Carvin Legacy Head

Between the reviews by vastly under-experienced metalhead guitar players and old guys that will never admit that anything can stack up against their '77 Plexi, this was a tough amp to judge based on reviews. I've played it thoroughly against many other tube heads in my latest arduous head-buying experience and I hope I can be of some help...

Two channels with separate EQ's, spring reverb, effects loop, 50/100 watt and 4/8/16 ohm output switches, a bias switch for EL34's or 6L6/KT66's, and a line out footswitch (so practically any two-button footswitch will do if you don't have Carvin's FS22).

The head uses a total of 5 preamp tubes (three for preamp gain, one for reverb, and the last one for power) and 4 power tubes (stock are EL-34)

I was originally looking for a 3-channel head for a clean channel, a tight, crunchy rhythm tone, and a third channel for a lead volume boost with a little more gain but I just use the effects loop and put a volume boost and delay on for a lead sound. Very satisfied despite the lack of a third channel. The two channels switch very cleanly and quietly, much better than the Mesa Rect-O-Verb I had before this.

I play this with an Ibanez RG2550 with Evo neck and bridge pickups with a coil tap on the neck pickup. I play a pretty decent variety of music in my band, from clean dark bassy jazzy kind of stuff to tight aggressive riffs to sweet, wet solos. I should mention that I switched to KT66 (or 5881, whichever you prefer to call them) and it sounds better than I've heard a Legacy ever sound before. It's much more boutique and smooth.

Like most reviews have stated, the amp is most comfortable with gain at or below around 7.5, it tends to lose concentration after that. Fortunately that is plenty for me. The MOST IMPORTANT thing that I have learned from playing with this head that no other reviews have stated is that both channels sound like there is an internal compressor running in the amp. The cleans are very warm and a bit "clicky", people who use compressors in their rig know exactly what I'm talking about.

The head has enough gain up to the point where the sound becomes fuzzy, but that's fine because the lead channel sounds compressed enough that legato playing comes out smooth and the sustain will hold notes out for minutes. It's quite beautiful. The Bugera 333 I was testing compressors on benefited hugely from some compression, but on the Legacy I can hardly tell the difference between when my Comp 66 is on or off. This is a good thing, because with no external compression the lead channel sounds balls-smooth and I can go ahead and trade my Comp 66 in for something else.

Overall the sound is middy and VERY thick. I'm quite in love with it. It's smoother than the Bugera, the JSX head I tried, MUCH smoother than my old Rect-O-Verb, and more aggressive and dynamic than the TSL 60 head I used to play out of.

For half the price.

Metalheads claim this amp didn't have enough gain for them, but if you have any taste at all, please don't listen to them. There is plenty of gain. They obviously don't understand that huge mids with moderate gain sounds aggressive and tons upon tons of gain with scooped mids sounds fizzy. If you play metal, this amp will do just fine. Rectifiers are better at metal rhythm and chugging but just didn't have what it takes for any lead playing. Plus the clean channel on the Carvin is much better. The new Legacy II head has a clean channel that breaks up but this one doesn't. Just lots of clean headroom. Which I actually prefer.

This amp is a BIT noisy but I feel comfortable playing at a mid-sized venue unmic'd with the gain at 7. The microphonics are much more musical and subtle than the hiss of the JSX was. I really don't see much of a need to turn the head up to the 100-watt setting. Just take out the outer tubes and save them.

I will also say that I noticed people making a big deal about the huge effect on the tone that the EQ knobs have...I don't really think so. If I have any complaint, it's that the bass won't turn down as much as I would like to. Also, the reverb is nice but every time I hit a G on the low E-string the springs react strangely and give me an extra loud springy noise.

If there is ANY other amp that this reminds me of, it's the 112 Bedrock combo I once recorded with. Luscious.

I haven't yet had a problem, but reliability gets mixed reviews with Carvin products. Some people have had great experiences and some people have had nightmares. I hope I'm a lucky one, though I feel like alot of people's problems have had more to do with not knowing how to take care of a tube amp than factory-related quality issues.

Anyway I don't have the money to keep two tube heads at a time but I sure hope it doesn't crap out because I don't have a backup. I definitely feel comfortable with it though.

