ICON 6 Bass overview

[Shilinsky]

What's the tuning of that bass ???

 Great vids.

[SpaceVulcan]

4:13 string pressure on the piezo may be influenced by a top-load bridge, just a thought....

[ApexSkate]

were do you get theese

[adrian5b]

I don't really love active basses, but I gotta agree they do have that punch

[carlstockmal]

Thanks for the review and jam, Jeff. I bought 2 Carvin LB76's used on Ebay, Blue & Green. They're both solid, reliable axes, & have great tonal control for 70's low-fi bottomy bass or gutsy Entwistle piano string tone. I just watched a Ken Burns Jazz DVD with Bird, Monk, Diz, Duke, etc. Seems that far-out, strange-techniqued cats are not a new thing. 50 years later, we still can't figure out why different approaches & techniques are so appealing. Piccolo/lefty/upside down.... I love it!

[TheBassMan533]

sounds pretty damn good jeff.

why dont we see you perform with this bass in any of your vids?

: (

[Jpkrao]

I own 2 customized Carvin (BB76P and BB76P-fretless). I did not ruin myself to buy them! great product at a relatively affordable price! The sound is terrific, better than what my active 6-strings Ibanez SDGR or my active 5-strings Epiphone can produce. I like the attention to details demonstrated on these basses by Carvin!

[awfulguitarplucker]

even when wankin,still awestruckin'!

[Pinstripedtie]

Don't really like Carvin stuff. Had it a couple of times and end up returning it. I had two bum amp heads in a row from them. i no longer purchase from that company.

[awfulguitarplucker]

wow! with piezo it sounds like a baritone acoustic guitar..so cool!

[greyfoxzero]

I had a carvin bass with a maple fretboard, the neck warped and the electronics were terrible. The bass sounded good recorded but its no where near the quality that they make you think it is. I should have listened when I heard people said they were no where near the better american basses out there. Plus looking at this vid you can see the epic fail on the single truss rod on a six string neck, seriously?

[sify11]

lots of eq and stuff, but still i dont like the sound :/

[3DEC3]

Carvin makes piccolo basses?

[rainerlein]

dude, a lefthand bass with up side down strings, why that? have you started playing a right handed bass just turned over? i am a lefty player playing like a lefty does.

greets from germany

[MetalBassist6]

@rainerlein im a left handed bass player too and i play like a lefty does. Left handed basses are really rare and do you know like a good website to find them?

[Prof3ssrBrando]

@rainerlein

He started out on a right handed bass,

so when he bought a left-handed, he was

already used to the strings of a right.

[3DEC3]

I think the bass was restrung backwards.

[loagiedaiblo69]

thats a pretty good looking bass how much is it?

[tsup77]

@loagiedaiblo69 Depends on what options you go with, anywhere from like 900 to 1600ish? You can build a bass on carvins website and see whats in your price range

[Theseventhknight]

it's strung as a piccolo bass.

also, @ charlesruiz2000... what a surprise--you're being paid by carvin and you like the bass.

[lalaosd]

why is the lowest string on the bottom?

[3DEC3]

I was wondering the same thing... yet its obvious that the instrument is being played on the right side because the longer cut away is on the top. Kind of weird... not sure whats going on.

[Peppeblackmetal]

OK great player but.....wasnt easier to get a guitar?

There are a lot of "bass heroes" but they sounds like bass players, this sounds like a guitar!

[knumorvid]

why is the lowest string tuned F#??

[EnterJustice]

What's the problem? Musicians have been using alternate tunings even before there was anything like a "standard tuning".

[knumorvid]

but there is actually something called a "standard tuning" now, and i found it odd that the string tuning wasn't standard since this is a review

[EnterJustice]

Yeah, well.. J. Schmidt is known for using alternate tunings. Guess he was lazy.

[charlesruiz2000]

I like the bass, but the playing is even better. I'm now endorsed by Carvin, so that's cool.

[sezabass]

7:57 - shows the magnificent sound of a piccolo bass!

[dedemengao19]

the book is on the table!

huahuahua

[steweDbass]

Your obligatory masturbation sounds almost better than sex......inspiring stuff ;0 )

[melhakim]

I had a friend who had like 6 carvins. I never really liked them. But this video shows that it does have a wide range of tones.

