Carvin V3 Head

Got it used so I don't know the year. It's got a set of 6L6 mesa/boogie tubes with mesa 12ax7's which make the amp RULE.... I play Mostly metal, shred stuff. I dig the blues and I fake jazz. The amp doesn't have the clean of say a Diezel or fender, but it is clean. Just seems to lack sparkle, but it does remain clean! Its 3 channels and this amp sounds better than ALL 3 channels amps I've owned (MESA) The drive is totally usable and cuts right down the center of the mix. At least with the 6L6 tubes. I played one with el-34's which I usually like better, but it just didn't sound as buttery, in my opinion. With a boost function over all channels and a half power switch it is versatile enough for all! (or at least for me!) I just wish the foot switch lite up for the channel you were on but oh well, for the price I paid, I'll live with it! Especially since I was going to get a VHT!!

This is the quietest amp I've played. No feed back at high volumes standing in front of a stack with CHEAP pickups! It blew my mind! The distortion is great and smooth but thick and brutal. I haven't had a chance to REALLY dial it in for blues or anything like that, more mello, but the metal and shred stuff cuts, although I said the clean lacks sparkle, I really haven't experimented with it for more that a few minutes and the clean sounded great in a band mix, so what more is there??

Don't know. I haven't had it long....

Carvin is pretty cool. Got a guitar from them and they're prompt.

Now that I've played this amp, I wanna try the steve vai legacy amp by carvin. I've always shyed away from carvin amps. Why? I dunno, maybe just superficial but never again. This amp sounds 10 times better than ANY 3 channel mesa recto unless it's been modified. I would hunt down the same bargain price I paid for this and definantly buy another one. It's a great amp! The only thing I hate is that I waited so long to get one. If you get it with el-34s and don't like the tone, switch to 6L6s and watch the magic happen! I've been playing 16 years and have been hunting down tone for the last few of those. I have played them all. For the price and for even WAY more money, this amp cannot be beat!!

To follow up, I have had this amp for about 6 mos or so now, and it still continues to amaze me. The tone is just unmatchable and I have had a lot of gear over the years. Maybe I got a set of magic tubes, I do not know but it is the best. The switching capability on this amp is superior to any tube amp out there. I will cry myself to death if they ever stop making these amps. I live for the day when I get another one and run stereo. I recently moved into a huge new house with the entire upper room open and high 10' ceiling. I am finnaly able to crank this amp up and really see what it can do. It can actually get louder than I can stand. If you are not calling them to get one of these monsters I feel sorry for you. This is greatest buy in the land. Marshall can blow me.

I have experimented with all the channels looking for different tones. The claen channel remains the one I use most as I run an extensive pedal rig for versitile tones. The amp responds well to all my effects and even with nothing on, the amp distortion gets anything from Sabbath to Page with ease. It's all in the knobs baby, and I play full step detuned, I used to play Eb and dropped D but I am so much liking the full step down I got from Trower and Iommi. I just upgraded my pedal board with a new wiring setup. New cables and all. I play only Carvin guitars which may be adding to my chemistry (a DC 135 strat type and DC400 Les Paul type). I found by adjusting channel two to mild dirt with bottom end using the presence control up it enhances that cool Les Paul Page phase sound in the middle toggle, really sweet. The Strat plunk tones and bell on the neck are just great on channel 1. The Carvin rails are a real strong no noise strat tone. Their ohmage is higer than a lot of standard humbucklers. I have channel 3 set to melt down. My DC400 with its SD HB Megadeths and Metalicas really well. It still all phases well with my distortion units if I kick them on. Do not forget about the loop jumper on loop 2 for aditional boost. I am not playing with the band anymore, I only wish I could do that again, as this amp would kill over my Marshall I used to run. The amp with this new rig is a metal heaven.

