Carvin SX-200D

This is a 2 channel 100watts 2x12 solid-state amp with overdrive and clean. Don't know what year. Has the Carvin British series speakers. Comes with footswitch that switches channels and effects/reverb off and on. Has an effects loop and cabinet-voiced headphone jack and cab-voiced line out. Pretty standard but has no master volume, no effects loop level control, no real useful control of the built-in effects (reverb, chorus, flanger, echo) and you can only use one at a time, only one speaker out jack.

The clean sounds like a cheap solid-state should, which is not good. The overdrive is a little better but is definitely not good either. No I'm not a tube fanatic, but this is just disappointing. The distortion can be pretty high-gain, but definitely not any where near modern metal. You could probably get by with this amp if you had no other choice and you were in a pinch and you play with only mild break-up distortion. But that's probably the only time I would use it. This thing can be pretty loud, relatively, but so can my crappy little Fender frontman 35 watt 8" first amp when plugged into an extension cab. This amp doesn't sound much better than that little thing either. Certainly doesn't sound like 2 12s or 100 watts. It is noisy without even a cable plugged in. And it gets worse from there even with humbuckers. I read one review that this thing would kill a line6. Not so. I would gladly play any line6 amp over this, and I don't particularly like the line6 sound. But it sounds better than this thing. The only reason I'm not giving this a 1 is that it does have clarity, but that's it.

I'm sure it's reliable but I'm not going to keep it long enough to find out.

Don't know. I bought it used.

I've been playing for over 9 years. I have a Gibson Les Paul, an Alvarez pro-series acoustic/electric. I'm going to try to resell this thing on ebay ASAP. I do not recommed this amp. (I'm being nice on the ratings)

Two channels + digital effects.

The distortion channel is smooth. Not a high gain distortion. More like an overdrive pedal. The clean channel is very nice. Not too bright or muddy. The effects are nice if you don't have pedals or just want to plug in and play.

I've had this amp for about 3 years and mainly use it for low volume gigs. Sent it back to Carvin because the sound would cut off completely. Just recently the problem has come back. Turn it on - no sound, just some crackles. The sound jumps back in when the volume is turned up really loud, but you never know when it's going to cut off again.

They seem nice. When I returned the amp for repairs the first time all I got back was a note stating "Amp setup to factory specs". I had to pay for repairs and shipping because the warranty had expired.

I like the sound, but the reliability is bad.

I got this amp around 1999. I bought it cuz i read that it had really good tube emulation sounds. i was looking for a lot of warmth. As for features, i was quite dissapointed that i didnt have a separate reverb from the digital effects,it only had two channels and that it wasnt available in a head version...however, that was corrected on later models.

For a while, i hated the sound. I was a pigheaded hardcore ibanez player with my head up my ass. i had a 'hotrodded' ibanez rg470 that was the absolute bomb..so i thought at the time..and if i couldnt get my sounds out of the carvin, it must be the carvin that sucked. that all changed after i played a les paul through that amp. i mean..damn. people that say that this amp does not have a brutal distortion obviously have cheap ass guitars that are not made of tonal wood. *hey ibanez freaks, check yur woods..if it says basswood, dont expect it to sound heavy* my amp sounds absolutely brutal with my les paul..i prefer it to a mesa for heaviness. also, check the features..active eq..that means that it adds treble, bass, and mids at astonishing levels..you cant approach the eq as you would on a different amp with passive eq. i actually play with my bass all the way up, my mids set to around 6 and my treble around 3-4. my presence i keep pretty low, i like i really solid bassy sound. the clean channel is way way clean and warm. prolly one of the better clean channels ive heard...especially from a solid state amp. as for noisy, its not that much of a problem. all amps are noisy at some point..the carvin is not very noisy at all..unless you have the effects set extremely high. for the kind of music i play, the carvin pretty much nails what i need

as for reliability..i dunno if i got the black sheep of the family or what. this particular amp i wouldnt gig without a backup..ive had to have it serviced about 3 times. the peeps at carvin told me that im the only one who has ever needed servicing on this amp..i dont know what to think about that. perhaps the newer models are more reliable. I also found that when i took it apart and just jogged the wires a bit, it worked perfectly..so im guessing that maybe it has a loose solder joint somewhere. If i had a brand new one, id depend on it a lot more..in fact, the carvin didnt give me problems until two years after i bought it. keep in mind, that this rating is for mine, not the other sx200s out there. i mean the one i have in my room. im quite sure that others out there are worthy of a 10.

outstanding..i know this becuz ive had mine repaired. the customer support was always..well..supportive. whenever i picked it up, it always sounded perfect, and the staff was always very pleasant. ive never had a bad experience with carvin customer support..in fact, they even repaired it for free when it broke down a week after the warranty expired.

ive been playing for 9 years, ive owned many different guitars- ibanez, fenders, gibsons, jacksons, played through many different amps, and regardless of price, i havent found anything that is as thick as the carvin. i also use a couple distortion pedals with it..not becuz i dont like the distortion on it, i simply like different distortions for different things. I use a boss d1 to boost my my tone for soloing, and i use a metal zone on the clean channel..which btw, sounds amazing. for that heavier than lead sound, a les paul through a metal zone into a carvin sx200 just sounds soooooo sexy. i also love the tan coloring..nice break from the black..unfortunately, carvin stopped making it in tan..*why god why?!?!?!* If it where stolen, id think that the thief had good taste, so i couldnt shoot/injure/molest him/her for that..Id have to go buy the head. Ive also compared this amp to a mesa dual recto, a triple x, and a marshall tsl..and to be quite honest, i want them all :)i feel that each amp has great things about them, however, the carvin has the most warmth imho.

