Thanks for posting a decent video on the V3! So many guys rag on this amp! Mainly because there a lot of elitists out there that crave brand recognition above quality! This amp can go from Nashville twang to SF death metal at the flip of a switch! Just need to live with it for a while and figure it out. As for have 2 identical channels? I also see posts complaining about multiple channels sharing EQ, with this amp you can individually EQ each channel just as you like it.
I checked out some demos for the Peavey Butcher. Flub. Flub. Fizz. Fizz. Not as good as the 6505 is. The V3 has the best JCM 800 mod tones I've ever heard out of an amp that didn't say Marshall on it. And I love the compression and midrange power you get from EL 34s. The Legacy 2 has great articulation, but is a bit midrangey, even for me. I think I'd like the V3 through either a Legacy or an X100 cab with the Vintage 30's.
@thethrashdisciple ...I owned the first Legacy series halfstack and gigged it heavily for a few years. It did have a big midrange but I fixed that by swapping from stock EL34's to JJ 6L6's. It was one of the best lead tones I ever had but I sold it for a V3 so I could get an extra channel (Metal!) and an extra FX loop. Took me a few years to finally set it up for MIDI-switching though. Well worth it!
Thanks a lot! That was great! I've heard guys complain that they couldn't get a signing solo voice out of that amp, I guess that's because they don't know how to back off of the gain. I love your lead sound...it's just louder than hell!
@thethrashdisciple Thank you so much for the compliment. If you liked that tone (1 year ago), you'd really dig it now. Just a few knob tweaks have been made and I'm using MIDI to control the V3 now. The Thrash Metal tone I've set up for channel 1 involves the Intense mode and the drive/gain no higher than 5. Crushing!
I also think that a lot of the negative reviews concerning this amp come from the fact that while the Groove Tubes that Carvin uses are excellent, they do take about 3 months to wear in. Groove tubes are notorious for their tendency to sound somewhat cold and sterile when they're new, but once they wear in are as good as anything else. By the way, you said you've got 6L6s in yours? The GT catalogue lists their 6L6 as being a 5881 type...Hmmmm...
@thethrashdisciple I may be wrong, but I am of the understanding that GT's are simply rebranded Sovteks; of themselves a pretty reliable and durable tube. Nothing wrong with 'em, but to discerning ears there are upgrades available...
My V3 power tubes are JJ 6L6's biased to about 35-36mA per tube. The preamp tubes are a mix of JJ ECC83S's and Tung Sol reissue 12AX7's. Incidentally, I think the Tung Sols AND the Sovteks are made in the same plant (New Sensor). Hmmmm....
@coolkid1095 It sounds good at "bedroom levels", which would merely be in-home practice anyway. Make no mistakes, this amp is built for the stage and deserves to be be run loud for maximum tonal capability!
@flairfan101 My V3 cab has the Celestion G12T-75's; I bought it from Carvin before they discontinued offering that speaker option. Both speakers are great with this amp IMO.
Great demo to show how a single channel can be used in very different ways.Sounds like it also has great tone qualities.I'm looking into buying one of these so this is very helpful.
Thanks for clearing up the fizz rumor. I was almost steered away from purchasing a V3. Even the official carvin demo's scared me away. Great lesson 101 on guitar volume Knob control . Alot of people crank on ten with high output or active pickups and wonder why the amp sounds like crap.
@kenpowilliamson Thanks; the guitar's volume knob + simple picking dynamics are my most important source of control onstage. Rather than stomp switches to clean up or get to a distorted tone I simply use the gtr vol. and exercise control with the pick. There's plenty of gain in the V3 and keeping the presence and treble controls down help combat the fizz. I love this amp!
@Bundy1 thanks so much man i really like the sound of that. and great demo btw. i bought this amp over the summer and couldnt afford the cabinet afterward but i finally got my hands on one as a christmas present. i cant wait to plug in a find out for my self what this baby can do.
what power tubes are you using?? when i sweep the mid knob on either dist channel it doesnt really take effect until i reach 7 on the dial,between 0 and 7 theres no change in sound......im using 6L6's but im wondering if i shouldn't be using EL34's for this particular amp seeing as how there is alot of opportunity to cut mids on this amp.
@ynnadstrebor JJ 6L6GC biased around 35mA if I recall correctly (I think I mentioned that in the vid). My master mid knob is always at 0 and I think the channels are around 5. EL34's are great in this amp as well but I preferred the 6L6's for cleans.
