Carvin Legacy Head

Between the reviews by vastly under-experienced metalhead guitar players and old guys that will never admit that anything can stack up against their '77 Plexi, this was a tough amp to judge based on reviews. I've played it thoroughly against many other tube heads in my latest arduous head-buying experience and I hope I can be of some help...

Two channels with separate EQ's, spring reverb, effects loop, 50/100 watt and 4/8/16 ohm output switches, a bias switch for EL34's or 6L6/KT66's, and a line out footswitch (so practically any two-button footswitch will do if you don't have Carvin's FS22).

The head uses a total of 5 preamp tubes (three for preamp gain, one for reverb, and the last one for power) and 4 power tubes (stock are EL-34)

I was originally looking for a 3-channel head for a clean channel, a tight, crunchy rhythm tone, and a third channel for a lead volume boost with a little more gain but I just use the effects loop and put a volume boost and delay on for a lead sound. Very satisfied despite the lack of a third channel. The two channels switch very cleanly and quietly, much better than the Mesa Rect-O-Verb I had before this.

I play this with an Ibanez RG2550 with Evo neck and bridge pickups with a coil tap on the neck pickup. I play a pretty decent variety of music in my band, from clean dark bassy jazzy kind of stuff to tight aggressive riffs to sweet, wet solos. I should mention that I switched to KT66 (or 5881, whichever you prefer to call them) and it sounds better than I've heard a Legacy ever sound before. It's much more boutique and smooth.

Like most reviews have stated, the amp is most comfortable with gain at or below around 7.5, it tends to lose concentration after that. Fortunately that is plenty for me. The MOST IMPORTANT thing that I have learned from playing with this head that no other reviews have stated is that both channels sound like there is an internal compressor running in the amp. The cleans are very warm and a bit "clicky", people who use compressors in their rig know exactly what I'm talking about.

The head has enough gain up to the point where the sound becomes fuzzy, but that's fine because the lead channel sounds compressed enough that legato playing comes out smooth and the sustain will hold notes out for minutes. It's quite beautiful. The Bugera 333 I was testing compressors on benefited hugely from some compression, but on the Legacy I can hardly tell the difference between when my Comp 66 is on or off. This is a good thing, because with no external compression the lead channel sounds balls-smooth and I can go ahead and trade my Comp 66 in for something else.

Overall the sound is middy and VERY thick. I'm quite in love with it. It's smoother than the Bugera, the JSX head I tried, MUCH smoother than my old Rect-O-Verb, and more aggressive and dynamic than the TSL 60 head I used to play out of.

For half the price.

Metalheads claim this amp didn't have enough gain for them, but if you have any taste at all, please don't listen to them. There is plenty of gain. They obviously don't understand that huge mids with moderate gain sounds aggressive and tons upon tons of gain with scooped mids sounds fizzy. If you play metal, this amp will do just fine. Rectifiers are better at metal rhythm and chugging but just didn't have what it takes for any lead playing. Plus the clean channel on the Carvin is much better. The new Legacy II head has a clean channel that breaks up but this one doesn't. Just lots of clean headroom. Which I actually prefer.

This amp is a BIT noisy but I feel comfortable playing at a mid-sized venue unmic'd with the gain at 7. The microphonics are much more musical and subtle than the hiss of the JSX was. I really don't see much of a need to turn the head up to the 100-watt setting. Just take out the outer tubes and save them.

I will also say that I noticed people making a big deal about the huge effect on the tone that the EQ knobs have...I don't really think so. If I have any complaint, it's that the bass won't turn down as much as I would like to. Also, the reverb is nice but every time I hit a G on the low E-string the springs react strangely and give me an extra loud springy noise.

If there is ANY other amp that this reminds me of, it's the 112 Bedrock combo I once recorded with. Luscious.

I haven't yet had a problem, but reliability gets mixed reviews with Carvin products. Some people have had great experiences and some people have had nightmares. I hope I'm a lucky one, though I feel like alot of people's problems have had more to do with not knowing how to take care of a tube amp than factory-related quality issues.

Anyway I don't have the money to keep two tube heads at a time but I sure hope it doesn't crap out because I don't have a backup. I definitely feel comfortable with it though.

Other people claim Carvin is great about their warranties but mine doesn't have one because I got it off ebay and it's a year or two old. Once again, I have heard both great reviews and horrible reviews of Carvin's support, so good luck with that in case you ever have to call them.

I've had to make a decision about what amp to buy multiple times over the past 4 years and after making this latest purchase I can say I feel absolutely no buyer's remorse. The clean channel is beaten only the twin-reverb I toyed with, but it's a different clean. The Legacy is a little darker and warmer while the Fender shimmered a little more with a higher quality reverb. The Overdrive channel is WONDERFULLY fat and tight while maintaining sustain and a great amount of sag for leads and solos. You won't sound just like Steve Vai, you'll sound like you through a great amp and that's the best anyone should be asking for.

The most important thing I haven't gotten to mention in any other section is the straight up VALUE. I got this off ebay for $450 and I like it better than amps that go for $1000 and more used. There was once a time where I scooped my mids and turned the gain up to 10 and dreamt of a Rectifier, but I have since then grown up and realized that Mesa is just another quality amp company with their own niche in the market and a VERY loyal fanbase. For those of you like me that have moved past that stage, the Legacy head is a great, versatile buy for people with taste and a sense of uniqueness. It is a breed between the clear and smooth overdrive that audiophiles adore and the tight modern gain that shredders desire.

Just don't get it if your plan is to turn the mids to 0.

This amp is quite a feat. I own the halfstack version, plugged into a PRS Artist McCarty and a 1997 PRS Custom 22 ten top, and an Ibanez JEM7V-SBL. The features are great, very simple is what I love dearly. Some people complain about not having a master knob but I don't really see too much of a difference. This is a simple two channel amp, clean and overdrive. Has an effects loop, a line out, and 2 speaker jacks, and a switch for 4, 8 or 16 ohms.
Has enough sound variations to cover many styles, I have even used this in my college's jazz ensemble, and had good comments on my clean sound. But that was plugged into a fender bandmaster cab.
The cab you use will matter, a fender cab would give it a more sparkly clean, the carvin legacy cab gives it a modern tone, good for hard rock or anything else in between.

This amp is the ideal working man's amp. affordable and high quality, and best of all USA made. the inside of the amp is study, well built and doesn't look cheaply placed together, which is great.

the 100 watts is plenty of power, good for large gigs. if you want less power, there's a 50 watt switch too, however there's only a slight difference in volume between the two modes, but in 50 watt mode you can use 2x12 cabs into 8 ohms and get a more saturated sound at a lower volume.

At 100 watts, you have a lot of clean headroom, and that's good for those who love a very clean sound. be sure your pickups are not placed too high, or you'll get "wolftone" which is a muddy distorted sound on clean caused by too high pickups which causes a loud poppy sound that sounds horrid.

overall on features, its GREAT!

With my PRS's, it matches well with this amp in versatility. It sounds better with my PRS McCarty than it does with my steve vai jem guitar. As "blasphamy" as it sounds, the jem is too bright for my tastes to be paired with this amp. Maybe with a dimarzio breed pickup it would. It suits anything from jazz to hard rock, but it is not a total "metal amp" if you want riffage galore, I suggest the Carvin MTS series or for those who want "brand name" a mesa boogie. This amp is a lead guitarist's dream. the lead channel is articulate and very clear, I love how it responds well to my picking.
the volume doesn't jump with a turn, except from .5 to 1. after 2 or 3 on the volume its very clear sounding, I like to keep it on 4-5 on 100 watt mode. The gain is good, but if you're using the effects loop, some gain is loss, but not a lot, there's plenty of gain in this amp. I find it best on a lead setting to keep the gain on 7.5.
anything below that or higher, the sound becomes "loosened" anything higher than 7.5 would cause a lot of feedback and muddy up the sound. 7.5 to me is my sweet spot.
I don't like the presence switch. i like a warm tone from a neck pickup and the presence gives it a brightness which I dislike.
but for some guys depending on their guitar love it.
the clean is a dream, has a slight breakup on higher volumes but retains its clear sound and can get bright or warm depending on your settings. for an el34 based amp, its pretty clean sounding.

the reverb is ok, I keep it on 2 since the reverb is very intense, but I use a visual sound H2o in the effects loop for delay and analog chorus. I prefer delay on my leads over reverb.

