Carvin MTS3200 212 Combo

The amp was made in 1998. It's 100 watts, with a switch to drop it down to 50 watts (cuts out half the power tubes, lets the remaining ones saturate quicker so they get that "cranked" sound without having to really crank them). 2x12 combo. 2 channels - clean and lead. Basic tone controls - low, mid, high, seperate volume controls for each channel. Gain control for Lead. I wish it had a master volume. I play everything from jazz to metal, and this handles it all. All tube, all the time, came with the originals swapped out for JJ EL34 and 6L6's.

I'm playing it with a Gibson Custom Shop Class 5, with Burstbuckers 2 & 3 in the neck and bridge respectively. Like I said, I do jazz to metal and everything in the middle, but mostly rock. Do you want slightly overdriven Marshall a la "Appetite for Destruction" - it's here. How about a clean that rivals Fender? Yup, like Ragu it's in there. Like that Dimebag Darrell, ball$ to the wall crushing tone? Lead channel-Drive 10-Bass10-Mid0-High10 - make your neighbors cry! I haven't been able to really crank it in my 1 bedroom apartment, but as soon as I can I'll update.

Haven't gigged it yet, but it's built like a tank.

Website is amazing. Great discussion board, lots of knowledgable users on there willing to answer all questions. You can hear some great recordings of real users (non-pros) using the amp. Haven't spoken to the company directly.

I've been playing for 15 years. This is my first tube amp, but I was playing through a Line 6 AX2 for a few years before I bought this. When I had a crappy Mexi-Strat, the AX2 made it sound good. Now that I've got a good guitar, the sound was too processed. Time to get back to basics, and this amp gives me everything I need. My guitars natural tone comes right through on the clean, and as much as I've ever heard though a blindingly distorted channel. I tried Mar$hall$, Mesas, Fenders - none made me as happy as this. If it were ever stolen or destroyed, I'd replace it immediately. I wish it had a Master Volume control, and a Boost function to supplement the 2 channels. I hear an MXR Micro Amp will take care of this.

Great wide range. I've always played it pretty clean, but the tubes do break up if you push it hard enough, and it sounds good both ways. I've never found a setting on this that didn't sound good.

I mostly played alt/rock through this, but at angles ranging from country twang to thick shuffly blues, with occasional Stooges freakouts. This amp carries all styles well. No noise to speak of at low volumes, and the distorted channel is a good thick fuzz, equally suitable for metallic power-chording or bluesy bent notes. I tended usually to play almost all treble, to cut through. But the tone is good across the spectrum, you can go from stinging brightness to a wash of bass with no unpleasant points. I play mostly without effects (a little delay sometimes), so tone is important. And this delivers.

Received used, but nearly brand new. Used for 2 years, with regular local gigs. Never mistreated it particularly, but it seems built like a tank, I think you'd have to throw it out of a moving truck to damage it. They definitely made it to last.

Never needed to find out.

I've been playing about 20 years, but in eccentric and lackadaisical ways. Any kid on the corner could out-solo me. Who cares? I play for feel. I inherited this from my dad, who had excellent taste. This amp is versatile, reliable, and sounds wonderful. After using relatively cheap amps for years (a Roland Reverb 120, a Vox solid state Super Beatle that had caught fire, etc), this thing seemed impossibly perfect. Now that I've played through a lot of good amps, I still think so. At first I was suspicious of it, because I couldn't find the weak spots in the tone... then I realized that good amps are supposed to sound like that. I used this for a couple years, before switching to a 60s Fender Bassman, which is warmer and fuzzier, but quieter and less reliable. If I was touring or even gigging a lot, I'd probably switch back. In the meantime, it's an auxiliary amp. If it has any weakness, it'd be a lack of distinctive character... but the other way of saying that is that it has no flaws...

Standard two channel, fx loop, verb, no graphic eq,

I tried several of these in the carvin shop, where they were nice enough to let me crank it up. I used my custom B-bender tele, as well as a couple of carvins from the showroom. First, let me say, the clean channel was as some have noted, this amp's main feature. It's very warm, and takes a lot tobreak up. I was a little boxy for my taste, but all in all, a good clean, with well defined bass and highs. The dirty channel sounds like a herd of bees, all buzz, like the new boogies and marshalls. I guess if you're into that Indi sound you may like it, but it just sounded cold to my ears. i own a carvin x100 2x12, and love it's vercitility, so I was sad to see this amp lacked so much in it's sound. Carvin's are the only graphic eq equiped amps that seem to sound good with the eq engaged, and this model could really use one on it. Humbuckers sounded a little better on the amp, but all in all, there's just too much gain built into the thing to make it usable. I did try one other mts at a friend's home, and he had replaced the 12ax7 in the drive slot with a 12au7 which warmed it up a little, but it's still way too hot.

My x100 has been kicking for almost 20 years, and it's still going strong, so I hope it would be the same for this amp.

When I ordered a guitar from them, they lost it for a month, but they were very helpfull during the ordeal, so I will give them a 6

I have been playing for arround 10 years, and have owned all brands, including mesa marshall, and all the rest, and I think my ear is pretty particular when it comes to tone, and I must say, get an old carvin, and be much hapier.

Made in 2001. Versatile enough from country to metal, has two channels but only one input. Fancy Chrome knobs with a white face panel. Very loud tube amp with plenty of punch.

Using an Ibanez RG570, Stienberger, and an Ovation Elite, (not at the same time though) running through a Boss GT-3 with the Amp simulators OFF. Very responsive to the effects settings. Sounds great with an acoustic. Does not color (mutilate) the sound but adds a bit of warmth. Very low noise even with the reverb all the way up. Lots of Overdrive chrunch built in.

Very Dependable. Needed new preamp tubes after 6 months, But the Groove tubes are still going. I would gig with this rather than the X100B Half stack I used to have.

Customer Support is very helpful and courteous.

I have been playing for 21 years, and this is the best tube sound that I have found for the price and size. I preferd the carvin because before this, the X100B was the best sounding amp, without effects, that I've ever heard. I tried Marshalls, Boogies, Ampegs, Peaveys, (which was my choice in the eighties) Fenders, etc., and I prefered the Carvin. Although it would be hard to lose something like this, if it were stolen I would gladly use my home owners insurance to buy a new one. I have not gigged in a while but this amp will rival the power of full size stacks.

i would give thid amps features a 9.5. because of the awsome bias switch and other toggles on the back. definentaly a must. if u dont have one of these, u're missing out.

the sound is amazing. i've been playing for 4 years, but i have made my rounds to the music stores. i must say the recto's sound good, but for the price this sounds better. i'de be a good recording amp. it origally comes with 5881's but i have swapped those for jj el34s. which are incredible. also a must have. the amp sounds good before but after. way better. the sound quality is great. recto or better. but it dosent sound really great past 4. but 4 is really loud. it has great sustain. even for my 7 string. i mainly play metal. and it's great for that but it is also versatile. big time. i just wish the reverb didnt suck so much. it's ok. nothing special.

i've had this thing a few months, and it works every time, i would rely on it all the time

havt dealt with carvin yet but i hear good things

this amp would make me cry to not have it, i would miss it so. i would but 100 if i could. but 1 is all i need for now. any one wanting a more unique sound than mesa, marshall, or fender, get this carvin