Carvin B1500 Head

It has the standard features for an amp head, EQ, drive, volume, tuner out, direct out (withpost/pre switch), efx loop with switch and footswitchable, mute switch.

I play a mix of everything in a cover band. I usaully play thru an Ibanez SRX 700 with active pick ups. I keep my tone on the amp fairly clean but with a little bit of drive. The EQ stage is pretty versatile, sub bass, bass, mid low, mid high and treble.

I've been playing this amp on an average of 8-12 gigs a month for 3-4 hrs a night for over a year now and haven't had a single hiccup. Never brought a back up either.

Haven't had to use 'em :)

Love it. It's a beast power wise. I play thru either 2 2-10 or a 2-10 and a 2-12 (Avatar) all 8ohm cabs so I have a 4ohm load at 1250w. I bought it thru Carvins eBay store for well under $600. I also own an SWR rig but since buying this, the SWR just sits and looks pretty. I like the SWR too but figured that I might as well make this my "road" rig for what it cost me. If it were stolen, I would hunt them down and get it back or buy another. I might even try another Carvin amp too. I've played thru a R1000 at a local rehearsal studio and liked that...it's kind of why a bought this one...that and the power....must have power....lots and lots of power ...ah-hah-hah-hah- hah :)

Purchased the amp new in October of 2006 from the San Diego showroom. I use a digitech bp200 effects pedal witht the amp, so as far as versatiliy is concerned, I can get more sounds out of this thing than I'll ever use. I'll skip the features portion...you know what it is. As for power...here's the deal...I play in a band where the drums and guitar (Carvin MTS full stack) are mic'd through a PA system. The PA consists of two 15 inch mains with a horn and an 8 inch speaker each, and two 15 inch floor monitors, all driven by a 1500 watt power amp........my bass amp, which is the B1500 head through a BR410 top cabinet and BR118 sub is not mic'd....and if I turn it past 2.7 or so...it's too loud. IN short...this thing is a monster!

I play an Ibanez BTB five string and the sound quality, IMHO is amazing....crystal clear thundering boom with no break-up at all. My band...myspace.com/worldfast is along the lines of Disturbed, Tool, Godsmack, etc. and this amp suits me perfect....not a single complaint...and no...I don't work for Carvin. I originally played guitar for about ten years, when a bass opportunity came along. Having never played the bass, the only reference for sound I had was bands that I liked where the bass stood out to me. Having said that, I set out to buy a bass that would give me that powerful clear booming Tool sound and this amp delivers!!

Had it 6 months...practice for 2.5 hours straight, six times per month and gig it about 2-3 times per month...not a single issue.

Carvin has always treated me like a CUSTOMER.....very helpful, knowledgeable, courteous, patient, etc, etc....Tey rock in my best

Awesome all the way around in my opinion....I doubt I'll ever buy anything else.

i got the b1500 head, the road king rack, and the brx4x10 cabinet with all the cables for about $1400.00. i used the amp to jam with a few different drummers and later with myself. i used a boss loop station with the half stack and i'd play something on that and loop it to play along with my drums. it sounded great, i have a maple drum set that's pretty loud and ive never had to go over half way on the volume and subbass. so it definately has power to spare.

sounds good clean, sounds awsome with a distortion pedal. the only thing that was kind of annoying was the fan noise. i used it a few times when i first got it late at night and i couldn't play it quietly because of the fan noise.

definately loud enough for a big club or festival. seemed to be pretty tough. the first week i had it i jammed with my stoned friend on drums, he tripped over my amp chord and broke the input jack. it still worked with broken input jack.

i took head back to carvin store within the week i had it and they replaced the head with the busted input jack. they replaced it within 5 minutes of me walking in the door. the sales people were very nice and willing to make things right. very happy with service.

i dont understand why all bass players that aren't sponsored don't use carvin amps. they are all american made and well made, also for the prices they sell their stuff for. you can't beat them. the b1500 head is by far the most powerful head you can buy for under $1000 and probably even more than that. i cant say enough good things about carvin!!!!

WWW.Carvin.com go to the site if you want details!

Wow this thing is brutal! In a good way that is. Its so freaking powerful! I'm using it with my avatar 8ohm 2x12 cab and its killing guitar stacks. Just for fun i ran my 2 4x10 cabs along with my 2x12 just to see what this thing does at about 3 ohms and wow was it loud yet still clear and punchy. The EQ is perfect for me i run it flat mostly and tweak the mids to the style I?m playing. the drive knob is usually turned up about 3/4 cause i like a warm tone, and its just as warm as some tube pre?s I?ve owned. Sounds as good as my friend eden at about a fraction of the cost with way more headroom. I'm in love with this amp!

This thing is a tank, built as well as amps that have cost me 3 times the price! Its brand new and i see this puppy lasting me forever. It seems like and easy amp to work in, the inside is real clean and had allot of room.

Haven't had to deal with them, but i imagine since carvin does most their sales through phone and internet orders that their costumer service is probably pretty darn good!