The head and cab are built like a tank with a steel protective grills. I expect no failures because I am not abusing the amp or cab. I marveled at the looks and construction of this amp like a naked woman for hours before I hooked it up. These guys are amazing, I pray (God of Thunder) they do not jack the prices. Their Guitars and such are so low priced for the tones and quality. I cannot imagine what idiots could find problems with anything. I have run Carvin for years now and my tone is beyond anything I could wish.

Nice guys, I compliment them a lot. Genius techs at Carvin. The designers of this amp must have been real players who were trying to build some versatility into a great tube circut. I get lost sometimes tweaking on tones and flipping switches. Everytime I think I have the amps best tones I find something new.

To give you an idea of the complex rig I am running with this amp, and they all work great together or just one. The amp handles any combination. I have everything mounted on a Tone Bone Slant board. It's just great, the wah is just at the right angle and I can see everythign clearly. A really under-known board design. I tie cabled my BBE power brick under the front end. Gator sucked by the way, two failed on me out of the box. The only crapouts I have seen in 30 years. BBE is the best. I just updated everything on my board and this is the ultimate sound rig, and I spent days adjusting knobs for tones on each effect. I use a BBE power brick with 9's going to everything but 12v on the OCD, it sounds better than 9, 16, or 18. It's wired for it so its OK. First connect is the best wah, the Vai Wah, (honestly cry-baby my ***)into a Voodoo Lab's brillant 'must have' pedal switcher (which makes anything really true bypass!). Digitech Syth Wah loop 1 (found a great setting for this wicked thick evelope filter), Keeley DS-1 loop 2 (ultra switch on), Keeley MT-2 loop 3 (mid position mod), OCD loop 4 (LP or HP, depends, low gain just for tone thickner like Trower Bridge. Eagle, or Fool & Me). Despite the OCD is supposed to be "true" bypass, the Voodoo Lab improved its loading and signal. Maybe that's the problem with some of these reviews, bad cables or capacitance loading. This goes into the amp in line. Sometimes I run a Boss small Loop station into the Lab Insert line as it does not work on a loop circuit. All these distortions are hyper adjusted for my styles and touch and all sound bloody great. I can get any combination of tones or use the higher gained amp channels. Keeley is a genius and Fuller's OCD is quite a pedal if you experiment with it. Don't expect what a pedal is not designed to do. I read some reviews that just trash great stuff because they are just not finding the settings that work for your rig. My loop 1 is Voodoo Labs Micro Vibe which replaced my Univibe, Digitech's chorus factory set on Fulltone's ChoralFlange wide and deep chorus, and Boss DDL5 which I will replace with a Boss Gigi-delay when I can. Loop 2 is the boost loop I said earlier. I would like to get another Voodoo lab Pedal Switcher for my loop as it improves any pedal, making it really bypassed out of your signal path. I was amazed at the loading and tone screwing I was getting before this baby. If you run multiple pedals, really, get this isolator box, it is not much bucks and really does do what it claims. When my effects are off it's like straight into the amp head. If you are not checking out Carvin I understand you must be retarded and like to pay a lot of money for one trick ponies or listen to half *** players tell you what some obscure pedal you never heard of does for you. My rig works and I am running some pedals others have trashed. Maybe it's their playing technique that sucks. Reminds me of some genius who was playing my Roland synth a few years back and commenting it did not track well, who ever heard of strumming string tones? Anything can be made to sound reasonable. If you want to step into the magic forest, shop Carvin, it's Hawaiian to Mexican dirt weed.

the features have already been described, but i like the lead boost, and having 3 channels

This amp has a really good clean channel, and pretty good distortion channels. I tend to get a lot of feedback(more than my 5150) at high gain settings. It has an early 90s type metal sound.

I've had to have this amp fixed twice and its just over a year old. First something in the preamp section messed up, and then it started motor boating

both times the amp brokedown were after the waranty had expired,so I ended up taking it to a local tech because carvin has a $250 flat rate (plus shipping) I did call the tech line and the guy I talked to seemed like he had never played a guitar before. I told him my problem and he said I think you have the stand by switch on, like I didn't know how to turn the amp on after using it for a year.