The cab is loaded with celestion Vintage 30's. Not suited for jazz at all, but kicks well with modern rock.
the cab is lighter than most high end 4x12s. this cab is made of plywood, not birch, but sounds good and is pretty solid, considering that carvin skimps on cabs to cut costs. but its still solid.

Built like a tank.
try hard to break it, the worse you'll do is break a couple of tubes. No cheap wiring, which is good and it looks cool too. I like the brown color. represents the sound as well.

when I got this amp, it had a blown tube due to shipping. They sent me new tubes, and were nice enough to stay on the line to show me what to do, since at the time I had no clue how to use or install tubes.
they helped alot, and sent me a new head and I got it really quick.
their packaging is well done, I love it when a company packs it good. Musicians friend always never packs the stuff I order well, and I always had to send stuff back to MF. Carvin is relaible and they'll answer any questions you have.
be sure to get the wheels and foot switch.
the wheels are well built, not made with plastic like marshall wheels, and also they're faily priced for wheels.
get it with the amp so you save 10 bucks on shipping.

I've been playing for several years and quite picky on my tone. This amp beats the hell out of many mesa boogies I've played, and is a third of the price. Tone is fat like a Bogner, but more subtle.
If this was stolen, I would track the Bas!@#$%^& down and get it back and have him jailed. This amp is good, if it was I would work day and night trying to get it back. If I can't get it back, I would get another one no doubt, I'd probably buy a used one for $600. However I don't see too many people using Carvin amps. Priced too low? for $800 you won't find a better amp in any price range.

This is a long, detailed review because I don't do things by halves. For all the information you need, skip directly to the verdict at the end of the Overall column. This condenses hundreds of words into a crucial few. For the rest of you, dig in and enjoy (or criticise; I love a good debate and my email is included).

This amp was released in 1999, created by Carvin under the strict and exacting guidance of Steve Vai, noted guitar virtuoso and regular on the much-vaunted 'musicians musician' tour that is G3 worldwide. Though Steve certainly isn't my favourite player there's no doubting the sickening amount of skills the man demostrates every time he picks up an electric axe, so curiousity led me to wonder if his signature amp would be a one-dimensional shred leviathon or a versatile, under-appreciated masterpiece. Thankfully, it's both.

I've noticed that people are ******* about the lack of a master volume. I'd like to put forward the following theory: given that the performance of valve amplification and, crucially, the human ear change quite drastically given increased volume - both on non-linear curves - then do you think the difference in output between the clean and dirty sides would stay the same when playing quietly at home/in your garage and cranked up to noon at a gig? Probably not, and certainly not in my experience.

Steve and Carvin have wisely decided to keep the tone stack fairly simple here, and coming from another two-channel amp that lacked a master I don't miss it. Amps are the one part of any rig I've made that I keep simple - multi-channel beasts like the Marshall JVM series end up tripping over themselves with perceived variety when they only have one or two good sounds anyway. I regularly hear players of such equipment, and some multi-effects units that offer similar endless tones, that it takes them a long time to find 'their' sound anyway.

What I'm saying is, isn't it better to have a couple of versatile features than a plethora of limited ones? In rare cases you can have your cake and eat it, but in almost all amplification I've owned I have found that less is more, as long as that less is well-produced in the first place. Here, it is.

Bonus points for having a 50/100 watt switch and a 4/8/16 ohm one too. As a player who likes the overtone-drenched tone of 50 watters but also the occassional use of the more defined 100 watter, having the option to switch between both is rare, and much appreciated.

I like to start with what doesn't work, and what might discourage a potential buyer who would have similar tastes to myself, before moving swiftly onto what works like a charm. This being a pretty strong product, there aren't many of the former but plenty of the latter.

CONS:
1) Reverb. I've always been fussy when it comes to spring reverb, having been spoiled a couple times in my career by the glory of a Fender Twin. The only ones that came close were often found on Laney products. This one, while certainly a little above average, isn't _quite_ right. I find it to be brittle: lacking low end while the dwell time at lower settings seems excessive. It would suit ambient soundscaping, surf rock - and I do reel off a passable 'Misirlou' on occassion - plus shredding. But as usual, this will be one that I either have full on, or off entirely and substituted by a high-end digital reverb instead.
2) Low volume response. Fair enough, this is a problem common to a lot of equipment that really sings at gig levels, but this amp suffers slightly more than average, especially on the clean channel. But I didn't buy it to run on '1' on the dial forever, I want to keep it around noon on both channels whenever possible.
3) Clean Gain. I would prefer more control over the clean channel breakup point but then I'm quite lazy! And as I tend to use treble boosters, or a digital equivelant of such, not a big issue. Again, as I've said I don't like master volume controls most of the time, I can deal with it for the great tone.

Three cons, all minor. As a perfectionist that's a pretty big deal. Some amps I'd run out of fingers and toes to list 'em all on.

PROS
1) Responsive controls. It's like playing a vintage piece that's been worn in over a decade or two! The EQ sweep is a real technical feat, it must be said. I usually ignore the 'presence' or 'bright' switch on amps, but here it adds definition to my usually dark main electric.
2) Clean channel. Really, really strong. Even using EL34s as stock, which aren't as notable for good cleans as 5881s or 6L6s (might change them when I have more coin) this channel is voiced very well. Crank it up and get some spongey, slightly bell-like tone with edge. Very dynamic, exactly the sort of tones I expect from American-designed amps.
3) Dirty channel. Not quite as dynamic as the clean but not far off! Keep it at 2-3 on the dial and get all the strutting AC/DC classic rock tone you want, good pick responsiveness here. Get it to noon and you're in early Eddie territory. Any more than that and chugging shred riffs with squealing pinch harmonics are owned by this amp. It's a cross between the note definition of a Laney, the gritty higher mids of a Marshall capped with the overall smoothness of an Orange. For me, it's love, and it makes me play my best, something I just can't do with inferior equipment (or musicians!) any more.
4) Design. Yes, design. Normally I could care less about the appearance of my equipment, except for the really extremely ugly or gratuitous ones (sparkle glitter and crazy shapes are right out). But this device has an understated, unassuming charm to it. Vai's 'logo' is far classier than a signature. Carvin have used a different typeface and their name adorns the control panel. Normally I prefer tolex not metal grille fronting on the cab but here, combined with that likeable rust colour, the aesthetic choice is as sound as the tone it produces.
5) It's off-kilter, different, rare. It seems strange to me that one of the world's premier shred-guitarists would side with a less common brand, but Steve has wisely stayed where the tone is. And I always feel good using equipment that no-one else does rather than paying over the odds for the black/gold status quo (and Status Quo) amp from a company that hasn't made a good product since the mid 80s. (I think that applies to Status Quo too, though YMMV).

Try opening the amp if you don't have any warrenty left on it. Well constructed isn't it? Notice how there aren't too many circuit boards, and those that are there are sturdy? Notice how the valve sockets are mounted on the chassis, not the circuit boards? The only other modern amp maker of a similar size I can think that compares well is Laney. Open a new Marshall or a Fender and be horrified at the multitude of flimsy PCBs and ribbon cables. They look more like computers than amplifiers and sometimes I wonder that they work at all.

I'd give it a higher rating but valve equipment is notably more difficult to keep in top condition, though ironically I've had less problems with them than transistor or hybrid models. Perhaps because I choose my equipment better now.

It's an old line I tend to use that can apply to anything: the best example of customer support is making an amp so good you never need to use it. Carvin appear to have succeeded, with a little help from Mr Vai.

The amp is a nearly-new second hand model anyway and my local shop/tech will fix it under warrenty should something bad happen to it. Not that I think I'll need to use that service.

I've been playing for about fifteen years now, which is well over half my life. Literally since I was a kid. I've done hundreds of gigs and dozens of sessions in various studios, I've been around and though I'm not a pro I'm at least semi-pro in terms of chops and attitude, on the cusp of making my living out of gigging and jamming. My main guitar is a Burns Brian May Signature model and for effects I was using the excellent Boss GT-8 until it got stolen, so I'll be using the Boss GT-10 when money allows.

I'll compare this to every other valve amp I've owned or used long enough (hire/rent/borrow) to form an opinion on.

