Carvin 112-Nomad

Basic 2 channel tube amp. Seperate eq per channel. Gain (Soak) on ch 2, effects loop. Presence control on back for ch 1 . line out, footswitch for channel select and reverb toggle. Light- 40 #, Compact and pretty.

I bought this amp used with Hasserl mods (Clipping diode removal, and tone stack mod on soak channel) and a Texas Heat speaker, so I cant rate the stock tone, but the tone as I got it is perfect for the small club work I do (Country and Oldies band). When I first tried amp at home, I thought it might be too mid-rangey, but it sounded perfect with the band. Very well defined in the general mix from where I stood. Many favorable comments. I used a 50th Anniversary strat, and an Ibanez SZ360 (2 Duncan HB's). Both sounded good. This amp delivers a real tube feel, and inspires your best playing.
The clean channel has a characteristic I feel Carvin should emphasize. Withe the bass control at 6 and below, clean channel has a mid rangey quality (good for rock). Kind of woody or barky. Set the bass at 7 or above, and this seems to roll off mid rangyness,in favor of a smooth round(and bassier) sound, more like vintage Fender.
Very usefull for ballads, abd Jazz. This was a bonus I didnt expect.
I can see that this amp may not be suited for very loud rock, or Metal, but distortion sounds great to my old ears with my Boss ME70.

Not enough time to judge

Have not contacted.

This is the best gigging amp I have used yet(30 years gigging), and Ive owned a fair amount. This replaced a Traynor YCV40, Which performed well, but felt a little lacking in the sound quality I was looking for. I have used Fenders(Twin, Blues Jr, Cyber Deluxe, Super Champ (XD), and Vox AD50VT, and Roland Cube 60, Legend Rock & Roll 50, and probably some others. TheCube 60 is the best solid state I've used, but doesnt quite have that nice tube feel.
I would definitely get again if neccesary.
While shopping, I tried Vox AC15 and 30, Fender Super Sonic, DrZ Maz 18, Budda, Bogner, and Egnater. I think I could have been happy with any of those. They all sounded good, But the Carvin offered the best mix of features, sound, and Price (far cheaper than any others I tried)

Purchased new in 2009. I had read all the flap about the nomad and it "Muddy" problem. I figured with all the harping about the muddled sound in overdrive, Carvin would have done something about it. Never ASSUME anything! They still have the SOS with the new ones. So, I had a new Eminence Legend speaker laying around, so I popped it in. Amazing difference already! Then, I did some reading and thought I would change a tube or two. A matched set of JJs in the power section helped a little more. Then, I decided to go a little deeper into this madness. Replaced the Pre-amp tubes with JJs, too. A little snarly! Took out #1 and put the Solvek Groove Tube back in. I think I love it now. You shouldn't have to experiment with a NEW amp, but I am very pleased with the result. Every player has a sound they are looking for and I found it.

I play Contemporary Praise and Worship music. Some of it rocks, so I need to blow it out now & then. After the mods, I can get most every sound I want with a little knob tweaking. I used a Godin Solidac, a couple of Telecasters, a C-1 Schecter, and a modded Aria with 3 gray bottom overwound single coils. All team up well with the Nomad, except for a slight buzz from the pickups on the Aria. That is the guitars' problem, I'm sure. I can get "chimy" on the clean side and "gritty" with class on the O.D. side. The "soak" feature usually serves best at about 50% with the changes. Just enough distortion to stand out. Any more than that and it starts to "MUD-UP" again. I never turn up above 3 or 4, so I have all the power I can use at my disposal.

New - Don't Have An Opinion.

Haven't had to deal with them.

I have been playing for 35+ years. You're never too old to rock and roll - don't ever stop!! There is always a gig somewhere. I also play a 314 Taylor through a Genz-Benz Shenendoah. I like a moderate degree of quality in my equipment. I take good care of my gear and would be really pissed if any of it were lost or stolen. I would replace everything I have with the same stuff. Stolen ???!!!?? I would summon the "Wrath Of God" down on that person. I use it for His glory and I don't believe He would take too kindly to it being stolen. I have played, experimented, tried every new thing that came out for the last 20 years. I finally have all I need to get every sound I want. This Nomad was the icing on the cake.

This is an update after a couple more years of use. Like most other users, I have experimented with tubes and speakers. I bought a second Nomad, also Hasserl-modded, which I keep at our practice space.
After trying out more than a dozen different speakers, I went with Hasserl's recommendation, and now my gig-Nomad now has an Eminence Tonker. My tube lineup is:
V1: Groove Tube 12AT7
V2: JJ ECC832 (12DW7)
V3 UOS (used old stock) Amperex 12AX7
V4: JJ ECC81 (12AT7)
V5: UOS Amperex 12AX7
Power Tubes: Matched JJ EL84s

I usually run it at half power. I pulled two tubes out of my practice amp, and my gig amp has a 25/50 toggle switch installed to cut out two tubes. Since my band mics everything, it rarely goes past 3. For big shows, I run it at full power with a matching (Lopoline) closed extension cab with a 12" Eminence Neo.

Cleaner cleans with nice breakup, in part due to less gain from the preamp tubes. Both channels handle pedals well, and I cascade a Keeley mod TS9X, a Boss Deluxe Reverb pedal and a lot of other stuff to get a variety of OD and distortion sounds - some with Ch 1 and some with CH2.

The infamous "Carvin rattle" has been all but eliminated. If you have one, try bagging your reverb and for God sakes get those stupid retainer clips off the tubes. They won't fall out, and 9 out of 10 Carvin players have found them to be the source of tube rattle.