Big secret to removing the "fizz" is turn your presence to 1 or 2 and turn your trebles up to 9! Completely removes fizz and enters Mesa Land! Try it! Hope this helps!
@guitarman1956 I'm using the Carvin V3 cab loaded with Celestion G12T-75's. They seem to have a good balance of highs, lows, and mids, and to my ears they don't distort easily so that allows the V3 head to do its job very well (wide range of EQ & power tube distortion). I played a gig with it last night again and the louder the V3 master volume is pushed the better it sounds. Of course, the sound guys don't like it run that way... ;)
I've used Vin30's and they can be EQ'd to sound great too.
Good demo...I'm an older classic rocker...tried both Legacy's...toooo dark for me....tried the V3 when it first came out....toooo modern voiced for me...Is the newer V3 voiced differently? You make it sound nice and thick. Unlike my first V3s nature.
@guitarman1956 I'm a older 'Classic rocker' myself, LOL! I don't think the V3's have changed in tone since their debut, but like my old Legacy I tubed 'em both with JJ 6L6's and that killed some of the "darkness." Again, a lot of it is in the EQ as well. I do use a lot of mids to cut through the mix onstage so that might be how you're hearing the thick tone. I backed off the mids a bit after hearing this video, so it was a learning experience for me as well. The V3 excels @ Classic Rock!
Good demo...I'm an older classic rocker...tried both Legacy's...toooo dark for me....tried the V3 when it first came out....toooo modern voiced for me...Is the newer V3 voiced differently?
@edguyrocks LOL. It's actually one of those throw blankets I got from WallyWorld when Sonic Boom went on sale. It's too small to keep anyone warm so it became a wall ornament!
nice vid man. way chill, great playing, and all the tones you showcased definitely helped me alot to hear what this amp can do, im really considering purchasing. the only thing i didnt like about this, is that you had 6l6s in it :p im a bit "biased" (lol lame tube joke)toward the sound/voice of el34s. brit ftw! nice guitar by the way. really nice.
@Linqua2112 Thanks for the compliments. I've had Ruby EL34-BSTR's and also Winged C's EL34's in there; both sets sounded great! If I could have two V3's I'd have EL34's in one of 'em. I've never tried JJ E34L's yet but they were great in other amps I've owned.
The 6L6's give me a great clean and to my ears they're tighter on the crunchy bottom end. Either way, with all the EQ adjustments available on the V3 I know I could be happy with either tube type!
Dude - loved the way you told what you were doing with your volume and tone controls. Most guys just start jamming away at it and you have no idea what their settings and selector switch are doing, and you don't know what pickups they have. Excellent!
Thanks for the vid very fun to watch, own one and love it. Building iso room in garage so I can play when ever I want without pissing off the family. Your a good player, keep it up!!!
im short on cash ...is the v3 212 any good ?...im talking bout the tube combo by v3 which costs $1000. and also can I use a pod x3 or boss gt10 for only fx purpose without coloring v3's actual NICE distortion...plz reply...
Thanks Bundy1....I have been researchin the V3 and they tag it as the Most Versitile amp in the world. I play everything from Garth to Godsmack and want something to do it all...this amp seems like it can.....thanks again..and YOU ROCK!!
@HiredGuns2003 Thank you for the compliment. If you do buy the V3 let me know if I can be of any further help! You may even find tones I haven't even tried yet, and the V3 is a great amp for dialing in all kinds of great music. It's definitely NOT a one-trick pony!
I have a question....how would this amp fair as country amp...ie..brad paisley, keith urban sound. Ive heard it does great for everything from that to metal...just your opinion....thanks
@HiredGuns2003 I'm not the greatest at playing those hot Country licks (Albert Lee is a badass!), but I think you could get a good tone for that from the V3. It's got a great clean channel and you certainly don't have to use all the available distortion/drive/gain on the other two channels. I'm almost certain one could dial in one or all three channels for a good Country music vibe!
I really like this demo! If I bought this amp I would probably put thd yellow jackets in it. I like el84's sound and i am a class a guy. Great demo!!! -PK
I'm using the matching Carvin V3 cabinet. At the time I bought it, I had the option and chose Celestion G12T-75's. Carvin no longer offers these speakers and instead the upgrade would be Celestion Vintage 30's. My bro has the Vin30 cab and it is equally as good.
I think G12T-75's would be better for Death Metal-- the Vin30's have a more pronounced midrange (to my ears, anyway).
