Carvin Amps
- Thread starter Zaphod B
- Start date
cnix
New member
You may even want to visit the Forums at the Carvin site. Most of the opinions are "Carvin flavored", but you may pick up the type of info you are looking for. Even though shipping an amp can be costly, you have a free trial period with Carvin and can try it out in your place, and if it is not what you need, simply return it.
lpdeluxe
The Precision Bass Guy
as usual, lpdeluxe to the rescue
I bought an X-amp combo new in 1982 with the oak cabinet. Great distorted sound on the drive channel, wimpy clean sound on the other. Eventually I installed a Torres Tone Kit which added another preamp tube and changed some of the caps and resistors and it came alive. if it hadn't been so heavy I'd still have it, but it made way for a Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight.
Nobody else had a distorted sound like the Carvin, but I really mostly plain clean these days.
=sigh= another milestone passed....
I bought an X-amp combo new in 1982 with the oak cabinet. Great distorted sound on the drive channel, wimpy clean sound on the other. Eventually I installed a Torres Tone Kit which added another preamp tube and changed some of the caps and resistors and it came alive. if it hadn't been so heavy I'd still have it, but it made way for a Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight.
Nobody else had a distorted sound like the Carvin, but I really mostly plain clean these days.
=sigh= another milestone passed....
Zaphod B
Raccoons-Be-Gone, Inc.
Thanks, lpdeluxe.
I've been kicking around the idea of getting a multichannel tube amp with footswitchable channels because I'd like to start doing some gigging again soon, and I'd like some versatility in sound on stage. I really love the sound and versatility of my AC30, but you can't remotely switch channels on that amp (and even if you did with an A/B box, you'd still have a difference in volume levels to contend with). So I think the AC30 is probably a better bet as a studio amp, unless in live situations you (1) just played it at one setting or (2) had three of 'em lined up and switched between them. Not that I'd mind having three of them, but I can just hear my wife.....
The amps I'm considering so far are:
Carvin V3
Egnater Tourmaster
EVH 5150 III
The Carvin and the Egnater both have switchable output wattage. The EVH does not, but there's always the Weber or Hotplate attenuator solution.
What I don't know about any of 'em at this point is what they sound like. Guess I'll have to drag my ass over to the Devil's Lair and at least see if they've got an EVH and an Egnater I can demo.
I've been kicking around the idea of getting a multichannel tube amp with footswitchable channels because I'd like to start doing some gigging again soon, and I'd like some versatility in sound on stage. I really love the sound and versatility of my AC30, but you can't remotely switch channels on that amp (and even if you did with an A/B box, you'd still have a difference in volume levels to contend with). So I think the AC30 is probably a better bet as a studio amp, unless in live situations you (1) just played it at one setting or (2) had three of 'em lined up and switched between them. Not that I'd mind having three of them, but I can just hear my wife.....
The amps I'm considering so far are:
Carvin V3
Egnater Tourmaster
EVH 5150 III
The Carvin and the Egnater both have switchable output wattage. The EVH does not, but there's always the Weber or Hotplate attenuator solution.
What I don't know about any of 'em at this point is what they sound like. Guess I'll have to drag my ass over to the Devil's Lair and at least see if they've got an EVH and an Egnater I can demo.
Zaphod B
Raccoons-Be-Gone, Inc.
Right - I've seen some clips of the EVH and the Egnater but it's really hard to know what you're hearing on those clips.
eyema_believer
Bondservant
I don't know what style of music you play Zaphod B, but since you are considering the EVH, you might want to try the Peavey JSX. That's a really sweet sounding amp.... and I think is a lot cheaper than the EVH, and comparable to the egnater..... Think is the key word there....
Peace!
~Shawn
Peace!
~Shawn
I will chime in on this topic. I have been a Carvin user for almost 15 years. I have custom made guitars which I think are fantastic in sound and playbility and my band uses a full Carvin PA sytem that includes amps/cabs/soundboard/and all rack mount effects, and in-ear monitor systems. From my perspective on guitar amps. I've had a Nomad, Bel Air, MTS, and SX200, and lately a X100B and didn't like any of them.
When I got my X100B back in April of this year the tolex was ripped, the seams were not even close to matching up, the clean channel was bad, and the distortion side of the amp really stinks. I called them, excellent customer service BTW, and they took it back. The other amps all sounded muddy to me. I have never tried the Legecy but I have heard it is their best sounding amp.
