Carvin MTS 212

[thetruthguy]

Just pulled the trigger on this: http://www.carvin.com/products/singl...MTS3212&CID=GA

Have been looking at different amps for awhile now and couldn't find anything I like. Thought about a Flextone III, but I used to play a Rectoverb head with a 212 speaker cab and love the tube sound but just don't want to spend another $1500+ on another amp. I had to sell it for financial reasons.

The Carvin has gotten some great reviews. I've got 10 days to try it out and send it back if I don't like it, so it's nice that I'm not going into this blind. Something else that's cool is that I got approved for their credit, so it's only $21+ a month!

I'm also going to get this: http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-GAT-G212A.html Looks like a really cool piece of equipment for a 212.

Anyway, comments appreciated for anyone who's used this amp. I tried search but got that error again. I do know JCFers have like Carvin in the past, though, 'cause I toyed with this option before, only then I really wanted a Mesa, but now I'm more interested in a 212 and something a little more versatile.

Thanks!

--Dan

[thetruthguy]

Hmmm ... nobody's heard of/played these amps???

[jgcable]

It has a nice tight gain channel and an outstanding clean channel.
The reverb is excellent. Sounds like a cross between a Marshall JCM800 2203 with more gain and a Single Rectifier because of the sizzle. I retubed the ones I owned with E34L's and turned a good amp into a great amp.
Here is the deal with the MTS3212. Players either love them... or hate them. I owned 2 MTS3200's and 2 MTS3212's. The MTS3212 was one of the best 2 x 12 combos I have ever owned. Versatile, loud and very well made.

[thetruthguy]

Thanks for the response. Any reason you got rid of them?

[Sinistas]

Great amp. I'm using my drummer's 3200 because he killed my Laney combo.

[jgcable]

Thanks for the response. Any reason you got rid of them?

I upgraded all my amps. I now play a Soldano and I also have a Vetta.
I still have a Carvin X60. I love Carvin gear.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

I had one of those heads, and JGs description is pretty spot on...it reminded me of a more modern Marshall sound with a bit more gain and low end. The cleans are great too. All in all it was a great amp but wasn't quite what I was looking for so I sold it to save up for my Dual Rectifier.

[jgcable]

I had one of those heads, and JGs description is pretty spot on...it reminded me of a more modern Marshall sound with a bit more gain and low end. The cleans are great too. All in all it was a great amp but wasn't quite what I was looking for so I sold it to save up for my Dual Rectifier.

The problem players have with the MTS3212 or 3200 is that after reading the reviews they think the amp will replace a Rectifier or a JCM800 2203/2204.

Nothing will replace a Rectifier but another Rectifier and ditto for a vintage Marshall.
The Carvin is a nice compromise.
Loud, powerful, well made, and it can cover a WIDE genre of music. It uses clipping diodes so it also has a psuedo Marshall 2210 tone to it.
Personally, I would buy one used. They are very inexpensive used. I paid under $400.00 for mine.
I think a better choice than a new MTS3212 would be a used Legacy. The Legacy does everything better than the MTS IMHO.

[lerxstcat]

Yeah, but for $21 a month with Carvin credit, how can you go wrong? Well, maybe upgrade to the Legacy, hell that might be $25 a month though!

I have a Valve Master VM100 head from 1997. It was the series before the MTS and is IMO structuraqlly identical to the MTS, but with black faceplate, black chicken head knobs, and the full size JMP style headshell covered with carpet like the later X100Bs were. I know there are better amps out there but I'm very satisfied with both the clean and gain channels. Straight in, no pedal, it's enough gain for me. I think you'll be pleased with the MTS, but bear in mind you need to run it through a sealed back extension cab to get a full bass response. An open-back combo won't get you that.

I think the Legacy combos have a closed or open back option. I know the Legacy 212 cabs are made that way, just remove the back p[anel if you want an open sound. If the MTS combo by itself doesn't give you what you want, you might send it back for a Legacy combo. They're only a couple hundred more and if buying on credit, the diff would be relatively painless.

Carvin I think has the best sound to price point value of anybody out there. Hell, their MTS head is only $70 more than Peavey's Chinese-made Valve King. I've heard good things about the Valve King, of course, but the MTS is proven by years of production, the VK we'll have to see.

So now you know what WE think; when you get it and play with it, let us know what YOU think.

[jgcable]

Yeah, but for $21 a month with Carvin credit, how can you go wrong? Well, maybe upgrade to the Legacy, hell that might be $25 a month though!

