Carvin LB50

Made in the USA 1984 Carvin LB50 4-string bass guitar. Body and set-in neck made from Eastern Hardrock Maple, Ebony fingerboard with 20 frets, Schaller tuners, Brass nut. Body color: Ebony. Pickups: Cream with Black mounting plates. Replaced the aging slightly fading plastic knobs with chrome metal knobs from Carvin, but still retain the originals. With the exception of the knobs this bass is in its stock form just as it was ordered in 1984.I am of the mindset if it ain't broke don't fix it. Although modified guitars & basses can help any individual achieve that "special" unique sound I prefer to look for guitars that can perform stock right out of the box with little or no mods.I aquired it in 1993 from my cousin but I intially ordered it for him in 84' when he was staying with my family and he asked for my help in ordering it from the catalog.I assumed the role as if I were ordering it for myself. At the time I was bassless and was very envious of it all. I filled out the order form opting for black pickup mounting plates instead of cream. I thought that going eith black pickups(an option) would disapear into the bass and throw off the looks so I checked off cream pickups.I thought there was an option for Long or Short scale but I could be mistaken I know I went with short if it was there? Had my cousin pay the extra $69 for the hardshell case.
Total cost with shipping was around $580-$620 to long ago to remember the exact amount.

Although I have never toured or played a live gig with this 'Monster' I have used it exclusively for recording bass lines for my original songs. I play Rock & Metal style and this bass produces the heavy deep bass I needed for so long to accomplish the finished sound I was looking for in my music. It goes really deep and full bodied sound. With all the phase switching and pickup combination, it seems almost limitless the tones you can get from this thing.My cousin never really learned to play so I used this thing more than he ever did while he was around for over 3 years before finally purchasing it from him in 93'.
I have had a few bass players I have jammed with try it out and it has never failed to blow them away.Many never look at thier Fenders the same again. Its slightly heavy on the shoulder than I am use to being spoiled with a light weight Yamaha Motion Bass that I quickly got rid of after getting the LB50. But the Yamaha was a low end bass I got new for cheap and cannot even come close to the Carvin.The LB50 reminds me of my Les Paul I once had more weight than other guitars but as so many here have stated that they have gigged for 20+ years and use the Carvin almost exclusively they are a testament that you quickly get used to the weight of the 'Beast'.
I have never even considered changing the pickups with EMG's or another brand like so many do to Charvels,Jacksons, Gibsons. I feel the bass is setup just right for my needs and the sound is just right. So I do not mess with what seems Carvin got right.

I have only owned one bass before I got my hands on my LB50 but have played quite a few. I would have to say that right out the box & case the Carvin was almost on the money. Slight pickup adjustment just for my taste was all it took.Have never had the truss rod adjusted or any fret work. I had received a few Carvin catalogs over the years and is what sparked my cousin's interest in the first place, but knew very little about Carvin guitars much less had ever seen or held/played one. So we ordered this thing on faith really. When it arrived we both were impressed I remember how our jaws hit the ground upon uncasing this thing.The fit and finish were nothing short of outstanding.To this day I am amazed how thick the ebony finish is on it.The brass nut, pickups,pots,machine heads upon close inspection really reassured you this was hand made in the USA and it showed. Not sure what the QA department was like at Carvin in the 80's I just think the quality of this bass can answer that easily.I have never held, played or seen another bass with the LB50's quality period, and I am very picky guitar person.

My paticular LB50 has spent most of its life in it's case. For some reason my cousin played it just enough to start slightly rubbing off the chrome numbers on the volume knobs.So I replaced them with Carvin chrome metal knobs.
The only issue I have had to date is one of the volume pots seized up on me in 1998. I was very upset because I thought that getting an exact replacement would be impossible due to its age. Carvin proved my doubts wrong by still having the orginal pots in stock so I ordered backups, along with Carvin chrome knobs to set off the bass a little more with all of its exsisting chrome hardware. A great choice if I may say so. Still have the original plastic numbered knobs.Other than this the bass is as it was new with very little wear to both it and the case. Very little buckle rash on the back of the body in the clear coat without going through to the wood very, very minimal.The bass is in beautful shape the way I like all my gutars to look, even though I play them and hard sometimes I baby them and want them to look the best they can.

Never had to call or contact them for support. I ordered the replacement volume pot and repaired the bass myself.

