Members NappyDugOut Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 To say it was farty and raspy is an understatement. The volume is very low almost as if the speaker is blown(but I also ran it thru a 12" ext. cab) still horrible. I don't know much about the inner workings of tube amps. Will a repair shop or tech give me an estimate before fixing it(for a fee of course) or is it all or nothing...............anyone got any idea what might be the trouble......besides that it's a Carvin that's 25 yrs old? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 Drobably just a dirty pot or jack somewhere. Did you try cleaning the effects loop jacks or at least running a jumper between them. That amp was Carvin's high-water mark in the music world, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Drumas funk Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 How's the combo sound compared to the head version. The head was awesome, does the combo have the same characteristics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NappyDugOut Posted December 3, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 How's the combo sound compared to the head version. The head was awesome, does the combo have the same characteristics. I've never personally heard the head version, but when my combo was up and running('80's and 90's) is was a killer amp.......people were constantly stunned that it was a combo and ever more stunned that it was a Carvin.............I hope to get that sound back one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 17 Tubes Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 I checked out a Carvin combo...I think it was a X-60...or something like that. A nice little Mesa wanna-be. The Gallien-Krueger Backline 100 combo blew it to shreds. Says more about the G-K than the Carvin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NappyDugOut Posted December 3, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 A nice little Mesa wanna-be. My friend had a Boogie combo and my Carvin could "ALMOST" hang with it..........but with a TS-9 to boost it......The Boogie wasn't worth the extra money IMO...............yes I needed a $90 pedal to compete with it, but I still saved $400 and got the same sound:)....mind you, this was in the 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members omni Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 It's a carvin, throw the {censored}ing thing away already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NappyDugOut Posted December 3, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 It's a carvin, throw the {censored}ing thing away already. OMNI...............what's up.....I thought you died or something(Jail):wave: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators MrKnobs Posted December 3, 2007 Moderators Share Posted December 3, 2007 Since it's a tube amp, obviously the first thing to do is swap out tubes one at a time until it starts working. Terry D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NappyDugOut Posted December 3, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 Since it's a tube amp, obviously the first thing to do is swap out tubes one at a time until it starts working.Terry D. I know I can swap the pre-amp tubes myself, but since I can't rebias I'll still have to take it to a shop:cry: BTW......Mr.Knobs, what are doing over here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NoirAbattoir Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 Sounds like the power tubes are shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rushtallica Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 I know I can swap the pre-amp tubes myself, but since I can't rebias I'll still have to take it to a shop:cry:BTW......Mr.Knobs, what are doing over here? There's no need to rebias the amp as long as you use the same type of tubes, though you could have it biased up to get the best possible tone. If the power tubes are 6L6 use 6L6 tubes (which I'm prety sure that's the case since yours is an '82 model), if el34 use el34 tubes. There are only 3 premp tubes, so all you'd need is 3 12ax7 preamp tubes, or at least one to try swapping them one at a time to see if it makes a difference. You could even borrow them from another amp just long enough to see if it helps. Regarding power tubes, it's best to use a matched set, but I've owned one version or other of the X100B now since around '91 and have used many types/brands of tubes in them. They're biased cold enough where pretty much about any el34 or 6L6 tube (depending on the type the amp takes) will work. Good luck on it just being a bad tube or two or it being dirty tube sockets or jacks/pots, etc... You can always try different cables, try connecting an external speaker, etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ron Burgandy Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 You still have that modded LP Double Cut? That was the first faded model I ever saw that was decent looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NappyDugOut Posted December 3, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 You still have that modded LP Double Cut? That was the first faded model I ever saw that was decent looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rushtallica Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 I checked out a Carvin combo...I think it was a X-60...or something like that. A nice little Mesa wanna-be. The Gallien-Krueger Backline 100 combo blew it to shreds. Says more about the G-K than the Carvin. Unless you were boosting it with a good overdrive like a tubescreamer and tried a lot of settings (it took me a while to get the best eq for my ears w/ the 5-band active and regular passive knobs; I cut the mids on the 5-band but brought them back in with the passive knobs), you definitely weren't hearing what the X amps can really do. I hate X amp distortion on its own, but with a tubescreamer and a little volume they can kick major @ss. The last band I was in was used to me bringing in my 5150, but I decided to bring the Carvin instead a few times and the first time I did they were very surprised by the thick distortion tones coming out of it as well as by the cleans. These were the amps I used at the time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NappyDugOut Posted December 3, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 Unless you were boosting it with a good overdrive like a tubescreamer and tried a lot of settings (it took me a while to get the best eq for my ears w/ the 5-band active and regular passive knobs; I cut the mids on the 5-band but brought them back in with the passive knobs), you definitely weren't hearing what the X amps can really do. I hate X amp distortion on its own, but with a tubescreamer and