Carvin X1 tube preamp

[Securb]

I am very interested in this preamp. I have fallen in love with my X100B head. It delivers a lot more thump than my Marshall. I typically use an MIB tube preamp with my JC120 for my dirt tones. I think this will give a new option with the JC120 and could also be a direct to house, powered speaker and/or recording option.

Has anyone played one of these in the wild? I am wondering how true it is to the head.

 

[Inflames626]

Carvin totally stopped making amp heads didn't they? Seems like pedal preamps/poweramps is the alternative to mini amp heads these days.

I miss the old Carvin. I always felt they made great stuff for the price.

 

[Mincer]

Wasn't that made right before they closed down their amps? Carvin did come out with cool stuff back in the day. I can't really stand the modern Kiesel designs.

 

[Securb]

Wasn't that made right before they closed down their amps? Carvin did come out with cool stuff back in the day. I can't really stand the modern Kiesel designs.

Yep, I think it is one of the last things they did. The really cool thing about that preamp is it has a 1w powered output. I bet it would gel with a Randell or Orange 1x8.

 

[Mincer]

Yep, I think it is one of the last things they did. The really cool thing about that preamp is it has a 1w powered output. I bet it would gel with a Randell or Orange 1x8.

So it has a small power amp in there, too? How strange (but cool).

 

[Inflames626]

Wasn't that made right before they closed down their amps? Carvin did come out with cool stuff back in the day. I can't really stand the modern Kiesel designs.

100% agree.

 

[Securb]

So it has a small power amp in there, too? How strange (but cool).

Yeah it is cool another reason why I am interested in the pedal.

 

[Mincer]

Pretty interesting. There are certainly a lot of choices for pedal-based amps these days.

 

[Inflames626]

Not to get off topic, but regarding the ohm rating, since ohms are resistance, wouldn't it make sense for sound gear to have the lowest ohm ratings possible for the least resistance and best possible sound?

I'm vaguely familiar with all the different ways to calculate ohm/wattage ratings based on series/parallel operation and so on, but I thought maybe by default engineers would want the lowest ohms possible. This number would then increase when more speakers/gear/cable length is added.

 

[Inflames626]

Wasn't that made right before they closed down their amps? Carvin did come out with cool stuff back in the day. I can't really stand the modern Kiesel designs.

I don't like the colors. They make me think of rainbow trout.

https://reverb.com/item/37882383-ki...d-top-guitar-purple-pink-fade-made-in-the-usa

 

[Inflames626]

Look at my new Kiesel everyone.

https://www.theflyshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/BigKuLodge.jpg

 

[Mincer]

I don't like the colors. They make me think of rainbow trout.

https://reverb.com/item/37882383-ki...d-top-guitar-purple-pink-fade-made-in-the-usa

The woods mostly look like diseases under a microscope.

 

[ehdwuld]

Vai used the pedal version of his legacy amps when he was on tour some years ago
after the reall Carvin heads caught fire

The pedals packed better and held up better

Not sure about the X1 version

Steve Has moved on after years and years

 

[jeremy]

x1 should be on early black friday sale soon

 

[Securb]

Vai used the pedal version of his legacy amps when he was on tour some years ago
after the reall Carvin heads caught fire

The pedals packed better and held up better

Not sure about the X1 version

Steve Has moved on after years and years

I could see him switching to the pedal it has a remote footswitch option that makes it very rack-friendly.

 

[devastone]

Steve is using a Synergy version of his Legacy amp.

The X1 and Legacy pedals are interesting and have been out a while, but I've never tried one.

 

[DankStar]

I want to like it but the distorted clips just don’t do it for me. Clean sounds alright. Kinda like the x100b head I used to have.

 

[maug2122]

I love my 1986 Carvin X-100 B, I heard that X-1 pedal is very very much like the the X-100.

You're not the only one who is curious about that pedal.
A few guys have posted videos on YouTube about that pedal.
I really miss the Carvin M22SD pickup, it's like a better version of the Dimarzio Evolution.

 

[Inflames626]

I love my 1986 Carvin X-100 B, I heard that X-1 pedal is very very much like the the X-100.

You're not the only one who is curious about that pedal.
A few guys have posted videos on YouTube about that pedal.
I really miss the Carvin M22SD pickup, it's like a better version of the Dimarzio Evolution.

I would love to have tried more pre-Kiesel Carvin pickup designs.

 

[Ascension]

Wasn't that made right before they closed down their amps? Carvin did come out with cool stuff back in the day. I can't really stand the modern Kiesel designs.

I agree with you on many designs from Kiesel right now. Really like my 23 Delos Super Strat but many of the new Kiesel designs are just not for me. Some of their new pickups are real killers but the stuff I like doesn't get pushed by them only the super hot and shrill sounding metal pickups do. It's a real shame as some of their Alnico mag mid output pickups are really really good. One of my absolute favorite humbucker combos in a guitar ever is the Kiesel Greg Howe Parallax bridge and the Frank Gambali neck I have in my 2014 Carvin DC 600. It's just pure magic but neither are even listed on the Kiesel pickup builder. I just don't understand what they are doing right now.
It was a family feud that broke it all up. Carvin is not building anything in house anymore it's all built over seas now. Can't speak on the X preamp but the last generation of the X 100 was a monster. If you get one please give us a review.