ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

[jackson111]

looking for a good American made amp with good customer support. I am on a budget. I have called carvin and gotten to speak to real people. and I have watched some demos on youtube of the x100b, and I like the sound the amp has. just wondering if anyone here has one and how reliable they are.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

I think they're friggin dope. There's a few guys on here who are owners who consider them solid backups, and they're incredible bang for the buck on the used market. The ones that are more modern tone tend to cost more, like the V3 and Legacy, but the X100, MTS3200, Vintage 50 and others are serious underdogs. They've got mods that can be done to them too.

 

[jackson111]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

ok cool im looking at getting one near the beginning of September. I have seen a lot of carvin haters out there that have really made this decision hard. seems to be one of those things that people really like or really hate.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

Carvin gets alot of bashing. take with a grain of salt. They make good stuff and the x100b is a cool amp. Put it this way, they were popular enough for Carvin to bring them back. They got rid of the MTS model and brought the X100 back.
Been watching alot of 80s band vid and see alot of them in some backlines..

 

[Demanic]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

I have an '86 combo version, the XV-212 and I love it.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

They did the Peavey thing and filled in for venue backlines when the big name amps were to expensive. Turns out their product is great; better than Peavey was IMO. It's a real underdog sort of mentality. It's cool to me that you can outfit a rock/metal/punk band completely in Carvin. I wish they sold vans; you could order the band's gear, the sound reinforcement and mics and the Sprinter to carry it all in.

 

[jackson111]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

OK great guys thanks. really glad to get positive feed back. you want believe some of the storys i have heard about carvin, but i keep finding myself asking, "well if they arfe really that bad how can they stay in business, especailly with the direct business model they use?"

 

[mwalluk]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

Get it.

Guitarcenter always has used Legacy VL100 (series I) for around $500 and X100B for around $200-$300. The Legacy schemed from the X100 BTW. Cleans are fantastic on both, I prefer the smooth liquid overdrive from Legacy over X100B though.

If you buy new, the re-issues are slightly better (more upgraded). I think the RI come with El34's too.

 

[DankStar]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

If you can try one first - the OD side is a bit unique in how it feels

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

I have a bunch of Carvin gear
The Belair
Redline bass combo
Powered speakers

Carvin gear is good stuff

When I got my Belair , the MTS and legacy series one were the only three they had in store

And I liked the Belair only slightly better for what I was doing

If I needed another amp I wouldn't hesitate to get an x100

*(Sent from my durned phone!)*

 

[Jeffrec]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

ok cool im looking at getting one near the beginning of September. I have seen a lot of carvin haters out there that have really made this decision hard. seems to be one of those things that people really like or really hate.

I bought a Carvin Nomad a few months ago and love it. Really well made and great tone. I wish I had gotten one years ago. I think the fact that unless you live in California, there's no place to try one out, kept putting me off.

I really like what I've heard about the X100B's. Go for it.

 

[Securb]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

Zappa always sounded great through his.

 

[Jeffrec]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

Zappa always sounded great through his.

+1

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

X100s are self biasing on the power stage, right? I know you used to be able to swap 6650s, 6l6s or el34s into them.

 

[jackson111]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

yep from the way the carvin guys told me I tell them what tubes I want in it (choose between 6L6 or EL34) and it comes with them, but if I want to change it theres a bias switch on the back and you select what you want a go with it.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

If you can try one first - the OD side is a bit unique in how it feels

I haven't plugged into a reissue, and don't have to. I remember how much I hated the X100B when they were new. The OD tone it makes sounds like a fart through a plastic trumpet. I actually got so angry with mine when I was 19 that I took it outside and threw it at a concrete wall. I didn't care. I had a Jubilee 100W, JMP 100, and a Risson.

I won't go on and on bad mouthing them, but I'd urge anyone thinking about one to actually demo it for a few hours before buying it. Who knows, maybe you'll like it. The clean channel isn't bad, but I think the active EQ hurts the overall tone and feel of the amp.

 

[jackson111]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

gear joneser I got one question, at on time in the 90's they produced the x100b and it had a carpeted cover, it was the second version of the amp and I have hear dalot of people say the clean is great but the gain sucks. shortly after that they pulled the amp out of production, the reissues more like the original which is what the legacy is supposed to be based off of. from what I have seen on youtube it sounds like the perfect amp. my guitar teacher said he had one and sold it and has regretted it everyday. he told me every control is usable. it has 2 cahnnels with a boost. the clean is beautiful and rich, and the overdrive channel is like a hot rodded jcm800. he said it has everything you need and nothing you dont

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

On paper, it sounds great. I even used to gaze at the old Carvin ad with Vai in front of a wall of X100B's, and I though...."wow, it does so much more than a Marshall."

I later came to learn that Steve Vai used a modded JCM or JMP and only used the X100B's as his clean channel....particularly around the David Lee Roth band and Whitesnake eras. He may have used the X100B gain channel for some of his early instrumental work, but I didn't like his tone then either.

Then, I got one and hated it from day one. Then it started cutting in and out, which I now know could have been solved if I'd had more experience with tubes. There's just something about the tone and feel of the gain channel that I couldn't listen to anymore. And that's the sentiment with a lot of X100B buyers, which is why everyone sold them so cheap.

Now that I've owned a lot more amps, I'm starting to think it's because it's a prime example of a design where the integrity of the signal is compromised by having too much going on. The active EQ and graphic EQ probably rob the amp of it's harmonic complexity. That's why the supposedly great sounding clean channel doesn't sound that great to me either. It's kind of bland.

IMO, you should just move on and keep looking at amps in that price range.

 

[mwalluk]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

I'd recommend checking out the carvin legacy or v3 series.

 

[dystrust]

Re: ANYONE KNOW ABOUT CARVIN X100B REISSUE?

If you can try one first - the OD side is a bit unique in how it feels

I'd recommend checking out the carvin legacy or v3 series.

I don't have as much experience with the X100B as Gearjoneser does, but I've played a few and my thoughts were pretty similar. The clean channel is very clean and loud, but it lacks the character of many good channel switchers like newer Marshalls or similar. On that note, if you're after a high-gain Carvin I absolutely recommend the Legacy over the X100B. It's no Bogner, but the clean channel has much more character than the X100B and the gain channel has a cool boosted JMP vibe.