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).

I have had this amp for about 3-4 years now and purchased new from Carvin. It can cover most hard rock to less rock sounds. May not be great for metal unless you put an OD pedal in front of it. I wish it had a middle gain channel for the more ACDC type crunch or bluesy sound, but then again you can just turn down your gain quite a bit and use an OD for those time you need a little extra. I have used this amp for over 100 gigs in my hard rock cover band playing tunes ranging from Metallica, Ozzy, Creed, Bizkit, Hendrix, Rage, Van Halen, etc. I use it with the Legacy 2x12 cab with Vintage 30's and a TC Electronics G-Major for flavoring and channel changing.

I love the effects loop and the watt switch is great for certain situations.

The sound of this is like a darker Marshall that can get a little more saturated if the gain is pushed into 7+. Anything past 8 gets a little muddy. It fits rock lead playing the best such as of course Vai, Satch etc. It's a little dark for that commerical rhythm sounds you hear on many rock pop tunes, but great for a unique darker sound like you would here from Collective Soul to Ty from Kings X. It a meaner Marshall, with a little more gain and darker. I sometimes wish it was just voiced the same as the marshall since I like the feel of the sound/amp so much. The Eqs voicings are different than most amps. I don't remember the spec, but the Bass knob is lower in freq and the treble is much higher. I'm not sure I like that since I get the sense their ranges are outside of the guitar spectrum some. You can't beat the voicing of a marshall as far as rock goes. It always cuts through the mix. Don't get me wrong, I love this amp, but just wish it was a tab bit brighter. I use the EQ on my g-Major to brighten it sometimes. I do like that it does not fatique my ears like other amps though.

Since the amp is a little dark it is tough to get great overtones out of the amp. It's hard to explain, you can't this amp to feedback in a good way unless you crank the highs. Good feedback helps with long sustains sometimes for the on fire sound like old Van Halen sound. (His guitar always sounded like it was going to explode soon). Same goes with harmonics. You can get them, but it just takes a little etra work. As far as back feedback goes, it never had a problem when cranked. It's a very quited amp.

I don't understand the hidden Vai feature. All tube amps seem to have the feature of cleaning up when you back the volume down. My Fender Deluxe Start with Lace pickups don't do that well for some reason. Only on my Pandoras box and some old SS Randall. Go figure one digital and one solid state. I wish my guitar would clean up when I back the vol down without getting dark or muddy. Vai's guitar has a special vol pot that increases the treble as you back the vol down. Listen to Tender Surrender at the very end for that little trick.

Overall I love the dirty channel for lead can't find a better amp for it yet. Rhythm is just a little muddy, but still well worth it if you are a lead play.

The clean is great. Simply clean and not sterile. It would be nice to have the option of pushing a little for those blusy sounds, but oh well. Great clean.

Perfect so far and still on the original tubes after 100+ shows. My first week the vol seemed to fade a little here and there, but never happened again. Maybe it was just new tubes breaking in?!?! I am afraid to look at other amp since this has worked so well for me. I don't bother with a back up.

They were great. I didn't like the 2x12 at first, but aparently the vintage 30s take time to break in over the phone. I played the amp over the phone to Customer Service and they could tell the speakers were not broken in. I even A/B'd the cabs with a small marshall cab and they knew with speakers were the Carvin cab (before they were broken in). Very friendly and knowledgable.

Overall this had been a good purchase. I would probably not buy it again since I like most players are always seeking a better tone. I in no way regret buying it though AT ALL!!! I'm not sure I will find my dream amp, but the Bogner XTC is pretty close. They are similar of course, but the one time I played the XTC it was just a little bit clearing sounding. I would maybe get the DSL or TSL, but they just feel cheap these days and I don't trust them for some reason, plus they went way up in price. I like how they sound though.

Not really much to say here. Its a 2-channel tube amp... nothing extra than any other amp

Got some ESP custom guitars, a fender strats. My ESPs all have humbucker in the bridge and this is definitely what the legacy likes the most. The Distortion channel is very rich and warm with a sort of velvety distortion, i wont say fuzzy but really hard to explain just a personal description. The eq is very versatile and takes some getting use to but is capable of almost anything in rock,jazz,blues etc. The Clean channel is very bright and well clean...lol Its got real good headroom and its very nice especially with the bright switch, cant remember what they call (might be presence) but who cares its another option that makes it very versatile. One thing to note was the Strat pickups and the legacy arent to my liking the distortion channel. Its a little to velvety for my taste, but i run a OD pedal on the clean channel and that gives me what i want for my strat. So its almost like a 3rd channel.

Nothing yet has made me question it...used it for a couple years

Carvin is very good. I havent had to ask them anything regarding this amp but have talked to them many times. always helpful..

Played for over 17years. I also have a marshall 50watt plexi, POD, GMAJOR, and to many pedals to list. This guitar amp is very versatile. For what it was designed to do it does it very well. Nice distortion, not a higain distortion but its not designed for that. Very nice clean channel and a pretty good reverb. This amp is fairly loud but what do you expect!! its a stack.. Not designed to play in your bedroom while mommys at home...lol If it was stolen, i dont know if i would buy another one. I am constantly on the look out for a prefect amp but i have never found one. There is so much good gear out there, but really this is a very good amp for a cheap price.. nothing much else needs to be said!!

I'm giving this amp a 10 because it is very versatile. The clean channel is warm, yet has plenty of highs, very crystal clear, but not harsh or piercing. Good character to the drive channel, FX loop and reverb a plus.

All those who gave this amp a poor review is either stupid, can't play, or both. Not one person has mentioned the main goal of this amp. This amp sounds great ON AXIS! It's the only amp I've ever heard that addresses the problem: standing directly in front of your amp is very harsh and way too bright. It's voiced perfectly for standing 10 feet out and right in front of your cabinet. If you play live music and get paid (not in your bedroom), you're forced to listen to your amp on-axis.
Every other amp in the world gets way too bright and looses body. The Legacy is dark and thick enough to sound correct in front of the speaker. Steve Vai is a pro and he addressed that problem. If it didn't have enough gain for you, then you can't play clean enough. This is a responsive amp. If you sound bad playing it, the problem is you. It's very singy, full and round and sounds like Steve Vai. It's only for the good players, though. It doesn't cover up your mistakes, or poor technique.

Great!

Carvin is great. They actually try to talk you out of the Legacy if they get the notion that you just want to crank the gain and scoop the mids.
The Legacy won't let you do that. It has tons of body even with the mids on 1.

The amp is very affordable. Especially compared to an SLO or Bogner.

same features as others, 2 channels, clean overdrive, reverb, channel switching, el34 or 6L6 , 50 watt or 100 watt.
played through a carvin legacy 2 x 12 cabinet with celestion vintage 30's

i play a ibanez jem with evolution pickups, my music style is jazz fusion rock
the amp is fantastic, to me its the best , the overdrive is full rich and creamy, not overkill or mush but you can reach every harmonic on the planet. clean is crystal clear, i'm running it with el34's It's very versital, i've been playing 30 years and for rock hard rock blues jazz fusion . this amp will do !!

no problem here, and if so carvin is here right in california

i had a couple of questions before i purchased the amp, i emailed them and got a response in 1/2 a day, really quick.
i purchased the amp used, had no problems yet,

been playing 30 yrs, i own jems, 1 gibsons, and a strat
if it were lost, stolen i would get another, i found the amp for me.
i love bogners but 2500.00 is too much for me. i've played marshall, i own a sovtek mig 50, i had fender twins, super reverb, i had a mesa boogie mkIV, so, all in all. the above amps mentioned are fantastic, but for the right person,
but with the legacy i found my match. try it

Purchased new from Carvin. 2 channels, all tube, 100 watt, etc. I use this amp at home for pleasure and recording.

