Carvin SX-200D

2 channels, foot switchable (footswitch was free for a limited time-normally $19) effects loop, headphone jack(which does not kill the speaker automatically), dsp effects built in. this amp is solid state with 100 watts and 2 12" British series speakers.
i bought this amp new but suspect it was used (or at least parts of the insides were). more on that in the tech support section.
this amp has PLENTY of power. it's hard to turn the volume past 4 in the same room. lots of feedback with high gain though-most amps are likewise. i would use this only for practice though, due to the unfortunate layout of the dsp effects. there is reverb, flange, chorus, and echo included, but with 2 serious (in my opinion) problems.
1. if the effect is turned past halfway, the amp will hiss. 2. the settings for everything are located on one knob. it is impossible to reach down and switch effects live as they are labelled with lines only!! no led, not enough room between dial sounds. you can EASILY push the knob past a sound for reverb (for example) and end up in the flange section. i don't know what they were thinking, but they need some kind of switchable system for live use. your only option for dsp effect control is switchable on/off for the whole thing. you're also stuck with their presets, but they seem at least adequate. for home use, it's not so bad as you can play around with time more easily. the lines are simply too close together to accurately gauge where on the dial you are. (the line on the knob is too wide as well, adding to the confusion) also, this amp simply SCREAMS to have a noise gate. this amp hisses more than any amp i've ever heard. (i sent it back because i suspected a ground loop problem, but when i finally got it back it had the same problem) i had to buy a rockman hush pedal which works just fine.
also, in back all the output connections are placed much too close together to hurry up and set up live.
gets a 6 because of the layout of the effects and the output connections. the effects are a good value, sound decent although the tweakers will not like not being to adjust reverb tails and such), and they should not even think about sending this amp out without a noise gate (i say kill the flange, how often is one of those needed)
this amp will be loud enough (possibly as loud as my marshall jcm900 half-stack) really!!

i play through a dimebag signature series washburn with very high output pickups. this amp sounds great. excellent clean sounds, very lush and sexy. but i mainly bought it to rock the hell out. with distortion on full, amp is very noisy(hiss-wise) but chords sound full and you can hear every note. however, you will not get a good chunka chunka death metal sound unless you play VERY loud. the gain does not allow for chord saturation to the extreme i like at low volume, so i bought a tech 21 NYC comptortion pedal to use as only a level booster and a smidgeon of compression. together with a noise gate and a touch of the built in reverb, i have never been happier with my sound. serious cannibal corpse here, but you definitely need a level booster and noise gate to get a good thrash sound at low volume. i bought it to bring to rehearsals because my marshall is so bulky and i was tired of replacing tubes and ended up liking the sound better for a lot of things. you can get a great jazz fusion sound with a little overdrive and a level booster. blues, jazz and country, step this way. i believe this amp was mainly designed for those sounds, and most people wouldn't have picked up this model for thrash stuff. but you'll be pleasantly surprised. the tone controls are active, which means you can boost and cut. very nice touch. we're talking a huge range of tone here.
would easily have gotten a 10 if they included a noise gate (necessary) and possibly another gain stage for extreme stuff. without the booster, you'll get a fantastic ac/dc crunch. very impressive.

this is where i start to worry about carvin. like i mentioned earlier, i returned this amp the first day i had it because of the hiss problem. also, the tone and volume controls would crackle. it was finally returned (about 2 weeks), but they didn't charge me shipping fees. nice touch, but an awful long time. it still hissed!!
so figuring that it was not worth paying shipping back to return it, i took it apart and looked at it. the pc boards were filthy! i cleaned up the boards, including several solder joints that had what appeared to be flux bridges, and sprayed contact cleaner in the control pots. it fixed the crackling, but i wonder if they even looked at this thing when i returned it. i suspect either the amp was used previously in bad environments, some of the boards inside were from returned amps, or their factory is dirty.
like i said, the hiss is apparently a design flaw and my noise gate takes care of it. my cables and guitar are fine, because my other amp doesn't have these problems.
i don't know how long it will last, but general workmanship complaints adide, it seems sturdy enough. also, the manual includes part names, values and shipping numbers. believe me, if it fails i'm fixing it myself.
i would not use this on a gig requiring several different sounds because of previously mentioned lack of dsp control. but on a straight rock and roll gig it would kick ass, especially for rhythm players. an external processor with footswitch controls would help, but defeats the purpose of having one included.
6 because of an obvious lack of concern for cleanliness in the building process, especially on an amp that was already returned for looking over. hopefully this is just an isolated incident. however, it still exhibited the same problem after supposed repair. not worth the money to send back, and still good enough for my needs as is with my extra pedals.