3 footswitchable channels. 3 distortion types, EQ for each channel and a master EQ, master volume. This is also a MIDI amp but I don't know anything about that. You can switch off two of the tubes to make it a 50W amp which is nice if you live in an apartment like me. I think it's obvious that this is an extremely versatile amp. I run it through a Mesa 4x12 and I can't turn it past 5 or the neighbors will call the cops!

Only downside of all that tweakability: No room for any effects.

Sounds great, I've been able to get all the sounds I wanted from this. I can get a hi-fi super-clean sound or a blackface-type sound from the clean channel, and everything from sweet crunch to all out metal distortion from the distortion channels.

I'm not an expert but I decided to get a tube amp... I tried a Marshall, a Peavey, and this. This could get all the sounds of both the other amps. The Marshall is warmer and the Peavey is way, way, colder, but you can push this one towards both extremes.

Seems pretty bulletproof to me.

Never spoke to them

I've been playing 7 years, and this is my first tube amp. I bought it because it's what I liked best out of what was for sale locally. It wasn't expensive either. If I lost it and I were given the same choices (Marshall, Peavey, this) I'd pick this again.

Only thing I wish it had was reverb.

I decided to submit this review again not having the wine to help.
If you do not know about Carvin by now, really what planet are you on? I use several Carvin Custom guitars a DC400 and DC135 nothing better really and the price is so low as to make you wonder how they can remotely get such quality and workmanship.

One thing, really, the V3 amp, buy one!! It is the best most verstiatile amp on the planet. The three channel V3 w their vintage cab is just not to be believed in looks, price or god tone!!!
The array of knobs on this monster makes for endless paths in the tone forest.
All simply better than any other amp out there, don't listen to the morons, buy this amp!!
I paid $1600 to my door, one week, out of the box new and you seriously could not give me two Marshalls of any breed w 4x12's for it. I did love my JCM 2000 4x12 but this amp is just way beyond its capabilitites and tone.

Nothing sounds better than this amp. I am an old school player, I love old Trower and detuned down a whole step makes this baby thunderous with rich low end power and articulate mids and highs, adjust to your taste. it has deep switches and eq switches to change the scope of tone pots, pure bloody genius these guys!!!!
There are swithces for gain and eq variants on each channel and smart loop functions to have the loops on or off on each channel as well as "thank you god" a footswitchable adjustable clean boost circuit.
Carvin created deity with this amp I am telling you, everything from clean bell, smokin blues to metal, its all there dial to your taste.

HERE'S A SECRET: LISTEN!! PLUG A SHORT CONNECTOR CABLE TO LOOP 2 IN THE SEND AND RETURN AND TURN THE VOLUME ADJUST ON THE LOOP UP, (no box just a cable short and sweet) IT MAKES A SWEET MID ENHANCING CLEAN BOOST THAT MAKES EVERY CHANNEL AND SETTING JUST BETTER!!! Use this to up for clean volume if you like or boost up the distortion issues, very sweet and why they do not mention this in the manual is beyond me. It does not hurt the amp at all and the sound is really nice. It adds some beff to any tone you get and a volume enhance of that tone just adding to the quality of it not altering it. Makes it a little fatter I think.

Try it, please, pass it on, it makes this amp have two clean boost circuits and the loop boost mod sounds better than the front panel boost, I think anyway. The cab by the way is great sounding, articulate, clear, stridant tones even with bottom ended detunings. I use various effects from time to time but the amp sounds so good I am running only basic a horse wah, Fulltone OCD, another various type fuxx or dist at times, and the Univibe.

Again better than anything I have had in over 30 years of playing. One word kids....CARVIN. Do not listen to these brain dead reefer headed vintage farts, why pay 4-5 times over these prices for a one-tone amp or a damn guitar you have to mod to suit your tastes? Ever tried to actually intonate a strat?? Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Get a Carvin!!! They build my new DC135 like a black strat, mohogany body, with a maple neck and set it up detuned for me. Screw Fender, they wish they could do this. The amp just has sex with these guitars in a very good Scarlet Johansen manner.

