Carvin V3 Head ?
- Thread starter guitarded
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Danglin' Fury
New member
Re: Carvin V3 Head ?
Go to www.carvin.com and you can read all about it and they have some sound clips too. Personally, I think it sounds pretty darn good for a $900.00 head.:smokin:
Go to www.carvin.com and you can read all about it and they have some sound clips too. Personally, I think it sounds pretty darn good for a $900.00 head.:smokin:
jmh151
Active member
Re: Carvin V3 Head ?
I have one. I love it. Excellent amp for the money, even better after you upgrade the tubes and re-bias higher. It is soooo versatile. Clean channel is nice, and it's got 2 identical overdrive channels that can be configured any way you want. It's not like a Marshall or Boogie triple channel amp where the 2 overdrive channels are "gain" and "more gain", you can set one channel to sound like a Marshall, the other like a Fender/Boogie, or both marshall or both boogies, any way you want.
Some have compared it to the Mesa Road King as far as versatility goes. I think the Road King costs $2500.
I tried out every Peavey, Mesa, Fender, Marshall, B-52 that Guitar Center had. I'm happy I went with the Carvin V3. The Mesa Dual Rectifier had a richer tone, but it couldn't get a high gain Marshall tone, and was much more expensive than the Carvin. No matter what the Mesa always had the Fender/Mesa tone.
The Carvin sounds good out of the box, but with upgraded tubes it's killer. I installed JJ tubes 12AX7's, replaced the power tubes with JJ KT-77's and biased the unit higher. Amp sounds amazing now.
The features are amazing even for an amp costing twice as much.
I have one. I love it. Excellent amp for the money, even better after you upgrade the tubes and re-bias higher. It is soooo versatile. Clean channel is nice, and it's got 2 identical overdrive channels that can be configured any way you want. It's not like a Marshall or Boogie triple channel amp where the 2 overdrive channels are "gain" and "more gain", you can set one channel to sound like a Marshall, the other like a Fender/Boogie, or both marshall or both boogies, any way you want.
Some have compared it to the Mesa Road King as far as versatility goes. I think the Road King costs $2500.
I tried out every Peavey, Mesa, Fender, Marshall, B-52 that Guitar Center had. I'm happy I went with the Carvin V3. The Mesa Dual Rectifier had a richer tone, but it couldn't get a high gain Marshall tone, and was much more expensive than the Carvin. No matter what the Mesa always had the Fender/Mesa tone.
The Carvin sounds good out of the box, but with upgraded tubes it's killer. I installed JJ tubes 12AX7's, replaced the power tubes with JJ KT-77's and biased the unit higher. Amp sounds amazing now.
The features are amazing even for an amp costing twice as much.
sufferinrewind
New member
Re: Carvin V3 Head ?
I think you have to order direct from Carvin. I'm not completely sure on that, though. I could be wrong.
I think you have to order direct from Carvin. I'm not completely sure on that, though. I could be wrong.
jmh151
Active member
Re: Carvin V3 Head ?
I took a chance. Carvin gave me a credit card. I've always received their catalogues, liked their guitars and amps so decided to take a chance since I read great reviews. Well worth it.
They have a 10 day full return policy, so once you get it really give it a workout during those 10 days to see if you like it. If you don't, send it back, but you'll have to pay return shipping.
I took a chance. Carvin gave me a credit card. I've always received their catalogues, liked their guitars and amps so decided to take a chance since I read great reviews. Well worth it.
They have a 10 day full return policy, so once you get it really give it a workout during those 10 days to see if you like it. If you don't, send it back, but you'll have to pay return shipping.
guitarded
New member
Re: Carvin V3 Head ?
I love the features this thing has. The effects loop is more versatile than the dual recto, and looking at the online demo, it seems to have more clean tones. The only thing I am confused about is how well it can cover the middle ground tones needed to do classic rock. I can't find any clips of that anywhere.
I love the features this thing has. The effects loop is more versatile than the dual recto, and looking at the online demo, it seems to have more clean tones. The only thing I am confused about is how well it can cover the middle ground tones needed to do classic rock. I can't find any clips of that anywhere.
F
frehley
Guest
Re: Carvin V3 Head ?
I work at the Hollywood store and the V3 is my favorite amp head we make.
Mesa/Boogie is right on the corner and we've done tons of comparisons between the Dual and Triple train recs with the V3 kicking both it's as*es!
The clean channel alone is enough to buy the V3. And let's not forget the V3 is bias adjustable. I also agree that Carvin's suggestion of setting the bias at
100ma is a bit cold. Adjusting the bias anywhere between 150ma to 190ma really makes this amp amazing.
It does ALL the classic distortion tones, no problem. Just set the little 3-way switch on either one of the dirty channels to the middle position and you have
a tone similar to a Marshall JCM800 and increasing the gain control makes it sound like a modified JCM800 if one likes.
A place where this amp really excels is producing those " on the verge of distortion" tones that lots of us want but can't quite get. Switch over the clean channel and turn up the drive control until the clean tones start to distort just enough. It's just like cranking up an old Marshall Plexi but at much lower levels.
Try it out and I promise you that you'll love it. Call the Hollywood store at
323)851-4200 and ask for the guy on the Duncan forum and someone will get me. I'll answer all of your questions.
BTW, don't think I'm just saying this because I work for Carvin. I challenge anyone to try anything else out there first, then try the Carvin V3 and you'll see. I don't care you one buys a Carvin amp or not. All I ask is that if you love it,tell a friend and if you hate it, tell an enemy
I work at the Hollywood store and the V3 is my favorite amp head we make.
Mesa/Boogie is right on the corner and we've done tons of comparisons between the Dual and Triple train recs with the V3 kicking both it's as*es!
The clean channel alone is enough to buy the V3. And let's not forget the V3 is bias adjustable. I also agree that Carvin's suggestion of setting the bias at
100ma is a bit cold. Adjusting the bias anywhere between 150ma to 190ma really makes this amp amazing.
It does ALL the classic distortion tones, no problem. Just set the little 3-way switch on either one of the dirty channels to the middle position and you have
a tone similar to a Marshall JCM800 and increasing the gain control makes it sound like a modified JCM800 if one likes.
A place where this amp really excels is producing those " on the verge of distortion" tones that lots of us want but can't quite get. Switch over the clean channel and turn up the drive control until the clean tones start to distort just enough. It's just like cranking up an old Marshall Plexi but at much lower levels.
Try it out and I promise you that you'll love it. Call the Hollywood store at
323)851-4200 and ask for the guy on the Duncan forum and someone will get me. I'll answer all of your questions.
BTW, don't think I'm just saying this because I work for Carvin. I challenge anyone to try anything else out there first, then try the Carvin V3 and you'll see. I don't care you one buys a Carvin amp or not. All I ask is that if you love it,tell a friend and if you hate it, tell an enemy
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