Carvin X50B - best amp ever?

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simon_d

simon_d

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Well of course it would be impossible to really claim that as it's all subjective, I've never played one before but I have to say I'm blown away by this amp! If you think they are just for 80s hair metal think again - blues and clean tones are stunning too. Responds to you playing with articulation and definition (this is IMO the most important quality for an amp: I want to play the amp not the amp play me!), sweet compression and most importantly zero ice-pick treble. Cost me about $400 (actually £243 delivered) with matching fuzzy 2x12 slant cab and everything works perfectly. Through a 2x12 with vintage 30s this 50W EL34 head is divine and I love that it looks ugly as sin :) My tone-hunting days are over ... for now ;)

Are these amps one of the best bargains on the used market or what?

Who's using an X50/100B or XV combo? Anyone compared the reissues to the originals (or a Legacy)? What about the 6L6 version, how different?
 
i've got the a 6L6 version that dates back to 84-85. it doesn't have gobs of gain without punching the front end with something.. but the cleans are very nice and the lead channel is very smooth. it also takes pedals very well.
i'm working on a pedalboard set up using the x 60 as my platform and aside from some minor tweaks here and there it's working out quite well.
one of the things i really like about this amp is the flexibility. it gives you lots of options.. especially if you can find one with the footswitch.
 
Yes it's got pretty much all the basic features I need built in (2 channels, series FX loop, boost, switchable GEQ, variable power). I got the FS36 footswitch too :)

You're right it needs a boost of some sort to get really heavy, but I'm impressed how little gain you need for sustaining lead tones. Get the Master past 3 and it sings. I hooked it up with a Nova System in stereo (2nd cab fed by a Jet City 20H, just for fun) and it sounds bloody huge. Wish it was smaller though, the 1x12 combo now looks very appealing :)

Are you using the gain channel and the loop for FX or is everything going in the front on clean?
 
I had an X100b and it was solid. Killer cleans, decent gain if a little spongy, add a boost and it was nice. They aren't as high gain nor as dark sounding as the Legacy, both are great deals.
 
i'm using the loop for chorus and delay. i don't use either one a whole bunch.. so that's one of the areas i need to spend some time tweaking.
i'm using my pedals in front. od 808.. for tweed sounding stuff.. tube works tube driver for crunchy stuff (just put that on the board last week.. but i think it will probably stay. very nice!)
jet city shockwave distortion for something a bit more modern and heavier sounding.. and an ehx metal muff with top boost for metal tones. i'm running those into the rhythm channel high gain input (#1. i think it's +6 db gain over input 2) and just use the amps tone controls to dial them in. for soloing i'm using the lead channel with the graphic in. i pull the 20 db boost and adjust the drive and master to where i want it and use the graphic to tweak the lead tone.
it can cover alot of ground. :thumbsup:
 
I still have mine that I purchased from Carvin in 87-88. Mine has vinyl and was built using the 6L6 chassis. This was the very first hot rod they released. It has EL34s and mucho gain. I guess Carvin wanted to use up all the old chassis because they put little El34 stickers over the 6L6 stencil.

Just recently, I had the filter caps replaced and wow. The amp has come to life. I still love this amp. 24 years later, I still enjoy it. I actually like it more than 80% of the amps out there that cost 5 times as much. About 7 years ago I bought a Carvin cab from the mid 80s for $125.00. The speakers were the shitty speakers from celestion (Gt70m). So when I get some money, I will load it up.
 
marks' amp really sounds smoothe. the cleans are fender-esqe. the dirt is marshally but still workable. and the front eq looks real cool. :D
 
@1big1 - sounds like a nice rig with lots of scope for tone, portable too. I'd like to get some more OD variety myself, I currently have a mock-keely DS1 and stock SD1 for flavour and a Dyna Comp (not tried that yet though). Was thinking of trying a BB preamp. Not heard the shockwave but I'll check out YT. I use the Nova in the loop so can't access the OD in it which is a pain.

@Mudder - Must try a Legacy next then :)
 
there were three different versions of the x series iirc. the new one is number four. they kept on adding more gain with each version.. and switched 6L6's to el34's because folks were complaining they lacked gain and didn't sound marshally enough. i'm pretty sure mine is a version one because it sure doesn't get much dirt unless i drop the wattage.. and it isn't the nicest od tone i've ever heard. :lol: :LOL:
i think the earlier versions do their best work as a platform because the clean is very nice.
i'm running mine into a marshall 1960b with 75's. i think carvin had a couple of variations in speaker choices as well over the years. i do know they offered an ev12L loaded cab for the x series at one time.
the shockwave sounds a lot like the 20h when the gain is cranked. i've got a 2112 rc.. but i think the shockwave sounds darker.. thicker.. and has more balls.
 
