fretburner
Well-known member
How much would you pay for a Carvin X100B?
And... is this really a pretty good amp?
And... is this really a pretty good amp?
Carvin X100B
- Thread starter fretburner
- Start date
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Carvin X100B
I'd give you a bowl of clam chowder for one. LOL
They're cheap because everyone who buys one hates it.
They have a pretty decent clean channel, but the gain channel sounds like a wet fart.
And anytime you see an old picture of Steve Vai standing in front of one......he used them for his cleans, and used Lee Jackson modded Marshalls for his dirty tone. The reason he asked Carvin to create the Legacy is because he knew Carvin had never had a good gain channel till the Legacy.
I'd give you a bowl of clam chowder for one. LOL
They're cheap because everyone who buys one hates it.
They have a pretty decent clean channel, but the gain channel sounds like a wet fart.
And anytime you see an old picture of Steve Vai standing in front of one......he used them for his cleans, and used Lee Jackson modded Marshalls for his dirty tone. The reason he asked Carvin to create the Legacy is because he knew Carvin had never had a good gain channel till the Legacy.
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fretburner
Well-known member
SlyFoxx
Glossless
Re: Carvin X100B
I've played a el34 x100b for over a decade.
About 150 would not be a bad deal if it's in good shape and the tubes have some life left in them. Cleans are very good and stays very clean up to very high volumes. (I turned it up to 10 once through a 4x12 and the crunch at that point was pretty good but you'd go deaf in an hour.) The dirt is just so-so. It's a good amp for warming up modeled tones and stomp distortion and that is how I use it.
It has active EQ (bass, mid, treb. pres) plus another 5 band Eq that you can assign to either channel....so you can tweak quite a bit. But for the most part I just use the traditonal EQ knobs and all are set very close to neutral. The reverb is very good and can venture into surf territory.
Mines been acting up a bit lately...could be the filter caps. You might not get a ton of life out of one since the newest x100b would have to be about 10 years old already. Mine is about 13 years old. But YMMV.
I've played a el34 x100b for over a decade.
About 150 would not be a bad deal if it's in good shape and the tubes have some life left in them. Cleans are very good and stays very clean up to very high volumes. (I turned it up to 10 once through a 4x12 and the crunch at that point was pretty good but you'd go deaf in an hour.) The dirt is just so-so. It's a good amp for warming up modeled tones and stomp distortion and that is how I use it.
It has active EQ (bass, mid, treb. pres) plus another 5 band Eq that you can assign to either channel....so you can tweak quite a bit. But for the most part I just use the traditonal EQ knobs and all are set very close to neutral. The reverb is very good and can venture into surf territory.
Mines been acting up a bit lately...could be the filter caps. You might not get a ton of life out of one since the newest x100b would have to be about 10 years old already. Mine is about 13 years old. But YMMV.
DankStar
Her Little Mojo Minion
Re: Carvin X100B
I gots an EL34 one. I paid $325 or $350 shipped. Can't remember. I don't see you finding one for under $300-325. It is a 100/50/25-watt all tube head after all.
It took me a bit to warm up to it. The clean is great, but I'm not a clean guy typically, so I don't really worry about that channel.
The dirty is pretty good in that in "hot-rod" mode it is pretty thick and fat sounding. The EQ is really nice, it takes pedals well, it's built like a tank, it's loud as a mother, and often I just run straight into it. Some say it doesn't have enough high gain, but I'm not into the as-much-gain-as-possible mindset anymore. It's got about enough for classic thrash metal if you play tight and have a nice high gain p/up (I use a Lawrence L500L). If you need gobs of distortion to hide bad playing, this ain't the head, unless you pick the right pedal.
The un-hot rod OD is pretty 70s sounding, which I dig. I can pull off some Captain Beyond type riffage with that setting.
The switching pedal is super hard to find, but could be made.
It is not the be all end all of amps, but it's a bare bones nice loud rock head. I've recorded with it, and people went nuts over the tone. However, I've considered selling it and talked myself out of it about 4 times now. Most recently about a week ago.
I gots an EL34 one. I paid $325 or $350 shipped. Can't remember. I don't see you finding one for under $300-325. It is a 100/50/25-watt all tube head after all.
