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.

2 channels, 100 watts, dual 12" speakers, digital effects, see other reviews of SX200D. Would prefer if the effect were more versatile, but what can you expect for $440?

I play this with two jazz boxes and the amp plus the guitars equals the best jazz sound I've ever had. Sounds just like Mark Whitfield's set up. I've also cranked the distorted A channel with my Alvarez solid body - it sounds extremely good. I don't think any style player will be disappointed with this amp - rock, blues, jazz, country - it can do it all. Bottomline - low noise at high volume, loud as hell, great distortion (very similar to a tube amp), great punch and clarity on the clean channel.

Instead of a 1 I'll give it a 5. Let me explain. When I received the amp and turned it on the first time, there was a little pop and puff of smoke. The amp worked off and on for a while, cutting out regularly. Finally at a band practice, it went out completely and never came back. So I had to send it back and get a replacement. I give it a 5 here instead of a 1 because of what happened in the next graded area - Customer Support!!!! Let me say this, the replacement is working fine and I hope it continues to do so. Therefore, I can't give it a high rating until I know it's not going to fizzle out on me.

Impeccable customer support. I called Carvin after one month of ownership and they GLADLY took back the defective amp and sent a brand new replacment. Get this - they even paid for the shipping I had to spend to send it to them. They also shipped my replacement back to me via 2 day - they had to. I live on the East Coast and this amp came from the West Coast much sooner than it did the first time. From the time I mailed the defective amp back to the time I received the replacement was around a week and a half. We're talking from Coast to Coast. Now that's Customer Support; plus, they are very nice at Carvin. Other companies could learn from Carvin's example here!

They would get a 10 if not for the first defective amp, but that could have happened with any new amp from any company. Just my bad luck to get a lemon. I've been playing since 1985 and have owned countless amps and guitars, including Yamaha, Traynor, Marshall, Galien Kruger, Gibson, Ibanez, Martin, Kramer, etc. I would replace this amp (already have). As far as solid state goes, this amp is king of the hill. Only my old GK 250ML comes close in quality and sound. The only other criticism is the effects settings - very limited, but more extensive than on most amps. Most amps you get only reverb, but here you get chorus, flange, echo, and delay with limited settings. Fortunately the settings they supply are useful. You can't use multiple effects, but if you're like me the basics they supply are good enough. It gets a high 9!

solid state, headphone thingy, line out, some other crazy stuff.
Pretty alright if i say so. I wish it was easier to clean blood off the tan covering, though.

I use an epiphone sg rip off and i play the most annoying type music you could possibly imagine. Basically its slide guitar in drop d to give it that tone that everyone knows so well. The amp works damn well. Better than everybody elses piece of crap amp in my band.

I throw this thing around everywhere. I bang it against walls, i throw it down steps, i even threw it off a bridge into a river once. it is pretty durable. i could gig it w/o a backup because i dont have a backup.

oh ive. dealt with them. i called them up about some buzzing on my amp (which was because of the cord i was using) and i got some guy that sounded like Otto from the simpsons. he was all like "dude! its the wiring in your house, mannnnn. try it at you buddiiiies house and it will be coooolll." but then just tried a different cord and it worked. so those carvin guys dont know what their talking about.

Its all good. I just played a gig last night and this thing was great. we were only onstage for 10 minutes before getting kicked off, but we really rocked. especially since our lead singer was reaallly high. but it was the amp that really made the show great, not the monkey suit i was wearing. the band after us asked to use our amp, and i was all like "sure man, wreck it up." so they played some fruity hippie crap and it still sounded good, even though there was blood all over the amp from my playing. So the amp is pretty alright.

100 watts of reliable, solid-state power, two 12" British Series speakers, built in digital effects, two inputs, two channels (clean and overdrive)effects loop, and headphone jack. This amp is very versatile. I can get amazing clean sounds as well as smooth overdrive. This amp is really good at getting crunchy, high-gain sounds though. The built-in effects are slightly noisy when cranked but they sound pretty good. I really love the active tone controls because you can get almost any sound out of it. This amp is also very loud. It is hard to get it really quiet. The only thing i don't like is that you can't use the internal speakers and extension speakers at the same time.