1) Fender Twin. Clean is slightly better on the Twin, as is the reverb, though in the case of the clean changing the Legacy to 5881s would probably score them even. The dirty channel on the Legacy is far, far beyond the modern Twin's paltry stab at it, as is the build quality.
2) Marshall JMP ('78 50 watter and '77 100 watter). Comparable low/mid gain, more sparkle and clarity on the Carvin. Superior clean on the Carvin, plus a reverb. Legacy can almost out-plexi these things, and has as many harmonically rich and pleasing overtones as the '78 JMP which up until now I assumed would never be beaten.
3) Orange Rockerverb 100. Orange has much smoother gain - too smooth to really rock, IMO. The clean on the Orange is a joke by comparison but the aesthetics are superior, obviously.
4) Vox AC30. Personally I never liked the AC30. I bought one because Brian May can get a great tone out of it, but later I found only because his ones are set up completely non-stock, to the point where I wonder why he uses them at all. The clean - what there is of it - is very nice, but the Carvin owns everything else. Especially in the reliability stakes.
5) Laney LC50, VC50 and GH100L. Tough one to call as I love Laney products - disappointed at Paul Gilbert for jumping ship but that's his loss! More harmonic overtones on the Carvin, drive channel probably just beats those on the Laney trio as it has more dynamic range and a touch more sag at the lower settings. Clean channel and reverb are a notch or two better, and a touch more dynamic. Dead heat, really, but the Carvin won because of overall versatility, whereas on the Laney I always needed to use a Boss GT-8 or similar to get good drive tones.

VERDICT: This amp is ******* awesome dude! Kick-*** dirty sounds, versatile clean sounds (even with stock EL34 valves) and enough volume to drown out most drummers on Earth, wrapped up in a subtle yet attractive package. This is pro-quality stuff all the way, for much less than competitors charge. You need to shake the rafters, forget about Marshall. This little beauty is where it's at.

This is an 06 Legacy Head that I purchased 2nd hand last week. 2 channels, reverb, footswitch, effects loop, ohm selection (4/8/16) and a half power switch. Mine has 6L6 tubes in it. I usually prefer EL34's in amps, but this is a good match for this amp. It has a voiced line out that I have not attempted to use yet.

If it had a master output pot, and seperate reverb controls for each channel I'd be ecstatic, but it really doesn't need it. It could also use a boost or solo function, but that is easily overcome.

I play a lot of hard rock, some metal, blues and pop. I can't say that this amp is a swiss army knife out of the box, but it certainly is versatile. I can get most of these tones straight jacked with some tweaking.

This amp is VERY loud. If you want loud, get this amp, if you plan on playing guitar in your bedroom of an apartment complex, get a line6.

I'm giving it a 8 even for lack of a master output and separate reverbs.

I use a LP standard with burstbuckers. I also use a Hamer Standard explorer with EMGs. I run the amp through a Vox 2x12 with Warfdale 30w "vintage" style speakers.

Like I said before you can get a lot of tones out of it, I have yet to find a bad tone. I have used 3 methods to shape my tone:

1) Straight from guitar into amp
This setup works amazingly well. Tonnes of gain, great sound, great cleans and excellent definition. Chording is great, single notes are clear and defined. Great tube dynamics. Good gain control with the volume pot of my guitars

2) Guitar>RP500>Input of amp
Can't use amp/speaker sim. Effects sound warm and complete but distortions sound bad by themselves. If you use the lead channel and the rp500 distorions, you get an extra amount of gain that sounds GREAT. The pedal does suck a little bit of the gain away.

3) Guitar>RP500>Effects return of amp
Here you can use the amp/speaker sim and with a little tweaking you can get some pretty great sounds too. Effects sound better this way. One thing to keep in mind is that there is no Master Volume on this amp, whatever output setting your RP is in will dictate the volume of the amp. The front controls aren't used at all while in this mode. I still like the straight jacked sound the best. However I will use this mode for most cover tunes etc.

I don't know anything about the reliability yet.

N/A

I have been playing for well over 20 years. I have used a plethora of equipment from vintage marshalls to mesa boogies and virtually everything in between. This amp is one of the best I've used to date. It replaced a Mesa Rectoverb combo.

I've been after a sound like this amp produces for a LONG time. I am happy to own this amp, and I would probably replace it with another if soemthing happened to it.

This is a Legacy head that I got right from Carvin on eBay. This is a factory second kind of deal - the page said it had a few superficial scratches (which I have yet to find) and I got it for much less than retail.

The features have been mentioned a lot, so there's no real need to re-cap those. Solidly built amp, all the features you'd really need.

I'm using this amp with a JEM7V, and can honestly say that there is a touch of Vai in the tone, but it really depends on how you play it. I use this much more as I would an older Marshall - gain at about 6, with an overdrive stompbox in front of it with the gain turned down to a quarter up, and the level pretty much cranked. With this, it sounds great at every level.

The amp will get more saturated and "shreddy" sounding with the volume at higher levels, which should not need saying. However, it's worth mentioning that this amp REALLY needs to open up to sound better by itself. I'm not sure whether or not it's the tubes or not, but on the 50w setting between volume 1 and 4-5, the distortion can sound... sissy. I was a bit disappointed when I first took it out of the box and found that even with the gain on 7 or 8 the distortion seemed rather mild. However, this could be the age-old problem of sub-par preamp tubes, or just me expecting too much gain. Either way, shove a box in front of it to boost it and it sounds amazing.

The clean channel is orgasmic. That's all that needs to be said. Without the presence switch kicked in, it's a fat, beefy tone that with the right guitar is great for jazz. With presence on, I just put the JEM into single-coil settings and spank it up. There is really nothing that I would change about this channel.

Overall rating without OD box in front: 6
Rating with OD box in front: 8.5

This amp hasn't broken or screwed up yet. However, going on Carvin's reputation for customer service and how they've dealt with me in the past, I would suggest knowing a really reliable in-town tech just in case something does go wrong. Again, the amp has been perfectly reliable so far, but in case something fizzles out, I would not suggest sending it in to Carvin.

Carvin's customer service is lacking. I've phoned and gotten several surly reps, they take forever to reply, and quite honestly if anything ever happens their only suggestion is to mail it back to San Diego for them to "have a look at it." Which is not something I warm to, being that I don't want to have to mail a relatively expensive piece of equipment from Canada (Calgary) to California to "have it looked at." I just go to my tech and let that be that.

Overall, I'd say that this is a great amp for what it does, but the dirty channel really needs a stompbox (or perhaps new power tubes on mine, seeing as it really seems to lack... balls compared to others I've heard) to really exploit it. But great, 80s-Marshally sounds all round, and nothing that I would grouse about at any length.

The Legacy has all the features I require. It's plug and play. Two channels with separate EQ, effects loop, bias switch, and choice of 50 or 100 watts. Just fine.

I use a strat Frankenstein with a Duncan '59 in the bridge. The band I'm in plays hard rock/classic. The Legacy is the best sounding amp I've used in years for this style of music. I've been playing in the clubs for over 30 years and have used many, many amps. This amp sounds great and is a lot of fun. The clean channel is also VERY nice. I'd say one of the best. I find the Legacy to be very quiet but then again after 30 years I find many things very quiet. Seriously, no hums, buzzes, or hissing. Even at high gain.

No worries so far but I never gig without a backup.

Hmmm. I had an unrelated issue with Carvin and wrote 5 times before I got a response. From what I can gather, their Internet customer support is hit or miss. I've had good experiences with Carvin in the past and will continue to do business with them but this is one issue they need to address. Whoever is in charge of that aspect is dropping the ball and losing customers.

If you are looking for a fantastic sounding rock amp the Legacy is perfect. Carvin makes good products at any price.

Purchased new in late '07. Two channels (clean and drive), switchable reverb on both and a totally useful treble boost on the clean that I feel would be right at home on the drive channel as well. A master volume would be a nice feature on the clean channel to give it a little breakup, but the clean boost I use does that just fine.

I use this amp for a lot of different styles, including 60's-70's punk and stoner metal/thrash. I get a sound similar to a vintage Marshall or Laney with a tube screamer up front, ala Mastodon or The Sword. This isn't a plug-and-play head and takes some patience and fine-tuning to find its sweet spots. This amp sounds great with all of my guitars, including two ESP hybrids and a Music Man Sub 1. I run Duncan SH-4's in the bridge and typically use an eq pedal with the highs boosted and the overall level up just a hair. I also play through a vintage Ampeg cab with two greenbacks and two vintage 30's in an x-pattern, which I think has a lot to do with my tone. It won't give you scooped mids, but who cares? Your guitar's natural frequencies are in the midrange anyway and scooping them sounds fine in your bedroom but you'll lose major volume and get drowned out by bass and cymbals in the mix. Settings vary on the clean channel, but for drive I keep it presence 10, bass 4, treble 6 and mids at 7.I keep it in 50 watt mode. I agree with other reviewers that the drive channel can get muddy, but with a little fine tuning and an eq pedal it cuts like steel. Definitely not the amp for everybody, but I really dig the unique tone (very fuzzy and gainy without the glassy chunk of a Mesa recto). The clean channel is amazing and with a little clean boost courtesy of the eq pedal it gets a little fender twin-style breakup. Turn the pedal off and you have headroom at full volume.

