Carvin LB70 Bass

Mine is a 1989 or 1990 stereo output model. The stock pickups were older stacked humbuckers, different than their current ones. The electronics were older Carvin active electronics- because it is a stereo bass, the treble + bass knobs were cut/ boost style tone controls (like Fender TBX control), or at least it seems that way. It had a bright switch for the bridge pickup and a deep switch for the neck pickup as well as a phase switch (kind of pointless on a bass I think). It has an awesome fully adjustable bridge, which even adjusts string spacing. Awesome neck- through with perfect finish (after 15 years!). The finish is a cherry red/ yellow sunburst, it is beautiful! (in an 80s kinda way) It also has a rare reversed Jackson- style headstock. I love the 2 octave fretboard. Capable of ridiculously low action with no buzz even with heavy gauge strings! It is the smoothest playing neck I have ever played, all the way up to the 2nd octave!

I use through an Ampeg SVT Classic amp and 810 cabinet with a Keeley modified Rat pedal for overdrive (I highly reccomend this modded Rat for bass overdrive!). I play in a prog- metal band now, but have used it for indie rock, classic rock, jazz rock, psychadelic, etc... Carvin electronics have a really bad reputation, I haven't tried the newer electronics but these older ones are not that hot. Only with both the bright and deep switches engaged could I get a sound I liked, the pickups were very thin and the electronics very quiet (volume and noise-wise), especially for active ones. Having said that, when I found a sound I liked, it was fantastic, it just wasn't versatile enough with the old electronics. After about 2 years using the same tone (this has been my main bass), I switched the pickups out for Dimarzio Model J's and put in all passive electronics (2 volume knobs, 2 tone knobs, as well as series/ parallel switches for both pickups and one for both pickups combined). With the new electronics it is amazingly versatile, way more natural and raw sounding, and much louder as well (I highly recommend the change- the series parallel switching gives the pickups infinitely more versatility). The bass has amazing sustain and very clear notes acoustically, and these new pickups accentuate the natural sound of the bass far better, the only problem is increased noise, but it is worth it! so I would give the sound of this bass with new pickups a 10, but with the originals a 6.

I bought this bass when it was about 10 years old, so I can't comment on the original setup. It is capable of amazingly low action even with heavy strings. I only need to adjust the neck 2 or 3 times a year, no problems. The finish has held up to 15 years of playing with only some belt rash, very tough! The wood is very beautiful and seems to be very high quality.

For about a year I rode to practices on my bike with this bass in a messenger bag that I modified to hold it well (I know this was a stupid, stupid idea); despite this extra strain on the neck on a regular basis, I hardly ever needed to adjust the neck and it was still in tune more often than not. I play very hard and don't treat my basses like I treat women, I have dropped this bass, knocked it against things, etc... quite a bit and it still blows people away at every show no problem, I never bring a backup.

I have never had service for this bass, but have dealt with Carvin before and they were very helpful (though the quality of their gear can be very inconsistent in my experience, so customer service better be good!).

I have been playing bass for 10 years now and own 5 other basses at the moment, but this is my main instrument! The quality of these basses apart from the electronics is amazing, especially considering how cheap you can buy a used one (early 90s ones are even less!). I highly recommend finding a cheap used LB-70 and changing out the electronics, it's like an American Jazz bass times 10 in my opinion and for around the same price or less. I don't understand why so many people can be frustrated with something like pickups which are so easy to change! The worst part is that I would not have bought this myself if I had read all of the silly trash- talking before hand.

5 piece neck thru birdseye board with abalone dots. Swamp ash sides. Black hardware. Active with a humbucker in the bridge position.

Didn't play it enough to form a valid opinion.

Very well made. Only flaw, if you could call it that, was some odd diagonal grain patterns in one section of the ash. It look as though there were grooves or deep scratches if you looked at it from a distance. Other than that the build quality was top notch.

Returned.

This is where the good stuff ends. I ordered this bass online. It arrived 1 1/2 months later with the wrong neck option. 5mw instead of the 5wm I wanted. The guy at Carvin was nice enough to let me keep the bass until they built the right one. While I had this guy on the line I changed some of my options. I opted for the LB70P version with 2 humbuckers. 2 months later the bass arrived and when I openned the box expecting to see this beauty BAM! WRONG OPTIONS! Oh wait I shouldn't say that the neck was right this time but no humbuckers and no piezo option WTF! I called Carvin again they couldn't understand what happened gee wizz. They said they would get back to me. They didn't. I called to have them take these basses back. They even screwed that up too. One UPS packing slip for 2 boxes DUH! I had to call back again to get that straightened out. Not once during this 4 or so months was there any overture on they're part to try and keep my business. So great job guys.

