Carvin PB-100-10 Pro Bass

The features are covered below, but I'll add a couple of comments. First, the stereo CD/tape input is NOT useful for practicing with headphones, because: (1) the headphone jack is MONO and sounds awful; and (2) the input has very low sensitivity. Because I had bought the amp partly for this purpose, I was very disappointed. (As gearheads, we know these problems can be solved with more $$$, so I just bought a Tascam CDBT-1 bass trainer.)

But the other features are generally excellent, and they are desribed well in the very good owner's manual. My favorites are the flexible speaker connections and the compressor, which works reasonably well and is unusual at this price. The EQ is great too.

Minor gripes are the noise gate, which is useless because it cuts too much signal, and the lack of a balanced XLR out. Since this is marketed as a "pro" combo, it should have the latter, but a $30 direct box cures the problem.

Because I was hoping this would be useful to practice with headphones, I can't give higher than a 7, but it's probably a 10 for many.

In terms of sound quality, I fully agree with the glowing reviews below. The tone is excellent, and the EQ affords enormous flexibility. It sounds crystal clear, and even warm for a modestly powered solid state combo. When I tried it as a head through my SWR Goliath III 4 x 10", I thought the tone was almost exactly like my Gallien-Krueger 700RB head. Not bad at all.

But, unlike some others, I don't think it's loud enough for rock band rehearsals or gigs on its own. Playing with drums and one electric guitar at moderate volume, it's fine, but with a second guitar or keys, it gets lost. And my band rehearses at reasonable volume. I don't even think it's loud enough to use as a stage monitor in a rock setting. This is a little frustrating, because another 30 watts or so would probably push it over the hump. For acoustic or coffee house gigs, though, it would be excellent.

An extension cabinet works wonders, and allows me to use it as a rehearsal amp with my band. I've been borrowing an Avatar B210 for this, and combining it with the internal speaker yields plenty of volume. In this configuration, or with all 100 watts going through my Goliath III, it would be enough for small rock gigs. This is a good thing, because I purchased it partly as a backup head.

Because it's so reasonably priced, and 100 watts is low for bass amplification, I'll base my rating solely on tone, not volume.

I've used it for about eight months, with no problems, and I sometimes play for a couple of hours with the volume cranked. The construction is top notch. No complaints here.

Haven't dealt with this.

I've played for about seven of the past 21 years, and my most serious playing has been for the past two and a half years. I play mostly original rock, ranging from indie (think R.E.M., Feelies) to punk (think Nirvana). I play Fender and DiPinto basses, and my main rig is the GK 700RB with SWR Goliath III 4 x 10", so I've become accustomed to excellent tone.

I bought this as a practice amp and backup head, and while it's come up short for headphone practice and rock band rehearsals (without an extension cab), I still think it's a great combo for the money. The tone is simply outstanding, and I agree it's better than everything else in its size and price range. In fact, it has little direct competition considering price. I even prefer it to the SWR Workingman's 12, which usually runs $500 -- nearly double the Carvin's price.

It would be excellent for a starter amp, acoustic gigs, small mellow jazz combos, project studios, and many other applications not requiring serious volume. If tone and value are paramount, this is absolutely your amp.

I would like to see Carvin make a serious lightweight, professional combo, with a 12" speaker, XLR direct out, stereo headphone jack, and about 180 watts. If they made a nice matching 12" extension cabinet, that would seal the deal, and urban bassists could have a powerful, portable, all purpose rig without spending huge sums on boutique gear. Are you listening, Carvin?

Light, Portable 1-10" ported cabinet, 100 watt, with built in compressor, noisegate, fx loop, line out (quarter inch, not XLR). Wish it had a tilt-back cabinet and an XLR -- maybe next time?

Very impressive sound for such a tiny amp. Nothing in it's class can even come close. I compared it to several amps including the GK Backline 10" and 12" models, SWR, Crate, Behringer, Ampeg, and some others. The others were practice amps at best and the Carvin is performance quality.

I think the cabinet design and the quality of the speaker are the main differences between the Carvin and the other amps. I think the GK could sound really good through a different cabinet and speaker -- but that would defeat the purpose of a small combo, wouldn't it?

Well, it did its job for nearly five years and then crapped out on a gig. I spoke to a Carvin Rep and it looks like it might be cheaper to replace the head within the combo than to have it repaired. That being said, it did give a warning that it was beginning to fail and took probably more than six months before it died. I intend to resurrect it soon with a new head... Speaker and cabinet are like brand new!

