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Author Topic:  Carvin Tube amps
Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 11 Oct 2017 4:40 am    
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Is anyone using a Carvin, such as the 50 Watt Nomad for Steel ?

If so, how is it compared to the HR Deluxe or so, headroom, clean gain etc... this is the 1 x 12 amp.

thx
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Ron Hogan

 

From:
Nashville, TN, usa
Post  Posted 11 Oct 2017 5:09 am    
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Tony,
Take a look at this Carvin. Many of us are using it.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=309578&highlight=carvin
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Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 11 Oct 2017 5:35 am    
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Ron thanks, I am aware of that amp, I also have a GK MB200, I am looking more towards a 50 watt tube combo to use as double duty in a small room. Just one more toy I suppose !

Carvin Nomad 1x12 combo using EL84 tubes.

Thx

t
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Stephen Abruzzo

 

From:
Philly, PA
Post  Posted 11 Oct 2017 8:12 am    
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I know some people on another guitar forum who swear by the Carvin Nomad and it's bigger brother, the BelAir.

They ALL remark that they get great cleans from the amps and no problem with headroom either. Takes pedals like a champ.
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Jim Cohen


From:
Philadelphia, PA
Post  Posted 11 Oct 2017 8:40 am    
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They are on 25% sale at the Carvin website, since Carvin announced it is closing its business...
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Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 19 Oct 2017 2:56 am    
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Stephen Abruzzo wrote:
I know some people on another guitar forum who swear by the Carvin Nomad and it's bigger brother, the BelAir.

They ALL remark that they get great cleans from the amps and no problem with headroom either. Takes pedals like a champ.



just a note, the Nomad (1x12) , the Belair ( 2 x 12 ) and the 50 watt head ( 0 x 12) are all the same amp .

I did use a Nomad for double duty on a small gig last week, the clean side had plenty of headroom for the Steel but lacked a tad of low end response which could have been the stock speaker. The Soak channel (gain) had plenty of tone/volume variation for the Telecaster. My initial take would be it is very similar to a 40 watt Fender HR Deluxe overall, but it does use 4 x EL84's rather than the dual 6L6 platform., similar to the PV Classic series. Compared to my Fender Blues Jr which is also EL84 based, 15 watts with a single 12, the Nomad has way more clean headroom, as it should.
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ajm

 

From:
Los Angeles
Post  Posted 19 Oct 2017 7:38 am    
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Tony: Just as a FWIW, I believe that the Carvin amps that you are discussing use diodes in the lead/drive channel for clipping.

There have been several mods posted on the 'net over the years involving their removal.

Some guys say that it makes a difference, how big depends upon the guy. (You know how guitar players can be.)

Not all Carvin guitar amps use diode clipping, but these do.
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Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 19 Oct 2017 8:09 am    
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Yes AJM there is a diode clipping circuit smack dab in the middle of the dual purpose 12AX7 drive circuit, ( V2). the first half has the SOAK knob ( drive) and the 2nd half has the total volume control where the diodes are directly on the input. BUT, how does it sound ? Pretty darn good and this amp , Carvin Vintage 50 series, is in pretty darn good company, Marshall JCM 800's and JCM 900's. I used a 50 watt / 900 for about a year, I didn't hate it ! Very Happy

This is probably very common with production amps. I don't think it's a negative.
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
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jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website
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ajm

 

From:
Los Angeles
Post  Posted 19 Oct 2017 8:16 am    
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Tony: I'm not exactly sure of what you are describing. We could be talking about the same thing.

I got my information by Googling the amps for schematics and looked at the ones on the Carvin web site. (There may be another web site called CarvinMuseum dot com that also has had schematics. I used it for info in years past.)

All of the ones for the Vintage 33 and Vintage 50 show clipping diodes in the distortion/drive/gain/whatever channel. I did not see a schematic for the BelAir, and assume that it is the same as for the Vintage 50.

There are three gain stages used for the Drive sound. The clipping diodes are between stages two and three.

The schematics label the distortion control DRIVE. The actual front panel may label it SOAK.

Rant alert: I have always had an issue with Carvin using the term SOAK. There have been guys over the years that either think, or actually claim, that this is the same as a power attenuator on the power stage similar to the Scholz Rockman Power Soak. It is not. It is entirely in the preamp section and has nothing to do with the power amp.
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Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 19 Oct 2017 11:27 am    
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AJM same thing, all 3 are the same amp, Nomad, Belair and Head. Soak is Drive, not sure how they came up with that word. Maybe it's an industry secret !

regardless, nice little amp, not excessively loud and has good clean headroom. The SOAK channel is very usable , easy to dial in a nice EL84 driven tone.

I'm trying out just the head with a single 12 cab, I'm thinking that will fit my needs better overall.
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website
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