I am rating this amp as an 8 for versatility. It is perfect for me and alot of different styles with it's perfect clean channel and great dirty channel but may not be perfect for nu-metal or other types. I actually think more country players should use this amp. I am not a country player but do mess with some twangy old stuff my Dad taught me and it sounds great.

I use a Jem7vwh. My style is everything from hard metal to grunge, surf, 80s, british metal and some old country. This amp is perfect for me. I have always had crappy amps and never had a tube amp. I am very impressed with the sound. This amp is very very loud even on 50Watt setting, but just turn it down to 1 and turn up the gain a little and it still sounds great. I love playing ZZ Top songs on this amp, I think it lends well to that style of classic metal but some heavy thrash might need a distortion petal but the distortion is fine for me and I used to use a Boss MT-2.

Haven't had it long but so far is fine.

There was a mess up with my initial order and they sent me a 212E tweed 2x12 cabinet instead of the C212E Legacy cabinet. But they were very prompt in getting me the correct one and letting me keep the other until I received it and sent me a shipping label to return the wrong one.

I have been playing for about 10 years, play mostly Ibanez guitars, my previous amps were old 70's Kustoms and vintage solid state amps and a Crate 30-watt practice amp. I love this amp and would definitely get it again if it were stolen. I played the Crate Blue Voodoo and a Marshall TSL2000 before I ordered this and I like this way better. I have always been on the fence wondering if tube amps were really that much better and I finally got one and I am converted. I am not a tone freak but really noticed the difference this amp gives. Now, I think I am becoming picky with tone as I am afraid my cheap zoom pedal is impacting the awesome tone from my amp! I love it and will never go back to solid state unless forced. Trust me, give it a try.

This amp was made this year 2005, I got it brand new from the Carvin Factory store in San Diego. I am a complete freak about tone, and this amp is definitely versitile enough for the music I play and the sound I want to hear. I play mainly virtouso gutiar music... as in Vai (I bet you would have never guessed would you?), Satriani, Petrucci, Yngwie, Paul Gilbert, and Jason Becker to name a few favorites of mine... But I do like to draw from as many different musical styles and tastes as I can, so I also enjoy playing Classical, Blues, Classic Rock, and of course some Heavier Stuff... so I give it a good mix.

This amp has 2 channels (thank god!) a "Clean" Channel and a "Lead" channel, it does have channel and effect switching capabilities if you buy the FS-22 Footwitch (which I highly reccommend, it's so convienent) it has an effects loop which I tend not to use, because I don't use many effects and the ones I do use I run in to the front of the amp... However it does work quite nicely when I did use it, so it's cool.

There aren't any features I wish it had... It is absolutely perfect for me, no endless digital paramaters to tweak, just a simple 2 channel set-up, 100 watts, all tube, and badass tone out the wazoo.

I use the amp in my room at the moment... but when it's time to jam, this thing can completely overshadow everyone else, this thing is insanely loud! SO MUCH POWER! Jeesus, I can't possibly over-emphasize the power this thing puts out...

Other than the features mentioned above it has a master reverb control for both channels, and it sounds great! I love a hint of reverb on my tone to take up space in the mix and add that ambience to lead work and clean tones... and this has one of the most natural, soothing sounding reverbs I've ever played through.

If you want to get straight to the point and "plug-in and play" without having to tweak settings for hours, there isn't a better amp on the face of the earth in my opinion... You can't beat it...

I've got two axes I run through this amp... one is my Trusty 21 fret Fender Stratocaster with stock single coil pickups, and the other is my Custom Shop 24 fret Carvin DC-727 7 String with C-22 Humbuckers. Both guitars have different textures that I love, and I use them for different purposes. This amp lets the true tone of you guitar and fingers shine through... it rewards precise playing and it really lets you hear mistakes, so you've got to keep the chops up to sound good through this thing...

The amp is very quiet actually, I was pleasantly suprised... very minimal amp noise, unless you've got the gain knob dimed - which is totally un-necessary. Noise tends to come from the guitar's pickups anyway... and my Fender hums righteously. So I've got a Boss NS-2 Noise supressor that I run into the front of the amp, and that completely solves the problem...

This amp's tone can not be beaten in my opinion... very, very warm and full... the way the amp is voiced is absolutely brilliant! The tone of this amp is seriously reminiscent to that of the Bogner Extacy... the way the mids are voiced especially. It's a very mid-rangey amp, even with the knob set lower you've still got a good bit of midrange in your sound, which I love... mids let your little nuances and playing techniques come through. The Treble reacts quite differently from any other amp I've ever played through... even set to what is typically "very high" it never gets over-bearing. I've actually got it set on "7" all the time and it sounds wonderful. The Bass knob has it's own thing going as well... it doesn't so the Mesa "BOOMING BASS" thing... it really fattens up the sound while maintining definition, and the clarity is un-beatable.

The clean channel is heavenly, it's by far the best I've ever heard from an all-tube amp... I've simply never heard a tone this clean come from an all tube amp. I don't know how they did it, but it's beyond words... there is absolutely no distortion in the sound whatsoever, and for an all tube amp that is quite an accomplishment. This, along with the way the tone of the amp is voiced, makes for THE BEST clean channel I've ever had the privilege of playing through.

Now for the lead channel... Wow, where to begin? It's the most fluid sounding distortion I've ever heard, there is no harsh high end or muddy bass to be found, the tone as I said before is incredibly warm and full, and there is a lot of midrange... and it really doesn't have a whole lot of gain on it's own, even with the gain set fairly high it's just a "cruchy" distortion. It's not a "brutal" distortion by any means... It's a lead guitarist wet dream...

I can't over exagggerate the quality and durability of carvin's products... this amp is no different... it's 120% ready to tour the world, man... excellent...

Carvin has the vest customer support in the world, they are always very good and informative to talk to... and you can always get a hold of someone when you've got questions, comments and concerns... great guys...

I've been playing for 3 years... Religioulsy, every chance I get. This amp completely out-did my expectations, it's absolutely perfect in every way for me, very user-friendly... There isn't one thing I don't like about it, and I tried dozens of amps until I found this one... Mesas, Marshalls, Peaveys, Crates... e.t.c. and None of them even came close to this beast... I HIGHLY recommend this amp if you play some rippin' leads and you want a tone that can't be beaten...

I bought the 100w head w/2x12 cab back in 1999-2000.

I can't say enough about how good this amp sounds! From the minute I pulled it out of the box, it sounded amazing. It has tons of headroom, and a very warm and punchy quality to the tone, no matter what type of sound you set it to. It's also extremely loud & powerful.
I shoot for a Steve Lukather/EVH meets Dimebag kind of tone, thick and crunchy with good definition. This amp hits it for me!
If I have one gripe about this amp, it's that they need a 3-channel set-up, like Mesa Boogie has, (that is the only reason I give it a 9 here).

