Carr Amplifiers Rambler 112 Combo

Always a tricky mark this because it will obviously favour multi function amps. This is not really one of those, because it is a relatively low powered amp that does not do a wide range of sound without a pedals. What it does do is provide a range of truly stunning clean sounds, with lots of variations. It also has a brilliant reverb and tremolo unit built into it, so it is getting a 10.

As others have said, just a brilliant Class A sound. There is much more industry focus on the variation in over-driven and distorted sounds, but usually much less on the range of clean sounds. Well this is best clean amp you will ever use. And the truth is if you have a great clean sound, and use the right pedals, pretty much anything is possible from there.
This amp takes pedals as well as any I have ever used. And if you don't use pedals and want to just got straight into this with single coils or humbuckers, well you are in tone heaven.

They warranty this thing forever, and it is built to the very highest standards standards with top quality components. This kind of craftsmanship is rare nowadays. You get what you pay for, and if you look after this it will only get better and better.

Not had to deal with them.

I am all in for this amp. I have been playing since the 70's, I have had lots of amps, and currently have a Matchless and a Victoria. Both great, but if i had to use just on it would be the Carr.

Mine is a 2005 model with the 12" Eminence Wizard speaker. I bought it lightly used on eBay for a great price. Single channel with reverb & tremolo. The trem is footswitchable. Pentode output is 28W and triode is 14W. No headphone output or effects loop. I mostly play blues and classic rock and was looking for a replacement for my Fender Princeton Recording Amp which is a disappointment. I like lots of clean headroom and the Rambler delivers it in spades. Much better than any of the Fenders I've tried. Being fairly neutral, it takes pedals very well. I use a Fulltone OCD and an HBE Mimic I analog delay. You need an OD pedal to coax dirty tones out of the Rambler since it doesn't break up until at ear splitting levels. Breakup comes a bit earlier in triode mode as you would expect. Since I have many different guitars it would be nice to have a cut switch but that's about all I'd add.

Clean, clean, clean, especially with my Strat and PRS Custom 22 in pentode. It is pure tonal bliss with the PRS set to split the humbuckers. In general the Rambler favors single coils better than humbuckers and is quite dark and much louder with my '69 LP Custom. With the LP I turn the bass down, the treble up and the volume down. My Ibanez reacts much like the PRS & Strat since it has much lower powered humbuckers. The OCD pedal gives me all the distortion and drive I need especially in triode. The Rambler is very quiet. I've never seen a tube amp that is completely silent, but the Rambler is as close as I've heard. I give it a 9 instead of a 10 because of the EQ tweaking I have to do to get the LP to sound like I want.

Haven't had it long enough to know. Since I bought it used, I don't have a warranty, but from the other reviews I've read I don't expect any issues. I do like the fact that I can change my own power tubes without re-biasing the amp.

Haven't had to deal with Carr yet. I don't expect any problems based on their reputation.

It's the quintessential clean amp. If you want Fender clean tone but better, the Rambler is worth checking out. I did a lot of research before I decided I wanted a Rambler and when I saw the great eBay deal I jumped right in. If my Rambler were stolen, I'd definitely buy another. Since I like a variety of sounds, the Rambler won't be my only amp, but it will be my favorite clean amp. I give it a 9 here only because of the $2290 price tag, but you can find them on eBay for a lot less.

all of this can be found on Carr's website. while my score here is kind of low, keep in mind that this amp wasn't designed to be feature-laden, nor was i looking for a bells and whistles type of amp. this amp's main features are TONE, and BUILD.

it's funny, most of the previous reviewers all preferred the triode setting while i prefer the pentode setting as i found triode a bit too dark for my liking. not to say it won't have it's uses when recording. i wanted to start getting more into stomp boxes for distortion and fuzz after years of relying on amp distortion. not that there's any dissatisfaction w/amp distortion, i just wanted to change things up a bit after years of doing things a certain way. anyway, this thing LOVES pedals as it has a ton of clean headroom. my vintage styled strats have a hard time bringing this amp to breakup, but my les paul does the trick, so i CAN get a bit of amp distortion/overdrive out of this amp and it too sound quite good. BTW- i've been told to stay clear of the Rambler's that have the blue webber speakers. spoke with someone at carr and he said that only 100 or so went out with that speaker. luckily, mine has the original eminence designed kingpin 60. i was told that the company that makes the speaker baskets stopped making them, and so ended the run of Kingpin 60's.

go to Carr's site and after you read and see how these are built, you will be convinced that they'll out live us all.

i've contacted them by phone and email and they've always been great, and genuinely pleasant. never spoke to steve himself but exchanged a few emails with him and he always got back to me w/in a day or two and never got the impression i was bothering him. questions were always answered fully and i was always personally thanked for buying his amps. (i also own a Mercury)

this amp replaced my Bruce Zinky designed Fender Prosonic. a less expensive amp that sounded just as good as the Rambler, and had a few more features. the thing was, 1) even at 60 watts, anything over 3 on volume would rip your head off. and 2) it was a money pit! my amp tech LOVED that amp, it probably paid for his daughter's sweet 16! when i told him i bought a couple Carr amps, there was a pause on the phone followed by him saying, "wow, i heard those are built really well." he sounded sad. oh well! LOL! so anyway, while you may be able to find great tone in less expensive amps, look into their reliability down the road. sometimes it's better to pay a little more up front and get the tone you want, reliability you can count on, and killer customer service. when i look back now, it would've been CHEAPER in the long run for me to have bought this amp first! live and learn

New 2006 or 2007 Weber speaker model. Amazing clean tone after some money spent fixing the minor weakness of the new ones.

So i thought it would be good to list my experience with this amp. I played one in a shop that had the kingpin speaker (older model) and fell head over heels in love with it. Then i got mine for a sweet deal on ebay. It was a total let down. I thought it was surely broken since none of the sweetness was there and it sounded like a hollow piece of broken glass with my strat and les paul. It had this super high piercing distortion that should not have been present in any amp, especially not at 9 o'clock on the volume. And surely not with a single coil guitar. Needless to say, i was freaking out wondering if someone sold me a lemon.
So i took the amp to Nashville Amp Repair to see what was wrong with it only to find out that all Weber speakers apparently do this and sound like terds. So they hooked me into a 4x12 cab loaded with 4 different flavors of speakers and i was soon hooked on the eminence patriot cannibus rex. Now it is the amp i fell in love with all those months ago. I never realized how huge the speaker selection is for an amp, but i can only warn Carr that if they don't stop selling these with the Webers they will soon find themselves selling fewer Ramblers and with quite a few less devotees.

No issues with reliability since the problem wasn't mechanical. Built like a tank inside.

No need yet.

I would have given it a 1 before - not even useable over my Peavey Delta Blues 210 (Great amp for the money)

After changing the speaker, 10 all the way.

If you are looking at this amp, you probably already know quite a bit about it. For this style of amp, its feature are quite good. The ability to switch from pentode to triode is a very good feature. Todays country music is more than just clean pickin'. I was worried about the power of this amp and after 6 months, I haven't been past 4. I realiize when it comes to tone, everyone defines it different. I have a Deluxe Reverb, a Mesa Lonestar Special and the Rambler. I have played forover 40 years and have owned many amps, effects, etc. This has the best clean sound I have ever heard. One of the amps hidden features is that it works with pedals very well. I use Xotic RC, Robert Keely Compressor, Robert Keely SD-2, Barber SS, Ernie Ball Volume Pedal and an Analogman Chorus. Set up is the best I've ever had.

In pentode this amp has a very musical quality. Think of a Deluxe Reverb with 6L6s and more headroom. In triode, the amp breaks up very nicely. This amp suits my style perfectly. I have used it on stage next to my Lonestar Special. The Carr was louder and cleaner. I use mostly a John Suhr Classic T and a Gibson Paul Jackson Jr. with Lindy Fralin Pickups.

I use it all the time without backup. The amp has never had a problem, I bought the amp used and the only thing I have done is plugged it in and played. I have emailed Carr, I always got and answer the same day. The amp is overbuilt. I like the long power cord and the upgraded plug. Nothing on it is cheap.

As I said, I've only emailed them, but they always got back to me immediately.

I've playing for 43 years. I have a Suhr Classic T, a Tom Anderson Hollow T, a Fender 52 RI, a Gibson Paul Jackson Jr, and a Takemine NP18. I have a Fender Deluxe Reverb, a Mesa Boogie Lone Star Special and the Carr Rambler. I have various effects pedals and Vox Tonelab SE. I have owned many other guitars and amps. If this amp was stolen, I d sell my car to get another one. I love the sound of this amp. There is nothing I hate, although I feel putting the controls on the front of te amp would be more conveniant for playing live. If I had to own only one amp, this would be the one.

triode 14 watts, pentode 28 switch, trem, verb.

You can unplug the eminence-made speaker as well.
I've hooked it up to a Bogner open back 2x12 cab. Got a full, bassy sound, works great.

Class A, no biasing. Make sure your power tubes match though, or it will hum loud in triode operation.

I wouldn't want anymore features. A verb switch would be cool, but not neccessary. I leave it on light verb all the time anyway.

Big wonderful rich clean, at home or playing with a band.
Crank it up in either mode and you get a nice breakup, that can go clean with just a slight guitar volume knob turn.

Don't worry about not being heard in a rehearsal or jam.I played it in a big echo-room with a hard hitting drummer and a 500 watt bassist.I heard every nuance coming through even at our busiest.I
t works perfect volume wise, unless your in some thrash metal, which, if your reading this, your probably not.

Works great with pedals, OD's. I recommend the Lovepedal Eternity.
Best most transparent OD I've ever tried. It just melds with any amp, the Rambler being no exception.

The tone IS Fenderish, but with more of the good stuff, simply put.
Pentode is brighter, triode a bit softer.
I've played a ton of Fenders, this sounded and FELT better. Great attack, sustain all that stuff.

Mine has deveolped an annoying hum in triode, I guess it needs tightly paired power tubes to resolve this. I haven't gotten around to it yet. This has been my only complaint thus far. Hopefully not a big deal. Otherwise it seems sturdy.

If you have problems or concerns they will answer them happily and promptly. Great guys.

I've played for about 17 years. I wasn't really in the market for a new amp, but when I played this I just had to have it. I actually got the Imperial (the no-longer-made 60w version of the Rambler) first off of ebay. I then realized I didn't need another big amp, and found myself wishing I had gotten the Rambler due to the convienence of it, so I got rid of the Imperial and got the Rambler. They're almost the same amp, and the size and volume difference does not affect the performance at all. The Rambler is plenty in and of itself. If it were lost or stolen I would definitely get another one.

A lot of guys will tell you its not worth it to spend 2k on an amp that is "just an expensive Fender". Bullshit. I didn't get this to brag or to inflate my ego or as a status thing. Steve Carr makes great amps that are special boutique or otherwise.

I bought this Tube Amp new in Sept. 2006, and its a 1X12. It has one input, but has the ability to switch between Triode and Pentode, thus cutting the power by a 1/2 or so. Its got all the standard features plus Reverb and tremolo. The footswitch simply turns on and off the tremolo. I was after a small/portable Amp with good clean headroom, and this fits the bill perfectly. I dont know what else I could/would ask for, maybe another input? Dont really need it tho. For the price, a nice Carr padded Cover? A Built in Beer Coaster? I do Love the green light.

Clean, Brilliant, Bright, Smooth and Sweet> in that order, come to my mind when describing this amps sound. In half power(triode mode) it breaks up like a blackface deluxe> really nicely, creamy and smooth. But its not the kind breakup old amps sometimes make, where you're just wondering if the amp>soldering/wires and speaker are just old & crappy / about to expire... In your home, its got an excellent power/clean volume ratio. In the Pentode Mode it has tons of headroom, similar to my 66 Twin Reverb, but when pushed up to Loud Club Volume, it too will break up a bit. The Reverb is deep and rich. The tremolo is as warm as my 64 Ampeg ReverboJet, but smoother, and with no unwanted noise. I've been told that its REALLY bassy, and though I use a .52 Low E string and like bass alot, it never gets turned up past half. I play a 1990 PRS limited 24 with Humbuckers primarily, although I own a Strat and others, but the PRS and this go together like Rum and coke. The Strat can obvioulsy get a bit more twangy clean country like sounds. Our band plays a mix of Originals and classic rock/jam band/Dead stuff, and this Amp suits our style perfectly. It would be great for Country and Blues as well. I wouldn't recommend it for heavy metal/ pop / full distortion type music, at all. It accepts my pedal board happily. Two TS9's, Octave, Qtron, Delay etc... I was just tired of carrying around a 2X12 Twin, it literally broke my back. Its a joy to get such full sound from such a small package. It really is the consummate clean club Amp.