Other people claim Carvin is great about their warranties but mine doesn't have one because I got it off ebay and it's a year or two old. Once again, I have heard both great reviews and horrible reviews of Carvin's support, so good luck with that in case you ever have to call them.

I've had to make a decision about what amp to buy multiple times over the past 4 years and after making this latest purchase I can say I feel absolutely no buyer's remorse. The clean channel is beaten only the twin-reverb I toyed with, but it's a different clean. The Legacy is a little darker and warmer while the Fender shimmered a little more with a higher quality reverb. The Overdrive channel is WONDERFULLY fat and tight while maintaining sustain and a great amount of sag for leads and solos. You won't sound just like Steve Vai, you'll sound like you through a great amp and that's the best anyone should be asking for.

The most important thing I haven't gotten to mention in any other section is the straight up VALUE. I got this off ebay for $450 and I like it better than amps that go for $1000 and more used. There was once a time where I scooped my mids and turned the gain up to 10 and dreamt of a Rectifier, but I have since then grown up and realized that Mesa is just another quality amp company with their own niche in the market and a VERY loyal fanbase. For those of you like me that have moved past that stage, the Legacy head is a great, versatile buy for people with taste and a sense of uniqueness. It is a breed between the clear and smooth overdrive that audiophiles adore and the tight modern gain that shredders desire.

Just don't get it if your plan is to turn the mids to 0.

This amp is quite a feat. I own the halfstack version, plugged into a PRS Artist McCarty and a 1997 PRS Custom 22 ten top, and an Ibanez JEM7V-SBL. The features are great, very simple is what I love dearly. Some people complain about not having a master knob but I don't really see too much of a difference. This is a simple two channel amp, clean and overdrive. Has an effects loop, a line out, and 2 speaker jacks, and a switch for 4, 8 or 16 ohms.
Has enough sound variations to cover many styles, I have even used this in my college's jazz ensemble, and had good comments on my clean sound. But that was plugged into a fender bandmaster cab.
The cab you use will matter, a fender cab would give it a more sparkly clean, the carvin legacy cab gives it a modern tone, good for hard rock or anything else in between.

This amp is the ideal working man's amp. affordable and high quality, and best of all USA made. the inside of the amp is study, well built and doesn't look cheaply placed together, which is great.

the 100 watts is plenty of power, good for large gigs. if you want less power, there's a 50 watt switch too, however there's only a slight difference in volume between the two modes, but in 50 watt mode you can use 2x12 cabs into 8 ohms and get a more saturated sound at a lower volume.

At 100 watts, you have a lot of clean headroom, and that's good for those who love a very clean sound. be sure your pickups are not placed too high, or you'll get "wolftone" which is a muddy distorted sound on clean caused by too high pickups which causes a loud poppy sound that sounds horrid.

overall on features, its GREAT!

With my PRS's, it matches well with this amp in versatility. It sounds better with my PRS McCarty than it does with my steve vai jem guitar. As "blasphamy" as it sounds, the jem is too bright for my tastes to be paired with this amp. Maybe with a dimarzio breed pickup it would. It suits anything from jazz to hard rock, but it is not a total "metal amp" if you want riffage galore, I suggest the Carvin MTS series or for those who want "brand name" a mesa boogie. This amp is a lead guitarist's dream. the lead channel is articulate and very clear, I love how it responds well to my picking.
the volume doesn't jump with a turn, except from .5 to 1. after 2 or 3 on the volume its very clear sounding, I like to keep it on 4-5 on 100 watt mode. The gain is good, but if you're using the effects loop, some gain is loss, but not a lot, there's plenty of gain in this amp. I find it best on a lead setting to keep the gain on 7.5.
anything below that or higher, the sound becomes "loosened" anything higher than 7.5 would cause a lot of feedback and muddy up the sound. 7.5 to me is my sweet spot.
I don't like the presence switch. i like a warm tone from a neck pickup and the presence gives it a brightness which I dislike.
but for some guys depending on their guitar love it.
the clean is a dream, has a slight breakup on higher volumes but retains its clear sound and can get bright or warm depending on your settings. for an el34 based amp, its pretty clean sounding.

the reverb is ok, I keep it on 2 since the reverb is very intense, but I use a visual sound H2o in the effects loop for delay and analog chorus. I prefer delay on my leads over reverb.