My bro has a Mesa Rec cab. Oversize compared to Carvins, so you could probably get a bigger bottom end out of it. Either cabs are great 4x12's and sound killer, so it all comes down to your personal preference and wallet size, of course. ;)
@Bundy1 I noticed they stopped offering the Celestion G12T-75s, are the new speakers worth the matching cab? It works out to $550 extra to ship the half stack vs. just the head to Canada so do you think I'd be better off getting the matching cab or just sticking with something locally? Thanks!
Excellent stuff Bundy. Thanks for posting this on You Tube. It would be great if you could make couple more videos of other 2 channels (clean/metal) to show the V3 as a complete package. Great playing, mate!
outstanding demo - thx.
ToomBurger 1 month ago
Thanks for posting a decent video on the V3! So many guys rag on this amp! Mainly because there a lot of elitists out there that crave brand recognition above quality! This amp can go from Nashville twang to SF death metal at the flip of a switch! Just need to live with it for a while and figure it out. As for have 2 identical channels? I also see posts complaining about multiple channels sharing EQ, with this amp you can individually EQ each channel just as you like it.
TrickyCross 1 month ago
I checked out some demos for the Peavey Butcher. Flub. Flub. Fizz. Fizz. Not as good as the 6505 is. The V3 has the best JCM 800 mod tones I've ever heard out of an amp that didn't say Marshall on it. And I love the compression and midrange power you get from EL 34s. The Legacy 2 has great articulation, but is a bit midrangey, even for me. I think I'd like the V3 through either a Legacy or an X100 cab with the Vintage 30's.
thethrashdisciple 3 months ago
@thethrashdisciple ...I owned the first Legacy series halfstack and gigged it heavily for a few years. It did have a big midrange but I fixed that by swapping from stock EL34's to JJ 6L6's. It was one of the best lead tones I ever had but I sold it for a V3 so I could get an extra channel (Metal!) and an extra FX loop. Took me a few years to finally set it up for MIDI-switching though. Well worth it!
Bundy1 3 months ago
Thanks a lot! That was great! I've heard guys complain that they couldn't get a signing solo voice out of that amp, I guess that's because they don't know how to back off of the gain. I love your lead sound...it's just louder than hell!
thethrashdisciple 3 months ago
@thethrashdisciple Thank you so much for the compliment. If you liked that tone (1 year ago), you'd really dig it now. Just a few knob tweaks have been made and I'm using MIDI to control the V3 now. The Thrash Metal tone I've set up for channel 1 involves the Intense mode and the drive/gain no higher than 5. Crushing!
Bundy1 3 months ago
I also think that a lot of the negative reviews concerning this amp come from the fact that while the Groove Tubes that Carvin uses are excellent, they do take about 3 months to wear in. Groove tubes are notorious for their tendency to sound somewhat cold and sterile when they're new, but once they wear in are as good as anything else. By the way, you said you've got 6L6s in yours? The GT catalogue lists their 6L6 as being a 5881 type...Hmmmm...
thethrashdisciple 3 months ago
@thethrashdisciple I may be wrong, but I am of the understanding that GT's are simply rebranded Sovteks; of themselves a pretty reliable and durable tube. Nothing wrong with 'em, but to discerning ears there are upgrades available...
My V3 power tubes are JJ 6L6's biased to about 35-36mA per tube. The preamp tubes are a mix of JJ ECC83S's and Tung Sol reissue 12AX7's. Incidentally, I think the Tung Sols AND the Sovteks are made in the same plant (New Sensor). Hmmmm....
Bundy1 3 months ago
Nice demo hows it at say bedroom levels?
coolkid1095 3 months ago
@coolkid1095 It sounds good at "bedroom levels", which would merely be in-home practice anyway. Make no mistakes, this amp is built for the stage and deserves to be be run loud for maximum tonal capability!
Bundy1 3 months ago
Comment removed
sonsofthedessert 5 months ago
Beautiful tone! Awesome, thanks!
zzlong55 9 months ago
Nice demo! Does the V3 cab have GT12-75's or Vintage 30's?
flairfan101 11 months ago
@flairfan101 My V3 cab has the Celestion G12T-75's; I bought it from Carvin before they discontinued offering that speaker option. Both speakers are great with this amp IMO.