Carvin makes great stuff. I bought my first real guitar from them back in 1984 a V-220. Pissah guitah. I'm mostly writing this review to warn people to make sure, when they order to have these guys repeat the options back to you at least twice since I had the guy repeat the change of options on the second bass only once and BAM! Go figure.

1988 or 89 made in USA. Similar to all the other LB70's to a great extent. Has passive electronics (H13B stacked humbucker P/U's--only used in 88 and 89 from what I can tell). Coil splitter micro switches and a phase switch. Volume and tone for each P/U. Abalone dot markers, excellent neck, upgraded gold hardware, Koa sides on the neck-thru maple. Cool 80's pointy headstock. Came with the best case I have ever seen on a production guitar.

Carvin claims a "piano-like" sound for this bass. Not sure what that is, exactly, but I think they must've nailed it. Outstanding sound--outstanding array of possible sounds---just by switching back and forth between the combinations of single and humbucker between the neck and bridge, then toss in the phase switch (and we haven't even gotten to the tone controls yet), pretty amazing. Why Carvin stopped offering the H13B (other than to keep up with the Jones') baffles me--active couldn't possibly be that much better. My tech was amazed by how hot the neck P/U was, in particular. I guess if you want the new metal get down to crack the foundation rumble, this ain't gonna do it. Otherwise, I think it sounds very clear and precise--excellent tone, killer sustain.

Outstanding effort by whomever built this. Custom built quality. My only minor gripe is the too glossy clear top coat, but that could be just me, or the style of finish on natural wood has changed since the late 80's. Can't beef about any of the workmanship, fit, finish--except a couple of frets in the middle of the neck are slightly high, so a point off for that--otherwise a 10. Even the gold still is untarnished...
The action was incredibly low when I first got it. I know Carvin is proud of their low action, but..... My tech raised it considerably, but not objectionably (while trying to get around that slight mid neck buzz without a fret level--although I may still do that, anyway). Action is still plenty low, and the bass sounds much, much better--huge improvement. If you have a similar bass-try bumping up the action a little and playing with the P/U height--I'll bet you'll be amazed at the difference in sound quality.

Great instrument--still looks great after all these years. Switches, tuners, bridge, pots--all still almost like new. Nothing is going to happen to it while in the case--what a great case! Rock solid and the bass fits like the case was actually made for it (unlike most cases). This bass is built like an anvil (I would hate to drop it to verify my "anvil" comment, but who's to say it hasn't bounced around some over the years?). I would be more afraid of it leaving a gig with a new "owner" than it quitting on me.

I have a friend at Carvin, so I'm sure if I have a problem it will be taken care of. Otherwise, no experience with them. Don't really anticipate ever calling my friend about this, anyway.

I was looking for a pro quality bass. I think this Carvin is certainly in that category. I am a sucker for Koa, so I had to have this, even if I was wrong about the quality. I wasn't, I would recommend Carvin to anyone looking for a different, well made bass.

2002 USA Made Custom. Maple neck-thru with alder body wings, ebony fingerboard with mother-of-pearl block inlays, gold hardware, 24 frets, 2 active humbucking J-style pickups (H50N), 1 volume, 1 pickup pan, 1 active bass, 1 active mid, 1 active treble. Got mine with a transparent sapphire blue finish on a quilted maple top with matching headstock. It has string-thru body bridge and I had the Hipshot drop-tuner and straplocks added. Can't forget the engraved truss rod cover (JC Bass) <grin>. I got this bass made to order...so as far as I'm concerned it maxes out in this category because Carvin is great at providing plenty of options...and if they don't, just ask, they very well may be able to accomodate what you want!

I play in a classic rock band and have done some hard rock stuff as well. I play it through a BOSS GT-6B into my Peavey FireBass 700 into a 2x10 and 1x15 Avatar stack. At first it seems to take the active preamp some time to warmup, and until it does there is some static at the output jack. After it's warm, there is no noise at all. You can dial in any sound you want with this preamp. Running direct into a recorder is easy, and the sound is wonderfully warm. My only real complaint here is the static at startup with this bass. I usally plug the cord in before I start setting everything else up and it's not a problem.