I personally use Peavey amps. I usually re-tube them, and change the bias on them to make them a little bit hotter, which in turn gives me some good sound. I did change the speakers in my Valve King to Eminence Texas Heats and WOW, it kicks butt now.
Amps are a preference of ones own ear. What one guy likes the other guy may not like, plus it depends on your guitar, wood type, pick ups, and your playing ability. For the price Carvin amps are a great deal. Heck try one out you have 10 days to return it if you don't like it.
Danny B
When I got my X100B back in April of this year the tolex was ripped, the seams were not even close to matching up, the clean channel was bad, and the distortion side of the amp really stinks. I called them, excellent customer service BTW, and they took it back. The other amps all sounded muddy to me. I have never tried the Legecy but I have heard it is their best sounding amp.
I personally use Peavey amps. I usually re-tube them, and change the bias on them to make them a little bit hotter, which in turn gives me some good sound. I did change the speakers in my Valve King to Eminence Texas Heats and WOW, it kicks butt now.
Amps are a preference of ones own ear. What one guy likes the other guy may not like, plus it depends on your guitar, wood type, pick ups, and your playing ability. For the price Carvin amps are a great deal. Heck try one out you have 10 days to return it if you don't like it.
Danny B
Zaphod B
Raccoons-Be-Gone, Inc.
Thanks, Shawn. I play everthing from clean, mellow stuff to hard blues to "classic rock"-type stuff. No modern metal so I don't need anything that sounds like a triple rectifier. I'm not sure where any of these amps fit within that continuum.
Thanks for the recommendation on the Peavey. I'll add it to the list.
Zaphod B
Raccoons-Be-Gone, Inc.
Thanks, Danny - informative post.
ocnor
Lord Of The Thighs
It sounds like you want either an X100B or a Legacy. They are both excellent for the types of music that you described.The V3 is more of a modern metal amp.
Zaphod B
Raccoons-Be-Gone, Inc.
Looks like you're right. After reading the Carvin forums that's definitely the impression I'm getting.
zombiewoooof
New member
I have owned Carvin amps & guitars since the mid-1970's...born and raised in Escondido, CA. where Carvin was located, on 1155 Industrial Avenue, before shutting down in the 90's and where now Keisel is now located, although their guitars are the ugliest made, just awful. The Carvin name originally the combo of the names of sons Carson & Kevin - hence, Carvin. Spent countless hundreds of hours inside the original Carvin showroom on Industrial Ave. in Escondido, and even worked there one summer constructing speaker cabinets. All of my original Carbon equipment - all of which I still own - was purchased brand-new at the factory by me. Guitars & amps. Original VTX-100 "Bi-Channel" gold-faced 100-watt amp tops & V412-C 4-12' speaker cabs w/ Celestions with the black steel grating, DC-150 and my glorious & beautiful bird's-eye maple 1980 DC-160 Stereo double-cutaway guitar, in fact the exact guitar that appears in the blue print-Carvin ads that appeared in all the trade magazines like Guitar Player and the like, the one with the other guitars behind it - that DC-160 is mine. Picked the wood blank for it personally from Neal Taylor at Carvin from which it was made. Also had one of the first 3 koa DC-160's that were made, as well as the first series of the X-60 black-faced 1-12' combos introduced in 1981. I go way back with Carvin Manufacturing and exclusively would only use their equipment for years when I was still touring the circuit in the late-70's - early 80's. Never owned any of the Vai-series Legacy's, although I respect Steve tremendously. Frank Zappa was an endorser at the time, though not officially the whole line, because he didn't really care for the guitars - but Frank loved the M-22's in all his Gibson Les Paula, and later the pick-ups that theyade for his Strats. Frank exclusively used the X-100 tops for years, as well as some outboard gear and he commissioned two of the largest sound desks for his home studio & remote truck, which were used on some of his live Zappa band albums at that time. Carving was a great thing in their time, and it's sad it's all that history of technology has been pitched aside for just those ugly f'n Keisel guitars. But hey - time marches on, to each his own....at least people enjoy them - that's what important.
zombiewoooof
New member
Sorry about the f'n spell check mistakes lol
SHEPPARDB.
Well-known member
I bought one when they were introduced. It was up for sale the day it arrived. I can’t think of anything positive to say about it. One of the shittiest tones I’ve heard from any amp. The cleans are sterile and lacking everything you would want in a clean sound. The dirty side buzzes like a box of bees, has no crunch or definition. The best thing you can do amp wise with 900 bucks is to save a bit more and get a better amp.