I've been using this Amp for Gigs for the last 3-4 months or so, and its all I bring. Its been driven around, including in and out of Manhattan, and these roads are awful. So its been pounded around ( I dont have a case or cover yet) ...The craftsmenship wreaks of quality. The wires/cables are thick, its got a hospital grade 3 prong plug, thick rubber feet to rest upon and a solid handle....Its leaps and bounds beyond the reliabilty of 60's era amps that I used to lug around. It is true, old blackfaces sound quite nice, but you need a good local Amp tech to keep them running right, and I didnt want to be at the mercy of our Amp Doctor all the time. Granted I've only owned her for 4 months or so, so if something arises, I will come back to my review and adjust. So far I am more than pleased. I might add that the other guitarist in my band has a rockin 1965 deluxe 1x12, (same amp as Trey A.) that does truly sing when its cranked, but its back at the Amp doctor (second time in 9 months)and he is thinking about a rambler...

I did email Carr Amps the week I got it to ask a question, and I got a reply from Steve Carr himself within 12 hours ! It is really rare to get that sort of customer support or attention from many businesses these days. I havent had to have it fixed yet, and hope I won't have to, but its quite evident that Steve stands behind his products, passionately. I cant remember how long the warranty is, I sent in the form, but I'm really not worried. Steve seems more than reasonable, and confident in these amps.

Well I've been playing about 20 years, I've got a peavy 4x10 tube Combo, that I leave at our practice spot (decent/fine/heavy), a 67 Twin reverb (Love/heavy), an early 80's champ (good for bedroom) , and an Old Ampeg ReverboJet(vintage/delicate/super warm). Thru others in my band and music circle, I've played a bunch of Blackface Amps, Matchless, Tophat, Vox, Victoria etc...Make no Mistake, there are a bunch of great sounding handmade Amps out there. And I havent played them all or heard them all. Most of them are quite expensive, like this Rambler. If it were Stolen I would buy it again. I dont profess to be such a tone master /tone snob that I can hear the slightest tonal nuances like a Dog or an Amp builder could, as many here claim to, but I know for my style, this loud clean Amp, sounding similar to a Blackface is brilliant. No need to search around anymore. I know when I hear an awful solid state or heavy metal mess that its not to my liking. But I realize people can get decent/tolerable tones out of lesser quality (non hand made) amps. This is currently my favorite Amp, although for an big outdoor gig, I would likely use the Twin, and I know its sound is equally as pleasing to my ears. I've got a bunch of guitars and none of them sound bad thru it. I'm trying to realize when I'm happy with what I've got these days. I know the grass is always greener, and we all want another axe, amp, car, house, motorcycle, girlfriend (wife!) > whatever it is. But to be honest, my PRS is so great, I'm satisfied. And this amp is really perfect for what I'm doing /playing that I'm very content. The only way I'm going to sound better is from more practicing. I realize that at $2200 new, its quite expensive and out of reach for alot of musicians. Totally understandable. I watched them go from $1350 used on Ebay to $1800+ so I finally decided to just get a new one, w/ warranty. So for that I'll give it an 8, although Overall, this amp is a exceptional piece of equipment, that really exemplifies the best facets of quality, hand made American products. I hope this helps someone, as many peoples reviews on this site have been very helpful to me in the past. -Pete

This is a tremendously versatile amp in its simplicity. The tone controls are very well voiced and very flexible. They also change the dynamics and breakup characteristics of the amp some. The half power switch is effective in reducing headroom and providing a second distinctive voice to the amp. This amp also produces both extended highs and very big, full lows for a 1x12 open backed amp with a blackface type voicing. It's ability to make just about any distortion, fuzz or od pedal sound great also adds to its versatility.

Perfect reverb and tremolo.

I play mostly contemporary funk, soul, hip hop and R&B as well as some rock gigs, jazz, instrumental noise-funk-surf-stuff. I use teles almost exclusively and a small pedal board that usually includes a wah, OD, fuzz and delay.

I used blackface type amps for years (mostly a Deluxe Reverb reissue, and a silverface Twin and DR). Had reliability problems with both the reissues and vintage amps so I decided to give the Rambler a shot.

This is just a wonderful sounding amp. If you've been using blackface fenders you'll have to get used to a few things, but it's really delivers everything I like about those amps and a lot more. It's got enough fat on it to work beautifully for clean, single-coil lead playing, and enough clarity and "sparkle" for everything else.

It has more "sag" than DR's due to the cathode biasing and a sag resistor in the SS rectifier, and way more bass and midrange available. It's also just a hair less bright than DR's and Twins, though I don't find myself missing it. I've A/B'd it with my silverface DR on some recordings it just sounds better to me. Similar but bigger and fuller. It is a different sound though, and I do still love that very focused blackface thing. But in the vast majority of cases the Rambler sound really works best for me.

This amp is also unique in my experience for how well it maintains its basic voicing and response at different volumes and on different stages. It's the sort of amp that never gives you a "bad night."

I've now played around 100 gigs on the thing (have owned it 10 months) as well as all sorts of sessions and rehearsals. Everything from tiny clubs, to super loud auditorium stages to Pritzker Pavillion, the 11,000 seat outdoor venue in Chicago's Grant Park. Really not a single bad sound to be had from the amp and always the right amount of headroom. The only adjustment I make (other than the volume knob) is how I position the amp. On really loud stages I tilt it back. The added midrange and bass mean that you can use even very high gain pedals to great effect in a live mix. This amp holds together through everything.

Just a great sounding, great playing amp.

Always happy to answer questions via email.

This is actually the main reason I bought it. I was quite happy with the Deluxe Reverb sound and only really realized afterwards how much I gained sonically. Seems like it should hold together through anything at all. And after 100 gigs and almost a year of dragging it all around town and the Midwest not a single problem. Beautifully put together.

It's not an inexpensive amp and I don't say this lightly, but I think the Rambler is an excellent solution for the working musician who is tired of having amps in the shop all time. I'm by no means a gear snob--I've had great gigs and sessions with all sorts of amps--including really affordable ones. I loved my Peavey Classic 30 through many gigs. But it stands to reason that mass producers build to a spec that fits the majority of their customers--this is a guess but I'll say that's players who probably gig or jam 10-20 times a year. If you haul that amp all over town 4 or 5 nights a week it stands to reason you'll have some issues with it. So in the long run, even aside from the really excellent sounds this amp offers, I think it's worth it from the reliability standpoint.

I did email Carr with a few, slightly hysterical new owner questions. Steve Carr answers promptly and seems like a genuinely nice, really smart guy who loves what he does and appreciates and is committed to the musicians who buy his amps. I don't think it gets much better than this.

This is a fantastic amp for a gigging musician who likes both blackface sounds and the fat and grind of tweed fenders, wants an amp that takes all sorts of pedals well, and plays a wide variety of venues.

Steve Carr clearly is trying to innovate by building on the strengths of past designs. I think the Rambler is really a classic in the best sense of the word: a great sounding, beautifully built amp that is truly meant to be played.

2005 Carr Rambler 112 Combo
The versatility comes with the way the amp handles pedals.It loves them.
Single channel. I love the simplicity of the amp.

Custom Tele, PRS custom, custom Strat
It's great for Blues, Rock & Jazz
Very Quite

Very Reliabile

I've played for 37 years as a hobby. I have a 1973 Prinstin Reverb
I would buy it again.
The tone is great!

Single channel, Reverb, Tremelo, 3 tone stack, Hi/low power switch -12" speaker

I've gigged for over a year with the Rambler. Changed the power tubes once so far.(They didn't blow - just got a little noisy). No bias needed, just plugged in the new tubes and I was ready to roll again.
Steve Carr has built a very solid 1-12 amp here. It's costly but, to get this level of quality in an amp these days better save up your pennys.
If you are looking for a big variety in tones for playing live, better get some pedals. But, that's the good news, this amp has a lot more headroom than say a Fender Deluxe and it loves pedals.
For different levels of overdrive/distortion I use a BB preamp,a Sparkle drive and a Reezafratzitz. For modulation I use 2 chorus
pedals(one set up for a leslie sound). I also use a modded Vox wah and an old Ibanez delay pedal. You can cover a lot of musical ground with this amp and some good pedals.
The Rambler is brighter to my ears when playing on the high power setting (28 watts). I prefer to play it on the lower power setting to get a smoother/creamy sound and I mike into the PA. The lower power has enough power for me to hear it well on stage. I just set it on the floor and tilt it back.
I've had many compliments from other musicians about the sound of this amp after gigs.

I don't carry a back up amp - just tubes and fuses.

NA

This amp has all the features it needs. Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, Verb, Tremolo, Half power switch.

I use Reverend guitars. I have single coils, P-90s, and Humbuckers. All my guitars sound glorious threough this amp, period.
I play mainly roots rock/alt country, and this amp is the PERFECT amp for me. No overdrive on this amp, but that's rather the point. If I wanted an amp (which I don't) with big overdrive, I'd waste my money on a Mesa.
I use a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 with this amp, and it sounds glorius. I play some fairly large venues, and tend to use this amp in half-power mode, with the volume about two thirds the way up.
I get the feeling that some of the folks who've reviewed this amp don't know the first thing about class A amplifiers. If you want an amp that has a billion bells and whistles, go get a Line 6, or buy some assembly line junk like Crate or Peavey.

Built like a tank, and as reliable as any tube amp I've ever owned. That said, I always have an extra set of tubes on hand, as you never know when one might give up the ghost.

Steve Carr is not only one of the nicest guys I've ever dealt with, he's also EXTREMELY concerned with the happiness of his customers. I mean, his NAME is emblazoned on the front of his amps, so his whole world is on the line when it comes to customer service. If it breaks, he'll fix it. It doesn't get much better than that

I've owned (and still own) several boutique amps. Matchless, Bad Cat, Bogner, Naylor, Victoria, Dr. Z, and some older Fenders. Thius is my favorite of the lot of them. Period. Hands down.
It's not only the best sounding amp I've ever owned, it's the best sounding amp I've ever heard. Well worth every penny I paid.

This is an update to an earlier review. I owned the rambler for two weeks. After a long gig, I noticed some sort of piercing high end in the extreme top range of the speaker, that I could not get rid of. I spent the whole day in a guitar shop, trying their ramlers, and all showed signs of this unpleasant high end. To put it into perspective, everyone has his own taste, and no one else was bothered by it, but it was enough for me to consider other options. I called, emailed, and even had my store call Steve Carr, and have yet to get a response, not the service I expect for a $2200 amplifier. Furthermore, while I was trying to figure out what to do, I used the amp again, and found the reverb had gone dead. I promptly returned the amp. I am not bashing carr, I wish they'd responded to me, but whatever. They make a great amp, just not the one for me. Mainly, I want to urge readers to thoroughly try something before buying. I spent a couple hours with the rambler, but didn't take my own gear in to the store, something I will never do again. Luckily my shop has a 30 day grace period, a rarity nowadays. I hope this helps some people out, this is a very bright amp, like some fenders, and ultimately it was buzzy with overdrives, at least for me. I'm after a robben ford inspired tone, and oddly I found it with my hermida zendrive into a boogie mark 3 head and openback 1x12. I'm not some metalhead going around bashing anything that won't distort, I love cleans, and I've been doing this for almost half my life. I just want to put things into perspective.

I've heard from everyone else that these guys are great, I wish I'd seen that.