Nothing original has ever broken, and I bought both my Carvins used, and schlep them around. A lot. However, one of the resisters used in the modding process went bad and knocked out my overdrive channel. My amp tech figured it out right away and replaced it.
Keep decent tubes in it and you should have no problems.

I dunno -- I hear stories, but the only time I ever called, I got a friendly guy who knew his stuff.

I'm a Geezer who has been gigging since the 60s and don't plan to slow down anytime soon. This is a great amp for around 500 clams. I have played better, but they all cost more than $2,000. I can get my sound from a Nomad without turning it past 2, so I'll take two and keep the extra grand.

I just purchased a Carvin Nomad and matching extension cab used for $400-US, mint condition. Wow! What a deal, and what a great amp!It's a 1998 model. Great looking on stage and great tone! 2 channels clean, and gain [soak].The only feature I wish it had was indicator lights on the footswitch and on the amp telling you the current selected channel. Maybe it would look less vintage then so I'll cut Carvin some slack here on that issue. It looks very vintage, and the tweed tolex is very cool.

Sound quality is fantastic!I owned the 2X12 version of this amp the Bel-Air, at one time, and sold it [a mistake I think!].Anyway, glad to have this amp back in this set-up of a single 12 amp stacked on a matching cab.If you buy a Nomad new or used, I highly reccommend you also purchase the matching cab. It looks great on stage and also gives you a bit more low end and elevates your amp for better tone projection for yourself and others on stage. This thing has a great clean channel, and the 'soak' channel is pure vintage grunge when that soak control is cranked.Playing Cinnamon Girl at a gig the other night, that amped cooked sounding just as good as Neil Young's Fender Champ in my opinion.A very versatile amp that works well on the clean channel with stomp boxes or processors as well.

Very well laid out and constructed. The amp weighs in at around 40 lbs and the matching cab at about 24 lbs. Lite, portable, good looking, and great tone.First gig out absolutely no problems.

Carvin has always been excellent to me. My current Carvin roster---Legacy 2X12 Combo--V3 head---XT-112 Combo----Carvin X-60 single 12" combo's [2 of them]----Carvin Nomad and Cab---Carvin RX 1200 mixer.All are excellent products. Carvin builds great gear!!

You know what, this amp is an incredible deal new or used, like most Carvin products.I mean, come on! $549 new for this great little amp, and only $240 for the matching cab?? I've tried Fender amps, re-issue Bass-man's and Deluxe amps, and I'd put this thing up easily against any of those.This amp is 1/4 the price and 100 times better because of features, tone, and the added Vintage Soak Channel.Much more versatile than those other vintage amps.Carvin can not be beat especially with the quality at the reasonable price asked.I highly reccommend this amp. Get the matching cab if you can.It gives you the option of using it for bigger gigs or whatever, or just taking the easy to move amp, solo, to more cramped gigs.The amp alone will be more than fine for any situation, but the two together look and sound awesome! Buy one, you won't be dissapointed!

Bought the amp new in 2002. It is a 2-channel amp that you can actually use either of the two channels. Every style of music from country to classic rock, jazz and blues. I wouldn't suggest it for Pantera type music though. Came with a footswitch and has effects loops etc. It is used daily onstage or in the studio. At 50 watts it has more than enough power. All tubes, 5 preamp and 2 power tubes (EL-84's). This is the amp I used when our band won the 96 Rock House Band competition in Raleigh in 2008. See/hear it at Reactorband.com

I use many different types of guitars and pickups but my main axe is an old strat with Seymour Duncan Jr's in it. Rich full bodied tone even at lower volumes (of course it's better when cranked but how often can we do that these days?) Very touch sensitive which I love! Not many amps truely are but this one is! Clean channel is rich and clean at any volume and the gain channel is clean and all but silent until you turn the gain above 7 but then again my gain never runs above 4 so it's whisper quiet. The overdrive is very smooth and adapts very well with pedals if that's your thing. I personally like pedals so that was important to me.

In 25 plus years of playing professionally I have used many amps including Marshall, Hiwatt, Hughes and Kettner (Triamp) and this amp is every bit as well made and dependable as any of those. I have used it many times without back-up and was perfectly comfy with it. It has never let me down and I don't think that it ever will.

Carvin has kept me in the best gear since the 1980's and they were then as they are now top of the line when it comes to customer service! I've never had to have it repaired but have had it retubed annually and the man who does the work for me has said it is very easy to work on and very well built. The warranty was for one year but that ran out 5 years ago and I've never had trouble with it. The X amps from Carvin I've had for 20 years and still have done nothing but retube them!

Ive been playing for 30 years and have been using Carvin amps forever now. I loved the X-100B so much I bought the Nomad. Loved it so much I bought the MTS-3212 combo and now I also own the Carvin Vai Legacy. All wonderful amps. I would absolutely buy another Nomad if anything ever happened to it. I bought it because I needed a small easy to move top of the line sounding amp for quick set ups for smaller shows and this one won out. I tried all the Dr.Z's and all those "boutique" amps and I bought this one because of the tone! I had the cash so that was not a determining factor. The fact it costed a fraction of those other amps just made it that much sweeter.

Update!

