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Carvin BX500: Part II
- Thread starter Kelly Lee
- Start date
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Indeed. My band and I had the pleasure of listening to a radio station - though, sadly, we couldn't get the call letters - through mine last rehearsal. I figured it was my bass, but i unplugged the cable and it kept transmitting.
Just received mine today.
Sounds great except for the warbley buzz I get with the tube engaged. I think I read someone else had this problem too.
Already scheduled for UPS pickup for replacement.
Strike one
I fired it up today and it the sound wasn't there. I've decided to hold on to it and see if it acts up again. If it does I'll try changing the tube as the tech suggested before I send it cross country.
This was also an issue with the similiar GK MB500 head. I wonder if it's a common problem with lightweight heads?
smallbutmighty
Commercial User
Did the "sale" price on the BX500 head just drop back to $399?
I'm a guitarist looking for a decent bass rig. I've been looking hard at the LMII, but it is getting really hard not to pull the trigger on this.
You bassists with more experience - would this head work well paired with an Avatar B210 cab, or would I be better off buying the BR515 or BR510 combo, as many have already suggested? I like the idea of the head/cab....maybe just because it's what I'm used to looking at with my guitars.
Thanks,
sbm
I'm a guitarist looking for a decent bass rig. I've been looking hard at the LMII, but it is getting really hard not to pull the trigger on this.
You bassists with more experience - would this head work well paired with an Avatar B210 cab, or would I be better off buying the BR515 or BR510 combo, as many have already suggested? I like the idea of the head/cab....maybe just because it's what I'm used to looking at with my guitars.
Thanks,
sbm
Interesting....hope it stays this way for you.
Believe it or not, when playing thru my Korg Pandora with headphones, I can hear interference when I turn on a space heater. This Korg is battery powered, but the noise is there. And it's gone when I turn it off.....Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.
Yes I got mine for $420 last week
That is SO frickin' annoying
I only got mine about a month ago, and it was JUST after it bumped up to $420. 
Got my BR515N yesterday. Everything works. Loud and clean. Very clear lows. I can't hear much of a difference yet with the tube engaged. Maybe it'll be more apparent on the gig. Diggin' he graphic eq, it sounds better when it's engaged IMO. I am looking forward to its performance at my gig tomorrow night.
I just got one 2 weeks ago, and Rasthedoctor, you should give them a call, they just refunded me the difference ($20) between my price and the current price. BTW, it always is good to get on the phone with Carvin, rather than order on the 'net: they worked with me on the price of the foot switch (the FS22) when I purchased the amp, which would not have happened if I had ordered online.
Oh yeah: mine came with no problems, I gigged it twice last weekend, medium club and small lounge, and it's a KEEPER. Killer amp, very flexible and warm, and the foot switch is a great feature. The lows are a little airy for my taste, but I was able to thicken up the bottom with some easy tweaking. I was smiling like a fiend both nights, I am very happy with this bit of gear.
Oh yeah: mine came with no problems, I gigged it twice last weekend, medium club and small lounge, and it's a KEEPER. Killer amp, very flexible and warm, and the foot switch is a great feature. The lows are a little airy for my taste, but I was able to thicken up the bottom with some easy tweaking. I was smiling like a fiend both nights, I am very happy with this bit of gear.
Go with the combo, that way you've got a speaker cab if you need to combine the Avatar with say the 1-15". I've got just the head (BX500), because I've already got a killer cab - the Carvin BRX10.4 Neo, so I didn't need another speaker enclosure. The Avatar B210 with the BR515 would be a quailty rig that would give you plenty of what you would need in a bass amp.
smallbutmighty
Commercial User
Here my all around giging amp used with a Sansamp Tech 21 driver and 15" NEO.
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Well I put my BR515N to the test on Saturday night and it sounded great and had the volume to keep up. I was filling in for a band with 2 loud guitarists, a loud drummer and 5 bag pipersyes a very eclectic band. I told them I got a new amp and for them to give me their feedback in its performance. I got big compliments from everyone all around on its volume, tone, clarity and punch. It pumped 3 loud sets with no problems. I was amazed that it didn't even feel warm. I am a happy bassist.
Well I put my BR515N to the test on Saturday night and it sounded great and had the volume to keep up. I was filling in for a band with 2 loud guitarists, a loud drummer and 5 bag pipersyes a very eclectic band. I told them I got a new amp and for them to give me their feedback in its performance. I got big compliments from everyone all around on its volume, tone, clarity and punch. It pumped 3 loud sets with no problems. I was amazed that it didn't even feel warm. I am a happy bassist.
Cool...I had a feeling you'd like it. I've left mine on for couple of weeks straight, and it still felt cool to the touch. Why did I do this? Just to see what happens...to test its toughness. No problems with it whatsoever.
I finally have a gig report on my "PBX" -- a BX-500 in a PB-200 cab with the old tweeter and L-pad but a new 15" 4ohm Neo speaker, creating a 500W combo in a 42-lb package. (Looks pretty much like bass4worship's above except with a black tweeter.) Nice thought, but...
