Carr Amplifiers Hammerhead 112 Combo

See other reviews.. mine is a 2006 1x12 combo

This is a very unique amp. It took some time to get used to the controls, but it was well worth it - this little combo has become my #1 recording, rehearsal, and small gig amp. Capable of very unique, original tones, but it can also cover classic Marshall and Fender territory with ease. My Carmen Ghia, Reinhardt 18, and Swart AST have all gone out the door sine I got the Hammerhead. They were all great amps, but I found the Hammerhead had everything I liked in them and more. I just "connected" with the Carr more than the others. I recently swapped the original Eminence RW&B speaker out for a Weber R65, and it only got better.

I've been gigging, rehearsing, and recording with it for about 6 months with no issues. It's a pine cabinet, so it's not bullet proof, but it's very well built and I don't forsee any problems.

I've emailed Carr on several occasions, and Steve has always gotten back to me personally, and in depth. Seems like a great guy, and I haven't gotten the "cold shoulder" like I have with some other boutique builders. No worries about customer support.

Killer amp - very unique, big sound, and it weighs next to nothing.. what's not to like? It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but after spending some time with it and learing to use the controls.. it's a VERY satisfying purchase.

I've had this amp for about six months now. Mine was made in 2004 so it has the updated tone circuit. Black tolex with tan cloth. Preamp gain, master volume, grip, and impact. The grip and impact are tone/gain controls. The one setting rebiases the EL34s. Never seen this before. No reverb, just the way I like it. Kingpin 30 speaker. This amp is very different but simple. As far as features go, I say less is more.

I like this amp. To me it sounds like an old marshall mixed with an old fender but with loads of gain available at reasonable to loud levels. The bottom end can be too thin with the master volume down too far. My favorite setting is master volume pegged, pre amp around 3 o'clock, grip at lowest, and impact at lowest. In fact, I can't take the grip and impact set to anything but their lowest positions. They are too bright and the gain gets too shrill in their higher positions. Yuck! The manual talks a bit about the Texas sound settings. For thoughs of you who love SRV's tone don't read what I'm about to say...... Now, his playing was nothing short of amazing, but I can't stand that bright, tear your face off tone. Ouch. Not to mention some pretty forgetable songs and some bad eighties mixes. ADATs and gated snares anyone? That's just my opinion. I'm just another dime a dozen guitar player so who cares what I think in this regard. I'll just stay at home with my Beatles & my Stones.

This amp is built as well as my Matchless amps. I've had no problems so far and I don't expect to have any in the near future.

Never had to call Carr for anything so I don't have an opinion.

I bought this amp sight unseen and I'm fine with it. At this level of quality, I wasn't suprised that it sounds good. I most definitely perfer my matchless spitfire and dc30. The Carr has good detail and is responcive like my spitfire but lacks the depth and harmonics. I've been playing for the better part of my life and I've played just about everything. This amp sits fairly high on my list but not at the very top.

Hi, I just wanted to add one more thing to my post below. At this point, I've had the amp for six months and feel like I'm very familiar with it. I also just got a VERY expensive boutique channel switcher that's supposed to be the cat's meow (if you know what I mean)- and it is. BUT, it cost several times as much as my Carr, and when it comes down to the basic overdriven tones, the carr does about 90% of this other amp, at a fraction of the price. HANDS DOWN, the best bang for your buck, IN ADDITION to having some of the best overdrive sounds out there. A great amp.

This amp is very simple... 4 knobs and an input jack. It is meant to be as simple as possible. This has a few effects: 1) It gives you NO room for technical error. You "flub" a note at all, you hear it. 2) The volume on your guitar does MUCH more. Also the tone controls. But if you're looking at this amp, you probably know this. It's not necessarily bad... I really like it's simplicity... but just something to be aware of. The knobs aren't intuitive either, although it doesn't take very long to dial in a sound you like. I'm givng it a "5" because it doens't have reverb. This is no reflection on quality, but a realistic assesment of its features.

I play jazz and rock, and use this amp mostly with my heavily customized strat. A few things: 1) It will NOT work well with a jazzbox. Not a jazz amp, unless you're looking for some feedback rich scofield tones. 2) It needs to be cranked to get great cruch and singing sustain. I mean, it does sound good at all levels, but if you're looking for some overdrive, you need to crank it. I live in a college dorm, and if I played at overdrive levels, I'd get "kicked off the island." That said, it sounds great! I went from playing a customized fender twin with an extensive pedalboard ti plugging straight into this thing, and I haven't looked back yet. It feels very responsive, and I think the fact that there's nothing for me to "hide behind" (i.e., reverb, compression) is turning me into a better, more technically proficiend player. It's much louder than you think, too. 25 Class A tube watts can make some noise. I'm giving it an "8" for the volume issues... when you turn it up, however, it sounds FRIGGAN AWESOME. Make no doubt about it... singing sustain with the rest of them, and true harmonically rich overdrive.