Well documented here, all the features you need, none you don't need,

I have owned too many amps to list here over the past 10 years, and I was tired of my mesa lonestar's muddiness. I also didn't need an overdrive channel, I have a few select pedals that do that for me. i wanted an amp that was simple, but tonefull. I tried all the high end amps I could, and decided that the carr stuff was the best for me, clean, and musical, without any outrageous features and gain, just tone. I saved my money for a good year, sold my boogie, and bought this. If it's any indication of the sound of the rambler, everyone in the store gathered around when I walked out of the amp room with it.
I use telecasters, with fralin pickups, and high quality cables. This amp also allowed me to get rid of my fulldrive, ts808, and AC booster, it really let me downsize my rig. Now my signal chain is, vht valvulator, ernie ball volume, vox wah with TB mod, xotic RC booster, hermida zendrive, and visual sound H2O. I had double the number of pedals before I got the rambler, an eq, to trim the low mids of my boogie, a smooth and slim to try and do the same, and the three drive pedals, just to get a sound I could tollerate. Myzendrive through the rambler nails the most convincing robben ford tone I've heard to date, without spending 3 K on a dumble clone, and minus the brilliant playing that is Robben. The RC gives me some more meat behind the sound, and gives a nice solo boost.
This amp is light as well, a huge plus over the boogie and most blackface fenders I've tried. Also, the clean headroom is amazing. I had serious wories about that, but played an outdoor show for upwards of 600 people, and had the amp on 5, and cut through with no problem. That's about where the amp starts to go into a sort of fender inspired breakup, that's very musical. I also tried the amp cranked in triode mode, and got an amazing cranked deluxe or princeton sound, which reminded me of early larry carlton when I pushed it with the RC booxter.
I hear none of the flappy bass others have mentioned, just don't turn the bass all the way up and you're find. People have to realize, with such a small cabinet, it won't resonate in the low bass frequencies as much as a big box, so keep the bass below 5 and it's fine.
Sorry to ramble, pun not intended, but I love this amp,

I spoke extensively to Eddie Berman of indoor storm about reliability and he assured me that he's used a rambler for years without problems, and the lifetime warantee makes me feel that much better about it. I know Steve Carr will honor this amp if anything happens. Everyone I've talked to says Steve is a great guy, who loves his work, and that's enough for me,

I guess I sort of covered this above,

I just want to say, try this out, if you're going to spend the money, I think it's more of an amp than just about anything in it's price range. It's like the best old fender, but new, and with more power, better components, and frankly, better tone, it has none of the harshness of a lot of fenders I've played. I am amazed by the consistancy of these amps. I've tried around 10 of them, and they all sound fantastic, and very similar. This tells me the carr team is really trying to put out the best product they can, and is doing a great job. I know I sound like an endorcer or something, but this amp just exciees me. I had been going through a period where looking at my gear made me not want to play, I knew I'd be frustrated and would spend my practice time twirling knobs trying to achieve some tone I couldn't have. Now, I just plug straight in to the amp, and play for hours, without even thinking about anything. I know it's a lot of cash, but this amp is completely worth it, in my humble opinion. If I can be of any help, please feel free to contact me.
Kurt

I feel compelled to submit this review because of the one given below by "Anonymous." I always question a review that trashes a good product by someone who doesn't have the balls to attach his name to it.
I've had my Rambler about 2 years. It is a single channel class A 6l6 powered 1-12 combo with reverb and tremolo. 28 watts pentode, 14 triode. An external speaker input jack would be nice, but I've used a Y adaptor as Steve Carr recommends to power another single 12 cab and there doesn't seem to be any impedence mismatch thing going on.

OK lets start here with the previous review.
1) Yes it's 28 watts pentode - a SMALL club amp in the vein of a Deluxe Reverb, Dr Z Z-28, Bad Cat 30, etc. What exactly is "average stage volume?" I own several amps of different wattage. The size of the room, the type of gig and number of players, the guitar I'm using, and other factors determine which amp I use at a particular venue. My Rambler sounds wonderful live. I get compliments on my tone all the time when I play it out.

2) Nice full bottom for a single 12". Of course there is no OD in this amp! That's what pedals are for. This reviewer should have looked into a Carr Slant6 or some other amp with channel switching.

3) "The top end is a result of the speaker." What in the world is he talking about? The Kingpin 60 is basically an Eminence V30, a pretty good speaker. I've tried a few other speakers in it. There's an Eminence Red Fang in there now, and it sounds really good. It gives it a little of that British chime and sparkle without losing that 6L6 Fendery thing.

3 (again) One of the best reverbs I've ever heard. Full and lush. I use a slap delay quite a bit, and many reverb units don't work that well with a short delay. I set it at about 9 o'clock and the sound is clear and defined with the delay on, without being muddy.

4) The tremolo seems more similar to me to a Fender tweed or an old Gibson amp than a blackface. Plenty of depth, but I think the speed rate could be a little faster at max. But it sure sounds good.

I mostly play Teles with the occasional Strat, Lindy Fralin Blues Specials. The amp is very quiet.

Never a problem. It even crashed off an airport conveyor belt in it's roadcase without so much as cracking a tube. Very well built, as an amp that costs this much should be.

I haven't had any need to contact Steve Carr, but I've heard from other Carr amp owners that he's pleasant and very accomodating.

I've been playing for 45 years, 40 professionally. I'm down to the Rambler, a Dr Z Maz 38 Sr 2 X 12, a '66 Pro Reverb, a '64 Twin, and an old AC30. At some point or another I've owned nearly every blackface Fender made, several tweeds, Marshalls, a Measa Boogie, Ampegs, old Gibsons, and several I'm sure I've forgotten. I've gigged with Bogners, Bad Cats, Victorias, and God knows what else. This is my practice(triode mode)/small room (pentode)amp. The thing I really love about this amp is the Middle control. At low mid settings, the amp sounds very blackface. Crank up the mids and it gets very tweed-like. Very cool! I purchased this over several other boutique amps I tried - all single 12s, around 30 watts. A great little 28 watt amp! You just need to know what this amp is all about and not expect something it isn't.

I'd love to know which "great amps" the previous reviewer owns. I bet there's a few solid staters in there!

You know what its got... no sense going through it agian.

Wow, this is an overated amp if I have ever heard one. I own lots and this is a nice amp. But for the money, there are many better options out there.

Ok lets start here.
1) Its 14/28 watts. Well the amp cannot keep up at your average stage volume. I dont play loud and this thing just cannot put out a good tone to get over a drummer and fill the room. it may record well but it does not perform live very well at all.

2) The Bottom is weak, it lacks character and there is no OD in this amp. Nothing, nada, what the hell is the point of having a tube amp you cannot push to sound like a tube amp. The amp is built this way its the intended purpose of the design to keep the amp from going into OD but man, give me some kinda dirt to dig into.

3) The Top end is a result of the speaker. that stock speaker is not doing the amp justice. I used a few others and they did offer more organic tones and textures. That eminence in there is pretty toneless. With all the options on the market, even some other good ones from emenience why would you put a crapy speaker in a 2k amp.

3) Reverb. Ya that too is not very good. It lacks the depth and refinement of a good fender. Its not bad, its just not 2k great.

4) Tremelo is there but its pretty weak. Not much depth and the swell is not very good. It does not give you the sweep you need to cover several styles. I think Carr uses the Powertubes to create the effect. I am not sure really, but its not Fenderesque and that my not be a bad thing. Its just not a very good tremelo

This amp is built like a tank. It should run for years and years without an issue. No Faults here

Not very good, wrote a couple of emails looking for some help with parts and specs. Got no reply.

Pretty poor! For VERY small rooms the amp holds up ok, but for a really good blues tone and fat fill the room presence look some where else. This amp just does not have it going on. I took it on trade and knew I would sell it, but I sold it less than a month later. There was nothing there for me to keep and I traded a lesser value amp for it because the other owner felt the same way. I compaired this to 2 other ramblers and they all did sound just about the same. My 5e3 clone has much more mojo and about the same apparent volume as the Rambler. I dont know how this could get such high regards. I have a lot of great amps, and this is not one of them. I sold it as fast as I could. For 800.00 this is a nice amp to have, but any more then that and there are many more options for you play.

This is a simple to use no nonsense 1-12 amp. Nice sounding reverb. One channel. So I suppose it isn't chock full of stuff that you don't really need anyway

This amp is just the best. I have played it for Jazz and Blues, loud and soft and it just always sounds good. It can be a bit bright for solo guitar jazz stuff, but it has tone controls. I also own a Carr Mercury which I use for recoring and quiet jazz stuff. The Rambler is particularly good in a small club. I have never had any trouble being heard, even when playing loud blues. It can hold it's own with most 50 watt amps. Also the tone stays pretty and clean even loud, the amp just sings more rather than sounding farty like a Deluxe would

The reverb broke and Steve Carr sent a new tank at no charge. I guess the new reverb tanks aren't as sturdy as they were 30 years ago, not Carr's fault. Other than that one problem it has worked great for the 2 years I've had it. I always use it without a backup

Steve Carr responded to my email quickly and acted to get my reverb fixed. He was very friendly and helpful

I have played guitar for 36 years and owned a dump truck load of amps. I am very happy with my Carrs. Great sound, great company.
Highly recommended!!!

Standard features for a vintage style amp - full EQ plus reverb, tremolo and pentode/triode switch. The key to the Ramblers features is the wide ranging midrange knob and the pentode/triode switch. Using these two allows the tone and response to go from more blackface to more tweed. I say "more" because in my opinion there is always a sort of blend between tweed and blackface tones going on. I like to turn the mids up and use triode mode for tweedier tones, and keep the mids to 12:00 and under in pentode mode for more blackface tones.

The tones the amp produces sound like a lovely mix of old low powered tweeds and brighter and tighter blackface tones. The reverb is second only to Bruno and /13. The bass control is wide ranging and can be uncontrolled at high volumes when using high bass settings and high output pickups and or heavy picking. There is a lot of bass even with the knob at 9:00.

I've used Strats and Les Pauls with the Rambler with great results. There are some truly stunning tones with a nice Strat. The amp takes pedals very well, I find the best "pedal tones" in triode mode with the EQ knobs set mostly at 12:00 though I will push the mids higher depending on the guitar and pedal. I've used all the Xotic pedals (RC/AC/BB), the MI Audio blueboy and tube zone, The Menatone 6 knob KOB, Cornish G2, Stampede SOV, and the Hermida Zendrive with the Rambler, all with very good results. The KOB into the Rambler with a Les Paul does some very nice Marshall flavored tones. The Blue Boy and the Rambler do some of the nicest smooth and singing tones I've ever heard with a pedal/amp combination, and to get any better I think you would need to buy a two-rock (I've owned mulitple two-rocks and have played 4 different Dumble ODS) The response of the amp is very comfortable - not sure how Steve managed to get the sponginess of a tube rectifier into this amp, but it feels and responds great. While I am not a big fan of power tube overdrive, the Rambler in triode mode gets some very smooth overdriven tones when turned up.

I personally think a strat is the best match with this amp - they just work together so well for chimey clean tones, or thicker, smoother cleans. With a Strat and a nice pedal like the Blue Boy, you can cover a variety of clean and overdriven tones in a small, very well made package. There is a very good reason the Rambler is one of Steve's best sellers after more than 5 years with little or no evolution of the circuit - he got it extraordinarily right the first time. The only 2 amps I've played that can compete with the Rambler in terms of clean tone were a Bruno 45 watt Cowtipper and a Two-Rock Custom Reverb. After a few months of owning my Rambler I noticed a vibrating/fuzzy sound that I incorrectly thought was the speaker (turned out to be a power tube) - I was happy with the Kingpin but thought that I would try something else and put a Cannabis Rex in the amp - made the amp thicker, with more controlled bass and a smoother high end - the high end actually reminded me of my Bruno Cowtipper which has a very sweet and never piercing high end. The Cannabis Rex is also tighter on the low end, but doesn't totally eliminate the knocking or flapping sound you might get when using the bass heavy settings I described above.

I haven't had any problems with my amp after 5 months of heavy use - 1-2 hours a day.

I emailed Steve about my buzzing problem and a tech called me and spent a half hour on the phone going through various things I should test/check. Very happy with the service.

This is not a multifeatured amp, which is an advatage for me in that I just plug in a guitar and get outstanding tones. Reverb is simply the best I have ever heard, not to mention the lovely sounding tremelo. Triode switch is also very cool in that it is a little more tweed sounding, while in pentode mode there is plenty of clear , punchy, blackface style tones. Although there is no master volume, in a live situation I am able to achieve awesome clean to overdriven sounds just by manipulating the pentode/triode controls along with volume and tone controls. Isn't this how a great amp is supposed to work anyway?

Obviously this amp prefers single coils, but place a good od pedal(keeley ts-9) between the Rambler and a Les Paul and you get some of the most beautiful overdriven sounds you will ever hear; Sounds that are clear, smooth, and rich. With a Tele you can get a great blues tone straight into the amp, even at low volumes. I love how you can actually hear the amp morph into natural distortion as you turn up. I am not talking major gain here, but just a loud gritty tone that is perfect for blues and blues based rock. Another sound I like is turning up the amp to around 9 oclock in triode mode along with a Fat Boost. You get all the sustain and grit you need while retaining that "straight into the amp sound". The Rambler is also the most quiet amp I have heard.

