Carvin X100B

from chime to grind active eq and reverb
this thing does country-jazz-metal-rock-industrial-goth-you name it
i've gotten it out of this baby!!!!!
i have a 6L6 version and an EL-34 one-man they blend well-but truth be told--6L6 one into a 16 ohm cab and people get bummed cause they
just spent 2 grand on a bogner and i spent 150 bucks and i like the carvin better. zappa knew tone yes he did

frank zappa used this and next time you see vai
remember the legacy's are for show guess what's under the stage piped to the pa---hmmmmm? i did backline in vegas and guess what i saw going to the house. i will put this against anything and kick your ass. hell i've had people tell me to superglue the knobs cause it sounds so good.

all i've done is put in jan phillips 5881's with mullard ecc83's and look out bogner boy. i just spanked you for pennies on the dollar
a friggin tank

the best
they get excited when you tell then your still rockin with a 20 year old carvin
if i could have any endorsement it would be carvin and gibson

one hundred and fifty dollars
so you go get a 2nd job to pay for your triple rectiFIRE
i ain't a snob except when it comes to this guy
i will put it up against anything well except my 68 plexi--thats another story-

find one and snatch it up before they go up!!!!

Carvin, a California company, has been making great products for over fifty years now. In order to keep prices down they have always shipped direct to the consumer, thus making quality affordable to the average man in the street.

This review is for a 1984 model with the older "Big C" script logo and 6L6 power tubes in the output (around 86/87 carvin changed these amps slightly,adopted their new logo, and began using EL34's).

It is a 2 channel amp with your standard "Treble", "Bass", "Midrange", and "Presence" controls. These controls are shared by both channels. They are also ACTIVE. To people unfamilar with active tone controls: IT IS MUCH BETTER TO CUT THAN TO BOOST. If you want to add highs for example, it will sound more natural if you cut some bass and mids. Cranking the tone controls can make the amp sound very harsh because you are actually increasing db's (gain) to the preamp.

The Clean channel has it's own "Volume" control as well as a "Pull Bright" switch. On the Lead channel there is also a bright switch called "Pull Hi Lead" as well as "Volume" and "Gain" controls.

The X Amp extras include a 5 band graphic EQ (assignable to one of the channels), a 3 spring reverb (footswitchable) , an effects loop (footswitchable), and power switch to run your amp at 25,50 or 100 watts.

This amp is very simply laid out but, because of the active tone controls it can be difficult to use until you understand how it behaves.

This was the first tube amplifer I ever owned. I now own over 25 amps and I still find use for this one. I have played in the same band for almost 20 years. We started out playing Metal, then Rock, and finally Jazz. The X100B has been versatile enough to hang with my style as it has changed and evolved. It has never been noisy (wish I could say that about some of my other amps).

The Clean channel is OK. I hear tons of people rave about the clean side of this amp but, if that's what your looking for I think you could do much better elsewhere. Compared to a blackface Fender or older Vox it's pretty lifeless.

The distorted side however, is where the amp shines. If you're looking for tight rhythm where every note of a chord can be heard clearly-THIS IS YOUR AMP. You can play chords with 7ths and 9ths and it wont turn to mush.

This amp has tons of headroom until you get the volume up to around 8. It then begins to soften and become much warmer from 9 to 10. This is where you will find a rounder lead tone with less pick attack on the strings.

This amp has more distortion than a JCM 800 but not as much as a Mesa Boogie Mark 3. I always kicked in my old TS9 (another good buy in 83/84) for solos, so you will need some kind of overdrive for leads unless you can run the amp wide open (This was my prefered choice in the studio but, how many clubs will let you get away with it?).

I play traditional Strats with three single coils. I have no problem getting a thick sound for chords and leads with this amp. One suggestion I would make is to try this amp with different ohm cabs. The original Carvin 4/12s were wired at 4 ohms. This makes the amp sound a little harsh to my ears. I changed to 16 ohm cabinet and noticed a big improvement (Front and rear-loaded cabs also make a difference-try 'em both.). I also changed preamp and output tubes (5881's in the output now).

I give this amp a "5" for it's clean tone,"10" for it's (distorted) rhythm tone, and "7" for it's lead tone. I'd also give it a "10" for it's versatilty so, I'm averaging the score at "8"

I used this amp in countless rehearsals and gigs and never had a breakdown. Once, I blew a fuse-popped in a spare, and kept on going. That is the only problem I've had in 20 years.

Carvin has an excellent reputation for repair and service. Having said that, I have never had to have them repair anything!

I have been playing for over 20 years and have gone through tons of gear but, I always hung on to this peice.

For distorted rhythms where you want the ultimate in definition-THIS AMP HAS NO EQUAL. Chords and arpeggios can be heard clearly without turning to a muddy mess.

I now have vintage Marshalls,Voxes ,etc. and I still come back to the Carvin for this particular function. This is also one of the only amps I own that is not point to point wired.

On the downside, the Clean is not the best but, it's servicable. Likewise, the reverb is OK. It's not Fender reverb but what (besides a Fender)is? My biggest gripe is not being able to use the graphic on both channels instead of just one (I might have it modifed for this in the future).

For all these complaints, I would still buy this amp again. While the lower power settings don't sound the same as the 100 watt, they do provide some interesting tonal contrasts. The effects loop is a godsend, and when you use the footswitch to kick it in you can actually set a boost up to 10db (via the three position level switch on the back)! Also, the tone is different with the switch in and out so you have a couple of extra options there as well.

When Carvin changed to EL34's, the sound of this amp changed. They also tried to update their circuitry with more gain to compete with Mesa and others. In my opinion they ruined the amp. If what I discribe sounds interesting to you, look for the early logo 6L6 version.

When people speak well of Carvin amps they always mean the X amp models. There is a difference. Carvin never had the success with any of the other amps they created that the X amps acheived.

I don't currently own this amp but I hope this helps. This amp was probably manufctured in the middle of the 80's. It has 2 channels and an eq. It was fairly generic for the time but similar to an old Boogie with the eq and all. It was versatile enough to do A Vanhalen tribute band. It was a super loud amp and sounded best cranked up.

This amp could do a good brown sound on down to a good Skynnard sound. It suited our style at the time. It wasnn't really noisy. the clean was cool and always sounded best with a chorus. The clean never distorted for me. The distortion wasn't really brutal but it chugged along fine.

In all the time we owned it we replaced one tube. I think that was over a 17-20 month period.

never used them. Won't speculate.

Overall, with the head and 2-2X12's for around a thousand dollars was a good deal. I loved the amp but sold it after I got out of service to ge money for a down payment on real estate.