I have a Valve Master VM100 head from 1997. It was the series before the MTS and is IMO structuraqlly identical to the MTS, but with black faceplate, black chicken head knobs, and the full size JMP style headshell covered with carpet like the later X100Bs were. I know there are better amps out there but I'm very satisfied with both the clean and gain channels. Straight in, no pedal, it's enough gain for me. I think you'll be pleased with the MTS, but bear in mind you need to run it through a sealed back extension cab to get a full bass response. An open-back combo won't get you that.

I think the Legacy combos have a closed or open back option. I know the Legacy 212 cabs are made that way, just remove the back p[anel if you want an open sound. If the MTS combo by itself doesn't give you what you want, you might send it back for a Legacy combo. They're only a couple hundred more and if buying on credit, the diff would be relatively painless.

Carvin I think has the best sound to price point value of anybody out there. Hell, their MTS head is only $70 more than Peavey's Chinese-made Valve King. I've heard good things about the Valve King, of course, but the MTS is proven by years of production, the VK we'll have to see.

So now you know what WE think; when you get it and play with it, let us know what YOU think.

I don't think your Valvemaster uses clipping diodes. The X60 and X100's didn't either. Neither does the Legacy. Only the MTS does. The diodes give it a more modern metal gain tone. The diodes are where the modern sizzle comes from.
I have an X60 which is basically the same thing as the X100 and although its not a gain monster its enough gain for me. What I like about it is the overall tone and the killer clean channel. You can feel the tubes when you play.
The MTS doesn't feel exactly like that because of the diodes. It felt like the Marshall 2210 to me (which isn't a bad thing at all!!).

[lerxstcat]

Are you sure? The Vintage Series amps also use clipping diodes, and when this amp was in the catalog the copy said it was the same preamp as the Vintage series, but with EL34/6L6/5881 power instead of EL84s. I owned a VT50 halfstack for awhile too, and the front and back panels were identical. In fact, I know there's a mod for the VT Series to remove the diodes from the signal path for a more organic sound.

Whether it has diodes or not, I dig the tone it has. With my limited budget I don't think I could've found better tone for the price. The sound it has makes me want to play it. In the end I guess that's what matters.

[mjtripper]

I'm a huge carvin fan, I bought a x100b half stack new in 92 or 93 and it's still my main amp. There have been some products I didn't like but everything I have seen has been top quality. It's good to see some others still using the x amps.

A lot of people that like the marshall 'slash' amps like the mts, don't know if that helps though. I know a few x amp users that are now using the legacy and couldn't be happier. On the carvin board there are quite a few people getting mts and almost legacy tones out of the v3 as well. Right now carvin just has an incredible amp lineup, the best it's ever been.

[mjtripper]

Are you sure? The Vintage Series amps also use clipping diodes, and when this amp was in the catalog the copy said it was the same preamp as the Vintage series, but with EL34/6L6/5881 power instead of EL84s. I owned a VT50 halfstack for awhile too, and the front and back panels were identical. In fact, I know there's a mod for the VT Series to remove the diodes from the signal path for a more organic sound.

Whether it has diodes or not, I dig the tone it has. With my limited budget I don't think I could've found better tone for the price. The sound it has makes me want to play it. In the end I guess that's what matters.

Of the current amps the mts, nomad, and belair have clipping diodes. There are some people doing mods to remove them from the nomad and belair. The vintage 16 does not have them.

[thetruthguy]

Thanks for all the responses, guys. I should get mine tomorrow (provided UPS's tracking is accurate ... it usually is). I'll post a review on Sunday or thereabouts. I'm excited. One thing I didn't like about my Rectoverb is that I could never get a sweet lead tone out of it. I've heard lots of good things about the lead tone. Plus, I'm really not looking for the most high gain sound ... just something comparable to what I've played before. Prior to the Rectoverb, I used a Peavey Transtube 212 and really liked that, so I'm pretty sure I'll like the MTS. I'm not much of a tube-snob and am not that picky about sound. So long as it gives me a few good sounds, I'm happy.

[lerxstcat]

Of the current amps the mts, nomad, and belair have clipping diodes. There are some people doing mods to remove them from the nomad and belair. The vintage 16 does not have them.

Yeah, I forgot about the Vintage 16. My experience was back when they had the head and 4x10" cabs.

Technically, though, YOU forgot one too - or at least I'd guess that the SX300 and the other SX combos would have clipping diodes! I know we've mentioned tube amps up til now, but Carvin still makes those solidstate guitar amps, and some really cool solidstate bass amps. That's kind of another subject though...