Carvin reissued the X100B

[tweed]

Saw it on a Carvin Flyer last night. Hmmm...

 

[MrDan666]

I still have a late 80s carpet covered Carvin X100B... was planning on selling it actually

 

[Everlone]

I owned a early 90's EL-34 model and with a boost it was a Marshall killer. Great cleans, and the graphic eq is a nice option to have on a British voiced amp.

 

[1big1]

hmmm. i've got an x 60 6L6 head from back in the day. my best guess is '84..'85.. somewhere in there.
i wouldn't call it a marshall killer. it's more mesa-like with the 6L6's. it really isn't voiced like a marshall imho. it doesn't push the upper mid register the way a marshall does.. though i supposed you could dial it in to do something like that. its got more of a full bodied tone with early breakup which smooths out as you let a chord sustain. the lead channel is quite liquidy. i use a notched graphic curve on the lead channel to keep it smooth so it doesn't jump out at you.
i do like the amp and have no plans to part with it. i did get the three button footswitch with it. from what i understand the footswitch is hard to find.. though the web site has a schematic for making one.
i think the 6L6 version sounds different based on clips that i've heard.
there were three versions of that amp. the early 6L6 version.. the el34 version.. and a hotrodded el34 version. i would supposed the hotrod circuit is the one they're trying to re-issue.

 

[MARK1970]

I have a 1987 X100B and it sounds great. This is one of the first conversions to EL34's. In fact the chassis even has the 6L6 on it. This one is a hot rodded one from Carvin and I believe the first and last with vinyl. The reissue is actually in a smaller head case. I still play this amp to this day. 21 years and no problems. (at least once a week)

 

[Everlone]

The one I had was the most recent hot-rodded version and it had EL-34's. Maybe it was just the tubes I was hearing to make me think it sounded Marshall-y.

 

[1big1]

i think the change to el34's was precipitated by players who said the 6L6 version wasn't "marshally" enough sounding. then they came out with the hotrod circuit because they complained that the amp didn't have enough gain.
either way.. i really dig the big.. fat.. warm tone of the 6L6 version.
i usually play it with my charvel cx 692 that i did a few tweaks to and it sounds nice.. to me anyway. i swapped out the crap pups and replaced them with a carvin m22sd in the bridge and a pair of carvin twinblade humbuckers in the neck and middle positions. i also replaced the cheap-ass five way switch with a switchcraft. i got the axe used.. 'cause i really liked the way it felt and played.. still do. i knew the pups were crap.. but that was an easy fix. picking the pups was the hard part.
the x 60 is the only amp i've ever plugged a ds-1 into and actually liked the results.

 

[Scott Ians Beard]

Does this mean my "vintage" carpet covered one is now worth something?

 

[1big1]

the fact that carvin re-issued that amp must indicate that there's a demand for it. i wouldn't expect them to make a drastic jump because carvin's generally don't hold thier value all that well. but yes.. i think they'll go up in value.
i know laney aor's are increasing in value as well.

 

[D/FW XJ'er]

Less than a year ago I saw several of them selling for $150-250 on Craigslist in good condition. I passed on all of them because I was never impressed with em.

Why they reissue an amp that is easy to come by used for cheap is beyond me. Yet Marshall won't make a proper Silver Jubilee reissue.

 

[again with this]

I had one with the tolex covering. Before the carpet/cat scratch post crap. I kick myself every time I think about having sold it. It was the head of my first half stack when I was in high school, I think it was '86 when I got it. Drove down the the factory in Escondido (before it was a suburb of San Diego) to try before I buy. God I loved that head... and hated being so broke that I had to sell it to get my first Les Paul Custom, which I also later sold...

thanks for bringing up a painful memory...

Oh, did I mention I had it modified by Todd Langner? Yeah, excuse me while I go kick my own ass for about the next ten minutes...

And one more thing that will make you want to kick my ass... Sold it for like $350 with the Langner mod. I was such and idiot.

No. I won't be buying a re-issue. But I do still own the cab from that half stack. One of my favorite cabs.

 

[1big1]

they have it listed on thier web site. tolex covering and old style logo. it looks like it has the same features as the original and can switch between 5881/6L6's and el34's but ships with el34's. they start shipping april 1st.
my old x 60 only takes 6L6's and that's fine with me.