I have been playing since I was 13 now 45 but this paticular bass has only been with me since 1993 for studio use.
Since I ordered it to my specs I always felt it would eventually be mine and I was right! It compliments both of my Charvel Model 6's in looks and sound. It will remain my recording bass until they put me in the ground. Out of all the guitars I have bought and sold over the years this one was a determined quest to own and I have no desire to ever sell it. I am not sure what other brand or model could even replace it and at what cost?
If it was ever stolen that would be one sad day for me. The only others I have spotted are a few on ebay and not near the shape of mine. I have never seen another in person at a guitar center or pawn shop etc..It would be almost impossble to replace given the rarity of these plus the fact I ordered it custom even though it is pretty much identical to the one pictured in the 1984 catalog.
If it was gone I would try very hard to locate another but I am sure it would end in defeat or with a less than prime condition example as I now have.

Carvin Early to mid 80's LB50BE.
USA, 20 Frets (medium jumbo), Solid top, set mable neck (despite what some people will try and tell you, CARVIN did not neck-thru until a bit later) Ebony fretboard. Black poly finish. Schaller tuners and Schaller bridge, nice quality on both. 34" scale, The neck is a fattish D shape, fits nicely into the hand. Angled head stock, 2 on machines on each side. Black poly finish, very thickly applied. Baseline LB50 as far as finish options are concerned.

I give it 7, but any baseline Fender would get a 3.

H/H pups, 3 way switch, dual/single phase switching and a pup in/out phase switch. Lot's of variety in sound for an earlier model before actives really hit the market.

Suits any style I play. Jazzy (although I use a Fender Fretless for a lot of stuff). This neck is great, intonation is great. Easy to set up yourself. Humbuckers are quiet, when switched to single's makes a little noise. Rich, full, warm, bright. Will never sound like a fretless, but I think it sounds better than a fretted P or J and I can make it sound like a P or J with the singles switched on and some minor tone roll off. Believe, I've owned and played both, and this thing out performs, is better quality and certainly with the MIM's and MAJ's out there, this beats it hands down. Again, a Fretless J is the exception, but even that one has been heavily upgraded by me, and sounds really good because I did the upgrade on it.

The Carvin sounded great out of the box. Good for the stage, I play 2 to 4 nights a week, and use it all the time. Have played through a number of amps over the years from 60's B-man's, SWR's, Traces, Sunn 2000s, SVT's and Hartke's. It sounds good through anything. These days I use a DigiTech BP200 for a bit of grease on certain things, mostly in the fusion genre.

It's not a music man, but it's a solid tool.

Easy to do-it-yourself on any set up. Never had to mess with the guts, or a nut. I did have the frets dressed about 10 years back, and as a result switched from Roto-sounds to GHS's or whatever.

It was good out of the box.

After using this about 4 months, I ditched the P and a beater J from the late 60's and early '70's (maybe I should have held on to them for some millinieum resale value?) keeping the fretless J as the influence of Jaco was still resounding through the bass community.

Rock solid, I gig with the back up Fretless, but very rarely use it. Unless the mood strikes me. My keyboard (who has perfect pitch) love the Carvin. It's spot on. I maintain the neck and stuff myself. I gave the neck a quarter turn about a year ago. I use Medium strings 45 to 105. The neck is typical from the early 80's, not triple rods or stiffening rods or anything (although, I see the merit is such enhancements).

The finish has a few nicks in it, the bass is 23 years old. It's expected. But the finish is thick, black, deep and defines durability.

Never needed it. I have called Carvin a couple of time to chat, and did have a return on an amp once. No problems, quick and easy. Everyone at Carvin has been very customer oriented, when I have called.

Go see the Carvin Museum on line, run by a Carvin affectionato (but NOT an employee). Kevio is a great guy and I have known him and worked around the same offices in DC when he lived there. He's a wealth of information and a Carvin "nut" to say the least. He also provides great testimony to Carvin's customer focus.

I started playing instruments in 1964 (brass, drums and guitar). Left brass in 1970 and took up the string bass in 1970 (I didn't want to march in the HS band). Played guitar and bass, still do. Played violin and now mandolin, swapped, bought and sold a large number of instruments (when I think about it it makes me weep to think about some of the treasures I let go). If it was stolen, I'd go online and get another Carvin. This model is no longer produced and the used ones I've seen go for around 250 to 400, and there are a few gems out there, but I would opt for the neck through and some of the new tech pups. I'm not really into actives, I have an active Les Paul, and while it's nice, I prefer the warmer tones and ambience produced with passive stuff.

All my influences probably play passive, most any EQ or what ever can be achieved with the amps, effects, modeling and processors. I don't think it's as big of an issue as it was 10 or 15 years ago.