I have no basis to judge reliability. It seems very well made, and simple enough that is' unlikely anything will go wrong.

Never talked with him. Warranty is non-transferable, though, and I bought it used.

I've been playing for 8 years, very seriously for 4, and this is by far the best amp I've owned. Very light, practical, and loud enough for smaller gigs... I love it. It makes me feel awesome just plugging in and playing. No channel switching necessary... Just turn the volume on your guitar to get overdrive, and turn it down for clean tones. This is NOT a clean, headroom amp. If that's what you want, get a Twin Reverb. Speaking of reverb, I don't miss it. If you're using it for studio stuff, you can always add that in later. I have played a Crate GX212 (1st amp; bottom of the line and it sounds it!) A Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (Too loud for me, and it sounds like everyone else... couldn't get a sound I liked out of it so I returned it to guitar center, much to the chagrin of the salesman! :-) ) and a Fender twin, which I would use if I wanted more variety of sounds. This amp is unique, and DEFINATELY the best bang for your buck if you want great, boutique tube sound on a realistic budget. I've giving it an 8 because of its limitations... and it is limited... but try it... You'll love it.

Not a lot of features but enough to do the job! If you like simple this is it. I don't like to keep tweaking knobs until I get it right. The Hammerhead is pretty simple to get good tone out of. Once you get used to the controls it's all good!! No reverb or effects loop but that's not an issue for me. This is a 25watt class A tube amp and has plenty of power for a small combo.

I plugged my 57RI into this amp the first day I got it and I couldn't believe my ears! I had a smile on my face all day! The tone from this amp with humbuckers is awesome! I play mostly blues and classic rock and the Hammerhead nails it. Single coil guitars sound good as well. My McSoapy blows me away through this amp. Lots of overtones and nice chimey grind. Not really a metal amp if that's what you're looking for. I would not recommend this amp for clean tones although you can get decent cleans out of it. It wants to be cranked and that's when it sounds the best.

Carr amps are among the best build quality out there today. I've had a Slant6v for over a year and never had a problem with it. This is built just as good so I don't expect any problems.

I've emailed Steve Carr a few times and he ALWAYS replies promptly. He's a great guy to deal with.

I've been playing over 30 years and have owned many amps over the years. This one is a keeper! It can hang with any 25w combo out there. I'm amazed with the tone that comes out of this amp every time I turn it on. Highly recommended.

read the others-very simple which is the way i like it. tweed to over the top.

les paul 57 ri and les paul standard. i play blues based rock exclusively. fender clean to AWE INSPIRING overdrive. no way to really describe the distortion sounds because they are varied depending on grip and impact settings. no good for death metal but then again any solid state box is good for that and if you play that sort of material you probably cant read this anyway.

too soon

they answer the phone.

best amp i ever owned. sold my plexi and 1960 cab. plan to buy another and a/b them.

See below... Limited features, No Reverb, No effects loop, single channel... but just tons of tons of tone in an incredibally small package...

ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE EVER OWNED, and I've owned alot.

I'm an all tube guy, and love a thick mesa rect bottom (1x12 or 2x12 bottom) for very solid dark , classic rock and blues tones. Only problem is my rig is 75lbs bottom, 50lbs head.

I've tried bunches of smaller amps, Dr Z, Peavy, marshall, Matchless, Reverend, etc

This has fabulous tone at all volume levels. I can't speak enough for it.

It is definitely loud enough for clubs and most venues. I always mic my amp anyway for some presence in the mains.. This was fine at a 500 person club. Also played outside, and they asked me to bring the volume down (not mic'd).

I actually like the "tone" controls not being tone controls.. you get a pallet of sounds but can't screw around too much with the amp sound.. which is fabulous!! You have to start using the tone control on yr guitar to cut the highs... which is how it should be!

Takes my foot pedels very well.. I use a bunch.. including delay.

I get great Overdrive, Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, zz top, no problem, and at a flip of a control get a great trebly fender (SRV) tone. Very flexible... will not give you monster distortion!

But put a barber direct drive ss in front and.. instant marshall heavy rip yr face off distortion (maintaining fabulous tone)! I don't like non tube distortion... BUT MAN THIS SOUNDS FABULOUS AS A COMBO.

So far so good. Nice rugged construction

NA as of yet.. hope i never need it. Good website.