I just got a Marshall 1965-A 4X10 cab for the Nomad. What a differents a 4x10 cab makes. The Soak channel is no longer mudy it's more opean and the EQ is usefull now. The clean channel can be a bit ice picky but the tone control on the guitar fixs it. I'm now splitting my signal in to two volume pedals runnig one to a Fender Super Reverb and the second to the Nomad/Marshall cab set on the dirty channel then blend or back off one amp then put the metal to the pedal for 8x10's blasting . I stop useing OD/distortion/Fuzz pedals and I can fit both amps plus the marshall cab that wieghs the same as the carvin and my three guitars in my car. Thish is the best set up I have ever had.

see last review

see last review

This amp is versatile little combo that can wear many hat's. The add 4x10 cab helps alot but still sounds great as a signle 12 combo.

For this price you do get a lot of amp. Effects loop, two channels, 50 watts, reverb, and seperate controls for both channels(footswitch option should be included)If you ask, usually the salesperson will through it in at no cost. But it should be offered as standard with the amp.

I wanted to get smaller tube amp for a while. I have an older Carvin X100B head and 4x12 cab and it's just to big for the house and jamming casually with others. My old practice amp is a solid state peavey that's just OK. So I looked, looked and looked and kept coming back to the carvin as far as features for price. I also looked at the Fender HRD and some others but the carvin just seemed to beat it in all it's features. Also these are still made in the USA and that did sort of sway me.

I happen to live on the east coast so I can't just try one out. Like lots of folks I ended up spending hours reading reveiws coming to the conclusion that Clean channel is great Soak channel is marginal. Still I thought with a pedal things would be okay or the famous hasserl mods would make the soak channel better. So I went ahead and ordered the amp almost expecting to do the mods soon afterwards.

I've had it about 4 months and found that the clean channel is all that everyone says. Very warm, tons of headroom. Fendery reverb that doesn't get too sappy. No complaints. The soak channel was also somewhat similar to reviews. Nice classic crunch up until 5 on the dail and then becomes muddier and muddier. I figured I'd just use my OD/Disotrtion until I did the mods. But a funny thing happened.

A lot of people complain about the mid range on this amp. But occasionally you'll hear someone comment on how well it cuts though the band mix when you're playing out. When I was practicing at home at modest volumes I had that subjective tone critizim going on in my head. But when I got together with a drummer and cranked it up the sound really did cut through. The drummer kept saying that the amp sounded sweet(the amp not me that is). And it really did. I had it set no louder than 5 and I could hear the guitar over the drums easily. While the soak channel does sound muddy over 5, at 5 with some volume you get a great classic distortion sound. Think James Gang, and great blues overdrive. Really great. So now I'm not so sure I want to do the mods just yet. I can still us my modded rat pedal for heavy stuff. But this amp really does sound great in a band mix. And while the soak can get muddy it still sounds great at modest settings and can be modded or used with a pedal. BTW pedals do great with this amp. I also would suspect that running the nomad through an extension cab would really deepen the bass up considerably. It is a bit mid-rangy. But not too much so.

As a point of reference I has a '57 strat reissue and a MIA standard strat. Both are s/s/s. I also have a H/s/s G&L but haven't played it thorugh the amp enough to evaluate.

Carvins are built like the old Peaveys in that they are rugged and hefty. While it's not a featherweight it is easy to tote around for a 50 watter. The covering is not real tweed. It's a tolex simulated tweed but still looks cool and is pretty scuff resistant. If this thing is built like my X100B it'll last as long as I own it. All the electrical components seem well put together and the amp is very moddable and not as fragile on the pcb as some others. No plastic switches(except rockers) or jacks. Everthing should hold up very well.

I found out that some of the reps at carvin are great and some are not so great. Keep calling back until you hit one that you like and you can work with and keep his extension. The rep I used was friendly and knowledgeable and very easy to work with. The guy gave me the footswitch for free so that was cool.

I would rate some of these guys as 5's and some as 9's so I sort of settled on a 7 overall.

I'm giving this a 9 based on sound/price/features. If it were stolen I'd be pissed but probably try someting else. Not that I don't like this amp. I do. But I might try to go for a botique amp. At this price range though I'd be tempted to get anther. You get great cleans, lots of options and an amp that can be modded down the road should you want to experiment.

I love the clean channel and the soak channel is growing on me but I still think it should smoothen out over 5 rather then get muddy.

I tried a couple of the crate products and the Fender HRD. I'd say that the carvin holds it's own with the latter. The crate has a good clean but it's od channel didn't impress me either.

If there was one thing I'd change(and I might) it would be to clean up the soak channel just a bit after 5.

However, it's hard to knock this amp for the price. Made in the USA too. If you considering the HRD, Crate, Peavey offerings consider the Nomad. If I were to go anywhere from this amp it would be to a botique point to point amp. For now this one will suit me fine for quite a while.

This is a basic 2 channel amp, one clean the other overdriven. It has a very nice reverb and an effects loop. The channels and reverb are footswitchable with the optional fs-22 footswitch. It is a very atractive amp with faux tweed covering. Both channels have bas, mid and treble controls and the clean channel has a Presence knob for added sheen.

Stock this amp is very versatile with a strong midrange. The clean channel is exceptional, the overdrive or soak, channel was a little too muddy for my tastes when I first got it. The clean channel is also extremely friendly with overdrive pedals. I decided to do some of the Robert Hasser mods and recommend them highly. This amp is now amazing! I did all of the stage one mods, the attitude mod and the master volume mod. I would say it is now a little bit old Fender Deluxe and Vox AC30. But there are many other sounds in between. It does a good job of handling just about every sound I need.

This is the third Carvin amp I have owned and they have all been bulletproof. I worry about the mods sometimes but if they fail that is my bad, not Carvin's.

The warranty is only one year but I have always found Carvin to be very helpful.