I have an older 2 channel model. 2 footswitchable channels, clean, overdrive. Direct out, speaker out, headphones, effects loop. DSP effects, chorus, echo (delay), flanger, reverb. Solid State 2x12 150 watt amplifier with "tube emulation."

I'm using this amp with a Gibson LP Studio. Delivers a good clean sound. Many of the effects give too much background noise. Suits me when i'm playing clean. Distortion is horrible, though. Simulated tube crunch distortion sounds much worse than real tube crunch. Sounds OK, but doesn't sound like the real deal. Impossible to get a brutal distortion out of this. Once the distortion control goes past 5, the distortion starts to sound harsh.

Hasn't had any problems yet.

Nevere dealt with Carvin

Delivers some of the best clean sounds i've heard from a SS amp. It's no Fender Twin though. Tube crunch sounds are OK, Distortion isn't brutal at all. Cleans can get real loud without breaking up.

Just an update from my last review - I discovered that the gain gradually increases the louder the volume is. On '10' I am still around the amount of gain Zakk uses (although I'm not a huge Zakk fanatic, just something to compare to). If you want more gain, you can always buy an overdrive or look into the new SX-300 series.

Clean at high volumes still stays clean and sounds great.

I have since used this with my new guitar (Kramer Baretta FX-404SX), and it sounds outstanding. I'm also currently getting into some Van Halen, and you can really get a nice replication of the 'brown sound' tone:

Gain - 5
Bass - 5
Mid - 5
Treble - 6
Presence - 7.5
Add some of the built in chorus, and you got EVH down!

This amp is awesome. Beats anything I've tried in its price range. Like I said, if you want more gain, there is a new SX line with a 3rd higher-gain channel.

I also forgot to leave my e-mail addy on my last post.

My amp is a 2002 Carvin SX-200D solid-state with digital effects (flanger, chorus, echo, and reverb). It has two channels (distortion and clean) with a 'blues' switch (3-band EQ on both channels). There is a 25/50/100-watt selection switch, speaker outs, an effects loop, and headphone out jack. Also, a seperate default push-button reverb. The speakers are 12" Carvin 100-watt. It also came with a free footswitch for channel switching and effects.

I use a BC Rich NJ Warlock (stock pickups), and for effects, I have a Morley Pro-Series II wah and Ibanez DE-7 delay/echo. They sound so great through the effects' loop, not nearly as much noise (not that noise is a big problem in a direct chain). The style of music I play is the entire spectrum of metal! From rap-metal like Shuvel to black metal like Cradle of Filth.

Distortion - This isn't a super high-gain amp, but it's enough distortion for me, 'cause I don't like to soak the gain all that much. Think about as much gain as Zakk Wylde uses. It can get pretty bottom-heavy for modern rock and nu-metal sounds. You can get alot of tones in the distortion channel, from classic rock, to moderately high-gain rock and metal. I've found that I can decently emulate the sounds of my favorite artists like Slayer, Coal Chamber, Rage Against the Machine, and Mudvayne (you can e-mail me if you want the EQ settings for these sounds). One thing that you can't get is that choppy, early-'80s thrash sound, like the sounds on Kill 'Em All and Ride the Lightning. Perhaps an EQ pedal and distortion boost will do that for you, but I like my sound smoother than old Metallica. The 'blues' switch is basically a mid-boost and lessens the distortion. There is also a good amount of sustain on this amp.

Clean: I like the clean sounds I can get from this amp. Very natural sounding, not too round and thick, not too flat and thin. it's a decent clean tone; I can get pretty close to Dimebag's clean sounds, although that's really not what he's known for. Basically, it sounds clean, the EQ proves to be flexible, but it's no Twin Reverb.

Sounds great, and for such a value.

This amp seems pretty durable. I've just started using it at band practices, and it has yet to see a gig, so I'm not really gonna say anything besides it looks tough and can survive a few bumps on the way down my drummer's narrow staircase, if that counts for anything. :P

Haven't had a problem yet, hopefully I won't ever run into one. They were nice and informative on the phone when I was ordering it, though.

