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Carvin B800 or...

B

Bassplayer_479

Feb 9, 2007
669
8
NW Indiana
www.myspace.com
#1
Ok...well lately I've been asking lots of amp questions around here. Then I realized searching was easier, so I've spent hours doing that. Now I'm down to a specific question...
I started bass about three and a half years ago, and consider myself to be good for my experience level. I started out with a little 15w Fender, but soon upgraded to an Ashdown Electric Blue 12-180 (With an ABM VU Meter!)...eventually, of course, I'll need something bigger. So through all my searching, but no playing on this particular setup...

I like the look of Dr. Bass and Avatar Cabs, and I'd be looking at 212 or 310 (Dr. Bass) cabs.
So..should i save up a little longer and grab a Carvin B800...or wait to get something in the GK 700RB-II range?

As you can see, I'm on a tight budget, and my next setup will need to last, and preferably put out >350 at 4 ohms.
 
#2
The roadworthiness of GK wins it hands down for me. I'm a fan of their tonality as well. Very flexible, well thoughout and well built gear.

The Carvin may be cool but that packaging is just asking for trouble. If they did that amp in a rackable form factor I would give it a try. I inquired at the factory and their response was - buy the 1500 ...
 
#4
I would take a B800 over that G-K. Nothing against the latter, but I like the former more.

The advice to get a B1500 is good, if you can afford it.

Whether the nonrackability of the B800 is an issue depends on how you use it and how you transport it. For some, it's a dealbreaker; for others, it doesn't matter much if at all.
 
#7
not to mention the size. The B1500 is a moose! and hello - $$$ just to get a square form factor ? Howz about someone down there at Carvin actually listen to people who use the stuff in the field.

My considerations are based on gigging and the kind of wear and tear gear get's - even when you're dealing with it in kid gloves style. I've been really lucky with zero damage in years - but everything that can be racked is or it's in a case. Period.

That design on the B800 seems optimized for combo mounting. OK that's fine - then sell it in a latched enclosure that protects the front. Maybe square off the cabinet so that it will stack with everything else in cases ? Provide a nice pocket for the power cord or some cables or other gig related stuff inside.

To me the idea of leaving the controls hanging out there in the breeze is silly at best. Practicality counts.

and of course GK heads are still great sounding heads.
 
#8
Personally, I would take a B800 over anything from G-K. G-K amps are nice and I've used them a lot, but construction and bang:buck on the Carvin is just too good to pass up. Also, I prefer a head to not be rack-mounted. IMO, Carvin's design for the B800 is awesome.........all that power in such a small package. The knobs sticking out may be an issue for some, but if you don't bash your gear around, it'll be alright.
 
#9
I'm accustomed to rack rigs... the extra protection makes transporting them nearly worry-free. That said, the Carvin B800 is perfect for my light rig solution. What I'm doing for now is packing it in its shipping box, on top of the bubble wrap. But really, I'm going to get over the paranoia... I'm sure it won't be difficult to stow it safely. Heck, I could just carry it in the front seat.
 
#11
bass-shy said:
Personally, I would take a B800 over anything from G-K. G-K amps are nice and I've used them a lot, but construction and bang:buck on the Carvin is just too good to pass up.
Construction ? Carvin? Really ? Man doesn't anyone remember the redline fiasco's ... and this in a package with the knob's hanging out. Carvin doesn't really have a sterling history of rugged design in bass amps... there's a lot of folks romanced by wow it's powerful and cheap. It might even sound good.

Once I had a 1001 RB II take a dive from the top of 2 2x10's stacked vert during a hand truck move. (I nailed a loose stone on the sidewalk at just the wrong time. Ouch!) Right down onto the concrete. The amp was racked. I did the big gulp! Fired it up inside the club. It never skipped a beat. and did I feel like an idiot... and for an open mic at that ... jeeze.

There's a couple of reasons that GK shows up in rental backlines. It's reasonably neutral sounding, easy to dial in a good tone in a variety of settings with a variety of basses and it's really well built. For the long haul - I'll take the GK any day ... YMMV
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
#13
Construction ? Carvin? Really ? Man doesn't anyone remember the redline fiasco's ... and this in a package with the knob's hanging out. Carvin doesn't really have a sterling history of rugged design in bass amps... there's a lot of folks romanced by wow it's powerful and cheap. It might even sound good.
Click to expand...

Do you own a B head, or have you used one much in the real world? If not, can you really comment usefully about this particular comparison?

I do own a B1500, and AFAICS its build is at least the equal of the G-K. For my tastes the tone is noticeably superior too, but that of course is a judgment call.

I've used my share of G-Ks, and they're fine, but I'll take my B1500 any day of the week.

I know quite a bit about the old RedLines as it happens--owned two, played many. Whatever you think you may know about them--and I'm not the biggest RedLine fan either--that says nothing about the B1500 or the B800. The B1500 is IMO a better amp in just about every conceivable regard, and not just marginally but substantially. (And the RedLines IMO were never as bad as the Internet scuttlebutt would have it either.)
 