a little volume they can kick major @ss. The last band I was in was used to me bringing in my 5150, but I decided to bring the Carvin instead a few times and the first time I did they were very surprised by the thick distortion tones coming out of it as well as by the cleans. These were the amps I used at the time... Exactly!:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rushtallica Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 Exactly! :thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Puddlegum Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 Unless you were boosting it with a good overdrive like a tubescreamer and tried a lot of settings (it took me a while to get the best eq for my ears w/ the 5-band active and regular passive knobs; I cut the mids on the 5-band but brought them back in with the passive knobs), you definitely weren't hearing what the X amps can really do. I hate X amp distortion on its own, but with a tubescreamer and a little volume they can kick major @ss. The last band I was in was used to me bringing in my 5150, but I decided to bring the Carvin instead a few times and the first time I did they were very surprised by the thick distortion tones coming out of it as well as by the cleans. These were the amps I used at the time... I agree 100%. I just use an old Super Tube through my X60B and it sounds incredible. I'd put it up against just about any other amp out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metal_terrorist Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 An amp that old probably needs a cap job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NappyDugOut Posted December 3, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 An amp that old probably needs a cap job. I really didn't want to hear that:mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 17 Tubes Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 Unless you were boosting it with a good overdrive like a tubescreamer and tried a lot of settings (it took me a while to get the best eq for my ears w/ the 5-band active and regular passive knobs; I cut the mids on the 5-band but brought them back in with the passive knobs), you definitely weren't hearing what the X amps can really do. I hate X amp distortion on its own, but with a tubescreamer and a little volume they can kick major @ss. The last band I was in was used to me bringing in my 5150, but I decided to bring the Carvin instead a few times and the first time I did they were very surprised by the thick distortion tones coming out of it as well as by the cleans. These were the amps I used at the time... All I can say is that the Store let me crank up both amps. I refuse to be forced to "add a pedal" to make an amp sound like what I want it to sound like. I fully understand why some people would. The G-K beat it in every catagory...cleans, OD, lead, volume, tone, wall shaking...everything. Even the staff camr over to check out what I was doing with the G-K. It would give SEVERAL respected tube combo amps a run of their money. You know, you tell me "unless you played blah blah with blah....", have you played the G-K Backline 100? Just curious, not being a dick...I had them side by side. Can't say if it was tube issue, though I think I could recognize the signs of tube failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rushtallica Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 All I can say is that the Store let me crank up both amps. I refuse to be forced to "add a pedal" to make an amp sound like what I want it to sound like. I fully understand why some people would. The G-K beat it in every catagory...cleans, OD, lead, volume, tone, wall shaking...everything. Even the staff camr over to check out what I was doing with the G-K. It would give SEVERAL respected tube combo amps a run of their money. You know, you tell me "unless you played blah blah with blah....", have you played the G-K Backline 100? Just curious, not being a dick...I had them side by side. Can't say if it was tube issue, though I think I could recognize the signs of tube failure. I've tried out a couple GK amps back when Lifeson was using them even though I wasn't much a fan of his tone at that point. The ones I tried were really small combo amps with 2 speakers (I think 10" speakers), and I didn't like the distortion at all -- even less so than the solid state Fender Princeton Chorus I had at the time. I have no idea if they were the same model you're talking about, though. In any case, I definitely prefer Lifeson's distorted tones when he was boosting old Marshalls to the synth-Rush/GK days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members echodeluxe Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 To say it was farty and raspy is an understatement. The volume is very low almost as if the speaker is blown(but I also ran it thru a 12" ext. cab) still horrible. I don't know much about the inner workings of tube amps. Will a repair shop or tech give me an estimate before fixing it(for a fee of course) or is it all or nothing...............anyone got any idea what might be the trouble......besides that it's a Carvin that's 25 yrs old? yeah dude, that sounds like leaky/dry caps. tubes could be okay actually, but having them tested isnt a bad idea, just dont assume they are bad. if the amp has been sitting for that long, the caps are probably bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrspeed Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 I had an X60 combo that I was never happy with. The tone controls were active and although it made the amp versatile it was hard to dial in a tone. Also the amp did not have enough gain for my tastes even with a TS-9 in front of it. I think I should have just bought the studio 22 I had wanted back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rushtallica Posted December 3, 2007 Members Share Posted December 3, 2007 I had an X60 combo that I was never happy with. The tone controls were active and although it made the amp versatile it was hard to dial in a tone. Also the amp did not have enough gain for my tastes even with a TS-9 in front of it. I think I should have just bought the studio 22 I had wanted back then. Does yours have the 5-band eq on it as well as the regular eq? If not, that's the key to those amps, so putting an eq pedal in its loop to shape the tone would help. I've had no problem getting oldschool Slayer-level distortion with a tubescreamer on the ones I've had, though I don't care for gain much beyond that on most amps, anyway. If it has the 5-band eq and you don't want the amp, I'm sure you'd have an easy time selling it on ebay or possibly the Carvin forum if not here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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