They've always been helpful and polite to me. I read other reviews that claim that they were rude and ignorant, but I have not had any such experience with them.

I have been a musician for most of my years. My main bass amp is a Roland DB-500 which absolutely kicks ass.

Other gear that I own includes: Carvin X100B, a dozen or so guitars, 4 basses, five keyboards, a recording studio, two drum sets, a full PA system and a small PA system, An acoustic, classical, & mandolin... all pro equipment.

Basically, even though it failed, I am buying it again because it will be cheaper than repairing. It's simply that nothing else in it's size range can compare and I need something that makes sense to lug around to rehearsals.

I love the big sound that this little amp produces. I love that it weighs just over 30lbs, I love it's professional quality tone, and I love its low price. I hate that it is not working right now. I wish it had an XLR out and the cabinet tilted.

I looked at every other amp in the PB-100-10's size range and they just do not measure up. I do wish Roland would make something in between their Bass Cube 30 and the DB-500. I'm sure they will eventually, but for now, the Carvin is what fills that void better than anything else.

Finally, even though it did fail, I did get 5+ years of service out of it and the replacement head shouldn't be too pricy.

The one feature I wish it had was a second line in so I could play the music and bass.

Can it get better? This 10 in has 100W pure power. It keeps up with my Klipsch 4.1 (400 W) and doubles as an Extra Sub. Just like Klipsch I dont want to play it loud enough for it to think about distorting. My Digital bass test tracks are handled (yeah I'd say 50 Hz is its breaking point... but thats damn low and far below the low B)

It is everything I needed it for especially coming from a crap 8" It has not given me any problems.

No comment

I ve been playing for about 2 and a half years and used other peoples amps because all I had was a very low line kramer practice amp that distorted on the E at half volume. I can hear this wll above the drums. I still use a 4x 10" fender amp for the real gigs but It aint much more impressive than this little BIG thing.

This little combo really earns the moniker "Pro Bass" - it's loaded with pro features. The 10" driver is mounted in a tuned, ported enclosure and the amp drives it with 100 watts at 8 ohms. The onboard compression and noise gate are very high quality for an amp in this class. It's also surprising to find bass, mid and treble pre-shape filters in a 1x10. The back panel is full of surprises, too. In addition to effects loop, there's also a line out; and a patch cord connects the amp to the speaker via 1/4" jacks, so you can drive the speaker with a different amp, or use the amp to drive a different speaker. How's that for versatile?

The sound: clean, tight and punchy. This amp has low-end response that rivals my Ampeg B100r (1x15), and it covers a wide tonal range from deep and musty to bright and crackly. I have to say, though, that the sweepable mid doesn't seem to have that much affect, I think the Q isn't wide enough. But that's a pretty small complaint about a gorgeous sounding amp.

As a friend once said, Carvin is the s**t. I built a fretless bass from one of their kits about a year ago, and it's been rock solid reliable, so I'm expecting the best from this amp.

Just dealt with them on the phone when ordering, but they're cool.

Here's the lowdown: $300 dollars for a 1x10 "practice" amp with enough power and pro features for real gigging.

This versatile little power house ROCKS!!! The other reviews do a good job of listing all the specs, but suffice it to say, this amp has plenty of power for practicing/small gigs and features that are usually found only on amps that are much higher in price. The pre-shaping switches offer a variety of "stock" tones and the bass,treble and mid (gain/freq) let you dial in your own unique sound. Also, there is a compressor switch that lets you control the "peaks" in volume and prevent un-wanted distortion. Another cool feature is the "noise gate " that minimizes pick-up hum by shutting off the volume when an input signal is not detected (fully adjustable to allow for your particular sound.)

I am using this amp with a Carvin bass (passive) and Carvin J-99 single coil pickups. These pickups are fairly hot, but there is little to no noise (hum or otherwise) from the PB 100-10. I use this amp for practice as I am new to the bass (guitar player for 25 years on/off), however, it is plenty loud for small gigs/coffeehouses.The PB 100-10 has a very clean sound that is maintained even at higher volume settings.

Because it is new, I can't comment accurately on the reliability. However, I do own other Carvin products and have found them to be of high quality and very reliable. The PB 100-10 also has a 1 year warranty so I am not concerned about having any problems.