I have had no problems yet, and considering the exceptional build quality, I do not foresee any major problems.

n/a

I have been playing for about twelve years and have played Dr Z, Matchless, Vox, Fender,Orange, Boogie, and Marshall amps. This amp is hands down the best musical investment I have ever made(along with a 112 tone tubby cab). This is the kind of amp that inspires you and makes you smile every time you play it. Expensive yes, but to me is worth every penny. This is the amp of a lifetime. Thanks Steve Carr for an amazing product.

2004 Carr
Needs a master volume. Quite loud, sounds better at volum ethat exceeds stage volume for smaller gigs.

Gibson ES-175, Tele, Strats...
full bodied, a room filler, sound is accurate and dictated by the guitar...good for jazz..actaully reminds me of OR80 Orange amps, not any character,though. Quite dull with too subtle of a vibrato. Not a rockin' amp, very midrangey, no squeeze. Boring...returned it. Admittedly, it is the right amp for some styles, but not chord based rock/pop...Incredibly quiet!

Probably pretty tough...

Boring, not a pice of design art, either...a good bone tone player will be rewarded by it. My stle of music uses amplifiers to shape and add to the sound in a musical way...I think it is overpriced for the features and lack of versatility.

I play blues, blues-rock, jazz. My pro playing days are behind me. However, I have a recording studio at home and play extensively.

Has all the features a vintage-style amp should have -- volume, bass, treble, reverb and tremolo. Additionally, there's a switch for pentode/triode operation. No need for channel switching, effects loops, headphone jacks. Self-biasing if you want to switch the tubes. Not a feature I intend to use but nice to have the option.

I play 90% with Gibson Les Paul Historic Reissues and 10% with a Strat. The Les Pauls are equipped with boutique PAF replacement pickups (Timbuckers, Rolphs, Crossroads). I'm all about vintage tone. The Rambler is perfect for my style of playing. I play with mild overdrive. It's important that the character of the guitars, amps and, most of all, my playing come through. The Rambler is an outstanding, transparent, clean amp. Dimed, it has a sweet, singing sustain. At lower volumes it also sings but requires an overdrive/boost pedal to achieve the same sound. I use a Fulltone FullDrive2 with an 18w converter which works great with the Rambler. The pentode mode (28 watts) sounds very tight and punchy but I generally prefer the triode mode (half power - 14 watts) which I find warmer, richer and more "vintage" sounding.

Build like a tank. Point-to-point wiring. No PCB anywhere. Only had the amp for a month but looks very rugged.

Steve Carr is exceptionally friendly and helpful. I had a concern regrading the tremolo and he addressed my concern promptly and was very informative. The amp comes with a lifetime warranty.

I've been playing 40 years. I played professionally for 12 of them. I own a Carr Mercury which is also a superb amp but with a very different character. I have the four above-mentioned Historic Reissue Les Pauls and a Strat. I mike the Rambler with an Shure SM57 into a Yamaha 2816AW hard-disk recorder and burn straight to CD. The Rambler has a sweet, warm, thick, creamy, vintage tone that perfectly expresses the sounds I hear in my head. I checked out a Low Power Fender Tweed Twin, a Gibson GA-5, Fender Tweed Champ and THD Univalve before buying this amp. I sold my Marshall TSL 602 and TSL 601 amps after buying the Rambler and the Mercury. I would replace them in a heartbeat. Expensive? Sure, but worth every penny.
I've owned several vintage plexi Marshalls and black-face Fender amps over the years and the Carr Rambler sounds better than all of them.

My Rambler was built in 2000. It had quite a few features for a 1-12 combo which I won't go into. You can read them in the many other reviews.

I used a Les Paul, Strat, Tele, 335 and a Firebird to try and get the "flat out amazing", "room filling" and "phenomenal" tones that everyone was talking about. They weren't there. I tried changing the tubes.No good. Maybe it was the speaker- I tried changing that. No change. The volume was anemic for a 2-6L6 amp. I had the amp looked over by my amp tech and everything was in good condition, it just sounded so-so.
I just don't get it. Maybe I had a lemon, but the amp sounded like an average tube amp- much better than solid state but nothing special in the tube genre. The only better-than- average aspect of the amp were the reverb and tremelo effects which were very good ( but I seldom use them). For less than the Rambler costs you could have a blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb or even a Super Reverb. I've owned both and both sound much better than my Rambler and have similar features.

It seemed to be built well and I had no problems with it in the 6or so months that I owned it.

No experience. Maybe I should have packed it up and sent it to Carr and asked him why everyone else was raving. I've heard he is very accomodating.

I've been playing for 40 years, all kinds of music , all kinds of venues, all kinds of gear. I was heavily influenced to buy the Rambler by reading the preceeding reviews here. I have never sent in a review but based on my Rambler experience I felt compelled to give my opinion. Don't buy a Rambler without a test drive. If YOU like the sound then it's up to you. I am personally glad to be rid of it.

This amp was made in early 2004. The amp features one channel with reverb and tremolo....pretty basic design. No channel switching, effects loops or other extras to clutter the controls or tone. What it has is enough for my tastes and playing. The reverb is exceptional but I never use tremolo so make no comments about it. It is rated at 28w, class A power and is very adequate for my uses, which are basement playing or jamming with friends outdoors. It also features a pentode/triode switch that cuts the power in half. This reduces the volume about 20% and works great when you need less volume but like to have the amp cranked for natural OD tones. A very handy feature and one I wish more builders would use.

I play mostly a Les Paul with vintage PAFs and a Strat, but occasionally break out the Tele. The amp sounds great with all guitars/pickups. Music styles are mostly blues and blues/rock. The clean tones are wonderful and there is a decent amount of clean headroom, unlike many lower powered amps. The OD tones for me, are where this amp is at it's best...they are simply the best of any amp I've owned or played through. Not ratty and grainy sounding, but very smooth and creamy. You'd think you were playing through an old plexi Marshall, very touch sensitive and responsive to pick attack and slight changes in the volume knob on the guitar. It has the perfect OD for good rockin' blues or early rock but isn't what you'd want for heavy metal. If you want the Stevie tone, plug in your Strat and it's there. Put a Les Paul in front and you get everything from Peter Green to Cream, Allman Bros and 38 Special tones. I sometimes use a Klon to push it a bit when volumes must be kept down but the tone stays the same so I'd rate it as pedal friendly. I have a number of vintage amps and this amp truly sounds better than about 90% of them. It is louder than a BFVR and a tweed Super, yet has most of the tonal qualities of both...only better! The volume setting will put you into either territory, the higher settings will give more of the tweed grind, while anything under halfway is BF territory.

I haven't owned it long enough to know how reliable it will be, but judging from the build quality and Carr's reputation I doubt there will be any troubles.

I've contacted Carr several times before making a purchase and always received a timely and courteous response. Since the amp is new and isn't broken I'll have to wait and see about their customer support.

I've been attempting to play guitar for 40yrs, off and on. Over the years I've owned about every model of tweed Fender ever made, as well as all the BF Fenders. I started playing Marshalls in 1968 and have owned one or more ever since. I've been somewhat of a vintage snob these past years but after trying out several of these newer amps I think someone else can own the oldies from now on! If this amp were stolen I'd buy another ASAP. It is absolutely the single best amp for all of what I play, plus it's portable and doesn't weigh a ton!

This is a new Carr Rambler 1x12 made in 2004. This tube amp is best suited for roots, blues and country. it is a very clean, full and round sounding amp comparable to a blackface Fender. The Rambler is one of the best amps I have heard. This is a one channel no frills amp although it does have beautiful reverb and a killer tremolo which can be controlled by footswitch. Because the wattage is 14-28, this is a great amp for home and small venues. The quality and attention to detail is outstanding.

I use this amp primarily with a les paul w/ P90s and a strat. Sometimes i play a metal bodied dobro through the amp with a bit of tremolo and the sound is killer - very full and warm. The amp seems to be quiet even at louder levels although you can hear the tremolo pulsing which is typical of this tremolo design. You need to go to around 2 o'clock to get the distortion thing happening. But that's not what this amp is about. Place a distortion unit in front of the Rambler and dial in the dirt using the volume on your guitar.

Considering the build quality of this amplifier it should hold up well for a lifetime of use. I've only had the amp a month now, but don't expect any problems. To be honest, i was looking at a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue and my local dealers didn't have them, or if they did, there was always a problem with the 1 dusty unit they had in stock and they needed a down payment to bring in another unit. I finally said, fuck it - i was feeling less and less confident with the fender and thought if i'm going to special order an amp - it had better be special - not some mass produced piece of shit with the Fender logo (that used to mean something) stuck on the grill. So i ordered the Rambler. And IMHO I never really knew what TONE was all bout until i plugged into this amp. I bought mine from Willcutt Guitars.

I've emailed Carr a couple of times and always hear back in a day or two from Steve Carr himself. I can't quite remember the details of the warranty. But info can probably be found on the Carr website.

I've been playing about 25 years through all kinds of acoustics: Manzer, Larivee, Guild, Dobro, Greenfield and electrics: Fender, Gibson, and Guild. For the music i play, this is honestly one of the best sounding amps i have heard. And a good amp is critical to good sound. More than the guitar. You just plug your guitar into the Rambler and enjoy rich full tones that make you smile and give you the assurance that you made a very smart investment.

I bought my 2004 Rambler new from Guitars Ect. after doing months of homework on "boutique" combo amps. The Carr and Steelbender websites along with Steve Carr himself and a network of select dealers provided me with plenty of help. Even without having an opportunity to demo a Carr I can gladly and honestly say I have had no regrets. The Rambler may not have every feature you could ever want but what controls it does offer are the best in class. Players choose this amp for it's simplicity, pure unmatched clean tone, top notch quality and portablity. If that's not your "cup of tea" check out something other than a Rambler. Tip,, be an informed buyer not a dissapointed reviewer.

I play a John Surh Classic with 3 V60's and a Gibson Chet Atkins CG in combination with this amp. My other amp is a loaded "88" Mesa Boogie Mark lll and it has been my benchmark for guitar amps for many years. I play R&B, jazz and Christian contemporary. The Rambler seems to be extremely well suited for these styles of music.
Tone? I'll never forget how I felt after playing through this amp for the first few hours,, stunned! almost speechless. Be carefull of initial impressions when you hear a new Rambler for the first time. Mine seemed to wake up after about an hour or so and just floored me with a clear,full sound like I had never heard before and it has only gotten better and almost addictive since. Steve Carr says this is normal. The speaker, power tubes and other components need a little time to open up. When the amp was new I could hear the power biasing when using tremelo but now it is always dead quiet. The Pentode-Triode power switching really gives me such distinct changes in tone that I feel as though I have two very different but wonderful sounding amps in one combo. I love the reverb and the tremelo on the Rambler. I was concerned that the modest power rating of 28-14 watts would not cut it for anything but a small venue. I was used to a 60-75 watt 95lb combo. Thankfully, I was very wrong, plenty of headroom for any situation so far. With the Rambler having only one clean channel you will need a drive or boost pedal to add gain unless you are able to run it very loud at 3 or 4 o'clock. I've added an Xotic RC booster to the mix and would highly recommend one for a transparent clean boost.

not worried. I'm sure the guy's at Carr will help me if I experience a problem with the amp.

I talked to Steve Carr several times before and after I bought the Rambler. It would be hard to imagine someone more helpful and considerate. I feel very fortunate to benefit from his commitment to the quality of his namesake products and his passion for tone. Lifetime warrenty! how sweet is that?

I would definitly replace it in a New York minute. This was my choice after considering another Boogie, a DR. Z, a Bad Cat 30, a Rivera Chubster, and Victoria combo. no regrets!

I bought this used about a year ago. It's a class A amp with the best sounding spring reverb I've ever heard, tone to die for, a great tremolo, and plenty of power in the pentode mode for most clubs. Crank the high end a bit and it absolutely screams at lower volume in the triode setting.

I play Teles mostly, with an occasional Strat and a Getsch Nashville Jr. Rootsy, with a twang. All guitars sound spectacular. And it's very quiet.

I keep spare tubes, but no problems at all. It actually fell off an airport conveyor belt in it's roadcase and escaped unscathed. I've been thinking it may be time to retube, but it sounds so good I don't dare.

I bought it used and have had no need to contact Steve Carr. I think it will definitely outlive me.

i've been playing 40 years. I'm a bonafide Fender nut and have owned too many Fender amps to remember. This is THE best amp I've owned, and I'd replace it in a second if something happened to it.

