Well, this is a disappointment.
On Friday, Carvin announced a brilliant-looking new “JB” to match their “PB” bolt-neck basses.
Just from the color alone, you know that will have my attention… my newest Vanquish 4-string is still in production in San Diego, so I’m unlikely to order one any time soon, however.
I didn’t think too much about the introduction, until my pal and bassist Patrick messaged me “What happened to Sekou?” Sure enough, the SB series of basses is gone from the Carvin site, replaced with the JB series. This seems like a mistake to me.
To begin with, although the Carvin JB series has a variety of features and improvements to distance it from Leo Fender’s original, none of them are readily apparent when you look at it; it looks like just another clone, same as the Carvin PB. Yes, Carvin has several unique bass designs, including the Bromberg (which they inherited from Dean), the Bunny Brunel, the B40, and now the Vanquish, which is sort of a Knaggs Chena Bass. But that doesn’t mean that the SB wasn’t necessary to the company; in fact, a conversation I had with a Carvin rep in 2011 indicated that the Sekou Bunch basses were the best-selling Carvins of any kind, period.
I have a pair of SBs — an ash-bodied four-string I bought in the Carvin Hollywood store and my all-Koa monster SB5000:
Oh, what a night that was.
Patrick plays his bad-assed Spalted Maple SB5000 in most of our videos, too. I think the SB bodystyle is a marked improvement from the original Jazz Bass. It’s easier to balance, it’s more aggressive and modern-looking.
I dropped Sekou a note via Facebook but I’m not expecting a reply. I do notice that he’s put up a lot lately about personal struggles; he’s also been doing a series of bass lessons online where he is conspicuously not playing an SB, but rather his trusty old JB:
Let’s hope that this is just a bump in the road for everyone involved. In the meantime, if you want one of the five-string models, there’s a solid, if boring-looking, one on eBay. As for mine… not for sale, at any price.*
* under $3,000
The J.B. bass!? Mr. Baruth, is your distinguished visage going to appear in the next Carvin catalog?
Well, as you can see in the photo, I’m missing a certain… something to fill Mr. Bunch’s shoes.
That’s right.
I’m talking about talent.
I don’t think anything could replace my trusty Ric 4001, but that Carvin is awfully pretty.
The JB in your photo is absolutely delicious.
Joe, I was a 4001 player for quite awhile. It has a signature tone you cannot quite get from any other instrument. Over the last couple decades, I’ve gone primarily to the Jazz Bass just because of its overall tonal versatility. Plus, I couldn’t get a decent slap tone out of the Ric no matter what strings I tried. But you can’t beat the Ric for classic rock, finger style or pick. The Ric-o-Sound split signal is the 4001’s plat de résistance.