Bundy1 11 months ago
Great demo to show how a single channel can be used in very different ways.Sounds like it also has great tone qualities.I'm looking into buying one of these so this is very helpful.
leftyfusion88 11 months ago
Thanks for clearing up the fizz rumor. I was almost steered away from purchasing a V3. Even the official carvin demo's scared me away. Great lesson 101 on guitar volume Knob control . Alot of people crank on ten with high output or active pickups and wonder why the amp sounds like crap.
kenpowilliamson 1 year ago
@kenpowilliamson Thanks; the guitar's volume knob + simple picking dynamics are my most important source of control onstage. Rather than stomp switches to clean up or get to a distorted tone I simply use the gtr vol. and exercise control with the pick. There's plenty of gain in the V3 and keeping the presence and treble controls down help combat the fizz. I love this amp!
Bundy1 1 year ago
Great demo. You are like George Lynch's younger brother.
onetime504 1 year ago
What was the scale played at 9:30?
rossmann61 1 year ago
@rossmann61 Guitar is tuned to Eb and I was playing C harmonic minor. Peace, Ross!
Bundy1 1 year ago
@Bundy1 thanks so much man i really like the sound of that. and great demo btw. i bought this amp over the summer and couldnt afford the cabinet afterward but i finally got my hands on one as a christmas present. i cant wait to plug in a find out for my self what this baby can do.
rossmann61 1 year ago
what power tubes are you using?? when i sweep the mid knob on either dist channel it doesnt really take effect until i reach 7 on the dial,between 0 and 7 theres no change in sound......im using 6L6's but im wondering if i shouldn't be using EL34's for this particular amp seeing as how there is alot of opportunity to cut mids on this amp.
ynnadstrebor 1 year ago
@ynnadstrebor JJ 6L6GC biased around 35mA if I recall correctly (I think I mentioned that in the vid). My master mid knob is always at 0 and I think the channels are around 5. EL34's are great in this amp as well but I preferred the 6L6's for cleans.
Bundy1 1 year ago
It really is a versatile amp! Nice demo :)
TimBriggsMusic 1 year ago
Big secret to removing the "fizz" is turn your presence to 1 or 2 and turn your trebles up to 9! Completely removes fizz and enters Mesa Land! Try it! Hope this helps!
guitarzan26 1 year ago
What speakers do you like with the V3? I'm just about tired of V30 myself.
Thanks
guitarman1956 1 year ago
@guitarman1956 I'm using the Carvin V3 cab loaded with Celestion G12T-75's. They seem to have a good balance of highs, lows, and mids, and to my ears they don't distort easily so that allows the V3 head to do its job very well (wide range of EQ & power tube distortion). I played a gig with it last night again and the louder the V3 master volume is pushed the better it sounds. Of course, the sound guys don't like it run that way... ;)
I've used Vin30's and they can be EQ'd to sound great too.
Bundy1 1 year ago
Good demo...I'm an older classic rocker...tried both Legacy's...toooo dark for me....tried the V3 when it first came out....toooo modern voiced for me...Is the newer V3 voiced differently? You make it sound nice and thick. Unlike my first V3s nature.
thanks
guitarman1956 1 year ago
@guitarman1956 I'm a older 'Classic rocker' myself, LOL! I don't think the V3's have changed in tone since their debut, but like my old Legacy I tubed 'em both with JJ 6L6's and that killed some of the "darkness." Again, a lot of it is in the EQ as well. I do use a lot of mids to cut through the mix onstage so that might be how you're hearing the thick tone. I backed off the mids a bit after hearing this video, so it was a learning experience for me as well. The V3 excels @ Classic Rock!
Bundy1 1 year ago
Good demo...I'm an older classic rocker...tried both Legacy's...toooo dark for me....tried the V3 when it first came out....toooo modern voiced for me...Is the newer V3 voiced differently?
thanks
guitarman1956 1 year ago
@Bundy1 Are you from winston-salem dude? I saw your love gun vid on carvin thread. Just curious cause I live in winston & have a v3 as well.
grayt76 1 year ago
Nice Love Gun poster.
edguyrocks 1 year ago
@edguyrocks LOL. It's actually one of those throw blankets I got from WallyWorld when Sonic Boom went on sale. It's too small to keep anyone warm so it became a wall ornament!
Bundy1 1 year ago
nice vid man. way chill, great playing, and all the tones you showcased definitely helped me alot to hear what this amp can do, im really considering purchasing. the only thing i didnt like about this, is that you had 6l6s in it :p im a bit "biased" (lol lame tube joke)toward the sound/voice of el34s. brit ftw! nice guitar by the way. really nice.