It took me a bit to warm up to it. The clean is great, but I'm not a clean guy typically, so I don't really worry about that channel.
The dirty is pretty good in that in "hot-rod" mode it is pretty thick and fat sounding. The EQ is really nice, it takes pedals well, it's built like a tank, it's loud as a mother, and often I just run straight into it. Some say it doesn't have enough high gain, but I'm not into the as-much-gain-as-possible mindset anymore. It's got about enough for classic thrash metal if you play tight and have a nice high gain p/up (I use a Lawrence L500L). If you need gobs of distortion to hide bad playing, this ain't the head, unless you pick the right pedal.
The un-hot rod OD is pretty 70s sounding, which I dig. I can pull off some Captain Beyond type riffage with that setting.
The switching pedal is super hard to find, but could be made.
It is not the be all end all of amps, but it's a bare bones nice loud rock head. I've recorded with it, and people went nuts over the tone. However, I've considered selling it and talked myself out of it about 4 times now. Most recently about a week ago.
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Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Carvin X100B
Here's Carvin's original promo ads for the X100B's. When I was 17, I had one and hated it. The next year, I got a brand new Marshall Jubilee 2555.
Check out the price. $529 new, for the 100W.
Here's Carvin's original promo ads for the X100B's. When I was 17, I had one and hated it. The next year, I got a brand new Marshall Jubilee 2555.
Check out the price. $529 new, for the 100W.
myxolidian
New member
Re: Carvin X100B
I also used an X100B for ages. I had the old model with the cursive logo, tolex and 6L6 tubes. I think it was ~$500 new back in the '80s. Played a ton of gigs, threw it around and it never let me down. Pretty solid amp with some unique features (for it's time) such as graphic EQ, variable power (100W, 50W, 25W), and variable impedance (16, 8, 4 ohms).
Compared to my other guitar player's JCM800, the X100B had about the same amount of gain (which is to say...not alot). The low end was much flabbier than the Marshall though. I ran a Boss Super Overdrive in front which helped tighten up the low end. Ironically, boosting the JCM800 made it sound a little thin to me. If you set it to 25W, you can really get the power tubes distorting. However, it just made it sound flabbier to me. But I can see some people liking that sound.
I haven't played the newer models with the rat fur covering and EL34 tubes. Maybe those are a little tighter than the 6L6 versions.
Overall, I think it's a pretty cool amp. Nothing unique but still able to produce some good tones. I wouldn't mind having one again to add to the collection.
I also used an X100B for ages. I had the old model with the cursive logo, tolex and 6L6 tubes. I think it was ~$500 new back in the '80s. Played a ton of gigs, threw it around and it never let me down. Pretty solid amp with some unique features (for it's time) such as graphic EQ, variable power (100W, 50W, 25W), and variable impedance (16, 8, 4 ohms).
Compared to my other guitar player's JCM800, the X100B had about the same amount of gain (which is to say...not alot). The low end was much flabbier than the Marshall though. I ran a Boss Super Overdrive in front which helped tighten up the low end. Ironically, boosting the JCM800 made it sound a little thin to me. If you set it to 25W, you can really get the power tubes distorting. However, it just made it sound flabbier to me. But I can see some people liking that sound.
I haven't played the newer models with the rat fur covering and EL34 tubes. Maybe those are a little tighter than the 6L6 versions.
Overall, I think it's a pretty cool amp. Nothing unique but still able to produce some good tones. I wouldn't mind having one again to add to the collection.
DankStar
Her Little Mojo Minion
Re: Carvin X100B
found an MP3 of a recording I did a few months ago. not the best thing I've ever done in the world, but it gives ya an idea. I think I had used a simple booster in front of it for this:
http://members.cox.net/dankerella/LottaLifeMas2.mp3
wow, those drums blow.
found an MP3 of a recording I did a few months ago. not the best thing I've ever done in the world, but it gives ya an idea. I think I had used a simple booster in front of it for this:
http://members.cox.net/dankerella/LottaLifeMas2.mp3
wow, those drums blow.
