What is this Carvin Bass?

[Toptube]

As mentioned, the Icon series was refreshed a few months ago. The major changes to the bass itself are that the pickups are moved forward a bit, from the original design. and it comes with an updated pre-amp which has better blending balance and the knobs are now in a smiley face layout. Presumably, the EQ points are different, as well. The old pre-amp (what I have) is totally fine. Very clean, quiet. although the blend balance isn't great.

The other changes for the "refresh" aren't changes to the bass itself. Just some new options absorbed in the "standard" pricing, which is actually higher : \ Buuuuut, if you wanted some of those options anyway, you can end up saving money.

And they now come with the generation 3, Kiesel "Radium" pickups. Radiused Single or dual coil options. When I ordered two years ago, the gen 2 pickups were fairly new and I had to special request them (no charge).

 

[JaredBT]

Its just one of the sickest frickin basses on the planet bro, yea! I could check it out for ya... make sure its uh... set up right...

 

[Toptube]

Here are a couple of sweet Icons, which are currently "In-stock" on the Kiesel/Carvin Website:

you can see the more forward pickup routes and the knob layout for the new pre-amp. *oh yeah, and they spaced out the battery boxes, when they went to the newer CNC machines. That actually happened before they refreshed the model.

Claro Walnut top

Purpleheart top. Neck is walnut/purple heart, 5 piece. Purpleheart top and headstock lamination are "free" in the new standard options.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

It is an Icon5 with rosewood pot, walnut top, walnut/maple neck.

Rosewood knob was introduced around 2010 I think

 

[Bass Viking]

The piezo complicated things, and it sounded terrible. The pickups produced an extremely weak sound, and the piezo was way too bright and twangy on its own. The two did not blend well, either.

That's odd, my pickups seem quite hot. I don't think the piezo was designed to be used on its own but if they don't blend well, then that's an issue. I heard an Icon with piezos and thought it sounded great. Makes me wish I'd ordered that option on mine.

 

[Worldeeeter]

That's odd, my pickups seem quite hot. I don't think the piezo was designed to be used on its own but if they don't blend well, then that's an issue. I heard an Icon with piezos and thought it sounded great. Makes me wish I'd ordered that option on mine.

Mine had those old A99S pickups in it. I had the single coils switched out for humbuckers, and it literally made no difference in the tone. I was very ignorant of the inner workings of my basses back then; I think the OBP was just lame. I probably could have swapped that out and made it sound amazing.

 

[MobileHolmes]

Rosewood knobs are optional, they've had them for a few years now, don't know when they started though.

Good to know

 

[Bass Viking]

Mine had those old A99S pickups in it. I had the single coils switched out for humbuckers, and it literally made no difference in the tone. I was very ignorant of the inner workings of my basses back then; I think the OBP was just lame. I probably could have swapped that out and made it sound amazing.

Mine has the soapbars, which had just been introduced at the time. I'm fine with the preamp. I tried running the Icon through my Sadowsky preamp but didn't really notice any improvement in the sound.

 

[Toptube]

The humbucker pickups which debuted with the Icon, are pretty hot pickups.

the J99s and the stacked humbucker soapbars are gonna be lower output. especially the stacked set. I forget what they were called.