Impulse buy: Carvin BX1500

[scottfeldstein]

I have a few goals with my bass gear right now. One is that I should have a backup amp in case something bad happens. Two, I'd like to have more watts available. And three, I'd like to move stuff less.

And so I have just impulse bought a used Carvin BX1500 off Ebay for $333. It will do 900w at 8 ohm bridged or 1500w at 4 ohms bridged.

Maybe my GK MB500 will become my backup/apartment amp now.

What have I done?

 

[MyMusic]

Sounds good. I like Carvin. Been using Carvin gear for seven years without a problem .

 

[BassmanPaul]

I too have a BX1500 but I do NOT recommend that you bridge it. Bridge releases a whole lot of power that needs to be understood to avoid damage to your speaker systems.

 

[DWBass]

I too have a BX1500 but I do NOT recommend that you bridge it. Bridge releases a whole lot of power that needs to be understood to avoid damage to your speaker systems.

Agreed. Folks, please get off this bridging thing! You do not need that much power.

 

[scottfeldstein]

I do NOT recommend that you bridge it.

I was kind of thinking that same thing, especially for my current cabs: a pair of GK Neo 115-III. They're probably not going to take much over 200w each in the real world. One day when I have a pair of 8 ohm Fear-based cabs, maybe I might like having those extra watts, but not today.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

I bridge mine,
but
I am running it into a fEARful 15/6/1.

In real life, I think one channel into your pair of GKs should
be earth moving enough for most situations.

 

[BassmanPaul]

I was kind of thinking that same thing, especially for my current cabs: a pair of GK Neo 115-III. They're probably not going to take much over 200w each in the real world. One day when I have a pair of 8 ohm Fear-based cabs, maybe I might like having those extra watts, but not today.

Try as I do, one cabinet on each channel. I find that this way there is more than enough power.

 

[scottfeldstein]

Try as I do, one cabinet on each channel. I find that this way there is more than enough power.

I was wondering about this! Does the Drive and Master control the output of both amps? (I think the Amp 1 and Amp 2 knobs are just for biamping with the crossover, no?)

 

[BassmanPaul]

For the like of me I cannot remember!! I haven’t used the BX1500 for a few years.

 

[Zooberwerx]

For the like of me I cannot remember!! I haven’t used the BX1500 for a few years.

Take your medication...it will come back to you. IIRC, you use one side per Acme B-2 cab (300 watts @ 8 ohm).

Riis

 

[BassmanPaul]

Take your medication...it will come back to you. IIRC, you use one side per Acme B-2 cab (300 watts @ 8 ohm).

Riis

I do connect them that way but my cabinets are 4Ω.

I’d set the thing up to refresh my agin’ head but I don’t have the time before I fly to England.

 

[RadioactiveGuy4]

Another happy BX1500 owner here. I also do not bridge mine anymore. When I bridged mine with 2 Eden cabs as soon the volume knob got to the point where the amp was making sound it was already too loud.

I was wondering about this! Does the Drive and Master control the output of both amps? (I think the Amp 1 and Amp 2 knobs are just for biamping with the crossover, no?)

The Drive and master are for both amps. When you run the amp with the crossover off you have two full range amps running that you can then attenuate the power each one is putting out with the amp 1 and amp 2 knobs. With the cross over on one amp sends out low while the other send out highs and you would uses the amp 1 and amp 2 knobs to adjust the power going to your highs and lows separately. If you run the amp bridged, which is stupid loud, the amp 2 knob is disabled and you would use the Amp 1 knob to attenuate the power going to the cab.

 

[scottfeldstein]

Thanks, super helpful! I think that's how I'm going to run it with my GK Neo 15s. 300w each should be plenty.