Pretty basic but just what I want. One channel and a few control knobs. Reverb's nice and tremelo's good as well. Weighs 25 - 30 lbs. Perfect for one nighters.

I don't know that I've ever reviewed anything in this forum but feel compelled to talk about the Rambler. Doesn't really matter what guitar I plug into this amp, they all sound great. I have a custom made Patterson (similar to the Robben Ford model Fender) I use quite often or one of three Strats. I also own two Firebirds, a Hamer, and a Holdsworth. I use a Boss ME-5 with a couple of Ibanez distortion pedals in addition to the Boss distortion. My rig sounds great. The amazing thing about this amp is the bottom end and head room. It's rated at 28 watts but sounds as big, if not bigger, then my Vibroking and Tophat 2 x 12" Ambassador. It has a sound of it's own. Kind of American sounding but with the chimey top-end of an AC-30. 28 watts is perfect for my playing. I play in all sorts of different situations, one band being a ten piece horn band. I thought a 28 watt amp would not cut through in that situation. Wrong !! I've never had this amp above 3 or 4. Absolute, great sounding rig. I highly recommend it. It's expensive but as with everything else in life, you pretty much get what you pay for.

Built like a tank. Have had no problems whatsoever.

When you call, you talk with Steve Carr. Doesn't get any better than that.

I really can't say enough about this amp. Sound is all subjective. It's perfect for my needs, at least, so far.

volume,treble,middle,bass,reverb,speed, and intensity. what else could a guy want? 28w class "A" with a wonderfully voiced 60w speaker. the speaker has all the bottom you could ever want and a very sweet top end without a trace of shrillness. the reverb and tremolo are perfect. pentode/triode switch cuts power to 15 watts.

the rambler is the perfect amp for any roots-type style of playing. it's totally quiet even when turned all the way up, which is where it sounds the best. the reverb and tremolo functions are no less than perfect. the speaker's bottom end is totally tight and the top end is smooth without any trace of shrillness. i play a mexican fender '50's tele with a stock bridge pickup and a duncan antiquity 2 in the neck position as my main tool or a recent 335 or a G+L legacy with a callaham trem block. the amp sounds perfect with any of these at almost any amp settings. there is not a bad sound available. the only effects i use are a teese wah {rarely}, a nobels PRE-1 preamp {very subtle gain boost}, and the finest sound modification on the planet, the boss TU-2 tuner. i do not think i've played a night out since i bought the amp without some guitar geek coming up and asking about it. i've never had to mike it and in fact have to baffle it with guitar cases in some clubs to run it as hot as i like. it will duplicate most any clean sounds and will get about as distorted as the later freddy king stuff or albert collins. if you need more than that, it works just fine with distortion pedals. the tremolo is dreamy and beautiful similar to the cool slim harpo tones. best musical product i've ever bought. the finest testimony i can give to this amp is that after owning it for six months, i sold my two blackface super reverbs. 'nuff said.

i run the volume and tone controls 3/4 to 7/8 of all the way up and slightly boost the signal with a very clean preamp (essentially hitting the amp harder than if it was all the way up) and have never had a problem other than a worn tube.

amp has never needed repair after 2 years. i contacted the company for tube brand recommendations and received ultra-quick response with locally available tubes {not NOS million dollar replacements}. my amp guy (makes great fender tweed clones} asked to take it for a couple of days to check it out and was really impressed with the construction quality. i have never so much as replaced a fuse.

been playing professionally for about 30 years and would rate this piece of equipment as the finest and best instrument i've ever owned. i picked this as more my vibe over a MAZ 18 (strictly personal preference, it was very nice also). if stolen i would replace it in a heartbeat. i also have a victoria soulcactus {victoriette} which is another great tool. the combination of the carr and the victoria together is way cool but a bit much for the small local rooms in my local area. the rambler remains my favorite. in it i've found my voice.

Very simple one channel design with 28 watts (6L6's), three tone controls, excellent reverb and tremolo! Also has a pentode/triode switch to cut power, but I prefer the pentode sound. Not alot of features, but what it has is all it really needs. It's also lightweight and very portable!

This little amp is nothing short of amazing with a rich, full sound, balanced highs and lows, and room-filling bloom! You can hear every detail and subtle nuance in your playing. It's dead quiet,too. I use a variety of guitars including a Reverend Slingshot, Tele Special, Les Paul, Galveston resonator and others and the Carr brings out the best in each one. It interacts well with pedals, but you don't really need any unless you want more crunch. Just turn it up and wail! The 28 watts is plenty for most situations I play in.

Carr's reputation grows every day and with good reason. They are craftsmen! Superb construction throughout! I have a backup amp, but I doubt it'll see much use.

Steve Carr personally responds to email. I have had no problems, but if I ever did I believe that everything would be taken care of.

I've been playing blues and rock for over 30 years, mostly in small to midsize clubs. The Rambler is the best amp I've ever owned, and as good or better than any other amp I've ever heard for the style of music I play. I wish the tremolo could go a little faster, but I don't use it all that much. I would definitely get another Rambler and am looking at their other models as well. Highly recommended!

2003. One channel, reverb, tremelo, 2 x 6L6, 1/2 power switch, EASY to carry around, excellent construction and the best electronic components this side of an Alessandro High End at a much more reasonable price! Versatility is high based on its weight-to-feature ratio,

This is designed to be a vintage guitar amp & it succeeds in delivering the sounds you'd expect from a tweed or blackface. However, I can't get over how such a little package delivers such a BIG sound -- cut-through, although clear as a bell highs, as well as hefty amounts of lows. Up until this amp, I never wanted to use anything less than 2 x12. The Rambler delivers that kind of sound. THe reverb and tremelo are very effective.

No experience, but based on construction, I have no doubt it will hold up even with lots of usage.

I've contact Carr with two questions & they got right back to me. Very encouraging!

I've played guitar for over 40 years now. I've had many amps, but helf on to very few -- two 60s Fenders, a Top hat King Royale, a Marshall DSL50. I don't believe one amp can get all the sounds I want, but the Rambler comes close and will accompany me whenever venue size will allow for one reason: I get all the tone, none of the weight! I'd definitely replace it if something happened to it. I highly recommend that you check it out.

Bought new from GGuitars in New Haven, CT. Great service! 28 watt fenderish/deluxish with better tone, reverb and tremolo! Pentode/triod switch, 2 6l6 power tubes.

I prefer single coils, teles and strats, but my Baker and my 80 Ibanez artist blow me away through this amp also. This is the ultimate blues/clean/low power giging amp you can have. It can go from smooth jazz to stinging blues, just turn the knobs. I dare a fender lover to try one...

lifetime guarantee!!! Wiring and build quality is art. Built like a tank, but weight is less than 40 lbs! Check the stats on the carr website.

Steve Carr replies to e-mails himself! I also own a Hammerhead, and have inquired about tube suggestions...the guy is a true lover of his products and customers.

I have owned over 20 amps in my search, and I still have my 64 Super Reverb (more headroom than the carr), and my modified Marshall 71 Super lead. This is the amp I choose to plug into, and it is certainly the amp I carry to a club gig (in one hand w/strat or tele in the other). It blows me away every time I plug into it.

This is a follow up to my previous review. I apologize for the typos on my initial review, "overall rating".
Two power settings (14watt/28watt), outstanding tremolo effect,
built like a tank..."LIFETIME WARRANTY" won me over a Fender '67 BF Deluxe Reverb.

The best I ever heard...in any era. Only my Carr Slant 6V sounds more 'open'. The Rambler sounds more 'focused' and clean. The tremolo shimmers and "pulsates" at the pentode (higher) power setting.

My amp technician does not like them...because he "loses me as a customer"...built like a tank...will probably last as long as one.
Lifetime warranty says it all.

Outstanding...Steve Carr (founder) actually returns emails, himself.

I love Carr Amps. Expensive... and damn well worth it.
I had to chose between the Rambler and a Slant 6...the Slant won by a nose. Both are a "10" in each category. I don't hand out 10's to often, let alone all categories. Had to sell the Rambler for economic reasons...now I am already looking for another!

Single channel amp with reverb, tremelo, and half power switch. 28 watts at full power, 14 at half. Mine is the 1x12. Amp uses 6L6 power tubes, which gives some pretty decent clean headroom. Has enough power for me. The major feature of this amp, in my opinion, is tone. I'd rather have a few small features and a really good tone anyways.

I use a Les Paul loaded with '57 classics through this amp mainly, but also use a tele. They both sound great, but I definitly prefer the LP. This amp has serious tone. I agree, the cleans are fantastic, and the overdrive is good too. I like that this amp has an "American" voicing, which is a good alternative to the MAZ 18, which I use side by side. More reverb than I would know what to do with, and the tremelo is by far the best I have ever heard. I play blues, and for that, this is the amp. I don't use any pedals, and amps like this make it known that they are not always neccesary. Really, really fine sounding amp.

Very well built. I wouldn't gig without a backup, though. Never had any problems (so far).

I haven't had to deal with Carr, but from what I hear they are easy to work with. Lifetime warranty.

I've been playing for about 8 years. Other gear includes Dr. Z amps, and a Martin. If stolen, I would buy it again in a heartbeat. I really like this amp a lot. I don't write these reviews much, but this one really deserves the recognition. Find a dealer and play one. Although these are expensive amps, they are really worth it.

Basic on paper...reverb tremolo, footswitch, one channel, 14/28 watt power selection, and selectable power switch for grounding purposes.
Does not have effects loop, headphone jack...but I dont use those anyhow.
What it has is AWESOME tube sound, and a pulsating tremolo that melts you down; plus the 'magic mojo' for playing blues and jazz. I suppose country, as Telecasters sound great thru this, as well as any Strats and ES-335 by Gibson.
No amp is perfect...but between the Carr Rambler and Slant V6, my search for the perfect sound is over

The best clean sound with anything I plug in. Strats, ES-335, and Teles all sound their best thru Carr.
I use this one around the house at half-power setting. Tremolo has a bit of a pulsating tap at the full poewer setting, but it comes and goes with the older electrical wiring in my house. Other than that...DEAD QUIET and pure sound.
More head room on this amp. I use a Fulltone 2 pedal when I want 'crunch'.

Built like a tank, pretty much 'bomb proof'...but always carry spare tubes, just in case.

The best! Steve Carr actually answers the phone and emails you back, immediately. Lifetime warranty is NOT transferrable, although I bought this Rambler 'used' (or should I say "pre-owned") from an authorized dealer, I was assured that since I bought my Slant 6 'new' that Steve would stand behind the used Rambler.
Steve Carr is Leo Fender reincarnated!

Playing for 40 years. I am a gear junkie, but I believe my searching and buying days are over. had it with Fender amps, and went all out on the Carr band-wagon.
These are the best I amps I have heard and ever hoed to own. Now that I own two, play part time (just to 'keep on groing')...the Rambler (and Carr amps) is/are the Holy Grail of quality tube sound.
Expensive? Absolutely...but its lke money in the bank and the rate of return is much better. If you can afford one used or new...but it!

Not sure what year it was made. I'm guessing witin the last 2 years. It is #134. This is an amp designed for one thing: Amazingly lush, full, pure, ringing clean tone. One channel, vol treble middle bass reverb and tremolo. 1 x 12 Kingpin 60 speaker. One input, no headphone jack, no effect loop. 17 Watts on triode mode, 38 on pentode . Great for playing at home, you'd need to mic it in a larger room. I rate it a 7 for versatility because it is not a channel switching clean/dirty/tweak it for days machine. Set your tone and go.

This amp has the best clean sound of any amp I've ever played. You can get it to sound slightly pushed/overdriven at higher volumes but it is designed to stay clean quite a ways up it's volume range. I'm impressed by how little bass breakup there is until you get to the highest volume settings. The reverb is great- really full and gets into that Fender surf territory when all the way up. The tremolo sounds great too. It'll make you want to find a way to get back to using tremolo more in your music. I'm playing an Anderson (Strat style) Classic with H-S-H pickups. I'd say the amp maybe slightly favors single coil sounds, but humbuckers sound full and rich too. I also have an el cheapo Squier Tele that I've loaded Anderson TN single coil pickups into. That actually sounds good through this amp too. To put some hair on the tone I use a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 which gives me a nice crunchy chording tone, can be set for a clean boost for clean soloing, and of course can also give you a sweet singing violin-sustain-forever Santana sound if you need it. The Fulldrive 2 is a good unit for helping keep more of the tonal qualities of the amp in the signal. Seems like a lot of pedals just give you one distortion sound no matter what you plug into it.