I do have a Stingray 4, which is nice too. But sometimes it's a bit much.

Bought mine new in 1982 for $825. It is all solid koa, set neck, 24 fret ebony fretboard, dual humbuckers w/adjustable height poles, stereo output, everything. Natural finish with a fast neck. If they would make them like that again, I would buy another.

I can get any sound from this bass. Rock, Jazz, Ambient, anything.
On the road I use a Carvin 600W bi-amp head (using the stereo outputs allows sooo much sound shaping) 4x10 w/tweeter top cab and an 18 bottom cab. The only thing I replaced was the 18" with a Pevey BW. This bass is also great for studio work. Very quite. The sustain is so much better with the Koa body and neck. As usual the setup needed tweaking, but that's true with any shipped guitar.

Action was decent out of the box. Pickups needed adjusting, but that is subjective. The 22 pole humbuckers, with each pole height adjustable, gets the sound you want with little trouble. No flaws whatsoever.
A stunning Bass.

I have been playing this bass since I bought it in '82. Adjust the truss rod a couple times a year, rub down the fretboard with linseed oil every couple of months. That's it. No problems. I have a couple of backups but only use them for alternate tunings. After 23 years of playing the bass shows very little wear. The Ebony fretboard is very durable.

Ordered the bass and received it 2 weeks later. Never had a problem so never had to call. Did call about the 18" speaker that blew (3 weeks after purchase) and was sent a replacement right away. Blew that one in about a month and decided to put in the Black Widow. Never blew another.

I honestly do not know what I would do if it was stolen. I cannot replace it and not many were made with the same specs as my LB50.
My fave is the stereo wiring. When using both outputs puts each pickup on it's own channel. When using my bi-amp head I could get really any tone I needed just by using the pickup selector and a little tone tweaking. Oh yea, it also has a phase shifter. Fat sound to thin with the flip of a switch. I have had over 30 basses throughout the years, ESP, Dean, Hammer, Fender, Ibanez, etc., but this is the one that will stay.

1981 LB-50, USA Escondido, CA made bass, 34" scale, Originally- had two M22B pickups, but like another review said, not spaced correctly, mine now has the original pickup in the bridge position (which by the way is too close to the bridge), but the neck pickup has been replaced with a Carvin Stacked humbucker. This required some routing, so it will never be "original" again. But this pickup improved the sound immensely. Anyway, it has all Eastern hardrock maple construction with clear finish, set neck, ebony fingerboard, original Schaller tuners, original pots (two tone, two vol), original switching ( two coil spitters, one phase, one 3-way pickup selector). Bridge has been upgraded to a Schaller which was used on newer versions of Carvin basses (a roller bridge). Rectangular hardshell case- original w/ brown interior padding. Nut is upgraded, from the original brass one to a custom cut bone nut. Knobs were replaced from the original ones (which resembled silver-face Fender knobs) to black chrome knobs.

I play many styles of music, from alternative rock to country and folk, to classic rock. It has done well in EVERY situation. I've been playing it for 24 years (one-owner) NEVER with a backup, and it has never failed me once. I play it thru a Fender Bassman 135 head, and a GK 1-15" cab. Sounds full and rich on the neck pickup, round and edgey on the bridge pickup, even "J bass" sounding when both pickups are used. Records VERY well, especially with both pickups on full, neck pickup split, bridge pickup humbucking. When the neck pickup is split, gets a little single-coil hum as expected, but you also get a noticeable volume boost at the same time.

I got the bass brand new when I was 14 years old, so I don't remember much about the origianl setup. I do remember I was in awe of my first "real" bass. None of the electrical parts neede adjustment, build quality was excellent. As mentioned above and in other reviews, the only problem this bass had was the width of the pickups.

Again, since I can honestly say I've been playing this bass for 24 years without a backup should speak volumes. A TANK, this thing is. I have to adjust the truss rod about twice a year, since I live in the sweltering Southeastern US, where is is extrememly humid and hot in the summer, and pretty cold and dry in the winter. A++++ grade here

Never once in 24 years had to call for support on this bass. Still has the original: Jacks, wiring, pots, switches, finish, tail-end strap button, rear cover plate, screws, trussrod cover and screws, machine heads, bridge pickup. Never needed the warranty.