The amp is very good and LOUD stock and would handle everything except the hardest rock or shred. With the mods it is amazingly versatile with a ton of great sounds! I would not hesitiate to use with any type of band or music!

This is an update on features I have change from my last review I wrote Three years a go on my Nomad: I replace the the speaker again with a Emince Texas Heat and change V2 to a 12AT7 .

Going to a speaker with a high wattage I have more head room and all distortion is from power tubes in the clean channel or from pedals.The second channel has always been on the muddy side changing V2 from a 12AX7 to 12AT7 gave it more dynamics.The volume control guitar became more usefull on that channel and there is still alot of gain their for todays Blues,Rock and Country.I have also change out all my pedals my from my last review three years ago : Tonefactor Nebula> Aramat Mojo > HBE Germania > Fulltone Soulbender > Budda Wha > MI Audio Crunch Box > MI Audio Blues Pro > Nick Greer Sonic Boom > Nick Greer Black fuzz> Ernie Ball JR. Volume > ToneFactor Mobius Feedback loop with a old DOD FX 90 Delay in the loop for true bypass. I still have my Nashvill tele and 335 got ride of the '70s strat and got a Schecter Banshee.

Well the Channel changing feature stop working . I have not taken it to my amp tech and it wound not be first,second or third time it has been worked on . But, considering I have had it on the road for five years and work at every gig not bad but not great.

They suck!

I use this amp at practic and as a back up for gigs .I'm using a Fender Super Reverb RI as my main amp .For five years this amp has been good to me and I still find ways of improving tone. Not that it sounded bad in the first placeand also thinking of getting a ex.cab for it. I still love this little amp and I'll rock it to it's grave.

It's a 2005 Nomad 1-12" (Celesion Vintage-30) with Groove tubes.
It's a two channel w/ EL-84's (Clean and Overdrive channel)
It has effects loop, tube driven accoustronis control & 2-spring tank reverb. 50-watts is more then enough power for any size club, I only wish it had switch for 15 (bedroom) watts, it has a master volume knob.

The clean channel lack bass response and the overdrive channel's gain sounded like a jar full of Bee's. So I had Mike Ramey of Whittier, CA do some major mods to beef-up the bass and tighten up the clean channel...........AWESOME JOB MIKE! It sounds allot like the Fender Super Deluxe that Howard Dumble modded for Robben Ford.
The overdrive channel was trunned into a Monster full blown Soldano Hot Rod 50 after Mike bye-passed the clipping diodes, sounds so dawn fat and sustians like the no other Carvin amp I've ever heard.
I'm so luck to know Mike Ramey and have him mod my Acoustic G-100T, my Carvin Valve Master 1-12" combo and now my Nomad. You can contact Mike at: JCVessel2@msn.net, The best in the business.
When I used my Fender Strat is sounded full with the John Suhr V-60's, but the best damn sound I heard was my 70's Yamaha SA-2000 with WCR pickups (The Fillmore set) It ever out performed my Les Paul. Oh! by the way the amp went from Noisy to quite.

I believe Carvin makes good quality amps but cuts corners, they should take more time in there design stages, even if they have to charge a little more for it. (Take note Carvin)

Never had to deal with Carvin before.

I've been playing for 37 years and know my stuff when it comes to sound. I seldom ever leave anything stock because of the many options there are out there. From Pickups to wiring it better then stock anyday. If it were stolen I'd by another and again have Mike mod it the same way. If you own a Nomad (or) Belair take note if your interested in turning a vintage sounding Carvin amp into a true DR. Jeckel and Mr. Hide amp. If you play semi-hollow bodied guitars like Benson, you too will love the shit out of Mike mods because of the deep tight bass with a little bit of mid and treble make for clean like you have never heard before.
What helps me get that tight sound is my ported 1-12" extention cabinet I use with a Jensen Alnico, and the deep sustian (ala Carlos Santana) from the Vintage-30. THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

The Nomad is a Simple 2 Channel Amp With Reverb and Presence control for the clean channel. It has an effects loop, and cabinet voiced line out. I use it in a Classic Rock cover band, and It has plenty of power.

The amp sounds very nice. The Clean channel is great, and so is the drive (Soak) channel. The drive (soak) channel captures that Stevie Ray Vaughn tone very well for solos. If your not into this vintage blues tone then don't buy this amp. I like having this tone at hand so I'm not going to Mod my amp like many say you should. For a sharper overdrive lead tone I'm driving the clean channel with a Marshall Blues Breaker pedal. The dirty channel also has a great crunch tone for rhythm. I don't agree with all the bad vibe about the soak channel of this amp. It does what its supposed to do, put out great vintage tone. For the money it's a great tube amp.

Time will tell. Looks very well built and solid. Better than than some of the tweed amps I've looked at.

Time Will Tell...

Been playing rock music for 30 years. I would replace it. Also, I'm thinking about getting the smaller 16/5 watt Vintage16 for home practice and recoring because this one is very loud. This amp is great for jamming with the band though.
No amp is perfect for everyone. This amp is very well made, and sounds great. I'm happy with it, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good tube amp in it's price range.

After reading some of the reviews here I would like to add a few things about the amp.

If you want a metal amp dont get this amp.

1). I have A/B'ed this amp with the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, a few of them. This amp is louder, it is more reliable and it sounds better and the overdrive is usable, at least sounds good to my ears.

2). You do not have to do the mods suggested on the internet. I have done them and though they changed the character of the amp somewhat, not enough that it was worthwhile to me. I am considering changing one of my amps back to the before it was modded.

