Carvin Vintage 16 112 Combo

Purchased in 2004 from the factory. Features are as listed in the other reviews. The review by Armstrong pretty much hits everything dead-on, in my opinion. I did not have the reverb trouble, though. A stand-by switch would be a welcome addition.

I think the key element here is right in the name of this amp--"Vintage". If you are looking for a vintage tone, you will be extremely happy with this. If you want a more modern sounding amp and reverb, you probably won't think much of it. My single coil older Ibanez sounds great thru this, as does my humbucker equipped guitars. I agree that the 16 watt setting sounds somewhat better than the 5 watt mode. I just set it to 16 and left it there after experimenting a little--the 16 watt setting sounds fabulous. I've also run various vintage pedals thru this, which is entertaining and sounds cool for the most part. Other than the distortion pedal, I would have to say effects might sound better thru a solid state amp, but it is still fun to experiment. I also agree that the reverb could be a little more dynamic, so I knocked off a point.

Just got it, so I'm not much help here, although I'm not sweating it either, as I know Carvin will stand behind this should I have a problem. My rating is based on reputation.

Again, I am confident Carvin will stand behind this if I have a problem.

If I were to lose this somehow, I would go right out and get another. I bought this at a suggestion of a friend, who has a Hot Rod Deluxe. I would love to have that as well, but my buddy made a very good point. The HRD gets so loud so quickly that it is hard to get it to sound its' best unless you've got the space to crank it up. The Vintage 16 still sounds great at low volumes, and sounds even better cranked up. Thanks for the tip! Give this a listen if you are looking for a vintage sound. This amp has a great tone and surprising volume and power.

Purchased new in February of 2003.
This is a single-channel 16/5 watt switchable vintage-styled tube amp.
Soak, Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Reverb knobs are all cream-colored chicken-heads.
3 x 12ax7, and 2 x EL84 tubes.
Spring 'verb.
12 inch driver.
that's it, and its just what I want.
Ratings, being as subjective as they are, mean little here. That said, I give it a 9, as I would very much welcome a standby switch.

First, I am a Strat-guy.

I bought this baby just over a year ago. My main signal path is Strat -> cable -> amp. Sometimes, though, I add a DD5, Dano Tremolo, Ibanez MS10, or Dunlop Wah depending on my mood.

My main influences are The Beatles, Byrds, Animals, Stones, Zeppelin, Smiths, Police, REM and U2. This guitar/amp combo goes from the uber-compressed "Sunday Bloody Sunday" growl to the sparkle of "Feel a Whole Lot Better," with little knob-twidling. Zeppelin is a bit of a stretch for this thing with the Strat alone, but add the MS10, and I can get passably close.

Like others, I also prefer the 16 Watt mode. Its very hard to describe, but it sounds a tad more like the soothing reddish-hue of one of those extraordinary farm-country sunsets, versus your everyday nice sunset.

Regardless of the setting (5 or 16 watts) this baby is loud! Attribute that to the seemingly very efficient speaker. (Remember kids, 5 watts is way more than 1/3 the volume of 16. In-fact, the difference is negligible.) The two settings do have slight differences in dynamics, though.

The Reverb? The 'verb on the first one I received was as dead as fried chicken. I called Carvin. They went through the normal troubleshooting steps, and sent out a 3-pack of new pre-amp tubes (the verb is controlled by V3 I think.) The new tube did not help.
I received an RMA #, and sent the thing back for an exchange. They sent me a pre-paid UPS label, so it cost me nothing to send.

Anyway, a week later, I had a new one. The Reverb is great, contrary to previous reviews. It does get a little shrill at 10, but that's what you get.

I did replace the tubes with a new set of JJs.

I give this category an 8 in 5-watt mode, and a 10 in 16-watt mode.
-remember that this is a subjective review. So, from the extremely complex algorithm I use to calculate a rating, we end up with a 9.03729.

My initial reverb woes notwithstanding (not a reliability issue) I have not been let down by it yet.

I play with the band at least once a week for 3 or so hours, and goof around at home/practice at least twice that.

Ahhh, hamburgers, the cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast...
Oops, sorry. I meant to say, "Customer Service, the cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast." Wait, nevermind.
Anyway, Carvin has extraordinary customer service, in the music gear industry it is second to none!
My reverb problem was handled in a very professional and expedient manner.

I will buy from Carvin again.

This amp is a one-trick pony, but oh what a remarkable friggin' pony it is!
I love this amp. The only things i changed were the tubes and the lame-looking plastic "carvin" badge on the front of the grill. I now drive a Carvin civic, and the vintage 16 looks more like a Vintage 16 now.
This amp gives me what I need.
After my complex algorithm, I give her a 9.0.

Single channel with eq and tube driven reverb. EL84 power tubes and a 12 inch speaker.

Great vintage crunch. I play guitar>cord>amp. The amp is cranked and the guitar volume control is used to control drive. There isn't alot of clean in this amp at gigging volumes.