This amp has sheet metal grills and the cabinet has a metal grill front, hard to imagine anything more heavy duty and it is really fine looking stuff. My Marshall was fragile egg sheel compared to this monster! It will blow you away just in looks alone!!

I have used a number of Carvin products for years. My solid state SX200 amps eventually fired out on me but I abused them for years running them on loop inputs with a synth guitar rig.

This amp is all tube and the groove tubes that came with it are obvious matched and supurb quality. I just cannot imagine anything sounding better, maybe these other guys are really good players.

I love the EL34 power tubes they are the best for all types of music. Since its tubes, replace them with the best ones you can buy within time and the amp has a built in bias switch for different power tubes if you like. I recommend a tech tweaking the new tube set if you're a pro or at least want to sound as good as you can.

Again the amp and cab are beautiful, heavy duty, and the sound is just orgasmic. These complainers with their odd ball mismatches of equipment and guitars are Frankensteining their tone. I run all Carvin and it just sounds incredible!!

The guys at Carvin have always been up for a chat they like to hear how the products are doing. I just bought a new guitar a DC135 with three single coils for a pure strat maple neck guitar. They put your name on them for God sake!!!

I could not get the Fender I wanted and Trower's signature guitar is just too much for me. The Carvin was just under a thousand and it like my older DC400 translucent black with gold is a beauty, after 8 years it still looks like new. Again tons of tonal options on both for whatever you like. I love it. So many of you guys are listening to the wrong chaps. Come into the magic forest where magic fills the air once again.

I have played over 30 years I am an old school fart, of the old tone school. Vintage was great when it was NEW. The new tech is so much better than anything we ever dreamed about. Chances are if you are using something new of resonable quality you do not have it patched right or you have not tried to tone it out for your particular rig or style. Things do have knobs and all things interact kids. Trower taught me long ago how to use effects and work them as a part of the sound not as enhancing bad playing. Effects can do wonders but stay to the basics in a band most of the woerd shit does not work well. Go for the heavy ton, the deep wood sound, body and clarity. The Carvin does ir well.

My god do not waste your time on so much of the old, the new can do the same and better. For the money, tone and looks Carvin is God!!! Try an amp or a guitar and you will see those who had something bad to say, or think they have something better, need meds and not the fun kind.

New Carvin V3 head purchased in October of 2007.This is a very good amp.At $899-$999, this amp is a steal!The amp has three channel. Each channel has a switch for 3 different drive modes, and an EQX shift to change frequencies of the individual channel eq controls.Brilliant!It all works very well, giving you any tone you could ever want.The only thing I wish this amp had was a nice on-board digital reverb, but I guess all the features it does have plus the very useable FX-loops, make up for that shortcoming somewhat.I just add my Boss DD3 [sounds great] or/and, my Boss RV3 pedals in the loop and all is well.

I have owned almost every Carvin amp at one time or another [sold some I shouldn't have {see Legacy combo and-MTS Combo}]. Carvin makes great amps that can not be beat, especially at the prices asked. This is one of Carvin's best amps in years. If you can't dial in a tone you love, somethings wrong with your ears.Very defined and clear for lead playing.Some have complained about low volume on the clean channel.Well,crank up the master and turn down your two lead channels, now turn up the clean channel genius, problem solved.The level controlled volume boost gets a 10 from me.I'm glad Carvin added this feature.

It's early yet, but so far so good.My main live amp of choice for years have been my little Carvin X60 single 12 combo's. I have 2 [one older with 6L6's-one newer with EL-34's]I just stack them using the bottom as a speaker cab only at gigs.At the next gig I switch what amp will act as the power that night.Sometimes I will run both in stereo through my excellent Boss GT 8 rig.These amps have been the most reliable of any I have ever used. X60 #1 [6L6's] is now 24 years old without one hitch!This V3 looks very well built, and is probably the best looking head I've ever seen.On stage with its blue 'jewel light'and tubes glowing through the front grill, it looks as awesome as it sounds!

