Eric Fickes

Today I received my bass build card from Carvin. Yeah, it’s on.  My funky new baby is expected to be completed on June 24th, 2009.  This will be my third Carvin bass, second 5 string.  Here is all the evidence.

Build card

Finger crossed that Carvin will make this date.

Crude mockups of Carvin #3

Found almost my exact bass over at www.musik-schmidt.de

This is a pretty crude photoshop job, but you get the picture.  The major difference in the actual bass is that I’m getting the satin matte finish instead of the clear finish.  My last Carvin has the clear finish, which looks freaking amazing, but I really didn’t like gigging with this finish.  I sweat like a fat kid, and the back of the neck would get all gunked up and slow if I was gigging a lot.  I’m hoping the satin matte finish is as smooth and fast as I’m hoping it will be.

Carvin #2 LB75A Anniversary Edition ( 1996 )

LB75A Anniversary Edition bass

This was my first really nice bass, and I used the crap out of it.  Not only was it a step up in quality, but it was the first bass that had a real case as well.  That tweed case is pretty sweet, but I opted for the rocker black case this time.  Besides the beauty of this bass, the most notable features for me was the active electronics, and the Dunlop Strap locks.  If you haven’t had Dunlop Straplocks on your guitar yet, go freaking get them.  I played this bass in a handful of bands, most notably my first SKA band as a bassist in NC.  The only beefs I had with this bass was the clear finish, and the bridge.  Other than that, it ruled.  Here are a few more shots of this bass before I sold it in 2008.

Carvin #1 LB70 ( circa 1991 )

This was the Carvin that started it all for me.  A fretless w/inlays LB70 4 string bass.  I really don’t know what I was thinking getting a fretless while playing in a punk rock band.  This bass was really awesome despite the muddy fretless sounds I was kicking.  This was the first neck through body bass I played more than at a music shop.  Once you got neck through body it’s over, you have to stick with that.  The other thing that ruled about this bass was the Sperzel locking tuners.  I don’t know why Carvin doesn’t include these on their basses anymore, but I loved these.  I’d tune up the bass, then lock each string on the backside of the headstock.  Brilliant.  The last thing I loved about this bass was the signage I made for it out of a TacoBell vinyl sticker : “MACKIN”.  I need to find a better shot of this bass to really show of the genius of my handywork.