Carvin X100B

Mine is a Script Logo, 6L6 equipped 1987 model. This was the last year before the EL34/preamp switch, which happened in 1988.

Its got 2 channels, an absolutely brilliant clean and a lightly toasted overdrive channel. Button 1 on the footswitch switches clean to dirty channel.

Its got an effects loop, button 2 on the footswitch turns the FX loop on and off.

Its also got a brilliant Accoutronics reverb system. Really really lush. Some reverbs leave you thinkin "man, I wish I had more reverb, I can barely hear this" But this reverb is all you could want and more at about "5". Pretty cool. You can always let off if you got too much, but you aint got nothin if you dont have enough.

Its got a Graphic EQ as well, which is an interesting feature. I dont personally use it, but I ain't gonna count that against it. Some people may think its great. I just leave the sliders at the middle, and it wont effect the tone.

Its 100watts of mean 6L6 power, its loud as hell, and I do think its more than sufficiently powerful for any application you can imagine.

I use some old Ibanez RG550's and other guitars with Basswood bodies, HSH Dimarzio pickups, and Edge/Floyd roses. Yup. . .80's guitars. I play mostly 80's songs with my 80's guitars. Yeah, a PRS may have more "tonal teeth" and crunch, but that aint really what im lookin for.

Im looking for incredible smooth, clear, defined lead tones. Mesa Boogies are too fat sounding, too preamp gainy for me, I get lost in the mud of it all. Marshalls are harsh and not suited for lead tones, althought they posess a mighty crunch. A Carvin Legacy is a REALLY nice amp, but Im slighly opposed to the very dark nature of the midrange. Very smooth, very close to what im looking for, but I like a bright sounding amp. Not piercing, just a bright midrange.

Its very quiet. Its been said many times, but other than the regular AC hum that most amps make, its got none of the "gain hiss" and stuff like that. Mainly because of the gain structure. It doesnt have a ton of gain, its more than a marshall, and has better sustain the a marshall for sure, but its not gobs of drippy overdrive. Its a very nice, bright, warm, balanced smooth overdrive tone, with a very nice breakup. VERY organic and pure sounding.

The clean tone is absolutely brilliant, snappy, punchy, and detailed. I love it.

I'm totally in love with this amp. Matched with a tubescreamer, it sounds great and has enough gain for anything I want to do with it. Its got the clarity and the overdrive is just about PERFECT for me. Ive finally found peace with my tone, after playing amp after amp, and Ive played a TON of high end amps, Diezels, Bogners, VHTs, Soldanos, Matchless, you name it. Lots of Marshalls and Mesas, some Oranges (I love these things, VERY cool. and . . FREAKIN ORANGE!), Fenders, Line6 (*vomits* how do these things actually SELL? I dont understand it), Crate. The only other amp Ive ever played that is as cool as this amp is my 1985 Laney AOR Pro Tube Lead 100. Damn, THAT is how a Marshall is SUPPOSED to sound. Its my "rhythm" amp, since it has a monster, Deep, Bassy, Bright and clear EL34 crunch. DAMN, Im not biased here, it just sounds so much better than a JCM 2000 or 900, or even a split channel 800. The Carvin is a bit better for lead tones, due to the 6L6's rounded tone (not somewhat "scouped" sounding like EL34's) and the gain is clear, controllable, and sustains really really nicely. Both of my DREAM AMPs can be had for like $400 all day off ebay. That. . .is incredible. Its very nice knowing that my dream amp doesnt mean dropping $4000 on a Diezel (which. . .are pretty damn nice amps.)

I can see how alot of people are dissatisfied with the dirty channel. Its not your average tone. Some people want that fat Mesa tone. Those people simply wont be happy with this amp. If your looking for a crazy-thick gain monster, if your looking for modern tones, then you will be dissapointed with a Carvin X100B. But. . there are some, like me, who dont care much for the Mesa tone, and like old Marshalls and Oranges but wish there was a better option out there for a lead tone, then you will probably dig this amp.

If anything, its worth it for the clean tones.

The circuit is mounted on a PC board. But, so are most amps now, and only a few can tell a difference between Point-to-Point and PC board wiring.

Like anything, its completely reliable if you dont abuse it. Dont leave it in the Van to freeze overnight, bring it in the house. Thats hard on any amp, not just Carvin X100Bs. Dont run it without a speaker cabinet running. Let the tubes warm up in standby. Retube it every 2 years or so. Common sense. Sometimes, electronics WILL fail, even if nothing is abused, but thats just the nature of electronics. Nothing is 100% bulletproof, regardless of how its advertised.