3). I changed out speakers to Celestion and to Webers. The stock speakers are every bit as good as either of those. Again the character of the sound is changed somewhat, but I would not do it again. A JBL D series might make the biggest difference, but add ten pounds of weight to what it is now.

4).Tube changes do not seem to make that much difference either.

5). If your pickups do not put out much milli volts you may want to adjust the bias hotter. Certain of my guitars would benefit from this. With the stock bias setting the tubes run cool and last for ever.

I say this only because I have been using this amp since they came out and i have owned a bunch of them..i have had so many because my sons friends have been buying them off me.

Everyone has given the specs for this amp. It has enough features for what I want. I give it a ten.

Sound is subjective. I like the sound. The overdrive channel sounds like a smooth Eric Johnson, violin sound. Thats the EL84s, four of them. If you like the sound and dont need the hard-drive sound of the Marshall JCM then you will like the smooth sound. Beats a Hot Rod Deluxe for sound. HRD is jaggedy with its two power tubes, the EL84's smooth this out, like the Vox AC30, similar to my ears, except these amps wont break.
Clean channel can go Jazz to Chicken Cluck country but not Jaggedy in your face. Depending on your pickups you can overdrive the front end of the clean, or you may not have enough drive for your taste and so may need to bias the amp hotter.

BelAir, same amp with 2X12s I used every weekend for 9 years. Never replaced or did anything. Tubes never wore out, never popped a fuse or a speaker, oh and I was playing lead out of it.
I have owned 3 Nomads, 3 BelAirs and one VT50 ever since they came out. Usually I am playing every weekend. They have never broken, not a one of them. That is 15 years?

Dealt with them on other issues. They have always been helpful when they can.

Been playing 41 years. I try different amps but keep coming back to these 50 watt Carvins. For convenience and sound they are hard to beat and have never let me down. Sometime I go up to Austin and play with the snobs with their Bow-teak amps and Fender-Gibson crap. I have had it stacked up against, Dumble, Marshall, VHT, Hi-Hat, VoX and DrZ. None of those amps have convinced me to part with it (them), of course it helps to practice your tail off. If your licks are good this amp will show them off. If you play metal get something else, anything else with this amp is good.

By now you know the features. I waited to write this review until I had done 25 gigs and four nights in the studio with it. I bought it used on eBay and sent it to the original Hasse for the legendary hasserl mods. I gave it the full mod treatment except for Master volumne, which I saw no need for. It was set up with matched JJ EL84s and a good set of 12AX7s. This is an older version of the amp with the Carvin=branded 12" speaker.

The amp provides a huge range of tones. On gigs, I set up the clean channel for my Taylor T5 acoustic, going through a Boss compressor, with volume at 3, the tones set a little heavy on bass and flat on mid and treble. The dirty channel is set with the soak (gain) on 6, the volume on 2, bass rolled off to 3, with mid and high flat (5).
At those volume levels, the amp is loud enough on a club stage for the guys at the other end to hear it. We did a big concert last week, and I had to set the volume to 3. Here's the punchline: I've been playing this amp with two EL84s pulled, effectively reducing the wattage from 50 to 25. Now, I play in a 7-piece band and we mic everything, so I don't need stacks of volume...but I do need great rock and rock tone and this thing delivers better than any amp I've ever played.
The clean channel is super clean and I love using the tube-driven Accusonic tank reverb. It's the best portable reverb onthe market and one of the many things that makes the Nomad/Belair line a tremendous bargain.
The distortion is very melodic and tunable. Becouse I play ni a cover band, I go for a lot of different flavors. The natural power tube and speaker distortion is kind of bluesy. If you crank up the optional (hasserl mod) Attitude knob in the back, you start to get Marshall-esge recto sounds. I also, augment those tones with Bad Monkee and Nobel distortion pedals for some of the more modern-rock sounds.
The amp really chimes with Chorus, and because of the 5 12AX7s, I never feel any need to add compression to my solos. I only use the comp pedal to keep the gain on the acoustic and to add that Rick sound to my electric 12-string.
The only noise issue I've had is a mystery rattle (reverb spring?) which we heard at low volumes during recording.
BTW: My main gig guitars are a vintage 335, an EBMM Axis and Parker PM20, so I'm feeding the Nomad a steady diet of hot humbuckers. You'll have to ask someone else how this thing sounds with single-coils.

So far, it's been a tank. I do carry spare tubes and fuses, but have never needed them.

Never had to deal with them. If it aint broke, don't call.

Been playing 30+ years. Have previously owned and used a '65 Super Reverb, several Princetons and G-Ks, and a McIntosh 75 driven by a tube pre. I also record with a lot of other amps, as well as direct via Sansamp, Pod, etc. If lost or stolen, I would have to replace the Nomad immediately. In fact, I'm thinking of buying a couple just for backup and as investments. These things are the best value in amps. I can't understand why people are spending 2-3 grand for amps that are so similar.

The Soak feature is the best on the Nomad 112. It allows over all volume to be regulated with one nob, as well as presence, and gain.

There is plenty of power to play against even Marshall half stacks.

The Carvin Nomad combo speakers are butter smooth with a fuller sound than the Marshall JCM 800 Combo. Though Marshall combo has better high end for lead.

I play a Fender Metal Strat as well as a Rickenbacker 360 12 simulaneously through three amps including two Marshall 1912's, utilizing a Marshall JCM 2000 with Legion 412 for bass effects. All three amps are plugged in through a splitter cable and routed through two Line 6 pods.

The Carvin Nomad 112 combo with two Carvin 12's fill in very nicely between the Marshall JCM 800 and JCM 2000 half stack.