Ok...I pulled the bass out of the box and started playing. Intonation was set dead on, and after setting the neck (hey...it'd traveled cross country from the west coast to the midwest...the neck needed adjusting) I was totally happy with the appearance of the bass. It was absolutely beautiful...all I had hoped for and more. I fell in love immediately. The finish seems to be a bit thin...it doesn't take much to chip the clear. I have three or four places on the bass now just from where I have changed strings and the ball end of the string has banged against the body. Overall, with some extra caution, I've been able to avoid this problem. The finish on my Hondo and Washburn seem to be more durable.

I play this baby live...no backup. Have been for almost 3 years now, and have NEVER had a single problem with it live. The bass seems very solid, and with proper maintenance should last for my playing life. As stated above, the clear finish seems a bit thin, but an instrument isn't truly 'yours' until it has character marks! It took a while for me to realize this, but then I started looking at pro musician's instruments and have noticed that they aren't showroom perfect either. I usually don't have to adjust the truss rod at all...the weather changes here are generall pretty mild and it just doesn't need it.

When I got the bass, they had installed the straplock buttons, but didn't send the parts that attached to strap. I called, and inside of 3 days had not only the parts that attach to the strap, but a set of extra buttons! At one point I was concerned that my neck might be warped because I had some weird fret buzz. Called them and they told me to send it back. I boxed it up, sent it in, and was contacted in less than a week telling me that there was nothing wrong and that they were shipping it back. Got it back, with only paying shipping one way. Everytime I have ordered anything from them, they have always been very helpful and when things have been missing, they have jumped to it and got it sent out ASAP.

I've been playing bass for 15 years and have had a variety of equipment. I have Hondo, Washburn and Ovation basses, and play through the above mentioned rig. I also have a Laney HC50B practice amp at home and a Zoom 506. I love this bass...there's no questions there. It's my baby and is played almost exclusively right now. When I wanted this bass, I went options shopping and tried out a variety of basses from Fender to Warwick. There was no single bass that measured up to what I got from Carvin. I hate the static in the electronics, but patience is a virtue, and after a minute or so, it goes away. If someone were to steal this bass, I would spend some serious time hunting them down and then beat them to death with my Hondo. NOBODY takes my baby. I have been pondering the addition of a 5-string to my collection, and the LB75 from Carvin is looking pretty dang good right now. I would definitely look at Carvin again for future purchases.

Ordered with custom options from the San Diego factory in January of 2004. Four-string, 24 frets. Neck-through body design. Neck is 34" scale, 5-piece Maple with two Koa stripes. Controls include the usual volume, pickup blend and three band equalizer. Has a humbucker (w/split-coil switch) at the bridge and a jazz (J99) pickup at the neck position. Active electronics that can be easily switched to passive mode by pulling up on the volume control. Went with Carvin's standard alder body and chose a translucent blueburst finish to show off the 5 piece neck. Black chrome hardware includes the standard Carvin premium 20:1 ratio tuners and a Hipshot bridge with strings fed through body. The fretboard is ebony with abalone block inlays.

I was extremely surprised by how big and fat the sound can get by simply dialing it in with the electronics. If you want 'rumble', look no further, the LB70 with this pickup configuration is definitely for you! My cheaper Ibanez (active) bass doesn't sound nearly as good with the same amp settings. Between the three band EQ and the split coil switch, you should be able to get any sound you are looking for.

Carvin does a great set-up job at the factory. Everything was adjusted perfectly and the low action is great. Have found no flaws in the two months I have owned it.

Overall, this bass will definitely withstand the rigors of playing gigs. Although the translucent finish is beautiful, I've already found a couple flaws (tiny dent and very small nick) that were definitely not there when I received it, yet I have no idea exactly how or when they got there, so I'm not sure if the finish is weaker than I expected or I have been less careful than I thought I was. It's probably just me. I'll give Carvin the benefit of the doubt and rate this category a nine.

Although I haven't had to use it, Carvin is well known for their customer service and support which was certainly a factor in my decision to purchase. However, I cannot offer an experienced opinion for this category.

