Questions about a 1983 Carvin 215 cabinet ?

shoot-r · #1 03-02-2013, 10:34 AM

I have the chance to get one of these.

I've never even seen one, let alone played through one.

Seller says he thinks it's a 4 ohm, 1983, MS-215 or B-215 model.

Thinks it's the orginal stock Carvin Magnalab 15" drivers.

Has anyone owned/played through one of these and what was your opinion of it ?

shoot-r · #2 03-02-2013, 12:22 PM

Awww..come on guys!!!!!

Nobody on T.B. has a opinion on one of these???

B-string · #3 03-02-2013, 12:29 PM

Give it some time. Carvin has always been a direct sell line. Was not available in stores so less folks will have exposure.

shoot-r · #4 03-02-2013, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-string

Give it some time. Carvin has always been a direct sell line. Was not available in stores so less folks will have exposure.

Yes sir...but I've not even gotten a "you need a fearful!!!"

And, I've got to sign off soon to go set-up for a private party gig.....I'm picking up the cab in the morning.

B-string · #5 03-02-2013, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoot-r

Yes sir...but I've not even gotten a "you need a fearful!!!"

They must be asleep still

5port · #6 03-02-2013, 12:43 PM

Looking back in the Carvin Museum it looks like the carvin Pro Bass 215 amp is the one you are talking about. Hope this helps:

The late 80s 215 is below

http://www.carvinmuseum.com/decade/i...obassamps.html

The 1983 215 is below

http://www.carvinmuseum.com/decade/i...-bassamps.html

shoot-r · #7 03-02-2013, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5port

Looking back in the Carvin Museum it looks like the carvin Pro Bass 215 amp is the one you are talking about. Hope this helps:

http://www.carvinmuseum.com/decade/i...obassamps.html

Been there, but Thank-you for the input.

I was hoping for someone that had played one of them before I pick it up in the morning.

It reminds me (dimension wise and the placment of the ports) of a old Kustom cab without the padding.

Chopper47 · #8 03-02-2013, 12:55 PM

I have 4 of the single 15" Carvin bass cabs from that era. I liked the single 15" approach because I could vary the amount of speaker coverage I needed. The original Magnalab speakers sounded good, but they all blew within 2-3 years. I replaced them with JBL's, and those speakers are still in the cabs although I'll admit I don't push them as hard as I used to. Also, they're heavy by modern standards, so I don't use them as much. Hope this helps.

B-string · #9 03-02-2013, 12:57 PM

Probably meant to? Though the Kustom's depth was more shallow from what I can tell?

shoot-r · #10 03-02-2013, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-string

Probably meant to? Though the Kustom's depth was more shallow from what I can tell?

I can't find the depth on the old Carvin cab, but if memory serves, the old slant back Kustoms were 14" in depth on the bottom and tappered to 11" at the top.

B-string · #11 03-02-2013, 01:07 PM

WAY too long ago for me to remember dims! Bass player I knew had a 200 and his dad built a matching 215 for him. I suggested more depth to a deaf and unyielding ear

shoot-r · #12 03-02-2013, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chopper47

The original Magnalab speakers sounded good, but they all blew within 2-3 years. Hope this helps.

Yes sir, this helps.
I may consider down the road of trying some E.V. 15L's or J.B.L.'s in this cab.
It'll be used only as a "park it at rehearsal" cabinet.

shoot-r · #13 03-02-2013, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-string

WAY too long ago for me to remember dims! Bass player I knew had a 200 and his dad built a matching 215 for him. I suggested more depth to a deaf and unyielding ear

Only reason I remember is a group I was working with way back when had a "TON" of the padded Kustoms.
One of the guys measured out everything for loading in the box truck we were using.

B-string · #14 03-02-2013, 01:20 PM

They were a PITA for loading space utilization.

BogeyBass · #15 03-02-2013, 01:32 PM

ive never played the carvin 2x15 but reading the info provided
would be cool to actually know the cab serial numbers.

cheapo speakers are the magnalabs.

upgrade speakers over the years appear to be EV15 or JBL E-140

that would be sweet if they were upgrade speakers, maybe a future recone would be really wake them up.

craig.p · #16 03-02-2013, 01:51 PM

Would make an interesting re-porting project. I can't tell from the pics whether those ports have any depth or are simply holes hogged out of the baffle board.