I am playing a Music Man Luke with EMG's (81-85) and running through Boss/MXR pedals that are placed in front of the amp chainwise (Boss chorus, delay, compressor, DS-1 Distortion, MXR Zakk Wylde overdrive).
The distortion tone on this amp is very nice. It's not a buzzsaw, scooped-mid thing, (which might turn a lot of metal players off), but rather it's really thick & warm EQ-wise.
Even though I run the amp fairly quietly (1.5 to 2 on volume), I still use the 100w mode rather than the 50w mode, because the amp sounds punchier that way.
As good as it sounds, the amp could honestly use a little more gain, but there is still enough for me to work with.
The only reason that I use the Zakk is because I need a solo boost for the lead channel (see my above gripe about no 3rd channel on amp). I use the DS-1 in front of the clean channel so that I have two basic distortion tones to choose from, the DS-1 or the amp's distortion tone.
The clean channel is also very good sounding. it's loud and punchy with lots of headroom.
Whoever (along with Steve Vai) voiced the EQ on this amp did a fabulous job!
The EQ is very responsive, but yet none of the frequencies are excessive. No shrill highs, nasally mids or muddy lows here. Everything is clear and pretty pleasing to the ears.

I've retubed this amp twice since 2000, and I've had to use some contact cleaner on a couple of the input jacks, but other than that, this thing has given me no trouble at all.
I play rehearsals/gigs 3 nights a week on average, and have done so as long as I've had the amp, so it definitely gets a lot of use.
No neglect here.

I've only called Carvin when I have questions. They've been pretty cool when I do call.
Luckily I've found a great amp repair guy here in Austin who can retube or tune up my amp very quickly. Carvin wants 3 weeks typically for any service they do.

I have been playing for 25+ years and have had a chance to play and own a lot of different amps. This one is one of the best that I've ever used. I would buy another one in a second if I had to. The only amp that I might consider using as an alternate to this one would be a Mesa Boogie Road King. Outside of that, you can keep everything else, I like my Legacy better.

It seems like most of the criticisms about this amp are coming from metal guys who buy it expecting Ozzfest-style crunch tone.
This is not that kind of amp. You can get good metallic tones out of it if you try, but it's voiced to be much fatter and richer than your typical amp.
If you want a metal amp, get a Boogie or Rivera or something crunchier.
If you want a versatile amp with lots of warmth that works for most any gig, get this one.

Built at the Carvin factory in California. A really versatile rock amp that sincerely covers most everything. I play mostly fusion, rock, blues, and country. 2-channel clean and lead and switches either on the head or with the optional FS-22 footswitch that can also operate the Reverb and Effecst Loop. Has a voiced line out and switches to 100watts or 50 watts (only -3db). I've always liked an amp that included an adjustable solo boost (soundman will hate you but, oh well) but, my Boss DS-1 with the level all the way does just fine. I don't use the voiced line out and don't often use the effects loop. There is also a bright switch on the clean channel that is cool if you need it (a reall acoustic bell like tone from a boost in the high frequencies) but, generally, I don't. I use the amp everywhere and anywhere; more than enough power it is REALLY LOUD and the wattage makes almost NO difference! I'd really like Carvin to house the Tube Sockets a little better and maybe encase all the tubes so they don't shake, rattle, or roll. . . Pretty standard overall but, done very well with some nice options that work. . .

I have switched strictly to Fender American Telecasters with Dimarzio Pickups (Twang King neck and Special Chopper-T bridge) and this amp suits my eclectic styles (rock, fusion, country, jazz, heavy metal) very well. I will say a great deal of its versatility is from my guitar and the pickups with generous use of the volume knob. But, this amp just cleans up really well and gives you a lot of tones to discover from just the guitar and your hands. It will not give you Steve Vai per-se but, it will give a good player a lot of expressive tones.

It isn't noisy with my guitar and setup but, any high gain amp with paltry shielded single coils will no doubt be noisy and hiss. My Twang King has just a bit of hiss (mostly on the lead channel) but, the Chopper T is DEAD QUIET. I have to say that is probably my pickup and guitar tech more than the amp. My now sold Laney GH50L and Mesa Boogie Rectoverb seemed much more noisy and I used good EMG humbuckers at the time (the Laney is especially noisy). It seems that having a good surge protector and plugging into good grounded sockets really help in addition to shielding the inside of the pickguard. With the Legacy I don't have to worry about the hiss near as much. Very responsive to pick attack and nuances with volume and tone knob. Reacts kinda unpredictable to different guitars, I can't anticipate what certain brands or style of guitars will sound like; they all take on new character than you've become accustomed too.

This amp is such a strange beautiful creature. I wasn't sold on it the first time I plugged it in because like the quirky dude that designed it, it is very unique. A poor man's Bogner? Well, Steve was using the Bogner 100B as the starting point but, I'll just say it isn't a Bogner and it isn't anything else just a Legacy. With the right guitar and a professional player that can use the volume and tone knobs on the guitar I don't think there is anything the amp isn't capable of. I got great classic rock, hard rock, jazz, and Hendrix type tones. Great variety if your a good player with the patience to use the EQ (they actually do something and are interactive especially the presence and treble on the lead channel) and experiment alot. . . don't get satisfied or unhappy too quick really dig into this amp and you'll be rewarded. Many people that dog this amp (especially the lead channel) I think are either too impatient or just "young" as players/musicians. The accusation of muddiness comes from not using the eq properly and no doubt using too much drive; even the modest instruction manual warns about this. . .

The Clean stays clean at high volumes (or I should say higher there is no medium just off or LOUD) and is just gorgeous with lush reverb. I can't find a bad setting for the clean channel.

The Lead channel is, well, unique and really variable depending on the knowledge of the player. I know what the controls do and I know what I want out of the amp but, I experimented for months and found not one or two "right" sounds but, a palette of usable tones. I will admit it sounds best above 2.5 but, I rarely get there even in the medium sized venues. Brutal, is not a good way to describe the Legacy it isn't a harsh overdrive. The lead channel rewards good technique with brilliant articulation from varied pick attack and synchronized hands. The Legacy really doesn't let you cover up flaws in technique which is cool because when you want to sound rough or on the edge it really let's that come out. So if that's what your going for (i.e. classic rock or blues type soloing) anyway it'll give it too you. Generally, as the drive goes up the volume is better down. Also, the presence and treble don't act like a Marshall JCM800----You can use them pretty high (6-8) and move the midrange up and the bass down it isn't a Mesa Boogie and it just responds to the EQ controls differently than one may be accustomed. Overall, lots of variety and great

Only regular servicing of tubes, lots of reviews have talked about this amp blowing up and stuff. Well, all tube amps can blow up or catch fire or just smoke and die. . . and in proportion to the number of reviews I'd say I feel comfortable with the reliability of this amp as much as any other. Bogner, Randall, Mesa, Marshall, Fender, they all blow up just the same but, Carvin will fix or replace it. . . you won't get that from anyone else but, Cornford, or perhaps Bogner. . .