Good people down there in San Diego. Never had a problem over the years.

This is the best kept secret out there [or maybe not].I paid $899 for this amp.I would have paid $2000.It blows many amps I've tried, right out of the water, and that includes some higher end boutique style amps [Mesa, Soldano, Matchless] to name a few. For the price it's unbeatable. Sounds great with single coil Strat's or Humbucking Les Paul's. Take some time dialing things in, and you won't be dissapointed.

3 channels with independent EQ and Volume, 3 tonal variations AND EQX. 2 Programmable effects loops. Master Volume with Master EQ AND Volume Boost. The Master EQ is almost like having a Sonic Maximizer built right in! Its perfect for when you rehearse at different places or play at different venues, because you can tune this amp to better fit the room. Even has MIDI Configuration. You can even switch between 50 and 100 watt mode, and if you ever decide to change the Power Tubes, there is a Bias switch so you can do it yourself!

You can also use 2 different Carvin footswitches:

FS44 is a 4 button foot switch which allows you to toggle between the 3 channels and activate/deactivate the volume boost.

FS22 is a 2 button foot switch which lets you turn on/off each effects loop on the fly.

Seriously people, what more could you possibly ask for in an ALL-TUBE head!?

This amp can sound like anything you want if you spend the time to dial it in. I have been able to achieve any sound I hear in my head, plus copy any sound recorded. I think you could use this amp for any style.

The Clean sound is superb. Even with the Drive knob at 4 and the Volume at 10, it still remains CLEAN. Not distorted at all. Of course, if you use active pickups (Like EMG's or LiveWires), its gonna distort much easier because those pickups are basically a preamp in your guitar.

You get 2 channels for Dirty tones, and let me tell you that this is some of the best tones I've heard from plugging straight into an all-tube head. No pedals required. Of course, if you have a shitty guitar, don't expect this amp to make it sound amazing. You should have a good guitar to begin with!

The dirty tones are very good, and the EQX makes them even more full. The knobs are very sensitive, especially the Treble and Presence. People have stated here that this amp can sound "fizzy", but that's because they have the presence too high. Try having the presence at 5 or lower and boost the treble instead. It works much better. The Mids don't start to take affect until about 5 and above, but then you get a lot of mids from there.

The Master EQ really further shapes the entire amp. The Bright and Deep switches are almost identical to a Sonic Maximizers "Process" and "Contour" controls. The deep really brings in the low end on a sub-harmonic level, and the bright does the same for the highs. You can simulate an overdrive pedal this way, or even an eq pedal, which is why I said you don't even need pedals for this head. There is a Mid Cut that scoops the entire amp. You can nail Hetfield's "...And Justice For All" tone perfectly with this control at 9 or 10, but I leave it at 0 (I like my mids boosted).

Seriously, I get great rhythm tone and lead tone. Having 2 channels for dirty tones is perfect because I like to eq rhythm and lead sounds differently. I run the Carvin FX-2 24 bit effects processor in both effects loops, so I have delay on my lead tone only, and a light flange on both my lead and rhythm tone. No effects are on for the clean channel.

I also run a Boss NS-2 in the effects loop. It is on for the 2 dirty channels, but not the clean. There is absolutely ZERO noise with this pedal in the effects loop. I swear you have to hear it to believe it (Or not hear it since there is no audible ANYTHING with the NS-2 on).

This is the happiest I have ever been with my set-up. I used to go through set-ups every few months, but since I got this rig, it has been my main rig for about a year. I've never used anything except guitars for a year. That says a lot.

Carvin gear is made in the USA, and nothing I have ever owned by Carvin has failed me. I have a V3 half stack, an FX-2, even a DC727 guitar and all of them kick ass. This gear is made to tour with! I have previously owned the AC120 power conditioner (When I had my rack set-up), and that kicked ass too!

