New Carvin P bass, about time?

[G On Bass]

Thanks, man. And I'm not even really a hired gun. This is a band of brothers. I share a house with the frontman. Everyone has just decided they like fretted better. I personally thought the fretless gave us a unique sound. And I don't get all wanky and slidy on it. A few slides in certain songs. But they just like that percussive, up front attack you get with frets. Oh well, I'll live. And I do love my well roadworn old Ibanez, although it's not your stereotypical blues bass lol.

That white fretless PB5 is awesome. I don't peronally like white pickguards, but it's beautiful. If it sounds and comes set up like mine, you'll be extremely happy. Mine is a tone beast, and came set up with a silky smooth low action that I love.

Cheers,
Liam

Ya know, you can order a fretted neck for that bass from Carvin…..

You can even upgrade it with the same paint and headstock. Just sayin….

 

[CapnSev]

Thanks, man. And I'm not even really a hired gun. This is a band of brothers. I share a house with the frontman. Everyone has just decided they like fretted better. I personally thought the fretless gave us a unique sound. And I don't get all wanky and slidy on it. A few slides in certain songs. But they just like that percussive, up front attack you get with frets. Oh well, I'll live. And I do love my well roadworn old Ibanez, although it's not your stereotypical blues bass lol.



That white fretless PB5 is awesome. I don't peronally like white pickguards, but it's beautiful. If it sounds and comes set up like mine, you'll be extremely happy. Mine is a tone beast, and came set up with a silky smooth low action that I love.



Cheers,

Liam

I don't play wanky on my fretless either and it's almost impossible to tell its fretless in a dense mix (unless I get wanky). It's too bad you can't work something out with your buddies.

And I'm a total sucker for white, so I'm drooling over that thing.

 

[Bassmunnky]

Got My PB 5...I have 10 basses...just organized the storage room, and put 9 of them in there.

The Neck on this thing is Amazing. I'm a MusicMan Ray 5 Guy..the neck on this is even thinner...perfect Nut spacing..perfect front to back depth..just stoopid comfy..and feels like HOME..

What killed all my other basses...(fenders, Ric, MM...)..was the Spacing at the Bridge...the 'Traditional Spacing" of a 4 on a 5 string bridge.

SOUND: I went for passive, as I have some great outboard preamps and not a fan of batteries. Pure...great TONE...it actually reminds me of an active bass..the frequency range is so wide.

I have a FENDER P5..My main recording bass..it's great..Great range of tones..

However..this PickUP gives you an even WIDER range of tones based on hand placement...Super punchy, Traditional P...Big and FAT up near the neck..and much more low end then a P.

Carvin did hit this out of the park. The Playability is second to NONE. Setup is low...perfect. I'm not fighting this bass at all...like I do with a Fender or the Ric.


I've never bought into the "carvin resale value" BS posted ad nauseum here on TB...You won't want to sell these basses anyways...

Short Spec List

One Piece Ash
One Piece Flame Top
Stainless Vintage Size Frets
Ebony Board
Passive
Burnt Umber..

Gotta Play

 

[CharlieC]

...The Neck on this thing is Amazing....

...I went for passive...

...Carvin did hit this out of the park...

+1

Congrats, it looks great!

 

[Neener]

Very nice Bassmunnky!

Great color choices and I really like the board without fret markers.

Classy looking bass.

 

[Bassmunnky]

I wanted to look like the colors of my upright and my NXT

 

[Jarrett]

Very nice looking bass!

 

[Jarrett]

New PB review with clips:

Invalid Link Removed

Here are those humbucker clips people have been asking for!

 

[Lia_G]

New PB review with clips:

Invalid Link Removed

Here are those humbucker clips people have been asking for!

Cool review, and great to get the clips. Listening to the clips confirmed that I'm happiest with just the P pickup and passive electronics. The first clip, passive P soloed, was by far my favorite. Didn't like any of the other clips very much, especially the active clips. Although I know I could modify the tone by cutting treble and slight mid and possibly bass boost.

Anyway, thanks for sharing that!

Cheers,
Liam

 

[Jarrett]

Cool review, and great to get the clips. Listening to the clips confirmed that I'm happiest with just the P pickup and passive electronics. The first clip, passive P soloed, was by far my favorite. Didn't like any of the other clips very much, especially the active clips. Although I know I could modify the tone by cutting treble and slight mid and possibly bass boost.

I think the active clips were a little misleading on there. I don't get that noticeable tone diff when going from passive to active. I find a get a hair more girth and definition when going from passive to active. If I wanted to, I could use the active controls to dial in a more trebly sound as he did, but its not automatic as the clips seemed to imply.

 

[Bassmunnky]

The Pickup on this bass to me...just passive has a much wider tonal range than a standard P...it almost sounds active..(in a good way)

This is the FIRST tone knob that actually has a use, besides making a passive bass sound muffled..

Just incredible. This thing smokes.

 

[Handyman]

Given how frequently people give lukewarm reviews of the Carvin MM style humbucker, I really like how it sounded in those clips.

I'm tempted to go that way when I order my PB5.

 

[Jarrett]

Yeah I liked the sound of the solo'ed humbucker more than I like the sound of the solo'ed J pickup in my PBJ.

 

[Freddels]

Does the solo'd J pickup not sound as good as the J99's in the the SB's?

 

[Jarrett]

I don't think it does. I'll try to do some clips.

 

[Freddels]

I know they changed the J pickup to match better with the P pickup but I really like the J99 bridge pickup in my SB. I was thinking of getting a B50 with the P/J but I guess I'd have to switch out that J for the one that comes with the SB if I did.

 

[CharlieC]

I know they changed the J pickup to match better with the P pickup but I really like the J99 bridge pickup in my SB. I was thinking of getting a B50 with the P/J but I guess I'd have to switch out that J for the one that comes with the SB if I did.

Carvin's SCP P-Pickup is WAY loud and is why they needed to create a hotter single coil, the JVA, in order to compete with the SCP. IMHO, the JVA sounds like the J99A in my SB's bridge, but with more output. The two together in the PB are really a great pair!

 

[Lia_G]

Carvin's SCP P-Pickup is WAY loud and is why they needed to create a hotter single coil, the JVA, in order to compete with the SCP.

+1. I don't have a bridge pickup in my PB5, but this passive P pickup is hotter than my active basses. Reminds me of my old G&L L1000 (which I really miss ... so stupid to have let that one go!).

Cheers,
Liam

 

[CharlieC]

+1. I don't have a bridge pickup in my PB5, but this passive P pickup is hotter than my active basses. Reminds me of my old G&L L1000 (which I really miss ... so stupid to have let that one go!).

Cheers,
Liam

I've done some signal level comparisons on my computer between my Fender P's and my passive PB4 and the SCP is off the charts loud and crushing.

It's not only obviously louder, but the sound wave is super thick and meaty, almost like it's under compression.

When this pup knocks your amp will not know what hit it!

Cheers!

 

[Jarrett]

Here's a clip of the two. The J99A is first. I just like its sound a little better:

Link Removed

They are both in passive mode by the way.