Without a backup? No way, I'm a pro-----never want my junk in my hand half way through the night. I usually bring a Boss GT-8 or Carvin Bel-Aire just in case.

No amps are perfectly reliable and tube amps cannot be more reliable than an 8.

1 Year warranty. I have purchased a used Legacy as well and they made it tip top and retubed round trip for about $200. Cool guys there mostly, but, like all big places there are occasionally some uninformative sour pusses. I just hang up and try again for someone else and don't take it personally. Joseph is #1 and I recommend using his polite tempered demeanor to help with any of your concerns. Only service is in California unfortunately but, I haven't needed them much besides on the used Legacy. Nobody's perfect in this department but, at least you'll get to talk to SOMEONE! Try that at Fender or Ibanez. . .

15 years of pro playing and Berklee alumni; Graduate in performance from Webster (classical) and studied at Washington University. The only stuff I have after trying it all (literally): Two Fender American Telecasters w/Dimarzio pickups, Boss DS-1 and TU-2, Carvin Legacy VL100's, Carvin Legacy 2x12 cabinets, Monster cables. I never knew good tone was so simple. I accredit alot of it to my hands and experience but honestly, there is definately something special about this amp.

Stolen or Lost I'd buy it again.

I love the reverb and clean and love the simplicity. Mostly, it gives me my own sound and vibe (I wouldv'e never guessed that from a signature amp designed by a Martian). Hate, well I disliked the fact the tubes aren't enclosed and socketed as well as I'd prefer for the road but, that can be fixed or just get a good road case. Also, it is not for inexperienced players or the easily frustrated (read: impatient). Not getting tone right out of the gates upset me but, I just didn't give up on this amp (annoying the time it took though).

It was compared to everything from custom amps, standard brands to boutique amps to off brands and modded one-offs. All with or without rack mount/pedals and with every known style of guitar known to man. The only thing that I would have considered other than the Legacy was Cornford but, sweet Jesus that's alot of silver pieces and I get real close for 1/4th the price.

Maybe an adjustable lead boost that automatically gave just a bit more gain, midrange and sustain; also, caps for the tubes. . . really nit-picking here. A separate button on the footswitch for effects but, they say you can modify the pedal to do that and show you how. . .

To Close this amp is not for everyone, not for just anybody, not for alot of people probably, but, it isn't just for STEVE VAI either; It is for me, and maybe you too. . . just know in advance that the money you save not buying a Bogner or Cornford will be paid for in time getting this thing to sing the way you want. . . don't give up it's worth the $2600 savings. . .----------D

I bought my Legacy Half-Stack in September 2004. I had been (and still have) using a rack mount system consisting of a TriAxis/20-20/G-Force for about 4 years. My rationale for purchasing another rig was simply, it was simple. 2 channels, a few knobs, and that's it. No menus and endless parameters to tweak.

I know it has an fx loop, but I haven't even used it yet. I do play a Jem through it, and there is the "roll off" feature, where you can put the guitar volume on 2 or 3 and even with a distortion level of 7 or 8 on the amp, it cleans up nicely with just a little added bite. I can not achieve this with any of my other guitars (Strats).

This amp sits in a 4th bedroom with my makeshift recording set up, consisting of a Presonus Firepod, a computer, mics, and some keyboard gear. The amp is incredibly loud. When I'm laying guitar tracks, I use Shure E5's to monitor with. They do a good job of sealing out the noise when I have the amp cranked to 4 or 5 for recording purposes.

Don't be fooled though... even on 1, the Legacy is very loud. It doesn't matter if you're in 50W or 100W mode either. A lot of times when I'm just messing around, I don't put the volume past 0.5.

I've been playing for about 8 years now. I went through a period of maybe a month where I only played through the Legacy and then went back to my Mesa Boogie rig. Wow, I did not like the way it sounded at all.

I have 3 electric guitars that I use through the amp. The Jem (2002 model) that I mentioned above, which seems to be matched for the amp, and then 2 Strats (a 1995 Deluxe Strat Plus w/ RWB Lace Sensors, and a 1999 American Standard Strat with Texas Special single coils).

On the distorted channel, the Jem has a really 'buttery smooth' sound. The Lace Sensor Strat has kind of a "bright and blustery sound" as best I can describe it. The Standard Strat has a really nice "chunka" sound that I love for rhythm work with distortion on about 6.

The clean channel is simply amazing. The Presence button adds some extra highs that really can make a guitar stand out in a mix. To me, the clean channel is really warm, and distinctive. By far blows my Mesa clean channels out of the water.

I do run a Boss DS-1 in front of the amp itself. I don't know what it is, but I can not get any sustain if I don't. I went to a G3 concert last year, and took pix of Steve's amp setup (the knobs) and set mine up like that, and it comes close to what you hear on the Carvin site, but I'm just going to assume that's what is missing is related to "my fingers" and not the amp.

As others have noted, the distortion is different from any other distortion I've ever heard. It does not "get muddy". You can hear every note when you play a chord.

I've had it for a while now, and I haven't had any problems. I use it every day.

Never had to deal with them. Just ordered through their website, and received it about 5 days later.

Overall, this amp is really a good deal. If you've got $1,299 (for the amp and cab) to spend, I don't believe you could go wrong with this purchase... unlesss you're a sloppy player who hides in mountains of gain.

I also like the fact that it's 'something different'. It's not a Peavey, it's not a Fender, it's not a Vox. They're rare (seemingly) and you can get your own unique sound.

This amp was made in 2005, at this point it's about a month old. Two channels; clean and distorted. All tuber (4 EL34's, 5 12AX7's), 50/100 watt switch, 4,8, and 16 ohm speaker impedance selector, footswitchable reverb. The only thing I wish it had is a master volume, as this amp is absolutely DEAFENING. I borrowed a Mesa Triple Rectifier from a friend before buying the Carvin and thought that was loud.... hahahaha. This thing hurts by the time the volume hits 5 on either channel. For no master volume, minus two points.

I'm using this amp along with a Schecter C1 Blackjack, which has two Seymour Duncan humbuckers (JB in bridge position, '59 in neck position). I play a lot of styles: blues, rock, dabbling in a bit of jazz, metal, punk etc. The band I play with has a sound heavily influenced by bands like Isis, Explosions in the Sky, Pelican, Keelhaul, Godspeed You Black Emperor, etc. I use both clean and distorted sounds heavily, and this amp does both very well.

First, the clean channel: LOTS of headroom, and very warm and thick sounding with my neck pickup. In the bridge position, it still sounds warm and full but with a nice but not overwhelming trebly bite. This amp absolutely nails the clean sound I want, and sounds great with reverb.

Distorted (channel 2): Amazing. Runs from a nice bluesy crunch around 2 or 3 on the drive knob, a nice classic rock distortion around 5 or 6, and gets good and heavy from 7-10. I set mine at 8 and it's perfect for me. I honestly don't understand where anyone is coming from that says this amp doesn't have any gain. If you really are having to put one or more pedals in front of this thing to get enough distortion, you either have weak pickups, tube problems, or some problem that is not this amp. I figure the people saying this are the ones who will only be satisfied with a Mesa or 5150, and if thats you, go right ahead and spend literally twice as much money for a one trick pony amp that will make you sound identical to every metal/hardcore band going these days. This amp has plenty of distortion, it's just different. It doesn't mask sloppy playing, and has loads of midrange as opposed to the scooped, silly amounts of bass most seem to go for now. It's a smoother, warmer, and more toneful distortion. Not for everyone I guess, but I'm very satisfied with the sound of this amp.