I bought this 100 watt head in 1986 along with a 4 x 12 cabinet direct from Carvin. It basically has 2 channels - clean and lead. Each channel has separate volume controls. The clean channel has a "Bright" setting, which is activated by pulling the volume knob. The lead channel has a higher gain setting by pulling on the master volume knob. It also has a 5 band EQ which can be used on either channel but only one at a time. It came with a 3 button foot switch for channel, effects loop and reverb. My basic complaint about this amp is that the clean and lead channels share the same Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence and Reverb controls which is somewhat of a compromise when trying to dial in a certain sound on each channel even though you have the graphic EQ. The lead channel on this amp is no where near the type of saturation you would find on a rectified boogie (I also to own a Dual Rectifier) so if that is what you are looking for save up more money and go for the Mesa. With mid level distortion it gives a pretty good dirty sound but once you crank the lead drive control the bottom end gets "flubby" and breaks apart. As far as rating this category, I have to give the clean channel a definite 10 but the lead channel is closer to a 6 so the average of the two gives this category an 8.

Like I mentioned above, I bought this amp in 1986 and at that time I was into 80's shred and thrash metal. This amp definitely excels at that genre of music, especially the lead channel with the EQ on, the mids scooped and a good distortion pedal(TS9 etc). To me though, the most impressive thing about this amp is the clean channel - very clear and powerful. It is also the reason why I never sold this amp in 17 years even though I have gone through a few other amps within the same time period. My style of music now can best be described as any type of rock, hard rock, metal or blues of which this amp can hold its own. I would expect that this amp can be used for jazz or country because of the clarity of the clean channel. It is definitely a LOUD amp but not noisy like other 100 watt tube amps.

Having owned this amp 17 years I have only had to retube a few times and resolder cold solder joints a couple of times. No major malfunctions even though this amp spent plenty of time bouncing around in cars and trucks going to and from gigs and studios and also spending many years in a smokey basement bandroom environment.

I only had to deal with them once when I had a question about impedance matching with speaker cabinets and they sent me a technical spec sheet right away.

I have been playing for close to 20 years now. Although I know there are better amps around, when you consider the price to performance ratio this amp's value far exceeds its asking price. I don't remember what I paid for this amp in 1986 but the price paid from others on this list seems to be in the $200-300 range which is a bargain when compared to Peavey or Marshall amps in the same price range.

2 channels - clean and lead

reverb - nice smooth reverb. Sounds great, but I've been using delay more lately.

active eq

graphic eq - switchable to clean or lead channel via toggle switch on the face plate.

I'm told that my X100B seems to be the one of the last manufactured before production stopped. I believe the amp is late eighties or early ninties.

The X100B is incredibly versatile. Because of the active EQ, the smallest changes have a big impact on the sound. The addition of a switchable graphic EQ adds even further to the versatility. It can recreate many different tones, but its strength is '80's or early ninties metal, classic rock/blues and possibly jazz because of the fantastic clean channel.

The amp is 2 channel with shared EQ and reverb. The channel switching, fx loop and reverb are all footswitchable.

I wish the graphic eq was footswitchable. I wish it had a bias switch for different tubes. I wish it didn't have that ugly gray carpeting!! But in all honesty, these would be more enhancements than real complaints.

The amp is absurdly loud. I play at home through a Marshall 1960a cab and I can't put it past 1.5 or 2 without going deaf. The clean has awesome headroom. I can't get it to break up on its own without making my ears bleed.

Extremely versatile tube amp. Mine takes EL34's. Can do anything from jazz cleans (yes the cleans are THAT good!) to classic rock to metal.

I have 5 guitars all loaded with humbuckers and floyds. Real shredder guitars. They all sound very different through this amp. But the X100B can be tuned to accomodate their differences.

I generally play very shred oriented stuff (Paul Gilbert, Andy Timmons, Jason Becker etc... just not nearly as well) and this amp does all of that flawlessly. If I need some more dirt, I just turn on my Boss SD-1 to push it a little harder, but I find myself rarely using the Boss these days.

The amp is incredibly quiet. I turned it up to 4 once (which almost knocked the windows out of my room) before I could actually hear that the thing was on.

The amp can easily out-Marshall a Marshall. Prior to this amp, I owned a Marshall JCM900 and this amp absolutely kills it in just about every category. Its very good at metal tones from the 80's or early 90's. I've gotten some very aggressive tones out of by scooping the mids out, but this is not the amp for that type of sound. If thats what you're looking for, get a Mesa Boogie dual rectifier. If you want a hotrodded Marshall, look no further.

I have yet to get the clean channel to break up. I imagine I would have to put the volume up so loud, it would kill small animals. The clean is one of the nicest, warmest, fattest clean sounds I have ever heard. I would say its easily on par with any vintage Fender that I've played, but it has its character. It doesn't necessarily sound like a Fender, but it can absolutely hold its own.

The amp has alot of gain, but its not modern voicing like a Rectifier or a 5150. Its like a hotrodded Marshall. It sings beautifully, sustains for days and has a voice and character all its own. But its closest kin would be a souped up JCM 800 or JMP.

I haven't gigged anywhere with this amp, but I've owned it for 2 years and its been flawless. I bought it used, so someone had to have owned it for a number of years without any problems. Its very well made. I took it apart to peek inside and retube it and its built like a tank.

Its old so they won't support it anymore. I asked Carvin for the schematics and they emailed them to me. Kind of snotty in the replies, but I gave them a piece of my mind and they changed their attitude pronto. I would assume that if I bought a new amp from them, I would probably get kinder responeses. But they were helpful.

I've been playing for almost 20 years. I've owned a bunch of other amps and I'm extremely satisfied with this amp. It sounds atleast 5 times more expensive than what I paid for it. The only amp I've played that envoked the same reaction from me when I first plugged into it was a Bogner Ecstasy 101B.

I absolutely love this amp. Even if I get tired of it and buy another amp, I would not sell it. Its too versatile and sounds too good not to keep. If anything happened to it, I would get another one. I'm actually considering getting another one to make a stereo rig. There are a couple of other amps I would like to get, but not as a replacement. I like the idea of having a drastically different feel or tone at my disposal.

I love just about everything about it. I love the lead channel, I love the clean. I love its versatility, but I've found its strengths to be in the 80's - 90's metal area.

It was an unexpected buy. I went into Guitar Center to buy an fx processor and saw this thing. Decided to give it a try and was completely blown away. I spent the next 15 minutes trying not to like it, but couldn't. I went into Guitar Center to look at a new guitar and played through a Marshall DSL100. Within seconds, I was able to get my sound. So I would say the X100B bears a very strong resemblance to that amp. I also owned a JCM900 for about 8 years and this amp really kills it in just about every category.