This is a huge value. The sounds are great, I think it's ideal for any unprofessional band. When I had all my money saved up this summer, I was thinking I needed a Peavey 5150 or a Randall head or something, but when it comes down to it, I kind of realized I wasn't in a professional band so this does me fine. I can practice on it at home, and I can hear myself over the drummer when the volume's at 2. No crazy volume fluctuations either. Highly, highly recommended. I was also considering a Marshall JMP-1 rack setup, which would've cost me 3 or 4 times as much as this amp. I definitely don't regret buying this over something more professional. And if you want a half-stack, there is a head version of this amp. This, I believe, is the first piece of gear that I'm giving a 10.

Bought mine in 1999. Amp has 2 channels, shared EQ with presence. Has effect loop, headphone jack, line out, and 4 ohm speaker out. Comes with channel/effect pedal. DSP includes multiple reverbs/flangers/choruses/echoes. 100 watts, 2 12" speakers. Amp is quiet, all solid state. Very versatile. I play jam-style(blues, funk, chill) and punk. I used the amp for 2 years, it suits any style.

I use it with a mexican fat tele. It has a Carvin humbucker (neck), and a stock tele single coil (bridge). I use a phase reversed sound for punk. The distored channel doesn't provide enough gain for me, with a single/single combination, however when i use just neck pickup in humbuck mode, it provides plenty of gain. I'd agree with others in saying that this amp is suited for guitars with humbuckers, unless you have ample gain (from a pedal), in which case it works well. It can produce a clean sound, to a vintage distortion, to a full metal distortion(with an added gain boost). The clean channel is beautiful, nice and round, with the warmth (lacking harmonics, and bell tones) of a tube amp. The EQ is simple, can go from a totally full bassy sound, to a completely thin and crisp trebly sound.

I've used it mostly for practicing, with the most unsuited effects pedals. Bass preamps, broken pedals. Never had a problem. I use it occasionally as a power amp for my Marshall head.

Never had to deal with any problems. inquired about the effects loop, they weren't very helpful.

I've been playing guitar for 3 years, I've been exposed to bands my entire life (parents had a band). I own a Marshall DSL 100 head(which I highly recommend, if you have the cash), a Bud-Wah pedal(which is also great). If it were stolen, I'd probably buy the Carvin Bel Air, because I've heard it's a good tube amp, and i'm pleased with the Carvin products I own. I just wish there were more gain.

2001 2 X 12 combo amp with DSP (chorus, flange, reverb, and echo/delay).

im using this amp with my schecter c1+ and epiphone chet atkins.

sounds really great and warm, both acoustically and cranked with the humbuckers on my c1+, and the presence control on both channels allows really neat emphasis on high ranges.

4 knob eq allows for a wide range of tonality, and the dsp is really nice. the choruses are all nice and distinct (6 different ones, as opposed to the crate model which has 4, and they all sound alike and extremely metallic). the reverbs are ok, but they are very over the top ... only one is really usable ... the flangers are ok, and the echoes are ok, but like the reverbs a little much. the slapback echo would be nice for surf music, but there's no control over the repeats and rate. for $450, though, the choruses are well worth it in a 2X12 model.

this thing is plenty loud, and also has a fx loop for extra modulation units (and for keepin em quiet!).

overdrive is nice, though there isnt much difference in between 5 and 10. for two independent clean channels, keep the overdrive on 1/2 ... you can also plug both guitars in, set the eq for both of them, and use the two channels independently for each axe.

seems well made and strong, though i have only had it for a week, im sure i can gig with it with no backup.

carvin answers email questions immediately and succinctly.

A +++.

for my music (acoustic solo, session, hobbyist) this amp is great, versatile, and plenty loud for all of my gigs.

great amp carvin ... keep makin em and ill keep buyin 'em.

maybe ill try a carvin guitar next ... we'll see ...

Solid state, clean, distortion, built in effects, ugly color.

Good clean, and good rock distortion. The effects arn't bad neither. But this amp does not do metal, or anything heavier. The guy at Carvin said it did do Metal, but it doesn't.

I hear mixed on their products.

They lied, but took it back.

If you want metal distortion, look else where.

This amp has two 12" British Class A 100 watt speakers that sound great and are very powerful. 2 channels,(Clean,Distortion) 16 digital effects that sound good if you set them the right way, 100 watts of power. This amp gets way too loud just at 3 or 4.

I'm using an ESP LTD M-100,(Which is soon to be upgraded)into a Morley Bad Horsie Wah, Little Algator Volume pedal, Ibanez TS9 and TS9DX tube Screamer,and a Boss Metal Zone. If you can set the amp the right way, you can get a really killer sound, especially for a solid-state amp. The clean channel can also sound great if you set it the right way and add the digital effects which sound good at different settings. This amp has gotten alot of criticism but those people probably never took the time to explore the amps capability. I mainly play hard rock, Heavy Metal and this amp really sounds good. The key to the distortion channel is once you've got your settings, just turn up the volume a bit more to get a better crunch without pedals.

The only problem I've had is that the fuses kept blowing and there was a transistor problem which I had fixed by the Carvin people and now it works fine.

They were really helpful when I needed my amp fixed and they got it back to me asap.

A really impressive amp for a solid-state, I suggest you try one out if your not in the market for a very expensive amp.