Right now I am using a very good Yamaha with three single coils that will be replaced very soon. It is a great amp for playing anything from country to metal(hell yeah!). The effects are a little noisy but thats not a problem because i nevr turn them up all the way. The clean channel stays clean at very high volumes unless of course you have the bass cranked up all the way. The distortion is very good ranging from smooth, soft, overdrive to warm, crunchy, metal sounds.

Very sturdy. The tan covering has some dents in it from being too soft, but thats about it. I would definately gig w/o a backup.

When I didn'tget a footswitch with the amp, tey were very helpful and gave me a free one which came in a few days. They are very friendly and helpful. The amp has a one year warranty.

If it was stolen i would definately buy another one. I compared it to marshall valvestates and it totally blew them away! very good solid-state amp!

100 watts, two 12" speakers. Has two inputs, one used both channels, the other only uses clean channel. It comes with $30 footswitch with switches channels and turns effect on/off. The built in effects sound good, except they only have presets which you can't change, except the amount of effect.

I use a Strat with the standard pickups and play rock- mostly punk,metal and "grunge." It sounds good and it's versatile, especially for the price. The active EQ helps a lot. It's loud, I've never turned it up past half volume in my bedroom. Distortion sounds good, especially at high volumes, probably because this amp has "tube-simulating circuitry."

It would seem very reliable, it's solid-state. The wood used seems very strong.

Never dealt with them. I forgot to send in my registration card, but if it needs to get fixed I'll see if Carvin will still fix it. If they don't, they won't have me as a customer again.

I've been playing a couple years and this is my first non-practice amp. This is a great deal for only $450 for with shipping and footswitch. I like the way it has built in effects, because I hate cords.

This amp is a 100 watt, two channel combo amplifier with a digital effects unit built in. It has two 12 inch, what Carvin calls "British Series speakers". I've just recently bought the amplifier and after two weeks have just about dialed it in to where I want it. The effects unit is simple, but if you don't get the free footswitch from Carvin, buy their standard FS-22. The amp takes a little getting used to but once you figure out how to manage your sounds, its beautiful. The only lacking feature is nitpicky on my part but I would love to have a seperate reverb that is not mixed with another effect.

I play several different styles of music and I demand that my amp and guitars sound just like I want. My guitars are two cheap charvels that I've rebuilt the electronics on. Don't get me wrong, the guitars I have play well and have great tone, I just would rather spend money on a good base and build it how I want it. I use dimarzio pickups in one and seymour duncan pickups in the other. The one with Seymours has a huge sound and is raunchy. The one with Dimarzios, I use for the clean sounds and the light drive sounds like The Rolling Stones. This amp has proven itself to be versatile in giving me just about any sound I want and can figure out how to dial in. The dsp effects are pretty good as far as onboard goes. I played an amp before that was known for its built in chorus and this one absolutley sings. Like I said the whole trick is to dial it in just right. A little goes a long way on the level of the effects. If you give it just a little reverb and turn the overdrive down, you can get a great growling honky-tonk sound. There's endless combinations, when I first got the amp from the factory, I was a little apprehensive, it didn't seem to have the depth I was used to but once you work it, you can get incredible from it. The volume and clarity on this amp are astonishing. I didn't figure I would hear much difference at volume on this amp, but it drives with more volume and remains clear with much more dynamics. I am impressed with the range of sounds and the quality of sound from this amplifier.

Haven't had enough time with this amp to judge.

The people at Carvin I dealt with were helpful and knowledgeable. The transaction was smooth, right up until the amp arrived. The delivery person said I got one of two packages. The amp arrived but the free footswitch did not. That wouldn't have been a big deal except that I was planning on using the amp two days later and had it shipped 3 day guaranteed. I called but the only help I got was an explanation that this is a popular item and it often goes out of stock. I didn't go into the fact that no one had told me it was out stock but he did tell me that it would be along in a day or two. That really didn't help but I borrowed a friend's pedal and life goes on.