[puppetmetal]

Dude, thanks for making this vid, it really helped me out a lot!

[Thatguy301]

That's the best I've ever heard a carvin sound. Looks like you've ot a nice bass there :)

[KicknStep]

Thanks Jeff.. I've been wondering about those. I appreciate this vid!

[carolmandersen]

yo it might just be me but is your bass upside down are the strings put on backwards? im just wondering.

[FunkyDice444]

hahahahaha nice buzzing noise it really sounds awsome with the gay thinning amp....

incase your stupid im being sarcastic.....

[BurnToFade]

through what are you playing it? it does sound kinda thin.. I've played an Icon5 a few days ago and it sounded fuller and beefier :/

[Joshplaysinstruments]

It's probably the youtube compression.

[JAldwin]

Basically, Zoinkz112 isn't seeing things! ; )

[JAldwin]

Jeff does play "lefty". However, he strings his instruments (usually) as it would appear if you had a righ-handed bass flipped around. That is: B-string on the bottom progressing higher to E, A, D, G, +C on top.

I don't know what the matter is with this bass, but I know we've probably all heard better Carvins'. Personally I think it's a bad combination of woods. Also, there are a lot of seperate pieces of wood on here that necessitate the application of more and more adhesive.

[funkmetalbass]

It's a piccolo bass. It's most likely strung up from A-Bb (low to high). That is most definitely NOT a low B on there.

[JAldwin]

Perhaps E, A, D, G, C, F?

[leeboy4live]

well that would just be defeating the purpose of the "BASS" guitar

haha

[TheMetaphoric]

Bass with piccolos sounds way better than a guitar w/ drop tuning imo. Schmidt's sound is far superior to Kaki & or Justin King.

Playability is more flexible with bass too (slap guitar sounds and plays like garbage unless you're Regi Wooten).

...just sayin'.

[RebornThroughHate]

I'm sorry, but this bass sounds really bad to my ears. Thin and just "cheap". I like how Bunny's fretless sounds, so this is not necessarily a jab at Carvin. I think Jeff should stick with Pedulla - WONDERFUL basses.

[zoinkz112]

This bass seems to be strung backwards. : \

[Childinfaith]

It's not, he's holding it left handedly

[zoinkz112]

I know but look at the strings, it seems like a string nearest to his knee it the lowest when regardless of begin left or right handed it should be on top. Maybe it's because he's using piccolo strings?

[Childinfaith]

nawh, my bass is a normal bass and it's strung the same way. This actually bothered me enough to go and compare my bass to how he's holding it.

[TheBassMan533]

@zoinkz112 no, stupid.

the strings are upside down because when he was little he was smart, so instead of buying a left handed bass, he bought a right handed bass and just flipped it and learnt to play that way.

now, he can afford an amazing lefty bass but he just flips the strings.

[zoinkz112]

@TheBassMan533 suck my dick

[jjoel90]

seems to buzz alot though

[Ghul]

passiv,-active, can anybody hear the difference?

[Tenebraebass]

Active have more output power, but it runs on 9v batteries.

[awaketheborndead]

why is the the eq where it is it would get in the way of your hands unless he plays left with out switching where the string are( you know thickest at the top smallest at the bottom close to the eq)

[sexberg00]

what a fag

[DoughnutGG]

really? what makes him a fag?

[sexberg00]

its just a long boring vid.

[NreeKelBastardos]

then don't watch it you stupid cunt.

[NreeKelBastardos]

sorry this was my reply to the comment below about this being a boring vid .... Jeff's such a monster of a player... If you're thinking of buying an Icon 6 this is a very useful vid!

[befrankis]

iv heard it before and its pronousced pi-zo

[vibhaspatil002]

i am considering going in for a 6 string bass....i was hoping to get some feedback on the carvin basses...also , any1 here played a yamaha trb1006 ? i've heard its good...thankx

[movblade]

Carvin basses and guitars are fantastic! I have a Carvin LB-76 (6 string) bass that I bought on eBay for a few hundred bucks and I'm more than satisfied. Bottom line: forget the Yamaha and get a Carvin!!!

[sexberg00]

yamaha 4 life bitch i got a five string from yamaha and its a beast it cant be beat!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bigbassalex]

I honestly dont understand why people dont like Carvins magnetic pickups. I think they sound pretty darn good. Theyre not Bartolinis, but hey.