I've been playing for 9 years and have owned everything from eden amps, to GK, swr, peavey, genz and benz you name it I?ve owned it or played it, and if this thing was lost or stolen I would order one right away. I love the eq its so idiot proof and easy to manage. I wish it had a built in compressor but who cares I have a good pedal for that. I almost went with a pre & power rig, I?m glad i didn't, less cables and such! I collect gear so I?ll get one of those in the near future. I'm so happy with this guy, its a bit big and heavy but come on its a 1900watt amp what can you say.

Purchased in Febuary, 2006 at the Carvin factory here in San Diego, CA
Cabs played through:
SWR Goliath III 4x10" 8ohms (gets 700 watts from amp)
or
SWR Goliath III and SWR Son of Bertha (8ohm cab) + 8ohm cab= 4ohm load (gets 1250 watts from amp)
I also have an Eden WT-500 and feel that my tone is better now (certainly louder). I was afraid I would lose the pre-amp tube sound that the Eden has, but with the Drive knob up a bit past the halfway point (which is the flat point incidently) it takes on a nice warm tone. The sub bass frequency gives a huge bottom end, dial back the low mid, and mid, a little extra high mid and cut the treble slightly and I've got great solid punchy yet warm tone with clear defined lows (no mud here) and insane amount of headroom. This is the best these cabs have ever sounded by far. I also had a Carvin R600 and there is no comparison with these two amps.
You sacrifice all the crap you really don't need like variable compression and noise gates and whatever else for a straightfoward, no nonsense amp with all the features you really need:
*Simple equalization with straightforward tone knobs left to right from low to high:
sub bass is centered at 30Hz.
bass at 100Hz.
lo mid at 300Hz.
mid at 1kHz.
hi mid 3kHz.
treble at 10kHz.
*Active input switch
*Effects loop with defeat switch on front or with optional footswitch
*Mute switch which doesn't affect signal to tuner out on back (silent tuning and switching instruments)
*Direct out XLR with level knob and "pre" and "post" switch and groundlift
*2 Speakon outs and 4 1/4" line outs
*Output power:
8Ohm 700 watts
4Ohm 1250 watts
2Ohm 1900 watts

I play a 1972 Fender Precision bass (all original except Badass bridge) and play a variety of styles, mostly straightforward rock using a traditional finger plucking style, but sometimes I use a heavy pick too. I also play some reggae, funk and dabble with jazz from time to time. My bands are basically rock bands with various influences.
This amp fits the bill with all these styles by dialing whatever tone you need with the easy to use tone controls.
The fan is a bit noisy, but once the music starts you don't hear it.
Sound is clean yet warm with Drive knob, punchy, with great round bottom end and not muddy. Plenty of headroom to say the least.

Amp is new so don't know yet, but according to Carvin this thing is a workhorse. (They drop it on the ground in their video to demonstrate its toughness.) I kept my Eden as a backup and recording, although I have already recorded with the Carvin and its sounds awesome with the DI out

One year non-transferable parts and labor warranty.
I've had great experience with Carvin. My last Carvin (R600) had a problem with the power section going out, and while it was out of warranty so I had to pay, they fixed it in about a week and it sounded fine after that.
No problems so far. Maybe its because I live near the factory and can just take stuff right there.

This is the best sounding and solid easy to use amp I have ever used, and I've tried a few. I had an Ampeg SVT 4 pro and the thing didn't even work at the first gig (fortunatly the guy bought it back and Ampeg eventually fixed it, but I hear they break down a lot). Also the other Carvin I mentioned doesn't hold a candle to it, and even my Eden doesn't seem to have the same solid meaty bass tone I am getting now.
This amp is fantastic and I have feeling it is going to create quite a buzz in the industry. It is currently the most powerful amp on the market, and for sure the best deal. They were having their 60 year anniversary sale (10% off their already low factory direct prices), so I was out the door with the amp and two fat 12 gauge Speakon cables with tax for $720. Now it sits happily in my Road-Ready case with a Furman power conditioner.
This is truly now my dream rig (and holy smokes I am LOUD)

I bought this amp in early '04 according to the invoice. It's purpose was to be a backup amp for my Ampeg SVT4-Pro which hadn't had any problems in about a year and was probably due. Well, a month ago channel "A" fizzled and the techie has yet to find the problem, so I've been using the Carvin.
Very good tone with flat settings...lots of power and surprisingly, all the features I'd want (well, OK...it could use an ac outlet in back) for my classic rock band and semi-acoustic duo. This rig provides piles of headroom, warm and true tone. For a mono, non-tube amp, this is really surprising.

I mainly use a Fender Roscoe Beck 5-string, but also a Ric 4003 S/5, Hofner Beatle, and Ric 4005 on occasion.
I was able to very quickly dial in a tone that suited the acoustic duo just fine. A slight bit of adjustment and I had some very good sounds for the classic rock band I'm also in. I'd imagine that with the very good sound at flat settings, one would have plenty of room for pretty much any kind of music.
The "drive" knob would produce some growl at the higher settings, depending on your bass, speakers, volume and other tone settings.