I have come to love this amplifier and the tones it produces. I hope it stands up to the reputation Carvin carries here and in other circles of musicians. This would be a ten but after playing the amp for a few weeks, I noticed a buzz from somewhere in the cover. I haven't as yet addressed this with Carvin but that is for another time. The amplifier has top quality features and sound. I did a lot of research before buying it and it scared me to death to gamble on a mail order amp I had never played before but I trusted what I saw and what was posted here and am not disappointed at all. I could be a Carvin man for a long time. This amplifier fits my needs in every song, note and expression that I use it for and I'm glad I gave it a chance.

Got this amp through Carvin,basic solid state with DSP effects(sucks),Effects loop,2 channels,out for recording.

This amp is noisey just sitting there the hum is noticable to no end.The amp sounds OK in my opinion,distortion factor is laim I use a Boss HM-2 pedal to get a good metal tone.Clean channel is great though it's probably all this amp has going for it but I don't use this much playing metal.It's loud my neighbor from 3 blocks away heard me playing the amp full blast so the next door neighbor must hate me.I'd get something else if your into playing metal as I am this amp don't do it for me in that respect.I'll definitly get something differant for my next amp probably a mesa boogie Tremoverb.

I had this amp for almost 2 years and it never fell down or left the house for that matter,plus I have a cover on it that I got with the amp.Now it don't always work when I first turn it on the DSP effects don't work most of the time either does the effects loope.I'll never buy one again and don't recomend anyone else to buy one either.Total shit box,I'm very disapointed in this amp.

Have yet to contact them yet nor would it help since the warrenty expired.

Total peice of shit,after reading some of the things other people wrote about this amp has me woundering what they consider to be good.But the again it could just be bad luck on my part.If this amp ever got stolen the only regret would be the money I'd be out of.I'd definitly spend another 1000$ for something better.

2 x 12inch "british" speakers two channels digital fx built in

i play a fender strat with carvin single coil pickups. i like the sound of this amp. nice clean tones & nice tube like distortion too. i was very impressed with the tone of this amp untill my band buddy brought in his carvin tube (tweed covered) amp. boy, his really sounded thick & juicy compared to my amp. we were both using strats.ever since then i detect a bit of thin papery sound in my amp!!

no probs

i always get carvin shipments fast. but then again thier factory is only 400 miles away. i live in northern california.

good amp at great price. digital fx are nice,but other than level, there is no adjustment for them. the bass,mid,treb, and presence controls really work well. you can really fine tune your sound with them. very good distortion channel.

Basic combo amp features. Digital effects (chorus, echo, reverb, flange) but only one at a time - not too practical, but see 'Sounds'.

A) Just got the amp yesterday.
B) Out of the box and into a jam sessiom, playing a Tokai 56 Strat and Heritage Les Paul (played with drums, bass [loud] and two other guitars). This amp kicked absolute ass, even nice feedback.
C) After initial disappointment that digital effects weren't available in combination, I found the most incredible Robin Trower sound by cranking the Chorus level. The distortion rocks.
D) Very nice clean channel - it will get crunhy at higher levels.
E) VERY LIGHT AMP
F) Ucking great guitar amp for $429.00 - free footswitch & $20 cover.

Just got it yesterday - who knows.....

WHen I ordered it I wasn't told it was back-ordered. When the other things arrived (footswitch & cover) there was a note about the backorder ..... VERY DISAPPOINTED .... but when i called back they were responsive and upped my 3rd day delivery to next day air (about $60) or could have upgraded my amp for a better price.

I'm 39, been playing since I was 7. I play Rock like Iggy Pop, like to jam to Zappa grooves, Trower, Soundgarden. I owned a Mesa Dual Rectifier wasn't happy with it (????) I am going to buy a mega amp soon and this was an in-between purchase, but so far I may just get another one of these and eq it enough to have a wall of sound. It could definitely hang in a gig situation.
This amp is light and loud, perfect for rock, definitely good for funk (real funk you bastards), actually capable of any semi-pro gig in any genre. I played the Paradise club in Boston a few years ago with a SX200 and it worked well.
Not a Marshall stack, but for what it is, it's a 10.

