Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Carvin BX1200
- Thread starter Sundogue
- Start date
Carvin has to do better with listing their amp weights. I've seen 15, 23 and 32LB weight measurements on their website and can't figure out which one it is.
Maybe its 22 unracked and 32 racked?
That makes the most sense.
Can an owner of the bx1200 please put one on a scale for me/us? Just let us know if it has the rack on it or not. Bathroom scale is fine.
Maybe its 22 unracked and 32 racked?
That makes the most sense.
Can an owner of the bx1200 please put one on a scale for me/us? Just let us know if it has the rack on it or not. Bathroom scale is fine.
Just let us know if it has the rack on it or not. Carvin has to do better with listing their amp weights. I've seen 15, 23 and 32LB weight measurements on their website and can't figure out which one it is.
Maybe its 22 unracked and 32 racked?
That makes the most sense.
Can an owner of the bx1200 please put one on a scale for me/us? Bathroom scale is fine.
I just put my BX1200 on my digital bathroom scale and it weighs exactly 32 lbs. with the protective cover on it.
Thanks! Tha'ts very awesome of you.
Very close to buying one of these.
Get closer...and just do it. Best damn amp I've purchased in probably the last twenty years.
I initially was thinking of getting the BX500 with all this lightweight head talk, but at the end of the day what I really wanted was some real beef that was versatile. The BX1200 can't be beat. Some have more power but they are less versatile. some are just as versatile but don't have that kind of power. Still others have both but cost two to three times as much.
As far as the weight goes, it ain't no big deal. It isn't an SVT head and the size (including the case) is so easy to carry with the one handle that the weight is no issue at all.
Best freaking bass amp value EVER. Nothing comes anywhere close...Nothing.
I really don't get what the big deal is with weight.
I mean most of us have a girlfriend or wife. We must be lifting more than 100 lbs. on any given night for longer than it takes to carry an amp head from a vehicle to the stage, right?
I guess it's a matter of how bad we want it.
...the head that is.
...I mean the amphead.
I mean most of us have a girlfriend or wife. We must be lifting more than 100 lbs. on any given night for longer than it takes to carry an amp head from a vehicle to the stage, right?
I guess it's a matter of how bad we want it.
...the head that is.
...I mean the amphead.
Well, I am considering doing a rig switch up with the whole point being to move to a one cab setup versus the two I am using now. I also have a LDS 15/6 on the way and the bx1200 seems to be one of the top amps to match to that cab with its 800w at 8 ohms bridged. Keeping in mind my amp for over the last two years is the 6LB LMII, 32LBS (with rack case) is a fairly significant weight increase. However, I think with one cab (the LDS weighs 42LBS) the center of gravity will be a little bit easier to deal with on the dolly and I wont have to 'wedge' two 112 cabs in the front seat of my toyota.
If I do get the bx1200 I would be putting it into my gator 2u rack bag so I can put my very small pedal board in the outer pocket.
The one thing that does have me hesitating on the bx1200 is the brightness reports. I am really not a fan of brightness. I always have my passive tone control on my bass cut by a little less than half. I strictly use flatwounds with Model J pickups and I also set the VLE (sort of like another passive tone control on a P bass) on my LMII to about 9:00 or a little more. That all said I dont like any brightness in my tone and since the bx1200 has that inherently in spades I am not sure its the right amp for me. I do like the parametric eq on the bx1200 and perhaps that will help me get rid of the brightness. I also dig the 9 band graphic eq. My plan would be to use that when I switch to pick (about 3 or 4 songs of the nite). I try to get my pick tone close to my finger tone so a flip of the switch on the graphic eq would be really handy. However, that means that I cannot use it to shape my basic tone because I would have to be fiddling with all the knobs/sliders *during* the gig which I hate to do.
Anyway, the power and features of the bx1200 are very attractive. Just not sure if I could get my tone with an inherently bright amp.
If I do get the bx1200 I would be putting it into my gator 2u rack bag so I can put my very small pedal board in the outer pocket.