The cab is loaded with celestion Vintage 30's. Not suited for jazz at all, but kicks well with modern rock.
the cab is lighter than most high end 4x12s. this cab is made of plywood, not birch, but sounds good and is pretty solid, considering that carvin skimps on cabs to cut costs. but its still solid.

Built like a tank.
try hard to break it, the worse you'll do is break a couple of tubes. No cheap wiring, which is good and it looks cool too. I like the brown color. represents the sound as well.

when I got this amp, it had a blown tube due to shipping. They sent me new tubes, and were nice enough to stay on the line to show me what to do, since at the time I had no clue how to use or install tubes.
they helped alot, and sent me a new head and I got it really quick.
their packaging is well done, I love it when a company packs it good. Musicians friend always never packs the stuff I order well, and I always had to send stuff back to MF. Carvin is relaible and they'll answer any questions you have.
be sure to get the wheels and foot switch.
the wheels are well built, not made with plastic like marshall wheels, and also they're faily priced for wheels.
get it with the amp so you save 10 bucks on shipping.

I've been playing for several years and quite picky on my tone. This amp beats the hell out of many mesa boogies I've played, and is a third of the price. Tone is fat like a Bogner, but more subtle.
If this was stolen, I would track the Bas!@#$%^& down and get it back and have him jailed. This amp is good, if it was I would work day and night trying to get it back. If I can't get it back, I would get another one no doubt, I'd probably buy a used one for $600. However I don't see too many people using Carvin amps. Priced too low? for $800 you won't find a better amp in any price range.

This is a long, detailed review because I don't do things by halves. For all the information you need, skip directly to the verdict at the end of the Overall column. This condenses hundreds of words into a crucial few. For the rest of you, dig in and enjoy (or criticise; I love a good debate and my email is included).

This amp was released in 1999, created by Carvin under the strict and exacting guidance of Steve Vai, noted guitar virtuoso and regular on the much-vaunted 'musicians musician' tour that is G3 worldwide. Though Steve certainly isn't my favourite player there's no doubting the sickening amount of skills the man demostrates every time he picks up an electric axe, so curiousity led me to wonder if his signature amp would be a one-dimensional shred leviathon or a versatile, under-appreciated masterpiece. Thankfully, it's both.

I've noticed that people are ******* about the lack of a master volume. I'd like to put forward the following theory: given that the performance of valve amplification and, crucially, the human ear change quite drastically given increased volume - both on non-linear curves - then do you think the difference in output between the clean and dirty sides would stay the same when playing quietly at home/in your garage and cranked up to noon at a gig? Probably not, and certainly not in my experience.

Steve and Carvin have wisely decided to keep the tone stack fairly simple here, and coming from another two-channel amp that lacked a master I don't miss it. Amps are the one part of any rig I've made that I keep simple - multi-channel beasts like the Marshall JVM series end up tripping over themselves with perceived variety when they only have one or two good sounds anyway. I regularly hear players of such equipment, and some multi-effects units that offer similar endless tones, that it takes them a long time to find 'their' sound anyway.

What I'm saying is, isn't it better to have a couple of versatile features than a plethora of limited ones? In rare cases you can have your cake and eat it, but in almost all amplification I've owned I have found that less is more, as long as that less is well-produced in the first place. Here, it is.

Bonus points for having a 50/100 watt switch and a 4/8/16 ohm one too. As a player who likes the overtone-drenched tone of 50 watters but also the occassional use of the more defined 100 watter, having the option to switch between both is rare, and much appreciated.

I like to start with what doesn't work, and what might discourage a potential buyer who would have similar tastes to myself, before moving swiftly onto what works like a charm. This being a pretty strong product, there aren't many of the former but plenty of the latter.