No problems thus far, but I've only used it "out" for a month now...4 gigs or so. I'd expect its relative simplicity to contribute to its reliability.
As for backup...this IS my backup!

No repairs needed at this point. I've read various accounts of people not being satisfied with Carvin customer support, but the lead player in the 4-piece band (and other half of the duo) has used Carvin PA gear for years. I think he has a tendency to push the stuff hard in the rock band and had some problems a few years ago.
According to him, Carvin was helpful and reasonable in resolving the problem.

I've been playing bass since 1968 and use Acme Low-B cabinets. Four in the rock band and two in the duo. Other bass amps I have are a '74 Acoustic 370, Ampeg SVT, and (I think) the Ampeg SVT 4-Pro if it gets out of the shop. As good as the 4-Pro sounded, I'd have to say this B-1500 doesn't have me feeling like anything of substance is missing. The techs can take their time with the Ampeg.
I think an a/c outlet in back would be a worthwhile idea. As it is, I need to run my tuner and amp into two nearby recepticles...or else use an extension with a power strip..not the worst thing that could happen.
All in all, this amp is an extremely good value. Lots of tone, lots of power, doesn't break the bank.

this amp is from 2005 with the following features as they're described on carvin.com:

? Active and Passive front panel input gain switch
? SUB BASS, BASS, LOW MID, MID, HIGH MID, and TREBLE EQ controls
? signal MUTE front panel switch or optional FS22 footswitch
? Internal OPTO CLIP activated limiter
? Preamp DRIVE and master VOLUME controls
? DIRECT OUT balanced XLR & LEVEL control with "Pre-Post" preamp and "Ground Lift" switches
? EFFECTS LOOP switchable by front panel switch or optional FS22 footswitch.
? TUNER output jack independent of MUTE switch
? High current SPEAKON? connectors (2x) and 1/4? speaker jacks (4x)
? Premium construction features metal bushings and shafts
? Surface Mount Technology (SMT) offers component "shake-proof" reliability
? 19" 3U all steel chassis with Chrome knobs

? B1500 Power: 8Ω: 700w, 4Ω: 1250w, 2Ω: 1900w (solid state)
? THD: less than .03% at 90% power
? Freq. Resp: 20?20k Hz
? Dual speed high-duty fan
? Active and passive input switch (-10db)
? Four stage CLASS A input
? 6 Tone controls ?12 dB @ 50, 100, 300, 1K, 3K and 10KHz
? Balanced XLR direct out w/ Ground lift switch
? Three unit rack space 5.25? H x 19? W x 10?D, WT: B1500: 35lbs,

i've been looking for a powerful, strong but uncomplicated amp and this fits exactly my demand.
i play in two bands, the first one is a rock/punk/"jazz"-band and the other one is a melodic heavy metal band. i have not gigged with it yet, but the basement of our house was tremendous shaken by it.
maybe a switchable eq would be nice for a different sound e.g. heavy rock now and then *switch* slap....but, you can't have everything.

therefore it gets "just" 9.

the way of the sound ->

fingers ->
esp ltd f-255 ->
cable ->
b 1500 input (a behringer mdx-1600 autocom compressor and a zoom rfx in the seriell fx-loop)->
6x10"/6" House of Speakers Cab (1800 watt rms, don't worry )


my favorite sound is the middle position (neck + bridge pu) + almost the full treble/mids and one third bass from the f-255 emg b-64 active eq. other amps i've been playing with this combination were not that "clean" (i explain it in the next sentence) and punchy, and there is no eq-control touched from the amp, all in the middle - flat position.

clean sound -> the amp does not color the sound with its own sound (exept for the drive-control), the sound of the bass-guitar is in the foreground, even you play with the eq from the top, the sound of the bass is in the first place and thats great in my opinion.

ok, when you turn in the drive, you get a nice, warm distortion sound. (the drive is similar to a gain control in other amps)

oh, and you can achieve almost every sound with the eq from the amp, from reggea to rock to jazz to blues to what-you-want-it-to.
gotta love it.

the 10 is for the great, REAL-bass tone and even though it's hissing when you crank it up, you won't care about it, because it is only present when you stop playing, and completely-non-hissing is in my point of view at a certain stage of volume impossible.

so, here are the 10

it looks like an everlasting piece of heavy metal! everything is very inspiring confidence!
the only thing which bugs is the fan-noise, i mean i don't care for it in the rehearsal room with the rest of the band or on stage, but when you're playing for yourself then it could be a little quieter.
maybe this could be achieved through a heat-dependent-fan. (is that a word?! (?|?) )
and for this huge fan, it warmed up (not much but you felt it) although i didn't cranked the amp that much up.
-> 8

got a 24 month warranty from the store i bought it, friendly people there =)
i hope to never deal with them.

awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome!

for that price, the amp is just woth it all! the little comissions here and there are not that weightily!
this amp is for big stages (for what else with 1900 watt/2ohm ??_ ) and big setups.
it amplifies exactly what you will put into it, nothing more, nothing less!

i love this amp and this is maybe the last amp ever bought!