JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
Carvin V3? $400… not really interested but I am a cheap skate…lol
BeZo
Well-known member
Meh.
Mike Oxhuge
Well-known member
Wasn't there a thread on this recently? I had one and they can emulate almost any amp especially with an eq un the loop. Just don't use EQX unless you like fizzier muddier tones. It will always have a little Carvin DNA in the tone but can get very good cleans, Marshallish crunch and Mesaish high gain but will never be quite as good as owning the real deal. There will be some haters but to me its a no brainer at that price point to at least have different tones available. Can be tricky to dial with all the eq options built in but if you put in the time there are some good tones to be had.
John4021
Well-known member
Guitar Player magazine has these floppy records you could rip out and they actually played.
Never understood how Vai got the tone out of the 100 watters.
Buddy brought over one years ago and it sounded like dog shit
Never understood how Vai got the tone out of the 100 watters.
Buddy brought over one years ago and it sounded like dog shit
Floyd Eye
Well-known member
Zappa did.
Findthetone1
Well-known member
Weren't they considered the poor man's XTC?
Mike Oxhuge
Well-known member
Some of you are confusing the Vai Legacy 100 with the V3. Totally different amps. I have a Legacy 2100 combo and it has amazing cleans and the drive channel is also like a darker Marshall. The key for the Legacy is dime the presence and turn the bass knob down as the gain goes up. Can get a nice hard rock crunch but gets flubby quick with the gain past 7. Boost it for heavier tones.
SoooRad
Well-known member
The X100B is the "old old" head Vai used. I had one of the reissues and got good sounds out of it. I got rid of it because when you would turn it on for the first time each day it would do a deafening hiss and I got sick of that.
If the right deal popped up for an original Legacy I would give one a shot, knowing that its going to be dark, so crank the presence and treble.
If the right deal popped up for an original Legacy I would give one a shot, knowing that its going to be dark, so crank the presence and treble.
RaceU4her
Well-known member
i want to try one, i think $350 is about as high as id go though
Findthetone1
Well-known member
You are correct. My mistake. Moving on....
Fusionbear
Well-known member
Don't do it. The build quality is cheap, cheap, cheap. Better to save your pennies and get something better...
JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
Thanks mine brudda. Pass….. I knew better anyway but I am infatuated with these “sleeper “ under the radar amps. Usually if they are not well liked and owned there’s a reason why…..
JustinCorrigible
Well-known member
I had one for over a decade, it sounded just fine, but I didn’t like the control layout over time tbh. Gets you in the ballpark of any sound you’re looking for in my opinion (can use either EL34 or 6L6 with the bias switch), but yeah not worth $500 nowadays. I paid $500 in 2009 for it.
Mike Oxhuge
Well-known member
Have you owned one or serviced one? Pretty typical manufacturing and if you take care of it like any tube amp, such as don't drop it, ohm mismatch wrong direction, replace tubes at proper intervals, etc... they will last a long time. I had one for a few years and it was already 10 years old then and zero issues. I also hear this about Engls and no these amps aren't built like Marshalls of old but I've only ever had 3 amps with problems in 35 years of playing. 1, a Blue Doodoo had a bad transformer, 2, Marshall Vintage Modern with bad fx loop resistors after only a few months (common issue on those- sensitive to static electricity) And 3, a Mesa Mark IV with bad caps from a known bad production run. I've never had an issue with any Carvin amp despite All of them being 10-25 years old. Probably not A1 production quality but they seem to take a licking and keep on ticking.
Fusionbear
Well-known member
I've owned 4 X100B's and modded at least ten over the years. The later ones had crappy boards with traces that would peel off the board if you looked at them wrong. I used to do work for a company that did contract repairs for Guitar Center. We would get V3's regularly. The construction was pretty poor IMO... I would not trust them as I would not trust Blackstar, later Peavey, Crate, Engl, etc...
Just my opinion...
DanTravis62
Moderator
Pretty versatile sounds, jack of all trades, master of none
Poor construction. I agree with Fusion, the traces are ridiculous on them.
I wouldnt pay anything for one, but I would use one if i got one for free or it was backline - they sound quite good. Just are cheaply built
Poor construction. I agree with Fusion, the traces are ridiculous on them.
I wouldnt pay anything for one, but I would use one if i got one for free or it was backline - they sound quite good. Just are cheaply built
Mike Oxhuge
Well-known member
Good to know. Maybe I was lucky.
mnemonic
Well-known member
I remember playing one in the carvin store in Sacramento back when that was around. I remember not liking it and thinking it was very muddy.
romanianreaper
Well-known member
What he said. I remember years and years ago, I was going to order one and then I kept thinking if it is that amazing, I'd probably hear more about it.
crwnedblasphemy
Well-known member
No he didn't....He rocked an X100-B.