CONS:
1) Reverb. I've always been fussy when it comes to spring reverb, having been spoiled a couple times in my career by the glory of a Fender Twin. The only ones that came close were often found on Laney products. This one, while certainly a little above average, isn't _quite_ right. I find it to be brittle: lacking low end while the dwell time at lower settings seems excessive. It would suit ambient soundscaping, surf rock - and I do reel off a passable 'Misirlou' on occassion - plus shredding. But as usual, this will be one that I either have full on, or off entirely and substituted by a high-end digital reverb instead.
2) Low volume response. Fair enough, this is a problem common to a lot of equipment that really sings at gig levels, but this amp suffers slightly more than average, especially on the clean channel. But I didn't buy it to run on '1' on the dial forever, I want to keep it around noon on both channels whenever possible.
3) Clean Gain. I would prefer more control over the clean channel breakup point but then I'm quite lazy! And as I tend to use treble boosters, or a digital equivelant of such, not a big issue. Again, as I've said I don't like master volume controls most of the time, I can deal with it for the great tone.

Three cons, all minor. As a perfectionist that's a pretty big deal. Some amps I'd run out of fingers and toes to list 'em all on.

PROS
1) Responsive controls. It's like playing a vintage piece that's been worn in over a decade or two! The EQ sweep is a real technical feat, it must be said. I usually ignore the 'presence' or 'bright' switch on amps, but here it adds definition to my usually dark main electric.
2) Clean channel. Really, really strong. Even using EL34s as stock, which aren't as notable for good cleans as 5881s or 6L6s (might change them when I have more coin) this channel is voiced very well. Crank it up and get some spongey, slightly bell-like tone with edge. Very dynamic, exactly the sort of tones I expect from American-designed amps.
3) Dirty channel. Not quite as dynamic as the clean but not far off! Keep it at 2-3 on the dial and get all the strutting AC/DC classic rock tone you want, good pick responsiveness here. Get it to noon and you're in early Eddie territory. Any more than that and chugging shred riffs with squealing pinch harmonics are owned by this amp. It's a cross between the note definition of a Laney, the gritty higher mids of a Marshall capped with the overall smoothness of an Orange. For me, it's love, and it makes me play my best, something I just can't do with inferior equipment (or musicians!) any more.
4) Design. Yes, design. Normally I could care less about the appearance of my equipment, except for the really extremely ugly or gratuitous ones (sparkle glitter and crazy shapes are right out). But this device has an understated, unassuming charm to it. Vai's 'logo' is far classier than a signature. Carvin have used a different typeface and their name adorns the control panel. Normally I prefer tolex not metal grille fronting on the cab but here, combined with that likeable rust colour, the aesthetic choice is as sound as the tone it produces.
5) It's off-kilter, different, rare. It seems strange to me that one of the world's premier shred-guitarists would side with a less common brand, but Steve has wisely stayed where the tone is. And I always feel good using equipment that no-one else does rather than paying over the odds for the black/gold status quo (and Status Quo) amp from a company that hasn't made a good product since the mid 80s. (I think that applies to Status Quo too, though YMMV).

Try opening the amp if you don't have any warrenty left on it. Well constructed isn't it? Notice how there aren't too many circuit boards, and those that are there are sturdy? Notice how the valve sockets are mounted on the chassis, not the circuit boards? The only other modern amp maker of a similar size I can think that compares well is Laney. Open a new Marshall or a Fender and be horrified at the multitude of flimsy PCBs and ribbon cables. They look more like computers than amplifiers and sometimes I wonder that they work at all.

I'd give it a higher rating but valve equipment is notably more difficult to keep in top condition, though ironically I've had less problems with them than transistor or hybrid models. Perhaps because I choose my equipment better now.

It's an old line I tend to use that can apply to anything: the best example of customer support is making an amp so good you never need to use it. Carvin appear to have succeeded, with a little help from Mr Vai.

The amp is a nearly-new second hand model anyway and my local shop/tech will fix it under warrenty should something bad happen to it. Not that I think I'll need to use that service.

I've been playing for about fifteen years now, which is well over half my life. Literally since I was a kid. I've done hundreds of gigs and dozens of sessions in various studios, I've been around and though I'm not a pro I'm at least semi-pro in terms of chops and attitude, on the cusp of making my living out of gigging and jamming. My main guitar is a Burns Brian May Signature model and for effects I was using the excellent Boss GT-8 until it got stolen, so I'll be using the Boss GT-10 when money allows.

I'll compare this to every other valve amp I've owned or used long enough (hire/rent/borrow) to form an opinion on.