Bought it in early 1999. This amp is very versatile. I play a little of everything, from rock to country, and it serves them all well. This is two channel amp, clean and distortion, channel switching on the face and by footswitch, effects loop and headphone jack. It also has built-in digital effects. The delay is a bit limited (all preset with no adjustments other than level), but the rest (chorus, reverb and flange) are very nice. The only additional feature I could think of would be more control of the effects, but for the price it can't be beat. Comes in two models, the 100D with single 12", and this one the 200D with 2 12" speakers. Sound is incredible. Good quality at high and low volume and everywhere in between. Clean channel is very clean, distortion is the best I've heard in a solid state (may even compare to some tube distortions). The only reason I give it a 9 instead if a full 10 in this category is that it's advertised with dual channels that can be used simultaneously (that means at the same time), for example with electric on distortion channel and acoustic on clean. This works well, but if you want two clean channels at once, the overdrive level turned down loses all the gain on the distortion channel. I can't get a pure clean sound out of both sides, at least not that I've found so far. It also has a line out (1/4") that gets good sound on clean settings, but is a pretty gravelly on the distortion. You are better off to mic the amp for distortion settings. Other than those very minor quirks, this is a great amp for the money... and even for a lot more money!!

I play a California Fat Strat with various effects, as well as a Martin D35 with piezo saddle pickup and Fishman preamp through this amp. The fender gets great sounds all the way around, both on clean and distortion. The acoustic on the clean channel gets a pretty close to realistic sound, especially if I crank the mids down on the amp and on the preamp. Let's put it this way, it's good enough that I can take the control of my acoustic sound out of the hands of the sound man by running it through this amp and letting them mic it flat. This amp is VERY LOUD!! in a good way. It cranks a lot of volume for its size and price, and sounds good all the way up.

I've had it less than a year, so it's hard to say, but it is very sturdily built. I think it will take a lickin and keep on.... well you know.

I ordered it on line. Pretty basic, and shipped very fast. I am very happy!! I also lost my manual, but was able to download one from the web-site. Carvin has the internet deal pretty well covered. Check it out, I think you'll be impressed www.carvin.com

If you want a high dollar sound, but don't have a high dollar budget, this is the amp for you. I researched a lot before buying, because that is the position I was in (no high dollars here!). I have been more than ecstatic with my decision to buy this amp. It is really a sweet little box, and looks good too!! (tan vinyl with black accents). I am 41 and play rock and country, but my son is in a punk band and borrows it all the time for his rhythm guitarist. It work for all styles I guess!! Buy one, you won't be sorry.

This amp can do any kinda music you want it to do, you can do funky 80's style to your heavy metal! personally i play alot of led zeppelin & RUSH & man this amp i swear was made for it, theres really nothing on this amp that i wish was already there, the brittish speakers inside aren't gunna blow either hahaa i take this amp to gigs, & night clubs where we play & believe me its loud enough by far & it also sounds good when its turned up loud so dont worry about the sounds qual.

im using some cheap Harmony guitar thats shaped like a Les Paul, its not really a bad sounding guitar but damn, the amp makes it sound great! the amp isn't noisy at all, even with pedals hooked it with it, thats what my old one used to do, the amp has a Flanger, Chorus, Reverb & Echo there OK i guess but the only one that i dont already have in a pedal is a reverb thats that good. the amp also has overdrive, if you dont hook the guitar in with any pedals u can use the overdrive for a great distortion!

ive never had a problem with it, it look like it'll be ok though :o)

Man, Carvin has such nice people working there phones, i call them alot just to see if the amps comeing & i think i made a few more friends, the warrenty is one year, i ordered it online <www.carvin.com

ive been playing for about 4 years, ive used alot of amps & of course this is the best one iver ever used,if i lost this amp or some bum stole it, ide prolly get the same kinda cause its an awsome price & an awsome amp! ok, if you have a chance to get this amp, please get it, cause the price is great!

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.