Carvin X100B - Opinions?

[taxistationary]

I've been wondering about this amp for sometime now. How does it sound with pedals? And how is the FX loop? Could anyone give me a description of the tone? I'm guessing it's simmalar to a Marshall, but I've never actually played one. My Triple XXX is starting to become to modern to my ears. Thanks!

[lerxstcat]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

The basic design is more of a knockoff of a Boogie Mark II than of a Marshall. The clean sound is very Fendery and beautiful, and is a great platform for pedals. The drive channel is not really Marshally, more Boogieish but not exactly like that either. It's not a real
metal drive without slamming it with a Tube Screamer or SD-1 or similar. The later versions (carpet-covered) have a hotrod mod that delivers a lot more gain though. The effects loop has a 3-way switch to match the varying levels of different effects, and can be used as a boost switch for solos if you're not usng efects in the loop. The 3 button switch covers channel switching, reverb and switches the loop in and out. Some have a 1/2 power switch and some have a 3-way switch that goes down to 25% power. You have a XLR direct out and switchable impedance, ad can assign the 5-band Q to either clean or drive channel.

I liked mine quite a bit, but some people don't like them at all. You'd really have to check one for yourself, and like many amps, individual specimens vary. You can get 'em pretty cheap though, under $300 usually, and resell for the same to get your money back too if you don't like it.

[jgcable]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

I agree with lerxscat 100%. People either love or hate the X100B. I loved it. It sounds like a cross between a Mesa Mark II and a Marshall JCM800 IMHO. Mine had EL34's in it.
It is a fantastic platform for pedal pushers if you don't like the tone of the gain. It has active controls (like a Boogie), and a 25%-50%-100% power switch which is very handy. Heck.. it was good enough for Steve Vai for many years. Rumour is that he still uses them on his backline live. I wouldn't doubt it at all.

[hippietim]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

I played on for years. Can't say that I remember what happened to mine or why I sold it. What a kickass amp.

I did use an original DS-1 in front of it for distortion. It was my gigging rig for years - SD Rhoads, X100B, Power Soak, DS-1, Boss DM-2 analog delay, and a Boss CE-2 chorus.

I did this stuff backwards - didn't buy any rack gear until after the 80's [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

That was a great set up Tim. I used almost the same set up but instead of the DS-1 I used an MXR Distortion +. I also had an MXR Phase 90 in the mix.
It was a bullet proof rig and always sounded good.

[taxistationary]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

Thanks a bunch. I think I'll be picking up one of these. For the price, you can't beat them from, what it sounds like. Thanks bros!

[j2379]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

yeah i had one of the later carpet ones with the gain mod. i had the power tubes changed to 6L6's since thats what i prefer, i used to have that done to my marshalls too. i did find it to be alittle fizzy sounding.

[Bengal65]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

I agree with the above opinions. I had mine since (new in '89). I just sold it since I'm going to "rack" gear. It started as a back up to my white 20th Aniversary JCM 800, 2210 Model. The JCM 800 quickly became the back up to the X100B.

[thenine]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

I have one thats not being played. Email me if anybody wants it. Will be $300.00 plus shipping from 97229.

[email protected]


john

[Chuckracer]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

Put me down in the "Hate" colum.

I bought one brand new, lo these many years ago. Good thing they have that 10 day return policy...that thing went straight back to Carvin!

A year or so ago, many folks started talking about them here, and my local store had two used ones for sale. I went to check them out, figuring maybe my memory was skewed...nope. POS, the both of them.

[jgcable]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

My bandmate hates the X100B. Always has and always will. He hates every model and year and mod. I love them. We love the same music. Go figure.

[Chuckracer]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

Your bandmate has great taste in amps. [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[lerxstcat]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

[ QUOTE ]
Put me down in the "Hate" colum.I bought one brand new, lo these many years ago. Good thing they have that 10 day return policy...that thing went straight back to Carvin!A year or so ago, many folks started talking about them here, and my local store had two used ones for sale. I went to check them out, figuring maybe my memory was skewed...nope. POS, the both of them.

[/ QUOTE ]So you've checked out 3 of 'em - how many Marshalls would you have to go through back in the day to get one that sounded good ad wouldn't blow up monthly? 20 or 30? Now my first XV212 combo didn't do much for me, but I had 3 X-60B heads at one time that I really liked a lot. They got sold for the move home though, and the last one I sold just after I got home.Those 3 heads were really cool.Well, the fact that they get a mixed review also keeps the price down. There are quite a few of those 20+ year old amps still circulating and working great so they're reliable, have a cool clean sound and take pedals very well. They take some tweaking, like the Mark IIs they blatantly knocked off, but sound great when dialed in - to me. To each their own.

[lerxstcat]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

[ QUOTE ]
Your bandmate has great taste in amps. [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]He uses Crate GX1200 stacks! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img] Just kidding!

[thenine]

Re: Carvin X100B - Opinions?

Here are some pics of mine.

http://www.users.qwest.net/~wj15/current/X100-B/


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