[dudleythemoose]

pee-ehz-oh

not pie-zoh

[downcat]

piezo is pronounced "pee-et-so" not "pi-zo". it comes from ancient greek meaning to press.

[wbwillie]

sounds pretty good for someone who has the strings upside down, I wouldn't be able to play a bass like that anymore

[samthekatalyst]

mark hoppus is a faggot who couldnt play a bass worth his life.

[aestheticpikachu]

i still havent seen jeff use it yet. haha.

[RushAreGreat]

you sound like mark hoppus

[DavcomBass]

Excellant solo piece at the end! Looks like you learned how to use the exstra string!

[PhuckHue]

you get more sustain and a thicker tone when the strings go through the body

[9r9t3]

Glad to see some Carvin love on YouTube.

A neck-thru bass with maple/koa neck isn't going to sound like a bolt-on bass with an alder body. Just FYI.

[woloschuk123]

how come the low string is on the bottom

[alexthewildebeest]

He's left handed and plays the bass upside-down.

[MeisterFeist]

When he grew up he played a right handed bass lefty (there were no lefty basses around for him to play) and he didn't restring it correctly because no one told him to. When he returned to bass playing years later he kept playing it like this.

[panefuldeath]

is that fact? or just a guess? cause that was my guess too :P

[JAldwin]

Sadly, the adhesives used DO NOT resonate. They actually inhibit vibrations which is probably just one reason you didn't get the "organic" sound you like. Some may argue this, but please consider: 45.375" (length)x 1.625" (thickness) = 73.734" x4 (for each layer of adhesive) = 294.937" of adhesive in the construction of the neck alone. Ouch!

[Marlowann]

Sounds kind of like "numb." Not exactly the same, though.

[JAldwin]

Does the MTD shown have an extra wide neck?

[JAldwin]

Nevermind that as I've researched MTD myself. Nice stuff though!

[dudemanplus]

that last comment was for jonsey btw

[wackiirahki]

great review...extremely helpful(yeah that coil split souunds weird, but i'm still getting a carvin)>

[Jpb90k]

Yes! An American that uses the word "wanking". Top notch. Full respect.

[adurgaram]

nice going very good review i want 2 see one of your mtd hahahahaha

[Lasdferret]

Mmmmmm... MTD

[wftorres43]

This is an Excellent Demonstration of how to get the different sounds of the New ICON 6 String Electric Hand Bass and it's Acoustic Properties and So on. My Brother plays left-handed Acoustic and Electric Bass very similar to the way you set your strings on your bass. This is a Very Impressive Video, and very Imformative. Really Nice Man!

Latin Baby Bass player "Freddy Torres".

[jonsey577]

Can someone please explain the Piezo bridge to me? Where can I find them? Install them? are they expensive??

Thanks

[dudemanplus]

Piezo bridges are basically an acoustic pickup. Acoustic-electric guitars use em. i'm not sure exactly what they use, but it basically takes the vibration directly off the string, instead of picking the vibration up magnetically. It's a cool idea =) Hipshot offers them from about $200-250

[ibanezmnm]

great player

[xdux]

to me sounds like my kubicki a little no ? awesome

[eioeuf]

Thank you so very much for posting this review. It is this video that convinced me to purchase a Carvin Icon 5. This review has done so much more to convince me that Carvin basses are exceptional than the sound clips they provide on their own web site. I will definitely get the piezo option too. And finally, I have never seen or heard such amazingly beautiful bass playing.

[Pujc]

Ó, ez olyan gyönyörű volt! WOW, that vas so wonderfull!

[svensk2003]

Excellent review of the Carvin bass.

[zumazmusic]

Great review man.

[pianobass]

the piezo sound really gives a bass "flying through the air" sound. i love the way it sounds lol.

[rarebasses]

VERY Helpful for someone getting ready to order a new Carvin! Thanks! I wasn't going to order the "P" option until I watched this video.

[dookiebl]

nice carvin

[madskaterfc]

lol,its not a carven or a fodera, its a pedulla..or mtd..dammit i forgot! aha,i spoke to him a few times on myspace,he baught a pedulla and it wasnt the right colour,he sent it back and either got this new pedulla..or bought an mtd

[dookiebl]

the icon 6 is a carvin bass

[swmcgee41]

he must have learned on a right handed guitar... then couldn't change the strings back

[paulengelking]

are all piccollo basses tuned upside down than normal? why is it upside down?

