really enjoyed it for its great playablilty and its intonation was really accurate which is typical for most carvins. I did notice a certain quirk with carvins and there bass pickups and preamp which I imagine many people who have owned carvins may already know. The frequency responce seems to work really well in a busy playing situation or a recording that has alot going on. But take this away and carvins just cant cut it solo. This is the greatest shame I feel for these basses because they are players basses. They just dont sound like it. Granted I did get some great sounds from those pickups but usually with alot of help from preamps, fx, etc. Also there choice for the onboard preamp seemed almost like a left over from there guitars. I think they used the same circuit board but I am not sure. I also read where Jeff had issues with there shipping date. I too had this issue and I think I remember hearing others who had Maple fingerboards having the same problem. I personally think they sound great with maple but there may be some issues with there selection of wood. The reason why I gave up on carvin was for an issue that should have never happened, a seriously warped neck. Yes even with those graphite reinforcement rods my neck warped in the worst kind of way, the compression dip twist kind. I thought about getting it replaced but made what I feel is a much better decision. I searched for a better bass and to my surprise found an amazing prototype american washburn 5 string. It has the basslines MM type pickup and preamp as well as the buzz feiten tuning system. I tune it high C and I have to say the tone and intonation smokes the carvins. Also the build quality seems higher and the fret job is the best I have ever seen on any fretted instrument. And the biggest difference is the pickup sounds amazing in any situation. Jeff is so right by pointing out that Carvin needs to offer real pickups. Its a world of difference. I feel that so many people wanna put so much hope into the little guy(Carvin) that they almost romanticize there quality. Dont get me wrong, carvin builds great basses generally better than what you can get at the local Guitar center or ma and pa stores. But their still built by computer machining tools and they just cant stand up to a high quality hand made instrument. And there value factor seems to fade with all of the options that most will purchase. There place is between the highend and the mainstream which is what carvin does best. As a side note Jeff schmidt may wanna check out Matt Pulcinella basses at www.mpguitars.com
I have been told his 6 strings are ultra killer and pretty affordable. Seems like the carvin of the boutique bass world.
 
#96
GreyFoxZero said:
I did notice a certain quirk with carvins and there bass pickups and preamp which I imagine many people who have owned carvins may already know. The frequency responce seems to work really well in a busy playing situation or a recording that has alot going on. But take this away and carvins just cant cut it solo.
Click to expand...

Wow, that was refreshing! Usually people complain about a bass sounding great soloed but being buried in the mix.

Carvin's have great construction and you can always upgrade the electronics (although I happen to like the Icon pickups and preamp) and still get decent bang for your dollar. The thing that would make it worth going to a more expensive hand made instrument is if the builder selects the wood for its acoustic properties. I know Tobias does that and so does Sadowsky. A factory built bass can sound good acoustically but it's probably more hit and miss.
 
#97
Hehe, I didnt realize how "little guy" sounded in the context of grouping carvin. I guess I meant it in the way that they are the little guy compared to the other mainstream companies like fender, gibson, ibanez, etc. Its even more funny when I think about the mediocre quality of the "big guys" basses with the exception of their high end products compared to carvins. Several monthes ago I searched my town (Chattanooga,TN) for the best bass I could find and was very disappointed in every brands attempt at perfection. I particularly felt warwick was way off mark with many of their basses. Is it me or does every bass they make have a center of gravity somewhere in the headstock. The neck dive was borderline ridiculous. I was however impressed with some of ernie balls offerings as the quality seems to have improved these last couple of years. I also noticed how 6 string basses have really slipped away from music stores over the last few years. I actually had a music store owner tell me it was because of 9-11 but he couldnt explain the logic behind his theory. I dont think he was saying terrorism is killing the 6's. I think the economy may have more to do with that. After thinking about how unsuccessful my outting was I realize now how Carvin stands out even more. It seems that regardless of the circumstances that music stores may be sensitive to such as local and national economy as well as trends and brand recognition, Carvin seems to almost have its own microcosm in their customers. It seems that many who choose carvin seem to be fed up with the music store game and the inconsistent quality of most brands on their racks. Is it me or does it seem so out of place to buy an instrument which I would hope would become a vessel for my creativity from a store that seems eerily similiar to Wal-mart? I wonder how well Gibson or Fender's bottomline would be if a certain "guitar store" stopped carrying there products or simply couldnt sell their inventory well enough? It justs feel so awkward to think that these factors can have so much influence over the guitar and bass industry which in turn trickles down to the consumer not to mention the growing number of closed down local music shops. Just the other day the best local stores owner told me he was dropping new bass inventory altogether and sticking to just used. This coincedentally happens to be 6 monthes after that certain "guitar store" opened in my town. I better stop this ranting before this turns into a guitar store bashing thread. I guess my point is that I see a trend in players going for more custom instruments ranging from carvin to the much smaller builders like mtd. The choices seems to be getting more limited with mainstream.
 
#98
hey everyone - thanks for the interest in this.

I've kept the bass - been using it more and more - the piezos give it a sound my other basses don't have. absent that I probably wouldn't have kept it. I played it solo live the other night and got a fair amount of compliments on it's sound.

Overall it's a very good bass and I think for the money it's an excellent value.

The idea of a fretless with the piezo bridge has been tumbling thru my feeble brain recently. maybe after the holidays I'll give it more consideration.

also - please keep in mind that I'm primarily a solo performer - so my needs from an instrument are different than if I were playing in an ensemble setting like most players. finding basses with nice solo voices isn't as easy as you may think.
 
#100
hi..just got a carvin icon 4 bass.... has a weird EQ setup for the preamp...other than that the bass has been solid...the neck has solid intonation.had to work with the eq and sound guy ... but the thing for me was the bass played great right out of the box ...and I am picky.... I didn't like the sound of the standard soapbars, so carvin sent me the single coils no charge... the preamp is mid agressive and trebly...carvins own admission.. problm is tthe bass plays great but i need to modify the sound..lol I have enough stuff to do the job but i thin k with the Icon series its a good bass...

just my 3 cents worth
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back