Carr amps

[Quencho092]

I dont know, after having put the new tubes in my bandmaster, it sounded good for a few days, but today it sounded flubby and weak. It's not the speaker-the speaker is a new weber california and it works fine when i use it with my deluxe. I'm getting a bit tired of the whole vintage crap and am looking to end ALL of my gear issues already.

If i cant get my bandmaster and deluxe RI in good shape, i'm probably going to sell the deluxe, and with some of the cash that i'll have saved from school thanks to a full scholarship, i'm likely going to grab a carr or something to that effect. Screw it-i just want something that sounds good, is over designed, and wont bust my chops.

I'm looking at the Carr rambler-it's a deluxe style amp with pentode and triode operation, cathode biased 6L6's in class A, 1x12 cab. It's 2200 bucks, but it's worth it to finally end all this amp BS. Any of you tried one?

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Carr amps

I didnt' know they were cathode biased. I tried one and it really didn't slay me like I was expecting for something over 2 grand.

I wonder what is up with your Bandmaster. Seems odd to work great for a few days and then go out. When was it last re-capped?

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Carr amps

Oh yes, they're the original Orange Astron capacitors in the 'dog house', 39th week of 1963, number reads 6339.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Carr amps

Would you drive a car with tires on it from 1963?

I'd say invest in some new e-caps. Or sell it if you don't want to touch anything because of some perceived value.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Carr amps

I dont know, after having put the new tubes in my bandmaster, it sounded good for a few days, but today it sounded flubby and weak. It's not the speaker-the speaker is a new weber california and it works fine when i use it with my deluxe. I'm getting a bit tired of the whole vintage crap and am looking to end ALL of my gear issues already.

If i cant get my bandmaster and deluxe RI in good shape, i'm probably going to sell the deluxe, and with some of the cash that i'll have saved from school thanks to a full scholarship, i'm likely going to grab a carr or something to that effect. Screw it-i just want something that sounds good, is over designed, and wont bust my chops.

I'm looking at the Carr rambler-it's a deluxe style amp with pentode and triode operation, cathode biased 6L6's in class A, 1x12 cab. It's 2200 bucks, but it's worth it to finally end all this amp BS. Any of you tried one?

The Slant 6V would be more versatile. Its Fender like cleans and Marshall Crunch. I'm pretty certain its 40 watts so it should have more headroom then the Rambler. I've played thru the hammerhead which is a real stripped down design, nothing facny just awesome tone. I have a friend who has the Slant 6V and loves it but only uses the cleans, but he also has a 65 Super Reverb that he prefers over the Carr. I was looking hard at these but opted for the Bogner Shiva instead.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Carr amps

First things first...GET A CAP JOB ON THE BANDMASTER!!!

Amps are just like anything else...they need to be kept up and that doesn't mean just slapping a set of tubes in it ever few years. If you were to recap that amp and get a little tunbe up going on with it you'd be amazed at how much better it would sound.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Carr amps

The question is-should i mail it out to jeff seal, or do it locally?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Carr amps

The question is-should i mail it out to jeff seal, or do it locally?

it depends on your local techs!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Carr amps

First things first...GET A CAP JOB ON THE BANDMASTER!!!

Amps are just like anything else...they need to be kept up and that doesn't mean just slapping a set of tubes in it ever few years. If you were to recap that amp and get a little tunbe up going on with it you'd be amazed at how much better it would sound.

No kidding...there's nothing wrong with that amp that a re-cap couldn't correct.

Although I have to say that Bandmasters without reverb, like all blackface or silverface Fenders without reverb, are cleaner and lower in gain than if they did have reverb.

The reverb circuit adds balls and gain to the tone even when the reverb is on zero.

Lew

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Carr amps

personally, i dont really dig having too much 'balls and gain' in my tone. I like a clear, somewhat trebly tone where i can do lots of voice leading and strumming that sounds nice and even, not a punchy tone that is always intrusive.

In other words, how my bandmaster sounded last year. What also could lead to a weak semi distorted tone? It aint the tubes, they're fresh 7581A's.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Carr amps

When I got my old 68 Pro Reverb, I poked around on some of the caps and watched them literally crumble into pieces. Take your amp to a tech and let them check it out.

Is this a fluctuating thing or has it just been a steady decline?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Carr amps

personally, i dont really dig having too much 'balls and gain' in my tone. I like a clear, somewhat trebly tone where i can do lots of voice leading and strumming that sounds nice and even, not a punchy tone that is always intrusive.
In other words, how my bandmaster sounded last year. What also could lead to a weak semi distorted tone? It aint the tubes, they're fresh 7581A's.

Ok bro...if yo liked the amp last year than you can like it this year (and really, you can like it even more)...it's an old amp and needs to be maintained...take it to a tech, get a cap job and have it cleaned, the tube sockets tighened and have everything else looked oiver and any faulty parts replaced, check the bias and then (and onbly then) can you make up your mind about that amp...Im telling you, it will sound much much better than it does right now or even than it did last year.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Carr amps

GAS has consummed him I'm afraid.

 

[Hoss]

Re: Carr amps

GAS has consummed him I'm afraid.

begins playing "Taps"

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Carr amps

I think the Rambler is a sweet head for cleans. I think I played a Slant 6v and liked it. I don't know them much for their distortion circuit - but ot's one loud little clean amp.

I would go for the Bogner Shiva over a Carr anyday. That amp can play jazz AND level a metal band all in one sitting, at the touch of a pedal. The verb is luscious!

 

[Bludave]

Re: Carr amps

I think the Rambler is a sweet head for cleans. I think I played a Slant 6v and liked it. I don't know them much for their distortion circuit - but ot's one loud little clean amp.

I would go for the Bogner Shiva over a Carr anyday. That amp can play jazz AND level a metal band all in one sitting, at the touch of a pedal. The verb is luscious!

I'm lovin' my Shiva. At first I thought it may have been the wromg amp for me. I thought the drive channel was a little to modern sounding to me, but I am beginning to get it dialed in. I am basically a blues/bluesrock kind of player. Initially I had some concerns about the cleans, but now I have tone thats comparable to a Plexi. The Drive channel is a Plexi on Steroids. I'm still tweaking here and there but I agree with your statement This is a mother of an Amp!!!