Carvin Tube Amps - Opinions?

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 11 Nov 2002 2:03 pm

My teenage son is looking to buy a Carvin Nomad Amplifier. This is a vintage tweed design with 50 watts, one 12" speaker, all tube.

I know nothing about Carvin amps. You can only buy them new via mail order direct from Carver.

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

John Bresler R.I.P. · Post by **John Bresler R.I.P.** » 11 Nov 2002 5:48 pm

I own a Carvin SX-100 (100 watt amp) that I use on occasion. The amp is much lighter than my 6-14-E Webb and has the tone of the Fender Twin.

My first non-pedal steel was a Carvin back in the early 50's. They stopped making steels but still do an excellent job in guitars and amps. For the price and quality, I believe the Carvin amps are excellent.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 11 Nov 2002 10:41 pm

I used a 300 watt Carvin amp on a gig once. It was about as loud as a 30 watt amp of other brands.

Chris DeBarge · Post by **Chris DeBarge** » 12 Nov 2002 5:42 am

They seem to be nice, but they have very little resale value.

Michael Haselman · Post by **Michael Haselman** » 12 Nov 2002 6:31 am

I played in a band where the lead player used a Carvin Belair. That's the combo with 2 12s. Used a Strat, sounded awesome. I want one myself someday for 6-string. If you look in the catalog, it's endorsed by Joe Walsh and a number of other players. Highly recommended.[This message was edited by Michael Haselman on 12 November 2002 at 06:54 AM.]

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 12 Nov 2002 7:50 am

I have never seen a working musician using a Carvin amp and I have never heard anyone say anything positive about them outside what they print up in there mail order catalog before I saw this thread.

Bob

Jeff Peterson · Post by **Jeff Peterson** » 12 Nov 2002 3:27 pm

Both the guitar player, Hayden Nicholas, and myself used Carvin all-tube 100 watt X-amps on Clint Black's first album('Killin' Time'), and throughout our first 2 tours. We never experienced a failure in all that time. We liked the sound, still do, but since then Hayden has gone on to Matchless, and myself to Peavey...where the people are nicer, service better, response quicker and sound is excellent.

James Quackenbush · Post by **James Quackenbush** » 12 Nov 2002 6:41 pm

From a Carvin to a Matchless ?? WOW, that's a jump !!...
I have a Vintage 33 which is very similar to a Belair...It's a great little amp !!...It's got a really nice clean channel, and the overdrive is OK if you dial it in right...For the money you can't beat them...The MTS3200 series is also really nice...Unbelieveable clean tone...No resale value though...They're cheap enough used that you can use them till they quit, and they won't owe you anything . Jim

Jeff Peterson · Post by **Jeff Peterson** » 12 Nov 2002 8:02 pm

Very early on, early 80's, I used Furman PQ series preamps and reverb & Deltalab delay, into 2 Carvin DCA-700 pwr amps....one for steel thru 2 Carvin single 15 cabs & 2X12 cabs(that's 2 15's and 4 12's), and one to power my modified model 900 Leslie. I used these because they had a built in crossover and were very inexpensive. I used to carry at least 2 tweeter drivers as I'd blow them at the rate of about 3-5 a month. I'd get a 'core charge' at the keyboard center in Houston, so the cost was about 35 to 40 bucks a driver. I didn't care......it was all about the sound. Ya' know, just before they blew......they sounded great! I blew a fuse in one side of my steel amp one night, the bass player gave me like an automotive fuse...I put it in...it was way the wrong value.....and used the amp for at least 2 more years without a problem until I sold the whole rig. I really have no problem with Carvin gear.

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 13 Nov 2002 5:15 am

I repaired a Carvin PA once and the man hours into making these things must be very high, it was older and a lot of hand wiring, it sounded good and probably still being used

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 13 Nov 2002 4:55 pm

The singer in my band uses the Carvin AG100D when he does solo gigs, and for small rehearsals. It's a pretty nice unit. A similar Fender amp costs more, I think, and isn't any better.

When I worked at Mesa Boogie, the owner got upset when Carvin copied one of his (then unpatented) amplifier designs. It wasn't an exact copy, but it was close enough to give us some competition. The Carvin was priced much lower.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 13 Nov 2002 6:19 pm

has anybody put a 15" speaker in a carvin, might have decent steel amp, Greg Anderton has some good things to say about them, and they are made here in the states still, or are they?

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 13 Nov 2002 9:21 pm

Maybe I should try Two of those Amps! The color would almost match my Franklin! Nice looking Amp! Needs a 15" w/15" extention cabinet! Now you're talkin' Amp! "Big John"

Jeremy Steele · Post by **Jeremy Steele** » 14 Nov 2002 7:17 am

I don't know about their amps, but I own 4 Carvin 12" monitors I have used constantly for years. They're inxpensive, light, sound reasonably clean, and VERY tough to blow up (I have left a trail of dead monitors from more upscale companies, like JBL, EV, etc.). For the $, Carvin cannot be beat, IMHO.