The one thing that does have me hesitating on the bx1200 is the brightness reports. I am really not a fan of brightness. I always have my passive tone control on my bass cut by a little less than half. I strictly use flatwounds with Model J pickups and I also set the VLE (sort of like another passive tone control on a P bass) on my LMII to about 9:00 or a little more. That all said I dont like any brightness in my tone and since the bx1200 has that inherently in spades I am not sure its the right amp for me. I do like the parametric eq on the bx1200 and perhaps that will help me get rid of the brightness. I also dig the 9 band graphic eq. My plan would be to use that when I switch to pick (about 3 or 4 songs of the nite). I try to get my pick tone close to my finger tone so a flip of the switch on the graphic eq would be really handy. However, that means that I cannot use it to shape my basic tone because I would have to be fiddling with all the knobs/sliders *during* the gig which I hate to do.
Anyway, the power and features of the bx1200 are very attractive. Just not sure if I could get my tone with an inherently bright amp.
Yup, lots of ways to cut the treble: 1. Tone control on your bass, 2. graphic EQ, or 3. the regular 5-band EQ section. I was afraid of the "brightness" aspect as well, but now I'm pretty happy with how it sits in the band mix.
Using the parametric alone you can get it to sound incredibly dull and bassy without too much trouble. The EQ'ing and tonal control is very extensive.
My comment about it being bright was when it's set flat (as in the controls being zeroed out or noon'ed). But I really have to clarify that it only appeared overly bright playing alone. I referenced it in another post, but in the context of a full band it isn't overly bright.
And it is easy enough to compensate by either cutting highs or boosting lows and lo-mids (and of course then cutting the volume a bit).
Yeah, 32 lbs. from 6 lbs. is an increase in weight (though I think the case it comes with is like 9 lbs. on it's own). But unless one is constantly gigging from a 10th floor apartment via taxi to a gig in a large city, why is that little bit of weight is an issue? Not directed at you Bassist, but I'm always left scratching my head at just how out of shape we must be these days.
My comment about it being bright was when it's set flat (as in the controls being zeroed out or noon'ed). But I really have to clarify that it only appeared overly bright playing alone. I referenced it in another post, but in the context of a full band it isn't overly bright.
And it is easy enough to compensate by either cutting highs or boosting lows and lo-mids (and of course then cutting the volume a bit).
Yeah, 32 lbs. from 6 lbs. is an increase in weight (though I think the case it comes with is like 9 lbs. on it's own). But unless one is constantly gigging from a 10th floor apartment via taxi to a gig in a large city, why is that little bit of weight is an issue? Not directed at you Bassist, but I'm always left scratching my head at just how out of shape we must be these days.
Yeah, that was basically what I meant by my comment below.
At first, the amp did seem a bit "shrill" at 1kHz, but, recently, I've been playing the amp mostly flat with some mids (either 200Hz or 500Hz) boosted about 3db depending on the song. I also adjust the tone control and pickup selector on my bass as needed.
The thing is my LMII is not bright with the eq set flat. Its a fairly warm sounding amp to begin with. Then I add some VLE which mellows out the highs even more. Add the tone control cut on my bass and that, pretty much, is my tone.
I play in a 3 piece band that mostly plays 50s rock, roots rock and some rockabilly (see sig) so I prefer my tone to be full and warm with little highs. We do a few songs where the bass and drums start the songs and my bass tone is often 'exposed'. This is not a typical rockband where I am fighting two distorted guitars, loud drums etc. So my band 'mix' and how my bass fits into it is probably different than a typical classic rock band.
30LBS is at the upper most range I am willing to carry for an amp. I do often carry my amp for good lengths of time on its own when I go to band practice (since the rehearsal studio supplies the cabs).
I play in a 3 piece band that mostly plays 50s rock, roots rock and some rockabilly (see sig) so I prefer my tone to be full and warm with little highs. We do a few songs where the bass and drums start the songs and my bass tone is often 'exposed'. This is not a typical rockband where I am fighting two distorted guitars, loud drums etc. So my band 'mix' and how my bass fits into it is probably different than a typical classic rock band.
30LBS is at the upper most range I am willing to carry for an amp. I do often carry my amp for good lengths of time on its own when I go to band practice (since the rehearsal studio supplies the cabs).
Well, just to close my additions to this thread I ended up buying a Carver (not carvin) poweramp today that will do what I need to drive my incoming 15/6.
Now for the preamp.
Thanks fellas.
Now for the preamp.
Thanks fellas.