I've never had an issue, but It's only been out of the studio twice in the four months I've owned it. When I brought it home I pulled off the back panel and went to work with a screwdriver, tightening up anything loose and checking to make sure the tubes were all properly seated (common issues associated with shipping). The design doesn't allow for much venting for the tubes, and I'm considering routing out some vents in the front panel for better airflow.

I bought this amp because of it's reasonable price and unique tone. I really, really wish they put a treble boost on the drive channel. The voicing of the preamp seemed a little off at first, but playing with the settings will eventually lead you to some great sounds. The guy at the Carvin store said they're putting out a three channel version...we'll wait and see on that one.

You know the features. For the price, I give it an 8.

As everyone else has said, you know it is great for solos. The clean--- I hear it is great, but read below and you will see why I wouldn't know.

You will NOT get hardcore sounds out of this amp!! If you are looking for heavy sounds, this is not the amp for you! I never put the gain past 7. Any more than that it muddied it up. At 6 and some EQ to match whatever you are putting thru it, it sounds great for solos and regular playing... very Vai-ish---- go figure!

It is great in the lead department, so I give it a 6.

Ok, I ordered the Legacy combo... and the clean channel flat out did not work. I had to gig with this once, as I was without a back-up (stupid me thought a brand new amp would work thru the gig). I returned it and exchanged it for the VL100 Legacy head and the 2x12 cab. It showed up and the cabinet made this wicked unnatural vibration that showed itself when mic'd thru my PA. That one went back and I got a Mesa/Boogie Roadster half stack which I frickin love (different ballpark with price/options). This is not the end of my nightmare with Carvin.... see below...

So when my Legacy combo didn't work, I called and the guy said it was the tubes and he would send me some tubes. They never came.
When the 1/4 stack came and the cabinet was "broken", they tried to get me to pay for shipping until I made a stink about it.

I also ordered a guitar from them. It came with a ding in the finish, and missing a switch that I ordered. I sent it back. I was told it would be ready in 2 weeks. I called every week until TWO MONTHS had passed, and then I called everyday.

The guitar came back to me with a sheet saying "switch installed, test played OK". The switch was NO WHERE TO BE FOUND! And, to add insult to injury, the coil splitter switch that was already there was now BROKEN, and the frickin thing would not even WORK when plugged in!!!!

I called the VP of sales and told him my deal. He offered me 200 in carvin CREDIT, and I told him no thanks, I just want my money back. I got an Ibanez JEM7v like all the other copycats out there, but it is great and I love the thing--- I just look like everyone else now, which is what I was trying to avoid!

Overall, I will never say never... but I will never go back to Carvin, not even for a flashlight.


I am not a hard guy to please, either. I hope I do not sound like some others who just like to complain! I am NOT that guy!! I just want people to know my experience with the company.

Bought it used off of eBay. The guy who owned it before me took pristine care of it and "amp-ed it up" with some minor modifications to the tubes and preamp (JJ6L6; biased).

Features are pretty basic and found on most "pro-quality" amps. Dual channels (clean & overdrive/sustain, Separate Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble & Presence for each channel, Master Reverb for both channels, 50/100W output switch, effects loop. Weights in at about 40lbs. Not too heavy. The only feature it lacks that I would prefer is a headphone jack as this muther is LOUD! Even at the 50w setting, you're neighbors will complain and the dogs down the block will howl. Other than that, very nice amp. Suitable for home (use with caution!), practice, gigging, mid to large venues, you name it.

The clear channel is great! I play a few acoustic sets (Led Zeppelin, Heart, classic rock era tunes) and the clear channel is pleasing to the most discerning ear. The sustain or "distortion" channel is great too but requires some loud volume settings to get "brown sound" or "metal" sound out of it. Low volume settings are decent but hey!...who plays below 3, right?

No noise. Hum is present, but it could be due to my pedals. Play around with it, get a noise-gate, whatever, work with it, it's worth it.

I play a Les Paul standard through it and a Strat, both with stock pickups. Great sound although my Strat tends to get a little squirely at times. Typical Strat sound only gets to be a bit too "Tele" sounding for me at times. Maybe it's just me?

But get this bad boy tuned in, work with it a bit, and you'll be more than pleased with the results. Great job by Carvin and Vai on coming up with this combination. If you're looking for a real metal, classic rock sound, this is the amp for you. As one guy pointed out, it's pretty much a Marshall JCM800 "rodded-up" or on steroids.

Too early to tell. I only use it at home and play for about 2-6 hours per week on it. No problems so far. I do take real good care of all my equipment so it's not fair for me to say. I don't power it up with the volume on. I don't bang it around moving it from gig to gig. It's pretty much a set-n-forget type of setup for me. No problems here. I have owned a couple of other Carvin products and none of them have ever failed me.

I did order a CM140 guitar from them back in the late 70's. Back then, they promised to have it to me before Christmas (ordered in mid-November) and it didn't arrive till late January after several phone calls and inquiries. I guess my order got caught up in the Christmas rush. Granted, this was ~35 years ago. Hopefully they've gotten their order system corrected by now, right? ;-)

I did once order a couple of minor knobs and truss rod cover plate from them and the customer support rep mailed them to me free of charge. It should have been about a $25.00 order, but out of kindness, he just sent it to me for free. To me, that made me a fan of Carvin. It's the little things that go a long way. 35 years later, I'm still a fan of their products.

I've been playing off and on for 35 years. Mostly off...

I' just now got back into playing again (re-living my youth). I still get a charge out of the songs from the classic rock era. Good days gone by and never to bee seen or heard again. Too bad...

Overall, I'd have to say this amp is an incredible value. Sure, I could go out and spend $1500-$3000 for a Marshall, 5150, Bogner, or whatever, but for what I paid for this bad boy, I'll stick with it. I'll leave the high-dollar amps to the rich or "image is everything" crowd.

I love the look, design and feel of this amp. The logo is a bit "Jimmy Page" so I'm not sure where Vai comes off on this, but hey...whatever floats your boat. The knobs are bit old-fashioned for my liking and I might switch them out, but we'll see.

If you can find one of these bad boys for under $500...do yourself a huge favor and BUY IT! Even at $800 direct from Carvin, it's a great buy. I know some people don't like buying electronics "used" so paying an extra $300 may be worth it to some. Can't says I blame them. The only reason I bought mine off of eBay was I trusted the guy that owned it before me as he took great care of it.

If you're into Marshall's, great! Otherwise, get this Legacy model. You won't regret it!

It is a very simple amp that just about does everything I need it to.

Like everyone says, it has a great clean channel and the OD channel is great for leads. My only real problem is the OD sounds muddy to me for rythm, I am someone who is used to using pedals and a scooped eq for songs that require high gain. Now that I am in a band that plays less metal and more mainstream rock I have tried to ditch the pedals and just go with the amps od, but it just sounds to dark and muddy to me and everyone in my band. The other BIG problem with the overdrive is the amount of unwanted noise and feedback that is present. The clean channel takes well to high gain pedals though. I bought the amp because it has tons of headroom on the clean channel and I figured if I didn't like the od I could just use pedals for rythm. Thats just what I've had to do. It's a great amp but I don't get how people think the amps distortion is usable for rythm. This amp was designed for a lead player- even Steve Vai himself uses distortion pedals with this amp. .

No problems

Haven't needed it.