Warrenty? uh. . .yeah. . .that expired in 1988 I think :)

Doesn't matter, Customer Support is very easy to reach. I posted some questions on the Carvin board and got some good help. Lots of good info.

I bought the Head, 4x12 matchin Carvin cab with Celestion speakers, original Footswitch, and original Manuals/Warrenty cards, all in MINT condition, for $700 off ebay.

Ive been playing for about 3-4 years. Not that long compared to some people, but Ive owned my share of tube amps and had my share of tube amp experiences.

If it were stolen. . .well. . .that would suck. I'd just save up another $400 bucks and score a replacement off ebay. Can't complain about that. Cant say the same about a Bogner or Diezel, they dont get replaced so easy. . .hehe. Lost? . .ain't gonna happen. It aint gonna fall into the carpet and dissapear, and its not gonna run away. Im not gonna ever leave it somewhere unattended, so. . .yeah nothing to worry about.

I did a bunch of research on these amps using Harmony Central, Ive read these reviews a thousand times trying to figure out what this thing sounds like. I actually NEVER played the amp before I bought it, I was desperate and took a shot in the dark, and TOTALLY nailed the target. This thing is great, plain and simple. Im so glad I took the chance. It was just about exactly what I thought it would be.

Man, I can now forget about finding "the TONE" and start planning out my next guitar purchases. . .YES!

Don'know year other than after 1998. Bought used, sounds great with a friends marshall 1/2stack.Ordered carvin cab 18 days ago Still han't been shipped. Don't know how this will sound with Celestions.Carvin's quick service is a TOTAL joke I've called them three times and they only say we'll get it out so can'tsay how this works with their own speakers.

See Above.

See Above.

Lousy, Lousy, Lousy. See above.

Will rate amp with Carvin cab if I ever receive it in the future.

This amp is fairly versatile for a two channel amp. Its an early 90's model with el34s. It has a switch for 25, 50, or 100 watts which is great for getting the power tube saturation at lower volumes. the effects loop also has a 3 way level select that allows -10, 0, +4 db settings, so you can use rack and pedal effects. The footswitch has channel, effects loop, and reverb switches. There is a five band graphic eq that is switchable for either the rhythm or lead channels. I wish there was a setting for both because the clean sounds awsome with the eq, but the lead channel isnt good at all without it. Both channels share the 3 band eq and the switchable 5 band works ontop of that. There is no Master volume so when chaning volumes drastically check the balance between channels a few times to make sure its right. Even though it could have these features the amp is still extremely versatile, but it is not a "plug and Play" amp, the controls are really sensitive.

I use a Parker Fly deluxe, an Esp h-1000, and a Les Paul studio with p-94s, and they all sound great. This amp is very versatile if you take the time to tinker with it. The clean channel is amazing, very fender like with Great reverb.It breaks up slightly at high volumes. The distortion is kinda like a modded jcm800, but with its own tone. This CArvin sounds like a carvin, not a replica of anything else. with the eq right and the hot rod switch on this thing can do metal, although the gain isnt as high as most would like, but it is extremely clear and defined, no muddiness. I play through a peavey 4x12 and the sound is very tight and bassy, with a marshall 4x12 but you would lose the tight bass. Great amp for blues and classic rock, it can handle low gain metal but it really isnt designed for it.

This amp is built tough, carvin stuff is always built like a tank. I havent had any problems with it. But I havent owned it long enough to see how years of gigging will treat it.

Never dealt with them.

For the money you can pick these up for used, the sound quality i phenominal, there is no other tube amp this cheap that will sound nearly this good. I play in a cover band that does everything from Lynyrd Skynyrd, to Black Sabbath , to Rage Against the Machine. This amp can handle it all, although since there's only two channels, you have to tweak the knobs to get all these sounds, which is not pratical on stage, plus I could use more gain for some of the metal stuff, so im in the market for a Diezel VH4. But for the money you cant beat this amp.

1984 6L6GC-based model. "Rhythm" and "Lead" channels, effects loop, switchable between 4-8-16ohms, graphic EQ assignable to lead or rhythm channel, reverb, multi-function 3-button footswitch (luckily mine came with the original hard to find footswitch, this thing is a tank!), 25%/50%/100% power switch, 3-pin line out, instrument and line-level inputs. 100 watts from 4 JJ Tesla 6L6GCs and three JJ Tesla 12AX7s (balanced V3 for phase inverter).

