My B1500 has been an absolute road dog! Zero issues....and it is still the cleanest most punchiest amp I ever owned.
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Carvin: The Neverending Suckfest
- Thread starter theAntihero
- Start date
Roy Vogt
Supporting Member
- Sep 20, 2000
- 4,433
- 537
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- Endorsing Artist: Kiesel Basses, Ampeg Amplification, Hotone Ampero II effects
Please tell him to contact them about this. I would imagine he shouldn't have a problem getting a refund, but they absolutely need to know about this quality control issue. Try getting past the call center phone tree to a management person. IME they will listen and do their best to make this right.
I don't know how many times I've read on TB about a company that has terrible customer service or people ranting about poor quality, etc.
Lately it's been Carvin (and I own a BX1200) and it's been the Ashdown Superfly (I still have one) and really every single piece of gear I've ever owned, I've seen both...glowing reviews and outraged complaints posted about that company or product here on Talkbass.
Most all of the gear I've owned over the years has performed great. Of those that haven't, I've had reasonable customer service. And I say reasonable because any other descriptor makes no sense to me. You can have both great and poor customer service from any company. Maybe you just we're lucky/unlucky that particular day.
Maybe you got the customer service rep that just got laid that morning and is having such a great day that they go out of their way to make you happy too. Or maybe you got the rep that got into a huge fight with his wife on his way out the door, got a speeding ticket on the way to work, had a flat tire, got bitched out by the boss for being two minutes late and still hasn't had his first cup of coffee...and now he has to listen to your bitchfest too.
Who knows. We are a selfish, petulant, demanding, unreasonable society with an overall sense of entitlement. We want everything and we want it now.
Maybe I've just been lucky over the past 30+ years with great gear and great customer service people. Maybe it's just that I'm not a demanding prick to customer service people who are more than likely wishing they were doing something else with their lives besides listen to my complaints. Knowing that can be all the difference.
Best of luck. Hope you find a customer service rep that got lucky last night.
Lately it's been Carvin (and I own a BX1200) and it's been the Ashdown Superfly (I still have one) and really every single piece of gear I've ever owned, I've seen both...glowing reviews and outraged complaints posted about that company or product here on Talkbass.
Most all of the gear I've owned over the years has performed great. Of those that haven't, I've had reasonable customer service. And I say reasonable because any other descriptor makes no sense to me. You can have both great and poor customer service from any company. Maybe you just we're lucky/unlucky that particular day.
Maybe you got the customer service rep that just got laid that morning and is having such a great day that they go out of their way to make you happy too. Or maybe you got the rep that got into a huge fight with his wife on his way out the door, got a speeding ticket on the way to work, had a flat tire, got bitched out by the boss for being two minutes late and still hasn't had his first cup of coffee...and now he has to listen to your bitchfest too.
Who knows. We are a selfish, petulant, demanding, unreasonable society with an overall sense of entitlement. We want everything and we want it now.
Maybe I've just been lucky over the past 30+ years with great gear and great customer service people. Maybe it's just that I'm not a demanding prick to customer service people who are more than likely wishing they were doing something else with their lives besides listen to my complaints. Knowing that can be all the difference.
Best of luck. Hope you find a customer service rep that got lucky last night.
Yes.
This is not ness a lie. The disconnect at the CS phone and what went on at the factory floor/inventory caused a longer wait than expected.
IMO your anger at the situation is causing you to look for things to complain about that are not valid. The "blobs" of silicone belong there, meant to physically stabilize components.
Yep its a business and they are closed till monday.
If I had had your experience with Carvin I would never buy from them again...agreed. However I would wait till Monday and give them a chance to make it right (and they will) before you sing to the message board.
Ampeg SVT7 Pro.
The CS person called my bassist and told him last monday that the amp was boxed up and shipping at that moment and it would be there soon. It wasnt shipped for a week afterwards, this would be a lie.
It wasnt on the original head.
This is try 2 on these guys part. So far out of 2 cabs, 2 heads, a rack shell case, 2 speakon cables and a footswitch the only thing that works properly is the rack case.
The 1x18 cab had missing bolts on the speaker.
The BRX10.4 neo cab was hooked up to the original head when it put what sounded like current thru it and has lost resistance (to which he was told "thats normal and within specs") from 7.1ohms to 6.7ohms.
The speakon cables may work but really who knows at this point, and they even have the insulation off at each plug.
The 1st head worked for a little while, then emitted an electrical/current sounding scream then died.
The 2nd head didnt even amplify anything before dying.
The footswitch hasnt been connected yet because none of the heads carvin has sent him has worked long enough for him to try them.
The rack mount case so far hasnt burst into flames and has worked as promising, a smashing success on Carvins part.
See this isnt just one bad thing, its pretty much everything they sent him, hell last time they wouldnt take back either cab saying that there wasnt a problem and they didnt need to be replaced. Now my bassist doesnt trust a single thing they make, and really can you blame him?
Cool, thats on ethe heads he's considering.
