Carlsbro 50 Top Evolution

I've had mine now for two years. Its a great amp and a great pitty Carlsbro don't make them anymore.
On its own without any effects etc, its a great amp. Warm shimmering clean tone. If you push the clean channel volume you're into SRV/Hendrix/Clapton Cream era teritory with a real nice natural tube overdrive. Switch to the lead channel and the fun starts. Without the boost this amp sounds very much like the Cornford MK50 (thanks to the reviewer below, I was the person who said it sounded like the MK on the forum ;-) ). With the gain maxed and no boost its a very warm liquid sounding tone, great for fat chords and soloing. Hit the gain boost button and its a different beast again. What you have now is more akin to a Mesa recto solo head. Lots of biting gain, more than enough on tap for the heaviest metal sounds. The boost not only adds some gain to the amp, but it also adds some presence for more crispness and bite. With the very simple EQ setup, just bass mid and trebble, you don't get spoiled for choice as to what sound to dial, whicgh sometimes can be a curse. However this amp lacks nothing in versitility dispite its simple EQ. Each parameter has a lot of variation. Channels are switchable via a footswitch connected on the back pannel, also the twin master volume is switchable for solo boosts. There's a series/paralel switchable effects loop.
I've gigged this amp only a few times. Its now a rare piece so I don't take it out anymore.

I use a veriety of guitars, ranging from Les Pauls fitted with EMG pickups, a Washburn x50 pro with SD pickups, and ibanez S series with Dimazio pickups, and they all sound great through this amp.

Its never given me any problems so far.

I bought the amp in may 2005 "fresh from the factory". I play everything from folk to metal.
It has two channels w boost on ch 2.
channels A B, mastervolume 1,2 Boost,Fxloop on/of can be reached from a 4-way footswitch.
It should have eq's on both channels.
It has the power for small clubs to big outdoor events.

The amp goes from sweet angelwhisper to roarings from hell!I play both covers and own material in a wide range of styles from soft clean chords to heavymetal solos. The two channels produces everything from mild, soft and very clean to highgain sounds. The clean channel itself is worth the money.It starts with a clear punchy tone and when you crank it up you get vintage gain.channel 2 starts where the clean ends. A brown mid 70ies dist to a rich fat sustain that sorts of smoothes out the more you increase the level. What I miss is separate eq's due to my playingstyle. If I set channel 1 to my optimal taste of what a clean sound should sound like then channel 2 sounds a bit to harsh for me.I have to compromise with the clean sound since the gainchannel is the most important to me. It's really singing in a a sort of nosy way. A bit like a modified jcm 800. Apart from that it's a wondeful tubesmelling amp. it has a lot of treble and bass in it so my settings is mid at half and then a tiny bit on bass and treble.I played it at 50 watts only a few times when we gigged outdoors.The soundengineers found it very loud! Normally i play it near half at 25 watts to get the El 34's to sweat.

I've played it daily for two years and it sounds great so far. I don't know how often the tubes should be replaced so I'll just wait and see. I've never experienced any failure but for safety I have a bandit transtube with me.

I have played on a Tc 100 Carlsbro amp for many years and wanted some info about the amp and I got A full broshyr of facts about it with pictures and everything! It's to bad Carlsbro valveamps doesn't have enough influence at the rockscene. They seem like the ultimate company.
The warranty on my new amp was 1 year but as I mentioned i didn't need it.The 50-top runs with the 4* 12 carlsbro classic cabinet it was quite cheap and sounds good.

I've been playing for thirty years now. And I play a musicman petrucci 6 string.normally I dont like signature models bit this one is a performer. It stays in tune for weeks! I also have G&L strat.The 50-top runs with the 4* 12 carlsbro classic cabinet it was quite cheap and sounds good.Sometimes I use my Boss GT-3 in the fxloop and before the amp a cry baby and a rat.

As this is the first review of the 50 Top Evo, I'll try to get in as much info as possible. I can't understand quite why there are no reviews already, but here goes. The amp was made some time in the late 90's I believe. Carlsbro reissued the 50 Top and this new model, the Evolution with added features. The features (as listed by Carlsbro) are:

50W Valve Amplifier (50W RMS @ 8 or 16 Ohms)
Channel 1 : Clean
Channel 2 : Overdrive with Gain Boost and Level
Series Parallel FX Loop
'Sleep Mode' Automatic Muting When No Input
External Bias Measurement & Adjustment
Pentode/Triode Switch (50W or 25W operation)
3 Band EQ Using Silvered Mica Capacitors
Hi & Lo Sensitivity Jack Inputs
Mains ON/OFF & Standby Switches
Master Volumes 2 Switchable
Classic Jewel Pilot Light
Jack Output (2@8 Ohm & 1@16 Ohm)
115V/230V Operation
Valve Complement 4xECC83 & 2xEL34 (Porcelain valve Base)
Plywood Construction

The whole job is handwired in the UK from military spec components. I really like the dual master volumes. You can set the balance between the channels with the gain channel "level" pot and then control the overall volume of the amp as a whole with one of the masters, perhaps using the other for a footswitchable solo boost should you wish. The military spec components and good construction give the impression that this thing is rock hard, built like a tank. You can see it here: http://www.harmony-central.com/Newp/2004/50-Top-Evolution-lg.jpg
That pretty much all the features I need to say yes - very versatile.

Starting with the clean channel, which has just the three band and a single volume pot. If you turn the "volume" pot down and the master way up you are gratified by ultra-warm, ultra-clean sounds that are really spot on for jazz, or with a touch of compression, some chicken-pickin' country stuff. Upping the "volume" to about half way (backing the master off so you don't go deaf) you are back in pure original 50 Top territory. I used to have one of those years back and now I remember how warm and "tubey" they were. The further you turn the clean "volume" pot up the more break-up sneaks in, producing some really nice jangles and blues tones, until it's wide open which gives nice classic overdrive sounds ala AC/DC and co.

I should point out that I've been mainly using the amp in 25 watt Triode mode. It's just a touch "browner" than using it in Pentode, which seems to add a teeny bit more top end/high mids at volume. Both are good though. It could more than handle a smaller gig unmiked in Triode mode. Also, that I'm basing this on the amp being used with a cheaper model Carlsbro 4x12 and no effects or pedals whatsoever. Since I've had this amp all my other stuff has been kept in rehearsal space with my other rig.

The gain channel has more than enough on the go for most rock/hard rock styles but is probably too warm sounding for most modern metal sounds. Until you use the boost switch, which seems to boosts the top end considerably, giving plenty of crunch and presence for fast palm muting. Great at all times for any of the classic british rock tones, ala Hendrix, Clapton, Townshend. I particularly enjoy getting out the old SG and doing some Hideaway, and then some womantone widdling at the mo. It is probably the least noisy amp in the history of amps - though it can, if you wish, be coaxed into a very nice musical feedback.

Not much info about this amp on the web, but a gent on a forum informed me that it sounded remarkably similar to the Cornford MK50H and that I should check out the sound clips in their site. It does sound very similar indeed.

In short this amp is what I always thought a good tube amp should sound like - amazing.

I bought this amp on a special deal from Carlsbro after it had been returned by a former endorsee. They refitted it and stuck a new round of JJ's in and sold it to me for the bargain price of ??350 with a full years warranty. It's still too new really to say whether it's going to be long term reliable, but as I say, it's built like a tank and I really cant anticipate any problems.

See above about me warranty etc.

This amp is a beauty. I think it is absolutely fantastic all round. They used to retail for ??1199, if you can find one now-a-days it'll cost you at least ??700, I got one for half that and it exceeds my expectations.