Product: Carr Amplifiers Imperial 410 Combo
Price Paid: US $1,475.00 used
Submitted
05/04/2004
at
12:47pm
by
Scott Minchk
Email: kombokrank<at>hotmail dot com
Features
:
10
2003 Carr Imperial 4x10 combo amp...Class A...very heavy(75 lbs), but worth every single ounce. This is why they make amp cases with wheels!
Vol, Treble, Middle, Bass, Reverb, Variable Boost Pot, Depth, Speed (tremelo)
Two modes of output..."Pentode" or "Triode"...basically cutting the power in half, but also giving the amp a bit of smooth, yet very light crunch. "Triode" mode would be great for the clean blues player that wants some kick to his tone. "Pentode" mode is for straight up clean guitar, and it stays clean all the way up!
Sound Quality
:
9
NOT FOR THE ROCK GUITARIST, NO DISTORTED SOUNDS HERE...
The Holy Grail of clean amps!!! I have searched for an amp that stays clean at high volumes, only to be saddened to hear the speakers start to distort when turned past "5". my old Vibro-King and Vibro-Verb both failed in that regard.
This amp is for the Jazz, Blues or Americana players that want the best Fender-style clean sound around.
I play a homemade Warmoth Tele with a Tom Anderson pickup, this amp keeps my sound clean and snappy, reverb flavored, but not overly "twangy", just right for the band I play with. www.bigbluehearts.com
The Boost pot is a great little addition to this amp's versatility...It gives me a great signal boost for leads without coloring the tone in any way!!! I didn't even know it had a boost channel when I bought it on Ebay, BONUS!!!
My only critique of this amp is the Tremelo...it's a bit too "wooshy" when turned on...so, I use a Fulltone Supa-Trem...no worries!
Reliability
:
10
No worries so far...i've played a bunch of gigs over the past nine months, but...i'm going on tour this summer, so i'll be finding out how well it travels. I feel pretty confident that it will do just fine.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:
10
I've been playing for about 20 years now, and have gone through a lot of changes in gear and playing style. I've played lots of Fender amps...Vibro-King, Vibroverb, Twin Reverb, Blues Jr...Mesa Boogies too. I finally feel that i've got a keeper.
If it weren't for the cheap deal I got on Ebay, I may not have been able to afford this amp...but after playing and recording with it, I can honestly say that I do just about anything to get another if it were lost or stolen
I think this is amp #15 for me...but it's #1 in my heart
Product: Carr Amplifiers Imperial 410 Combo
Price Paid: US $2500.00
Submitted
07/09/2001
at
08:12am
by
Mark Giammattei
Email: jimetti at global2000<dot>net
Features
:
8
The 2001 Carr Imperial is a single channel amplifier. Additional features include; Reverb, tremolo and a gain boost pot. A pentode and triode mode switch allow the user to cut the output roughly in half. In the triode mode, the tones become more "creamy" and compressed sounding,less chimey with lower sound pressure levels. The triode mode lets you drive the valves harder at lower volumes. The equalization section is extremely responsive to slight changes. A foot switch is included to activate the boost and the tremolo. The tubes are 6L6/12ax7s and drive 4x10" Carr speakers.
Sound Quality
:
9
I tested the amp with 3 types of guitars. A 97' Strat which is loaded with Barden pickups and a Torrez Blues Caster Harness, a PRS custom 22 with vintage HBs and a passive/active Parker Fly Deluxe. All three guitars sound excellent with the Carr. The Tremolo seems to put too much audible swirl to the speakers but sounds excellent while playing. The tremolo will need to be tended to in the studio during quiet moments in the mix, otherwise the Imperial is exceptionally quiet for a tube amplifier. The Tone is warm and tight, without shrill on the highs or flubb on the bottom. The sound is Quite 3D and very pleasing to the ear, with a ton of punch. The amp seems to lack the touch sensitivity and ability to swell the note into warm controlled sustain . This is important to me as a player and I prefer this at less than ear shattering volumes. For country players, blues players with a more traditional style etc., this is not a concern. Don't get me wrong, the amp sounds wonderful, chimey and rich. I am also comparing this amp to the Bruno, Matchless and Komet, so lets keep this review in the proper context. It sounds better than any stock Fender amp I have played through, period! So please understand my perspective for rating this amp. It has been said that this amp accepts overdrive pedals well and sounds great with most of them. I disagree! The only pedal I think accents the rich tonal quality of this amp is the Mesa Boogie V-Twin! The V-Twin is a true pre-amp gain stage and is a very high quality pre-amp. The V-twin sings on this amp without changing the Imperial tone and character. What a monster this amp becomes with the V-Twin! Its acceptional and I love it! I'm not a big fan of the stock Boogie sound in general but this amp with the V-Twin is a sonic trip you should all take! I will keep this amp and I do enjoy its clean tones and combined with the V-Twin, it flat out smokes!
Reliability
:
No Opinion
so far so good...
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Nice folks, willing to go the extra mile to work with you...
Overall Rating
:
9
I have played for 30 years and through every rig you can think of! I wold buy this amp again, but be sure you understand that its a clean amp tone and a very good one at that. I love the clean, rich and quite 3D tone of this amp. I wish it was a little more touch sensative, with more note swell and sustain, not distortion though... this amp is a wonderful clean and punchy rig and sounds exceptional with the V-Twin pre-amp pedal.
