1995 Carvin LB76 Fretless 6 String Bass

In February of 2009, literally during the recording sessions for Angel Vivaldi's "Speed Of Dark" EP, I stumbled across this bass on Craigslist. I was in the market for a 6 string fretless. I was really opting for another Carvin, and ultimately I wanted a lined fretless, for more accuracy, and for if I decided to get into tapping and such on it. But this bass came up, and I couldn't help but mull it over. The price was right, but it wasn't lined. I wasn't sure if I would like it, and I even discussed the pros and cons of it with my bandmates in the studio.

I was excited about it, just extremely concerned about being able to play it accurately. I figured that I could buy it, try it, and if I didn't like it, I should be able to get what I paid for it if I decided to sell it. Angel was actually the voice of reason in it. He said "If anyone is going to be able to master that bass with no lines, it's gonna be you." He also said something to the effect of "I think you HAVE to buy it."

So, I set off to Brooklyn to check it out. It was a little dusty, but in practically perfect condition, with nary a ding on it. The owner told me that it has spent almost it's entire life on the wall, as he always had upright basses to play when he needed fretless. He also had a fretted Carvin 6 similar to mine when he needed fretted bass. Since it was getting little use, he decided to part with it (he also had just gotten endorsed by NS basses!). I picked it up and after I played it for about 2 seconds I was sold. This bass spoke to me in the exact same way my Universe spoke to me almost exactly 10 years earlier. After I played a few notes, I told him I'd take it. He was playing the level-headed one when he asked "Don't you want to plug it in?" I was like "Oh yeah." So I plugged it in and it worked. That's all I needed. I was sold. He dug out the case for it, and we spent more time counting the money than I actually played it. It was all I needed though.

It quickly became my favorite bass. It has the equivalent of an Ibanez wizard neck. The neck is SO thin, it's actually kind of ridiculous. But it makes it SO easy to play. It has an all Mahogany neck and body, so it has this fullness that counteracts that traditional "fretless honk" type tone. As a matter of fact, with roundwound strings, you almost can't tell it's a fretless. Until you slide of course ;-) But this bass has a big full sound, even direct, that I've never been able to achieve with any other bass I've played. It just hits all the right frequencies to sit perfect in a mix.

In addition to being all Mahogany, it has an ebony fingerboard, and since it's fretless, you can slam the action down with no buzz. It has Sperzel locking tuners so you can change the strings on this bass in about 2 minutes. It also has a Wilkinson bridge. The pickups and electronics are stock, and it sounds so good that way, I have no desire to change them. Again, like the Universe, you don't mess with perfection! :-D

And I needn't have worried. The ease in which I can play this bass has made intonation nearly a non issue. It kinda plays itself!


-={E-Mail Jake}=-