#14
4Mal said:
The roadworthiness of GK wins it hands down for me. I'm a fan of their tonality as well. Very flexible, well thoughout and well built gear.

The Carvin may be cool but that packaging is just asking for trouble. If they did that amp in a rackable form factor I would give it a try. I inquired at the factory and their response was - buy the 1500 ...
Click to expand...

I noticed your avatar is a venerable old Fender Bassman; on my '64, the knobs are perilously exposed :eek: yet I've never had a problem in the 39 years I've had it ;) I guess I've just been lucky to have played thousands of gigs over the years without damaging my gear. Then again, I haul it myself, and rent when I have to fly - no roadies or baggage handlers tossing my gear about.

My Carvin B-1500 is really too powerful for my needs, but I never have to worry about headroom or combined impedance that falls below four ohms. Were I buying a new head today, I'd snap up a B-800 in a NY minute.

YMMV - yadda, yadda, yadda
 
#15
whacker said:
Interesting aside --

I just received the latest Carvin catalog, and missing inside is the B800 head, and BRX112 & 212 combos. Too bad. Hard to understand that decision. I mean, their stuff is not high volume to begin with.
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In talking with the guy in the Carvin Store here in Sacramento, I got the idea that the BRX line was a bit of a disappointment to Carvin... more like a debacle. Their sales were super disappointing which is unfortunate, I believe them to be the best bass amps Carvin's ever made. I wonder how long the B1500 will be available. The sales guy at the store said "when you see an item in this position in the catalog, its being liquidated" so if you want to get one... you might want to hurry!
I wanted the 2x12 cabinets but they liquidated them before I could afford to buy two of them.:bawl:
 
#16
I wanted the 2x12 cabinets but they liquidated them before I could afford to buy two of them.
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The BRX 2x12 cabs are awesome. I bought one of them last year and when I heard the were discontinuing them I bought another. I use at our rehearsal place and gigs and use the other at home. I've tried several 2x12 neo cabs and the Carvins have sounded the best to my ears.
 
#18
El Whappo said:
The BRX 2x12 cabs are awesome. I bought one of them last year and when I heard the were discontinuing them I bought another. I use at our rehearsal place and gigs and use the other at home. I've tried several 2x12 neo cabs and the Carvins have sounded the best to my ears.
Click to expand...

+1 El Whappo. I have one and I love it. Perhaps it's the best sounding 212 because it's got the most cu vol of all the recent 212's. 24" x 26.75" x 20". The large cu vol contributing to it's massive low end. I don't believe there's a bigger 212 on the market.

Also what's cool is that Carvin puts Duratex on the inside of the cab too.

The first BRX cabs were a good idea but they missed the mark on some minor issues that kept it from taking off.

The BRX10neo was 99lbs w/the same dimensions. Great sounding cab but too heavy now days. The handles were mounted too low also which makes the cab feel heavier than it really is. They changed the handle placement w/out officially announcing that they did, but it was already too late.

Carvin takes a long time to make changes, too long. So when their design/marketing team is arguing over whether or not to include $20-$40 worth of features, technology ends blowing right by them.

Have you noticed they don't know how to properly name their bass amps and cabs in the B series.

BRX12 is a 212 cab
BRX112 is a combo, Should be BRX112C
BRX212 is a combo, should be BRX212C
BRX10.neo.4 ? Huh
B1500 should be B1900. Why would you short yourself 400 watts on your model#? Just stupid

Have you ever noticed that no Carvin engineers have ever popped on to any forums to explain features and answer questions. It took a couple of mos on the Carvin forum to answer if the new at the time BRX212 (212 combo) was 4 ohm or 8ohm.

They're always real close to getting it.
Center detents on the B series heads
Rack mount B800
Handles mounted in the right place. The BR series has correct handle placement.
 
#19
El Whappo said:
The BRX 2x12 cabs are awesome. I bought one of them last year and when I heard the were discontinuing them I bought another. I use at our rehearsal place and gigs and use the other at home. I've tried several 2x12 neo cabs and the Carvins have sounded the best to my ears.
Click to expand...

I went down south to visit my folks a few years back in the LA area and went to the Carvin Santa Ana store... (almost a default stop when down there). That' s where I bought my black Carvin LB76 back in 1995. Anyway when i went in there they had WALLS of the 2x12 cabinets and the BRAND NEW BRX 1500 and BRX 500 amps. I tried them out and really liked the sound.

They've already discontinued the BRX 500 and the 2 x 12 cabinets and a few other versions... and based on what I have been hearing from the sales guys there they are going the way of the do do. I have also noticed this last catalog that came... they don't show the 10" neo replacement speakers for sale anymore. That tells me that the BRX cabs are all going away. As far as I know they also liquidated all of their 12" neo speakers,.
 

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