1) Fender Twin. Clean is slightly better on the Twin, as is the reverb, though in the case of the clean changing the Legacy to 5881s would probably score them even. The dirty channel on the Legacy is far, far beyond the modern Twin's paltry stab at it, as is the build quality.
2) Marshall JMP ('78 50 watter and '77 100 watter). Comparable low/mid gain, more sparkle and clarity on the Carvin. Superior clean on the Carvin, plus a reverb. Legacy can almost out-plexi these things, and has as many harmonically rich and pleasing overtones as the '78 JMP which up until now I assumed would never be beaten.
3) Orange Rockerverb 100. Orange has much smoother gain - too smooth to really rock, IMO. The clean on the Orange is a joke by comparison but the aesthetics are superior, obviously.
4) Vox AC30. Personally I never liked the AC30. I bought one because Brian May can get a great tone out of it, but later I found only because his ones are set up completely non-stock, to the point where I wonder why he uses them at all. The clean - what there is of it - is very nice, but the Carvin owns everything else. Especially in the reliability stakes.
5) Laney LC50, VC50 and GH100L. Tough one to call as I love Laney products - disappointed at Paul Gilbert for jumping ship but that's his loss! More harmonic overtones on the Carvin, drive channel probably just beats those on the Laney trio as it has more dynamic range and a touch more sag at the lower settings. Clean channel and reverb are a notch or two better, and a touch more dynamic. Dead heat, really, but the Carvin won because of overall versatility, whereas on the Laney I always needed to use a Boss GT-8 or similar to get good drive tones.

VERDICT: This amp is ******* awesome dude! Kick-*** dirty sounds, versatile clean sounds (even with stock EL34 valves) and enough volume to drown out most drummers on Earth, wrapped up in a subtle yet attractive package. This is pro-quality stuff all the way, for much less than competitors charge. You need to shake the rafters, forget about Marshall. This little beauty is where it's at.

This is an 06 Legacy Head that I purchased 2nd hand last week. 2 channels, reverb, footswitch, effects loop, ohm selection (4/8/16) and a half power switch. Mine has 6L6 tubes in it. I usually prefer EL34's in amps, but this is a good match for this amp. It has a voiced line out that I have not attempted to use yet.

If it had a master output pot, and seperate reverb controls for each channel I'd be ecstatic, but it really doesn't need it. It could also use a boost or solo function, but that is easily overcome.

I play a lot of hard rock, some metal, blues and pop. I can't say that this amp is a swiss army knife out of the box, but it certainly is versatile. I can get most of these tones straight jacked with some tweaking.

This amp is VERY loud. If you want loud, get this amp, if you plan on playing guitar in your bedroom of an apartment complex, get a line6.

I'm giving it a 8 even for lack of a master output and separate reverbs.

I use a LP standard with burstbuckers. I also use a Hamer Standard explorer with EMGs. I run the amp through a Vox 2x12 with Warfdale 30w "vintage" style speakers.

Like I said before you can get a lot of tones out of it, I have yet to find a bad tone. I have used 3 methods to shape my tone:

1) Straight from guitar into amp
This setup works amazingly well. Tonnes of gain, great sound, great cleans and excellent definition. Chording is great, single notes are clear and defined. Great tube dynamics. Good gain control with the volume pot of my guitars

2) Guitar>RP500>Input of amp
Can't use amp/speaker sim. Effects sound warm and complete but distortions sound bad by themselves. If you use the lead channel and the rp500 distorions, you get an extra amount of gain that sounds GREAT. The pedal does suck a little bit of the gain away.

3) Guitar>RP500>Effects return of amp
Here you can use the amp/speaker sim and with a little tweaking you can get some pretty great sounds too. Effects sound better this way. One thing to keep in mind is that there is no Master Volume on this amp, whatever output setting your RP is in will dictate the volume of the amp. The front controls aren't used at all while in this mode. I still like the straight jacked sound the best. However I will use this mode for most cover tunes etc.

I don't know anything about the reliability yet.

N/A

I have been playing for well over 20 years. I have used a plethora of equipment from vintage marshalls to mesa boogies and virtually everything in between. This amp is one of the best I've used to date. It replaced a Mesa Rectoverb combo.

I've been after a sound like this amp produces for a LONG time. I am happy to own this amp, and I would probably replace it with another if soemthing happened to it.