well, they were very friendly and as i said before they didn't charge shipping to look at my complaint. however, they didn't fix the problem and should have really cleaned it up inside. no followup call from them to ask how i felt about the situation.
1 year warranty, but i believe they usually charge shipping for repairs. this can be very expensive. (up to 80 dollars one way) not economically feasible, and they did pick up shipping for my problem.
5 because they picked up the tab for shipping, but didn't fix or clean up anything.

i've been playing about 10 years. i own a marshall jcm900 and an ampeg ss-70.
this amp really sounds great with a little help. consider the cost of a noise gate mandatory unless you like hiss, and a level booster if you like metal.
again, blues rock and jazz players will not need anything else, it's just when you want lots of gain and treble that it will act up. the clean sound is dreamy and with moderate levels of gain, the hiss is not too bad. but when you turn gain or effects past halfway, it will sound like niagra falls in there. east coasters, watch for the shipping fees on returns, they're pretty steep for this part of the country to california.
if it was stolen or lost, i'd miss it but probably buy a power amp and a midi-controlled preamp instead. the value is good, but the added cost of the hush pedal and the level booster would have put me up to a better grade of product.
i know i'm dwelling pretty hard on the hiss levels, but if that doesn't bother you, you'll be sure to love the sound of this amp. if a gate was included, there would be much higher ratings all around

'97 212 100W combo. This amp is extremely versatile, from country to jazz to metal to funk. Two channels, A channel has amazing distortion. It can do a great crunch to an all out scream. B channel is clean. Both channels have 3 band EQ and presence control. Chorus, delay, flange, and reverb, all with presets and level control. Effects loop, headphone, line out, footswitch. Great for small to medium gigs; a little loud for practice, but not too bad. The only problem I find with this amp is that the effects are noisy when the effect level is turned way up. Other than that, Carvin did a great job.

This amp sounds sweet. Very clear, very clean, very, very adjustable. I can get just about any sound i want out of it. I'm playing a Strat right now with 3 singlecoils, and it's a great combination. The distortion is incredibly dynamic, and the clean stays clean all the way up, and this amp can go way up. It is very compatible with other effects. I love the sound.

I've only had it just over a year, but it hasn't let me down yet. Rugged and tough, and I've never considered bringing a backup amp. I haven't had any real problems with it, except for a feedback problem with a lineout, but that turned out to be the guitars fault; bad jack. This amp can take a beating and still sound great.

Haven't needed Carvin yet.

This is a great amp. Good price for quality. Versatile, realiable, powerful, clean, great for lead or rhythm. All around quality amp. If I lost this one, I'd get another.

a simple two channels, clean and overdrive, dsp effects, comes with footswitch for dsp and channels, effects looping, another hookup for more speakers which can be as little as 4 ohms or as high as 16. each channel has bass, mid, pres, treb. dsp has its own volume level so it works with either cahnnel. 100 watts into 2 12's, nice and loud. its a solid state but it really does sound better than that.

im using a les paul studio into a zoom 3030 which i run into the effects loop. the amp, although its loud, stays clean doesn't break up and it sounds as good cranked as it does when its barely on. it seems to have a lot of bass but i can get used to it, i can really pull some good stuff from this amp but nothing is perfect and its no mesa or plexi. the overdrive isnt my thing, but i bought it for the clean channel anyway, its not neccesarily bad but not as crunchy as id like, if you turn it up all the way its pretty seething. the dsp effects aren't really worth it, i feel the only thing they offer is a decent echo and good reverb, the flange and chorus blow. i play modern rock and i love it but buy some effects don't use the dsp. 7 only for the dsp

only had it s short time, but i would rely on it and not use a backup, but i dont have a backup. 5 only cause i dont really know

nice guys, but only a sucky ine year warranty

this is my second amp in the two years ive been playing, but i got to say for the money i dont think it can be beaten. if it were stolen im sure id go and buy a new one, and maybe get the extension cab also. i love the clean sound/hate the chorus and flange. i played a new fender hot rod deluxe and like this just as much and its a solid state and cheaper. i wish the dsp was worth something. as an overall amp its just okay, but for the sound and power for the dollar its a really good amp. i give it a 10for the $500 range. if you dont have a carvin catalog get one.

Two 12 in. british style speakers, "tube-technology" tube distortion simulator( AWESOME), 16 DSP effects and prescence control for each of the two switchable channels are some of the features of this amp. DSP choruses are great but don't think you won't want a more sophisticated processor to add to your rig. The only thing I really hold agaist it isn't 150w like its father the SX200. Anyway it is LOUD & CLEAN! VERY CLEAN!!

I use a neck-through with two humbuckers (switchable to singles) and the clean sound it delivers on the neck setting is just great. The distortion from the bridge 'bucker is fat and every note has its own identity. The DSP is noisy if you set it high. But I mostly use my RP-7 through the clean channel and I'm in paradise...Bottom Line VERY CLEAN CLEAN ; VERSATILE DISTORTION BUT DEFINITELY PERFECT FOR ROCK TO METAL.