He's gonna call monday, but he's worried that since they've dragged this beyond the 10day return they are going to try to screw him on this, and so far he hasnt seen any signs that they are going to take care of him. I guess he can just dispute the charge with Visa if it comes down to that.
Yeah, he's never using them again. Kinda sad because i was serious looking to buy a V3 and we are in the midst of updating our PA, which was going to have a couple carvin products in it.
He really doesnt want a rack as he says he's just looking for a simple bass head. Ive told him that rack systems arent exactly complicated, but thats his opinion and his money.
Noted, ill pass it on.
He doesnt necessarily need loud as much as lots of headroom. He plays very deep with an EB-0, flatwounds and a felt pick. Add that tone to a heavy attack and that adds up to needing lots of headroom.
Cool, ill pass it on.
Man, sorry to hear about the problems! Sounds like refund time! They need to cover return shipping also, IMO.
Suckage!
The lure of Carvin products is that they're equal to the big name "pro units" at a fraction of the cost. They hype the "factory direct" angle and the fact that many of their products are made in the USA.
On paper they look good, but chances are if it sounds to good to be true....
The lure of Carvin products is that they're equal to the big name "pro units" at a fraction of the cost. They hype the "factory direct" angle and the fact that many of their products are made in the USA.
On paper they look good, but chances are if it sounds to good to be true....
Hey antihero, sorry to hear about all the problems with Carvin! I've actually been looking at their gear and its a shame that you've gotten a few lemons from them because I've also heard a lot of praise, this will definitely weigh on my decision. However, I head someone recommend the SVT-7 and I must say that its a damn good head. I've had mine for a few months with zero problems and I absolutely love the tone, very easy to dial in whatever tone I wish. There were some rumours of quality control issues going on with that particular head as well, but I guess every company has some screw ups...
i have really tried to like carvin. the philosophy and idea behind them is great! i went on a whim and tried the whole thing, bass, amp, cabinet and even rack case. my only problem is that i couldn't any of it to sound good. for me its not good tone. others may like it but i didn't. i really tried. there customer service was next to none though. i had some issues with the bx500 and they really took care of me. the only thing i have kept is the rack case. my issues were mainly just tone. quality was pretty good besides some issues with the bass when i got it.
I don't trust carvin and will never buy anything from them again.
Sad because I liked the BX500 design, and some of their other designs.
Sad because I liked the BX500 design, and some of their other designs.
+1,000,000
Sorry the OP and his bassist have been through the wringer, but it definitely does not display a pattern.
I've been using using Carvin products ever since the mid 90's when I purchased a Series II R1000. Since then, I have purchased a V115 cab, a RL118 cab, a DCM1500 power amp, TWO B1500's, TWO HD1800 power amps, and a BX500
Not one of them gave me as much as a hiccup
Good luck in your quest for a rig that works for you.
I have to tell you all, I have had a few problems with Carvin, but it was due to the UPS/Fedex boys kicking my gear around.
Not only did Carvin CS take care of me, but even when I had multiple problems they took care of me every time!
The B1500 and BX1500 are great heads and there is nothing even close within a $1000 more of their price IMO, and I have played just about everything out there.
Carvin basses are the same way, try going to any music store and see what you can get for the price of SB4000/5000 with lots of options. If you ever order one and then open up the case you'll see how good they are. Unless you just like throwing your money away (to the music store owners) then Carvin really is a GREAT choice.
Not only did Carvin CS take care of me, but even when I had multiple problems they took care of me every time!
The B1500 and BX1500 are great heads and there is nothing even close within a $1000 more of their price IMO, and I have played just about everything out there.
Carvin basses are the same way, try going to any music store and see what you can get for the price of SB4000/5000 with lots of options. If you ever order one and then open up the case you'll see how good they are. Unless you just like throwing your money away (to the music store owners) then Carvin really is a GREAT choice.
This is one of the reasons that I currently own Mesa amps. They include an awesome 5 year fully transferable warranty. And at least here in Raleigh there are two local fully authorized warranty repair shops. They're just independent shops that get reimbursed by Mesa for repairs. Beats having to pay to ship your amp all the way to SoCal for repair.
Aguilar amps have a 10 year warranty, but only to the original purchaser. And I believe you have to pay to ship it to them AND pre-pay for them to ship it back to you. That's crazy stuff considering their retail prices.
Aguilar amps have a 10 year warranty, but only to the original purchaser. And I believe you have to pay to ship it to them AND pre-pay for them to ship it back to you. That's crazy stuff considering their retail prices.
I haven't heard the name Traynor mentioned, a very worthy contender especially in the warranty or service department. You'll never need 'em.
1kinal
Supporting Member
- Jan 18, 2006
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- Endorsing Artist: SIT strings
Even after reading this thread and the other one describing the problems and the style bass player your friend is, the one head that keeps coming to my mind for him would be a Carvin B1500. I have one of those and it's crazy loud, the most headroom I've ever heard (even compared to rack setups with big power amps). It's simple to use yet very versatile. I think he would especially like the sub-bass knob.
