Musician Gear & Tech Discussion

Recently purchased Carvins solid state offering as a tone experiment for our second guitar sound.

Three independent channels with independent volume pots. clean / drive with blues button ( cuts the mids ) drive plus high gain button.
Line out.
Headphone out that overrides the speakers.
Assignable effects four button foot switch.
16 - 8 - 4 ohm output and the internal speakers are connected by a 1/4" jack so they can be disconnected completely when running and independent cab.
Effects loop.
It's a shame they don't retail these things in the local music stores.

If they did they would likely be the only SS practice amps in anyone's home or studio in a short space of time.

Many folks have prejudices about Carvin gear because they never tried their products at music stores, since they are exclusively bought thru the mail / internet. But when some happen to show up at a music store as used, I've seen the negativity about Carvin gear melt away.
Back in the mid 1980's, many of my Marshall / Mesa-Boogie friends were amazed at the sound my Carvin X-100 B produced and were even more knocked out about the price I paid for my amp. After they encountered my X-100 B's tone and power, they started to give respect towards Carvin's gear in general. The same goes for their pick ups, my favorite is the Carvin M22SD, that has taken over the place of my love affair with the Dimarzio Evolution, Bill Lawrence XL-500 and Seymour Duncan JB pick ups.
As for the SX-300, a friend bought one 3 years ago and it gave some very very convincing "tube like compression", that made me look in the back to see what kind of tubes it had. To me it out did any of the Trans Tube stuff Peavey has been pushing all these years. To any one who has prejudge mental impediments about Carvin gear, should just try before knocking them .

I'd forgotten that I'd even posted this back in January.

I'm still convinced the this is one of the best sounding SS amps on the market.
Now I know it takes pedals well too. Jax has been using this amp at our shows and it compares / sounds good against my Carvin tube amp.

I stuck a headphone jack adapter into the headphone out to over ride the speaker, sending all the signal to the mixer / monitors via the cab voiced out line the same as I do with the internal load on my Carvin head.

It's working quite well. Or for someone looking for a bedroom volume practice amp.
I feel it would serve well in that capacity also.

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Thanks man ...

I've been fortunate and perhaps a little foolhardy over the last four / five years.
Have expended more capital really than I had any business doing.
I consider it a tithe to my personal mission however and wanted to be at the point I am of having versatile and quality stage gear for our band project.

[img][img]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm74/sanshouheil/JerichoMarch-Gear002.jpg[/img][/img]

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.... nice gear.There was a V3 at my local Guitar Center.... I went to my ATM to get some cash and they sold the amp ....

I'm hoping to find an older 6L6 / 12ax7 tubed amp soon.

I'm actually using a MARSHALL CLASS 5 at the present.
And am totally taken by it. The only drawback ( and it's an age old story ) is to get that lovely crunch and response it's got to be turned to 11.

And still at 5 watts is a bit much for some of our smaller venues as well as the preference of some of our observers.

The true "fans" however, love it.


JAX is still using the CARVIN SS amp. Though he's really impressed with the MARSHALL also.