It's only a month old, so I can't really say yet.

I only talked to the company when ordering, they seemed friendly and helpful. Shipping was fast, it took about 6 days to make it from California to my House in New York. 1 year warranty.

I've been playing for 14 years. The amp I had used until now was a Hughes and Kettner Attax 100 head, which I'm hanging onto now for a backup. If it were stolen or lost, I would most definitely get the same thing again. I love the tone, the warmth, and clarity of this amp. It looks pretty sweet too, haha. It definitely has a unique look. The only complaint I have is a lack of a master volume, but I'll live. I've compared this against Marshall JCM 2000's, Mesa Rectifiers, Peavey 5150, and a lot of other amps. This amp doesn't sound like any of those, but sounds every bit as good, and for half the price? Amazing value. I see a lot of negative reviews, and I guess all I can say is to let your ears be the judge. Carvin is a mail order only company, but you get to use this thing for 10 days starting when it gets to your door. If you aren't happy, you can send it back for a full refund. Nothing to lose there.

2 channels, clean and lead, if you want to read the specs look below everyone lists them anyways...

I really wanted to like this amp, but unfortunately I couldn't! It sounded NOTHING like the demos of Vai playing "straight" into it with just delay... I know because I tried the same setup... and got a really bland tone, especially for a tube amp. It is VERY loud though, and the clean channel is pretty good... that's about the only thing that saves this amp. I wish it had more gain... you shouldn't have to push this kind of amp with multiple distortion pedals to get a good lead tone out of it. The layout is very basic... wish the EQ was more impressive on the tone, I tweaked and tweaked and it just didn't want to work out for me!

I tried using two guitars with this amp and I can't say I liked the tone with EITHER of them! I am a big carvin fan in fact, I've owned about 5 of their guitars and held one of them even now! I used a customized Ibanez SZ720FTMG upgraded with sperzels and dual EMG-81's, as well as my Carvin DC-200 black walnut loaded with their M-22SD and M-22V metal pickups for my testing of the amp. I play mostly metal, both "nu-metal" if you want to call it that and classical metal, but mostly MY music is somewhere in between. I play a lot of hard rock now as well, but also like classical music composition on the guitar. It does not suit ANY of these styles as is, unless you want to go out and buy a couple distorion pedals or an effects processor... when you are buying a tube amp like this, you shouldn't have to though!!! The amp suits only low-gain classic rock, blues and maybe jazz depending on what kind of guitar the player is using. The clean channel has a LOT of headroom though, I must say. It doesn't distort, but I mean c'mon... you can only blast a clean channel so high before the noise becomes piercing and hurts the audiences' ears! Like I said, the distortion let me down for the most part. I was told by Carvin that maybe the tubes were bad, but on an amp that was slightly used, this really shouldn't have been a problem on such a young amp! I sent it back.

This is where I'm not sure about the amp... it powered up and everything sure, but the tone was junk for the most part. Could have been due to faulty tubes, could be bad circuitry by Carvin... normally their products are pretty reliable... not in this case... sorry Carvin.

I've dealt with the company a couple times via email and via phone. Via email, these guys are a joke... half the time I don't even get a response back unless I send them the same email about 4-5 times which is ridiculous. Over the phone on the other hand, most of their reps have a FAIRLY decent level of knowledge on the products they sell. A couple of times I had to get off with one guy and call back to get another one because they didn't understand anything about the product I needed information on. They didn't know what the deal was with the amp, and if it had shipped with bad tubes I lose some respect for Carvin! I will give a 7 here due to the good and bad almost balancing out.

I've been playing about 6 years now and have gone through my fair share of gear. I've played all sorts of high-end guitars (PRS's w/ Brazilian Rosewood Necks (very, VERY nice guitars!), Gibsons etc.) and middle and low-end guitar too, just as anyone else out there. I have owned and played all sorts of solid-state and tube amps before as well, and this one just didn't make the cut. If you play classic rock that won't need much gain or crunch to the tone, go for this. If you only want a loud clean channel, go for this. If you want GAIN at all, pass on this one and save up for a REAL amp. If it were stolen, I'd catch up with the guy and tell him he should try contacting Carvin to see if he could send it back too. (no joke.) I thought this amp would sound nice but it really let me down pretty badly so I was disappointed with it overall. If they modify the design to allow more gain it would be a nicer amp and I might think about it again, but until then, I'm going to have to pass on it. Look into other high-end amps, save up, and buy one of those!

Ive had this amp for a couple of years now since 8th grade i believe and im 18 now i bought it when they started using the vintage 30's in the cabinets instead of the old green backs and my old guitar teacher had one of these amps and his sounded nicer for some reason.....
I think it was the green backs....

Well its a nice amps for certain situations i mean if you play blues or jazz or country or some old school rock or anything like that this amp could cover alot of territory, mabe even some hard rock with some over drive or distortion in front of it. I run a ds-1 into it and its cool and a delay in the loop some times. But as far as this amp being suited for like high gain stuff like in comparison to a Mesa Rectifier or a Stilletto Deuce or Mark 4 it really doesnt saturate like that. the gain is well kinda old school but smoother. really round. with a delay and a distortion and a wah and a volume pedal you can get a little bit of an ed vanhalen vibe goin on and a steve vai thing but for bone crushing dime bag darrell rythms or a zakk wylde sound. your not commin close unless you get a noise gate and a furman eq and some other outboard gear. I guess this amp isnt everything you'd think it would be plugging right in. But you get out of it what you put into it.

yeah pretty tough ive taken it lots of places jams with friends or a couple of shows or parties here and there. havent had any problems with it except the routine tube replacement.

eh carvin had it shipped to my house and i havent dealt with them in years.

I think its a decent amp given the situation, Its really musical. I think im gonna keep it around for a few more years.

I did own tihis amp some years ago. It sounded fantastic!! It's not marshall, it's not mesa. It's a Legacy. Some people here said it did not have enough gain.. Well... I used standard strats with this amp, and it gave me a good climb up in higain territory. So if you tried out a Legacy witch sounded bad, try another one. May be bad tubes. Not every shop around do check all amps. By the way, try the boss Blues driver on the clean channel.. I also used the Marshall Guvenor 2, to get low-gain ZZ Top. Jesus just left.. (played with a strat) Reverb sounded fine. One more thing, If I don't remember wrong: the prensence only works at the clean channel.

2 years. No probs

Played for 17 years. Switched the Legacy with Line& FlexII. More versitile. Switched FlexII-->Rivera M-100--> Line6 FlexIII-->Line6 Vetta. Maybe a Legacy again? Yes....

2004 Model, 2 channels - cleand and dirty. I play this in a home studio and for that reason wish it had a 25 watt mode. This is the loudest amp I've ever heard. Basic foot switch to go between channels.