I wish it was covered in Tolex rather than that nasty gray carpeting, but thats a small price to pay.

Its the prototypical sleeper amp. I would highly recommend it to Marshall fans or fans of shred/80's metal.

Not quite sure when this monster was made, bought it used from atomic music in college park MD which happens to have one of the best guitar/amp techs on the east coast. After talking to the man for a while about what I was looking for -"2x12 all tube combo"- he was very excited to show me the X100B.
2 channels- 100 all tube watts- 5 band eq- reverb- push/pull bright and lead knobs- effects loop- british series celestions- and "thank the lord!" a foot switch!
Well I plugged in and gave it shot.....
I never played through a CARVIN before, after about 15 years of marshall, peavy, fender, and most recently LINE-6,......I finally found my amp!
Not to mention the fact that the wonderful people at atomic music accepted my trade-in of a ARIA proII bass(5$ at a pawnshop)an IBANEZ RG-270 w/ a scream'n deamon in it, and a crap bass floor board(DOD),and $50.00 cash..... I was very happy!

Then I took it home for the real test. I plugged in my sience project of a guitar (yamaha neck,charvelle body,duncan pickups w/ fender noise free electronics, sounds kinda funny but it plays and sounds great)and WOW! first thing I noticed was the power and warmth of the lead channel. Playing in an all wood room really brought out the bottom end. The reverb is ok, but not outstanding. The 5-band eq has alot of personality to it. You can get alot out of eq to dial in what you need and then some.
The clean channel is great w/ the reverb on about 4 or 5.
Then I plugged in my IBANEZ artcore hollow body w/ the same settings on the amp. It sounded wounderful with great control of the feedback having the gain in lead mode at about 7.
If metal is your thing, which is what i grew-up with and still like to play from time to time I recomend running a LINE6 pod in to the face of this amp and you can get any thing you want, and I mean anything. Also my tube screamer sounded great. Other then that for what i'm doing musicaly now the overdrive is perfect. Even for mic'd studio situations it does very well.

As far as reliability goes with mine all I did is replace the tubes to keep the low hum down and she's as good as new. Built like a tank, and weighs like tank the way a good combo should be. I havent gotten into the guts of the amp but considering the price I payed a $50-$100$ repair is worth it to me, at least. But I would be suprised if something freak were to happen.

Customer support is something I know nothing about when it comes to CARVIN, hopefully I won't need to. But after reading some of the letters on this site, and other sites concerning factory help, I'm a bit bothered by what I've read. For those who spend money on new carvin gear no matter what it is , or how long ago you got your gear, I hope that they are professonal enough to respect your concern, and treat you accordingly. If they don't have the answer then I hope they can at least point you in the right direction. They know this is an expensive hobby/job and their is alot of compitition out there.

If my X-100B were stolen I would cry. It sounds great and for the price I paid I don't think I could easily find a deal that sweet again.
Overall if you play heavy rock, punk, jazz, even some new country, and you need a amp for about $350 to $400 that is reliable and sounds great which is more important than anything, If you find one get it, I think you'll be happy.

Also if any one out there has a 2x12 carvin exstention cab for sale $100 to $125 please e-mail me at scott_tipton1@yahoo.com
prefer the cab with the grey fuzzy camel hair looking fabric "boy is it ugly!". Gotta have one. thanx

100-Watt tube head (early-mid 80s - Script log and tolex covered, 4x 6L6 tubes). 5-band EQ, Presence, Treble, Bass and Mid Controls, Dual channel, effects loop, %100/60 power switch, 2x4 ohm outs and one 8 ohm out, 2x 1/4-inch jack footswitch ins (I use a Crate FS70 without a problem - the older Carvin switches can be hard to find).

I'm a musical schizo - surf, punk, rock, metal, jazz, blues and country, it's plenty versatile for my needs.

I have played a Hamer Sunburst import (RIP - it bit the dust), a Fender Toronado, and a Fender Jaguar into a Boss DS-1 Distortion pedal(occasionally, for added distorted boost on the drive channel)the Carvin into a 4x12 Ampeg cab (sorry, the cab is borrowed and I'm a litle fuzzy on the specs). The only noise I get is from the pedal when couples with the amps' lead channel, but that comers with the territory. Otherwise, quiet with very no unwanted feedback (mind you this is in a small practice room surrounded by other amps, mics and PA's which would -and do- make lesser amps feeback like crazy).

This amp is totally versatile. In one jam session I noodled on blues riffs, surf rock, and Sabbath-style metal with very little to adjust. The distortion, fully cranked, is more of a vintage overdrive than a thrashy style distortion (but if that's what you need, just throw a distortion pedal on top of the dirty channel - voila! Problem solved). The clean is very Fender like - very rich, and didn't break up. The verb isn't quite as wet and slappy as a Fender though.

I would definitely use this amp without a back up, even though it's probably 20 years old - that alone says alot.

No dealings with Carvin, but again, it's 20 years old.

I have been playing for over 15 years. I've done the solid-state thing. I've Done the modeling amp thing. I'm sticking with the real thing. If it were lost or stolen, I would hunt down another one ASAP. It's a versatile amp with no frills or superfluous toys - just raw power. It's got great tone at all settings. I've played with Mesas, a Marshall or two, and a Fender Twin and Deluxe, and can't badmouth them, but most amps are one-trick-ponies, it's a fact of life. I feel that I get more versatility out of the Carvin, without the painful price tag.

I have 2 of these amps; one a head and one a 212 combo. I don't know the years of manufacture but I would guess mid-late 80s. The amps are rediculously versatile and yet simple to use. You can tweak to get any sound you want. It is the loudest amp I've heard (I've owned Marshalls). I gig/rehearse with it. Features compare with any other amp I've tried but the sound is what should sell you on any amp.

I play a standard strat (w/ Seymour Duncan screamin demon at bridge) and a Jackson dinky. The style of music we play is broad. ACDC to Bob Marley and everything inbetween. The headroom on clean is the best I've ever heard cranked loud and it's tone rivals Fender twin (I also own a Twin but havn't used it since I bought these amps). The distortion "out marshalls" Marshalls. I looked for an amp for 3 years and I've owned or tried for extended periods Mesa, Rivera, Fender, Peavey 5150, Twin, Trace Elliot, Laney and others I've since forgotten. Some of these amps (fender, mesa, marshall) I've A/B'ed with the Carvin and they simply can't compete. I can tell you I was very picky and critical about my amp sound. Remember it is as much your instrument as is your guitar. When I found this amp I was delighted. Best sound I've heard. Period. One fellow above noted that the distortion sucked. I can only say that there must have been something seriously wrong with his amp. These amps have more dirt than Pigpen. I cannot imagine and style of music that would require more great sounding distortion than this amp (this includes you metal thrashers). This amp has tone and balls. Buy one you will not be sorry. They still command a great price on resale which says something about thier desirability. One thing of note is the reverb sound better in the 212 combo than the head. That is to be expected I suppose since the tank in the combo sits in a larger "acoustical box."