This is a Legacy head that I got right from Carvin on eBay. This is a factory second kind of deal - the page said it had a few superficial scratches (which I have yet to find) and I got it for much less than retail.

The features have been mentioned a lot, so there's no real need to re-cap those. Solidly built amp, all the features you'd really need.

I'm using this amp with a JEM7V, and can honestly say that there is a touch of Vai in the tone, but it really depends on how you play it. I use this much more as I would an older Marshall - gain at about 6, with an overdrive stompbox in front of it with the gain turned down to a quarter up, and the level pretty much cranked. With this, it sounds great at every level.

The amp will get more saturated and "shreddy" sounding with the volume at higher levels, which should not need saying. However, it's worth mentioning that this amp REALLY needs to open up to sound better by itself. I'm not sure whether or not it's the tubes or not, but on the 50w setting between volume 1 and 4-5, the distortion can sound... sissy. I was a bit disappointed when I first took it out of the box and found that even with the gain on 7 or 8 the distortion seemed rather mild. However, this could be the age-old problem of sub-par preamp tubes, or just me expecting too much gain. Either way, shove a box in front of it to boost it and it sounds amazing.

The clean channel is orgasmic. That's all that needs to be said. Without the presence switch kicked in, it's a fat, beefy tone that with the right guitar is great for jazz. With presence on, I just put the JEM into single-coil settings and spank it up. There is really nothing that I would change about this channel.

Overall rating without OD box in front: 6
Rating with OD box in front: 8.5

This amp hasn't broken or screwed up yet. However, going on Carvin's reputation for customer service and how they've dealt with me in the past, I would suggest knowing a really reliable in-town tech just in case something does go wrong. Again, the amp has been perfectly reliable so far, but in case something fizzles out, I would not suggest sending it in to Carvin.

Carvin's customer service is lacking. I've phoned and gotten several surly reps, they take forever to reply, and quite honestly if anything ever happens their only suggestion is to mail it back to San Diego for them to "have a look at it." Which is not something I warm to, being that I don't want to have to mail a relatively expensive piece of equipment from Canada (Calgary) to California to "have it looked at." I just go to my tech and let that be that.

Overall, I'd say that this is a great amp for what it does, but the dirty channel really needs a stompbox (or perhaps new power tubes on mine, seeing as it really seems to lack... balls compared to others I've heard) to really exploit it. But great, 80s-Marshally sounds all round, and nothing that I would grouse about at any length.

The Legacy has all the features I require. It's plug and play. Two channels with separate EQ, effects loop, bias switch, and choice of 50 or 100 watts. Just fine.

I use a strat Frankenstein with a Duncan '59 in the bridge. The band I'm in plays hard rock/classic. The Legacy is the best sounding amp I've used in years for this style of music. I've been playing in the clubs for over 30 years and have used many, many amps. This amp sounds great and is a lot of fun. The clean channel is also VERY nice. I'd say one of the best. I find the Legacy to be very quiet but then again after 30 years I find many things very quiet. Seriously, no hums, buzzes, or hissing. Even at high gain.

No worries so far but I never gig without a backup.

Hmmm. I had an unrelated issue with Carvin and wrote 5 times before I got a response. From what I can gather, their Internet customer support is hit or miss. I've had good experiences with Carvin in the past and will continue to do business with them but this is one issue they need to address. Whoever is in charge of that aspect is dropping the ball and losing customers.

If you are looking for a fantastic sounding rock amp the Legacy is perfect. Carvin makes good products at any price.

Purchased new in late '07. Two channels (clean and drive), switchable reverb on both and a totally useful treble boost on the clean that I feel would be right at home on the drive channel as well. A master volume would be a nice feature on the clean channel to give it a little breakup, but the clean boost I use does that just fine.