When making recommendations, we have to take in acount the type of music and style of the player. IIRC, you said you rehearsed to something like 126db right? That's crazy loud...So the B1500 is the definition of crazy loud IMO.
Other heads he might consider:
-Aguilar DB750/751 (out of your budget)
-Mesa M9 or Titan
-Hartke LH1000 (good choice price-wise)
-Genz GBE 1200
While I'm sure the Genz Shuttle 9.0 is a superb amp (mine will show up in the next few days), I doubt it would be the good choice for him. If he plays with 1x18+4x10, the shuttle will look weird on top of this massive amount of speakers. That said, the price is right so it might be worth a try.
As for speakers, I'd recommend something else than Carvin. Reading the thread about the original problems (before exchange) I always said to myself that I would not personnally mix 1x18+4x10. Something's not right, one versus four speakers in a cab doesn't sound like a good plan to me at the volume you're playing. Has he ever tried a full rig of similar speakers? Like a 8x10 or 4x12. Make it two of them if you need to move more air (if so make surethe head you choose go down to 2 ohms).
A few cabs not too expensive to try:
-Hartke Hydrive 8x10
-Gallien-Krueger neo 8x10 or neo 4x12 (bassnorthwest has one for $600 used)
-Aguilar S810 (if he can find one used, it's discontinued)
More expensive:
-Aguilar GS or DB 810 or 412
-Bergantino NV610
-Genz-Benz Uber 810 or XB3 810
When making recommendations, we have to take in acount the type of music and style of the player. IIRC, you said you rehearsed to something like 126db right? That's crazy loud...So the B1500 is the definition of crazy loud IMO.
Other heads he might consider:
-Aguilar DB750/751 (out of your budget)
-Mesa M9 or Titan
-Hartke LH1000 (good choice price-wise)
-Genz GBE 1200
While I'm sure the Genz Shuttle 9.0 is a superb amp (mine will show up in the next few days), I doubt it would be the good choice for him. If he plays with 1x18+4x10, the shuttle will look weird on top of this massive amount of speakers. That said, the price is right so it might be worth a try.
As for speakers, I'd recommend something else than Carvin. Reading the thread about the original problems (before exchange) I always said to myself that I would not personnally mix 1x18+4x10. Something's not right, one versus four speakers in a cab doesn't sound like a good plan to me at the volume you're playing. Has he ever tried a full rig of similar speakers? Like a 8x10 or 4x12. Make it two of them if you need to move more air (if so make surethe head you choose go down to 2 ohms).
A few cabs not too expensive to try:
-Hartke Hydrive 8x10
-Gallien-Krueger neo 8x10 or neo 4x12 (bassnorthwest has one for $600 used)
-Aguilar S810 (if he can find one used, it's discontinued)
More expensive:
-Aguilar GS or DB 810 or 412
-Bergantino NV610
-Genz-Benz Uber 810 or XB3 810
Sorry to hear bout your dilemma, but I've been using Carvin basses and amps exclusively since early '07' and i've only had one problem with my BX500 and that was after owning it for 9 mths, they replaced it no questions asked and haven't had a problem since then.
Going on the board to bash a company whose been building and selling equiptment for over 60 yrs serves no purpose except to let the OP speak for his bass player who up to now hasn't said or mentioned a word himself or herself about any of their equipment. **** happens, I understarnd that but to produce a thread about a reputable company that's totally derogitory is IMO lame.
Going on the board to bash a company whose been building and selling equiptment for over 60 yrs serves no purpose except to let the OP speak for his bass player who up to now hasn't said or mentioned a word himself or herself about any of their equipment. **** happens, I understarnd that but to produce a thread about a reputable company that's totally derogitory is IMO lame.
1kinal
Supporting Member
- Jan 18, 2006
- 1,068
- 445
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: SIT strings
I agree the guy should definately come here and tell us exactly what he likes and don't like in equipment. I just don't trust guitar players...
Send me the bass player of this supposed horror story and then we'll talk
I've had my share of horror story with Ashdown in the past and the way I was treated by the company, it made me believe even more in this company. This doesn't excuse the fact that the product was defective, in my case more than one time but it's how you're treated when s**t happens that describe how a company really stands up to their products.
I came really close to throw the towel on Ashdown that the company literally begged to give them one last chance. They build, tested and overnighted an amp directly to my home (bypassing the store and the distributor) in 24 hours from UK to Canada.
Send me the bass player of this supposed horror story and then we'll talk
I've had my share of horror story with Ashdown in the past and the way I was treated by the company, it made me believe even more in this company. This doesn't excuse the fact that the product was defective, in my case more than one time but it's how you're treated when s**t happens that describe how a company really stands up to their products.
I came really close to throw the towel on Ashdown that the company literally begged to give them one last chance. They build, tested and overnighted an amp directly to my home (bypassing the store and the distributor) in 24 hours from UK to Canada.
