Carvin AG100

Features as mentioned below. 100W of clean headroom. The ported 12" bass speaker gives me all the bottom end "thump" I have been looking for. I play in a Ceilidh band , we dont have either drums or a bass guitar, so its down to me and my Larrivee to provide the rhythmic drive needed for dancing.

I play a Larrivee L-03 equipped with B-Band A2.2 AST/UST. This amp reproduces the full detailed sound well, with the option to really beef up the bottom end without it getting muddy. In fact it has made my GE-7 redundant.Each of the 3 channels is optimised for a different group of instruments eg accoustic guitar on channel 1, bass guitar on channel 2: electric fiddle sounds good thru channel 2. Channel 1 is the best for accoustic guitar with a very powerful eq section to dial in the sound you want.

I have only had this amp since march so cant really comment yet. earlier models have a really bad record of reliability, i took a chance in buying it as it suits what i have been looking for for the past year or so.

Again no comment

Carvin are difficult to get hold of in the UK (see www.carvinworld.com for dealers). But, if you are looking for a mini pa that will double for bass amp as well then this is worth considering. In my search for a combo with a 12" bass speaker, I have come across others who believe you need a big speaker to get the bottom end thump, if you are one of them, then give this one a trial.

Has three channels. One best for guitar, one for bass, and one for vocals. Has a 12 incher so it has a good bottom. Tweeter has a volume control, which is needed because is gets a bit "hissy" at higher volumes.

This part is sad because it gets a great sound. Good bottom, at lower volumes it is a good bass amp, nice mids, and with the tweeter down, good highs.

Basically, the sound is excellent.

This is the sad part. I had one AG 100 that started cutting out within 14 months. After sending it in, getting it back, and it doing it again. I finally had a "phone fit" while talking to some costumer relations wank.

Well, they sent me a new one. All ends well, right? Wrong. The new one started doing the same thing in about 14 months. I called in a "pissed mode" and the first questions they asked me indicated that it was, of course, my fault.

They told me that there was not a problem like I was having with this amp(I guess they are unable to use the internet to read revies.) And, of course, it was really my fault that it wasn't working. After some more gripes, in their ultimate genorisity, they offered to pay shipping, but told me that the minimum repair cost would be 165 dollars.

I hung up. Took it to a local guy, and he fixed it for a less than a hundred. I asked him about the amp and he said, "Well, the design is good, but the execution or assembly is not well done." I asked him if he would recommend Carvin based on his observations and he grinned an said no.

This is a bit sad, because, when it works, it sounds really good.

I will never buy another Carvin product in my life.

They were phone jerks. They knew and know that this amp has consistent problems, but on the phone they act like you are the only one in the universe who has had this problem.

Also, they try to figure something out that you did to mess things up. I play mine at home at low volumes, and they still tried to come up with a fabrication that indicated that it was my fault

This amp is a crap shoot. Read the reviews. If you get one that doesn't have probs, fine, you are happy. But check out all the people who have stories a lot like mine.

Has fairly good features like 3 channels, one for guitar with EQ,
one for mic XLR, one for other instrument. Has master vol & reverb.
also mic chan & guitar chan have independent reverb controls.
Headphon jack Extension Speaker Jack and line out jack. These features
cover many situations like connecting to a bigger system (line out)
and using as your "controlled" personal sound including vocals.
I have played in bigger places as a solo player using this amp practically as a monitor and connected to an in-house P/A.
Perfect for the solo artist. mine is the 12 inch speaker & horn,
100W RMS. I did add some casters to roll it easier. The AG100D includes digital effects but this model still has lots
of stuff for the money, I really wouldn't desire much more features.