Plus, with a 10 day money back policy, what do you have to lose?

Steve Vai has used Carvin gear for almost 2 decades. If its good enough for him, its good enough for anybody.

Everyone at the Santa Ana Carvin store is awesome. Extremely helpful, informative, and they let you jam there all day if you wanted. They all use Carvin gear as well (Who wouldn't?). They are always nice and professional over the phone, and every time I come in, they greet me by name and even ask how my gear is working out for me. They remember everything I have bought there without even looking in the computer! Carvin really knows how to develop good customer relationships, which is why so many of their customers continually buy there gear (Besides the fact that their gear kicks ass).

And the prices are factory direct! Its a win win!

I have submitted reviews on this site before, and I have never given any 10's in any category let alone all across the board. Nothing is perfect, and there will always be someone who doesn't like something. I know that this amp will not be perfect for everyone, but for me its my dream amp.

I have been playing for 7 years. I own a Music Man John Petrucci signature model, and a Carvin DC 727 7 string guitar. I use all Planet Waves cables. I have a Boss NS-2 and a TU-2.

There was a period where I tried every Marshall, Mesa, Randall, and Peavey head I could get my hands on. I must have been testing gear for nearly 2 months. When I first plugged into the V3, I knew in 5 minutes that I was buying this amp. I played the amp for almost 2 hours at the Carvin store, and I cranked it for a good part of that time. Not only did I not get bothered or told to turn down (Like Guitar Center would), they answered all of my questions promptly and let me do my thing. After purchasing the V3 head and matching cabinet, the sales associate even helped me to my car and load my gear! They gave me everything I needed and even gave me a bunch of Carvin decals.

I would never be stupid enough to lose something as big or heavy as an amp. But if this were stolen, I would definitely buy another. In fact, I am considering buying another.

I would just like to add that I've had this amp for about a year, so this is not a "honeymoon phase" review. I waited a long time before posting this review so people could get an honest opinion. I am not trying to sell you this product. I am simply sharing my thoughts and personal experiences on this product. The only way you will know for sure is to go to your local Carvin store and try one out...

I have written of the V3 Head before and I am using Carvin's vintage 4x12 slant cab with mates with the amp head perfectly. This amp is incredible and anyone who slams it is just a neophtye prima-dona. I have owned everything in 30 years of playing. I was running a Marshall JCM 2000 and I loved that amp, its tone was nothing less than amazing. I had to sell it a few years back and finnaly got to replace it and I chose the V3 with cab. It puts the Marshall to shame. This amp is capable of getting any sort of tone you might be looking for, learn to adjust knobs, learn to find the sound. This is not a plub in and play drunk amplifier, it is sophisticated and has features no other amp offers. It's smart looping feature, tonal mod switches on each channel create a panorama of sounds fields to explore. You players out there seeking tones for different types of music need to look at the whole picture of your sound. This amp will do anything you want or need if you give it the proper speakers. I use Carvins Vintage 12's and find them better than my Marshall vintage cab and Carvin is metal grill prtected like a tank. NO comparsion for me to quality looks or sound.

I am a sound fanatic and this amp drips tone. I am old school tone and I love Robin Trower type music which is not high end fizzle distortion that I hear complaints on for this amp concerning. Complete bullshit really. I use Fulltone's OCD and a few other choice effects and this amp mates with them so well. Since I also want the Trower low end power I detune down a full step, some thing to try just once and see how amazingly better it is. I can still adjust the amp to severe metal which I keep on Ch. 3 when I am in the mood for a little Ozzy type tone.
I do not get it. I have my clean channel and channel adjusted for heavy bottom end distortion with the essence of my guitar coming through clearly. Using the Deep switch and dialing in a heavy bottom end tone makes this amp amazing, more bottom end than anything I have heard and its not tubby or muddy. The amps built in clean boost enhance allows a volume jump keeping your tone to cut through the mix. There is a great TRICK on this amp that NEEDS TO BE PASSED ON for you people who are complaining. Run a short connector cable on the 2nd loop return and send with the loop volume on full or down slightly. When you select the smart loop 2 for any channel you want it beings in a great sounding enhanced CLEAN BOOST effect which is seeming a little more mid richer that than the front panel circuit, so you have two actual boost circuits that work on any mode or level of distortion. The V3's sound is amazing, I love and I would not take two of anything for it. We should kiss Carvin on both sides of the *** for bringing this to the table at such a marvelous price and quality. I do not see why anyone looking for an amp should pass this by for some over priced vintage limited sounding amp.