I don't want this to sound like a negative review. I have been playing for well over 20 years now and this is by far the best amp I have ever owned.

very basic 2 channel EL34 tube head

Clean channel is very nice and round. Could use a bit more sparkle on top. Sounds and responds awesome with overdrive pedals. I use a crappy DS-1 in the clean channel set to low drive for an explosive mid drive sound. Well, there is my third channel :)
Lead channel burns. EQ voicings are in unusual frequencies. You will not get a mid scoop metal tone out of this. Notes blossom georgeously and the feedback is superb.
I use 2 of these heads in a slave/master setup with a G major in the fx loop and the tone is ABSOLUTELY dripping hot. 2 Custom 2x12's each with a Fender Vintage and a Celestion G12t-75. Blew my fender vintage first rehearsal out...lol
I bought both heads used cause I figured used the kinks with factory issues would be ironed out, that is the previous owner already went through the return hassles etc.
Not sure the years on them but both sound completely differant and look a little differant too. One has EH EL34's (slave) and the other has Sovtek EL34's(master) The Sovteks sound WAY better in my opinion. The Slave amp is a bit louder but I use the Gmajor to control volumes on each amp.
There is a bit of a noise floor but the gate takes care of that.
This amp is fast. Palm muting is quick and explosive.
I only rate this a 9 because the reverb is a pile of shit and should just be disconnected and used as a wheel stop for your car or boat.
Yes it is that horrible, unmusical and useless. The tail is way to long for this amp. Its like a 5 second hall junk. Carvin should put a 2-3 second max in it.
And like others have said these are loud. Not ear piercing like a marshall, just friken loud but smooth. With 2 of these on 3 you'll have to mike the drums....lol
Tried with 6L6's- Bass was bigger, highs are thinner, but I didn't like it. EL34's are richer and more detailed in this head. Both switch pedals are trash but I use a switching system.

No problems yet but I'm only a couple months into these. My band plays large halls in the San Francisco area. So we'll see this coming season and I will update my review then.

I hope I never need them

reverb, reverb, reverb------ yukkkky!!!!
Been playing for along time. We do about 150-200 shows a year.
Original Progressive hard rock.
Bought 2 of these and sold my Mesa rack set up. This is much better.
Ibanez RG's- some with EMG's, others with Duncans.
For the price these are great.

I bought this amp brand new in 2007. It's a 2 channel tube amp, switches from clean to overdrive, with reverb, and an effects loop. Pretty basic stuff here...

I've been playing this amp for about 4 or 5 months and I gotta say that I love it, BUT, it took me a little while to find how to use it. I use 2 guitars. A MIM dual humbucker strat, and an American made Jimi Hendrix Voodoo strat.

When I first got it before I took it to band practice I messed around with it here at home. I never got the volume up past .5-1. This thing is LOUD!!! I first tried it with my Voodoo strat. At this low volume setting I was a little disappointed at first, but I realized "this is a tube amp, it's meant to be cranked." The reason I was disappointed was because at the low volume setting, with the single coils, it was a little brittle for my tastes. I was able to dial in a decent tone, but I had to put the presence and treble way down and the mids way up, with the gain on 8.

Next I plugged in my dual humbucker strat. With this guitar there was still some brittleness there, but not as much. I was actually able to dial in a pretty good "brown" sound with the gain at 6 and I was able to add a little more treble and presence.

Then I took it to band practice and turned the volume up to around 3. It was like having a totally different amp!! With the humbucker guitar the brittleness was gone and the distortion was really thick and middy sounding. I actually had to turn the treble and presence up to around 6 and the mids and bass down to around 4 or 5 while keeping the gain at 6.

When I switched over to my Voodoo I had to turn the treble and presence down and crank the mids up a bit. I also turned the gain up to around 8 to make up for the weaker pickups.

The cleans are top notch! No complaints here!

We play anything from Greenday to Nickelback to Godsmack and this amp does the job for me. I've read reviews where this amp doesn't have enough gain, but I keep mine at 6 and it's plenty for me! I don't even have to use a boost unless I'm going to play a solo. Speaking of solos, this thing can provide you with some liquid leads, with great sustain.

Overall I was able to get a really thick sounding distortion out of both guitars, although for what my band plays I prefer the humbucker guitar, but this is the first amp I've had that shows the different personalities of different guitars.

I've read some horror stories, but that goes for just about anything. I've been playing mine for 4 or 5 months and I haven't had any problems. The only thing I've noticed is a "farting" type noise when I turn the am on from standby, but I've read on the carvin forum that it's normal for this amp.

Never had to deal with them. I believe the warranty on the amp is 1 year and 90 days on the tubes.

What can I say. I love this amp. If you're a fan of scooped mids and fizzy distortion then stay away from this amp. If you like a nice thick and meaty distortion with great sustain for leads and an awesome clean channel to go along with it then this is the amp for you.

This review is of my 2007 Legacy. Pretty standard amp specs. two channel amp: Clean and Lead. Strait ahead setup.

I'm using the Legacy with a Les Paul Classic (loaded with a DiMarzio ToneZone in the bridge and a Duncan 59 in the neck), Carvin DC127c (loaded with a DiMarzio Fred bridge and PAF Pro in the neck) and a partscaster loaded with DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Solo set. Amp is running a Marshall 1960AX cab.

The amp is very warm and punchy. Evey though the Legacy Cab is loaded with Vintage 30s, I find the amp responds best to Greenbacks and GT-75s.

The clean channel is very clean, and I find that when using the 100 watt mode it doesn't breakup until very loud (7 or above on the master) It 50 watt mode, it will break up around 3 or so- which is still very loud. the clean channel has a unique voicing. You either like it or you don't. After much tweaking, I was able to find a tone that I really liked... and then I didn't touch the controls again!

The dirty channel is where this amp really shines. It has a mid heavy tonality overall, but then the guitar is a midrange voiced instrument... so there ya go. The tone is thick and chewy. It is more in the line of Marshall in it's overall voicing. Think of it as a JCM800 with a lot more gain. It sits well in the mix, and takes up a lot of sonic room. It is very articulate, even with the gain levels set high. I typically run the gain around 6.5, which is more than enough for my playing.

Over all, I find the amp to be quiet. Until you get really high on the gain settings. Around 4 on the master, the amp opens up and starts to really breathe. However, this is NOT a bedroom amp. It is extremely loud! I play hard rock, and the amp performs wonderfully for this application.

I gig without a backup all the time. It hasn't let me down in the past 6 months.

Carvin CS is simply the best. I have always had good dealings with them.

Overall, this is a great rock amp! It takes pedals extremely well, and allows you to sound like you. My only real complaint is that I wish the master volume wasn't so touchy. It's either off or loud! I do wish the amp had an adjustable solo boost, but I can live without it, since the amp does take pedals well. A TS9 in front gooses the volume for solos nicely.

The Carvin Legacy has two channels, Lead and Clean. It has tube-driven reverb and is supplied with EL34 power tubes. This amp is designed for soloing. Consider it a cranked up Marshall on steroids. That's about it.

If you like the "Brown Sound" - this amp is for you. It not only does that, but does it pumped up to the next level. The distortion is best around 7 and is incredible for soloing. You can also get some very nice power chords out of it as well with high-output pickups. Get rid of the EL34's and put in a set of 6L6GC's for more of a bottom end and move from the "Marshall" character to a "Boogie" character. (It does not however sound like a Recto.)

The reverb will add some "buzz" to the sound of the amp. It is a known problem with Carvin and they will tell you, but only if you ask.

Don't expect it to sound like something else. It will only sound like what it is, a Carvin Legacy.

Had a tube blow out on me within the first couple of weeks of purchasing it. This took out a few resistors and ruined the rest of the power tubes. This wasn't covered under warranty (since it was a faulty tube and not the amp) so I repaired the amp myself. The fuse didn't blow as it should have to prevent this problem.

The input jack also can have a grounding problem and create a lot of buzz. This is covered under the standard warranty.

Never gig without a backup, but if you're playing at home only, it should be fine.

Carvin's support can vary from day to day, depending on who you get when you call them. Internet support is virtually non-existant. When you get the right person on the phone, they can be great - otherwise don't expect anything special.

I got this amp because I liked the sound of the Carvin Legacy. There are many other amps to choose from, but this one had the sound I wanted. Do not buy this amp if you want to play thrashing metal. It will not do it. It will however do most anything else, and even a bit of classic metal to some degree.

The Legacy is king for soloing, and fairly good for everything else.

Listed Below. 2 Channel all tube head with reverb. Presence switch for the clean channel that adds bright to the higher frequencies and a presence pot for controled presence on the overdrive channel. Mine did not came with a footswitch pedal, but I don't mind. For the features, it's not a line6 with a thousand buttons and switches, just a fine head with the right controls. Perfect for me!

I play through an old Jem77FP (first year of production), a Peavey Wolfgang Standard Deluxe and a Epiphone X-plorer with Zakk Wylde's EMGs. I play mostly hard-rock, but any kind of rock that suits my taste (generally all of them), just a very little bit of fusion and a little bit of funk. Sorry guys, no jazz or coutry here. Well, at least not yet.