Quiet amp. Sweet tone. I threw a pair of NOS Teslas (not JJ) along with a JANGE 12AX7A into this little beast. I also bought a Weber Blue Dog to replace the stock speaker. The changes cost less than $175.00 and are well worth the investment.

If you're looking for a small amp with lots of character - this is it. Loud enough for small venues, small enough to fit in the passenger seat.

I've had this amp for about a year. No problems so far.

Never used it.

I bought mine used.

I guess that makes me an "idiot." (he says as he rolls his eyes)

I've read the previous posts and have found a couple of them rather disturbing.

First of all - the posters who feel they need to resort to name calling should grow up. We are dealing with the experiences and opinions of others. They are offering their recommendations concerning usage. If you disagree - fine. Don't resort to immature and petty acts of retribution.

As a 20 year veteran in the music industry - I tend to agree with those who feel that this amp is not a good choice for metal. Yes you can put a pedal in front of the amp....etc. You can do that to any amp. Like one person said - we're not rating pedals. I find it interesting that the one post that started it all didn't rate anything - they just blasted another poster's seemingly honest review. Looking at it from that context - they probably don't own one. If they don't own the amp, how can they give an honest review? It's amazing how a couple of trolls can ruin a good thread.

Rated on it's own merits - it's a great blues amp. Better than average build, with a circuit that isn't based on any type of a Fender.

Nice features. I like how the front has the controls and not on the top in the back. Same features described in the other reviews.

"If you do put a distortion pedal in front it (shame on you), you'll get some sweet high gain drive".

Like the one guy said... people will buy a tube amp for a clean channel to boost then overdrive with their favorite metal pedal that uses the real harmonics of the amp. Sometimes a digital pedal is also wanted. Also, just because they say it can do metal this way doesn't mean they don't use the natural overdrive of the amp. For the guy who wrote 'he obviously doesn't own one'. What kind of stupid response is that? Sounds like you need to take a chill pill. It's not like he LIED about the amps possibilities!??????????

No problems have arrived. I bought mine new. Only an idiot buys a used tube amp.

answer questions usually.

Great amp for the price. Screws over Fender Pro junior, and blues junior

Single channel amp with reverb and eq. No more, no less.

What an awsomw amp! Set the Soak to 8, the volume to 8, bass to 7, mid to 6, and treble to 8. Add a little reverb and stand back. This amp does vintage tones to a tee. I love the sustain and the dynamics. To be honest, putting pedals in front of this amp is a sin. The eq controls operate independently of each other letting me get all kinds of sounds out this thing.

It won't do death metal, nor heavy metal for that matter but will do that 80s crunch thing. If you do put a distortion pedal in front it (shame on you), you'll get some sweet high gain drive.

Tone nirvana!!!

Just bought it so I can't say.

They were great over the phone. What more could you ask for?

Not only would I replace it - I'm getting another one!

One channel with reverb. It's pretty straightforward, besides this has been covered in the other reviews.

I have to say this is one great sounding amp, although, just as a previous poster mentioned - NO HIGH GAIN TONES. Sure, that can be done with pedals but we aren't reviewing pedals - are we? I'd ignore the last "review" (if that's what you want to call it), he obviously doesn't even own a Vintage 16.

Nice vintage style crunch when cranked. Excellent sustain.

I've only had the amp a short while - so far, so good. I did buy it used. The guy that I bought it from had it for a little over a year. If my experience with EL84 type amps is any indicater - you'll be swapping tubes regularly. The EL84s just don't last.

Never dealt with them before.

Just what I was looking for. Anyone want to buy a used Pro Junior?

I'm hip to putting a Weber Blue Dog in this amp. Excellent speaker! That and some nice NOS tubes would probably change my rating to a 10.

QUOTE: "I've read some of the other reviews. If you're looking for some kind of high-gain death metal tone - DON'T BUY THIS AMP!!! If you're looking for a responsive, vintage type tone - you'll love it."

First off....Only an idiot would expect this 'vintage' amp to have high gain metal capability right out of the box. Don't mislead amateurs either! Just because it doesn't have a high gain channel doesn't mean it's NOT suited for metal heads! Many people look for a nice clean channel to throw their distortion pedals on.. especially clean tube channels. You can't tell me it's NOT for metal heads.

16 watt, single channel EL84 amp with reverb. Controls include Soak (gain), Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Reverb. 12 inch Carvin GT-12 speaker. All enclosed in a Tweed covered poplar cabinet. The reverb is tube driven - great touch in this age of electronic buffered reverbs.

All of my guitars have humbucker type pickups. I mostly play 80s style rock.

Right out of the box - this little amp rocks. I'm not crazy about the tube complement but very few amps come stock with NOS tubes anyway. Nice cleans with an excellent grind when cranked. What surprised me was how quiet this amp was. I'm so used to my Fender and Marshall amps with their noisy gain channels - I couldn't believe my ears.