Owned for 2 years and never had a real problem except tubes which are a regular maintenance item anyway. Hint; replace with Groove Tubes.

These guys have been extremely helpful; telephoned them when my amp was sounding funny (new tubes fixed the problem) and they were very helpful. Even sent me a schematic.

I would immediatly purchase another. I have not heard any of Carvin's newer products but it is a shame that this amp is no longer in production. Hope my review helps.

i believe my amp is an 86 model
the amp is fairly versitile perhaps too versatile, i play every thing from metal to noise, punk, and rootsy blues and jazz tones. Ive owned this amp for ten to twelve years and it has so many options that its taken me years to discover some of the capabilities with settings and different guitars.
I wish the eq was available to both channels or able to turn off completely
i rarely use the effects loop, ive tried but never seemed to need it. might be nice for some rack effects which ive still graduated tol
ive used this amp in live situations and regular practice for years. also used it in many studio settings. it has way way way enough power for i think anyone. My amp is of the 3 12ax7 , 4x6l6 variety. would like to try the el36 type to see the difference

i tend to use strat style guitars, ibenez, strats, old fender mustangs and broncos with my amp. want to experiment with some gibsons to see the differences. notice many options with the guitar and pickup differences. it seems to suit most of my needs especially live but ive had hard time achieving true tube amp sound i hear in classic old style amps like the ampeg jet series
the amp is not noisy at all and ive played with players of all types of amps and have been shocked by the sheer silence of my amp vs theirs at times
like i said the amp is very versitile, the tone ive been seeking may still be in their, ive just yet to discover how to achieve it yet
the clean channel is very clean and very tubey, have been trying to discover how to preamp this to achieve tubey saturation heaven
the distortion for my taste is a bit to distortiony and not tubey enough it seems to squash my tone quite abit so i rarely run it above say one and a half except with single coil strat and then ill run it hot say four or five maybe maybe more

this is, and i cant stress it enough the most dependable amp you could possibly own. I played this amp constantly for years. five to six bands worth, four or five albulms worth of recording and rigorous practice, 3 to4 nights a week and at least a show a week or so for years it has only broken down once in a live situation and that was the tubes so ive retubed it several times myself. other than that i never needed any help with it. it is by far the most dependable amp ive ever owned

never had to

ive been playing for 22 or so years. i own no other road gear. never needed it with that amp.
id want to replace it but would consider something else,but know id buy another
i bought it from a friend because i needed a powerful amp and wanted a tube head. was offered a good deal
great amp for young poor musician with want for tone

EL-34 Tubes, 2 Channels, active tone & grphic eq, reverb.

After twelve years it is still my go-to amp for sessions -- engineers and producers that I have worked with still use my tone as the benchmark by which all others are compared. Much of that is due to knowing how to choose and use equipment. I've heard alot of average tones from Marshall and Mesa users.

12 years and going...

I've dealt with Carvin many times...

Great amp at any price -- not a "poor-man's Boogie."

made in the 80s .the5 band eq,&factory hot rod switch make this a great amp for metal and the rms selector is great for recording a cranked tone at a lower level

i play an 86 usa warlock with a dimarzio super distortion in the bridge and am always able to get whatever tone i want from gutteral distortion to a crystal clear clean tone ,and its loud ive never turned it up past 3

i had to replace the tubes and have it biased two times the first time was just because the preveous owner didnt take care of it and the second because the guy i brought it to did a hack job repairing it, but since then ive never had a problem.my frirnd also plays one and with reguler servicing has never had a problem

i got it used soi havnt delt with carvin much but i was able to get a new owners manual and foot switch scematics from them without a hassle

been playing for 10 years and this is my rig.as ive told my friends if i had the money for a much "better"amp i probably stick with the carvin it has served me well ind i love the versitility of the amp

Made in 1987 with the black tolex covering. 2 channels 5 band graphic eq etc.. you know the rest

I play either an ESP vintage plus strat with a seymour duncan JB or a neck thru charvel also loaded with the JB. I used to only use the gain channel until I wanted something else from the head i just wasn't getting... so I started using the clean channel which is remarkable with a boss metal zone pedal... now i have a great tone. my settings... presence 2 treble 2 mids 8 bass 6. with a slight reverse V on the 5 band eq... ok you could say i am pushing the mids... but people dont realize the guitar is a midtone instrument and instead of making it sound like something it isn't I prefer to encourage it's natural tone... what i get is a real "tube" sound.. i play a tube head and i want to hear the tubes damnit and the only way to do that is to push the mids.. another thing is i am basically replacing the treble with mids and i get a real smooth sounding high end instead of the brittle mid scooped sound I started with. I love this amp

I have had this amp since about 93-94 and it has never broken... i was getting some static from the 5 band eq... so i took it apart.. cleaned the connection for the chips on the eq and viola... it worked great again. I am not easy on equipment and this thing gets bounced around in my car all of the time between practices and gigs.

I did get a footswitch but that was back in 94... the guys at the carvin shop gave me a manual for the amp which was way cool. all my experiences have been good.. it's never broken down so i haven't really needed any support

My X-100B came out of the factory in the mid-eighties hot-rodded by carvin. The clean channel has a hybrid power section so it wont break up. The overdrive channel is balls-out, it will give you 80's metallica tone like nothing else (with EMG pickups of course). I play everything from jazz to metal and it has plenty of feature for me. Effects loop is pretty good. It has an awesome graphic EQ and active EQ controls. Good, quiet 2 channel switching, gain boos switch (very very useful). Reverb is just a little too sproingy in my opinion. The only thing is that you can only assign the graphic EQ to one channel, and the tone knobs are for both channels.