My original basement findings on the new combo -- that the speaker doesn't seem to care all that much for its confines -- were borne out at volume. In a classic rock band (Aerosmith, Zeppelin, Nugent, Steppenwolf, and the like -- read, "bottom") I had to boost the bass all the way to 4:00 and cut both mid bands (at 300 HZ and 900 Hz) rather severely to get the combo to sound sort of like a bass amp. It was plenty loud, but still with that low-mid crowdedness that annoys the guitar player and doesn't really go "boom" like a real bass amp should. Didn't leave much room for tone tweaking after that.
To be fair, I will probably take it to the next gig and run the BX through my regular cab -- an old Sonic Micromini 115 with a KappaLite 3015 in it. This won't be until the end of the month, so I'll just have to wait...
That having been said, it will be lovely for my soft-jazz group that doesn't require a ton of volume and likes a lighter tone, so I'll be able to use more of the abundant mids. It will also suit the acoustic-rock band with a conga player as I won't need to go quite so deep.
One of the few things I don't appreciate about this otherwise fairly adorable head is that the direct out is pre-EQ -- meaning I have next to no say into what goes to FOH. I use lots of effects and I take solos and change my tone frequently through a gig, and not to have given me any boost or tone manipulation is kind of... well, mean (to my view). That design decision relegates all of this fabulous tone-shaping capability to a mere stage monitor.
Be sure to take this review more as a critique of my combo design skills than as a strike against the BX-500. Once I get it through my "real" cab, then we'll talk turkey about the BX-500 itself.
My original basement findings on the new combo -- that the speaker doesn't seem to care all that much for its confines -- were borne out at volume. In a classic rock band (Aerosmith, Zeppelin, Nugent, Steppenwolf, and the like -- read, "bottom") I had to boost the bass all the way to 4:00 and cut both mid bands (at 300 HZ and 900 Hz) rather severely to get the combo to sound sort of like a bass amp. It was plenty loud, but still with that low-mid crowdedness that annoys the guitar player and doesn't really go "boom" like a real bass amp should. Didn't leave much room for tone tweaking after that.
To be fair, I will probably take it to the next gig and run the BX through my regular cab -- an old Sonic Micromini 115 with a KappaLite 3015 in it. This won't be until the end of the month, so I'll just have to wait...
That having been said, it will be lovely for my soft-jazz group that doesn't require a ton of volume and likes a lighter tone, so I'll be able to use more of the abundant mids. It will also suit the acoustic-rock band with a conga player as I won't need to go quite so deep.
One of the few things I don't appreciate about this otherwise fairly adorable head is that the direct out is pre-EQ -- meaning I have next to no say into what goes to FOH. I use lots of effects and I take solos and change my tone frequently through a gig, and not to have given me any boost or tone manipulation is kind of... well, mean (to my view). That design decision relegates all of this fabulous tone-shaping capability to a mere stage monitor.
Be sure to take this review more as a critique of my combo design skills than as a strike against the BX-500. Once I get it through my "real" cab, then we'll talk turkey about the BX-500 itself.
You might want to try your Kappalite 3015 in that cab. I recently picked up a pb100 combo and bx500 after seeing what you did with yours (thanks for the installation advice btw). I've been running numbers through win isd and the 3015 will give a much flatter response in a box this small than the stock driver. I don't have the specs for the carvin neo driver but the kappalite works well in a small box - it's not ideal but about as good as it gets. I may pick one up for mine. I have 3 gigs this weekend and want to see how mine does with the stock driver. I can hear the low mid bump already though just practicing in my apartment.
okay, I saw this thread a few days ago and I'm usually fairly good about reading through a thread but I got to page 16 of the 1st thread and haven't really been able to go through the rest of the 36 pages plus the 10 already on here...
I'm highly interested in this amp seeing as how on a 3rd floor apt. I don't want to lug around my RC210 combo anymore (has replacement eminence speakers which makes it even more heavy).
I have the famous LS115 which I love and would like to pair it up with this, but I'm thinkin of gettin rid of the carvin r600 amp I got to do this... I'm just seein what the opinions would be, should I make arrangements to just go for it or hold back?
The bx500 would be a stand alone, I could put my power amp in the RC210 amp slot and that can just be backup for more power if needed... just lookin' for suggestions since I'm not a heavy gigger by any means, just lookin to simplify my rig.
I'm highly interested in this amp seeing as how on a 3rd floor apt. I don't want to lug around my RC210 combo anymore (has replacement eminence speakers which makes it even more heavy).
I have the famous LS115 which I love and would like to pair it up with this, but I'm thinkin of gettin rid of the carvin r600 amp I got to do this... I'm just seein what the opinions would be, should I make arrangements to just go for it or hold back?
The bx500 would be a stand alone, I could put my power amp in the RC210 amp slot and that can just be backup for more power if needed... just lookin' for suggestions since I'm not a heavy gigger by any means, just lookin to simplify my rig.
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