[911jesse]

The sifferebce in piccollo is in the string gauges, as well.

[911jesse]

Its a Carvin Bass

[ryche513]

im not really sure its just from what i read about it

[ryche513]

its a piccolo bass meaning that it is alot higher than a normal bass. the open 6th string is the same as the second fret on the low E string.

[KillerFridge]

I thought piccollo was a whole octave about the orignial bass tuning

[fingerboy18]

I suprised he can play it, it's strung backwards, the Lowest string is supposed to be closed to you.

[ferr3t]

whats the tuning on it?

[Atreyu4]

i want that bass! it's fantastic!

[sixthgatebass]

is it tuned C G D A E B ?

[Tourspecial01]

I want that bass.

[tiffenman]

to think i thought my freinds fender was good lol im stuck on a peice of crap squier one more month and i get my fodera though unless youve got anyother recomendations apart from an mtd

[goldmember123]

Fodera all the way

[barret707]

hells yeah me again got my fodera eporor 2 seires the other day custom with AAAA flamed maple top its sweet the only thing i can complain abpout is the price im now 8 grand down but it was worth it i heart fodera

[tiffenman]

how is that bass tuned its sounds great

[NeoMvsEu]

I presume it's F#/B/E/A/D/G because he repetitively plucks the F#.

[NeoMvsEu]

For all I hear, he might've changed the tuning. O.o

[NeoMvsEu]

"A,D,G,C,F,Bb"

From TalkBass.

[funkmasterjames]

that low string is F#.

that makes it F#,B,E,A,D,G, an octave up

[Chaanee]

I also read his post on talkbass and I'm baffled it's not an A as he says there. An octave up as funkmasterjames says here means an octave up as if the 2 extra strings added for the 6-string bass were just like the 2 extra strings added on an 8-string guitar, but hey the usual way to tune a 6-string bass is that not B,E,A,D,G,B? Like the 5string bass but with one extra lighter? That's what they've been telling me in the instruments stores.

[JAldwin]

It's normally strung: B,E,A,D,G,C Generally the difference is a fourth throughout.

[Chaanee]

Damn my post is really impossible to understand - it's written in response to funkmasterjames one page back now. Well that loose string is a F# right.. - damn I don't understand the piccolo bass stuff but I LOVE the sound of it - is there any recommended site to learn the basics about it? Like - types of strings, how to calculate on the scale lenght to get the right composition of strings etc? But well to try to unwind the question - it looks more like a 5:th to me than an octave up.

[NeoMvsEu]

I think he tuned it after giving it a close-up overview.

[NeoMvsEu]

And then he retuned it to (from top to bottom) F-sharp, C-sharp, G-sharp, something, something, B... I'm not good at seeing what string he's using especially on bird's eye.

The tuning on the middle part, though... Probably (low to high) G, C, F, B-flat, E-flat, A-flat. His harmonic on the topmost string is A-flat-related... 5th fret, bottom string is C, 5th fret, 2nd-to-bottom is F.

[anaeloation]

Goddamn, that bass sounds fucking horrible.

[myung89]

really nice sound

[Earwigger]

I was going to say its "peezo" not "pie-zo", but thanks for the in-depth review and you rule pretty damn hard on the wanking. Got a website or something where I can hear more?

[zoltarbass]

btw- yes - i'm aware piezo was mispronounced. somehow most people can live with that - if you find that you can't -simply move along. thanks.

[1eyedjac]

The mini toggle is a phase switch not a coil splitter. That's why it doesn't have an affect with bridge or neck selected exclusively. Try a 70/30 blend favoring the bridge pickup. Great chord voicing!!

[zoltarbass]

yup. the docs only reference a polarity swtich on the guitars - not basses. i don't think it's supposed to be there.

[scarred2112]

Great review, and I for one don't mind the wankery - now I have an itch to string a bass piccolo. :D

[Daywalker78]

Nice wanking! Bass looks/sounds very nice...

[DavidJGrossman]

Nice review! You gonna use that at Solo Bass Night II? :-)