I use this amp with a 2005 Carvin CT3M, a 1963 Gibson SG Jr., a 1975 Les Paul Standard and a 1978 Gibson SG Standard. I am using this amp with a vintage reissue Marshall cab with 25 Watt Greenback Celestions. I play punk/hardcore in the DC vein although I am not limited to this style of music, the X100B can cover everything I do fairly well, but not entirely. This amp has very little noise at any volume level, it is as quiet as a JMP or JCM 800 Marshall. The clean channel on this amp is remarkable, as good as a black face era Fender Twin or Super Reverb. It loves single coils more than humbuckers in this mode and can be pushed into Fender like overdrive above "3" with humbuckers, which is also very nice and usable. The lead channel on the other hand...not so good. I have used Marshalls pretty much exclusively since 1982 (JMP, JCM 800, Silver Anniversary and JCM Slash) and I am spoiled. The lead channel on the X100B in it's normal state (no graphic eq or pull bright engaged) is a muddy mess. It sounds like a broken Rat distortion pedal, ugly...But, once you engage the pull bright switch and graphic eq it changes the character enormously. You can get a pretty convincing crunch with the gain set between 8 and 10, lower gain settings are okay but not great. The lead channel prefers humbuckers but can do justice to a P90 equipped guitar as well. The X100B does not sound like a Marshall, Boogie or Fender in the lead channel, it sounds entirely like itself, which is not bad, it just isn't very good either. The clean channel is great and does justice to any pedal (distortion or time delay) put in front of it. The reverb is also perfect sounding, as good as any vintage Fender reverb I have ever heard, it completely enhances either channel.

This version of the X100B is built like a tank, my amp is over 20 years old and the original owner (I am only the second owner!) lovingly maintained the amp. It came to me with a full Eurotubes retube and fresh rebiasing and performed perfectly out of the box. I am sure I could gig without a backup with no trouble at all.

I have only had to deal with Carvin when I bought my CT3M guitar this year and they were...okay. Not awful, not brilliant, just okay. I did not encounter some of the horror stories others have but, although the reps I talked to were very nice, the company dropped the ball several times getting my guitar to me, which has made me a tad gunshy with them. As far as them dealing with one of their used vintage amps, we'll have to see. I doubt I would ever send it to them for repairs, I have a first rate tech here in DC so I have no need for Carvin in this respect.

I have been playing in the DC punk scene since 1980 as a member of Minor Threat, Government Issue, Dag Nasty and many others. If this amp were lost I would probably not replace it, I would probably buy one of Carvin's MTS Tube amps, the clean is a good as the X100B and the distortion is much better. I love the clean sound and reverb on this amp and can make do with the lead channel. The clean compares to Fender but the lead is it's own beast and only an okay one at that. I bought this amp after reading much about it over the years and wanting to get something to replace my vintage Marshalls in my live setup. This may do the trick, it's hard to tell. For the money this amp is hard to beat, especially considering how expensive and lousy sounding most modern tube amps are!

Early 90's carpeted version, with EL34's. Two channel head, clean and lead, with a hot-rod distortion available with the flip of a switch - it's too bad you can't do this with the footswitch, but it's not a huge deal. It has 5 band assignable graphic EQ, which will either eat it alive or be put to use via very subtle adjustments. This is really the key to getting what you want out of the amp. Very minute adjustments will alter the sound completely, if you cut any of the frequencies you will end up with a bit of a compressed sound that will detract definition from rhythm playing. It's really all about balancing out the bass and treble frequencies between whatever channel you are using this on versus the one you are not. From there you have a wealth of instantly attainable tones via the mid frequencies.

This amp is just about the loudest one I have ever heard. Anything past 2 is earth-rumbling! But, it never loses it's character, in fact...it sounds even better the harder you push it (tubes!!!).

I play Jacksons exclusively - an SL4 which has Seymour Duncans, and two PS4's which I installed DiMarzio Evolutions in the bridge and Duncan PAF-Pros in the neck. I play it through a Behringer 4x12 with Jenson 30's.

When playing through the hot-rod distortion channel, this amp does not need a distortion pedal. If you play through it, try it out, and still honestly think you need a distortion pedal, look elsewhere - these people do not have the patience required to turn some freaking knobs. The majority of what I play is 80's metal and classic rock, and this amp was made for it. We also do heavier stuff like Dio, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera - with some fiddling around I can get anything I want out of this amp. The distortion and low-end can be absolutely massive, when needed. As I said before, the key to getting what you want out of this head is in the two middle frequencies on the 5-band EQ.

Crank this bad boy up, hit a power chord and feel the rock and roll pouring out of your speakers. This is it for me. No matter what sound I can manage to squeeze out of the amp, it still sounds remarkably...well, itself! Very distinct sound, and one I never get sick of.