For balls to the wall metal tones I play a USA BC Rich mockingbird with really high-powered humbuckers, an EMG-81 in the bridge and an 85 in the neck position. The metal tone is the best I've ever heard. The only amp that matches it's insanely good and plentiful distortion is the Mesa Rectifier amps, the Marshall stacks dont't touch it. For clean and slightly distorted tones I like my Fender Strat that has a medium-power humbucker in the bridge. I play some jazzy and bluesy stuff on the clean channel, or the dirty channel (gain around 2). It's pretty good, but you dont get that bouncy tube tone, but that's probably because it's a 100-watt stack. This amp only gets noisy when you use it's stupidly high gain levels at extreme tone settings. Like for System of a Down (by the way, their guitarist actually uses this amp) I have the tone controls like this: Presence=5, Treble=7, Mid=4, Bass=7, then i turn the gain boost on and turn the knob to 6 and I have plenty of distortion without the extraneous noise. At high volumes you have to back off on all the tone controls a little bit because the amp gets too loud and the bass can get muddy and the treble can really cut you. The distortion is very versatile and can get very brutal. You can get Dimebag darrel attack, or super mellow blues tones. Oh yeah, for all you real music lovers out there, frank Zappa really like to use this amp in his touring rig!

I totally trust this amp. I never bring a backup, but I really think I should (just need the money for a Mesa combo!). the amp has never totally broken down. About 6 months after i got it, I started getting tube microphonics, and a lot of feedback at high volumes while at rehearsal. But I just changed the tubes (I think it had the originals) and it has been great ever since.

Never dealt with Carvin about this amp. I find that to be a good thing.

I've been playing since I was 9, and I'm 15 now. I don't mean to be cocky at all but I think I have a pretty good amount of experience. I can go to little guitar shops and impress the veterans of the instrument. Besides my previously mentioned guitars, I have some hollowbody japanese jazz guitar knock-off, an older Ovation Celebrity acoustic-electric, and a BC Rich Warlock (my ratty guitar). I love everything about this amp except for the volume at times. So I'm planning on getting a small, all-tube, 112 combo amp so that I can really push the tubes without being in an arena. If it were stolen, I would buy another one---unless I had the money for a Mesa/Boogie or one of those boutique amps (Bogner, Soldano, Rivera...).I've played that Crate Blue VooDoo thingy, and it was quite horrible. I find the carvin to be a little better than an unmodified Marshall stack. But any Mesa would show this amp how it's done. All in all it's a good amp that you absolutely can not beat for the money.

Manufactured in the early 90's (I'm guessing) because it has the EL-34 power tubes and the hideous grey carpet covering on the case. The amp is very versatile, great clean channel, excellent lead channel. The amp has channel switching (either manually on the control panel or with the FS-36 foot switch), effects loop, 5 band equalizer, lead gain boost (20db) and a bright switch on the clean channel. Features that I do not like: Only one set of tone controls for either channel (so they cannot be equalized independently), Control switch for designating the equalizer for either the lead or rythmn (clean) channel, again the issue arises about seperate channel equalization. I use the amp in my basement, the 100 watt output power is more than sufficient to rattle the house, as is the 50% power selection. This amp also has a 25% power selection to bring the volume levels down enough that the neighbors and police are not knocking on the door (not that you would ever hear them). This amp is extremely loud! This late version of the X-100 has 4 EL-34 power tubes and 3 12ax7's in the preamp. It uses active tone controls (and that is where most people mess-up when EQ'ing this amp) so you cannot just cannot dime the the controls and expect a good tone. Small adjustments of the controls equal big changes in tone. The 5 band equalizer is also an active circuit and again small adjustments mean big changes in tone.

I use mainly a Carvin DC-135 through this amp, and it sounds great. The amp is suitable for just about any musical style as mentioned in many of the other reviews. The clean channel is spectacular most review are in agreement with this. I think the lead channel is also nothing short of outstanding. The normal overdrive has a very Fenderish quality about it, especially when using single coil pick-ups. However, when you pull the lead boost you get distortion "O" plenty. The hi-gain boost has a Mesa Boogie type sound quality when these settings are used: PRES.-3, BASS-6, MID.-5,TREB.-8 and then use the EQ. to fatten or brighten it up as desired. Marshall tones can also be extracted as well: PRES.-7, BASS-7, MID.-6, TREB.-7. These settings are right out of the manual for the amp and I find them to be pretty acurate. So that is a starting point for guys that have had trouble getting tone out of this amp. Like I said this one of the best sounding amps I have ever heard. Typically I like the preamp gain set between 6.5-7, any more than that it begins to sound fuzzy. This amp also sound at its best on the 100% power setting, 50% sounds good, but the 25% setting gives the amp a thin sound. Unlike most of the newer amps with a half power setting that shut-down two of the power tubes, the X-100 reduces the operating voltage to all four power tubes to kill off some of the volume (That why the 25% setting gets vey thin because all you have is preamp distortion and no power tube overdrive) Also I use a Sound City 4x12 bottom with Celestion speakers.

No problems yet.

Carvin E-mailed me a circuit diagram and I downloaded the orinal manual from their website.

An excellent value for a used tube amp. Prices normally run 250.00-300.00 used. If you find one buy it. you cant go wrong.

2 channel, effects loop, 100 watt head

I use have 2 jackson ( a dinky and a kelly with seymour duncan heavy metal live wire pickups), this amp is crap, it is cheap but it sounds like crap. If play heavy metal DO NOT BUY THIS AMP!!!!!!! I bought this amp thinking I could sound like steve vai but NOWAY, THIS AMP IS A POS, I HATE IT. I'm selling this amp as soon as possible and getting a 2 channel 100 watt marshall jcm 800 head,(if anyone has one please email me). But this amp could be good if you donot want a amp that distorts a lot. After playing this amp I went right back to playing with my Peavey Bandit 112, that amp sucks too, so it shows you how much I hated this amp.

It hasa broke anything but i only had it for a couple of weeks.

I been playing for 3 years. If think you'll sound like steve vai on the flexible album, you should just keep your amp and just buy a DS-1 distortion pedal. This amp sucks. I play Steve Vai type music, so I know what I'm talking about.

I bought my amp in '91 or '92. Lots of features including effects loop, channel switching, adjustable power (25W, 50W, 100W), 5 band EQ (in addition to high/mid/low knobs). It's got more power than you'll ever need in a normal gig environment. I don't think I've ever had it above 5 at the full 100 watts.

I play an Ibanez RG550 and an Ibanez Jem777. My musical style is mainly hard rock/metal. This amp is very versatile as far as the EQ goes. The knobs for hi/mid/low feature cut and boost, and you have an additional 5 band slider EQ for more cut and boost. The clean is very clean, even at fairly high volumes. You can make the clean channel break up if you really try at it, but the volume it takes is much higher than you would normally be playing at. The reverb is above average. My only complaint is that there is just not quite enough distortion for my taste. Don't get me wrong, it has a lot of gain, but not the singing sustain I really dig. Other than that, it's totally killer.