--Reasonable sound for the money.----------------
Sounds, sounds, the main thing uh? Well I would have to say in a
nutshell: it ain't that bad. You know this is not the finest brand
and this is not really an expensive model amp say as a SWR Blonde
which costs much more or a Marshall acoustic Tube amp. But it replicates the acoustic sound at a decent acceptable quality level.
clean, "hi-fi", a little dry I would not say completely lifeless but
not "high definition". The reverb as others say is not very great but
better than nothing.
--good volume, reasonable headroom------------
But I do have to say it has satisfied me in volume in a P/A situation say 50 people audience, sounds "big" enough
to make your voice and guitar be heard clear.
I have used it straight without other effects and sounds good enough
(volume/tone/low-feedback) and also with external guitar effects.
--Equipment Setup-------------
My setup with effects is as follows :
AEG10 Ibanez Elect-Acous guitar--> ART Tube-MP tube preamp-->
Ibanez 305 MultiEffects box---> Boss AC2 pedal---> Carvin AG100.
As mentioned, has a good volume eficiency, mic volume sounds strong
at level 3, guitar at level 3.5 at most (from 1-10). It will feedback
at higher settings at least in a small to medium room size.
I have also used it with an auxiliary external cab (Crate PE12 1-12")
which is a perfect choice as an added speaker used as monitor for
the musician. I use the Crate cab facing me and the Carvin facing the
public (mounted in an amp stand). That way you get a good audition
and the crowd also does.
--competes Ok Vs. small P/A----------------
Just as a comparison with other equipment, I also have a Yamaha
EMX640 6 channel(powerd mixr) which I have used also with my
acoustic guitar setup and 2 JBL cabs (15" and horn each) and it sound
better of course but needless to say it is a much better
system, better brand, bigger, etc.
--works Ok with mics----------------
coming back to the AG100, Works just great with an MB-2000L Audio
Technica mic. By the way these mics are awesome, nothing to envy an
SM57. I got the amp around 1995, first batch probably.
--music I Play-------------------
in regard to acoustic music, I play christian pop/traditional
English also spanish tunes, and original christian pop praise/worship
also some secular pop scarcely.
Usually voice/guitar in a solo situation. I do play electric guitar in a group setting but that's another story. I have other amps but
acoustic amps, only this one.

When I initially got the amp, the power indicator did not light
although the amp did work. Believe it or not, the LED was connected
backwards, I fixed it myself. Since the amp was brand new, I was
going to send it back but the shipping was on me I guess, so I looked into repairing it myself. From this simple experience I can judge
that the QA is not the best at Carvin or at least was not at that time. I've read the previous reviews explaining that the amp quit after 3 years which is a dissapointing situation.

I can say my amp has worked good and is still ok but I haven't used it very much, not in a continuos manner. I would say rather sporadically, so, the reliablilty has not been demonstrated. Also i do take good care of all my equipment I never abuse volume or run an amp in a very hot climate without the proper ventilation, etc.
All this is worth mentioning because there's people who abuse equipment and belive me folks, transistors are reliable but they are
prone to fail at higher temperatures without the proper heat dissipation. So, if you run the amp 5 or 6 hours without a break
standing in the sun or a very hot saloon at volume 10 then bad things
can happen. I was taught in school (Engineering) that any device that
is run at 100% duty cycle or near that figure say 80% is prone to fail
and shorten its life, be it an gas engine, electic motor, machinery
or an electronic power transistor. the recommended usage of a device
is 50% duty cycle, that means don't use your P/A at volume 10 all
night.
If you need more volume, get a bigger amp, etc. Of course someone is
going to say "Marshalls are ran at volume 10 to achieve the "power
tube distortion sweet spot" that you get when the plates of the
power tubes are saturated but my friends that's another story, also
that is why Marshalls are burn very often, too.
--conclusions
But the impression so far is that it does deliver good service. Considering the not-extensive testing even after 10 years I will give it a 7.

They do respond to phones and emails, so I guess the service is not too bad. But if the customer pays to return a brand new defective
item, then the overall service which involves warranty is not very generous. I did have another experience with another Carvin amp
which i bough used, i requested the diagram and guess what, they sent
it to me quickly (older tube model) which speaks good will in their
favor.

with 100 Watts RMS in a lighweight but acoustically-efficient enclosure, including an acoustic/electic guitar switch that cuts
or connects the horn, extension speaker jack, headphones, graphic
Master EQ, Reverb, parametric Eq for channel 1 and XLR mic input
which actually sounds good with voice, I think you can't go wrong.

www.carvin.com - see the specs

I was using a Martin DCM, an Alvarez Fusion series and a Taylor 612.
As far as an acoustic amp, it is good - not the best but comparable to Fender and Crates acoustic amps. The real reason I went with this amp though was the ability to gig with it as a PA/acoustic amp. WHEN IT WORKED, it was great - loved it.

READ CAREFULLY!!!

I researched acoustic amps before buying this one - tested it alongside some of the others and the only negative was the Reliability ratings.