MysticMichael · #17 03-02-2013, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoot-r

Awww..come on guys!!!!!

Nobody on T.B. has a opinion on one of these???

So sorry! I"m sure nobody here got the memo that we were required to respond to you within TWO HOURS!

That said, the cabinet to which you refer was called the TR1000. I had one that I purchased brand new from Carvin in 1977. It was my very first bass cab - ever. The Magnalab 15s were indeed the stock drivers. And they were indeed a POS.

I used the cab extensively for the many club gigs I used to do at that time, playing classic rock covers (it was simply called "rock" then) in various bars & lounges, at parties, etc.

I recall a wise man once predicted, upon hearing my brand-new cab for the first time, and I paraphrase: "I'll give those stock speakers about a year before they begin to crap out on you." Sure enough, almost a year to the day, they began to die - then to disintegrate. Once the process began, it didn't take long for them to completely fall apart.

So, ya still want that cab, do ya? I wouldn't take it if you paid me for it...

MM

jungleheat · #18 03-02-2013, 09:24 PM

I have the 1x15 version. If I could find another one or a 2x15 version, I would in a second. Great sounding cab as long as you don't need the tweeter sound.

Mine came with a Black Widow 1502, so I can't speak to the quality of the Carvin speakers. A while later, I swapped it out for an EVM 15B Pro Series (400w) which sounds AMAZING, not knowing at the time that the 15B was actually a factory option (makes sense though). I got the 15B NOS for a killer price, wish I could have gotten a pair. A while later, I got an even better deal on a JBL M-151, so that's what's been in the cab for a while now. At this point each driver was in the cab for about 1/3 of the total time I've owned it (2.5-3 years at this point). I've recently decided though to probably sell the JBL, and put the EV back in and keep it that way probably forever.

Anyway, I wouldnt say an 85-90 pound 2x15 is heavy. That's actually pretty good. The ports are just holes in the baffle, so the tuning is probably on the high side. With the original drivers that's probably what you want anyway, to keep the drivers from over-excursion. My cab is big, loud, full, punchy, and everything good you could want in a more vintage style bass cab.

Also, it would be a shame to buy that beautiful cab and then not gig it regularly. I would definitely go and at least check it out. I'm guessing the price is pretty low, since Carvin stuff always sells for way less than it should. My cab was $80 I think. As it is now, the JBL was $90, so I have a $170 smokin cab, that's totally undercover (mine doesn't even have the Carvin logo on the front actually). With the EV it goes up to a $230 cab, but that's still pretty damn good for it is. If you can get the cab for $250 or less with the original (working) drivers, or $500 with something snazzy like EVs, I would go for it.

jungleheat · #19 03-02-2013, 09:30 PM

Also, to these guys that are saying they had the cab with original speakers that blew... how old were you when you got them? 19? Dumb kids that don't know any better following Spinal Tap and cranking the amp to 11? You'll blow any speaker like that.

Sounds like the OP is a little older and wiser than that, so I doubt it would be an issue. At this point, 30 years later, they've probably gotten the worst they're going to get. And even if he did blow them relatively soon, it would just be an excuse to put in something a little more fancy.

MysticMichael · #20 03-02-2013, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jungleheat

Also, to these guys that are saying they had the cab with original speakers that blew... how old were you when you got them? 19? Dumb kids that don't know any better following Spinal Tap and cranking the amp to 11? You'll blow any speaker like that.

I was 21 years old at the time. I was young, but no dumb kid, thank you very much.

As for "blowing" the speakers by "cranking the amp to 11", in my case it wouldn't have mattered if I had cranked the amp to 21: the amp delivered only 125 watts in total. Nevertheless, I never turned the amp up beyond about 2/3 total capacity anyway.

Any 15-inch woofer that would blow at a maximum of 62.5 watts is, by definition, a POS - something you've already admitted that you wouldn't know anything about, since you never experienced the stock Magnalab drivers in the first place.

So my question to you is, do you always opine about such matters that you clearly know nothing about? And are you always this condescending?

MM