Name that Carvin bass! Please?

[Stomp Freeman]

Damn. I only made it a week this time before taking to the forums to figure out what I just bought on CL. So- what did I just buy? Any idea as to the exact model? I've got a 1990s Carvin LB-75, but it has the 3 + 2 tuners and four control knobs. I'm thinking this is a different beast, rather than an earlier version of the same bass. Thoughts? Given all the poorly done mods on this thing I wonder if the truss cover is aftermarket. Might have had the model # on there originally. Thanks in advance.

 

[ZedLepp]

Carvin had several headstock options that you could order.

Edit - Forgot to add, I think that it is a LB-75.

 

[Stomp Freeman]

Thanks, @ZedLepp. I appreciate you weighing in. Now that you mention it, I am seeing some of the 5-in-line tuners on the LB-75s in Google Image. I also see some LB-20s like that.

 

[lug]

It looks similar to Carvin's from about 88 to 90 but I can't find an exact match (control layout different)

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[two fingers]

I think I saw that on Reverb yesterday?

Anyway, my theory is that one of two things is going on here.

1) It was refinished. And at the time if refinishing, several holes were covered. They didn't offer that control layout stock on the LB75.

2) It's a custom. Either a customer requested it and they agreed, or maybe an employee had it made that way?

Either way, I dig it. But that wasn't a stock offering.

 

[Stomp Freeman]

@lug- thanks for that resource. Very helpful. @two fingers- yeah, it's on Reverb now. The finish looks pro, but I guess it's possible it was a refin. I did see a similar magenta on a double-neck Carvin bass from the same era. Thank you.

 

[two fingers]

@lug- thanks for that resource. Very helpful. @two fingers- yeah, it's on Reverb now. The finish looks pro, but I guess it's possible it was a refin. I did see a similar magenta on a double-neck Carvin bass from the same era. Thank you.

As an 80s kid, and 5 string player, I thought about it for a sec last night in a moment of weakness. It's a cool bass. (But I have way too many of them already.)

 

[Eilif]

I think I saw that on Reverb yesterday?

Anyway, my theory is that one of two things is going on here.

1) It was refinished. And at the time if refinishing, several holes were covered. They didn't offer that control layout stock on the LB75.

2) It's a custom. Either a customer requested it and they agreed, or maybe an employee had it made that way?

Either way, I dig it. But that wasn't a stock offering.

My thoughts exactly.
If you could ask for a pic with the cavity cover off you could see if the control locations are original or moved before refin.

There are allot of Carvins out there that came from the factory with features that were never part of the official options list or had been removed from the list previously. From what I've read it was kind of luck of the draw whether the shop would agree to it and such choices voided the return policy except in cases of a major build flaw.

 

[Rabidhamster]

Damn. I only made it a week this time before taking to the forums to figure out what I just bought on CL. So- what did I just buy? Any idea as to the exact model? I've got a 1990s Carvin LB-75, but it has the 3 + 2 tuners and four control knobs. I'm thinking this is a different beast, rather than an earlier version of the same bass. Thoughts? Given all the poorly done mods on this thing I wonder if the truss cover is aftermarket. Might have had the model # on there originally. Thanks in advance.

Holy crap man! So coool!

 

[biguglyman]

Looks like an 88-89 LB75 to me.

 

[punchdrunk]

I shall name that bass:

Ursala.

It is finished.

 

[lowendblues]

Looks like an LB75, but those pickup locations are off. Looks like the neck pickup is about an inch to far north. I say it was filled, re-routed and refinished.

 

[31HZ]

Looks like an LB75, but those pickup locations are off. Looks like the neck pickup is about an inch to far north. I say it was filled, re-routed and refinished.

It originally had the old-style pickups with the bezel ring; the original holes are still visible.

Around 1988 would have been the period of overlap with the hockey-stick headstock and the older style pickups:

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[Shindig73]

I'm going to say it's an Carvin LB20, which was the passive electronics sibling of the LB75 (hence, the fewer knobs and switches), except they added a separate volume or blend knob.

My LB20 from 1988 only had a volume and tone.

 

[ThudThudThud]

I'm going to say it's an Carvin LB20, which was the passive electronics sibling of the LB75 (hence, the fewer knobs and switches), except they added a separate volume or blend knob.

My LB20 from 1988 only had a volume and tone.

The spacing and design (but not placement) of the pots is very similar to that on the AB40 style.

 

[KB5]

Peptobassmol.

 

[micguy]

I had an LB75 - 5 on a side headstock. Much like that, mine was blue. There was a 5 on a side era (mine was of that era), the 3+2 era came later - I don't think 5 on a side was an option, it was just what the headstock of that mode in that era was. The dings on the 5 on a side headstock (particularly on the point) are perfectly normal - those things are extra long, you run into stuff all the time.

 

[micguy]

I shall name that bass:

Ursala.

It is finished.

I'd go with "Pink Poker".

 

[arbiterusa]

I can only offer you this: Carvin instruments with that headstock are pretty rare as Jackson sued them over it.

It is very likely an employee instrument.

 

[Koshchei]

Damn. I only made it a week this time before taking to the forums to figure out what I just bought on CL. So- what did I just buy? Any idea as to the exact model? I've got a 1990s Carvin LB-75, but it has the 3 + 2 tuners and four control knobs. I'm thinking this is a different beast, rather than an earlier version of the same bass. Thoughts? Given all the poorly done mods on this thing I wonder if the truss cover is aftermarket. Might have had the model # on there originally. Thanks in advance.

Looks like a 1988 - 1990 LB75. The Jackson-esque headstock is a dead giveaway.