The Byrds, the Who, Beatles, Led Zepplin, Hendrix, and other vintage sounds fit in with the Carvin. It is a good all around amp combo.

I've been playing for 38 years and have two Taylors 6 and 12 string acoustics as well as electric gear in the Metal Strat and Rick 12. The Marshall JCM 800 combo is the best amp I have ever played and the Marshall JCM 2000 half stack is a close second. I also utilize a Peavey TNT bass amp for bass and also a Peavey solid state keyboard amp. The Peaveys are good for a cold hard sound, but they are solid state. Tubes are still the ultimate in warm sounds and the Carvin is the warmest sounding tube amp I have.

If the Carvin was stolen, I would replace it. The sound is uniquely smooth and full. It is not a Marshall, though it is a tube amp of the highest quality. What it lacks in high end it makes up for in an overall fat sound that is very warm.

The Carvin Nomad doesn't have a lot of features that I use. I just like the one setting in clean sound. For crunch and metal this is not the amp for you. But if you like a vintage 60's to 70's sound that is in some ways better in a fat, full sound than Fender and Marshall, this is the amp combo for you. In the early days I played lead and rhythem on a Fender Bassman, pre-CBS.

I Chose the Carvin for its size and portability, though it is heavy for such a small amp. I port the Carvin Nomad 112 through a 4X12 Carvin half stack with Celestions to round out the sound.

What the Carvin lacks is the high end tone and character of a Marshall JCM 800. But there aren't any other amps to compare to the
Marshall JCM 800. However, the Carvin Nomad comes pretty close.

The Nomad is a 50 watt, all tube, 1X12, channel switching, vintage style amplifier. It has an effects loop and nice sounding direct out.
As for other features, it's got an on switch and input. What more do you really need.

This amp is great!
I bought this amp off ebay to fill the void selling my DR Z MAZ Jr caused (I only sold that because of a divorce). In all honesty, I wasn't expecting too much. I just wanted a small tube amp that I could practice with and not have to lug my Marshall in and out of the house. It cost me $300.00 plus shipping so I thought I wouldn't regret it much. I am now running the amp through a 4X12 cabinet (I could help myself) and using a strat with joe bardens. I've never used an amp that can be controled so well with just the guitar volume. I stay on channel 2 and just use the volume to clean it up. It reminds me of cross between early Neil Young and Malcome Young's tone. I read the other reveiws before I bought this and I must say that I disagree with many of them. Channel 2 rocks, makes playing fun, and it's VERY easy to find many great tones. I do feel that this amplifier responds better to single coils than humbuckers. The Barden's were made for it. I've been playing hard rock for 30 years, have owned countless amps, and have no problem saying that this is a very nice amplifier.

No worries so far.

I haven't had to deal with customer support.

Mine was new in 2001.
It does everything but "nu".
2ch, footswitch, tube/spring reverb. Good enough for me (but wish it had tremolo). It does bars, studios, and home just fine. for larger venues, it can be miked... all the usuals, 4xEL84's, 5x12AX7's. I have only recently needed retubing, and will replace the originals with Ruby's. Unlike other reviews, mine came straight from the factory with quality American tubes, and they've lasted me many live and studio gigs. Mine has the original non-Celestion Carvin speaker, the one Joe Walsh likes, and it sounds killer with every use.

I use an original George Washburn HB-35, and 2 Carvin Bolt-T's that I've custom ordered and done the builds on myself (one friend did paint one of them). I've also played several other guitars through this amp, including Fenders & Ibanez's. I play many roots and contemporary styles, both as a performer (blues, swing, roots, bebop, country, funk, etc) and as an educator (all jazz but the most abstract: also metal, "classic" rock, and all the others I've already mentioned). The clean channel warms up nicely between 6 and 9 for Texas and Chicago blues styles, as well as NY Funk and Miami Latin. It always cleans up super nice when I roll off on the guitar. The distortion channel can be incredibly brutal but retain a distinctive note-to-note clarity, especially for shred or fusion soloing, yet be phatt enough to produce a Carlos or Larry C. tone on command. I don't augment/diminish the tone with stompers, it comes from my hands/etc. I still don't get the "need" for built-in bedroom efx, or "scoop-tone": if a player's technique is adequate enough, the desired sound occurs at will WITHOUT additional processing.

I've never suffered a real breakdown with this amp. I played a clinic gig at a local music school with it once where it (for whatever reason) was incredibly sensitive to the power buffering of the local line voltage, and gave forth a couple strange little sounds. It was them, not the amp. As I previously mentioned, it now needs to be retubed: c'mon, that's never the amp! I only mention this because I feel the need to comment on other tube amp posts on this forum where users complain about tube replacement. C'mon, dudes, tubes wear out! It's not the amp that causes wear and tear on the tubes, but sometimes potentially vice-versa! Be nice to your amps, and they'll treat you much better...!!!

Carvin has always treated me well. I've previously owened one of their vintage basses, as well as a 212 BelAir combo, and currently own 2 Bolt-T "strats" and the 112 Nomad I'm speaking of. No repairs necessary, EVER. Warranty unnecessary, PERIOD. Like I said, I've had this gear a long time and have needed no repair or warranty service at all. WAY TO GO, CARVIN!!!

