Carvin Amps?

[Skee]

I was looking at a Vintage Series Carvin Belair 212 all tube amp. I was wondering if anyone had one and could comment on it. It's only $600. It sounds great on their website. I play a Strat HH. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. Here's a link to it.

http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?ItemNumber=BELAIR&CID=GA


Skee

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Carvin Amps?

I was looking at a Vintage Series Carvin Belair 212 all tube amp. I was wondering if anyone had one and could comment on it. It's only $600. It sounds great on their website. I play a Strat HH. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. Here's a link to it.

http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?ItemNumber=BELAIR&CID=GA


Skee

Tons of complaints about it sounding like poop unmodded and reliability issues. I'd steer clear. I have a Carvin legacy and I've always been pretty underwhelmed by it. I may sell it soon.

Also, visit this thread:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=47281

 

[chill]

Re: Carvin Amps?

I have a VT-50. It's OK but not great. The clean channel is pristine clean and not so warm, the stock OD channel has clipping diodes and sounds a bit harsh. I did the Hasserl diode removal mod and it helped out but the OD channel is still not great. Stock presence works only on the clean channel, which means stomping on your OD is like slapping a blanket over the amp, unless you set the presence really low on the clean channel (another Hasserl mod is making it work on both channels). Post PI master would probably help it out a bunch (you guessed it, also a Hasserl mod). Of course, if you look on ebay you will see some Carvins up for auction with some or all of the Hasserl mods...

If you do not want to mod the amp, try a Fender HR Deville 212 with a set of JJ tubes b/c the stock sovteks are not so great. If you really want el84's, look at a Bedrock combo or the Peavey Classic 20/30.

 

[Seraphial]

Re: Carvin Amps?

Personally, I like it. The clean is fantastic (very Fender) with great chime and clarity. The reverb is actually useable. The 2nd channel can be considered harsh by some, but I don't have the soak past 4 or 5 as it starts to fuzz out. A Marshall it ain't. My personal preference is to use a pedal for my overdrive, and it seems to work for me.

Definitely check the mods you can do to it tho. For a $500 amp, its a good starting point for a tube amp and from all reports can be just as good as some $1000 amps with a few tweaks. Course, you could just get a $1000+ amp. But wheres the fun in that?

 

[slash857]

Re: Carvin Amps?

i have the vintage 33. its not bad. i dont like the od channel much, but the clean cahnnel is nice.

 

[chill]

Re: Carvin Amps?

I don't have the soak past 4 or 5 as it starts to fuzz out.

Forgot about the fuzz until you mentioned it. The OD channel does have a vague flavor of a fuzz pedal, even when the diodes are gone.

A Marshall it ain't.

Agreed. But a couple more tweaks and you might get closer...

 

[Hellion]

Re: Carvin Amps?

I haven't played through too many, and I don't own one myself (so, obviously I'm not an expert), but they seemed decent enough amps. The ones I played seemed "not quite" a lot. "Not quite" enough gain on the overdrive channel, "not quite" enough sparkle on the clean, "not quite" enough of anything that would make it useful. Steve Vai obviously endorses his model, but I sometimes wonder if behind that wall of Legacies looms a single Bogner.

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Carvin Amps?

I haven't played through too many, and I don't own one myself (so, obviously I'm not an expert), but they seemed decent enough amps. The ones I played seemed "not quite" a lot. "Not quite" enough gain on the overdrive channel, "not quite" enough sparkle on the clean, "not quite" enough of anything that would make it useful. Steve Vai obviously endorses his model, but I sometimes wonder if behind that wall of Legacies looms a single Bogner.

As an owner of a legacy, I wonder that quite often also.

 

[philthis]

Re: Carvin Amps?

I haven't played through too many, and I don't own one myself (so, obviously I'm not an expert), but they seemed decent enough amps. The ones I played seemed "not quite" a lot. "Not quite" enough gain on the overdrive channel, "not quite" enough sparkle on the clean, "not quite" enough of anything that would make it useful. Steve Vai obviously endorses his model, but I sometimes wonder if behind that wall of Legacies looms a single Bogner.

:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: you may be quite right :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[Breaking the law]

Re: Carvin Amps?

Hmm.. I have an old, battered, Carvin Xt-112. I like it a lot. Except for the fact that I'd like effects with it, and I'm broke.. Anyways, the amps tone is okay with me, and with 2 Eqs, it's versatile enough for me.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Carvin Amps?

I have an old Carvin X60. Basically its a Boogie 50 Cal. Clone...... and I use the term clone loosely. It has 2 channels clean and drive. The drive channel leaves a lot to be desired. The clean sound is good though. My Amp tech who services all my Amps said that Carvins plate voltage is very high and this causes them to eat up tubes quickly!!! I am not a tech so I can't comment on this, but I do trust the guy.

I use this amp with my Archtop guitar for some soft blues and Jazz and it is good for that. If I am going to GIG I don't use it.... I don't think it is reliable enough.

 

[stratman1967]

Re: Carvin Amps?

I've played through a couple 80's 100 watt models (I can't remember what model). The clean was very nice, but the drive channel, while not doing anything offensive, wasn't all that inspiring. I seem to remember Zappa using one throughout the '80's, but I think that was in conjunction with a Marshall.