Thats where the Legacy really shines. Absolutely tone heaven with any of my guitars!!! It sounds like a very hot-rodded old Marshall, with lots of low-end and beautifull highs, and, I mean, lots of distortion, just not enough for the amp to play for you, if you know what I mean. Any setting you dial with it sounds good, and its perfect to achieve absolutly great cleans (sparkly, ballsy, shimery and never, ever distorted) and absolutely amazing distortion (everything a distortion should have, thght bass, beatifull mids and perfecly screaming highs, beside the fuckin' great harmonics)

The amp clearly transpasses the tone of the guitar and consequently the player's, making the player's mistakes more aparent, but that's the best part, you start to play in a cleaner way, and its distortion is quite enough for playing the sillyest nu metal available. I don't know what these guys think of guitar playing, nevermind. I'll put some videos in youtube, and everybody will be able to see haw far the Legacy goes.

Ah, and theres something else. The Legacy sounds completly different with each cabinet used, even someway retaining its own caracter. Running it through a Mesa 1x12, it reminded me somehow of a Rectifier. Through a cabinet loaded with an eminence, it sounded completly like a Marshall. I'll post the rest of this part when its own cabinet arrives.

Until now, it looks like nothing can brake it. Since I have it only for a month, I'll not post anything relevant here, but soon I'll express myself again about it.

Did not have to deal with Carvin yet, but the amp arrived on the scheduled time, with everything perfect (I mean the box, the shirt that it came with, stuff like that)

I play for something like 4 to 6 years, don't mind the time, and I don't own a lot of gear, but this amp does not need much of anything else to play with. Just a good guitar and creativity. If it was stolen I would replace it shurely (if the financial situation allows me to). For me it has been a perfect amp, it has made me smile everyday I get home and hop into the guitar for playing. I don't imagine how is it going to be when its great cabinet arrives =)

I bought my "used" Legacy head back in 97'(approximately, I've ran it through a 2X12 Marshall 1960 cab and most recently trough a 4X12 Legacy (Bottom) cab. In both cases it absolutely screamed like a demon... The Marshall cab seemed to sound a bit mid-range(ish) but the matching Legacy cab naturally matches up much better. In short, I am 100% a "Legacy guy", as it stands today I would'nt switch to anything else...

www.myspace.com/throttleusa

2 channel tube head clean and distortion, 100 watts all tube, 50/100 power switch to make it run on only 2 power tubes instead of all 4, bias selector to switch from the stock el34's to 6L6 power tubes.
Effects loop, line out, selectable impedance for whatever speakers you are plugging into this.
Footswitch costs extra, cover costs extra, they could have at least included the footswitch without having to pay extra, how many people will use this without a footswitch carvin? come on...

For solo's this amp is the king, nice smooth and defined lead tone as long as you have the drive between 7-8 you will be in heaven, the drive control is pretty much worthless at any other setting.
For metal it is pretty weak, I threw some 6L6 power tubes in it to give it a bigger bottom but it didn't make much difference it was still weak for metal, for a great all around amp that covers all the bases buy the carvin V3, if you want something that just has a great lead tone then grab this amp instead.
The cleans are pretty much what everyone else says about them, as clean as clean can be with no breakup unless you run the master around 9-10.

Haven't had it all that long to tell but if I were to grade carvin products on their reliability overall I guess they would score pretty low.
They use cheap parts in their amps and they seem to break down quite often, I have been left with a non-working amp more than once due to the cheap parts that they use, failing when I needed them the most, that is why carvin will never be a mainstream manufacturer of musical equipment and that is why you don't see many people currently endorsing their products, that is why when you go to your local clubs you rarely see anyone using carvin gear, they need something they can depend on.
Sure Steve Vai likes their amps but this legacy is modeled after a Bogner, not even an original idea to begin with and they polish his balls constantly whenever he has trouble by providing him with an endless supply of amps that probably have better quality components than the ones they sell to the public.
This has not always been the case with carvin, they used to make great products in the past but something happened around the mid 90's and their quality has gone way downhill.
They got rid of some of their greatest items they ever sold such as the X amps and pointy guitars, replacing them with guitars that look like complete garbage mostly due to the headstock and logo designs(with the exception of the PRS copy CT series) and an MTS amp that has no real power to it at all, very weak, show me the list of MTS endorsers carvin and I'll retract my words, the amp simply sucks, what are you people thinking over there?? how many of those heaps of junk are you really selling? I bet they don't even sell 50 a year including the combo version, pitiful, make a 2 channel version of the V3 and get rid of that stinking hunk of crap known as the MTS3200 head.

This is another issue where they needed some serious work, yes I give them credit where credit is due, they have been a lot better to deal with than they used to be, in the mid to late 80's they were a real pleasure to deal with, however sometime (and here it is again) in the mid 90's they lost it, they had some real winners working for them in customer service, I have never been so frustrated with dealing with a company as I have been with carvin, even worse, when they lost Sean they went way downhill, I felt as if I was calling aol or someone equally as terrible, clueless and insensitive.

Overall I would say the legacy is a great lead amp that has a great clean channel, but I expect trouble with it in the reliability dept. but I plan to hang onto it for my collection anyways, it looks nice and is very loud and the cheapo chinese vintage 30 clones don't sound bad either.
That reminds of of something to say positive about carvin, I know they used to sell these with the greenback speakers, the best move they made with this amp was to get rid of those useless speakers, they would blow way too easy and sounded they garbage but that is my experience with other amps using those speakers and not the legacy amp although I can imagine the legacy had the same issues with those speakers.
And a word about the museum, it seems like an ok place to get some info from but the forums leave a lot to be desired, all you will find there is praise praise PRAISE for carvin products and opinions from so-called players who are pretty much clueless (listen to the BBB sound clips) stuffy old men who have nothing better to do than compliment each other on the grade of their flame and quilt maple tops and argue over tone.
One thing the disturbed me the most was when someone who posts there lost a child, I couldn't believe the stuff I was reading about it, the father was posting constantly about his loss instead of spending time with the remainder of his family, the last thing I would do if I lost a family member was spend hours typing into some web forum.
That is the mentality of the people who post there, you have been warned.

This is a 2006 model with EL-34's Groove Tubes. I bought the Half stack, so the price corresponds to the half stack price plus shipping to Canada.

This amp is a true 2 channels amp (clean/overdrive) with separte EQ (Treble, Mid & Bass). On the clean channel you also have a presence switch that boost the high frequencies... on the overdrive channel you have a presence knob that enhance the high frequencies too. It have a switchable reverb. It also have an output switch (50/100 watts)... but the sound is better on the 100 watts.

PLUS: True 2 channels amp
50/100W switch
Reverb
Great Looks
EL 34 Groove Tubes

CONS: I wish it have light indicators on the footswitch.
Really loud ! ...will need a hot plates !
The Presence knob on the drive is pretty unusable pass 4 or 5.

I've tried it with a Fender Fat Strat USA with noiseless pickups and a Seymour Duncan TB-4 on the bridge; a Jackson King-V USA. I've tried it straight to the amp and with my pedalboard (GUITAR-Boss TU2-Boss Noise Supressor-Xotic BB Preamp-Ibanez Tubescreamer-MXR EVH Phase 90-MXR 10 Band EQ-Boss Delay-Boss Chorus-AMP)... I also tried it with RAT, MXR Wylde Overdrive and EH Big Muff.


This amp is awesomely versatile ! You can easily go from Jazz to Metal... you can also play country and blues in between ! And of course instrumental rock like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Andy Timmons !

Clean Channel:

PLUS:
Really clean and doesn't distort at high volumes
Dreamy sounding
Fender quality clean
Great for Blues, Jazz and Country... reacts well with overdrives stompboxes (RAT, Tube screamer, BB Preamp, Big Muff & Zakk Wylde Overdrive).

CONS: Doesn't break (for blues... but my stompboxes can acheive that sound anyway)
Really loud

Distortion Channel:

PLUS:
Really mid sounding... great for lead tone
You can have a really great sound at a low volume setting
You can easily acheive that "Brown" sound
Really easy to have the Vai sound (easier with my Jackson)
Mostly for Rock oriented music, definitively not for Metal Heads in search of the "Mesa/Boogie Rectifier" sound ! But you can acheive a great metal distortion (easier with my Jackson... of course !)... 80's metal like old megadeth and old metallica and old rock like Van Halen, AC/DC, Aerosmith, etc.