Played great right out of the box. I have only had to replace the tubes once in over 10 years. It went through a phase for a while where it wanted to blow a fuse about once a week, but that only lasted a couple of months. I have gigged with it regularly over the last 10 years, and it has never left me high and dry. Never taken a backup with me to gigs, either. That's how much I trust it.

Not really had to deal with customer support too much. The only reason for the 8 was it took the amp about a month and a half to arrive (Carvin couldn't quite track it down after they shipped it).

Overall, this is a terrific amp for the price. Like I said, my only gripe was that it doesn't have quite enough gain to suit my taste. Other than that, the X100B is top notch.

made in late 80's early 90's. I love this amp for any style of music. it has channal switching and effects loop. i never use the effects loop. the best feature it has is the 5 band EQ!

I play a Les Paul standard. The apm is mot noisy(even at high levels) You can make many sounds from this amp. The clean channal always is clean, and the distorted is juast the way i like it. (reminds me of the same kinda distortion Adam Jones uses in TOOL) I have been playing for 12 years and this amp ranks up there with some of the best ive seen!

Very reliable! No problems yet!(7 years)

I love the guys at carvin, they are helpful AND THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!

This is a great amp. If you dont want to buy it at least check it out, Give the amp 5-10 minutes and work with the EQ on the ead channal(you will be hooked) GREAT AMP FOR THE MONEY!

This amp has a lot of great features... I love the 5 band EQ(you can get almost any sound out of it)Effects loop, channal switching pedal. I use the amp in my house or with my band. I has enough power for me.

I use a SG, 57 HUMMBUCKERS. IT SUITS MY MUSIC STYLE I PLAY A LOT OF INDIE ROCK ... NOT NOISY AT ALL. THE AMP CAN MAKE MANY DIFFERNT SOUNDS. THE DISTORSHION IS GREAT! AND THE CLEAN IS STILL CLEAN AT HIGH LEVELS.

vERY RELIABLE. I WOULD GIG W/O BACK UP NEVER BROKE ALMOST 9 YEARS OLD

THE GUYS AT CARVIN ARE GREAT GAVE ME A KNOB FOR FREE TO THE X100B AND THAT WAS 2 WEEKS AGO FOR FREE. THEY ALSO GAVE ME A POWER CABLE FOR FREE! VERY NICE GUYS

i LOVE IT... IF YOU CAN GET A GRREAT PRICE FOR IT UNDER 350$ GET IT!
CARVIN IS SOOOOOOOOOO UNDER RATED!

This is the same X100B everyone else here is yakkin' about - 3 12AX7s in the preamp, 4 EL34s in the power amp, 5 band EQ, three channels: rhythm, lead, and "Hot Rod", effects loop, etc. The coolest feature is the 25/50/100W power switch, which allows you to get maximum tube saturation even at (relatively) low power levels. Really, it has everything you could want! My only complaint is that it's UGLY - it has that grey fuzzy stuff on it, and not the black tolex that earlier models had.

I'm playing a Tele and a Strat through the amp - I play all kinds of music, but favor rootsy straight ahead rock'n'roll...the amp sounds great playing any and all styles. The first few seconds I played through it, I was sold - the sound blew me away, and reminded of the much pricier Marshalls, HiWatts, and Voxes. I notice a few other people who have reviewed this amp say they couldn't get certain sounds out of it - I don't believe that for a minute, because between the five band EQ and the treble, mid, and bass knobs, you can get pretty much ANY sound of it. I think those people just didn't TRY hard enough! The complaints about it not delivering enough distortion are bogus, too - this thing packs more of that than I (or anybody else) will EVER need. In fact, I think all but the lowest settings on the "Hot Rod" channel are TOO distorted! I'd also like to point out that this thing is also VERY quiet, as far as noise goes - even with my single coil pickups, I'm getting zero hum out of it. I can't vouch for the amp's ability to maintain a clean sound at high volumes, because I live in an apartment and don't dare turn this megaloud monster past 0.5 on the master volume knob!

I haven't owned this amp long enough to rate its dependability, but it seems like a very well-made amp, and I WOULD use it without a backup.

I have no experience whatsoever with Carvin and their customer support team, but I understand they're very helpful.

I've been playing for 15 years, and been through a slew of amps - this one is definitely a keeper! I love everything about it, except for the gray fuzz on the exterior I mentioned earlier! I also have an Acoustic G60T (Model 163), which I also love and have reviewed here, but I like the Carvin better - it has more features, makes less noise, and has an overall better sound. I think the Acoustic is slightly raunchier, which I like, but if I had to choose, I think I'd have to take the Carvin. Luckily, I don't HAVE TO choose, so I'll keep 'em both! And if either one ever gets lost or stolen, it WILL be replaced - both of these amps can be had dirt cheap, and they both sound absolutely fantastic!

-This is a 2 Channel 100 watt amplifier Pre-1988 w/ original 6L6GCs
-Active Parametric EQ (dedicated to either channel)
-Footswitchable effects loop w/ level switch(Carvin doesn't seem to be doing this anymore)
-Ohm switch, hi and lo inputs, 25%/50%/100% power settings, hi lead pull, bright pull on clean channel

The only feature I'd like that's not already there would be a bias control setup on the back panel. I saw this on a Fender Twin and think its a great idea.

Currently using a Gibson LP Std. Plus-->X-100B-->FX Loop Boss DM100 Analgo Delay Machine--> Carvin Legacy 4X12 Greenback Cab..

I've grown to love this amp after owning it for 2 years. It's great for hard rock, blues, and indie. It can get great 'barely breaking up' overdrive to hi gain rock. I wouldn't use this amp for metal. It can get a lot of distortion but I don't think its voiced for it. Get a Carvin MTS for that. Tough to describe sound but it has although adjectives you've heard when applied to that 'tube sound'. Organic, brown, blah blah blah...I love it and I'm using pretty good gear so its all relative.

Nothing gets a 10 even though I think this thing sounds awesome. My favorite guitar sound is Jawbox and Burning Airlines. It can get close but they use Marshalls and humbuckin' teles/jazzmasters (i think!). Distortion is Marshall-like, clean is not Fender-like. It sounds great but I finally got to play a Fender (the Twin) and hear about the legendary the clean. Well the legend is true and if I could by the left half of the Twin I would.

It's done tumbles in the back of my truck and nothing was wrong with it. I've bumped it into shit a lot, touched the tubes with my fingers, turn the stand-by and power switch on at the same time, let the amp run with no speaker load...Pretty much all the things that the Tech Heads tell you not to do...Well its got the original tubes and I gig and practice in band setting regularly with no problems so far.

