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Carvin's BX1500 and B2000

#661
I played a backyard party on Saturday night. My B2000 + LDS/fEarful 212/6/1 got the cops to respond. :D It was the first time that I played outdoors and had the ability to be too loud - over two 50W guitar amps, heavy drummer, and PA.

When we were setting up, there was a DJ playing club music with the subs thumping. When I fired up the B2000 and tested a low D, then a low Db, then a low C, then a low B... mwa ha ha, the DJ spun around with huge eyes to figure out what was going on and whether his life was in danger. :bassist:

I did have the output clip light flashing occasionally, and the amp generated plenty of heat, but there were no problem whatsoever. We were playing for about 60 minutes when the cops arrived.
 
#665
I have been considering the BX1500; with all the tonal shaping qualities it seems that you can get a good sound out of most any bass. (A sound man once said to a band "You put in crap, you get out crap :D)

I double; has anyone tried the BX1500 with the upright bass? I have a '62 Kay with Realist, and a carved top with a Revolution Solo 2. I put the Realist on the Kay when I realized that I wouldn't need it on the carved top bass; the Revolution Solo 2 sounded much better to me....

Thanks!
 
#673
opiate said:
I s there any reviews on the bx1500? Like some bass guitar magazine or smthn
Click to expand...

Well, I can't remember if I gave a review besides the fact that I love it... so here it goes.

I've had my BX1500 for a few weeks now and I'm still trying to find my sound. I have found many other sounds that I think I like until I play with my band. The amp will scream Highs, Lows, and Mids all day long and all at the same time. Its just hard for me to find my sound right now and it is clearly my inabilities to stop messing with all the bells, knobs, slides, one cab or two cabs...ect. The construction is SOLID yet light weight for what it is. I had a problem with the tube bypass not working properly and Carvin handled it quicker than my local GC handled a faulty strap lock, and I'm in Florida. I wish I had bought this earlier and not waited like I did.

The only fault I can find is that the amp is almost too responsive to adjustments that makes it difficult to dial in your sound, but at the same time that is a good thing if you take your time and not get frustrated.
 
#677
RNV said:
Well, I can't remember if I gave a review besides the fact that I love it... so here it goes.

I've had my BX1500 for a few weeks now and I'm still trying to find my sound. I have found many other sounds that I think I like until I play with my band. The amp will scream Highs, Lows, and Mids all day long and all at the same time. Its just hard for me to find my sound right now and it is clearly my inabilities to stop messing with all the bells, knobs, slides, one cab or two cabs...ect. The construction is SOLID yet light weight for what it is. I had a problem with the tube bypass not working properly and Carvin handled it quicker than my local GC handled a faulty strap lock, and I'm in Florida. I wish I had bought this earlier and not waited like I did.

The only fault I can find is that the amp is almost too responsive to adjustments that makes it difficult to dial in your sound, but at the same time that is a good thing if you take your time and not get frustrated.
Click to expand...

You probably already know this, but...
I think the key is not to get hung up on the solo sound and concentrate on getting it right in the mix.
If you have time at a practice or if you have a friend that can either adjust the controls while you play (or play while you adjust, it may help you to get closer to where you want the tone to be).
The main variable after that is the low end settings for each venue.
Also, don't try adjusting the tone at low volume -- use your gig volume as the starting point.
Hope these suggestions help.
 
#678
Somebody suggested that the fan is a bit noisy and would likely be too loud for a coffee house type thing. Is this the consensus amongst owners?

I realize that some would wonder why you'd need that big an amp for a coffee house, but I can't really afford more than one amp at the moment and it has to cover all bases if possible.
 
#679
RNV said:
The amp will scream Highs, Lows, and Mids all day long and all at the same time. Its just hard for me to find my sound right now and it is clearly my inabilities to stop messing with all the bells, knobs, slides, one cab or two cabs...ect.

The only fault I can find is that the amp is almost too responsive to adjustments that makes it difficult to dial in your sound, but at the same time that is a good thing if you take your time and not get frustrated.
Click to expand...

Personally, I prefer an amp that has a lot of bells & whistles - as long as those bells & whistles are actually useful in one way or another. IMHO, the key to being comfortable with such an amp, and actually getting the most out of it, is to realize that you don't have to actually use all those controls, just because they're there. Kind of like having a 2,000-watt amp - it doesn't mean you have to actually crank all that horsepower, just because it's there... :hmm:

Take at least a scan through the user manual. Then experiment with the controls, learning how each one affects the sound, and how they interact with one another. Make adjustments incrementally, until you've learned everything about them, and using them becomes intuitive... :cool:

MM
 
#680
dug dog said:
Somebody suggested that the fan is a bit noisy and would likely be too loud for a coffee house type thing. Is this the consensus amongst owners?

I realize that some would wonder why you'd need that big an amp for a coffee house, but I can't really afford more than one amp at the moment and it has to cover all bases if possible.
Click to expand...
IME the fan is not too loud. It certainly is audible, but I dont think annoyingly so, especially if it is racked.
 

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