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fretburner
Well-known member
Re: Carvin X100B
grainy. middy. not that compressed. pretty unique tone. im not a fan yet though. my ears must be pretty spoiled with the marshall crunch.
what guitar and pups did you plug in to that?
how do you think the amp will sound through a 1x12 or 2x12?
grainy. middy. not that compressed. pretty unique tone. im not a fan yet though. my ears must be pretty spoiled with the marshall crunch.
what guitar and pups did you plug in to that?
how do you think the amp will sound through a 1x12 or 2x12?
DankStar
Her Little Mojo Minion
Re: Carvin X100B
Definitely different than a marshall, sort of a marshall/early boogie hybrid. The axe was a bolt-on ash body with canary/ebony neck and the L500L p/up. Not sure about the cab question - I'm not versed in that stuff. Probably too powerful for a 1x12 though, and the 2x12 would need to be able to handle the juice too.
Definitely different than a marshall, sort of a marshall/early boogie hybrid. The axe was a bolt-on ash body with canary/ebony neck and the L500L p/up. Not sure about the cab question - I'm not versed in that stuff. Probably too powerful for a 1x12 though, and the 2x12 would need to be able to handle the juice too.
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drpietrzak
New member
Re: Carvin X100B
I have one, I have not sold it. They go for $300 to $450 on ebay regularly.
It is a decent amp, and takes pedals well. The gain channel is best to me using the low input, and then with the boost on as well. It is a bit grainy compared to some of my other amps when using the preamp gain only. If pushed (with the low power setting not too hard) it smooths out. It does have a clipping diode it uses (so do many marshalls).
For the price range it is not a bad choice at all. I would not trade my El Diablo for one.
I have one, I have not sold it. They go for $300 to $450 on ebay regularly.
It is a decent amp, and takes pedals well. The gain channel is best to me using the low input, and then with the boost on as well. It is a bit grainy compared to some of my other amps when using the preamp gain only. If pushed (with the low power setting not too hard) it smooths out. It does have a clipping diode it uses (so do many marshalls).
For the price range it is not a bad choice at all. I would not trade my El Diablo for one.
ShredFetus
New member
Re: Carvin X100B
I agree with others in the way that it does sound flabby. To my ears, there is a muddy type frequency, but when I try & dial it out with the eq's it just gets (as others have said) grainy & harsh. Oh well I'm glad I didn't spend $1700 (head & matching cab) on it like my friend did :smack:
I agree with others in the way that it does sound flabby. To my ears, there is a muddy type frequency, but when I try & dial it out with the eq's it just gets (as others have said) grainy & harsh. Oh well I'm glad I didn't spend $1700 (head & matching cab) on it like my friend did :smack:
hahaha :laugh2: that's exactly what it's like!...but still, after 10-12 years it looks in way better condition than any tolex would!myxolidian said:
fretburner
Well-known member
Re: Carvin X100B
it seems like it's between horrible to decent.
and at $300, maybe im better off with the Vox AD50VT or Line 6 Spider II 112?
it seems like it's between horrible to decent.
and at $300, maybe im better off with the Vox AD50VT or Line 6 Spider II 112?
DankStar
Her Little Mojo Minion
Re: Carvin X100B
more like between decent and pretty good IMO. don't let my clip sway you too much - I don't think it does it justice, and I'm no audio engineer either when it comes to recording (obviously). if you did a side-by-side with the carvin and either of those, I would bet that you'd be sure to tell the liveliness of the tubes versus the modelling and you'd lean towards the carvin for its shear power; it begs to be turned up. but I kind of second the idea of the Vox over the carvin, with its options both for jamming live and recording direct - super versatile.
more like between decent and pretty good IMO. don't let my clip sway you too much - I don't think it does it justice, and I'm no audio engineer either when it comes to recording (obviously). if you did a side-by-side with the carvin and either of those, I would bet that you'd be sure to tell the liveliness of the tubes versus the modelling and you'd lean towards the carvin for its shear power; it begs to be turned up. but I kind of second the idea of the Vox over the carvin, with its options both for jamming live and recording direct - super versatile.
fretburner
Well-known member
Re: Carvin X100B
I won't be able to crank up the carvin most of the time... but I do love the fact that you can switch to 50 watts or even 25 watts. But yeah, as far as versatility and portability, the vox wins.
I won't be able to crank up the carvin most of the time... but I do love the fact that you can switch to 50 watts or even 25 watts. But yeah, as far as versatility and portability, the vox wins.
