Contemporary Classic: Carvin Unveils the PB4 & PB5

Carvin knows that almost nothing beats a classic. That is, unless, you drop a 5.8 L Supercharged V8 into it! Then it makes that classic look like a lost schoolgirl. That’s the thinking behind the Carvin PB4 and the PB5.

pb4-closeup-large-1 Taking the classic look that bass players have been using for decades, Carvin’s next generation of basses takes it to the next level for better playability and tone. One of the first things players will notice is the sculpted neck heel. For anyone who’s played them, you’ll remember inexplicably finding a woodblock where the neck meets the body. Presumably, this was in case you decided that there weren’t enough woodblock players out there, because it sure made reaching the higher notes a pain in the ass. Carvin’s idea to sculpt the neck heel is an elegant solution to a long-ignored problem.

Players will also notice that the headstock is tilted and the annoying string trees have been left out. In addition to providing additional tension, the tilted headstock makes a string tree redundant, getting rid of the inherent problems of string drag and tuning issues.

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Similarities?

Both basses have a 34” scale length, 20 frets, Bolt-on Maple neck with a maple or rosewood fingerboard, split single coil pikups, and 1 Volume and 1 Tone control knobs.

Differences?

First lets start with the Fretboard radius. The classic design has a 9.5” radius. Which can feel like wrapping your fingers around a baseball bat. The Carvin PB4 opts for a much flatter 14” radius, which makes moving around the fretboard much easier. The flatter radius, the sculpted neck heel, compounded with a slightly thinner nut width, the PB4 was built for speed. Not to mention, that at 8.25lbs the Carvin model is also lighter than the classic model.

The Carvin PB4 and PB5 include SPC split-coil with Anico Pickups, premium tuners, and Carvin Bridge with adjustable lockdown saddles and string-through-body or top loading.

Overall, the Carvin PB4 and PB5 look to be a welcome upgrade on a classic design. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a classic. It’s just, sometimes, you need something with a little more bite.

You can check out and order Carvin Guitars here:

Carvinguitars.com

 

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