Well, this was a real budget-buster of a bass.
Carvin’s been on a new-model tear lately, and two of those new models are explicit riffs on the Knaggs Chesapeake Severn Tier 1, as seen here:
Joe Knaggs came up with the idea of a “beveled body” with a different finish on the beveled portion. The new Carvins do the same thing, as you can see. It’s not as elegant as the Knaggs bevel, nor quite as well executed, but the pricing is substantially different; a Severn Tier 1 is every bit of six grand new and it’s hard to spec these Carvins even to $2500.
Hard, but not impossible. The V49K you see above has a extra-plus-grade burl maple top and a flamed koa body beneath the slightly transparent blue finish. How’s it look in person? Stunning. How’s it sound? Even better. As soon as I can get a couple people together to play some music I’ll show you. It really is the most playable, best-sounding bass I’ve bought yet. At the very least it’s on par with my Brombergs, which for a bolt-neck bass is really saying something.
And from a distance it’s even kind of subtle looking. It avoids the PRS furniture-guitar thing by hiding the complex wood grain beneath deep finishes. I’m pretty thrilled, is all I can say!
I’m not a guitar player by any means, but I love seeing the craftsmanship in the instruments you show here..
However, below the pickup, is that a logo, a smear of dried blood, or something else? You can see it best in the top photo…
It’s a particularly dark burl. If you look you can see them elsewhere on the guitar.
I like the idea of it being dried blood.
2 things. First, of course I will come over and help you play the new bass to show off on a Wednesday night video. And second, for as many nice guitars as you have, you need to go to a remedial guitar photography class! Not a single great look at the wood in any shot.
With a Porsche backdrop, no less! Dayum.
Jack, may I have some of your excess money if you won’t be needing all of it? Thanks in advance for any consideration.