I've had 3 experiences with Carvin and 2 were no good. First was my Legacy cab which arrived safe and sound, no problems. 2nd my uncle ordered a Legacy cab that arrived damaged. There was bowage in the wood on the side, dings and dents, and a large screwdriver size indention on the chrome corner which are protected by large styrofoam. Carvin claimed it was UPS's fault which it obviously wasn't (however shocking that may be) seeing as there were no intrusions anywhere on the box. It took a lot of hasseling and sending of pictures to get another cab sent without having to pay all that shipping back and forth even though it was their slip up. Thats the only major thing that I've been witness too and makes me question their 10 day money back guarantee. Where is the line drawn between 'what i just don't like about their gear' and 'hey! this thing was sent broken and I don't want it so I get screwed when shipping it back across the country'. The third instance was just when I ordered a bolt on neck for a project. I specifically asked the salesman if I could have inline tuner holes drilled the way they do (to get straight string pull) but have an unshaped headstock. I know its a weird request but he said they would do it, no problem, no extra cost. When I received it was just unshaped with no holes drilled. Nothing mentioned on the receipt that shows your order with options and special requests so the sales guy obviously just ignored me. I returned it and payed for shipping it back, and just didn't want to deal with their support after last time. I'm sure I could have got into a whining fit for my $20 back but at that time I wussed out and didn't want to deal with it. I should have!

I hate to get into a huge thing here but you also get different answers if you ask the same question to a different rep. For instance the structural integrity of 5 piece necks to 1 piece. You get the reps opinion instead of what Carvin's opinion is. If you have technical questions go to the Carvin board where the very helpful moderators answer quickly and honestly.

X100B was my first tube amp and it brought back the joy of playing guitar. Since, I've only bought tube amps and love em. I'm leaning towards building a rack set up and my Quad X can produce very close X100b sounds so I may part with this to get a 6L6GC 100 Watt Power Amp. I don't want to but how many 100 watt tube amps do you need?

I own a good amt of Carvins- a Vintage 33, Quad X preamp, DC150, Bolt w/ twinblades, and this. They're a good value and I recommend them highly even if you CAN afford a Fender or Marshall.

I Bought this head used in 1993 after joining a loud punk band and realizing my 30 and 40 watt heads would not allow me to play leads over the singer/rhythm guitarist's Marshall 50 watt w/ 4x12 cab.
I bought a new Carvin 12" speaker and played it through that (in a small wooden hi-fi enclosure) at rehearsal and all was well, a loud tube amp.
Mine was a script logo 80s model with 6L6s, 3 12AX7s. Accutronics spring reverb, push pull vol knob for channel switching, 5 band eQ, presence. 4/8/16 ohm tap, gound switch, line out, effects loop.
Really, it had every feature you could ask for. Very versatile and that was its strength as well as its downfall (read on!)

I played this with a LP Jr through a Carvin and / or Boogie 2x12, and later a Marshall 4x10 2 cab stack. I played in a punk band but also later used it in a str8 ahead rnr band, usually with the 1x12 box. I found the amp to be acceptable in all situations, but never amazing in any.
Funny how people's entries either praise the distortion or bash it to bits. I do feel it was voiced as the "poor man's Boogie" with the 6L6s, I imagine the later models with EL34s were going after Marshall wannabes. Having never loved Boogies all that much (I got my Mesa 2x12 cab used at a price too good to pass up!) my Carvin's distortion tone was okay but could not compete with my one trick pony Hiwatt. Similarly, while taken on its own , the Carvin's clean channel was quiet and smooth , all my blackface Fender heads at lower volumes kicked its ass but good!
Essentially whilst it could do just about any sound well, the X-100B truthfully didn't do any one sound fantastically. This is not a knock on the amp; for wedding bands, style pirates, cover bands, etc. this is a real plus, and it did it all at a GREAT price!! The sound was typically unexceptional, but never unacceptable. This serves in utilitarian applications, but clearly is not what you want when searching for holy grail tone!

One blow up at a rehearsal. all of a sudden, POOF! no more sound. Turns out something had burned out on a PC board. Cost about $50 to fix, no biggie as I had been gigging with it full blast for about two years! I retubed with Groove Tubes while I was at it and it sounded fine as before. I see some techs claim here that its insides are a bit flimsy; I am not surprised, because you do indeed get what you pay for. Still, the case, handle, knobs, etc. all took a beating from me and I gigged w/out a backup and it never let me down.(Again, It went down that one time in rehearsal! Does that count?)

I see also folks had trouble getting footswitches, etc. I guess I lucked out; I got a new X-100B footswitch in 1993 for this mid-80s head no problem, but I guess since they stopped making them, that's no longer an option. Still, try getting old parts for Marshalls or Hiwatts; would you do any better there? (Not that I've tried, but see my point? Carvin have done okay by me when my requests were kept within reality)

I have played for over 25 years and I know what I like/don't like. I bought the Carvin head because I suddenly needed a good cheap loud dependable head to gig with. The amp did that and saw me through a few other bands as well. Eventually I broke down and spent more $ on better heads (Soldano) and it was worth it because the overall tone was an improvement within certain applications (clean, distorted, etc). But no other amp I've ever owned has been as versatile, carefully thought out or as generously appointed as that Carvin. I don't regret selling it because I usually wished I was playing my Hiwatt or Fenders at various points during songs. But I found the amp VERY reliable and versatile and If I did again find myself in a situation where I required a jack of all trades head, I would definitely check one out again. This time with EL34s, though! (I prefer psuedo-Marshall to ersatz Boogie!!)

An all tube amp (4"EL34"'s for output, 3 -"12AX7"s for pre-amp) made in the mid 80's, decent enough to play most styles. A 2 channel sitchable (foot switch hard to find) with an effects loop (3 way output volume control for the loop +4db to -10db)The front controls have basic controls -BASS / MIDDLE / TREBLE / PRESENCE, REVERB(spring),an EQ which is too wide and not enough mid range control which is important for guitar, can only be used by either CLEAN or DISTORSION chanels one at a time.
There is a output control at the back with 3 settings "25%,50%,FULL" wich I hardly found useful since it's not loud enough on "FULL" for me. Don't get me wrong, this amp is loud but the tone and EQ set just right, it lacks the volume of a Marshal.

I use a custom made solid body with a Dimarzio dual sound and a Carvin active, Floyd Rose trem. A LANEY 4x12 with Celestion 25 green backs. This amp sounds better through Celestion 30's My style is pretty wide from Blues, Country to Metal, Jazz.. This amp has a good clean sound, the distorsion is thin and lacks a tight bass response. Gets real fuzzy with the presence control up more than 3 or 4. warm sounding at lower volume levels. Unfortunately, you can dial a good tone for one chanel at a time.
At high volume levels, the clean channel souns better, driving the output tubes.

