CARVIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON THE
map for unique high-end instruments at
low prices, but these new basses—designed
in conjunction with monster L.A. bassist
Sekou Bunch—are a surprisingly rootsy
departure for the direct-sale-only brand.
The SB4000/5000 series is a bold attempt
to bridge retro J-style bass design with
modern electronics and hardware. Not
only are the SB basses another step in
Carvin’s evolution as instrument makers,
the impressive list of customizable options
puts a ton of control into the hands of
prospective buyers.
One does not look at these basses and
say “Carvin.” They’ve left behind their other
more pointy designs for something with some
classy Old School personality. Some may
disagree, but I think the bass’s tulip shape is
a fresh new take on the J-Bass tradition. The
clear-coated wood grain, heavy die-cast
bridge, and inlays were simply gorgeous.
The SB’s bolt-on neck is a departure for
Carvin. The vast majority of Carvin’s catalog
is neck-through. The sculpted neck joint
was well designed and allowed unobstructed
access to the higher frets. Both instruments
came to me set up with spot-on intonation
and appropriate action (higher for the 4
and a little lower for the 5). I generally have
to tinker with set-up with a new instrument
and was impressed to find myself with nothing
to do with the SB’s. The tung-oiled necks
were silky smooth and a pleasure to play,
with a shallow-C profile.
Another new step for Carvin are the
SB’s updated electronics. With Sekou’s
encouragement, Carvin designed a whole
new system, adding J-style volume/volume
controls, instead of a master volume with
blend arrangement, and including a passive
tone control. For the active section, the
stacked cut/boost bass and treble filter were
useable throughout their range. I didn’t
spend much time fishing for good tone.
The pickups themselves are also newly
designed for this bass—Alnico V single-coils
that pop, purr, and whisper when necessary.
The neck-position tones are warm and
woody, while the bridge pickups have a nice
honky sizzle to cut above the band for soloing.
It’s not enough to offer pretty, resonant
wood if the electronics can’t keep up, but
Carvin obviously put a lot of time into this
detail. I had no problem copping a big palette
of genre-specific tones, from tubby low-end
R&B to bright slap slice. The basses also
sounded fabulous in my home-studio, yielding
tons of personality and balance. The tone
controls were responsive and behaved predictably.
I think this is a great testament to
well-engineered electronics, and a requirement
for any working musician.
Carvin designed these basses for players
at any level of expertise, and I think
they’ve certainly hit their mark. In particular,
the 4-string does what a 4-string jazz
bass should do: It’s meaty, with a wide palette
of easily manipulated tones. I dug the beefy
neck contour and the sleek ebony fingerboard,
which tapers nicely down to the nut
giving it a classic Fender-ish feel. The SB5000
was the slightly more evolved sibling, with
more frets and a slightly looser bounce. The
SB5000’s noticeably thinner neck allowed
great access at all registers while at the same
time keeping the B string taught and under
control. Kudos to Carvin for ushering in a
whole new generation of hip, modern, and
affordable instruments.
CARVIN SB4000 & SB5000
Direct SB5000, $1,049; SB4000, $949
Pros Versatile; expert construction; killer price
Cons None
Made in U.S.A.
Warranty Five-year limited
Contact www.carvin.com
TECH SPECS
Options Extensive list
Weight SB5000, 9.3 lbs; SB4000, 9.4 lbs.