The clean tone is remarkable by itself (make sure to pull the Brite switch!!!), but add some reverb and chorus...this is what clean tones were meant to sound like!

The un-hot-rodded distortion is something I unfortunately don't use too much, since the majority of what my band plays is pretty heavy. It is a terrific crunch sound, perfect for classic rock, mostly rhythm . Could make a great blues/rock sound, too, especially for leads.

I've had it for a few months, it was used, so I had a pro take a look at it - all it needed then was a general tune up, the tubes tested fine and they're still in there. We're not sure, but think they're the original Groove Tubes that came with it - I'm not much of a tube expert, but then again I play with my fingers, not my tubes! ;)

I've been playing for 10 years and this Carvin was my introduction to tubes. It has such a rich, lush, full, organic sound. Hit a note and just wait with confidence for that beautiful feedback to swell up. I've played it next to Marshalls, stock and modded, a 5150, an old VMT head...maybe I'm just stubborn but I am simply in love with the sound this amp provides me. I'm happy with the setup I have now, but I can't imagine how much better it will sound with "better" tubes, and more especially...a much better cab.

This amp really IS a sleeper. I hope this one lasts. From what I've heard, it will. The only pedals I use are an Arion SCH-1 chorus, and an MXR Micro Amp for lead boosts. This was an incredible find, you really can't beat it for the money. I'd take one over a Marshall, modified or not any day of the week.

1988 6L6GC-based model. "Rhythm" and "Lead" channels, effects loop, switchable between 4-8-16ohms, graphic EQ assignable to lead or rhythm channel, reverb, multi-function 3-button footswitch (I don't have one yet), 25%/50%/100% power switch, 3-pin line out, instrument and line-level inputs. 100 watts from 4x 6L6GC power tubes, 2x 12AX7 pre tubes, 12AT7 PI tube. Big and heavy!

Purchased this used for an unbelieveable $280 plus shipping. Thanks goodness everyone's sleeping on this amp - it's a great sounding 100-watt tube amp available for peanuts as a write this.

Using it with two S-73s (SG-style) with GFS Fat PAF humbuckers, and a custom made (by a friend) bubinga/zebrawood (Strat-scale) guitar with a neck single-coil and bridge filtertron-style. Mostly play the S-73s...

Running it into a 2x12 loaded with Eminence Wizards, but I've also litened to it through Emi's Stonehenge and Blue Tick Hound speakers.

I guess I would call my style progressive, as I'm all over the place, and tend to write music that is a blend of styles. Not currently gigging, but have done loads in the past.

First off, the cleans from this amp are the best I've ever experienced first-hand, even better than the Twin I used to gig with. Sweet, sparkling-clean, with plenty of definition adn character. The kick-ass Wizards certainly don't hurt anything. ;)

The reverb is also really nice, and the tone controls/graphic EQ are well-designed and useful.

The overdrive is nasty, but in a good way! Would not be my staple overdrive sound, as it's not articulate enough when palm-muting, but a huge tone nonetheless that I can't imagine getting from a pedal. I also have a TS-9/Keeley Plus Mod, and a Line 6 UberMetal for different OD'd sounds, giving me three very nice options.

Seems to love my pedals. 8^)

Reputed to be reliable, but no marks as it's a new (used, obviously) purchase for me.

Never dealt with them.

This is a sleeper. Unbelievable cleans, great reverb, and very usefull OD tones, in one large, heavy package. If anyone reading this needs a great-sounding and powerful head on the cheap, look no further...

1989 or later X100-B carpeted amp head. The carpeted version, with the more modern Carvin logo became available in 1989. I used to use a Carvin VT2800 100 watt all tube head and 2 4X12 VHT cabinets with Celestion greenbacks in the late 70's, so I was happy to buy Carvin again. The X100-B sounds MUCH better than the old VT2800 though. All the features are listed already, so I won't waste my typing and your time. I run this head through a matching Carvin 4X12 slanted cab with Carvin British speakers (though I'm planning to replace them with Celestion greenback reissues) and it sounds great!

I play a Jackson SL1, a Danelectro reissue DC3, and a recently-purchased Agile doubleneck. I play classic rock, Zeppelin, old Stones, some Queen, etc, and the sounds the amp makes are awesome.

Haven't had it long enough to tell, but it's been around for 16 or so years so its gotta be OK.

No Opinion, not applicable.