I've read some of the other reviews. If you're looking for some kind of high-gain death metal tone - DON'T BUY THIS AMP!!! If you're looking for a responsive, vintage type tone - you'll love it. The reverb isn't the greatest but it's every bit as good as, if not better than, what's in my other amps.

I've only had it for a short while so I can't really comment on the reliability.

Carvin customer support is second to none. Very friendly and quick to respond.

I give it a 10 because it's exactly what I've been looking for in a small amp. It won't break you in half money-wise and it has tone to doe for.

I'll be giving this guy a workout in my studio and on stage. Plugging into a 2X12 gives great volume.

I reviewed this amp some time ago and believe that I may have done it a diservice. I, like the most recent reviewer have a Weber Blue Dog, but have yet to install it. It sounds like possibly I should install it but the amp has really grown on me. I have a Fender Blues Jr and it is a great little amp but this Vintage 16, in the 5 watt mode, is tasty. I play at home, and not often enough, so I think the 100 watt speaker needs more time to break in, especially if you are only using the 5 watt mode. I have played the Blues Jr and the Vintage 16 side by side and I like them both, each has its attributes. I was very disappointed at first but now, if it were stolen I would definately replace it. In fact I am considering buying another, just in case. Give it a try, I think you'll like it.

All Tube (Dual Gain stage 12AX7 with a 12AX7 driver Tube, Two push pull EL-84 Power Tubes). Single channel. I would have paid an extra $50 for a clean channel, but oh well that is what my new Roland Cube 30 is for. Has a Reverb. It is switchable to 5 (True Class A -Yeah! or 16W Class AB). Looking inside this things reveals a BMW approach to design-Over engineered. I like it. It is very close to being a point to point wired amp. Very little circuit board stuff.

I use it with many humbucker guitars, solid and semihollowbodies and always in the 5watt mode, because you can't tell much difference in loudness, but you lose that class A purity which is something special.
To sum up the sound when I first bought it-Honky cardboard without alot of gain.

I researched and put a Weber Alnico blue dog in it. That gave detail and shimmer like you hear in your dreams.
Then I put in some way hot JJ EL84s from Eurotubes. That eliminated the cardboard sound, and gave way better definition and sweeter less shrill highs.
Then I put in a Svetlana 12AX7 (Responsible for a vast improveness in the sweetness) in the Main Gain Stage position, and a Electroharmonix 12Ax7 in the secondary gain stage. This had so much more gain that it was screwing with the bias and liquifying the Power tubes. So to tame it down I installed a 12AT7 Electroharmonix tube and PERFECT!

So, $150 later I have a world class sounding tweed. I have gain equivalent to a JCM Marshall on the overdrive channel with the gain up about a third (Pretty Stinking good considering). And it sounds awesome. With the power tubes maxed I get that blues distortion, but it is different from a marshall in that it is not a creamy smooth it always has an edge to it and sounds alot more huge and expansive. sounds hugeObviously a tweed amp isn't the purest clean of sounds. It will always have a littl browness and honk to the sound. But it is so airy and huge sounding. Live with a band (Mic'ed obviously) it would be a hard combination to beat. Not to say it isn't a great studio amp. Looking back I would not recommend this as your ONLY amp because of the tweed tonality. On those days when you are looking for a sweet american tube sound (6L6s, 6V6s) you won't be able to find it. Cause that not what this amp is about.

THIS AMP CAN GET VERY CLOSE TO A VOX AC30 now with the gain maxed and the volume kept down enough to prevent the power tube distortion from dominating (Less than 2 on the volume which is still pretty loud! because there is so much gain coming from the preamp as a result of the tube swap).

It is chimey and sparkly despite it never quite being clean. I can't say enough for the range on the tone controls. They allow so much tone shaping it isn't even funny.

The reverb has no spring whatsoever and is very washy. This helps contribute to the Vox AC30 vibe when used. I like it. I never use the reverb with power tube distortion because it is WAY too honky and sounds like crap (much more so since I changed the tubes)-not a big deal since who uses reverb when playing the blues?

I rate the Amp's sound a 10 now with the above changes. With hindsight moneywise, I could have nearly purchased a Mesa Boogie heartbreaker which has an incredible variety of tones but, wouldn't have a single one that could match this baby in class A 5-watt mode.

Oh well I've also solved that dillema the expensive way too! More amps!

Judging from the construction it should be pretty reliable. The transformers aren't as big as they could be but it is put together very well-Made in the USA baby! Tubes always suck so I guess if I was going to count on the amp I would have spare sets of tubes hanging around.

Good customer service. I'm not to worried if I have problems other than the shipping cost because they only do the repairs at the factory in California

Its an increadible amp to have in the arsenal now that I have modified it. By itself there is no way I would purchase a tweed again. If you can't afford to do some of the changes I mentioned above you might consider just getting a Blues Junior which sounds better out of the box and has a little bit more flexibility.