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carvin bass owners...


SatansEnemy

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Posted

how well do you like your carvin bass?

i have never played a carvin bass, but i have been seriously considering ordering one.

we play metal...

in the styles of killswitch/pantera/nevermore....

 

would the carvin LB70P be a wise choice?

and i would be getting it with the neck and bridge pickups being the HB series humbuckers

 

what is your thoughts on this?

 

thanks!!!

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Posted

I LOVE my Carvin...and would like to get a couple more in the future (different configurations of course).

 

JC_Bass.jpg

 

I know that there are several people playing metal with Carvin basses...just check out the Carvin message forums. I think your pickup selection would be spot on for the aggressive tone you're probably going for.

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Posted

:thu:

 

I have heard people complain about the electronics, but I still have (11 years later) the same stock electronics that came with it. I have no intention to change them. I can get the tones I want. They offer either single coil pups or stacked hummies. I have the hummies and I have had no problems with the electronics whatsoever.

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Posted

Carvin's fit and finish are among the best and their fretwork is excellent. I had an SC90S guitar for awhile and I've never played another instrument with such effortless action. It was super low with no buzzes and absolutely no fretting out.

 

That said, Carvin is a "you like 'em or you don't" company for most people. Their basses are well made but some people don't think they feel right.

 

My favorite Carvin basses were the ones they made in the early 90's with Wilkinson bridges and Sperzel tuners (which they still use on their guitars but no longer on basses). I've played newer ones and while they were built well they didn't have the vibe of the older ones.

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Posted

I have 2 carvin, an old LB40 fretless and a BB75 I just got. Fit and finish is great on both, I have no complaints at all. They have a bit of a spotty rep with their amps, but their basses are excellent. The biggest knock I can think of is that resale prices aren't that great.

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Posted

Hate to have to agree with Lug yet again, but that's about it....if you buy a new Carvin, don't expect to get anywhere new price for it when you decide to sell it....

But, the bass itself is very much worth what everybody is selling them for nowadays, between $600 to $800, some are even going for cheaper, I've seen a couple of LB75's recently going for $450 and $495....

I've got my black LB75 up for sale down at Showcase Swap Shop in San Jose, and won't even listen to an offer under $700, because I feel it's worth every single penny.

If it doesn't sell within a reasonable time, like a month or so, then damn, I guess I'll have to keep it as yet another back-up bass then, won't I? Shucks!

My 'Ray 5 is my main gigging/playing bass right now, and I'm becoming very comfortable with it. But I played the Carvin before I sent it down to San Jose and was immediately struck with how good it felt yet again, so much so that wifey, who was closely observing the physical by-play going on there, sharply sounded with "Don't even think about it!!" and I had to put it in its case at that point and send it off with a friend of mine from down in that area....{sniff} she's so mean.....

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Posted

:rolleyes:

women just dont understand!!!

 

thanks for all the replies...keep them coming

i figure some time in february ill be putting in an order for one...

maybe after that ill be good for about a year, but i doubt it...

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Posted

I had an LB70 a couple of years ago. I sold it after the electronics crapped out on it, and I put replacement back in.

 

Overall too much for the $$. Worth half what they charge.IMO.

 

I spent about $980 for the Carvin.

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Posted

I'm very, very happy with my 80's era Carvins, I've become somewhat of a collector of them. I'm not as sure about most of the new ones, though, and I agree, they don't hold their value on resale as well as others. (One reason I like to buy used.)

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Posted

I have an '88/'89 LB70 and love it. It is well built, looks cool, sounds great. Bholder is right on, I think. Don't know about the new ones, but I sure can recommend the late 80's models, as well.

 

Almost forgot, if you're into metal, ya gotta have one of those pointy headstocks, too! Gotta love it:thu:

 

 

Billy-B

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Posted

I have an LB75P, and I really like the bass. As others have said the fit, and form of the bass in awesome, one of the better ones I have played. And the finish I got with my bass, is pretty outstanding. The machines, bridge and truss rods have given me no trouble.