Linqua2112 1 year ago
@Linqua2112 Thanks for the compliments. I've had Ruby EL34-BSTR's and also Winged C's EL34's in there; both sets sounded great! If I could have two V3's I'd have EL34's in one of 'em. I've never tried JJ E34L's yet but they were great in other amps I've owned.
The 6L6's give me a great clean and to my ears they're tighter on the crunchy bottom end. Either way, with all the EQ adjustments available on the V3 I know I could be happy with either tube type!
Bundy1 1 year ago
Dude - loved the way you told what you were doing with your volume and tone controls. Most guys just start jamming away at it and you have no idea what their settings and selector switch are doing, and you don't know what pickups they have. Excellent!
tpfortin 1 year ago
Thanks for the vid very fun to watch, own one and love it. Building iso room in garage so I can play when ever I want without pissing off the family. Your a good player, keep it up!!!
geer1234 1 year ago
im short on cash ...is the v3 212 any good ?...im talking bout the tube combo by v3 which costs $1000. and also can I use a pod x3 or boss gt10 for only fx purpose without coloring v3's actual NICE distortion...plz reply...
sandblastedXIII 1 year ago
Good playing, nice sound as well.
Fro1013 1 year ago
Nice demo! It's a great amp, tried it once. It has a nice clean tone, the overdrive channels are great... very versitile.
xxxtrndamncellws 1 year ago
Good vid.
scorpionshred 1 year ago
Thanks Bundy1....I have been researchin the V3 and they tag it as the Most Versitile amp in the world. I play everything from Garth to Godsmack and want something to do it all...this amp seems like it can.....thanks again..and YOU ROCK!!
HiredGuns2003 1 year ago
@HiredGuns2003 Thank you for the compliment. If you do buy the V3 let me know if I can be of any further help! You may even find tones I haven't even tried yet, and the V3 is a great amp for dialing in all kinds of great music. It's definitely NOT a one-trick pony!
Bundy1 1 year ago
I have a question....how would this amp fair as country amp...ie..brad paisley, keith urban sound. Ive heard it does great for everything from that to metal...just your opinion....thanks
HiredGuns2003 1 year ago
@HiredGuns2003 I'm not the greatest at playing those hot Country licks (Albert Lee is a badass!), but I think you could get a good tone for that from the V3. It's got a great clean channel and you certainly don't have to use all the available distortion/drive/gain on the other two channels. I'm almost certain one could dial in one or all three channels for a good Country music vibe!
Bundy1 1 year ago
good demo, nice playing, great job!!
ynnadstrebor 1 year ago
I really like this demo! If I bought this amp I would probably put thd yellow jackets in it. I like el84's sound and i am a class a guy. Great demo!!! -PK
pastorkev777 1 year ago
cool and great video!!!
i really like this amp!!!
good job bye!!!
christocaster 2 years ago
I've a question. wich Cab are you using? and which HP their is in it?
zoddthehellrider 2 years ago
I'm using the matching Carvin V3 cabinet. At the time I bought it, I had the option and chose Celestion G12T-75's. Carvin no longer offers these speakers and instead the upgrade would be Celestion Vintage 30's. My bro has the Vin30 cab and it is equally as good.
Bundy1 2 years ago
thank you for your answer ;)
Which one do you think I should take to play death metal? G12T-75 or Vintage 30's?
Could you compare it with mesa rectifier cab?
zoddthehellrider 2 years ago
I think G12T-75's would be better for Death Metal-- the Vin30's have a more pronounced midrange (to my ears, anyway).
My bro has a Mesa Rec cab. Oversize compared to Carvins, so you could probably get a bigger bottom end out of it. Either cabs are great 4x12's and sound killer, so it all comes down to your personal preference and wallet size, of course. ;)
Bundy1 2 years ago
@Bundy1 I noticed they stopped offering the Celestion G12T-75s, are the new speakers worth the matching cab? It works out to $550 extra to ship the half stack vs. just the head to Canada so do you think I'd be better off getting the matching cab or just sticking with something locally? Thanks!
carvin1657 1 year ago
very great video.. it's really show how V3 is a fuck*ng good amp.. and you play very well, with great guitar ;)
zoddthehellrider 2 years ago
amazing sound even from the camera
jin12345678 2 years ago
Excellent stuff Bundy. Thanks for posting this on You Tube. It would be great if you could make couple more videos of other 2 channels (clean/metal) to show the V3 as a complete package. Great playing, mate!
deekayman68 2 years ago