CONS:
lacks of bottom for more agressive music... but that's not why I bought it... so that's not really a "minus".
A little to easy to sound harsh (mostly presence knob)
Fairly difficult to acheive a great blues distortion (but I use my stompboxes for this).

I own it for one month now so I can't say something about reliability...

at fisrt I was having problems... but it was the shipping that damage the power tubes.

but it seems built like a tank !

I totally rely on it !

When I received it the amp was sounding very bad... very harsh specially the distortion... I've told it to Carvin via email

Then they sent me new preamp tubes at first... and the amp was again sounding bad... then they sent me new Power tubes... ahhh ! wow the sound was beautiful ! night and day !

They are really kind and comprehensive.
It's trully the best service I ever had with musical instruments yet !

About the warranty you have 1 year for the amp and 90 days for the tubes.

I've been playing for 11 years now, I studied in Jazz music. I play mostly Rock, Blues, Jazz, 80's metal, Instrumental rock and compositions. I own a Jackson USA King-V, a Fender Fat Strat USA, a Jasmine Classic guitar and a Simon & Patrick Mahogany Pro acoustic guitar. Along with this I own several stompboxes... BOSS: TU2, Noise supressor, Super shifter, DS-1,delay, chorus, volume/expression pedal. MXR: Dime Distortion, Wylde overdrive, EVH Phase 90, 10 Band EQ, Super Comp. Ibanez: tube screamer TS-7. PROCO: RAT distortion. Xotic: BB Preamp. Electro Harmonix: Big Muff.

I have search for an all tube amp for so long (4 years)... I've tried alot of different brand and models (Marshall, Fender, Mesa/Boogie, Peavey and Carvin) and for the price none of the other brand was acheiving that quality. The other one I was considering was the Bogner Extacy... but way to expensive ! the last duel was: Mesa/Boogie Stiletto Deuce and Carvin Legacy... those two were really good amps... but I don't have the money to afford the Boogie and... So I've chosen the Legacy !!!

For the price/quality you can beat the Legacy... and it has his own voice and this is what I like with the Legacy... it doesn't emulate... IT CREATES ! This is not only for the Vai freaks, but also for the ones in search of a unique sounding amp, you can create a lot of different colors with this amp... and this is what I like with it !

Unless the fact that this is my FIRST ALL TUBE AMP, I've played with alot of tube amps in different shows and in my music formation, so I can say that this amp is a great Tube amp that belongs to be with the greats like Mesa/Boogie, Marshall, Fender, Vox and Bogner.

My years of search are now over !

If I were stolen... I'll surely buy another one !!!

Both VL100's sounded different when I turned them on...mostly bad.
Both TN100's needed to be turned on and off before I got them to work properly.

No comment. The gear I got broke after a week.

Marco (customer relations supervisor) was extremely kind and helpful but unfortuantely his being nice doesn't do anything for gear that doesn't work.
We exchanged the defective amps and TN100 racks and got exactly the same problems after a week.

I own a music school and professional studio. I also do studio and live session work on a professional level. I was looking for a company that had all the products I needed under one flag. Carvin seemed like a good choice.
I ordered 2 Legacy Half Stacks, 2 TN100 tone navigators, 2 custom 7 string guitars and a 5 string bass for an amount almost over $7000

I firstly got the amps and tone navigators. 1 Amp and 1 tone Navigator we're broken out of the box. I called up Carvin for an exchange and they told me they couldn't ship out replacements until I returned these. So I took another two weeks to get my replacement units.
In the meantime the VL100's tubes blew out on me in one week without gigging and just sitting in the studio and the Tone Navigator was acting weird not changing presets when It was suppose to and sounded boomy.
I finally receive the replacements. They Broke after a week (in the studio, not moving!).
You can start to understand why I wasn't going to take these products out on the road.
I asked Marco what the heck was going on and he told me it was an isolated incident but after doing a little research online I found many with my same problems.
As for the guitars. Well I was double charged on my Credit Card for the XB75 Bass so I was $1200 short and it took Carvin 10 days to admit fault and issue a refund that took 2 weeks to take effect.
The Guitars were due for delivery August 27th. Still nothing here. It took them 5 days to build the necks and bodies but they have been in the "string set up phase" for Three weeks now.
I just left a message for Marco and emailed to cancel all orders and issue a refund A.S.A.P.

I don't know what else to say. You be the judge.

You know the set up. All tube amp. I play rock. classic rock mostly. and some newer stuff. also play blues. this only thing I don't use on this amp is the presence on the clean channel.
My amp is set up with Electro Harmonics EL34's in the power tube section and chinese 12ax7's in the preamp section. I think they come with Groove tubes from the factory. At least thats what I read at the carvin website. I use this amp everywhere I go. it even sounds good at low volumes. But don't let the 50 watt switch fool you this amp is loud. low volume on this amp is set at 1. after that your on your own. the louder the better!

This amp sounds AMAZING. I've only played on solid state amps. and some hybrids, I then purchased a tube overdrive pedal and I fell in love with that tube sound. so I figured let me check out some tube amps and see the difference. to my surprise they sounded pretty much the same, I could basically get the same tone from my set up to the tube amps I tried out. not exactly the same but close enough to where I didn't want to drop down a nice chunck of dough for one. Until I found this amp. The Carvin Legacy. this amp is like nothing I've ever heard or can recreate with my set up, it is so crisp and clean, I never heard my guitar's sound so beautiful, even the overdrive is so clear not muddy at all. every note can be heard clearly note for note not mixed together or sloppy, this amp can go from clean to dirty without a change in volume, like some amps I tried. the reverb is amazing also its very smooth,doesn't sound like your playing on the toilet. I use a Jackson warrior XT with the stock detonator humbuckers and I can get plenty of gain with this amp and clearly. I was going to change the pickups in warrior because I thought they were crap, I could never get a good distortion sound out of them, it would always break up really bad but now its sounds good.to get really good distortion I set the gain anyware between 6 and 8 depending on your guitar and use the volume knob on the guitar to control how much distortion you want and beleive me there is plenty. I also have a strat with stock pickups that I play blues through and this amp can do that very well. I now like my strat again, it was my first guitar and I stopped playing it because I didn't like the tone all that much and was getting ready to sell it, Lucky I held on to it. its sounds amazing through this amp. I didn't mention any names on the other amps because I don't want to bad mouth any brands since they all have their own tones which I also like. Tone is like ice cream so many different flavors and everyone has their favorite. and this one is mine. and I'm only giving it a nine because you never now when another flavor is going to get your attention.

No problems Yet. If you can't depend on it why keep it.

I don't know how it sounded from the factory since I bought it used with different tubes in it. I know that if it doesn't sound good, it can. with the right tubes.

2-ch, clean & od. Clean ch doesn't have preamp control, which is unfortunate. I've been jamming with this head for about half a yr now & the honeymoon is over, though I still kinda like the amp. For what I play (free metal/jazz) there's only one good distortion setting & that's at 7-8 on the pre, presence nearly cranked, & treble around 1 o'clock.

This amp I feel has the min. requirements for gain to be considered a high-gain amp. I'm using neutral pickups though, & gtrs w/hotter pickups might feel otherwise. It's a fairly clean, tasteful distortion, probably not enough gain for thrash or grindcore if that's your genre. The clean ch. is nice, but again, no preamp setting so it's limited on its own, as it doesn't break up.

I also have a Decatone & would say that the dist ch. on the Legacy is somewhere in the 2nd ch. of the Decatone, although the Decatone's 2nd ch. preamp cranked still has more gain. The Legacy's dist ch I find cannot have the preamp cranked as it gets muddy. That's where the Soldanos are superior - their whole preamp band is useable whereas the Legacy is limited (as I mentioned in Features).

I give it an 8, all things considered, but for the price it's probably a 9. Carvins are bargains & if I was to get another one I'd try the MTS (even cheaper) or the V3, though a bloke had both the V3 & Decatone & returned the V3.

One other gripe - the amp chassis should be more open for better cooling.

You know the features; this amp is a 2004-5 model. I am not sure which. I play covers in a regularly gigging band and use this amp for everything. It is more than loud enough for any gig. Probably sounds best turned up a bit though. Why buy a 100 watt head for the bedroom? I think the amp is wonderfully straightforward and very versatile without losing its character. Some good options on it I like are the 50 watt option switch; the bright switch on the clean; and the footswitchable reverb. I wish that it had a solo boost function that is adjustable on the amp. Many amps have these now an they are pretty cool to use live. Maybe Carvin will add that option one day.