I have not had the amp long enough to comment. I did take the amp apart (see below) and the wiring job is a work of art. The components are of extremely high quality- see the website for details.

These amps come with a lifetime guarantee for the original owner. That sounds good, but I've never had to have any servicing done. I've emailed a few times and Steve Carr himself has replied each time.

These amps are not cheap, but try one, and I guarantee you will be blown away by the tone. What I love about this amp: Great back to basics sound, portability, looks cool, sensible volume range. An effects loop would be nice, but would go against the philosophy of the design (i.e keep the signal path as uncluttered as possible). Speaking of looks: I changed the color of this amp. I'd had my heart set on a black one, but found a great deal on this one, which was blonde. Now blonde is OK, but I wanted black. Re-tolexing would have been too expensive and time consuming and would have negated the good deal I got on the amp. What I did was disassemble the amp and spray the tolex with black SEM color coat, a vinyl dye/colorant used for years in the auto restoration industry. This stuff gets right into the tolex and is extremely durable. It took 3 cans and looks great. Keep it in mind if you want to make your amp a different or custom color.
One more thing. These amps are selling used for only a couple of hundred dollars less than a new one. Shell out a little more, buy one new and get the lifetime guarantee. I think Carrs are some of the best amps out there, and the Rambler itself is going to be considered a current and future classic.

OK. I had to do this. I usually don't get involved with these kind of "reviews". I figure every player has their own quest and destiny when it comes to finding the holy grail of tone, but my 25 year quest ended with a Carr Rambler. Pulsing tremolo that is almost sexual. Reverb from some other dimension and that unknown "thing". You know, "The Thing", that elusive presence that lingers over the crowd even after the guitar finishes. This amp has it. Period.

I use the amp with a '57 Strat armed with Rio Grande vintage tallboys playing mostly 5-7000 seat venues. I close mic with an SM-57 and A/B switch a Boogie Mark I for the alternate sound. Other than a Fulltone "Clyde" wah,that is the extent of my stage rig. The Carr is impressive in its ability to morph as you turn the guitar up. From a sweet crisp green sound to a fat woody sound dripping with honey. This amp is on the verge of being erotic. I don't know you, but I've gotta tell you that this instrument has simplified my life by making my rig easier to manage and still giving it up every show, every time.

Microphonic tubes and 60 cycle hum are necessary evils if you want to swim in the ocean of tone.

I did have a problem with the amp one day before I was leaving on tour. I called the shop in N.C. and actually spoke to Steve Carr himself. He was able to diagnose the problem over the phone and help arrived the very next day via fed-ex. You don't get that kind of attention from the big guys. I asked Steve to send me an autograph and I think as much of it as the national acts I've played with. I think this company is committed to the things that make us all want to be musicians in the first place. Love of music. It sure shines in the instruments Carr produces.

I'm a touring professional guitarist and mandolin player with a national act. I appreciate fine instruments and the people with the skills to make them. We, as musicians, should turn back from the mass produced junk the bigs try to make us believe in and keep the tone among ourselves. I'm glad Steve Carr is doing just that.

Made in 2002. I bought it to play psychedelic surf music--boy it does this. One channel with reverb and trem and a toggle switch between pentode and triode modes, 28 and 14 watts, respectively. 3 tone knobs. 6l6 based power tubes. Class A operation, cathode biased. Its just an awesome, insightful design

The tone is to die for. IMHO. It has the soulful grit of a tweed, and the bright clarity of a blackface. Its a weird hybrid. It reminds me sort of like a '64 DR with 6l6's instead of 6v6's. The cathode bias gives it some spongey compression when bearing down. It can go from blackface clear and clean to fat overdrive, to complex harmonics with a Blackstone mosfet overdrive pedal. It just covers the gamut of the tone spectrum. It reminds me of a sail boat that is yar, it just goes where you point it, effortlessly.

Attention to detail and quality of construction are second to none. Non pareil. Cathode biasing means no multimeter to switch tubes and no worry about matching power tubes either.

Best there is. Lifetime warranty. Can't imagine needing repair but if I did no worries mate. Steve Carr stands solidly behind his work. Hard to find such dedication these days.

Best play for 4 years after a 25 year hiatus. Sold off a Parker guitar and SWR amp to get this. Play through a modifying PRS and a Replex. I also play a Fuzzy Pedal frypan through the Rambler and it is mighty beautiful. Real old fashioned sounding. Oh so sweet. I love everything about this amp and hate nothing. Looked at Tone King, THD, TopHat, Matchless, Dr.Z, Allen,Victoria, Rivera. I liked the class A 6l6 concept, the old Gibson style trem, and Carr's workmanship. After close scrutiny, it was simply the best value and combination of features for the price. A real bargain for what it is.

I own a Fender Custom Shop 60 watt Vibro King that I like a lot, but the Fender is very heavy and powerful. I was looking for and have now found (the Rambler) an amp that is custom hand wired and has the same basic features as the vibro king (tube reverb and tremolo) but with less power and is more portable. The Fender Custom Shop currently produces no such animal but Steve Carr does. Features are great for what it is. A bluesy great sounding little amp. All tube 1x12 combo 28 watts class A pentode and 14 watts class A triode, switchable between the two, single channel with reverb and tremolo. A very quiet amp in idle. No doubt you have checked out Carr?s site for all the specifics. for what it is the features are fine.

I can only ditto the comments made on Carrs site and reviews. This amp is very amazing for the size. Clean, warm, and bluesy and the perfect amp at home or in the studio. The controls are very interactive and it works great with a fulltone fulldrive or voodoo lab sparkle drive, klon, or just crank it up. The amp never gets real distorted on its own, just a nice clean sound with a little pleasant grit, that is, with using a fender 60?s relic strat. It of course sounds great without any gimmicks. It can produce a lot of bass for its size and it can get loud. I like it with the bass almost off , and adding bass with the guitar knob. , mid on 12:00,treble on 1:00 ,volume on 2:00

I haven?t had it that long to give any real evaluation but it is very well built.

If I could rate this higher, I would. I bought this amp site unseen based on these Harmony reviews and others such as the 2002 Guitar Players Dream Machine magazine and the reviews mentioned at Carr?s website. I ordered it new from one of the listed dealers who had it in stock. When it arrived I noticed the control panel didn?t appear to fit quite right and I heard a slight buzz/rattle in the cabinet. Needless to I was a little bummed after spending $1,600 on a hand made custom amp. I emailed Carr and that same day got a response from Steve himself. I sent the amp back to Carr. They called and were quite honest about the problem, missing a spacer bolt or something to that affect. It wasn?t a big thing and they easily fixed it. They also offered/made a couple other upgrades to the amp at no charge. Steve said they strive to make every amp perfect before it leaves the factory. Odds are my problem was remote, nobodies perfect, and once in a while something might get by. Hey! That?s what a guarantee is for! Carr made great on their lifetime warranty! Face it, nobody wants to use the warranty, but if you do, Steve Carr?s there for you with no hassle!

Overall Rating: 10
I own or have owned some the following amps. Fender Vibro King, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Fender Pro Junior, Fender Prosonic, Marshall JCM 800, Peavey Backstage 30, Fender 65 twin reverb reissue, and a top hat portly cadet. The rambler is now my overall favorite. At first I looked for a used one, but they were going for only a couple hundred less than a new one. I figured a lifetime warranty was worth that! Since that?s how long I?ll keep it. Steve may be the Leo Fender of this Century! Sell off some of the junk you don?t use and order a Rambler today! You need one for stable mental health and overall well being!

I own or have owned some the following amps. Fender Vibro King, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Fender Pro Junior, Fender Prosonic, Marshall JCM 800, Peavey Backstage 30, Fender 65 twin reverb reissue, and a top hat portly cadet. The rambler is now my overall favorite. At first I looked for a used one, but they were going for only a couple hundred less than a new one. I figured a lifetime warranty was worth that! Since that?s how long I?ll keep it. Steve may be the Leo Fender of this Century! Sell off some of the junk you don?t use and order a Rambler today! You need one for stable mental health and overall well being!

A pretty straight forward rig. Class A cathode biased single channel amp. 12AX7 preamp tubes, 12AT7 Reverb driver and Svetlana 6L6 power tubes with solid state rectifier, point to point wired in an aluminum chasis. Has treble, midrange and bass controlls each with a very graduated effect along with a pentode/triode switch for 28/14 watt power output.

The difference here is that the quality of every component is first rate and combined with the aluminum chasis, it makes a huge difference in this amp's tone quality. More on that below. 9 for versatility and overall features.

My spin on this is a little different. I have equipped the amp with Telefunken 12AX7's and a Mullard 4024 as the reverb dirver. I haven't changed the 6L6's. After playing the amp for a couple months with the stock Kingpin 60 (ceramic magnet made for Carr by Emminence)I installed a Brown Soun Tone Tubby Hemp Cone speaker. So figure another $500 for all of the above.

The tone of this amp is magical. With either single coil (Suhr V60LP's and Gibson P90) or humbuckers (Mcinturff) its a way more articulate, pick sensitive, fatter sounding amp than my '64 Deluxe. A much bigger overall sound with a smoother break up and much tighter bottom end. In the pentode mode (better tone definition) its got a very thick, creamy distortion that is ideal for blues, country and rock. This isn't a high gain flavored amp, though it overdrives very well with a peddle in front of it. It sounds very nice in stock fashion, but is really amazing with the upgraded pre-amp tubes and Tone Tubby. The Mullard gives the reverb an otherworldly quality that can be dialed up or off to taste. The alnico speaker is smoother on top, has a tighter bottom end and slightly more prominent midrange than the stock Kingpin. It really works well with single coils and is a ready to boogie blues machine with humbuckers. Not quite as big sounding as the Z28 with 4 10's, but a smoother breakup and a thicker, creamier tone with the power tubes saturated. In the triode mode you get there at very low volumes, ideal for practice or apartment living.

Tone is obviously a personal thing. My tastes run toward American flavored distortion (Rambler, Fender BF Deluxe, Dr. Z Z-28). This amp does it extremely well (so well that I just sold the '64 Deluxe!).

I bought this amp used. It looks brand new and the first owner had no problems I've had no problems to date. It a very sturdy, well made amp with superb attention to detail.

No occasion to seek support.

This is a great little amp. If you want a high quality great sounding amplifier to play anything and everything short of heavy metal (you could probably get there with the right pedal) this is it. I bought mine used and fiddled with it a little, but its a great value and sounds wonderful brand new out of the box. Highly recommended.

1x12" all tube combo amp. Triode and pentode modes (full power and 1/2 power) Single channel, 28 watts! Reverb / tremolo! Volume, mid, bass! Stand by and on / off switch! All I need!!

I play nothing but strats and this amp is awsome sounding with strats!! Very clean and warm tones from this amp, no harshness here!! It stays pretty clean when cranked! A ton of headroom for a little amp!! Very Fender black face deluxish! I play mostly "in your face" style blues and this amp is great!! I have tried everything such as, Marshall, soldano, matchless, DrZ, vht, and many fenders.. This little amp is my ticket!! Awsome reverb and tremolo too!! This amp and my 1965 super reverb should do it for me!

I never gig without a back up.. No problems so far.. I have a great amp / guitar tech to keep things running too!! My amp tech said that this amp is "the BOMB"!! Thant means he likes it very much!! (:

Never needed anything from the Carr people yet!

I have been playing for 22 years and have played through many many amps! This amp really is the ultimate strat / blues amp! I am going to buy another one soon! Maybe try the Imperial, for larger venues!?!? Like I stated before, I have been searching for the right amp for a long time! This little "big sounding" amp is the ticket for me!!! These Carr amps are priced right too! The Rambler is one of the best amps I have ever heard, and the price is awsome too!!

28 watts of pentode power and 14 watts of triode power. Tremolo, Reverb and that's it. plug in and go. mine's in lubberly Emerald Green with tweed-ish grill cloth. quite a looker but i kinda wish i got it in the wine color steve does too. very slick looking. and its light! about 35 lbs. and great for when you're on the go. kinda wish it came in a head version cause i've got a great a Jenkin's cab that would sound killer with it, but hey i could always use a good combo. and i also wish it had a speaker out to run it with my bigger cab, but alas...

I love this amp. its the amp that makes me wanna buy whatever else Steve Carr does.