 

The only down side to the bass, is the overall package can sound a bit un-defined... that is, you can talor it to alot of different tones, but maybe hard to pick a "carvin" tone.. but it does give you deversity.

 

The pickups, can be a bit bright depending on configuration, but really I think the electronics on the LB75P would be suited to metal very much.

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Posted

 

Originally posted by Gfunkk44

I have an LB75P, and I really like the bass. As others have said the fit, and form of the bass in awesome, one of the better ones I have played. And the finish I got with my bass, is pretty outstanding. The machines, bridge and truss rods have given me no trouble.


The only down side to the bass, is the overall package can sound a bit un-defined... that is, you can talor it to alot of different tones, but maybe hard to pick a "carvin" tone.. but it does give you deversity.


The pickups, can be a bit bright depending on configuration, but really I think the electronics on the LB75P would be suited to metal very much.

 

 

I would think so, especially with the Piezo output like you have...the Ibby EDA905 I had last year had the Piezos and all the bass effects I've ever heard sound about 1/3 better with the Piezo tone over any other pickup output, hands down...a much cleaner, purer bass tone, and everything reacts better to it, distortion, chorus, you name it....

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Posted

Originally posted by JC Bass

I LOVE my Carvin...and would like to get a couple more in the future (different configurations of course).


JC_Bass.jpg

 

Now THAT thing is beautiful! :eek:

 

I freaking LOVE that color, and with the quilt and the block inlays! Gorgeous! :love:

 

Sorry to gush, but that bass is really nice looking for my tastes, even though it's not a five. ;)

 

Goes good with the shirt, too. :D

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Posted

Originally posted by Mind Riot



Now THAT thing is beautiful!
:eek:

I freaking LOVE that color, and with the quilt and the block inlays! Gorgeous!
:love:

Sorry to gush, but that bass is really nice looking for my tastes, even though it's not a five.
;)

Goes good with the shirt, too.
:D

 

Thanks!! It's my main bass for everything I do, and I absolutely love it. Ordered all the options I wanted and it turned out to be better than I ever dreamed.

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Posted

I've owned 3 Carvins.

 

The first I ordered was a B5 with the HB/J99 pickup configuration. I was never crazy about the tone, but, after I traded it for an LB75, I found out the neck was warped. Carvin replaced the neck for the new owner after I confirmed that he was the rightful new owner of the bass.

 

My LB75 and LB70 both had the H50N pickups, and I liked those. They had solid, usable tone that seemed to sit fairly well in a mix, but it wasn't very distinct to my ears.

 

Overall, they're built quite well and sound good.

 

Are you considering new, used, or both?

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Posted

I like the playablity of my new Carvin (built from a kit). I have had one problem which you wouldn't get from a factory bass: the saddle for the E string is wrong. It's the wrong saddle.

 

The adjustment screw is too small, it simply slides in and out of the hole (Lug, you're on). I called Carvin for a new screw and they promptly (!) sent one. This one is too small too... so it's got to be the saddle, right?

 

So, I guess I hit the phone again this morning. Anybody else have this problem?

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Posted

 

Originally posted by johnny6644

So, I guess I hit the phone again this morning. Anybody else have this problem?

 

 

Are they still using Hipshot Style B bridges? My B5 had one, and I didn't have any such problems. That seems strange. Hopefully a new bridge will solve your problem...

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Posted

 

Originally posted by bassplayer7770



Are they still using Hipshot Style B bridges? My B5 had one, and I didn't have any such problems. That seems strange. Hopefully a new bridge will solve your problem...

 

 

Yeah, hipshot. Seems odd that some saddles would take a different-sized screw. Hopefully they be able to send me the saddle and I won't have to install a new bridge.

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Posted

Originally posted by johnny6644

Yeah, hipshot. Seems odd that some saddles would take a different-sized screw. Hopefully they be able to send me the saddle and I won't have to install a new bridge.

 

You're right. That would be odd. Hopefully a new saddle will solve your problem.;)

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Posted

 

Originally posted by johnny6644

The screw is too small, it simply slides in and out of the hole (Lug, you're on).

 

 

It's not the size of the screw, but how you use it.

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