I took a chance - said it wouldn't happen to me - after all - I'm lucky! I was wrong - don't take the chance that I did - Go buy the Roland 60W little cube amp that you could stuff in a backpack and gig with - cause the Carvin went dead, you guessed it, right after the warranty went out. It occasionally works until you plug up for a gig and then it goes out.

They are very helpful if you are willing to pay $100 shipping and then continue to pay for the same amp twice in parts and labor.

Yeah, I contacted them to get it fixed, told them I would like for them to do the right thing and at least pay the shipping - no go.

Carvin, that is my correct address if you ever change your mind and want to make it right.

Been playing about 10 years. I own a Fender PA 100 - classic tube PA - cool stuff, Behringer Vintager, Peavey Express 112, Taylor 612CE, Epiphone Les Paul, Alvarez Fusion, Fender Strat - and a number of pedals for my electric rig.

DON'T TRY TO BEAT THE ODDS ON THIS AMP - go get something else !

Same as all the others: 3 Channel, 100w, 5Band Eq, mine has a 12" speaker, blah, blah...
Like everyone else I bought this for it's versatility when Carvin first came out with it. Being at that time a solo performer I needed an acoustic guitar amp and a PA. So when I found this, I thought WOW 2 for the price of one and the price was right, so I bought it. I am currently in a band and we play mostly acoustic rock and blues. However, I've plugged in everything and anything you could possibly play into it. This amp has been through a lot I've got to say that I have this amp now well over 5+ years and have had my fair share of problems with it. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones because they all seemed to work themselves out.

If your looking for a clean amp by a true tube amp.
This amp can be a times very muddy and distorted - you need to learn how to tweak it to suit your playing. Like I mentioned earlier I play everything through it (of course at different times) the only thing that is constant is my shure 58 mic.
I play Alvarez acoustic, Ibanez semi-hollow Artcore electric, Fender PBass and Casio 518 keyboard.
I'm currently doing a duo with a friend and believe it or not we're both plugged in. Him on Martin HD28 and me on Fender p Bass, we're both sharing the mic since we both sing and the sound is not bad.

It has never been serviced, I do occasionly air spray the inside board. This amp has been to many a gig without a backup.
At this point I know I can trust it.

I've only had to deal with these guys once and once was enough.
Do yourself a favor if you buy any Carvin product. Find yourself a repair person or learn to fix it yourself.

My overall is if it were lost, stolen or unrepairable I'd buy something else.

I bought this amp 3 years ago. This Amp quit on me within the first 6 months. There was this clicking noise and it would shut off. I took it back to Carvin for repair. It worked for another 8 months and quit on me. Same thing, I took it back. 21/2 Years it did the same thing, I took it back. To this day Carvin has still not given me an Official explanation as to why it Quit. I have had many embarrasing moments with this Amp quitting on me in the Middle of Gigs. I,m not sure I can really trust this amp again without having a backup. It is lightweight and thats what I like about It. It is quite loud and has more power than most amps its size, and the price is affordable. Effects are great without having to have an effects box extra. This acts also as a portable PA system. Great for emergencies or practice gigs. I just wish Carvin would let me know what is the technical problem that causes this amp to click off and shut down.

I use a Acoustic Larrivee do3 with an Active Fishman pickup. I've been playing fingerstyle guitar for 25 years and when I'm whaling up the neck with all fingers (No cheating with a Pick)the sound pulls out the simutaneous notes evenly especially when four fingers are playing different notes at the same time. Distortion is okay, but that does not effect me especially if I dont need a Pick. Why use a pick when you have four fingers to play with.

Reliability, I'm not sure I can trust this amp.But I'm a glutton for punishment.As far as neglect, I treat my toys like Gold.

Customer Service, the Covina store has the best service

36 years playing guitar. I started at 7 yrs old. I recently bought a fender Acoustasonic and that also quit on be the first weekend I bought it.(Another story)

2004 or 2005 model. Not as versatile as ad describes, I play mostly pub type Jimmy Buffet music ,solo act in different bars and restarants. I was looking for an easy rig though veratile for voice and guitar without having to lug around chorus pedals and reverb equipment for the mic. I had tried all the fenders and genz benz and on a wim tried this one. I am writing this as my first reveiw mainly to help anyone avoid the mistakes I have and save money

Using a acoustic electric Alvarez with 600T $600.00 model
Shure mic pg58.