I absolutely love the tone of this amp. So much so that I put up with the fact that for my purposes I never have the volume past 1.5-2. I use a strat with duncan hot rails and a Carvin Bolt with duncan full shred pups with it. I use it for rock/hard rock intrumentals and it sounds great recorded. The clean channel is nice also, warm and full, not sterile. The reverb is very natural sounding and doesn't have to be set past 2 or 3 for a nice spacious effect.

Blew a tube once, other than that no issues.

I originally ordered a 2x12 combo and decided after about 3 weeks that I'd rather have the head and 2x12 cab. Carvin paid for the combo to be shipped back even after the 10 day trial period had ended and even gave me the sale price on the head/cab combination that was in effect at the time I bought the combo.

Been playing for about 18 years. I use a Rocktron Intelliverb through the effects loop for delay and it sounds great. I owned a Peavey XXX when I ordered the Carvin and thought it would be nice to have both to cover all the sonic bases. After plugging into the Legacy I could never go back to the XXX and sold it. Having the separate head and cab is a good way to deal with the Legacy's loudness. I have the head right next to my DAW and all my other effects and have the cab in a different area with a shure sm-57 in front of it. If the cab is near me I can't hear anything in the headphones coming from the DAW.

Two things keep the overall rating from being a 10. One is the fact that it is so loud. This amp needs a 25 watt setting. The other is not having a foot switch function to shut the effects off. My old Peavey XXX had this ability.

Brand new 2 channel simple to operate tube amp.
3 channels would've been nice for ease of use, but a Keeley modded DS-1 Ultra (in fat mode) gives me a solo boost when I need it.

I use an old Ibanez RG550 with stock pick ups, a Soldano 2x12 cab with Celestion V-30's and play mainly funk rock. I actually own a triaxis and it took me ages to get the lead tone I'm after on that. Even when I got it, it wasn't quite the same as the tone I had in my head. There always seems to be some high frequency stuff that I can't dial out that's spoiling my sound.

I wanted a Vai-ish lead tone for my solo's. One where I could get those spikey pinch harmonics with ease but still be able to ease off the volume a bit and have a nice dirty sound too. So I bought a Legacy!

Now I'm not stupid enough to think that if went and bought a Legacy I'd sound like Vai, I don't! But this amp does give me what I want tone-wise.

This amp is loud!!!
I can't really go over 1.5 indoors while practising.

The clean channel is good but I need a compressor in front of it to hold it back a little. The harder I play the louder it gets.

The lead channel is great for me. I have it set up for a blues/dirty type sound and add my DS-1 Ultra for solo's. I've found that if I use a wah during a solo and hold it flat to the floor while playing a fast legato run at the top of the neck, clean smooth harmonics just fly out the guitar with no mushy crap added, just real defined notes. Too much gain means a loss of definition at the low end so I have to play with the bass and mids to find the right balance between DS-1 boost and Legacy gain.

It has it's own sound that is really hard to describe.

I usually have to psyche myself up to go and sit with a new amp or piece of kit and go through all of the sounds and settings etc.
It usually takes me quite a time to find what I'm after.
The legacy is different I just plugged it in, tweaked it a bit
and my sound was already there. That is the reason I've posted this review. I spent a long time checking out reviews and specs before buying and I'm glad I went for it.

Incidentally I ignored the suggested settings that came with it and used my ears. If I'd have followed them I probably would have blown my windows out!!

I like this amp a lot!!

I've only had it for a day and it was still working the last time I turned it on.

N/A yet!

I've been the owner of a guitar for 35 years and have been playing for 25 years and still gig regularly. I think I've found the right amp for my style with this one. I'm looking forward to turning it up and leaving my rack gear indoors the next time I play.

I'd give it a 10 for my personal soloing tone but an 8 overall because I'd like it to be a 3 channel head instead of 2.

it's ok, no useless features here. 2 channels, drive, presence, reverb, 2 volumes.

it's the best clean sound i've ever hear, seriously !
the distorted channel is a little bit... strange, you know, just like stoner rock : fat and dark. It made me severals month too find a great drive, but know i've got it. Don't be affraid too put presence, high and medium at 7 or more and bass under 5, because in "classical" rating, it sounds muddy, with too much basses...

i own this amp since two years, and i had no problem with it.

i think it's a great amp, really. Clean sounds are awesome, just as a twim reverb. With the drive section, it's harder to make it sounds, you just have to understand how each nobs work with each others

Very typical two channel amp. Nothing special in the controls or features.

I just don't get it how some people say that this amp doesn't have enough distortion. I play in a prog-rock/metal band and I love this amp. This is a small clip of an early demo I recorded in my band's rehearsal studio --> http://www.lyranthe.com/media/dem1.mp3

I don't have any problems with the distortion in this amp. But then again, distortion and tone is very subjective. To each his own, I guess.

Only had a few minor problems with it. Mainly I only needed to change the tubes.

Their sales guys and service reps in there stores were very helpful. Email correspondence is fast. Can't really say anything about their phone reps since I haven't dealt with them in that area.

This is my second review on this amp. I've owned my Legacy half-stack since 2001 and I love it. Take the reviews in this web page with a grain salt and try the amp yourself.

All the features a real musician needs

Sounds are right up there with today's modern music

Carvin has the best Customer Service in the world. They will break all the rules to make sure the customer is taken care of. Other manufactures... *pft*

See above.

Read the review Submitted by bzdup at 12/29/2004 02:07.

First, anyone who writes a review based on a ten minute trial has no clue.

Second, by confessing he is a shredder, he is maybe 13 years old and want to be someone when he grows up, but still not sure between a fireman and a doctor.

Third, really jeffgeorgebomb@yahoo.com, get a clue and get a life dude. If you are going to write a review about something, spend several days with the item, not ten minuets.

Typical features, plus a presence button. Which does nothing. But overall, features alone, it appears that you can get some different tones out of this thing. But no multiple voicings like a Mesa, and the Presence doesn't shape the sound like a Marshall.

I must warn every other human being I come into contact with, this amp sucks. I'm a shredder, I like metal, but I also like amps that sound good when I play them. [A buddy of mine is huge on vintage sound, has a 67 or 68 les paul and some Gibson tube amp. And it rocks, different than what I like, but rocks] I'm reading these other reviews just thinking, WTF are you serious? 9s and 10s? No sir, this amp tops is a 7. And that's if you were frozen in an ice block since 1972 and just dethawed.

I went to Carvin to play this amp in Hollywood. They have an excellent setup in that store where you can jam to your heart's delight in a closed room. I played the legacy for about 10 minutes, and this thing is a piece of junk. I heard such good things about it, but in my quest for perfect guitar tone, I must try things myself to believe.

First problem: This amp barely distorts. Seriuosly. I was playing this thing on a nice Carvin guitar, say more than 1000 dollar guitar. No clue what kind of pickups, just picked a pretty one and went to work. I had the volume on the guitar cranked, had the gain or "drive" cranked on the head and it didn't start getting crunchy until 6 or 7 on the volume. I thought, "Naw, this can't be right. I must be doing something wrong here. Nobody would make such a weak sauce amp." No. I was right. This amp just doesn't drive very hard.