Very reliable having dropped on the floor a couple of times.
Need a change of tubes from time to time but that's it.
I've used it on a few gigs with no backup.

All service through factory, you pay for shipping.

I've been playing for 16 years, professionally for the last 8. For the price it's alright. I bought it because I know Steve Vai used it when he was with Frank Zappa. I'm sold it as I needed a good amp. You get what you pay for in most cases as with this. Maybe Carvin will finally make a good amp.

This is a mid 80's amp head and comes with all the features I could ever want. Two channels with a push pull pot on both to add extra crunch when you need it. It has an effects loop which I don't use due to my own personal tastes and a switch on the back that lets you run at 20%, 50%, or 100% power. For myself 50% is plenty (I'm afraid I'd injure someone at full power on this amp!) It has EL34 tubes for power and 12 AX7 for preamp. Also included is a very functional 5-band eq which has allowed me to dial in the perfect tone.

I use Fender Strats all loaded with Dimarzio HS-2's in the middle and neck positions and an HS-3 in the bridge position. With these guitars the tone is incredible. I've owned Marshall plexi's, Hiwatt Custom 50's, Fender Bassman and a Hughs & Kettner Triamp all great amps but none I like as much as this Carvin. The suprising thing to me is how rich and textured the tone is for all types of music. I play everything from blues to contemporary country to slammin' metal and this amp keeps on amazing me. Very rich creamy overdrive to sweet fat clean tones. The clean channel rolls into a very nice grind when cranked and the drive channel goes from very bluesy to full shred. Definately my favorite amp to date. If you ever wanted to get that Comfortably Numb sound and not break the bank, this is the all the amp you will ever need!!!

For the past 16 years I've tubed her up every six months (I use it 6 days a week) and let her rip without ever failing me once!!!! I guess you could say that's pretty reliable couldn't you?

Carvin unfortunately doesn't make these amps anymore so they don't stock the parts for them but they did give me support when I needed to get a channel switching foot pedal for one of mine.

I have been playing guitar for over 25 years and currently own three of these amps and if anything were ever to happen to one of them I would do anything to get another! I really love this amp from its' cosmetics to its' sound it is perfect for me. Carvin makes a new line of amps now and I know they are great amps too but I think I might just have to get more X-100B's if anything were to happen to mine. Great product Carvin!!!

Two channels, effects loop, switchable eq, push pull pot for extra gain on the lead channel, push pull bright switch on the rythym channel, 25%, 50%, 100% switch, 4, 8, 16 ohm settings. I have two of these amps one with 4 6L6's, one with 4 EL34's.

I am playing through three differently setup Gibson L-6S's and occasionally a delay and a flange. I play in a punk rock, rock and roll band that occasionally veers into Motown and Garage Stomp territory. This amp has really given me a sound of my own. Others have complained that there isn't enough gain on this amp, which makes me wonder if they are smoking crack, or if I just have the two x-100's with the most gain. If I turn the gain preamp to 10 the amount of gain I get is absolutely unuseable. Between seven and eight, I am able to get gobs of distortion, chest rattling palm mutes (due in part to a very thick cab loaded with 2 ev's and 2 celestions) and amazing control of feedback. If there is anything that gets me down about the distortion channel, it is that it often sounds too modern, and it is hard to get a more old school stonesy crunch out of the thing. The clean channel is pristine to a fault. I wish I could dirty it up a bit and am currently looking into moding it to get some gain. However, I think that for many people, that really clean sound could be the thing that they love about this amp- it just doesn't really suit my band's style. The amp is louder than god. I compete with an 800watt bass amp & a Marshall JCM 800 and I am always the one who has to turn down for them. My usual stage master volume on the gain channel is between three and four.

I generally depend on this amp. Of course the reason that I own two of them is that the first one died on me in the middle of a tour. It was one of those awful intermittent problems that never wants to show itself in front of a tech. However, the one that broke down did several hundred shows in fairly wretched conditions. I never had a case for it, it just sat in the back of the van, or later the trailer and got bounced around. The new one has never had problems and I was finally able to fix the old one- so I have a backup now. Other than that, regular service keeps it happy.

Most people have complained about the difficulty of getting a footswitch out of Carvin. I had this problem too, but I found one used. However, in many other aspects they have been very helpful. I lost a piece of the fuse assembly and a knob on our last tour and the guy I talked to at Carvin was nice enough to send both pieces to me free of charge. They also have put schematics for the amp on their web page. This is a good thing to know on the road, as many amp techs don't have a schematic for these heads.

I have been playing for ten years and have been on tour constantly for the last four. I really like this amp and think I would have to buy another if I lost both of them. It is pretty versatile, but there are things it just isn't- say a hand wired point to point masterpiece. But, for the money, it is an amazing deal. I see these on ebay all of the time for pennies and they make a great amp for a first timer or an old timer.

I Bought this amp new in 1985.Its a solid well crafted head.I originally bought it for the great clean tone,with lots of headroom.Its a two channel,100 watt RMS amp with variable power selector(100,50 & 25%).Great Hammond reverb,Effects loop and many other pro features.The componets are top quality and noiseless.

I currently use the dirty channel with the drive turned up just enough
to get a little hair around the edges.It has a wonderful warm growl,that is easily coaxed into any thing from warm and southern to bright and screaming.The EQ brings up more than enough of the three separate tones.This amp has BOTTOM! I play through a marshall 4x12 and
it sounds good.The distorion is unique,not like a marshall or a fender.One of the reasons I bought it was that it had a sound of its own.Kind of a thunky,choppy grit.I A/B this amp next to a JCM 800 and went home with the carvin.The clean channel is one of the best I've heard.Lots of tone variation there.Overall,a well designed amp.

This amp has been extreamly dependable.I have used it everyday for 16 years and nothing has gone wrong,not a thing.It has never needed service.Original tubes still sound great,I did replace the tubes with groove tubes just to see if they sounded any differant.The G/T's sounded a little darker.( I called Carvin about replacing the tubes) and they were very helpful.Even recomended the G/T's.Every once in a while I just spray some contact cleaner on the pots and EQ sliders and they have been silent and working smooth.

Good People,very helpful.(not like Gibson!)

I have been playing guitar 29 years and use A gibson les paul standard and a 62're-issue fender strat.I like both guitars through this amp.I can get a spanky strat tone and great warm smooth les paul sound.Amps were made to be tweaked! Its all about sitting down and experimenting.My tastes have changed over the years,and this amp has been able to keep up with my changing tone demands.