I have spoken with Carvin's customer service department as well as their retail personel (Santa Ana store) and have found them to be knowledgeable and helpful. Again, I have had no problems to date with any of my Carvin equipment (including the PB 100-10), but based on my retail experiences and customer service inquiries I have little doubt that they will stand behind their product.

I realize this review may sound like Carvin sales propaganda, but I am thoroughly impressed by Carvin's products and particularly the PB 100-10. I have always seen Carvin advertisements, but never really checked them out until recently. The PB 100-10 is made in the USA and is an exceptional value (especially if you buy it on sale like I did.)I hope this review is helpful to those looking for a quality built, great sounding little bass amp that is versatile and affordable. Check one out for yourself, I don't think you'll be sorry.

Bought this amp in summer of 2000, it's got very solid features, very versatile amp, i haven't found a better value out there, and i've been looking for a loooong time. It's 100W of solid-state power put through a 10" speaker @ 8ohm. Ported cabinet for a bigger, deeper sound, metal grille, metal corner-guards, felt cabinet siding. All these features give it very versatile sound, and make it very rugged. I constantly drive from New York City to Philadelphia and back (2.5 hours each way) once every month, and it's held up great. Has stereo headphone-out jack (1/4") in the back, and jacks for extension speaker, effects send/return, and line out. Also, it has an input jack on the front for connecting a discman to play with (the two-part connector, not 1/4, or headphone type slot") Overall, a real workhorse that puts out great sound gig after gig. Works great as a stage monitor, but its 100W isn't enough for large venues. You'll need to hook it up the to the PA either directly, or mic it. But it definitely kicks out the jams at a great price...

I hook this up to my Fender American 60's Jazz, and my Squier P-Bass Special. It sounds great with the Jazz, is incredibly versatile and you can dial in all kinds of sounds. It goes from deep and rumbly(fieldy) to a great growling sound(geddy lee), to deep booming sounds for old-school rock (the who). My friend hooked up his Music Man to it, and got a sweet high-octane slapping tone from it as well. (Sounded like flea). The EQ has Bass, Mid Gain/Freq, Treble, Compressor(works great for slapping @ high volume!!!) and a noise gate (kills the fuzz from my jazz pickups on both my basses) In addition, it has extra buttons for low, mid, and high that add an extra boost to their respective portions of the EQ. Made my Squier sound decent, and makes my American Jazz sound amazing!!! The only thing it lacks is that elusive tube-amp sound, but there's nothing you can do about that...that's why i give it only a 9.

Like i said before, it's a workhorse, i'd definitely use it w/o backup. I've taken this thing on roadtrips galore, and it always comes through like a champ. The grille on the front is very sturdy, the corner protectors are very handy in preventing knocks to the case. The sides don't dent easily either. The carpeting along the sides also helps to cushion the cabinet. Never has it once broken down on me. After 2 years, it's still going strong, playing like the day i bought it. (In general, carvin's stuff is very high quality, [I don't get paid for saying that either!!!])

Not really sure, never had to deal with the Carvin guys, because the amp's NEVER BROKEN!!! I hear it's pretty good, relative to what you'd find from other specialty companies...

Overall, this piece is the BEST value out there. It stands squarely in the lead of any amp in its class. The SWR 80-watt amp might hold a candle to it on a good day, and it absolutely blows the fender bassman 25 clear out of the water in terms of sound quality, power, features, and value. Surprisingly, this is not one of the more popular practice amps out there, perhaps that is because Carvin only sells direct. But that's why Carvin's prices are significantly lower than anyone else. I strongly recommend this amp to anyone who is looking for a high-quality starter amp, that can also step into the small-gig arena when needed. (And always will be a great stage monitor) If it was lost, i'd buy this amp again without even thinking about it. You won't find more amp for the money anywhere else, period.

Decent of power and tone shaping. It does lack an XLR Pre-amp out, but does have a quarter inch out. I like the onboard compressor -- it does what it's supposed to do. The noise gate: My bass isn't noisy and I don't use effects, so I don't need it. The amp is quiet without it.

Great sounding amp. Much cleaner and louder than the SWR 80 watt thing. Makes a decent bass sound good and a good bass sound really good.