I have used all manner of Carvin Gear for years, several guitars, amps, speakers, never had any problems and my sound was always the best around. I have run a lor of different rigs over the years. I at one time had my synth Gr rigged through two Carvin solid state SX300 amps coming in through the loop just as a power amp. They ran for years and finnaly a main board resistor fried on me on both amps. Maybe because I was running on loop input which may have over pushed them, still they sounded great for years. My V3 rig is a return back to my all tube guitar rig replacing my beloved AMrshall JCM 2000 rig. Carvin is great stuff, I can stand there and looka the amp and cab and it just exudes a aura of quality and professionalism. Your missing the boat by skipping Carvin. I have used ther eguitars for years and they are custom made for me with my name on them. Again les sthat half the price and better quality, the guitars are exceptional from Carvin and I find their audio offerings to the same quality. Check them out, I garantee the objectors are full of it.

Carvins always been cool to me, always talkable and interested in issues. When my SX300's finnaly fried a board resistor the tech wante to know exactly which one to look into it. I never worried about fixing them as I opted for the V3, its God Hammer people I am telling you, I am an old Page, Trower, Clapton, Beck, freak, don;t miss out on this amp!!!!! My stack was $1600 right to my door in like a week. I just love looking at it its a price of art just like their guitars playing them and hearing them is just orgasmic.

Remember to check out my tone trick on the loop 2 above, its another amazing feature of this amp. Try to get their vintage cab they mate with the amp perfectly. Some guys are ruining the tone of this amp by using the wrong speaker matching. Don't listen to the drunk plug and play guys, Carvin is over their heads....try it you'll love it.

-Groove Tube 12AX7s & EL34s
-100 Watts
-3 channels (2 high gain & 1 clean)
-Contour switch for each channel (thick, intense and standard for high gain & bright, soak and standard for clean)
-Standard EQ (presence, high, mid, bass, gain, volume)
-EQX (master volume, volume boost, bright, mid cut, deep)
-Smart Loops x2
-MIDI compatible
For more details check out carvin.com.
Overall, has everything you want or need on an amp without much hassle.

The clean channel is excellent. It can provide you with anything from your sparkling Fender Blackface clean to your SRV, ZZ Top, ACDC style crunch. I've used to it get for jazz, blues, classic rock and softer metal passages (think "My Curse" by Killswitch Engage). No unwanted noise on this channel.

The two high gain channels have gotten me sounds similar to: Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, Black Label Society, Ozzy (Randy, Jake, and Zakk), Metallica, Megadeth, Chevelle, Alter Bridge, Dave Navarro (think Rexall or Hungry), The Darkness, Guns 'n' Roses, Van Halen and so many more. Really, you can dial in just about any tone with enough playing around. There's as much or little low end as you like, mids are full and scoop easily if you prefer, highs are versatile and presence knob actually DOES SOMETHING *gasp*. The gain is also varies greatly depending on what you decide but it prefers more gain than less. One thing I will mention is that the presence knob can get slightly buzzy but I'm extremely sensitive to that...I hate any sharp highs or buzz. Amp is very quiet on high gain.

My guitar is a stock Ibanez RG7620 (7 string, rosewood fretboard, maple neck, bolted onto a basswood body, Dimarzio made pickups, floyd rose. I put a set of D'Addario XL 10-56 strings on it). I connect it all with Monster Performance cable and use an EarCandy Buzzbomb cab loaded with EarCandy Green Machine speakers.