The controls and the so called parameters are not as versatile as you would expect. I must tell you that in three environments I put it head to head with my $150.00 Ibanez ta25 (both mic channel and guitar channel, and could hardly tell the difference if anything the Ibanez mic channel was better and certainly easier to tweak because there are very limited tweaking on the Ibanez, In fact i could walk into a bar blindfolded with the Ibanez, hook up my rig in 8 seconds turn it on and immediately start singing and playing with no anxeity.
Is it ok, yes but not for the price. In fact pound per pound the Ibanez blew it away cause it wieghs and cost 1/2 as much. I settled on a roland.

Who knows I sent it back and lost $29 shipping one way and $40 on the way back.

Maybe I got a bad sounding unit. Feedback at the drop of a hat!

A little cocky.. what a joke dude! All that said .. they will honor their policies,.

Ok not worth the price tag. They have a good idea with separate effects for both channels maybe if the effects were better and the speaker was of a greater quality this would be a homerun.

Versatile amp that can handle three different inputs. I use it for acoustic guitar, harmonica mic, & a vocalist mic.

I use either an acoustic guitar with onboard electronics, or a Carvin DC 127 electric that has a Fishman bridge pickup for acoustic use.

This amp went dead 13 or 14 months after I purchased it. It now has a broken potentiometer, but that's due to stage trauma.

Worst customer support I've ever had, for any piece of gear. Big hassle to get parts back when the amp crashed just after one year warantee ended. More recently, it took me over three months to even get the repair dept. on the phone. They sent the wrong potentiometer. Finally got them on the phone again. They said they no longer stock repair parts for the AG100. I will not buy any more Carvin gear. They made no effort to help me.

Anyone know where I can get a tone pot for my Carvin AG100?
I've also got a Trace Elliot acoustic amp that I bought used. These guys are easy to get on the phone & very helpful. Excellent Customer support at Trace Elliot. Carvin should learn from them. I've got a Fender ProSonic amp too. Never had any repair issues with it. Love the sound. It's my main stage amp for Blue Newt Band work.

mini pa. 4 channels 1 of 'em takes an xlr. Nonetheless after 2.5 years the power transformer died and Carvin refuses to send replacement parts to repair people. Carvin expects everyone to ship stuff to them for a flat rate repair of 135. Now combine that with shipping to and from California and you see if you wanna deal with that.

no sounds cause the power transformer died

well it died after only 2.5 years of once in a while use so I'd have to say no it's not all that reliable

they expect you to send it to california for a flat rate repair fee of 135 no matter how small the problem is. Carvin will not let a repair guy anywhere get replacement parts for anything. If you have a carvin get ready to look for a really good repair guy because Carvin is of no help.

I would never deal with Carvin again.

This is a 98 bought on ebay 3 years ago. Honestly, I love it. It is great for a band to own one. Our band plays 60's thru 90's rock. Very versatile...we use it practicing, running two mikes and a guitar thru. It will sound Ok for our keyboard player, for guitars, for bass so it is the perfect one backup amp to own. We can even run mikes thru it if the PA dies but it never has. I use it myself with acustic guitar and line out to the PA for more control and also with a few tweaks I run my electric thru it. Very treble sound so great for rythmn guitar players but I crank it with pedals for my leads and it cuts thru and defines well.

I play either Carvin AE185, Strat, or Michael Kelly phoenix HT. Acoustics? I play either my Martin J40 or Ovation depending upon the venue. Sounds great with all. Great clean sound...effects are OK, and thru pedals, sounds clear and defined even with distortion.

Never any problems..we throw it all over town with never any problems. Light weight and easy to deal with also.

I have had good communication and service from the company. They helped me thru minor amp problems (needed fuses) evn though it was second hand. They sent me free parts and agreed to pay for some minor concerns with my warranted guitar so I would not have to ship to them.

Been playing since age 8 (pushing 50 now) and with the band for 4 years. Also have, and use, Peavey bandit 110, Crate 212. I would buy another in a heartbeat if for no other reason than the great backup value for all instruments and the use for practice. Tube heads want an amp that's 75 lbs. Trust me,,,the audience could care less and this thing is 30 some lbs and sounds just fine.