Been playing off and on for about 20 years now and this is without a doubt the best bass I have ever played and/or owned. The fact that I have since purchased another similar Carvin LB70 and a Carvin acoustic/electric AC40 should speak volumes about how I feel about Carvin products. I ordered it exactly the way I wanted it and Carvin nailed the build and exceeded every expectation. I absolutely LOVE everything about it. If god forbid it were stolen, I would have to place an exact duplicate order.

Being a lefty in a right-handed world..
is tough..being a lefty bassist looking 4 a quality instrument
w/o speding tons of loot..fugeddaboutit!
--ordered the carvin LB70,KOA wood w/a tung oil finish,(4 string)
black hard-ware..in 1994..
and this instument has stood the test of time! (2004 now)

I was a hard rock bassist(finger style)
so the tone + punch were right there
I use a crown power amp to a carvin pro bass 15 pre-amp
hartke 4-10 top carvin 1-15 bottom-(old school)
adjust the bass knob (on the bass)to almost full
keep all the other knobs flat..+ i'm ready 4 take off!

Being it's wood//
I have to adjust my neck
due to seasonal changes
sometimes the neck bends so much..it's scary
but I never had a problem w/it after adjustment time
but this process can be pricey if you don't do it your-self
no problems with the wilkinson bride..pretty good for ten years
of abuse!

when I 1st got this bass the wood was fairly light
in color..my aggressive playing style left nail scratches
on the finish..+ years of slamming this machine..I have gouged out
some of the wood on the finish..At 1st I freaked out..so I bought
old english scratch cover..it bought the fire out..but after
years of using the old english (for dark wood)
my bass looks like an old rustic antique wood finish...
which I absolutely love to death..and my nail gouges ..add
that much more personality to that bass,,I removed the strap locks
put D-rings on + for live play use a stainless steel chain
as my strap..(I don't recommend this+ playing over 40 minutes at a
time will cripple you!)...but man it sure looks cool!

Those guys new how to take care of this lefty!

the bass + the sound of it ..have always been the envy
of my pears...I currently tune down to C
+ play industrial music..sometimes with loads of distortion
puking out of it..+ it handles anything!
just wish (back then) it would of had an active/passive mode
would of saved me of 1 embarrassing moment on stage..
my fault 4 not checking the battery..

2003 USA
J99 neck P/U with HB2 bridge P/U.
Finish is tobacco sunburst over Swamp Ash body sides. The finish is a high gloss witch is perfect, but the tobacco sunburst is a little darker than I expected. It really is more of a brown sunburst.
Gold Hardware.
Hardshell case included.
Bass has a really sweet sound and active tone controls are easy to use and work well.
Neck is nice, has a nice feel to it.

I have various styles to my playing and this bass has a sweet spot for all of them.
I have an Ampeg Combo solid state which this bass is really bright punchy sound, and also a Sunn All tube amp with 4x10 cab which it gets a very warm sound . The bass has a deep growl to it.
I like the wide range of sounds the bass is able to get.

Set up from the factory was a little high, but a twist of the tension adjustment and it was right for me. This was done purposely, I'm sure to account for the climate changes it would go through during shipping, so I applaud the guys in manufacturing.
The construction of the bass was Flawless!
I searched, but could not find any flaws on this instrument.

I have only had the bass a short time so I am not sure about durability.
But I have no doubt that it is made to last.

I called the company after my account had been debited for the remaining cost of the bass and asked if it had been shipped and when I could expect delivery. The person took my # and said he would call me back. I didn't really expect him to but he did and answered both questions.
Hurrah! for True customer service.

I looked at many other neck-thrus before buying this bass and really would like to get an Alembic or Ken Smith bass.
I've been playing for over twenty years and this bass satisfies my desire for a high-end instrument.
For my money though, I could not find a better deal on an American made bass with the features, sound, and perfect construction of ths fine instrument.
I would buy another if this was lost.

Your basic LB70 features plus just about every option they offered. This one is a '97 Koa body with 5-piece maple/koa neck (beautiful flame koa stripes), gold hardware, mid control (option required for:)2-TEK bridge, round body,matching headstock,straplocks, name on truss cover, tung oil finish (so warm).
The only thing that ever bothered me was when the 1998 basses were introduced with new electronics 3 weeks after i got mine... more down lower.