Been playin' guit-box since dirt was invented. As well as the guitars mentioned above, I have an old Peavey Bandit 112 amp (highly abused and repaired) that I use for backup and the occaisional & extremely rare "don't wanna tube-amp" gig, & also a Fender StratAcoustic that's great for non- electric swing/country/blues gigs.
If someone were to steal this amp, it would be a miracle if I didn't hunt them down and kill them in their own kitchen. I can't lose it, as I value my gear more than my car, as much as my own body (it's a part of me), and second only to my Lady in all practicality. Can't do the job without my Tools!!! I've compared this amp to Fender, Boogie, Crate, Marshall, and Peavey, and find them all lacking. Way To Go, Carvin! The only amps I like as much as Carvin are Ampeg Diamond Lead, and that's for the sounds I love that this one doesn't get: there's a big difference between EL84's & 6L6's. If I could have any additions, it would be a rotary presence control on the Lead channel, and a tube Tremolo curcuit (footswitchable).

The only thing else I can share is that (as I said above!) I find it very hard to accept the increasing amount of "players" that want instant, bang-for-the-f**k gratification from their musical equipment purchases. I come from a time/place when a person decided for a Strat, or a Paul, or a Tele, or an SG, or Whatever, and then 'shedded for enough years to get their sound/touch/etc. from the instrument of choice, rather than expecting everything to be a "band-in-a-box" type of "drive through the burger window and order from the menu" gear option. I've been playing for 46 years, gig all the time, teach 20+ lessons weekly, and am actually happy doing it. The work pays off: slackin' don't. If you can't get "your" sound out of your gear, perhaps it's time to refine your most important musical instrument, YOUR SELF!!!
Peace, out.

2 channel,50 watts Tube,12 inch speaker.
Clean w/3 band EQ, dirty w/gain and 3 band EQ, Reverb
Effetcs loop,Presence knob(useless-not much change in sound). Footswitchable channels and reverb. Line out.

I bought this used and Unmodified from factory except for two preamp tubes swithced with Groove Tubes.
It has the 100 watt speaker that everybody is swithcing out, I might do that when I can afford it.
This Amp looks small but is pretty freakin loud. It has no problem pushing a 4 speaker cab.
My roomates marshall has seperate reverb for each channel. That would be nice for any amp.

I haven't been playing guitar for very long.I play Rockabilly/Psychobilly,Punk, and a lil surf. I listen to a $%^&load music. So I know what sounds I'm after for the genres I'm playing.

I play a Squier Standard Tele,Oscar Schmidt OE30,Teisco EP-90T and a ET-210. I use a BOSS OD-20 for distortion,and a Rocktron Short timer for delay.

This is my first tube amp so I was expecting to sound like Dick Dale and Scotty Moore right off the bat. In reality I was just hoping for sounds that where in the right ballpark but flexible enough to make my own.
The sound has been described on the other reveiws so, I will just say that the Clean wasn't as bright as I would like it for rocking twang. It did sound pretty old school,especially with my delay pedal.
THEN THERES THE DIRTY CHANNEL! The distortion is basically a crappy pedal stuck in your amp. I play punk and I think it sounds like $%^&. There's no way you could ever call that tube overdrive.
So I did the mods posted on here.It took like an hour(max) to do it. I removed the diodes and modfied the tone stack. I didn't do the cap job because I don't want a thicker tone.
Well The amp is fixed! Real overdrive for my rockabilly! No more outrageous mids either.
So it will get a low rating cuz stock sucks.

Haven't owned it enough to know about reliability. It will probably last me a long time cuz I just play in my bedroom. It seems to built pretty well though. Nothing broke or looked flimsy when I took it apart.

Used so no warranty. But Carvin's website has a manual PDF avaiable.
So that's cool.

Overall for me this was a cool experience. I found a CHEAP tube amp. It looks nice and is built well.
It's to loud to play in my room, and the distortion is $%^&.
If your not the type of person that opens things up and changes them than buy another amp. If you customize everything and are'nt afraid to &^%$ things up for a good cause. Get this amp, especially if you can get it used. I had fun opening it up. I will enjoy my new sound.

If it got stolen I would probably try out the Traynor YCV-20wr It's features are appealing and it's 15 watts which is what I want.

50 watt, 4 x EL84 tubes, 5 x 12AX tubes, two channels, footswitch, cheesy fake tweed, line out.

Wow no lows, no highs, lots of mid!!!!

EL84 just don't last lond in this amp. Carry a spare set.

No problem, but sometimes some of the Carvin guys seem to attempt to speak down to you as if they are all knowing.

Lots of mids, EL84 don't stand up well, using a 12DW7 in V1 and a 12AT7 in V2 makes a big difference worth doing. I even tried the Hasserl mods. I liked the amp on paper, but it just didn't suit my tastes. No matter what, the "soak" sounded bad with or without the dioes and a lot of mids! I even tried modifying the tine stack. All well.

It has all I need. 2 Channels. Obviously, 1 clean and 1 not clean. Get the footswitch! You can change channels and you can turn on the reverb with the other switch or run the effects loop. I don't need or like on board effects. Usually they don't sound as good as getting some boxes and I'll decide what I want.

The clean is very nice and the distortion is pretty good. I mostly play clean. I haven't gone past 4 on the volume. Haven't needed to. This sucker will rip your face off! The loudest 50watt amp I've ever heard.
I have an Ibanez Jet King 2 with a Pearly Gates in the bridge and '59 in the neck. A 72 strat with the Dimarzio heavy blues virtual vintage's, and an Artcore AG85 with a JB.
All sound sweet.

don't know yet. Hope so. Just got a used one.

Again unsure.

I've been playing for 25 years. I play blues, classic rock, and classical.
I would replace it if stolen. After I found the guy/gal who did it and kicked their F$&%ing A@#!
I compared it to the Blues JR, Palamino, VOX Valvtronix, and Kustom 36.

