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NBD - Carvin LB-50 (You Heard Right)...

bassclef112

bassclef112

Supporting Member
Sep 2, 2003
2,576
4,172
Astoria, NY
#1
Several months ago I came a cross one of these in black. I always used to get the Carvin Catalogs back when these were new (80's) and I always wondered what they were like. I did read whatever I could over the years and finally decided to grab one when it came around. It's all original except for an added thumb rest. Well, other than some honest wear it was in pretty good shape so I threw a set of flats on it the day I got it and went off to a gig that same night. Homerun! It sounded fat and clear and played great. Love it. For those of you that don't know about these, build quality is tip top, it's all maple with set neck/ebony board, Schaller hardware, brass nut and V-T-V-T with coil split on their own humbuckers. Plus it's wired for Stereo if you want it (like a Ric). A lot of bass for the price in any book!

I've been looking for another one since and just grabbed this one. Other than multiple Jazz basses (all different) I don't have 2 of anything so that's got to say something about these! This one looks to be in even better shape and I'm anxious to get it. Maybe one of these will become a candidate for the set of Alumitones I recently picked up - something to think about. And it was $100 cheaper than the other one!!! An absolute bargain since they're off the radar - most don't know what they are, and how well made. Kinda like the old Peaveys...

BTW - you can't really date these but this version was made between '83 and '85.

I really like the neck profile, it balances great, isn't heavy at all (for all maple) and sounds really darn good. I kinda wish I got one when they were new!

LB40NATFULLINCASE_zpsee224f77.jpg
 
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#9
My black fretless '85 LB40 was one of my gigging basses, always wanted to find a similar LB-50. Nice. I'll take one of those over their new stuff. I'm strange that way. :D
 
#14
At that time those were the guitar pickups, just rewound for bass. I would've liked them a bit wider to better accommodate the bigger amplitude of the E string. The A & D sound really good. Not a bad pickup and they do the trick, but just okay. I'm thinking about dropping something different in there. I have a set of Alumitones my friend says work great for bass, and I'm also considering TV Jones.

There's always the fallback position of EMG's.
 
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#17
As a matter of fact I just finished playing it this afternoon for a couple of hours! I love the neck profile and balance of it, and am now prepared to focus on updating the pickups. I will post the results of that when it happens in the near future.

I also still have the black one one which I bought first and prompted me into this buy.

I really like them!
 
#18
bassclef112 said:
As a matter of fact I just finished playing it this afternoon for a couple of hours! I love the neck profile and balance of it, and am now prepared to focus on updating the pickups. I will post the results of that when it happens in the near future.

I also still have the black one one which I bought first and prompted me into this buy.

I really like them!
Click to expand...
If you decide to unload the original pickups.... ;)
 
#19
bassclef112 said:
At that time those were the guitar pickups, just rewound for bass. I would've liked them a bit wider to better accommodate the bigger amplitude of the E string. The A & D sound really good. Not a bad pickup and they do the trick, but just okay. I'm thinking about dropping something different in there. I have a set of Alumitones my friend says work great for bass, and I'm also considering TV Jones.

There's always the fallback position of EMG's.
Click to expand...
I'm not even sure they were rewound, I think that era of Carvin, the basses all used regular guitar M22N (and perhaps M22T in the bridge?), I asked Carvin, that was their answer, though I didn't ask whether the bridge bass pickup was the M22T or another M22N.
 

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