Carvin MTS 3200

[straycat]

Played one today and man I like that head!! Very warm clean channel and nice dirt channel too.Didn't get to crank it too hard but on 3 it sounded great thru a 5150 cab.
What your opinions on this amp and those that have one how have they held up?

[madryan]

I've had zero problems with most of the Carvin tube stuff I've had. I'm not talking about normal wear and tear stuff like the fan going bad on my T-100 after 10 years or anything. I've never played the MTS amps but I've heard good things about them. If you like the sound you shouldn't worry about quality with Carvin.

[straycat]

I have an X100B Carvin head that sound great.I think the drive channel sound better on the MTS.

[jgcable]

I have an X100B Carvin head that sound great.I think the drive channel sound better on the MTS.

The MTS has a much better drive channel than the X100B. The X100B needs a pedal for metal. Its a mighty fine amp though.. especially if you can crank it.
The only problem I have with the MTS3200 is that it doesn't get better sounding when you turn it up. Also.. the diode clipping is a little bit buzzy and thin at times. Besides that.. its an extremely good value and for a high gain amp it probably has the best clean channel I have ever heard. Great reverb too.

[straycat]

Well its a toss up do I get the MTS 3200 or the Laney AOR.I don't know which is the better of the AOR's.I know the snake skin Soldano 4x12 is coming home with me.
I'm quite pleased with the X100B the cleans are great.I don't use the drive channel I use the clean channel with a fulltone OCD and its pretty sweet as is.

[jgcable]

Well its a toss up do I get the MTS 3200 or the Laney AOR.I don't know which is the better of the AOR's.I know the snake skin Soldano 4x12 is coming home with me.
I'm quite pleased with the X100B the cleans are great.I don't use the drive channel I use the clean channel with a fulltone OCD and its pretty sweet as is.

If you are happy with what you have, keep it. If you are getting another amp anyway... I would take a close look at the AOR. I think it has a more of a quality gain with more body.

[chrisolson]

There's been one on Minneapolis craigslist for a couple months now - I think he wass selling for $350 or $375. Almost bought it.

***EDIT*** Spoke too soon. Of course now it's gone. I swear the thing had been there about 2 months...

[Ascension]

The MTS has a much better drive channel than the X100B. The X100B needs a pedal for metal. Its a mighty fine amp though.. especially if you can crank it.
The only problem I have with the MTS3200 is that it doesn't get better sounding when you turn it up. Also.. the diode clipping is a little bit buzzy and thin at times. Besides that.. its an extremely good value and for a high gain amp it probably has the best clean channel I have ever heard. Great reverb too.

Depends on which X100B you are talking about there! I agree then MTS is built like a tank ( as were all of the Carvin amps I have owned ) and is VERY roadworthy but your right it doesnt sweeten up as it turns up.The MTS makes a KILLER amp for low volume crunches because of the clip diode design. However the crunch channel just doesn't cut well through a full band.
Now my old X100B with the Hot Rod mod that was a SCREAMER!!!

[jgcable]

Depends on which X100B you are talking about there! I agree then MTS is built like a tank ( as were all of the Carvin amps I have owned ) and is VERY roadworthy but your right it doesnt sweeten up as it turns up.The MTS makes a KILLER amp for low volume crunches because of the clip diode design. However the crunch channel just doesn't cut well through a full band.
Now my old X100B with the Hot Rod mod that was a SCREAMER!!!

To me.. the X100B with the Hot Rod mod engaged sounded entirely too fuzzy. Good for classic rock or Carlos Santana riffs but not for anything else.

[Racerx2k]

I love my AOR, and would love to be able to scoop up another.

[straycat]

Well Racer2k what do I need to look for to know if this AOR is the good one, I have heard there were some difference in the very early ones and the later ones.
I have a Jackson JG-3 head which is close in lay out to the AOR and it is a very ballsy amp and thumps at vol but pale at low vol.Also what is a fair real world price for an AOR?

[Ascension]

To me.. the X100B with the Hot Rod mod engaged sounded entirely too fuzzy. Good for classic rock or Carlos Santana riffs but not for anything else.

Depends on which series it is I had an early one from 88 or so that SCREAMED!! That one was really smooth and clear but I have heard others that were as you say. Carvin is notorious for making unannounced changes to gear so one amp may sound one way but another one of the same model bought a just a few months later sounds completely different. The X100B I had was the same series Vai used on Blue Powder and it KILLED!! Wish I would have kept that one .Here is a clip with me playing my 1990 Pearl Pink X220C through the X100B with my Church band http://www.soundclick.com/bands/song...songID=4453782.

[Zeddicus]

Wowzers I have both those amps!

MTS 3200 50th Anniversary goes alright... clean channel is very nice and sparkley... drive channel delivers some fairly good distortion too however I find it doesnt have enough balls for the kinda power metal I tones I desire (even when both volume and drive are maxed I find myself wanting more)... Ive tried beefing up the Carvin with my Boss OS-2 but it just gets all muddy... Stompbox through clean can work but yeah it just didnt satisfy me.

At first I was gonna get new tubes (hi gain full retube package) from Eurotubes https://ssl.eurotubes.com/cart/index...egory_id=55)as as the ones in there at the moment seem to be biased pretty shite but suprise, suprise, I ended up blowing my money on an old 100 watt Laney AOR... score!

Well the Laney has more crunch, shaping options, and is a hell of a lot louder + it sits flush with the quadbox (something I didnt like about the Carvin) but that hardly seems important :P

Ive set mine up so I basically get the same tones as my friend Leo:

https://www.myspace.com/leoalipour

(Bite the Bullet being the best example)

Anyhoo I guess it all depends on what stuff you like to play... what kinda sounds are you chasing?

[fr0sty]

There's been one on Minneapolis craigslist for a couple months now - I think he wass selling for $350 or $375. Almost bought it.

***EDIT*** Spoke too soon. Of course now it's gone. I swear the thing had been there about 2 months...

I saw that one. It was there a long time, with multiple postings.

[Racerx2k]

Well Racer2k what do I need to look for to know if this AOR is the good one, I have heard there were some difference in the very early ones and the later ones.
I have a Jackson JG-3 head which is close in lay out to the AOR and it is a very ballsy amp and thumps at vol but pale at low vol.Also what is a fair real world price for an AOR?

Best thing I can tell you is to go to one of the two Laney forums:

http://www.laneyforum.com/phpBB2/

http://laney-posse.co.uk/phpBB2/

I'm a moderator on both, and each is quite informative. I'd say the biggest differences are the Series 1 and Series 2. They started switch-over to Series 2 around 1988, and it will be evident by the actual words "Series II" on the front face, around the power and standby switches. There are many different "flavors" of Laney heads of that era, but, if you go to the forums, you will see the subtle differences referenced. Good luck. Hope to see you there.