I just got this lovely SB5000 last week from Carvin's in stock page. It took just over a week to get to me, and in time for Christmas! I now see why they're getting all the love. 
Features: sunburst swamp ash body, tung oiled maple neck with birdseye maple fingerboard, abalone diamond inlays, pearloid pickguard, vol - vol - passive tone - stacked bass and treble, 9.3 lbs?. There was another SB5000 in stock that had a nice honeyburst finish, a bridge humbucker, and stainless steel frets. Mine was closer to stock and I decided to go with that.
Construction: Very well made, no surprise there. The finish is beautiful and mirror like. Nice birdseye, not the most figured I've seen but still attractive. Tight neck pocket. The tuners turn smoothly.
Playability: The neck is very solid feeling and extremely smooth. It's a comfortable shape and I like wider string spacing, so this is a good fit for me. Frets are nicely done and no sharp edges. Separate volume controls are not my favourite layout though, will take some getting used to. I prefer a master volume and pan knobs.
Sound: I played the bass unplugged when I got it and immediately liked the acoustic tone. Crisp and full, with nice sustain. It sounded excellent plugged in. It has a more aggressive character than my Icon so it will be a nice contrast. I changed the strings to stainless steel and it was a major improvement IMO. More clarity in the lower notes and a less tight string feel. Special mention has to go to the B string. It easily matches my Smith and Sadowsky for clarity, possibly exceeds them. This is probably the best low B I've heard on a 34" scale. I'm an active electronics guy but I quite like the passive tone of this bass and may wind up using it a fair bit. As expected, the pickups hum when soloed but this is normal for a Jazz bass.
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So will this replace my Ken Smith and Sadowsky? No, since they both have their signature tones. They also have a different feel to them and I like some variety. But the Carvin holds its own with the big boys. The SB5000 seems to have a Sadowsky influence. A Jazz bass with a passive tone control and 2 band EQ. They are also available with chambered bodies, like the Sadowsky NYC models. One thing that would be cool is if Carvin came out with a Warwick-style bass, using exotic woods like bubinga, afzelia, ovangkol, wenge, etc. It would be an affordable, high quality alternative.
Complaints: Only minor ones:
- As I mentioned, I prefer having a master volume and pan control for the pickups. However, you can order the SB5000 with that configuration if you're more patient than I was and don't gotta have it now!
- The A string that was installed on the bass was kind of dead. It didn't have the brightness and clarity of the others. No biggie, since I changed to a stainless steel set.
The bang for the buck is amazing. I got the bass + a case shipped to my house for $1225.
Here are a few soundclips recorded through an Audiobox USB directly onto my hard drive. You're hearing just the dry sound. Believe me, the bass sounds much better through an amp.
Both pickups:
http://www.mediafire.com/?jejqd4r7s6q74g7
Bridge pickup:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Neck pickup:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Slap (both pickups):
http://www.mediafire.com/?y0egbgay9dvh6vd
Features: sunburst swamp ash body, tung oiled maple neck with birdseye maple fingerboard, abalone diamond inlays, pearloid pickguard, vol - vol - passive tone - stacked bass and treble, 9.3 lbs?. There was another SB5000 in stock that had a nice honeyburst finish, a bridge humbucker, and stainless steel frets. Mine was closer to stock and I decided to go with that.
Construction: Very well made, no surprise there. The finish is beautiful and mirror like. Nice birdseye, not the most figured I've seen but still attractive. Tight neck pocket. The tuners turn smoothly.
Playability: The neck is very solid feeling and extremely smooth. It's a comfortable shape and I like wider string spacing, so this is a good fit for me. Frets are nicely done and no sharp edges. Separate volume controls are not my favourite layout though, will take some getting used to. I prefer a master volume and pan knobs.
Sound: I played the bass unplugged when I got it and immediately liked the acoustic tone. Crisp and full, with nice sustain. It sounded excellent plugged in. It has a more aggressive character than my Icon so it will be a nice contrast. I changed the strings to stainless steel and it was a major improvement IMO. More clarity in the lower notes and a less tight string feel. Special mention has to go to the B string. It easily matches my Smith and Sadowsky for clarity, possibly exceeds them. This is probably the best low B I've heard on a 34" scale. I'm an active electronics guy but I quite like the passive tone of this bass and may wind up using it a fair bit. As expected, the pickups hum when soloed but this is normal for a Jazz bass.
So will this replace my Ken Smith and Sadowsky? No, since they both have their signature tones. They also have a different feel to them and I like some variety. But the Carvin holds its own with the big boys. The SB5000 seems to have a Sadowsky influence. A Jazz bass with a passive tone control and 2 band EQ. They are also available with chambered bodies, like the Sadowsky NYC models. One thing that would be cool is if Carvin came out with a Warwick-style bass, using exotic woods like bubinga, afzelia, ovangkol, wenge, etc. It would be an affordable, high quality alternative.
Complaints: Only minor ones:
- As I mentioned, I prefer having a master volume and pan control for the pickups. However, you can order the SB5000 with that configuration if you're more patient than I was and don't gotta have it now!
- The A string that was installed on the bass was kind of dead. It didn't have the brightness and clarity of the others. No biggie, since I changed to a stainless steel set.
The bang for the buck is amazing. I got the bass + a case shipped to my house for $1225.
Here are a few soundclips recorded through an Audiobox USB directly onto my hard drive. You're hearing just the dry sound. Believe me, the bass sounds much better through an amp.
Both pickups:
http://www.mediafire.com/?jejqd4r7s6q74g7
Bridge pickup:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Neck pickup:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Slap (both pickups):
http://www.mediafire.com/?y0egbgay9dvh6vd
