• 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 head/cab ugh!

#21
I have 1 old Carvin head and one old Carvin cabI think I bought them somewhere around 1992 or so. They performed flawlessly for years, and are still operational to this day. I replaced them because that rig is HEAVY!

I replaced them with a Carvin combo. It's fantastic for most any gig.

I also shoehorned a Carvin BX 500 head into an old PB-100 combo, and it kicks serious butt! I think it's going to be my go to rig for when I just need an amp for a stage monitor.

So, yeah, I've had nothing but good luck with Carvin.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jesi Di and spaz21387
#22
Jesi Di said:
So you have a carvin head & cab and have had no problems with them?
Click to expand...

I had a Carvin BX500 for about a year. It was versatile, clean tone, light weight, etc. I think it sounded really good. But exactly one week after the warranty ran out it slipped into "protect mode" and wouldn't play. In Carvin's defense they fixed it for free out of warranty. Though I did have to pay to ship it to them and get it shipped back, and I was without an amp for over a month and had to borrow a friends amp in order to play a couple gigs I had lined up which was a bummer. Once I got the amp back it worked most of the time but periodically went into protect mode. Basically as much as it was a nice sounding amp I didn't trust it anymore. I began to worry that it would breakdown again and I didn't want to get stuck with a broken amp so I dumped it. Really I'm not sure I will ever truly trust an amp that weighs less than five pounds. It just seemed more like the build quality of a DVD player than of a bass amp.
This is my only experience with Carvin, and I certainly don't mean to speak negatively of them. Like I said it sounded great. And the lightweight "cheap DVD player" feel of it could be said about any of the lightweight amps on the market.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The Nameless and Jesi Di
#23
I used Carvin bass heads for about 10 years. Absolutely loved the sound! first ProBass 500 gave out in the middle of a gig. My second ProBass 500 started giving me problems and had to get rid of it. Both were bought second hand so I bought my BX500 brand new. I have nothing but rave reviews on sound, portability and cost. But my BX500 also have me issues. . Sound and power would intermittently cut out. Granted all 3 amps were working, very busy gigging amps and were put thru there paces. On all all 3 amps none were able to be repaired due to no parts availabilty. After the 3rd strike Carvin was out. They all seemed to die at the worst possible time.. Again was absolutely in love with the power and tone versatility, But due to lack of reliability I switched to a GK MB500.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jesi Di and hintz
#25
I had a Carvin R1000 head, it had to many bells and whistles for my liking but I could get a useable sound out of it. In the end it wasn't for me so I sold it, but hate is definitely a strong word.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jesi Di
#27
I have been using my B 800 head through a BRX210 cab since I bought it brand new in 2006. I havent found any reason to replace it. It sounds great and has plenty of power. Mind you, I wasn't gigging with it for most of that time, just some rehearsal and occasionally playing. Now I play every Sunday but for the most part, I only use the head as a DI box to go through the PA.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jesi Di
#28
spaz21387 said:
Then i can go help the drummer.
Click to expand...

You're a licensed psychiatrist?
*Ahem* Now that I have that out of the way...

I've only used Carvin on the guitar front, but I have had a few problems with the SX200 I used as a practice amp. I was getting channel bleed, weird drop-outs, and the potentiometers were really noisy. I cracked one of the input jacks and, surprisingly, Carvin didn't offer that part as a replacement at the time. I still have the amp, but I have never gotten around to fixing the issues.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jesi Di, alecduncan and spaz21387
#31
I was in a band in the early 80s that had Carvin monitors. I wasn't impressed with them. No clarity to them at all. About 7 years ago, I purchased a used Carvin LB75 bass. I sold it one week later. No punch and again no clarity. I tried a friend's Carvin head and cab and once again, did not like the sound. Very muddy sounding.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jesi Di
#33
You know, when you need an amp serviced, you don't have to go to a tech that specializes in "that" brand. Servicing a Brand X amp is not different from servicing a Brand Y amp, from a general perspective of troubleshooting and repair. Sure, a particular model of amp might have an unusual circuit or a peculiar assembly scheme, but a qualified tech can almost always still service that amp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The Nameless
#34
I am a huge Carvin fan... If you bught it used from GC, that could be your problem. Every Carvin product I have bought used from GC had some sort of issue. I have bought other used things from GC that worked out great, and I have bought used Carvin products from other vendors that were fine... I am not sure what the correlation is, but it's definitely weird. That said I have used Carvin stuff for years. Everything that I have bought brand new I still have, and it all still works great.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jesi Di
#35
nashvillebill said:
You know, when you need an amp serviced, you don't have to go to a tech that specializes in "that" brand. Servicing a Brand X amp is not different from servicing a Brand Y amp, from a general perspective of troubleshooting and repair. Sure, a particular model of amp might have an unusual circuit or a peculiar assembly scheme, but a qualified tech can almost always still service that amp.
Click to expand...

This should almost be a sticky in the amp forum. Most folk don't realize how similar amps can be. A good electronics or amp tech should be able to help with most any amp, tho some may specialize in tube amps, some in solid state, etc. Also? You don't have to have a retailer call these companies for you to get parts, etc. You can call most companies yourself. And they are usually very happy to help. In my experience? Carvin has gone over and above for me in my needs over the years. Going so far as to send me free parts for out of date amps and electronics. I have dealt wit a thousand different companies over the years, and Carvin's service is among the best. When things go wrong with amps or gear, it is up to the owner of said gear to let the company know. It's part of their manufacturing research: real world experience. Helps companies improve their product, and makes happier customers later when they find a bug. Fender, Gibson, and huge conglomerates may not be as worried, may not be as helpful. But wit Carvin at least? I believe it's somethin they take pride in. And as far as Behringer heads go? Recently a very famous gospel player a/b'd his Behringer head vs a big, bad Aguilar head. He chose Behringer. Those heads, used correctly, can be serious pieces of gear. Don't let brand names fool ya. If you learn how to properly and effectively use your gear? The sky is the limit for any piece. And you can become like the techs we speakin of... They can work on almost any gear. So? Can your tone be had out of virtually any piece.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jesi Di and Mechanical
#36
I have a lot of Carvin equipment. Six string basses (3), a five String I built from their parts, power amps (6), in ear monitor system.....the list goes on. I had a problem with a DCM1000 after a fall and a faulty Effects/Tuner loop on a BX1500 from new. both were cured by cleaning the ribbon cable connectors. Everything else has worked as it should.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jesi Di
#37
nashvillebill said:
You know, when you need an amp serviced, you don't have to go to a tech that specializes in "that" brand. Servicing a Brand X amp is not different from servicing a Brand Y amp, from a general perspective of troubleshooting and repair. Sure, a particular model of amp might have an unusual circuit or a peculiar assembly scheme, but a qualified tech can almost always still service that amp.
Click to expand...
Ya, I took it to a tube guy who said he couldn't find out what was wrong. That was usually the case, it would act up when no one was around and be fine other times...
 
#39
cv115505 said:
I am a huge Carvin fan... If you bught it used from GC, that could be your problem. Every Carvin product I have bought used from GC had some sort of issue. I have bought other used things from GC that worked out great, and I have bought used Carvin products from other vendors that were fine... I am not sure what the correlation is, but it's definitely weird. That said I have used Carvin stuff for years. Everything that I have bought brand new I still have, and it all still works great.
Click to expand...
Bought it used from a friend who said they had no issues before with it.
 
#40

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back