It is solid state. I have never had any problems with any solid state gear and I own much Carvin gear. Plus, it's a bass amp -- most soundmen take the bass direct anyway. In other words its purpose is mostly for onstage monitoring. I always find it funny when I see someone bring in a big, expensive Eden system and some crappy Ibanez bass and the soundman takes the bass direct. Here's a bit of advice for you people: Spend your wad on your BASS and then buy whatever amp you can afford. And don't expect me to help you load in those Ampeg 8 - 10 cabinets!

I've dealt with Carvin for twelve years and I have always had positive experiences. Over the many transactions, I have had two problems -- an X100B head's preamp smoked and an order was short. Both problems were fixed ASAP.

Great buy. If you're tired of lugging around that big rig just so the soundman can eliminate it from the sound chain, then... It's as good as anything in its class except no XLR output. I have used this amp for many types of gigs. When the drums are mic'd, I run it into the PA. when the drums are not mic'd, I have plenty of volume without the PA's help. Also, great low end (did I mention I play a 5-string). It handles the low B well.

100W@8 ohms single-channel, solid-state combo w/10" speaker. Ported carpet-covered wooden cab, metal grille, about 35 lbs. w/single top mounted handle. Controls: master vol, 3 shape switches, bass, parametric mid, treble, compressor and noise gate. Single input, effects send and receive, speaker out, headphones out. Excellent combination of features for its size; the selection of controls is truly useful. (I imagine the parametric mid control could serve as a notch filter for an acoustic bass guitar or upright.)

The one thing I wish it had was a control for backing off the effects loop. Also, this amp does not do overdrive. Oh well, no one's perfect.

This amp is currently being used with a Washburn XB900 and a Fender MIM Jazz Fretless. As far as I can tell, the amp is dead quiet with the Washburn, but lets in the grounding hum of the Fender. (Pickup noise can be dialed out easily with the noise gate.) The amp has plenty of headroom for practice/rehearsal situations and makes an effective onstage monitor. On its own, however, the amp won't suffice for any venue larger than a coffehouse.

The 10" speaker is able to keep up with most of what the amp can dish out. Just to be safe, I engage the compressor when slapping at high volumes.

The EQ stage provides plenty of variety and is useful throughout its entire range. If you play with a loud guitarist, the parametric mid will come in handy. The EQ isn't transparent, though; at high frequencies, the mids are rather nasal. I like the natural sound of my basses so I tend to leave the EQ flat.

The shape switches sound musical and are additive; using all three creates a monster slap tone.

In my experience, the compressor and noise gate are useful only within a narrow range. Settings above "3" on either control are pretty much useless. However, the effectiveness of these controls will vary depending upon what type of instrument you're using.

Overall, this is a quiet, clean-sounding amp with a hi-fi tone. In terms of power, portability and performance, I'd say it's one of the best in its price/size class.

I've only had it for a few weeks, so I can't judge it's reliability. It seems fairly sturdy, and is sized to permit pampering.

I ordered this through their website, so I can't judge customer service. Based on what I've heard, Carvin's customer service is pretty good; not perfect, but better than many boutique amp manufacturers. One caveat: Carvin is a mail-order company, so repairs require that you ship the product to them.

This amp is warrantied for a year.

An excellent practice or rehearsal amp, on par with the SWR Workingman's 10 and the Ampeg B-50, and slightly cheaper, to boot.

Beginning bassists looking for a first amp and experienced bassists in search of a highly portable monitor would do themselves a favor to check this one out. (No, I am not a Carvin plant.)

It's a very versatile amp. I can get either fat warm sound or real dry and high gain metal sound. It does come with effect loop but I have never used it before. The Preshape buttons are the coolest! Man... I used it in a gig and the sound almost covered the guitarist's Fender Stage 112 sound. Ha! I have to turn it down! Yeah, the Swepable Mid range function is cool too.

I play a lot of style from metal to soft ballet... and it's great. The coolest thing is either I use a cheap bass or a good bass, there is no noise at all. It comes with a noise gate and a compressor. They both do the good job to make my sound better.

The amp seems to be very reliable. It has a very rigid case and well wrapped with those carpet stuff. The grill is made by metal so I won't be afraid of getting any damage to the speaker.

Never deal with the customer support. But the salesmans in Carvin's shop are nice.

Yes, sure! I will buy it again but I will choose the next model. Carvin just did a great job within this price range. It worths. I wish it had an EQ but it's only availabl on the next PB100 15' model.