I purchased a hammerhead about 2 months ago. It is an exceptional instrument. I'm a blues and classic rock guy, playing 30 years.... Have been thru tons of amps, and now have been looking for a lighter rig.

expensive.. but if it saves my back.. and I keep the fab tone.. it's worth it!

I generally have loved closed back amps. Specifically a closed 1 x 12 or 2x12 cab and then a separate head... to get a very full and powerful blues tone.

I was skeptical that the hammerhead could give me the tones I desired, but it rated very well, sound samples were good.. the opening in the back was a small port.... OK I GOT ONE!

The amp sounds fabulous in small and Large venues! It has a great great earthy thick tone on both my Zion strat and Anderson Cobra.
No, Not as loud as my 2x12, but tone is great and very much loud enough... and ITS WEIGHT IS LESS THAN 40LBS.

A GREAT GREAT PRODUCT!

Very simple, but plenty of flexibility. 4 knobs; preamp vol, master vol, and two 4 position tone/gain character switch/knobs. Plenty loud to gig blues/classic rock...I do it all the time! No reverb or effects loop, just pure tube tone. I would like reverb, but don't miss it on stage.

I use all types of guitars (depending on my mood)ranging from G&L legacys, G&L ASAT specials and classics, to PRS CE to Baker B1 (all fantastic guitars). No matter what I plug into it, it gives back an instantly recognizable, jaw dropping sound. Each Guitar sounds like itself, but with that killer Texas (Billy G or SRV)wide open amp sound. Distorion ranges from Tweed (amp cranked, and tone knobs in lower positions), to plexi (middle tone knob positions)to kinda Matchless or modern class A. Doesn't seem to like my effects too much, but I just plug and play with this thing, and can get plenty of flexibility with the 4 simple knobs! Check out the sound clips on the carr website...you will have to have one!

I have gigged many times with it. Built very heavy duty, never a glitch. I've never replaced the tubes, and used the amp alot, and bought it used.....Wow, could it actually sound better with new tubes?

No experience with them. I did write a "happy E-mail" to them, and Mr. Carr himself replied by thanking me for my nice letter. He asked if he could quote me on his site (I Think he did)

I can walk into a gig with the coolest simple rig now! I don't even need my effects! I used to bring a pedalboard full, a few guitars, and my 64 Fender Super Reverb...still sounds fantastic...but now I can carry the Carr in one hand, and a guitar in the other, and one patch cord!! I have never been happy to do that with any of the other 20 or so amps I have owned (TSL,Blues Deluxe,VHT 45(almost), BF twin, BF super,Vibroverb, ADA rocket, etc.)

Yes, I love the amp, but man, let's not even pretend here in the features department. Let's just say it's a pretty bare-bones amp. That doesn't bother me, and actually, since I'm mainly using this in the studio, I consider that to be a plus (less stuff to have to turn off). Let's cover everything it doesn't have. No eq to have to sit there and fiddle with (we're fortunate enough to have a board with some killer eq anyway), no effects loop (I might have a passive loop, just send and return jacks, installed so I can plug in a tube reverb and analog delay for live shows).

Okay, okay, so it just has 25 watts and 4 knobs. Those are the features basically. Volume, Master, Grip, and Impact, the latter two I still don't know exactly what they physically control, but it's not eq in the true sense. There are enough reviews here and information on the website so that I don't have to cover that anyhow. I think Impact is supposed to control highs and high mids in an indirect way, and the Grip, likewise, somehow regulates the low mids (each at four different settings). But, I swear that the Grip increases the highs a bit, too.

I'm using mainly two guitars right now. One is a Heritage H-535, a 335-style axe with phase and coil-splitters (kinda Robben Ford like in single mode), and a Strat-style maple neck St. Blues, with a Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge (best playing "Strat" I've picked up in a very long time - a friend picked it up at the Dallas Guitar show for $150 - of course, that's not what he sold it to ME for, but alas, such are the slings and arrows, and benefits, of free enterprise).

Anyway, about the amp, these guitars kick it right with the Hammerhead. This amp has not only the right amount of gain onboard (lots, but not really enough to squash out heavily a la Pantera or Smashing Pumpkins either one). There's just enough gain handy to get old school Van Halen type sounds, but there's just more to it than that (though, with the Strat, it's easy to back off and get that "Girl Gone Bad" chimey ringing chord thing at the beginning, and the rest of the song for that matter). Another person I know got a very Larry Carlton type lead sound out of the thing - smooth and dynamic - with a TELE! (on the bridge pickup even). And it's nice to have a Studio to crank this thing in, because you do have to get the tubes cooking at least a little bit to get it to start to talk right (Master at least on ten oclock). The type of gain this amp produces is unlike most I've heard, and thus hard to describe. It has the grind of a good Marshall, but usually that grind means the top end has to turn into tinsel. Not so with this amp (unless you have the gain and impact both up real high at a low master setting). And, if you're using a Strat like mine, it's no problem to balance sounds by shaving a little treble off the bridge pickup (using the tone knob), and when changing pickups, roll off the volume for any other pickup selection (neck, middle, whatever). The only way I know to describe the gain is "pleasant and musical, but rips when you need it to". This is even more true, however, on the Slant-6v, which I have on order at my local dealer.