I play through a Les Paul and a 335. Pedal set up is minimal and I don't run any effects in the loop. This amp is a little bit noisy (at least mine was) but I don't mind. The amp itself is basically a clone of the Blue Channel on the Bogner XTC or perhaps the SHiva's dirty channel. I think it is a bit darker and has more gain. For the $ it is a great substitute for the Bogner. the Clean channel is nice and usable. People have said this amp is the poor man's Bogner and it may be. I also think it has a little of its own style going on. I have owned an XTC and a Shiva and I think they cut a bit more in the mix and are a bit more articulate as well, but I found the Legacy's tone to be inspiring to me and I am not a big Vai freak or anything either.

I have heard mixed reviews on reliability and quality in these. I am taking a wait and see approach with it. I haven't had it very long.

n/a

I would give it a solid 8. The tubes may need to be changed but other than that I dig this amp. It is a great find and I plan to keep it around (at least for a little while) haha....

Welly just recently get this amp head with the extension cabinet 2 * 12 carvin, my amp was made in 2006, have two chanels, the lead and the clean chanel, the features are simple but have the funcions of a guitar player need.

Well i use a JS1000 and and ibanez RG350DX with evoluyion pickups, the sound of theseguitars in this amps are great, it's all i need to play almost any kind of music, y recomend this one to all musicians who play all kind of music excep the hardcore, because the lead channelis not to grunch to that kind of music

Well my amp head sounds great, very nice, y just love this sound because it's all can i need to play, and y don't need any kind of acustic simulators or reverb pedals.

when i went to the store they give me all the atention that i need it, the respond to all my questions and i try all the amps to make the righ decision. they guaranty is very good, because they replace or repare the amp if you make someting to it, they just repair it or give yo a new one

i have been playin for 6 years and this is the amp better for me, the sound and the image it's geat, i tink this one sound better than a marshall at all, thisamp, do not need anithing else, just need to be played

Picked this up from the Carvin factory in 2002. I've used it exclusively ever since. Before that I was using a Yamaha T-50 designed by Soldano that had ridiculous gain, but I could never get the distrotion to sound anything but ratty and super fuzzed out. The Legacy has a cabinet voiced out ofr recording, and that was a selling point in addition to the clean and lead channel and the ability to switch between 50 and 100 watts. Plus you can swap the power tubes between el34s, 6l6s and 5881s without having to rebias the amp. Very cool. My amp has the el34s, and I love the tone.

I've played through a number of amps over the years. I used to have a boutique Nomad head made in Berkely that had a great vintage tube sound because it was based on a Marshall 69 plexi schematic. I also used a Sound City for a while which was great until it got fried with a misplaced beer. I've also used a Peavey Deuce, a Laney, a Fender DeVille, a Marshall JCM800 and just prior to the Legacy a Soldano designed 50 watt Yamaha T-50. All these amps had great tone, but none provided me the versatility and ability to dial in a really crunchy, heavy tone that doesn't sound like it's too edgy, ratty or fuzzy from over saturation. Well, that was until I found the Legacy.

This amp has the greatest clean channel by far of any amp I've played. It is nice and smooth and allows you to dial in a tone without being overly harsh in the highs like most amps are. I run mine with the presence boost set and the treble around 6-7, and it just shines. I don't use a lot of reverb when I play, but the reverb on this thing is not cheesy at all. It adds just the right amount of depth without being overbearing.

The lead channel is something to behold. I think the tonal variations from this amp are amazing. Anyone that can't get enough gain out of this thing has some real issues with saturated overdrive. I agree with a lot of other comments. If you need that much saturation, you really ought to focus more on playing better instead of trying to get more gain. The reality is you actually get MORE in your face crunch and smack by turning the preamp drive gain down so that the attack of the string can be accurately articulated by the amp. Otherwise you get a heaping dose of mush that has no definition. And all you guys that crave the scooped mid sound from high gain amps, let me just say this. A guitar is an instrument that is ALL ABOUT MIDS!!! If you take out the mids you basically suck out 80% of your tone. That just might be 80% of your problem!

Anyway, I have never had a problem with not having enough gain. On the contrary, I find myself usually dialing back the drive gain after about 7. It just gets too mushy and ratty for my tastes. I typically use a custom built 3 humbucker monster of a guitar with a Les Paul body containing hollowed out chambers, but I have also used a late 70's Epiphone Genesis, a Carvin SC-90 and a Les Paul Special with P-90s. The music I play is mostly heavy in the vein of old Sabbath, Soundgarden, Tool, Alice In Chains with a bit of classic rock a la AC/DC, Aerosmith and Zeppelin thrown in. My speaker cab is a 2 x 12 Laney cab with Celestions, and I have huge, growling tone.

The EQ is fantastic on this thing, and it is much different from the typical amp. The range is so broad that the movement of either the bass, mid or treble knobs even one tick has a dramatic effect. I have it dialed in now where you can hear every string perfectly, and I have had several sound guys from some of the premier clubs and venues in the Bay Area comment on how great the tone from this amp was.

The only real disappointment for me was the cabinet voiced line out. This was one of the selling points for me so that I wouldn't have to use something like a Red Box for live recording. I don't know what it is, but I found the output from this line out to be completely unusable for recording. It sounded really harsh and did not come anywhere close to sounding like a miked cabinet. In fact it reminded me of the days of old when we used to take the speaker outs from a head and run it through a direct box, like the nasty super distorted guitar fuzz heard in the lead guitar tracks on the Beatles' Revolution, but not as nice. It just sounded awful. I went back to using the Red Box with the speaker out feed, and it sounds great that way. I don't know if it's just my amp, but I wouldn't recommend using this line out for recording.

One last comment for the high gain guys. If you really need that super high gain tone, then look into getting a Hot Plate or a Power Brake to attenuate the output from your head before it hits your speakers. I did this recently so I could run my amp's power stage at 10 but keep the overall volume low so it doesn't blow my ears out. The gain was ridiculous! My tubes were so saturated I thought my speakers were going to start oozing. You can really hear the tubes break up in the power stage, and it is such a preferable sound to the breaking up of the preamp tube stage. What I liked best was running the preamp gain at 7 and the power stage at 8. My God! I needed a towel I was creaming so hard.

The first one I got died after the third time I used it. It had a bad transformer, I think. I sent it back to Carvin, and they sent me a new one. I've used it ever since and have had no problems with it. It has been my mainstay for 3 years now for regular weekly practices and several gigs. No problem. I gig with it and do carry a backup.

Carvin is a great company. I tried this amp out at their factory in San Diego, and they let me wank for an hour in their amp room so I could try out all their heads AND the cabinets in various combinations. Plus they let me haul in my own cabinet to hook up to the amps as part of my listening test. Very nice.

When I had the problem with my head they got a new one shipped to me within a week. Their service and support is nothing short of stellar.

For the money you simply cannot get a more versatile or better sounding amp. Period. You could easily spend 2 times as much and walk away with a far inferior product and even worse a far inferior tone. Carvin is one of the most underrated companies out there, and they really hit a home run with this product. I have recommended this head to many of my friends ever since I got it, and I would rush out to get another one if this one was ever lost or stolen. Kudos to Vai and Carvin as I feel this really is the product to beat at this price.

Basic 2 ch.
Cabinet-voiced line out (haven't tried yet)
Bias setting for power tubes. 50w or 100w setting.

I just got this amp, but I quite like it & will be using it more than my Soldano Decatone.
There's no master vol, but that may allow you to use your gtr's vol knob to roll back the gain a bit better than if it had one.

I've played it so far w/a US Tele HH. I play a fusion of styles from fairly heavy metal to jazz & progressive rock.

I agree w/the contributors below who said you can get more gain out of it by not cranking the gain knob. Cranking it makes the sound too flabby. The gain is optimum at 7.5 when you set the treble & presence high. It's not super-saturated, but strong enough for all but the most extreme metal, which I don't care for anyways.

Carvin has a good reputation for reliability. There's a lot of older Carvins on eBay so you know they'll last awhile

Actually, after shipping & charges for the money order, etc it cost $775 Cdn. Still, that's less than a third of what I paid for a used mint Decatone. Carvin gear is the best value out there. If you want a little more gain, get the Carvin MTS (they're even lower-priced than the Legacy).