I use this amp for a lot of different styles, including 60's-70's punk and stoner metal/thrash. I get a sound similar to a vintage Marshall or Laney with a tube screamer up front, ala Mastodon or The Sword. This isn't a plug-and-play head and takes some patience and fine-tuning to find its sweet spots. This amp sounds great with all of my guitars, including two ESP hybrids and a Music Man Sub 1. I run Duncan SH-4's in the bridge and typically use an eq pedal with the highs boosted and the overall level up just a hair. I also play through a vintage Ampeg cab with two greenbacks and two vintage 30's in an x-pattern, which I think has a lot to do with my tone. It won't give you scooped mids, but who cares? Your guitar's natural frequencies are in the midrange anyway and scooping them sounds fine in your bedroom but you'll lose major volume and get drowned out by bass and cymbals in the mix. Settings vary on the clean channel, but for drive I keep it presence 10, bass 4, treble 6 and mids at 7.I keep it in 50 watt mode. I agree with other reviewers that the drive channel can get muddy, but with a little fine tuning and an eq pedal it cuts like steel. Definitely not the amp for everybody, but I really dig the unique tone (very fuzzy and gainy without the glassy chunk of a Mesa recto). The clean channel is amazing and with a little clean boost courtesy of the eq pedal it gets a little fender twin-style breakup. Turn the pedal off and you have headroom at full volume.

I've never had an issue, but It's only been out of the studio twice in the four months I've owned it. When I brought it home I pulled off the back panel and went to work with a screwdriver, tightening up anything loose and checking to make sure the tubes were all properly seated (common issues associated with shipping). The design doesn't allow for much venting for the tubes, and I'm considering routing out some vents in the front panel for better airflow.

I bought this amp because of it's reasonable price and unique tone. I really, really wish they put a treble boost on the drive channel. The voicing of the preamp seemed a little off at first, but playing with the settings will eventually lead you to some great sounds. The guy at the Carvin store said they're putting out a three channel version...we'll wait and see on that one.

You know the features. For the price, I give it an 8.

As everyone else has said, you know it is great for solos. The clean--- I hear it is great, but read below and you will see why I wouldn't know.

You will NOT get hardcore sounds out of this amp!! If you are looking for heavy sounds, this is not the amp for you! I never put the gain past 7. Any more than that it muddied it up. At 6 and some EQ to match whatever you are putting thru it, it sounds great for solos and regular playing... very Vai-ish---- go figure!

It is great in the lead department, so I give it a 6.

Ok, I ordered the Legacy combo... and the clean channel flat out did not work. I had to gig with this once, as I was without a back-up (stupid me thought a brand new amp would work thru the gig). I returned it and exchanged it for the VL100 Legacy head and the 2x12 cab. It showed up and the cabinet made this wicked unnatural vibration that showed itself when mic'd thru my PA. That one went back and I got a Mesa/Boogie Roadster half stack which I frickin love (different ballpark with price/options). This is not the end of my nightmare with Carvin.... see below...

So when my Legacy combo didn't work, I called and the guy said it was the tubes and he would send me some tubes. They never came.
When the 1/4 stack came and the cabinet was "broken", they tried to get me to pay for shipping until I made a stink about it.

I also ordered a guitar from them. It came with a ding in the finish, and missing a switch that I ordered. I sent it back. I was told it would be ready in 2 weeks. I called every week until TWO MONTHS had passed, and then I called everyday.

The guitar came back to me with a sheet saying "switch installed, test played OK". The switch was NO WHERE TO BE FOUND! And, to add insult to injury, the coil splitter switch that was already there was now BROKEN, and the frickin thing would not even WORK when plugged in!!!!

I called the VP of sales and told him my deal. He offered me 200 in carvin CREDIT, and I told him no thanks, I just want my money back. I got an Ibanez JEM7v like all the other copycats out there, but it is great and I love the thing--- I just look like everyone else now, which is what I was trying to avoid!

Overall, I will never say never... but I will never go back to Carvin, not even for a flashlight.


I am not a hard guy to please, either. I hope I do not sound like some others who just like to complain! I am NOT that guy!! I just want people to know my experience with the company.

Bought it used off of eBay. The guy who owned it before me took pristine care of it and "amp-ed it up" with some minor modifications to the tubes and preamp (JJ6L6; biased).

Features are pretty basic and found on most "pro-quality" amps. Dual channels (clean & overdrive/sustain, Separate Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble & Presence for each channel, Master Reverb for both channels, 50/100W output switch, effects loop. Weights in at about 40lbs. Not too heavy. The only feature it lacks that I would prefer is a headphone jack as this muther is LOUD! Even at the 50w setting, you're neighbors will complain and the dogs down the block will howl. Other than that, very nice amp. Suitable for home (use with caution!), practice, gigging, mid to large venues, you name it.