If it were ever lost, I probably couldn't find another, but would definitely buy from Carvin again. What I love about it is that it is SO UNIQUE. I live in Birmingham, AL and have NEVER seen another one. I have worked in two music stores, and have never seen one even come thru on a trade. I also love it because it is BEAUTIFUL. The Maple has a "flip-flop" effect under lights. From one angle it will look like the grain of the wood is glowing, like a reflector on the highway, then you change angles and it looks like typical cream-colored Maple. The body shape is very unique as well, sort of like an old Gibson Grabber, but not as big, and the horns are rounded instead of pointy.
Someday, I'll probably replace the bridge pickup too, since I don't use it much, and that it has that width problem. But it plays great and sounds great, and it is just "me".

Stereo output. Split-coil pickups. Solid build.

Fairly bright, but solid. Great stage bass. Sometimes studio too, but I usually play a 5-string Jazz in the studio.

Bought it used and it was set up great. No flaws that I have found and I bought it for $250 in 2001.

See my other comments. This axe is a stage beauty. No problems and the neck is rock-solid. I use it on stage with no back up all the time. Black finish is still great.

Never needed support.

I've been playing in bars for 30 years (learned bass at 12 and was playing in bars since I was 15), I also own a 1978 Gibson Les Paul Triumph recording bass (retired from gigging) and a 1999 5 String American Standard Fender Jazz. The Carvin is easy to play and the sound cuts through. Great finish, stable neck.

It has the same features as the previous entry. Maple neck, ebony fretboard, 2 double coil pick-ups,etc,etc.

I play guitar, and this is my first bass. I plugged this thing in and nothing but this deep clarity. I just had to have it. Most guitar guys are messing around with 7-strings to get deeper bassier sounds, but it doesn't compare. This thing has a wide variety of sounds, so anything goes. Each setting has a distinct differences, plus a stereo option. This thing does a TON!!!

I got this thing used and it was played the hell-out-of!!! The fretboard was still in fine shape,frets, neck, tuners, bridge, all good. The finish was beat-up and coming off in a bunch of areas. This wasn't babied in any way!!! The pots were shot, but otherwise good playing shape. Switches are quiet,neck feels good, overall a decent bass for what its been through.

As I said earlier, this thing was traeted rough and remains a fine instrument.

I have heard nothing but compliments on Carvins and I can see why. Top-notch product hands down, beat-up or new.

This is a 1984 Carvin LB50 4-string bass guitar. Body and (set-in) neck of Eastern Hardrock Maple, Ebony fingerboard with 20 frets, 2 + 2 headstock, Schaller tuners, brass nut. Like all Carvins, it was made in the USA. The original pickups and electronics were two coil-switching Carvin humbuckers, with a host of phase switches and two volume and two tone controls -- and even stereo 1/4 inch output jacks! (I later replaced these with active EMGs in a P-J configuration.) Came with a nice black plush case and some small tools which have come in handy.

The original pickups were, in my opinion, too small for the string spacing. The result was a weak E-string when playing hard fingerstyle, because the string gets pulled far away from the magnets of the bridge, and the attack at the moment of release was therefore missing. All the other strings sounded fantastic. It also sounded great when picking. But I had to replace the pickups because of the above problem -- the EMGs instantly improved the tone drastically. Although I had to give up the coil switches and stereo jacks, I still feel it was the right choice -- why have 85 different tone choices, when you can have one that sounds better than all of them? It was a 7 without the EMGs, but a 9 with them. Now my only complaint is that it sounds "cold" -- but it has great sustain, and with a good powerful amp it cuts cleanly through anything. A very clear, bright sound. I use it as my "D-tuned" bass and it rocks. Not much warmth on the bottom -- but completely mud-free.

If the pickups had been designed wide enough, I would have given it a 10. But that's a serious flaw. Fortunately, Carvin did away with that pickup on their basses long ago. The setup and finish (clear ployurethane over maple) was gorgeous, very shiny. The finish is very tough and shows very few nicks without a close examination. Everything worked great on the bass when it was new.

I have used this bass for 17 years, though not exclusively by any means. The hardware is great; it stays in tune. The finish is tough. I have used it without backup before, but now in these days of alternate tuning that's a moot point. The truss needs very minor adjustments from time to time.

This bass had no problems, but Carvin is very good to deal with for tech support, from my experience with other items.

I have played for over 20 years. My main bass now is an old Musicman with active pickups; the LB50 lacks warmth and output by comparison, but is unbeatable for clarity and sustain. It is still my #2 bass, ahead of my old G & L. If it were stolen, I could never find another one like it, with the EMGs already in. I would not buy another LB50 unless the stock pickups had been replaced -- but an LB50 would make a GREAT project bass for the adventurer.