Played guitar for over 30 years, used to play spro in the 70's and 80's

Bought w/ matching 412 Cab. Made in the 80's. Fully tube, 2 inputs, effects loop, rythm/lead switch, bright switch, standby, 5 band fine tuning eq for overdrive channel. Has 2 channels, however the overdrive has a high/low overdrive switch which is awesome. Basically makes it a 3 channel. Mine didn't come with a footswitch so I just made one. Email them and they'll give you the circuit diagram. I've played this amp in punk, metal, indie, emo, and even church. Comes in a cool fuzzy material. Main problem: weighs a ton. Go to www.carvinmuseum.com if you really want to know all the bells and whistles.

This is the best part! So smooth and clean. This amp is so versatile as far as sounds go. If you want to super dirty metal, slightly overdriven vintage sounding, or just want nice clean tone this amp will do it. This amp is much more versatile than the newer ones I think. The other guitarist has a newer one and his only does clean and metal crunch. As far as volume goes... more than you need. I've played through an Ibanez RG, Fender Strat, and Gibson SG. Never heard a bad sound out of this amp.

Incredible. I bought mine about 5 years ago used and it has never given me a problem. I've dragged it around everywhere, it's been banged around in my car and still rocks like a champ. I will hopefully have this thing for the rest of my life.

The only time I ever contacted them was about the footswitch. They emailed me back within a day and told me what to do. However this isn't enough to give a full rating. But I'd assume they're very good.

This amp was an incredible steal. I would highly recommend this amp to anyone for almost any application. It is built like a tank, sounds like heaven, and looks cool while doing it. This was one of the best purchases I've ever made. The only problem is the weight. Weighs a freaking ton. So if you're old and have a geo metro, buy something else. Other than that, grab one if you see one.

This is an update on my earlier review. Run it at full power. It doesn't sound as good at 50% power. 25% is unusable.

I put in some Yellowjackets. This improved the sound a great deal. However, another problem with this amp is the active tone controls, I feel. All the frequency peaks are squared off, it gives the amp a boxy sound. I would say avoid engaging the hot rod pot. It increases the volume, but at the expense of tone, (again boxiness). There is a living, breathing, tube amp under there somewhere, but the diodes, graphic EQ, hot rod circuit and active tone controls have smothered it. It's like trying to make love to a woman who's wearing a football uniform. That said, does anyone know of any mods to unclutter the signal path?

Behaves well, like a child on Ritalin.

Hadn't had enough experience with good tube amps to get help when the amp was still in production.

If you get your sound from pedals and rackmounts, then this amp is probably good for you. The naked, distorted tone is less than satisfying. The reverb is excellent, but is wasted on an adequate amp. Yellowjackets make it sound good, not great, because of the amp's circuitry. It's a cheap way to get into a halfstack. I would rate it higher than a Crate, but I think the new Yorkville tube amps would be a better way to go.

Late-80s head with EL34 power tubes. 100/50/25 watts. More than enough power. I can't believe some guy here said the 100-watt setting wasn't enough (can you say bullshit?).

Tons of features. I won't list them all, carvinmuseum.com has it all documented well, plus this page pretty much has it all listed.

9 rating because there's amps now with three channels which is probably ideal. For me, this amp has it all though. Where was this amp back in the day?

Great clean sound. Awesome reverb. Lead channel smokes - tone for days. Compares to Boogie in terms of overdrive/distortion. I just played a Stiletto in a shop a few weeks ago, and the Carvin sounds damn close. However, I'm going by memory, not the old side by side A-B trick. The overdrive sounds like my old JCM800 but only when I used a Tube King pedal. Even then I needed a Hush pedal to quiet it all down. The Carvin is quiet and gainy - amazing. I don't know if it's the EL34s or what, but this thing is warm, clear, and hot-freaking-rodded. Perhaps this version blows away the one with 6L6 power tubes? Do your research if you're buying one of these as to which power tubes will work for you better.

My take is, Vai loved this amp, and Carvin basically re-packaged it up as the Legacy (which also comes standard with EL34s) and put a bigger price tag on it. Given the how finicky Vai seems to be (he made his tech dig a pickup out of a dumpster for Christ's sake, and could pick his Jem out of a lineup from 20 paces away), I believe the rumors that he still uses it behind a wall of Legacies.

Haven't had it long enough, but it's built like a tank, and there's really not much to it in terms of things that can go wrong, unless I have the ohms set wrong or something, but then it'd be my fault.

This amp isn't made anymore, so I'd take it to a local shop if it broke.

Been playing 16 years. Metal mostly. Jazz and blues more recently, but I still love to make up thrash riffs. It really helps if you have a killer tone. I'd get this again - same version with the EL34s. Wish I had the footswitch. Now I'm on the hunt.

My advice - if you can get one for around $350-$375, go for it.