"Why Carvin Sucks"

[dbw]

http://www.harpamps.com/micKamps/Why-Carvin-Sucks.html

As a Carvin owner, this rings true.  My V3 head is currently standing on its side by my couch, acting more as an end table / 12AX7 storage unit than an amp.  When it was working, though, the tone was great.

 

[-CB-]

well Fat Willie, aka Lord Valve, aka things I can not mention here on the forum, is pretty full of himself

Carvin's can be fixed.  No, they're not high grade - but ya know what?  Neither are the new Marshall, Fender or anyone elses - they're all into cheap parts, and mass production.  You think they make new Fender amps with pots and jacks that will last 50+ years like the old ones?  Good luck.

Speaking of which, my little Princeton is getting close to 50.  Gonna hold a party for it.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I didn't get the SRV reference.

 

[notafatboy]

HMMM. I love all carvin gear I have had so far. Guitars and Amps. As with all companies they do have flops and maintenance issues. They are primarily designed for working class musicians and are priced and designed accordingly. Any amp can develop problems, especially newer ones. Obviously tone is subjective but the ease of maintenance is a point he does have. My mts 212 combo is great except if you need to change tubes. i didnt have to pull the chassis but just about because they make their amps in very compact cabinets. I do think they make quality gear though. (Steve vai anyone?). But as with any company making tube amps, they can have problems.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I hate these kinds of threads, especially since I have a Carvin Tube 100 power amp that has never let me down in the ten yrs I've owned it.

It's all a point of view. The same as a thread somewhere that might say Warmoth guitars suck because somebody got something they weren't happy with, but we know better. These kinds of generic hate threads really don't do anybody any good. I've had my hands on a few Carvin guitars that played awesomely with great low action.

I know dbw has had an issue with his amp. Even though he says it sounded great, he has a problem now. I say send it back or get it fixed locally and move on.

Crap happens to us all at one time or another. But don't let it ruin your life.  :toothy12:

 

[Superlizard]

well Fat Willie, aka Lord Valve, aka things I can not mention here on the forum, is pretty full of himself

How so?

I've bought many a t00b/roll of teflon wire/tool/gizmo from him, and he's been
nothing but a cool cat and straight up and his stuff works as advertised.

He also says it like it is without kissing people's asses (again, straight up); which I respect in a person.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I didn't get the SRV reference.

Bump. 

Still didn't get the reference, especially since he's played and owned everything under the sun including Crate, Peavey, Marshall, and Fender.  If one clicks on the "factory tour" button on the Carvin cite, there's a timeline at the bottom of the page.  Scroll over to 1986, there's a Carvin promo pic with SRV and a Carvin rig.  My only beef with Carvin is they are the only dealer.  Unless you know someone with the piece of Carvin gear you want, or live in So Cal, there's no way to try before you buy.  But....they haven't been cornholed by Guitar Center or Sam Ash, so is there really any other mass dealership franchise way of getting their product in every town as far as a showroom goes?  Maybe there is some subpar Carvin stuff out there, but I haven't owned any yet.  I also don't work on this stuff, or any other brand, so I'm not in a position to argue the point.

 

[jeffgtr]

The fail is immense there.....and who uses a usenet board in 2009?  :tard:

The whole, "dont make em like they used to" thing can definetly be applied to just about every Major-brand tube amp out there nowdays. It's not exclusive to Carvin or anyone.
It wouldnt seem as those LV has looked inside any Marshalls (washing hands after typing that..) made since -Ill be kind and say,1980s..Especially recent ones-what the heck are ribbon-cables,jumper-switches,and IC chips doing inside tube amps?!?! Pop one now days,and you have to double-check to make sure you arent inside your laptop..

But that's all of them now,for the most part..

Apart from the manufacturing,I think you'll find most tube amp "problems" these days are USER problems. Wrong tubes, mis-matched cabinet Ohms, and every bonehead with a soldering iron declaring themselves a "tech" and trying to mod the darned things.

 

[dbw]

If they would just send me a schematic for the damn thing I could probably fix it, but they refuse.

 

[Superlizard]

The whole, "dont make em like they used to" thing can definetly be applied to just about every Major-brand tube amp out there nowdays. It's not exclusive to Carvin or anyone.
It wouldnt seem as those LV has looked inside any Marshalls (washing hands after typing that..) made since -Ill be kind and say,1980s..Especially recent ones-what the heck are ribbon-cables,jumper-switches,and IC chips doing inside tube amps?!?! Pop one now days,and you have to double-check to make sure you arent inside your laptop.

LOL that's what I've been saying, too.

Friggin' ribbon cables... hey, where's the floppy drive go?

 

[Superlizard]

http://www.harpamps.com/micKamps/Why-Carvin-Sucks.html

As a Carvin owner, this rings true.  My V3 head is currently standing on its side by my couch, acting more as an end table / 12AX7 storage unit than an amp.  When it was working, though, the tone was great.

I know someone who might be able to assist you (either by sending it to him, or giving you the info you need to DYI).  As I recall, he's very knowledgable with
Carvin amps.

PM if'n you're interested.

 

[jeffgtr]

the schematics are out there,just do some searching. one hit on google turned up a carvin schem,although not your specific model. a few more minutes with google,im sure might get u there...

http://www.schematicheaven.com/newamps/carvin_legacy_vl100_vl212.pdf

 

[dbw]

Yes, well, knocking the quality of one brand does not constitute an endorsement of any other brand.  :hello2:

the schematics are out there,just do some searching. one hit on google turned up a carvin schem,although not your specific model. a few more minutes with google,im sure might get u there...

http://www.schematicheaven.com/newamps/carvin_legacy_vl100_vl212.pdf

Oh, great, thanks, I never would have thought of that.  Not my specific model, which is the specific model I need.  It ain't out there.

Anyway.  I may take you up on that SL.

I also have a 1987 Pro Bass II (300 watt solid-state 3U rackmount) amp that I literally found on the side of the road by some trash cans.  My dad replaced a couple of big caps that had blown, and I sprayed most of a bottle of contact cleaner in it, and it actually works nicely now.  It's got parametric AND graphic EQ, noise gate, compressor, effects loop, footswitchable boost, footswitchable EQ bypass... it's got every damn thing.  But as with my V3 this amp needed repair.  Since I paid nothing for it, I'm not complaining, and since this repair turned out to be pretty easy, I'm glad Carvin makes stuff so junky people put it on the curb.   Here's a killer endorsement I found for the exact amp:

 

[Alfang]

Wow dbw. the guy was tryin to help, and you acted like yourself.

I agree that you can find the schem, I bet I could find it in 5 minutes. But you don't deserve anyones help.  If any of us got you a schematic, you couldn't be your true self and bitch about it.

I still like you, and will actually look for a schem for you  :toothy12:

 

[dbw]

Hey, it's just what I do.  :doh:  I have tried pretty hard to find that schematic.  My point was, don't bother looking, because Carvin does not want to share the V3 schematic.  I've talked to them several times about it.

 

[shanejw]

I've had my Carvin MTS 3200 stack for close to 15 years and it has never let me down.  Had the same set of tubes in it for about 8 years.