Yes, smootheeee is how I'd define it as well. But it defo can rawk too. Would love to try it cranked.

Interesting about the caps, I was thinking myself of whether to change them as the amp is 20 years old. I'll wait until I get bored with the sound before I do that - it isn't broke so I won't fix it ;)

I can vouch for V30s with the X amp Mark, they sound richer and thicker than the Carvin ones. Using in a 2x12 Blackstar open back cab. No complaints. I have some 70/80s as well (which are sterile as hell, but you never know).

@1big1 - yeah horses for courses. The OD is 'characterful' but a good base to build on with pedals, I like it for blues though as I'm into a more woody tone at the moment. The clean sounds best when set sparkly IMO but I don't then find that it takes OD well (too hairy).
 
i tried the tube driver next to the shockwave. they have about the same amount of gain on tap.. but the driver is a bit brighter and doesn't compress quite as much for leads. i think i'm going to use the 808 to boost cleans.. the shockwave for crunch.. and the muff for metal. i think i need a bit more drive for leads too. hopefully that fattens things up a bit.
 
Never tried a tube driver either - so many pedals. Are you using the bright pulled out on the cleans when you boost or not? If so does it fizz out with the 808 (I assume not)?

I've tried pushing the OD channel with the old MXR dynacomp, set with minimal sensitivity and high level as a boost an it works quite well, but the compression really is unneeded and a bit noisy. Different to the Boss pedals for straight-ahead pushing the channel though, I like it - the Boss ones have more colour which is a good option to have. Interestingly I have an Akai G-Drive (2x post/pre graphics + distortion) and it does nothing good in front of the Carvin.

Been playing with more of a scooped EQ/metal tone for fun, and it seems to do that really well too. There's a lot of top and bottom available. Honeymoon still in full effect :)
 
i don't pull the bright for cleans. if i need something clean or with a bit of breakup i'm usually playing single coils. i'm the only guitar player so if it's too bright it sounds tinny.
i've had this amp for about six or seven years. oddly enough.. this is the only amp i've ever played a ds-1 through and actually liked it. :lol: :LOL:
 
that's about the only thing my skills have in common with vai. :lol: :LOL: i may give it a test drive at the next rehearsal though. :thumbsup:
 
i was chatting with an x amp owner on another forum a few years ago. his suggestion for the lead channel was to run the drive at about 8. any less than that and you lose sensitivity and those nice overtones.. more than that and it gets a bit loose. can't say i disagree with him. :thumbsup:
i think i'm running the drive at 4 or 5 right now.. and that sounds fine when i'm running hot pups like the bill lawrence 500 xl. when i'm running singles or humbuckers that aren't as high output as the xl i think i need to get the drive up. it's probably an adjustment i'll have to make on the fly.
you're right about so many pedals too. the nice thing is that there are so many to choose from. the down side is that there are so many to choose from. :confused:
we just used the p.a. we're going to play with for an upcoming gig. i may try the pedals into the number two input to drop the total input gain a bit.. and put a different preamp tube into v-1. not sure what i've got in there now.. but i do have an old tung sol i can throw in there. it was a bit bright and gritty. i want to tone that down somewhat.
 
Yep I prefer the low gain input, seems more defined, less flubb. I've noticed that the amp is quick dark when the master is below 3, and prone to fizz too if the gain is upped when the master is low. Pushing the master past three is where the amp sings - it might be different for the 100W versions though. I use a hot plate so I don't need to worry about volume so much. But my presence knob is always set to cut somewhat (about 2-4 depending). Those two things seems to iron out any fizz.
 
i'm running the rhythm at 3 right now. i think if i go to the lower gain input i can drive it a bit harder and it should tighten up the pedal gain and smooth it out. i'll adjust the tone controls after i try it in a different input.
i didn't really notice the graininess until i walked out front and could hear the cab at a distance where it opened up.. about 20 feet or so for a 4x12.
the tung sol i've got has fairly low gain for a 12ax7.. and isn't as bright as some other preamp tubes i've got stashed. i can try that if it's still too bright or grainy.
thanks for the tip on the presence control setting. i'll try dialing that back as well. :thumbsup:
 
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