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 Basses
There were several interesting
additions to the 1995 model lineup: the 4-string BB70, and the AC40 and
AC50. The BB75 also went through a design change, with the input jack
being moved from the front of the body to the side. As a
precursor of things to come, a mid-range control option was added for the A500B active electronics
module. Also, Sperzel tuners were phased out on Carvin basses
(primarily due to availability issues), and Carvin's own line of tuners were
reintroduced. The '95 catalogs showed the new guitar headstock shape,
but the bass pictures still showed the older, pointed headstock.
Presumably, the new rounded headstock was phased in throughout 1995,
although actual images wouldn't appear until 1996.
Click each picture to see a larger version.
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A new term was added to the Carvin
lexicon in 1995 - the Custom Shop. Although Carvin had
technically been running a custom shop for many years, allowing
customers to specify finishes, woods, pickups, tremolos, inlays and so
on, in 1995 it was recognized as an official entity, with it's own
logo and even a tee shirt. Although detractors would debate
whether this really was a "custom shop", it was far more
than any other manufacturers would offer, especially at Carvin's low
direct prices. As the years passed, the Custom Shop would expand
more each year, offering players the ability to design a guitar that
was totally unique, from thousands of available combinations of
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The LB20 and LB70 remained
the same as the past three years, and the catalog showed new versions
of these basses.
The base prices were the same as '94 at
$579 and $629.
The HC17 ABS case for either model was
$78, and the HC18 vintage tweed hardshell case for either model was
$98.
The catalog showed an
LB20F with maple neck and koa body, and an LB70F in tobacco sunburst
on mahogany with fretlines, black hardware and optional midrange
control.
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The BB75 saw some
changes in '95. To facilitate the addition of the optional
midrange control, the input jack was moved to the side of the bass, as
on other models. However, in order to do this, the body had to
be made slightly thicker, as the original BB75's had thinner bodies
than their counterparts. Even with this change, the BB75 still
had a thinner body than the LB series basses.
The BB75 also got a little brother, the
BB70. Although it wasn't pictured, it was listed on the
BB75 page. And for the first time, the BB models were available in
left-handed models.
The LB75 was unchanged from the
previous year.
Prices on the BB75 and LB75 were the
same as '94, at $799 and $699. The new BB70 had a base
price of $729. The HC17 ABS case
for either model was $78, and the HC18 vintage tweed hardshell case
for either model was $98.
The catalog showed a
BB75F in clear gloss on quilt with fretlines, optional midrange
control and gold hardware, and an LB75 in translucent purple with
midrange control and gold hardware.
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The LB76 saw no changes, except the
midrange control that other models also had available. The base price on
this model stayed the same at $799, and the available cases were the
same as the other models.
The catalog showed an
LB76 in mahogany with a tung-oil finish, and an LB76 in classic
sunburst on flamed maple with abalone block inlays and gold hardware.
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Released at the end of
1995 were the AC40 and AC50 acoustic/electric basses.
These basses featured a mahogany neck, mahogany body and AAA Engleman
Spruce top. The AC40 was available with the traditional 2 X 2
headstock, or the inline headstock, and both models were available in
lefty versions, and were available with options such as body binding,
quilt or flamed tops, and fretless. These models featured active
electronics with the F40 acoustic transducer pickup, and were equipped
with black tape-wound acoustic strings.
The base price on the
AC40 was $709, and the base price on the AC50 was $789. The HC18
was the only case available for these models, and was $98.
The photo is from the
Winter 1995 catalog, and showed an AC40 in natural spruce with gold
hardware, and an AC40 in classic sunburst on flamed maple with inline
headstock and abalone inlays. An AC50, in natural, was shown in
the inset.
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