Carvin SX300

It is a 100 watt, 2x12" Celestion speakered, three channel switching, headphone jack, effects loop, solid state guitar amplifier. Weight about 40 pounds. Carvin debuted 2003. The three channels are clean, blues and high gain. It is smaller than my other amp, a Roland JC120, but easily completes. Without a foot switch, I lean over the amp and press one of three buttons to get the appropriate channel. Music styles are blues, classic rock, so the three channels cover it all and very well. I have played it in 100 seat and 30 seat rooms. Have not turned volume dial past two on each channel-plenty of power.

Sounds are clean, gritty or creamy blues tone, and creamy to screaming hi gain. Each channel defines good not definition without mud. I play humbucker guitars so the tone from the amp is meaty. On the blues and hi gain channel, when turned way up with a lot of gain, there is white noise in the background. The clean is clean all the way up as there is no gain adjustment. The amp is played in clubs and bars.

When I first got the amp, the blues channel emitted noise even when turned all the way down. The Carvin tech's figured out a solution over the phone, which I did with some contact spray. No problems ever since. I like solid state as these types of amps are very reliable and provide almost the same tone.

Carvin was easy to speak to and gave me good advice. II repaired my noisy volume knob with contact spray. Bought the amp used so there is no warranty.

Been playing since 1964. Still play regularly with a fifteen year, blues/classic rock band, which stays pretty busy. I have been through a lot of amps. In the last 7 years the Roland JC120 was the main deal but it is large, bulky, heavy and really is overkill in most of the rooms we play. What attracted me to the CARVIN SX300 was its smaller size, much lighter weight, but yet is reliable, good tones and with note definition. It is a good deal at about $400 new. I might buy the optional footswitch, but it is no biggie.