Live, this is a great amp for smaller clubs. It's one of those that tends to cut right through, though without being overbearing, and without a lot of excessive "ear-bleed" treble. If there's a problem with most club guitarists in Texas right now, especially with the SRV crowd, it's guys that use way too much treble, and then crank it. With this amp, you can do that and still not hurt anyone. Too badly.

Like I said, eventually I'm going to have at least a passive loop put in. I've plugged the analog delay in the front with fairly good results, but it distorts and squashes easily unless it's in a loop. Leave the rack gear in the studio and just get a couple of pedals - unless you're in a Rush cover band and have to have a zillion sounds - then get a Line 6 or whatever your choice of modeling amp (the Roland one doesn't sound bad, but of course is the ugliest of all). Or, this could work well in a multi-amp setup (if miked right), because you can set it for medium breakup and get a multitude of sounds just by varying pickup selections and volume. I wouldn't say it's got the best clean voice out there for sure, but it is very good. Besides, that's why they make the Slant-6v and Rambler.

I've owned it a few months and not had any problems. I can't imagine a problem though (I've been blessed with a few real good amps that sound great and, for the most part, have been problem free). Everyone that I know, who knows their stuff and has checked out Carr amps, seems to be very impressed with the quality of Steve Carr's work. Who am I to argue?!

Haven't dealt with Steve Carr directly, only the guy at the shop where I bought it, but I've been told that he's a nice guy to have to talk to (I mean, I don't care if they're friendly and personable or not, really, so long as they're not distinctly UNpleasant to deal with). So far, so good.

This amp has been used on a number of sessions and two live performances, and shined every time. I do wish it had spring reverb and a passive loop (and an optional eq that can be cut on or off, for when you have to dial it in at real low volumes), but for what it is, I love it.

Though, sitting in the studio by myself, late at night one morning (the amp in a soundproof room, me in the console room), I got the impression that the guy who made this amp has probably been exactly where I was right then a time or two. He's probably been to many a studio and hated setting eq on the amp constantly, only to realize that you've also got board eq to deal with, and that can change the sound a bunch. With the Hammerhead, just dial in what it sounds like in that room, and then trim the eq to your taste. The amp is perfect for that - for getting real happening sounds in a studio.

This amp was made in late 2000, with serial number 019. It has one channel, and a funky way of tuning in tone, but there ain't a bad tone in its bones. It doesn't do clean, but that's not what I bought it for. I bought it for its down and dirty lead sounds. No tremolo, and no reverb. Just good dirt. I use it mainly for recording at this point, but I'd love to get this thing on stage and play a nice blues lead.

I've played everything through it, and it gives up the goods with each guitar differently. A Les Paul with HBs sounds a lot like early ZZ Top. Strangely, a Telecaster with Delta PUs sounds like AC/DC. Excellent crunch. If you move the Impact knob, you get some accents on brightness and mids. If you move the Grip knob, you get different gain sounds. All of the combinations sound great. This puppy doesn't do clean, as I said, but it does an amazing "lead" variety that makes it a real joy to play. If you crank it, you get some SWEET but controllable feedback.

Point-to-point hand craftsmanship. Excellently built -- no blemishes whatsoever. Excellent warranty.

Haven't dealt with Carr, but from all indications, no problems.

I've been playing for 30 or so years, and I have a variety of amps to supply sound for different recording situations. This fits in my aresenal nicely. I have a Top Hat for that "American" sound (better than a Fender); a Dr. Z Maz Jr. with special built Jenson 10" and 12" speaker cab for that "in between American and British" sound; I have a Crate VC3012 for that Vox vibe; I have two Marshalls for the real Brit deal. The Hammerhead is its own animal. It absolutely kicks serious ass. If you want versatility, look elsewhere. But if you want to play some bluesy rock leads, you won't go wrong with this amp.

If this amp had tremolo and reverb, it would be top notch. Of course, reverb on a distorted sound can turn to mud, so it's no big deal. A tremolo would REALLY send this baby over the top for rhythm playing.