I would have bought the Kustom if I hadn't had found this one. The reverb on the Kustom is killer. The best I've heard. and you can adjust the tone of it.

50 watt,2 channel, all tube, 1x12 combo, reverb, tweed covering, effects loop, footswitch(not included), wish it had headphone jack

I play a gibson explorer, ESP 400 strat, and ibanez artstar(335 copy) Very nice vintage sound, always loved the clean channel, the "dirty" channel was good, but not great. had to much distrotion in with the overdrive. very well suited to blues. the best thing i did was a couple of mods i found on the internet. check out this link.
http://www.geocities.com/rlhassebrock/nomaddioderemoval.html?200513

check out this link. the Clipping Diode Removal Mod and the Attitude Control Mod rule!!!!!!!!!

seems very soild, have not had an issue

i called them about the mods, and the tech on the phone said he did them to his and said just be careful "in there" very nice, and helpful

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again? in one word YES!

If you have this amp do the mods! it sounds nice stock but better modded. but my motto has always been:
"do you want the exteneded warranty?", "does it cover me modding it?" "no", then "no i don't!!"

bought this about 5or6 years ago , have gigged many times with it , recorded with it and feel i've lived with it long enough to post a review .after the first year i took a handsaw to the box and made a cool little tweed "head" out of it. paired it with a peavey 112 closed back loaded with a r.e. green back , pulled the two inner 84's and felt fairly happy with a very unique look and tone .

i play a wolfgang stoptail , i have used this amp for heavy , loud rock and for clean lounge jazz . by using it at 25 watts thru a closed back with the r.e. greenback i can get some rich and articulate distortion , for rock i have used it with soak on 3 and all tones on 7 and volume on 7 and using only a touch of danecho with the hi cut set @9 oclock i got a very classic 70's stadium rock tone,for my clean loungew gigs i set bass 7 mids 2-3 highs 5-7 and presence 7 with verb @2-3 and using the wolfies volume rolled to 7 on the neck pu i get a very warm and beautifull clean.However my main tone is a brazen attempt at ripping off the "brown sound".I set a boss sd1 with level full, tone 12-1 oclock, and dist @ 9 oclock , run it into the nomad set @ 1.25-3 on the soak bass- 3-7 depending on venue , mids 2-4 and hi's 6-7 , verb off and a danechoe in the loop set with an aggressive hi-cut , and with the two pulled tube goodness off the remaining 25 watts pushing that closed back greenie to its utmost (master volume 7-8) I get a unique tone that i can use tones that are as close to early VH as I'd want to get and still keep my self respect .The verb on mine makes very loud noises but i only use it on the clean channel set at 2-3 .i love the tone i get with the g.b. speaker , the definition and presence goes perfectly with the nomads previously muddy tone .the closed back gives me a bit of that 4x12 bottom character i was missing for rock and when using it clean some tape over the center cures the icepick hi's . The tone of this amp is well worth working with-very warm almost muddy , i often cut the soak channels bass to 3 when volume is set @7 in live situations .The very present green back does wonders in giving this amp a better definition , and at 25 watts it still is loud enough to carry over a very physical drummer .

Just updating a little info...
I solved the rattling problem some users complained about, just by replacing one tube. usually its the v4 that causes some rattling related problems.
Also replaced V1 with a 12AY7, and both channels improved.
Now I turn the soak up to 5 and still have crunch with enough dinamics to keep the tone close to the clean channel, and usually never turn the volume of both above 5.

All tube (12ax7 & el84). 12" speaker. Independent EQ for each (two) channel. 50 LOUD watts. Extra speaker output for additional cab. Direct cabinet voiced output that's good for recording or going direct.

Clean channel (Channel 1) on this thing shines! Great for jazz, also for country or rock. At 50 watts, it has good headroom.

Dirty channel (Channel 2) is great for bluesy distortion. Also fantastic with the Soak (gain) down real low for a slightly overdriven clean sound. Not great for metal on it's own. But can be more than sufficient for metal is you crank the Soak and put a overdrive like a tubescreamer in front.

Been gigging with it for 5 years so far and will keep doing so. Only 1 problem with it in which I had to take it in to replace a dead diode (I think). Otherwise, never a problem, I just regular tube amp maintantence like replacing tubes every year or so.

Call them up, they're more than happy to help. They've also emailed me a schematic with no problem.

Been playing 11 years. I love the Carvin Vintage Series amps. I've owned the head/cab version as well, but the 1x12 Nomad combo is the size for me. I also own the Vintage 16, which is the 16/5 watt baby brother of the nomad.

The Nomad is great for jazz, rock, country, fusion, jamband, etc. It's a STEAL for the price too. Made with quality and care in the USA.

carvin gt speaker, 2 channel clean and dirty 12AX7 preamp el84 power tubes

Tele riogrande tallboy neck - muygrande bridge
72 tele custom fender wide range Humbucker neck - Seymour duncan vintage for broadcaster bridge
epiphone sheraton z90 harmonic design neck and bridge

I mostly play pop/rock brtish style music and kinda of alternative pop folk music. I need a good clean sound and sweet overdrive sound that's all
The clean stay clean till 3 then it breaks up in bad way very muddy no detailed sound

dirty channel totally unusable!! very very bad

Seems to be weel built. I've gigged a couple of times everything good but yes I'm going to sell it

never dealt with Carvin

I've been playing for 15 years I've owned a trace elliot super tramp (transistor), and Laney vc30. Sold the laney to by the carvin....the laney was way better than the carvin