The most obvious change on all Carvin guitars and basses for 1977 was the addition of chrome pickup covers on all AP-series pickups.  This one feature makes it easy to identify a 1977 model - the '76 models had black pickups (without covers), and in 1978, the new 22-pole M22 pickups would be introduced.  Therefore, and Carvin guitar or bass with chrome pickup covers is a 1977 model.

On the left is the SB120 bass.  It featured a bound short-scale 30" rosewood fretboard, dot markers and dual APH4 pickups with dual volume controls, master tone control, pickup selector switch and phase switch.  Tuners were Schaller #M4S jumbos, and the bridge was a Carvin tune-o-matic (probably also made by Schaller).  It was only offered in a clear finish, and sold for $249.00, plus $46.00 for the HC15 hardshell case.

On the right is the SB125 stereo bass. It was basically the same as the SB120, with upgraded features such as an ebony fingerboard with mother-of-pearl block inlays and headstock inlay. Electronics upgrades consisted of coil splitters for each APH4S pickup, and stereo wiring.  It was offered in black (SB125B)  or clear (SB125C) for $339.00, and in a black left-handed model (SB125L) for $349.00.

Note the headstock inlays on these two basses.  The necks on both of these basses were made by Höfner, and the inlays were the same as the ones used by Höfner.  The SB120 has a decal resembling a sword, with a decal Carvin logo; the SB125 has an MOP inlaid Carvin logo with the double-diamond logo that would be used until the late 1980's (and is still used by Höfner to this day).  Essentially, the higher quality neck with an ebony fingerboard used in the MOP inlays, while the rosewood fingerboarded-neck used decals.

On the left is the Carvin LB70. This is the oldest Carvin model (bass or guitar) that exists in a current-year version (although the LB70 model name disappeared for a period in the 1980's). Like the initial 1976 model, this bass was similar to the Fender Precision, especially the headstock. The neck was the same scale length as a Fender Precision bass (34") and the body shape is also very similar.  It was equipped with two APH8 pickups with dual volume and tone controls, phase switching and 3-way pickup selector.  Coil splitters and stereo wiring were optional.  Other features included an oval rosewood fingerboard with binding and Schaller #M4SL tuners.  It was offered in black (LB70B; the model shown) for $259.00, or in black with coil splitters and stereo wiring (LB70SB) or clear with coil splitters and stereo wiring (LB70SC) for $299.00.  The HC17 hardshell case was $46.00.

The DB630 was dramatically different than the '76 model.  The bass neck was moved to the bottom, so that the instrument would be better balanced, and the body itself was wider.  Each neck had a master volume and master tone control with phase switching and coil splitters. The bolt-on maple necks had ebony fretboards with MOP block inlays and white binding.  It was offered in a clear finish on birdseye maple (DB630C) or black on standard maple (DB630B) - either model was $539.00, plus $51.00 for the HC19 hardshell case.