It's a new model... loks sturdy anyway :-)

Well some people at Carvin are very friendly but others seem like they could care less... Hope you get lucky when you call, it's like a 50/50 probability. Only 1 year warranty compared to Crate's 5 years... (Wouldn't change my mind anyway)

I've been playing for 10 years and I feel very comfortable with the choice I made. I shopped around for Randalls, Crates, I had a BANDIT... And this one beats them all hands down, costing less than a lot of them.

150 WATT 4 OHM - 2 12" BR12 BRITISH STYLE 100 WATT SPEAKERS - 2 CHANNEL CHAN A TUBE SIMULATOR DISTORTION, CHAN B CLEAN. 16 DSP ON-BOARD PRESET EFFECTS INCLUDE SEVERAL CHORUS, FLANGE, REVERBS, ECHOES. DSP LEVEL CONTROL (NO ADJUSTMENTS ON EFFECTS) MAIN FEATURES: ARE THE SX TUBE SIMULATOR TECHNOLOGY AND THE DSP EFFECTS.

I PLAY INTENSE FUSION METAL FROM SUPER CLEAN TO EXTREME DISTORTION USING THE BOSS METAL ZONE (+ WAMMY & WAH) AND THE AMPS DIST CHANNEL. I HAVE SEVERAL OTHER AMPS INCLUDING ALL TUBE, I LOVE THIS AMP SO MUCH I BOUGHT TWO. THE METAL ZONE THRU THE CLEAN CHANNEL ON THIS AMP IS INCREDIBLE! THE DIST CHANNEL BY ITSELF OFFERS BETTER TUBE DIST THAN REAL TUBES! THE DSP EFFECTS ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR A LOT OF BOXES. THE CHORUS IS INCREDIBLE! IT'S NOT THAT THIS AMP SOUNDS FANTASTIC FOR THE MONEY THAT'S JUST A PLUS, I WILL NOT GO BACK TO TUBE AMPS WHILE CARVIN MAKES THESE BABIES. ANYONE WHO THINKS SOLID STATE AMPS DON'T SOUND GOOD SHOULD REALLY HEAR THIS AMP! I RUN TWO IN STEREO AND IT TRULY IS THE GOD HAMMER! THE LOW END IS THUNDEROUS AND THE HIGHS CUT THROUGH BUT IT'S PURE TONE! THE ONLY COMPLAINT I CAN COME UP WITH IS THAT THE DSP IS A LITTLE NOISY WHEN TURNED ALL THE WAY UP BUT AT AROUND 7 IT'S QUIET AND VERY PLUSH, THE EFFECTS HAVE A 3D QUALITY.

I PACK UP AND LOAD MY GEAR INTO OUR REHEARSAL ROOMS EVERY WEEK AND THIS AMP IS 100X MORE DURABLE THAN MY TUBE AMPS AND IT WEIGHS SO MUCH LESS. MY SOUND IS ALWAYS THERE, ONE AMAZING THING ABOUT THIS AMP IS THAT NO MATTER WHERE THE CONTROLS ARE IT JUST DOESN'T HAVE A BAD TONE IN IT! SO FAR I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS AMP AND I REALLY DON'T EXPECT BECAUSE THERE'S NO DAMN TUBES TO CRAP OUT AND SOUND INCONSISTANT.

WHAT CAN I SAY I LOVE CARVIN, THEY TREAT ME RIGHT. I HAVE SEVERAL OF THEIR GUITARS AND AMPS AS WELL AS A COUPLE I HAVE MODIFIED WITH CARVIN PARTS. I HAVE ONE OF THEIR VALVE MASTER SERIES AMPS WHICH HAS A REALLY FANTASTIC STEVIE RAY TYPE BELL TONE CLEAN SOUND, BUT THE SX200D HAS A BETTER DISTORTION. CARVIN SHIPS FAST EXCEPT FOR EXTREME CUSTOM SHOP ORDERS LIKE MY NEW DC400 BLACK STAINED, ABALONY INLAID, GOLD HARWARE GUITAR (8 WEEKS) BUT AMPS GET SHIPPED RIGHT AWAY. AS LONG AS CARVIN BUILDS SUCH QUALITY GEAR I WILL NOT BUY ANYTHING ELSE!

AFTER 23 YEARS OF PLAYING THIS IS MY FAVORITE AMP THAT RESPONDS TO MY PLAYING STYLE AND DELIVERS MY SOUND. TO THINK THIS BABY COSTS A FOURTH OF JUST WHAT A MARSHALL HEAD COSTS IS NOT TO BE BELIEVED! BUY ONE! I HAVE TWO NOW AND I CAN ONLY DREAM OF HOW THEY WILL UPDATE THIS AMP IN THE FUTURE.