Carr Amplifiers Vincent 212

2007 Vincent 2 x 12. Quite a basic amp at first glance. Volume, Bass, Middle(off for volume boost), Treble, Reverb, Drive, and a selector for 7 or 33 watts (Great feature). Hand wired, no PCB's, first rate build quality, as reliable as a valve amp is ever going to get.
Volume boost is footswitchable - but it is based on a partial tone stack bypass - and if you run the middle control low - the resulting volume boost is too large - and not suitable for lead break time etc.
So can be limiting. The drive control is NOT pre amp volume but a clean volume hike that in Carr's words makes the sound more up front when dialed in, great for Keith Richards impressions. Does increase overdrive at higher general volume levels. Does not have effects loop.
I play Gibson 335's through the amp, in a function band, so need a reliable versatile amp.

I bought the amp because it sounded great in the shop, and the music press were generally very impressed with the build quality, which is what I needed more than anything else after my Fender Vibroking had blown up for the 5th time.
Basic tone is very late 50's early 60's - it is Class 'A' or at least heavily biased toward class "A", to my ears it sounds somewhere between a friends old AC30 and another friends blackface twin. I find it bass heavy with my Gibsons - and always have the Bass control on 1 or two - otherwise it does get boomy at higher volume, this does give a good balanced sound, but I wish the sweet spot was a bit further round the dial. I wanted an amp I could turn up to get the power valves working, without killing the first three rows, and the Vincent at 33 watts is perfect at this, small gigs at 7 watts (still loud with the two excellent Wizard Eminance speakers) is probably my favourite tone.
The 7 watt setting seems more Fender - and what I'm used to, the 33 watt setting more Vox. I'm three months into gigging with the beast and I'm still discovering more tones - the tone controls do interact and there are a lot of different sounds in the box, but nothing sounds bad, I find it quite mellow - not harsh or too trebly (a good thing). I have to say a mates Strat did sound the best it had ever sounded through the Vincent - and the slight bass heavyness I experience with humbuckers disappeared. In the studio and at home it sounds great - but at gigging volumes it sounds exceptional - sits in the mix wonderfully well, no rattles, solid as a rock.

This is the main reason why I bought the amp. Outside and inside it is made with great care and thought, both in design and the standard of the components - if this breaks I will be very surprised. I have had bad luck you might think in the past - every valve amp I've owned, Mesa's, Custom Shop Fenders, has blown up with regular gigging. I'm sure the Carr will blow a valve at some point - but true point to point construction will mean it won't take out the whole of the inside at the same time. Always take spare valves and fuses with you!!

Steve Carr has been very quick to answer all my questions - and sent me a complimentary Tee Shirt!! I know he and his team will support me with his product - I was astonished at his response to be honest, it is so strange to get a high level of customer service in a world that that seems happy with complete indifference to the customer elsewhere. Very happy.
Mr Carr warrentees workmanship for life. and most other components for three years (not valves).

I've gone through mountains of gear over the last 25 years and wasted a lot of money on crap, but I've always reverted back to a 335 and a simple valve amp in the end. I have to say i wasn't initially knocked out by the Vincent, but living with it and gigging it has shown me what a fantastic piece of kit it is. Unmiked to 300 peaple in a big hall, it manages to sparkle without being harsh, and that just breaking up tone is the best I've ever heard. I use a Fulltone Fulldrive with it and a Boss echo - gives me a wide range of tones for the huge range of music we cover, and I have a huge amount of confidence that when I turn it on - it will continue to operate , until I turn it off again, something I just couldn't say for all the other amps I've had over the last ten years of serious regular gigging. It's a great amp and will be kept and used for a long time.