The clear channel is great! I play a few acoustic sets (Led Zeppelin, Heart, classic rock era tunes) and the clear channel is pleasing to the most discerning ear. The sustain or "distortion" channel is great too but requires some loud volume settings to get "brown sound" or "metal" sound out of it. Low volume settings are decent but hey!...who plays below 3, right?

No noise. Hum is present, but it could be due to my pedals. Play around with it, get a noise-gate, whatever, work with it, it's worth it.

I play a Les Paul standard through it and a Strat, both with stock pickups. Great sound although my Strat tends to get a little squirely at times. Typical Strat sound only gets to be a bit too "Tele" sounding for me at times. Maybe it's just me?

But get this bad boy tuned in, work with it a bit, and you'll be more than pleased with the results. Great job by Carvin and Vai on coming up with this combination. If you're looking for a real metal, classic rock sound, this is the amp for you. As one guy pointed out, it's pretty much a Marshall JCM800 "rodded-up" or on steroids.

Too early to tell. I only use it at home and play for about 2-6 hours per week on it. No problems so far. I do take real good care of all my equipment so it's not fair for me to say. I don't power it up with the volume on. I don't bang it around moving it from gig to gig. It's pretty much a set-n-forget type of setup for me. No problems here. I have owned a couple of other Carvin products and none of them have ever failed me.

I did order a CM140 guitar from them back in the late 70's. Back then, they promised to have it to me before Christmas (ordered in mid-November) and it didn't arrive till late January after several phone calls and inquiries. I guess my order got caught up in the Christmas rush. Granted, this was ~35 years ago. Hopefully they've gotten their order system corrected by now, right? ;-)

I did once order a couple of minor knobs and truss rod cover plate from them and the customer support rep mailed them to me free of charge. It should have been about a $25.00 order, but out of kindness, he just sent it to me for free. To me, that made me a fan of Carvin. It's the little things that go a long way. 35 years later, I'm still a fan of their products.

I've been playing off and on for 35 years. Mostly off...

I' just now got back into playing again (re-living my youth). I still get a charge out of the songs from the classic rock era. Good days gone by and never to bee seen or heard again. Too bad...

Overall, I'd have to say this amp is an incredible value. Sure, I could go out and spend $1500-$3000 for a Marshall, 5150, Bogner, or whatever, but for what I paid for this bad boy, I'll stick with it. I'll leave the high-dollar amps to the rich or "image is everything" crowd.

I love the look, design and feel of this amp. The logo is a bit "Jimmy Page" so I'm not sure where Vai comes off on this, but hey...whatever floats your boat. The knobs are bit old-fashioned for my liking and I might switch them out, but we'll see.

If you can find one of these bad boys for under $500...do yourself a huge favor and BUY IT! Even at $800 direct from Carvin, it's a great buy. I know some people don't like buying electronics "used" so paying an extra $300 may be worth it to some. Can't says I blame them. The only reason I bought mine off of eBay was I trusted the guy that owned it before me as he took great care of it.

If you're into Marshall's, great! Otherwise, get this Legacy model. You won't regret it!

It is a very simple amp that just about does everything I need it to.

Like everyone says, it has a great clean channel and the OD channel is great for leads. My only real problem is the OD sounds muddy to me for rythm, I am someone who is used to using pedals and a scooped eq for songs that require high gain. Now that I am in a band that plays less metal and more mainstream rock I have tried to ditch the pedals and just go with the amps od, but it just sounds to dark and muddy to me and everyone in my band. The other BIG problem with the overdrive is the amount of unwanted noise and feedback that is present. The clean channel takes well to high gain pedals though. I bought the amp because it has tons of headroom on the clean channel and I figured if I didn't like the od I could just use pedals for rythm. Thats just what I've had to do. It's a great amp but I don't get how people think the amps distortion is usable for rythm. This amp was designed for a lead player- even Steve Vai himself uses distortion pedals with this amp. .

No problems

Haven't needed it.

I don't want this to sound like a negative review. I have been playing for well over 20 years now and this is by far the best amp I have ever owned.