I have to say this is the most versatile instrument i've ever laid hands on (and i've been kicked out of the 'mega stores' more times than i care to mention). the P-bass impression was pretty nice at first, as were all the sounds. It had a real nice dry 'bass' tone to it, full frequency with no harsh anything. But, i wore out the volume knob after 3 years and did what i always wanted to do: I put in the upgraded circuitry. Suddenly, my wonderful bag-full-of-tone turned into a mile-deep bag-full-of-tone. there was just "more" everything, and the middle positions were USEFUL.

Almost perfect. Of course, the wood shrinks a bit in Minnesota winters, so the frets hang out just enough to chew on the hand a bit. but that's only 8 months out of the year. (the other 4 months are what we call 'poor sledding', you call it 'summer')

TOUGH! Really well built insturment. I've tried SO hard to kill it, but it just won't die. I had the volume knob wear out once, but that was my fault, i kinda wanted it to, and i'm pretty hard on volume knobs anyways.

yeah...
Better than most companies, but you still get an a-hole once in a while. good job, though.

Find something better for less money. I dare you.

I treat it well, and it's never let me down.

I bought an LB 70 off E- Bay a few months ago. I bought it for around $400, which I thought was a pretty good deal considering it was about 3 years old. One J style pickup and a Humbucker with a split coil switch. I had wanted to try a bass with active electronics and having played a Carvin Bass a few times in the past felt pretty good about their quality. I think I got lucky. The bass was in mint condition and had a neck thru body and after a few neck adjustments it was great

Has a great sound. Just what I was looking for. The pots used in the guitar are great. Click to the middle and smooth. Very impressed with the active electroncics and the sound available.

That was the most impressive thing to me. The finish was flawless and the fit and finish was impressive. The cavity for the active elections was neat and the copper sheeting around it was perfect. The fit and finish was the most impressive thing about this guitar, especially since I bought it used and thought I might be buying someone else's problem.

Everything appears solid on this bass, but I have only had it for 6 weeks and haven't gigged with it yet. My Guild Hollow Body is still my Favorite, although the Carvin is much more than I expected. I was just looking for a back-up, and I got a great bass instead.

Having bought the bass used, I haven't tried the customer service at Carvin.

I have to say I was impressed with the Carvin Bass. I was kicking myself when I first purchased it off E-Bay, but after I got the set up right I am loving it. I have only had it for 6 weeks, so I don't know if the Love will last, but so far so good. For the price I paid I think I did the right thing. I am thinking about purchasing a new 4 or 5 string from Carvin after owning this bass.

My Carvin bass is actually a bit of a hybrid. I purchased it from the store in Hollywood in 1993 - just as they were phasing out the switch package and stereo wiring (as per the Carvin DC200 guitar) that had been standard during the late 80's & early 90's. I really wanted those features - but I also wanted active electronics. The sales guy said I couldn't have both. So I opted for the switch package and stereo wiring and kept the pickups passive, figuring it would be easier to upgrade to active electronics later than it would be to re-route the instrument to install new switches and a second output jack. So technically, my instrument is a factory-modified LB20 - not an LB70. But it comes closer in structure and sound to an LB70 than anything else, so that's the category in which I'm reviewing it...

So as purchased, the instrument featured a Wilkinson bridge (ugh!), Sperzel locking tuners (yes!), two-octave 24-fret ebony fingerboard, Carvin's HBON stacked humbucker pickups (without the internal pre-amp), rear flip-top battery compartment, classic white paint job with matching headstock, black hardware and mother-of-pearl block inlays on the fretboard. And it has two volume pots and two tone pots - one each for each pickup - like a Rickenbacker 4001/4003. It's quite a looker!

Ten years later, it's still a work in progress. I've since swapped out the pickups for a pair of EMG-J active single coils, and have dumped the Wilkinson bridge for a nice solid BadAss bridge - which alone has improved the tone of the instrument 100%, making it much more solid, deep & punchy. Personally, I don't recommend purchasing a Carvin bass with passive pickups/electronics - at least if it has the H50Ns. The tone is just too lame. But with the pre-amp - now that's a different story...

