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Carvin Amps

G

GeddyLeeFTW

Dec 23, 2008
5
0
#1
I'm looking for a bass amp for practicing at home and stumbled across a Carvin PB100-15.

I've never worked with Carvins personally. Any good?

My other options are:

Fender Rumble 100
Carvin BR15
Peavey Basic 112
Peavey TNT115
Ampeg BA-115
Gallien-Krueger Backline 112
Gallien-Krueger MB150E-112 (leaning towards this)
*takes breath* Behringer BX1200

I can pick up any one of these for about $300. (which is my max budget)

I have a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass and I do like the crunch of his tone. I would like to have an amp capable of these crunches. Also, chances are, the amps above are used. Will this affect the life of them too much? Can I expect them to die within a year?

Any suggestions in this price range not listed?

Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
#4
not berhinger...

i have the older fender bassman 100w, and its not crunchy...its smooth. so i wouldnt go with the rumble (which is the new version).

you might wanna check out eden nemesis amps, i hear (but have no experience) they are good, and cheap :D
 
#5
lorenk said:
not berhinger...

i have the older fender bassman 100w, and its not crunchy...its smooth. so i wouldnt go with the rumble (which is the new version).

you might wanna check out eden nemesis amps, i hear (but have no experience) they are good, and cheap :D
Click to expand...

I do have experience with Nemesis combo amps, and can vouch that they are nice and they're relatively inexpensive - but they're also smooth - not crunchy.

I bought a used NC210 a couple years ago for only $250 - and she's a keeper: Perfect for home practice, recording, and small gigs.

MM
 
#6
I have become a Carvin-convert thanks to my LSX1503A. I would suggest you go with the BR!5 though. The tweeter (should you choose to use it) will give you better high-end articulation than just the 15. And the tilt-back cab will allow you to hear yourself better and not kill the house with volume. Good luck.
 
#8
Carvin = underrated awesomeness. I've been gigging a Carvin R1000 for a couple years now and have never had a complaint. I added one of their 810 cabs to it about a year ago and couldn't be happier. Granted, that's a wee bit more power than you're looking for, but I hear tell their new line of amps is light years ahead of the Red Line series and if mine works as well as it does I'd buy one of their new ones in a heartbeat, no hesitation.
 
#9
To answer the OP's question about the PB100 combos-

I've owned a couple of them. The current one is a newer PB100-10.

They are nice little inexpensive combos that sound really good. Particularly the 15, which is the one you're looking at. Built well, will hold up to a lot of playing and not break down. They aren't very loud, but if you EQ carefully on the low end so as not to run them out of headroom, they can can get moderately loud.

The sound is not particularly lively or distinctive, which can be good or not-so-good, depending on your tonal objectives. Personally, I found they work well in a variety of settings. I enjoyed playing them in church and musical theatre.

If you have specific questions, please post 'em and I'll reply here in the thread.
 
#10
I bought a PB200-15 a few years ago on the recommendation of a friend. He has repaired tons of amps over the years, and said he rarely gets Carvins, but when he does they're easy to fix. He was also impressed at the build quality of those he's opened up.

It's massive, solid, and the controls seem to be made to last. Has every input/output I need and enough built-in EQ for 3 amps. It's too much amp for my basement; I end up backing off the level on my P-bass for comfort, but the input remains noise-free. Someone did their homework , too, because flipping the power on or off doesn't generate a pop or thump (it might have a relay, but I haven't opened it to take a look). The tweeter is a nice feature, and you can crank it down or off if you don't want the extended highs.

So from a design and construction standpoint I'm mighty impressed. Sound? Well, that's pretty personal. It seems clean and flexible (i.e., you can dirty it up if you want by overdriving); in fact it's more amp than I need. I doubt I'll ever buy another amp if this one stays reliable.
 

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