At first, when i got it, the tone was very tight and sterile. Thinking the speakers hadnt opened up, i just kept playing around with it, even after the 48 hour evaluation policy of the store. and thank goodness i did. after about a few days, the speaker's finally opened up, and it was glorious. The tones were very vibey and fun to play. not really fat in that clean voxy way perse, but more clear and bell like. very Fender Blackface with only a hint of Matchless chime ontop. It sounded equally at home playing with my PRS McCarty w/Tom Holmes pu's and Fender relic strat. I especially love playing my hollowbody PRSi with it which sound juicy and spongy.

EQ controls are very interactive and can add lots of highs, mids, or bass in whatever amounts you need. Its mainly a clean amp with lots of headroom that for this amp is pretty high no matter what setting. breaks up at about 8-9. but that's what also sold me: the overdriven tones. even tho, it is mainly a clean amp, diming it out to about 8 or 9 will yield the sweetest 6L6 drive. its not a crunchy grind or bloated rumble. more like a fat punch of raunchy drive. Or like a refined Neil Young overdrive ala Rust. (if you could ever imagine a tone.) sometimes, i'll use it for my dirt and my voxy Dr. Z Maz 18 jr. for clean. pull back on my volume knob and it cleans up rather well.

The reverb's pretty surfy, but it might not be wet enough for some. the Trem's vibey and organic, but not as fast as an AC30. more like a throb than a helicopter. but they're both still great sounding.

Nothing bad yet, and its built like a freakin tank. Steve stands behind all his amps and will bend over backwards to make the dang thing kick out stellar tones. i'm not worried.

Steve's known for his great customer support and enthusaism for his product and the customer. he'll do whatever to answer your emails, and he loves talking about whatever it is to get your tone. i know if i do run into a problem, he'll be there.

I love this amp. its a classic in the making and would be MAD pissed if anything happened to it. I was GAS'ed for a while, but with this amp and my Dr. Z Maz 18 jr. head, i've found the amps of MY sound. Nothing else i play makes me as happy as those two guys. Sure, the trem isnt as fast as i'd like it, wish it came in a head form, and wish it had a speaker out to slave it, but other than that, it's the amp i will grow old with.

I also own a 2x12 Carr Imperial combo amp. This amp has the same controls but adds a boost toggle switch. Everyone else has given the layout here it seems. Like I feel about the Imperial, if you know what you want and don't need channel switching then this amp fits the bill. Very nice features for such a small amp. I know I don't need more controls.

I see and hear lots of similarities between my Imperial and Rambler. I regard my Rambler to be like the little baby brother to the big amp. This amp is quite amazing for the size. Very clean and warm and absolutely the perfect amp at home or in the studio. It just sounds great without a lot of unnecessary gimmicks. Love the reverb and the tremolo is really nice too.

Top notch craftsmanship complete with George L's on the inside!

Great friendly service. No regrets.

My favorite amp I own. The Imperial is a nice larger amp that is the best big amp I have. The Rambler is a lot more practical and just does everything I want. I run some pedals through it for the dirty sounds and it does them well. Hard to beat these two models for uncomplicated great clean sounds that project. So glad I discovered Carr amps!

This review is of a 2001 Carr Rambler all tube 1x12 combo 28 watts class A pentode and 14 watts class A triode, switchable between the two.Class A cathode bias 6L6 output stage, zero feedback, single chanel with reverb and tremolo.Dimensions:Rambler-12" Combo - 21" w x 17.5" h x 10" d at bottom sloping to 9" at top.Weight: 37 lbs. No stinking effects loop, master volume or head phone jack hey this is a very good cross between a tweed Deluxe and a blackface Deluxe and they did not have those fetures either.The fact that amp is a one channel wonder is great it makes you play your gutiar and not your owners manual. I use this amp in a 30x30 practice room with a band if you can call us that(we are just starting to practice together)and it has more than enough power to cut through the loud ass drumer(got to get brushes)and the bass player on the 28 watt pentode mode and on the 14 watt triode mode it's just loud enough to sound good and get alot of dirty looks from the old lady! This is a great sounding combo for playing the blues and R&B. 100% hand wired point to point with George L Cable, Hospital grade power cord, pine cabniet with floating baffle board,KINGPIN 60 SPEAKERS the Kingpin 60 is a custom designed speaker produced by Eminence. They are loosely based on the mid 60's Jenson C12N. MALLORY 150M COUPLING CAPS,CUSTOM HIGH QUALITY PAPER BOBBIN INTERLEAVED TRANSFORMERS you know the drill this amp is built like a tank and clean as sketers peter.

I play a 1962 vintage RI strat that I bought in 82 with texas special pickups.For playing the blues and R&B(SRV-BookerT)this bad boy nails all the cool sounds that I could want. Tone you say? Oh yes this amp has a lot of TONE!!! Great sounding reverb and very Fender sounding tremolo. This amps sounds like a deluxe meets matchless kind of deal. On the 14 watt triode side of things it starts to break up at 5 or 6. When I say break up I mean that smooth creamy break up like you have always wanted but with plenty of punch to still get over the top. Playing in the 28 watt pentode mode will get you roughly the same kind of sound only with more volume. The cool thing is that the tone stays the same through out the volume range,only changing the amount of tube distortion. The Rambler has great clean sounds at the midway point down on booth power settings and great tube sounding overdrive from say half way up on booth power settings and it is very quite when at idle.

Steve Carr has done his home work boys this amp will be a round for along time! I have only had it for a couple of weeks but its all hand wired and built out of the best componets that you can lay hand on.I will give it a 9 because anything can happen and it always does to me and nothing is perfect.

I emailed Carr amps about which model they would recomend for my style my music and I got a responce from Steve Carr(Owner)back that night. Its seems that he likes his job and he loves his amps. Carr has been very good about answering all of my questions and the fact that they new the dealer and the salesman in Nashiville where I bought it by first name makes me think that Carr Amps is going to easy to deal with. The fact that this amp is all hand wired and not a pc board should make it easy to get serviced by an amp tech. Lifetime warranty on workmanship and three year on parts(tubes and speakers are 90 day)but still a strong warranty in my book.

I have been playing for 13 years off and on I use a 62 vintage repo Fender Stratocaster with texas special pickups(wish it had Frailins)and Brian Setzer 6120 Gretch, with a couple of very cool teles. If it very stolen or lost I would freak and then start the man hunt! I would look a buying another Carr amp because I beleve that they are the best deal going. Before I bought the Rambler I played in the same store side by side a Fender Super reverb Ri, Fender Bassman Ri, Fender Deluxe RI and a couple of other all tube amps. The Carr stuff blew them all away, the Carr amps out Fendered the Fenders. None of the Fenders Ri's sound like the real thing to my ears but the Deluxe did sound nice and I bet if you get rid of the junkie tubes and change the speaker it would sound very good.I chose this Carr amp over the Carr amps because of size and sound.I have always wanted a cool Deluxe and I think I found the best one that I have ever heard. The other Carr amps also sound great; the Imperial was my second favorite it sounds great too kind of like a good blackface pro at the edge of breakup. I would like to share this with you I think that the prices for boutique amps and gutiars are outrageous! How many working guys do you know have ten grand to lay out for a super cool old amp and vintage gutiar? Carr amps are priced about right for the product they sell.

Made in 2000. Number 25. Cream Tolex with Carr's standard grill cloth (kind of reddish tweedy look with black and tan lines thrown in); all in all, a sharp vintage look with modern lines. The Rambler has reverb (very warm and lush), tremolo (deep and rich), treble, mid (which has a much wider range than typical), bass, volume, on/off, standby, and pentode/triode. In pentode (full power), the amp is somewhere about 28 watts; in triode, it is more like 14 watts. It comes standard with Svetlana 6L6GCs. I replaced these with Tung Sol 5881s. The Rambler is cathode biased. There is only one channel, no effects loop, extra jacks, etc. You can switch the tremolo on and off using a standard foot switch.

Originally, Steve sent these out using the Carr Liquid 50 speaker, built by Weber VST (a Weber C12NT with a 50 oz. ceramic magnet). Carr stopped using Weber speakers recently, though, and began using an Eminence-built speaker called the Carr Kingpin 60. I have used both speakers in my amp, and I prefer the Liquid 50, but am thinking of using an Alnico magnet speaker to see how that sounds. The Kingpin 60 sounds good, but it doesn't have the same sparkle and bite that the Liquid 50 has.

The Rambler is loud enough for small and medium-sized clubs, and really cuts through in pentode mode. On triode, it also works well in the house.

The Rambler is the fullest-sounding small amp I have heard. It is definitely from the American side of the street, and has a lovely, warm, lush tone. The Rambler is not noisy at all, in large measure because it stays relatively clean until pushed hard at significant volume. Then you get that old-school break-up that everyone wants (at 4 or 5 in triode, 5 or 6 in pentode, with single coils, earlier with humbuckers). Distortion is never great, though, and you will need a pedal if you want more than a little hair. You can get a singing sound at higher volumes, can increase your sustain and break-up with a good overdrive pedal, and can move between the two and clean rhyth tones with the guitar volume. It's all there. No one-setting for this, one-setting for that master volume problems, etc. The Rambler retains it's warm, lush sound when overdriven. It isn't going to work if you play metal or even extreme blues-rock tones (Lenny Kravitz, etc.), but for a very musical, versatile sound, this it. In addition, one of the coolest things about the Rambler is the amount of low end you get in a small package. No other single-12" out there (let alone single-10", which would be close to the Rambler in physical size) could begin to compete with the Rambler's tight, vibrant low end. Carr uses ultra-fast recovery diodes designed to emulate natural tube sag in place of a tube rectifier.

The Rambler is great for any style of music where good headroom and a warm, lush sound is needed. It handles chords beautifully, and provides a great stringy sound and a bit of tear on single-note runs. It would seem to be an obvious choice for jazz, country, Chicago and jump blues, early rock 'n' roll, etc. In triode mode, the sound is fat and warm; in pentode, it is tighter, more sparkly, and has more bite. I think it sounds great with humbuckers and single coils. A favorite mix for me is humbucker in the neck and single coil in the bridge. Humbuckers get the amp to break up a bit earlier, and the singles give off a great chime and ring. I've played through the Rambler with a Custom Shop '54 Strat, a Custom Shop Tele with a Strat middle PUP, a Reverend Avenger, a Reverend Rocco, a semi-hollow G&L ASAT Z3, and an old Ibanez Les Paul copy with stock PUPs. All of them work very well, depending on your needs, but this amp with a good Tele or Strat will cover the entire gamut with gorgeous sounds from liquid Strat blues to tight twangy country and fat lush jazz.

The Rambler works very well with pedals, especially something to push the amp into an overdrive (such as the Fat Boost, though it adds bass, which is not needed here at all, the Klon, etc.). It also handles the standard distortion pedal (such as the Sparkle Drive) exceptionally well. At higher volumes, as with tweed-type amps, you need to roll off the bass knob to keep the low end tight; that said, this isn't the type of amp you just dime and play; the best sounds are in the middle, balancing volume with tone to get edge and color in the right amounts.

The Rambler is extremely well made, with a hand-made pine cabinet, a welded-aluminum chassis, true point-to-point circuit construction (components connected directly with the aid of only a few terminal ships), and perfect layout and wiring. Steve uses components that are above and beyond the call for quality, including hospital-grade three-pronged electrical cords, Solen polypropylene capacitors in the power supply (for faster, snappier response and ultra long life), and ultra fast recovery diodes in place of a tube rectifier (for better low end while reatining the feel of a tube rectifier).

I have had a couple of minor problems with my amp, none of which attribute to the amp itself. First was with my Liquid 50 speaker, which Steve replaced free of charge with the newer Kingpin 60 speaker (please see my comments about issues with these speakers above). Second involved tube chatter, which Steve again addressed by sending me clamps that hold the power tubes in place; I also added spring-sleeves to the pre-amp tubes on my own. Other than that, it?s been smooth sailing. If you can't gig with this amp, then you can't gig with any amp (though in some venues, you may need to mic it).

Steve has not only replaced the speaker and given me power tube clamps free of charge, he has answered innumerable emails (usually the same day, and always within a couple of days) and fielded tens of phone calls. The vast majority of my communication had little to do with the Rambler per se, but rather addressed questions I had about cathode v. fixed bias, possibilities for tube switching (don't read cathode biased and think you can use 6V6s), characteristics of speakers and tubes, questions about other amps built by Carr, plans for future amps, general issues of amp design, pedals, and the interaction between various amps and various guitars. Steve is a first-rate guy and his support is better than any buyer has a right to expect in this department: knowledgeable, friendly, candid, helpful, and extremely interested in amps and guitars. As Carr Amplifiers gets busier -- and it will ? it would seem impossible for Steve to remain as responsive as he has been with me, but I am sure he will more than address your needs and concerns. In addition, the other employees at Carr with have been equally excited about their products, nearly as knowledgeable about amps, and very candid and helpful, as well.

