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"Official" Carvin Club - Part 2

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#582
#585
Hey, so I've a quick question... I've had my Carvin Icon for about 18 months now (I love it), but I've been having some trouble with it lately... Basically, the active electronics are really really scratchy. Even when I'm not turning one of the pots (though it gets worse when I do). When I switch to passive it's fine (no scratching).
Does anyone know if it's going to be a simple process of cleaning the pots, or do I need to send it to the techs at Carvin for them to take a look?
Or does anyone have any other suggestions? (It would be a pretty big hassle for me to send it in; I'm a music student and don't have a backup...)
 
#590
basskidd said:
(It would be a pretty big hassle for me to send it in; I'm a music student and don't have a backup...)
Click to expand...

I totally understand being a broke student, but ya gotta have something. Get an SX, or at least some pawnshop cheapo. Just buy some Raman, eat only that for a week, hope you don't get sodium poisoning, and with the saved food money buy yourself a backup.
 
#592
Grateful said:
Time to try cleaning the pots?
Click to expand...

Grateful is right... Try cleaning the pots with a good can of cleaner like chemtrinox kontact clean... ~$15.00 a can but its worth it...

And if you try it yourself, make sure you keep it off the finish of the bass. It may do bad things...

Another possibility is a bad (or dirty) output jack on the bass, or a bad cable... Or maybe the bass doesn't like 1/4" jack on the cable... I had that problem with a planet waves cable once... Wouldn't work in all of my basses... Dunno... Good luck!
 
#596
3234718 said:
I totally understand being a broke student, but ya gotta have something. Get an SX, or at least some pawnshop cheapo. Just buy some Raman, eat only that for a week, hope you don't get sodium poisoning, and with the saved food money buy yourself a backup.
Click to expand...

Yeah, It's something I've been wanting to look into for a while, it's just every time I get close to getting one I find something else that I need more urgently and so drain my funds... :p
 
#597
basskidd said:
Cool, I'll take a look into it. Thanks!

Anyone have any recommendations for tutorials / how-to's on how to clean them?
Click to expand...

I don't know about tutorials or videos, but I can try to explain it. It is very easy.

Pots generally have a gap or hole that you can squirt the cleaner into. Here is an example, notice the gap next to the connections:

225px-Potentiometer.jpg


Others have a hole on the edge like this one:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

DeoxIT and other contact cleaner sprays are aerosol, with a little red tube that goes into the spray can, like this:

deoxit2.jpg


Put that tube into the hole on the pot, spray a little bit (be careful to protect the finish on your bass), then turn the knob on the pot back and forth a few times. This should do it, although you may have to repeat it until it is clean.

One thing to be aware of, there are two types of contact cleaner, one with lubrication and one without. For pots you want the one with lube or the pot will eventually become scratchy. DeoxIt has lube and is well suited for them. Radio Shack usually carries it.
 
#599
The LB76PF arrived today. Needs some work.. Bass was virtually unplayable when I got it out of the case (I did let it acclimate for about 8 hours). Too much relief and the saddles were set so high there was no discernible "mwaahh" at all! :eyebrow:

First I replaced the strings with a set of Carvin nickels, gave the neck a 1/4 turn and lowered the saddles. That helped but I'm gonna have to crank on the truss rod some more. Still too much relief. Pups need to be lowered too.

Anyway, while I'm waiting for the neck tweak to set, here are a couple of pics.

DSCN0625_zpsb4753356.gif


DSCN0627_zps398ba03c.gif
 
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