Since my teens, I have been enamoured of progressive rock/pop - a style I still enjoy quite a bit. And my two favorite bassists of all time remain Chris Squire and Paul McCartney. I have owned a Rickenbaker 4001 bass on a couple of previous occasions and have loved it. And yet, I always had a sense of the limitations of the instrument and of the need to have an instrument that would be more versatile and well-rounded...

When I purchased my Carvin, I honestly was trying to re-create the best of the Rickenbacker sound - but with hopefully more bottom end. Carvin basses are known for their clarity, brightness and sustain - due to the hard rock maple neck-through construction, among other features. But they're also rather deeper in tone than your typical Rick...

Sure enough, that's what I got when I took delivery weeks later - punch, clarity, brightness and ringing sustain with nice overtones - but with more fundamental low end.

Actually, at the time I purchased this, Carvin was making the glued-on body wings out of poplar wood - a practice they have since discontinued in favor of alder as their standard option for body construction. They had previously made the bodies out of maple - an option I had seriously considered in order to maximize the brightness and attack of the instrument. But in the end, I was persuaded to not do that - mostly because I didn't want to take a chance on losing any low-end resonance, plus I knew the instrument would be significantly heavier as a result. And I think it was the right choice, as the instrument I now own probably does have the best of both worlds, tonally speaking. During the past two-three years however, Carvin has begun offering swamp ash as a lightweight alternative to maple to those who really want to go for a lighter, brighter tone. Something to keep in mind...

No issues with the workmanship whatsoever. Excellent construction, look & feel. I had it shipped cross-country from California to North Carolina, and it arrived set up with a nice, precise, low action - just the way I like it. First rate. A class act.

All in all, a well put-together instrument that has continued to hold up very well. I tend to baby my equipment anyway, so ten years after having purchased my bass, there's still nary a scratch on it - just a tiny chip that was taken out of the finish when one day I accidentally knocked it off its stand. So I had to take it to see Roger Sadowsky, who applied some sealant in order to keep moisture out so it wouldn't infiltrate the wood and begin to cause problems down the line...

The only minor niggle is that the neck seems to be rather sensitive to environmental changes, so during periods of heavy weather (i.e. cold rainy days followed by hot dry days - believe me, we get 'em here in New York), I sometimes have to tweak the truss rod as often as every other day in order to preserve my ideal action. It makes no sense raising and lowering the bridge saddles - that's not what's causing it. I'm told that the multi-layer wood necks that Carvin now offers as a standard option in its newer basses tends to cut down on the need to tweak the truss rod so much. But as for me, I gotta do it, 'cause it really messes with my playing style if I don't. All in all, it's a small price to pay for having an instrument that otherwise suits my needs so well...

I have been dealing with Carvin to one degree or another since 1977, when I purchased my first item of gear from them - a bass rig consisting of a 125-watt solid state head and a cabinet with two 15s - pretty cheesy by contemporary standards. And not even that swift by 1977 standards. But they've come a long way since then...

In general, I have always found Carvin reps to be very customer-responsive and downright amiable. Things have generally changed in recent years as the Carvin brand has begun to really skyrocket in popularity and demand. For one thing, they're not as willing to "color outside the lines", making product options available to you on a truly one-off, custom basis as they onetime did. But that's because they're trying to stay in mass-production mode, so they can crank out more product and make their profit on volume. It's schmucks like me who are always trying to pull them away from their business model...

Though I really shouldn't state this publicly, they sometimes will still make exceptions to their standard operating procedures, depending on whom you ask, when you happen to reach them, and how reasonable your request is. Though they're mostly very friendly and very knowledgeable, I would still recommend really doing your homework before getting 'em on the phone. First order a copy of their catalog and read it thoroughly or study their website, so you can ask intelligent questions. If they can tell that you understand what you're asking about, I believe that makes a BIG difference in the way you'll be perceived when you talk with them...

I'm playing my Carvin bass through an Eden Nemesis NC-410P 200-watt 4x10 combo, with an ART BCC multi-effects processor. I very much enjoy experiementing with sounds - I'm not strictly a plug-in-and-play bassist - so the Carvin works well with my creative approach.

I expect to soon purchase a Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI - to warm up my sound and add more gain and tube-style harmonic colour, as well as provide expanded options for recording. Am looking forward to that. And FYI, this summer I will also be purchasing a Carvin LB70F fretless four-string - also in classic white with black hardware - to complement my fretted instrument. That's how sold I am on Carvins...