All in all, owning this amp has been a great experience, and has made me realize how amazing, appealing, and unique the positive side of the music industry can be, largely because these people are doing what they love to do.

I have been playing for 16 years, in various contexts. I own -- or have owned in the past year, the period that I have been using the Rambler -- a '65 BF Princeton Reverb, a '56 Supro, Custom Shop '54 Strat, Custom Shop Tele, a Reverend Avenger, a Reverend Rocco, and a semi-hollow G&L ASAT Z3.

This has to be one of the best-sounding, most-versatile small amps out there. Compared to, say, the Dr. Z Maz 18 (which isn't as loud as the Rambler is in pentode, has a different voice entirely with EL-84s, lacks tremolo, has an inferior reverb, and doesn't have the same low-end clarity as the Rambler), the Rambler is warmer and more lush. If you're looking for an American sounding amp, this is it: the hand-made Carr Rambler with its superior parts, design, and layout, and uncomparable tone. The Rambler is not a replica of another amp from the past. It obviously derives in part from the Tweed and BF Fender amps, but it's Carr's own design, and it has it's own sound and flavor.

New 2001
This is a great little amp. single channel with Vol.,treble, bass,Mid, Tremolo,reverb.Pentode/triode switch which cuts to 1/2 power. This is a all tube amp. Very basic
It has one great clean sound.

I have several guitars. 57 strat with emgs, Brian moore C55, Paul Reed mcCarty
The amp has a great clean sound. You have to play it to see what I mean.

Don't know yet . The Guys at Willcutts Guitar shop in Lexington, Ky. will take care of me. Eric, Matt are top notch. Give them a call at
859-276-3519. They carry all the neat stuff.

I have owned or own about everything under the sun. The Carr is a keeper. Ever amp I have will do something different. For a great clen sound this is it. It is not to replace my Plexi Marshall or messa boggie. Just real nice to play clean on.

The amp's features are basic, reverb, tremelo, no master volume but a pentode/triode switch for the output tubes. This is a no-frills tube amp that is built like a tank. Few features is not a bad thing...

Now here is where I disagree with the rest of the reviews. This amp sounded the opposite of what I like, it has a very big, loose, low end and a very tight, hard sounding treble when run in pentode (full power) mode. I prefer a sweet top end and a clear low end. In pentode mode the amp for me was just too hard sounding and the bass was too woofy and loud -- I couldn't crank the bass over about 2 with either a vintage strat or a Les Paul. This amp is meant to be a clean machine, overdrive is not it's thing, you need a pedal. I was hoping that it would sound sweeter in pentode mode, triode mode sounds better, like a BF Princeton somewhat, but then you don't have much headroom or volume so it's pretty much practice only. If the louder setting sounded nicer it would be a giggable amp for me but I sent it back. The amp I tried also had a noise when I played it loud, this seemed to be coming from the reverb tank cover as when I put my hand under the tank the noise stopped. This was not an electronic problem, just the buzzin of the 'verb tank wrapping.
on the plus side, the tremelo is outstanding, the old style trem that uses the output tubes to work, like a brown Deluxe. The reverb also sounded very good.

I returned the amp after one week so I don't know how reliable it would be but I would guess it would be very dependable. The quality of construction seems tops, very heavy duty.

The people who sold me the amp (Eddie at Indoor Storm) were great about everything, I also talked to Steve Carr at one point and he seemed very nice. I would think support would be excellent

This amp is well made but just not my cup of tea, triode mode sounded good but I already have a BF Princeton if I want that sound. I've been playing for 30 years, about half of that time as a fulltime pro, I'm accustomed to good amps, I own a VHT, a real tweed Bassman, etc.
I bought the amp because the soundfile sounded good and the reviews were excellent, but soundfiles don't tell you how a piece of gear will respond to your own playing style. I liked the reverb, tremelo, and the build quality but couldn't deal with the hard sounding highs in the full power mode. Perhaps changing out the speaker or tubes would have helped this but for $1600 I want to like it right out of the box. This is just my opinion, I don't like to leave negative reviews but I'm glad I returned the amp, it just didn't suit me. I am planning to buy a Jamison combo which is about $500 more than the Carr but I think it will be more to my style and more practical for me. Obviously some people love this amp, but not me.

This Rambler is a new amp serial# 31. This one channel amp has a very pro sounding tremolo and a lush tube reverb and NO other things to get in the way of good old quality amp tone. I play classic style rock and roll and some old,new country. This amp fits quite properly.

I use several Tom Anderson single coil and several PRS humbucker and P-90 models. A little noise is generated because single coils+vacuum tubes+crappy electrical service in bars = some noise.If you would like a system that does not generate ANY noise stay at home and watch t.v.

I have used it on about 6-7 gigs with no backup. I replaced 1 microphonic power tube. This is all real normal for a tube amp. I called Carr Amps and talked to Steve Carr and he is sending a replacement tube.

I have called Carr Amps 2X and spoke to Steve Carr 2X. One time for info on other models and one time to mention the micro tube. Tube will be replaced per Steve Carr

I have been playing way too long to buy production line junk. My line up is Dr.Z Maz 18 and a Carr Rambler. These two pieces greatly compliment each other in tone quality and construction quality.

No channel switching or master volume but very comprehensive with volume, 3 EQ, reverb and tremolo. Features 2 6L6 power tubes, as well as combination of 12 AX7s and 12 AT7s for tube driven reverb and tremolo. Solid-state rectifier.

Got to be the most "full" sounding small amp around. Very Fendery with spacious reverb. Amazing roots rock or bluesy/jazz amp. No distortion other than a typical cranked up non-master volume Fender-type of sound. Great clean headroom.

9 since it's my first Carr. Looks pretty solid though. Handwired circuitry might promote reliability. Very well put together.

Mr. Carr talked with me at length on the phone before my purchase and exhibited a great technical knowledge of tube amplifier construction. Seems to be an easy guy to deal with and he's been quite helpful in educating me on aspects of this amp.

Price seems a little steep for anything of this size but the tone is undeniable and I haven't been able to find anything else in this power and weight category to even compare. Really wonderful sounding amplifier with an incredibly rich and complex clean tone. My old tubescreamer is warm through this setup and very round sounding.

all the basics are here. volume treble mids bass reverb trem speed and depth. you really don't need much more than that. no master volume but a pentode/triode switch in case half power saturated 6l6's are your thing. 1 12" carr special design mfg. by weber vst. purple tolex upon request, very nicely done, by the way...

the rambler excells at tones from glassy clean to gritty crunch. i play a telecaster(68 custom) thru it and can coax a bunch of different sounds. the no master volume thing works very well in tandem with the pentode/triode switch. if it's too loud, bring it to half power and turn it up to crunch out! it's not a metal amp, but that's just fine if lower gain is your thing. hit the front end with a clean(or dirty) boost pedal and the rambler takes it and still responds to pick attack. the reverb doesn't get as drippy as a fender unit, but hey, it's got one knob to fender's three...

i've only had the amp for a month, but i've used it on recording sessions for 12 hour days and it's performed wonderfully so far.. i'm sure it'll make it thru a gig with the same dependability, assuming no beer makes its way into the chassis....

steve carr is really excited about his amps, and it shows. i met him at a guitar show, and spent the next hour talking about capacitor values and plate voltages. he let me play thru each of his amps in my own way, and answered every question i had. he wasn't afraid to turn them up to "10", either! his emails are answered quickly, and in a very friendly manner. ups broke my rambler's power tubes and steve sent another set, gratis. he even told me step by step how to change them - very cool.

i have a lot of amps(marshall, park, vox, ampeg, fender). do i need them all? yep. i also needed the carr rambler. it has the ability to go from twin glassy clean to ac-30-on-10 grindy grit with the turn of a knob. the in-between tones kick ass as well. of course, metal guys and grrls need not apply, as your gain jones will not be fulfilled, but, your living room will be a much happier place if you add this to the corner next to the stereo. you can rock along to your records and sound great. and it looks really cool in purple.

Bone simple one twelve combo amp with reverb and a tremolo. No distortion channel. Built like an old amp without a master volume. I think it's about 30 watts or so and can be brought down to about half power.

I can't believe how this amp sounds. I heard a guy playing this in a store and it knocked me out. Never knew of Carr Amps, but I sure do now. My wife was about to put a hurtin' on me for coming home with it, but I don't care. It sounded too good. I play classic rock with a little blues. I love bands like Creedence Clearwater and Z.Z. Top. I even play a little western swing kind of like Asleep at the Wheel. This amp helps me to get close to those sounds, but I use a distortion pedal with it for the heavier stuff. This a killer sounding reverb.

I just got it this week so I don't know yet.

The dealer was nice. There's a premium on these amps supposedly because there aren't many of them. I have not talked to the manufacturer. I don't think there will be any problem selling these things.

I've been playing for the last fifteen years of my life. I used to have an old Fender Twin I used forever but got tired of hurting my back with it. This Rambler amp has the same big sound but at quieter levels and I can load it in my car with one hand. It isn't as loud as the Twin was but that's normal cause this isn't a big amp. I feel a little more at peace now that I've got a great replacement. It's very pricey, but I got what I paid for. This is my new baby.

32 Watts (Pentode) or 14 watts (Triode) Class A cathode bias 6L6 1x12 combo. Reverb and tremolo. Single channel, no master volume. Zero feedback. Ext. speaker jack, tremolo footswitch jack. Controls: Volume, Middle, Treble, Bass, Reverb, Speed, Intensity, Pentode/Triode, Standby switch. All-tube, point-to-point wiring. Floating baffle board.

Will serve most musical tastes short of heavy metal as this is not a high-gain amp. Optimal amp for roots, blues, country, etc... One knob reverb capable of subtle tones to a drenched surf sound. Tremolo is outstanding with wide range of speed and intensity. Have not seen an amp this compact with reverb and tremolo. Supreme three-dimensional clean tones at low volumes. Crank the volume to get a tweed-like breakup. Switch to the triode mode for even more grind at a very reasonable volume.
I've gigged in a small club with this model and was in love with it immediately. Very easy to get a Texas blues tone (such as Fabulous Thunderbirds-era Jimmie Vaughan) or an extremely happening country-rock twang. Plenty of warmth and depth for jazz stylings also.
Very punchy with great bass response for its portable size. Articulate treble response with no trace of shrillness whatsoever. Reverb quality is noteworthy. Lots of shimmering depth without sacrificing tone.
Very reasonable amount of volume given size and specs, but not overly loud. Would probably need to mic with a full band for stage use. Plenty of volume for small venues.
Works equally well with single-coils or humbuckers. Astonishing fullness of tone at low volume settings. If you live in apartment, this is the one.

Excellent workmanship in all categories. Interior wiring is super clean. No circuit boards to crack. I'm struck by the simplicity of the wiring. First class components in every category befitting an amp in this price range. A totally handcrafted amp.

Steve Carr and his staff are professional, knowledgeable, friendly, and accessible. E-mails have been promptly returned. This is my second Carr Amp, and the customer service doesn't get much better than this. Lifetime warranty for original owners of the amp.

This amp is special. It may be the ultimate studio and around-the-house amp if you like a rootsy, non-processed tone. Finally a small easy-to-carry amp with reverb and tremolo, all-tube, point-to-point wiring.
As the Carr website says, the Rambler is "Bluesy and Buttery." The tone contols are very effective and whole amp has a very cool tone-oriented vibe about it.
Cosmetics are attractive to me. I've seen Ramblers in cowboy leather covering, black, and cream tolex. Cabinet workmanship is excellent, durable, and stylish.
Of special note is the control panel which is tastefully-done in a white background with black letters format. This is very easy to read in all lighting situations and is reflective of a great attention to details in this product.
I haven't seen anything else resembling this amp in function, style, and tone on the market.
It's expensive, but is fairly-priced given the engineering and production process of this hand-wired and assembled tone machine.
This is the richest sounding amp at low volume that I've ever played. I'd say this amp would be similar to a more powerful and punchier tweed Fender, such as a Deluxe, but with a lot more presence and power.
This amp is an inspirational joy to play. I love it so far.