I guess if you're into half ass distortion. Then get this amp. It does produce decent mid range sounds, and playing scales sounded nice on it. But hit some good old fashioned power chords and you'll find yourself asking, "where's the beef"? Answer: There is none, this is a vegetarian model.

So, completely disappointed with the distortion section of this head [ummmm this amp does not sound anything close to steve vai's super distorted sound], I turned to the clean section. Ahhhhhhh. This must be why people talk about Carvin. The tones were warm, deep, and soothing. One of the best sounding clean tones I've heard. But it clipped the sounds a bit. I would get really good sounding deep tones, but then it would clip like a huge gap in the eq or something when I changed notes. Possibly user error though, overall pleased with the clean section.

Now, I am no guitar gear wizard. Kind of a dorky kid who thinks if you don't know how to play the damn instrument no tone is going to help you. But I do know what I like, and this thing was junk. My friend was next to me like, dude, play another amp. [Which I did. Played the MTS 3200 head, which sounds IDENTICAL to the Legacy.]

In it's defense. I'm a shredder, looking for some kick ass tear it up distortion. I don't know, I play an amp like this, and I'm like, dude, go buy a Fender Amp. And don't you dare compare this thing to a Marshall or a Mesa. Sir, don't do it. Please, don't embarrass yourself any further.

If you want shred tone, if you want "vai's" sound, do NOT buy this amp. At the very least, be forewarned and GO PLAY THE DAMN THING yourself. Maybe I'm tweaked, maybe it was a bad day at Carvin, I don't know. But I wouldn't play this thing covering Pat Benatar's Hit me with your Best Shot which is what it sounded like. [Or anything else. It's a damn Damn DAMN ugly thing]

No clue, played it ten minutes, then threw up, and went next door to the Mesa Boogie store. Hollywood ROCKS! Guitar Center, Mesa, Carvin, and some other smaller guitar retailers all bunched up together.

No clue. People there seemed nice.

all right, I've been playing for some 15 years, I do a lot of studio work. Play through a Digitech GSP 2101, and a VS 265 R. I compared it with a Marshall every amp I've played in my life. A solid state Crate 130, a hybrid Marshall 265R, a JMP-1 hooked to a Marshall 9200 [very nice], and even have been lucky enough to play a Bogner Ecstasy, and lately the Mesa Dual REctifier Combo amp, my bandmate owned it. Didn't own them all, but played all of these for long periods of time through friends/bandmates.

So definitely not a pro, may have screwed it up, but it doesn't take a genius to crank the distortion and see what happens.

2004
i play in a modern pop-punk band and this amp is perfect for the sound
i also play about every style of guitar
sounds awesome for jazz and funk. 2 channels is o.k., 3 would have been more appropriate for this amp. the reverb on this amp is phenominal. the only feature i would add is delay... cause delay is a big part of modern and classic sound.
i gig with this amp a lot, with a backup of course, but i have full trust in this amp. this amp has more than enough power. i actually run it at 50 watts, make the tubes drive for a better sound.

i use an ibanez universe 7 string with a custom made emg at the bridge. i also use a washburn N4 relic with a handmade bill lawrence at the bridge and a suncan '59 at the neck. it fits the style of my band perfectly, yet it is versatile enough for my own song writing needs. a very quite amp, i only run the drive at about 6. this amp can make any sound, all sounding awesome. depending on what settings you use, the clean channel will stay clean and not distort. the distorion channel on this amp is pretty damn good, its a good clean sounding distortion that doesnt sound all stupid and obnoxious. when you crank it up, you're gonna have to back off on the distortion.

no problems with this amp yet... i just got it
i would gig without a backup tho, i do trust it that much

i bought this amp straight from carvin
they didnt mention a footswitch wasnt included, so that was stupid.
you get a one year warranty with this amp as well. i give it a 6 cause of the footswitch thing

i would buy this amp again over any marshall or mesa line6 shit
i bought the whole halfstack package so i got the badass cab with it
GO BUY THIS AMP! IT WILL BE GOOD TO YOU!

Pretty basic, 2 channels with reverb..although I rarely use reverb (I wish they'd substitute reverb for delay). Bells and whistles on an amp are usually crappy anyway, so I give it a 9..would be a 10 if it had a third channel.

Ibanez S470DXQM with Dimarzio Tone Zone in the bridge, stock single coil middle and stock bucker in the neck. Homemade strat-style guitar with a Duncan Screaming Demon at the bridge, stock yamaha single coils in the middle and neck.
When I first got the amp, I didn't have the Ibanez. I was using my homemade guitar which is a modified Yamaha Pacifica. With the Duncan, the thing was just a chunk-fest..but the guitar's intonation sucked, so I moved on. Plugged in the Ibanez and wasn't really impressed with the pickup, so I changed it to a Tone Zone. Let me just say that it's taken me about 3 months to get the sound that I like with this amp. I knew from the beginning that it was a great sounding amp, it just takes a lot of tweaking to get "IT". It's a mid-heavy amp, so keep that in mind. In my opinion that's great, though..because of the textures that the mid frequencies create. If you want more thump, get an EQ or overdrive/distortion pedal...makes it all the more versatile. It's a thumping amp, focused mainly on classic rock, but you can get just about anything you want from it.
Oh, and the clean channel is SO good, that I haven't even messed with the EQ on it..seriously! It chimes like nobody's business with signal coils. The lead channel gets a really great "gulp" with good single coils, too. Really great sounding amp, the 9 is just because it took a long time to get the sound the way that I wanted it.

Had it for nearly 4 months and no problems..but the tubes need to be reseated every month or so. I put a piece of isolation foam between the head and cabinet to ease vibrations...really oppened up the sound of the amp too.

Havent had to deal with them, except to ask a few questions..and they were pretty helpful. A friend of mine at work had some really bad problems with support with his guitar, so I'll give them a 7 from his experience.

You can't get a better amp for the money, bottom line.

2001-2002
it has the average stuff

I have had this amp for over two years I bought it new. This amp has a thick low end and with the presence nob one can get highs that will make your ears bleed. When I first got it I didn't know if I liked it or not.

The clean channel is sweet but on my amp the powertubes start to distort on 2 with a gibson les paul dc plus.

The overdrive channel took me a while to get used to because of how the presence and treble nobs work with each other. with the treble on 10 and presence on 0 this amp is muddy. One has to mess around with the presence and treble nobs to get a nice sound. I am disapointed with this amp in that with all of the nobs set on 5 this amp isn't even or balanced. The amp with the nobs set on 5 is fat, too much bass, and muddy. Maybe it was ment to be played with thined out carvin guitar. Don't even think about using the neck pickup in a Gibson Les Paul! To fat!

I reached a nice eq with the presence on 3, treble on 10, mid on 7, and bass on 2. The distortion is chuncky and thick - it isn't the fuzzy type. It is not a shredders, 80s long hair metal amp. If you want to shred get a rhino amp. The distortion on the leagacy doesn't comprese enough for that- thanks to vie's hidden feature that allows the distortion to clean up when the guitar's volume is turned down. I know because I completed the Metal Methods Speed Kills Video.

Don't buy the amp because you want to want to sound like Steve Vie. To sound like steve you must then buy alot of fx petals.
You either like the amp or not. It is good for a roar chuncky distortion and sweet clean. I would say it fits in with modern rock. this is for some one who likes big fat sound.