To round it all up, this amp is extremely versatile in sounds and can help you attain just about any sound you hear AS LONG AS you have the right guitar, cab, and technical ability.

I've had absolutely no problems with it so far. Take into mind this amp has seen any gigging yet and has been in my possession for only 8 months. So far so good.

Carvin is a mail order company (unless you live near their factories in Hollywood or San Diego, CA), so you are forced to deal with them. They seem fairly cooperative and friendly. I've had no work done on the amp yet but I do have a 1 year warranty on it.

The best way I can describe this amp is the poor man's Mesa Road King. Its a highly versatile amp (like the Road King) with a straight forward set up (unlike the Road King). Fortunately, it sounds wonderful regardless of the low price for it. That said, I would definitely buy another one if this one got lost or stolen. While it does have wonderful tone out-of-the-box, I'm planning to replace the stock GT tubes for Tung-Sol 12AX7s and JJ/Tesla KT77s when I can afford to make the upgrade...this is simply a personal choice in tubes (I would do it with any amp I got). Other than that small choice, this amp has everything I could want or need and is layed out for the working musician in mind (all the knobs and switches do as they are intended to do and placed exactly where you want them to be).

Please remember this is not a Mesa, Marshall or Fender so it doesn't sound EXACTLY like them. If that is the precise tone you want or hear, go out and buy one of those. In the same vein, your tone is hugely affected by your technique and your physicality...no one is going to be able to ever sound 100% like Steve Vai or 100% like Jimi Hendrix because you aren't Steve Vai or Jimi Hendrix.

If you get the opportunity, I recommend trying this amp for yourself. Its definitely worth a try whether you're a guy looking to upgrade his gear or a boutique collector...it can't hurt to give it a shot.

brand new 2007 model; all tube, 3 channels, 3 gain modes per channel, bass/mid/treble/presence/gain/volume per channel,eqx active eq switch per channel, master bright/mid cut/depth/volume/boost, 2 'smart' effects loops(one series, one parallel), 50/100 watt power selector, midi switching, bias switch for tubes.....basically everything you could need for a modern hi gain-rock head. 50 watt mode is really cool for rehearsing, or even bedroom practice...cuts 3 db off the 100 watt mode! you can integrate into virtually any setup...pedal based or midi switched rack and any combination in between

i'm using this with a prs custom 24 and a 70's les paul custom primarily, with a few pedals (crybaby, carl martin chorus, boss giga delay, lehle switchers) and a bbe sonic maximiser in the series effects loop; the cleans are very very clean; bright mode is akin to the classic ac 30 chime, while soak is very fendery (think srv style); the center mode is a very standard clean tone, and not as crash hot as the other 2
gain channels are identical, although channel two is slightly darker sounding on this amp
thick mode is a real low heavy, punchy and aggresive sound; think an old marshall with way more low end balls
center is the standard modern hi gain, great sound with the eqx off; imagine michael schenker's 'strangers in the night' live tone times ten! the intense mode is a wonderful thick, gooey hi gain but well defined lead sound that has sustain for days and over the top but not 'boomy' mids if you spend the time to tweak the eq
the harsh fizz most people talk about with this amp on the gain channels is definitely from setting the presence way too high- i actually crank the treble and set the presence on 0, and dial in any extra cut i need with the bright switch; an amp with so many controls is for someone who wants to sit down and really tweak out some great sounds; if you can't be bothered and just wanna play, don't buy this amp! other than that, if you spend the time the variety of tones and flexibility of routing , at the price is unmatched. fantastic amp!

all good so far

tonally fantastic
very flexible
for the price, quite frankly incredible! covers all the bases i need-a great classic hard rock with an edge (a'la george lynch) sound, a molten mega overdrive lead sound, and a wonderfully shimmering clean tone
add midi switching and choice of tubes
10/10