After I had the amp about 6 months the reverb went out. And I forgot to change the power tubes after 2 years and the tubes overheated and fried the amp.

Carvin replaced the the PC boards and rebiased my amp for free without me filling out the woranty card. They probably fixed it because I have spent about 7,000 dollars with them. A whole PA system ect.

I have been playing absesivly for about 5.5 years. Its not how long one has been playing but how much one plays. I play several hours a day, almost every day. I am 19 and I feel like I represent a new generation of guitarist. I play a Gibson Lis Paul DC Plus and an Ibanex Prestige RG3120. I have played on the following amps- Rhino Beast, mesa booge-rectofier-nomad-triaxis, soldano slo100, dizel v4, marshall jcm2000, orange ad30, carvin belair, line6 vetta-flextone, vht-combo,------------I think I have heared tone before.

The amp is great for modern rock - Go play on one and maybe it is for you.

Features already listed, 2 independant all tube channels, tube reverb, 100 watts EL34 or 6L6
It has a unique voiced high and mid range, and ALOT of low end.

I use an Ibanez RG1570 w/ Evo pickups. I play a mix of southern rock and progressive, with everything in between. This amp is ungodly loud!
I use mine with 2 power tubes(run it at 100watts,8ohms)Ive found this way I can get a reasonable volume to practice on, this worked better than the 50watt switch, which I could not tell any difference at all, other than at loud volumes the clean channel breaks up on 50watts, but the way I run it, I get plenty of headroom with the clean.
Which by the way is an great clean channel. Ive always been a huge fan of Steve Vai's clean tones, this thing nails it.

Now for the lead channel. Ive had this a few months, and I'll admitt, I wasnt very impressed with it. Some people can just plug into and love it, others have to play with it for awhile before they can dial in "that tone". I have to say though, when you find "that tone" its hard not to love this amp. And make no mistake, I do love this amp now. the mid range on this amp is amazing. Even with the mid range cranked, the tone doesnt not get harsh, but enough bite to cut through mix, and get an incredibly smooth lead tone. Which is seems to be the major charactistic with this amp SMOOOOOTH. No, it doesnt have the gain of a 5150, XXX, JCM2000 or Mesa Rect.it also doesnt have the fuzzy highs, and muddyness of those amps either. Its more of say..an extremely hod rodded JCM800, with a Mesa Mark series lead tone. Make no mistake though, this amp has enough gain for any style.
The only other thing I could add, is this amp really tends to like high output pickups(or atleast my ears do)

Ive had no problems, other than some power tube troubles, but thats no fault of the amp. I depend on it, But I will pick up a backup head when I start gigging again. A Carvin MTS perhaps =)

It a tube amp. so its as dependable as it can be

Since I bought the amp used, Ive never had to deal with Carvin, I only hear good things though.

If anything happened to this amp, I would get another one. I bought it because I wanted something alittle different. I love everything about it. Steve Vai and Carvin made some magic with this amp.

Tried out the amp in 2004 at the san diego carvin factory.
My style is instrumental rock,metal,and some classical.

I tried out the carvin head with an ibanez rg520qs with dimarzio pickups.I went into the sound room and tried out the legacy head on their 4x12 legacy cab.The clean channel was awesome,gave me a bluesy sound and I was very impressed with what I was hearing.Bass was good,mids and highs all sweet sounding.Now to the distortion that was in the amp.Total garbage,I don't think steve vai would use that distortion.Whenever I would play scale runs,tapping,arpeggios this amp did not sustain well at all.I was fighting to play any runs I was doing because this amp doesn't get enough distortion.It sounded like an old overdrive pedal from the 80's.Like a zz top distortion or something.I give it a 5 only beacuse of the clean channel.

I didn't get a chance to use it in a gig because i never bought it.Only tried it out at the carvin factory.

The dealers that were there were very kind.They let me spend enough time there to evaluate if I liked the amp or not.

I have been playing for 10 years.I own a peavey 5150 II now that I'm very happy with.The peavey 5150 II blows this amp out of the water as far as distortion,but the carvin sounds 10 times better on clean.

I own the 2004 model head, which I picked up with the Legacy 2x12 cab. The features at first seem to be pretty limiting in terms of specs, but I rate these specs highly simply because of the flexibility of the sounds you can get out of this amp. The range of the eqs are pretty astonishing and the reverb doesn't sound half bad either, although it would've been nice to have independant reverb controls for each channel.

For the acoustic stuff, I use a Taylor 612CE and a Godin Multiac Nylon, which both sound tremendous through the clean channel, especially with some reverb. I also use a Fender Thinline Tele and a couple of Ernie Ball MusicMan Axis guitars through the rig. I also own a Bogner Ecstasy 101B rig, which I am mentioning for 2 reasons: One - the Ecstasy, in my opinion does truly set the standard for high gain amplification - Secondly, the quality of the Carvin's tone is in the top bracket and A/B'ing the two amps truly reveals the benefits and deficiencies of the Legacy.

Now, the Legacy's gain on the lead channel is HIGH. I only have to use it at 50-60% with the Axis guitars to get a great, rich distortion which is surprisingly quiet. There are times when you can really hear Carvin's attempts to replicate a chunk of the Ecstasy's tonal range and they've done a good job of acheiving just that.

The Legacy's lead channel doesn't quite have the 'growl' of the Ecstasy, but it does blow the doors of anything Marshall have come out with recently or any Mesa Boogie stuff period. The clean channel, however sounds weak, primarily because it lacks a gain stage. I therefore ordered a Keeley modded BD-2 Blues Driver pedal to compensate for the big void that exists between the clean channel and the gain channel, to try to get as close to the untouchable 'Blue' channel on the Bogner Ecstasy. It hasn't arrived yet, but I have no doubt that this pedal will do wonders for the Legacy's already impressive sound.

The clean channel doesn't quite have the TWANG I strive to achieve with the Tele, when playing Southern Rock and Surf - but it gets pretty close. I think a gain stage would really help out the clean channel, so you can set it just to the point of saturation to really fatten the sound up AND give you more flexibility with your guitar's volume knob.

I give this rating an '8' based on the quality of what the amp DOES have to offer, instead of marking it down for lack of features which one can only speculate about.

Haven't had any problems thus far.

The guys at the Carvin store in Santa Ana where extremely helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. Kudos to all of them for making my Carvin experience a good one.

I have been playing for almost 20 years now, and I've gone through amps like a termite goes through wood! I found the perfect tone in my Ecstasy, and it seems I've got the perfect back-up amp. For the price - this amp is a steal, and it does sound almost Boutique. The distortion is CLEAN, instead of the MUSH Line6, Marshall and Mesa Boogie seem to produce lately. It's also comparitively light and is extremely portable along with the light 2x12 cab. I'm very happy with this amplifier. Would I get another one if this was stolen? Yes I would. Although this isn't quite the Ecstasy, if it were up to me, I wish a) I never heard the Ecstasy and b) heard the Carvin Legacy at the time of my search for the perfect amp! It would've saved me quiiiiite a bit of cash! No regrets though... I'm lovin' them both!