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From: carvinguitars
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  • Saving up for this great sounding amp now.

  • Not to be superficial but, compared with the new ENGL, DIezel, Blackstar, Mesa, Granger, etc. Legacy 3 looks like Grandpa's 1950's medicine cabinet, will look VERY silly on top of a stack, imagine any rock or metal kid showing up to a gig with that, embarrassing...

    The amp sounds great and is well priced, just make it look like the Legacy 1 or a Head, not a Mylanta box... my 2 cents.

  • is Steve using anything (any other effects) other than just that amp and his guitar in this demo?

  • @BOOLsheet HE certainly was i think. You hear maybe added reverb there, and certainly there is a delay pedal. Its pretty weird how you would advertise an amp, and have an axe FX sitting there under it. Defeats the purpose of the amp, even though this was a great demo still. Ill be seeing steve personally at his concert in NEw Zealand in 2 weeks, oh, and j0e satch aswell. G3 here i come. :-)

  • Very cool !

  • hairy directions

  • great :D which speaker was using stevie here :) ?

  • No more fancy tempered fretboard, no G-System, no Jemini Distortion an what not...? Cool.

    Looks like he is going back to the basics, as other 'matured' artists eventually do. I like it a lot.

    I cant really imagine him without a Whammy pedal thoug. Plus his fan has to be there somewhere. All you need is a good guitar and a nice amp. The Axe FX II doesnt hurt though, i guess ;)

  • stevie vai looks like a swan to me during his facial expression during play lol its so unique

  • wow, IMO this amp kills EVH 5150

  • man, this sounds really tip top!!!!

  • More impressive is the AXE FX, let us hear about that Steve.

  • I believe Steve Vai is an alien who has broken free from Area 51, kinda like PAUL, but Steve's Mission was to give knowledge of the ultimate guitar sound,and tone, his knowledge, and approach is above us all..........

  • hairy directions... lol

  • how do you put it in a rack? i dont see any of the rack ear things

  • guys.. read the desc it says the he uses the axe effect only for the delays...

  • killer tone, size and feature set for an 899 amp! i have no need for one, but i may pick one up just for fun!

  • does anybody else think he kinda looks like christian bale, especially from 4:42-5:00?

    must be the new hair cut. it looks good though

  • Would the rack mount from the V3M fit this head?

  • @MarkSDD Legacy 3 has its own color matching rackmount brackets.

  • i believe it's not only amp but some FX too, they never showed us his pedals on a floor... i think Steve laways have little wah in his sound. Also a cab means a lot

  • @AKanyon I think it was just the reverb and drive from the amp. I didn't hear any wah or anything.

  • @rhoads83j i saw him in russia, he had this exact sound and he had HUGE pedal collection on the floor including wah by Morley, i think. but we'll never know, i think

  • Would of been cool when you switch a channel to have the LED light goto a different color.

  • @GreenMeanie101 The internal LED lights DO change color when you switch channels on the amp. You can also program the amp to assign a specific color to each channel.

  • Another great amp. It costs a whopping $900.00. Yngwies Marshall is $2,400.00, EVH's head is $2,000.00. I have the V3, V3M, X-100b, Belair, MTS & now a Legacy 3. I have them because they all sound so nice & they are very reasonably priced USA made amps that don't break. My X-100 I got in '85 & it's still working great, loves pedals. I use Legacy 4x12 & 2x12's. Again, great cabs that are reasonably priced & last forever. Their guitars are very cool as well.

  • @MrUltraworld

    My MARK V was 2100.00

    $900.00 is a BARGIN!

  • @GreenMeanie101 How right you are. I was being a bit sarcastic. EVH's stuff costs a fortune & he's got boatloads of money, I guess a boatload is not enough. For $900 that's a lot of amp. You know that if Vai didn't love it he would not endorse it. For him to stop using a distortion pedal says a lot too. It's all made in the states. I love their guitars too. That Mark V is the nicest sounding amp Mesa makes imho.

  • @MrUltraworld VAI USES THE AXE FX WHICH HAS ALL THOSE STOMP BOXES & MORE, PLUS WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT HIS SIG IBANEZ DISTORTION INTO THE CLEAN CHANNEL ??? nuff said

  • @jem7772 You seem to like caps, but here goes. He's not using the A/FX pre amp boxes. He's using it for the modulation, harmonizer and delays in the FX loops of 2 L3's in stereo with a 3rd running no effects. Steve says he is not using a stomp box in front of the amp anymore. I'm not happy with the A/FX with an amp. I keep it in my studio for direct recording. Carvin's a small company and the sales reps are up to date on the development of the amp and how it's being used. Peace and happiness

  • That EVO sounds good attached everywhere :-)

  • This guy is really good but too bad he's just another Steve Vai wannabe...

  • He should be playing Carvin Guitars too... Wey better than his Ibanez...

  • @AlanCessa

    I was just thinking this too.

    Wish Carvin could get him to move over but I am guessing he is getting paid well from Ibanez.

  • @AlanCessa The story I hear over & over is that Ibanez pays well. A lot of artists get healthcare for themselves & their families. That really ads up. Carvin doesn't pay that kind of money. Steve's guitars are hand made for him, and he really likes them. Ibanez was the first company to respond to Steve's requests, he's pretty brand loyal. I'm sure they take great care of him. Ibanez keeps artists in their employ for a pretty long time. Says something about them.

  • he is really good in convincing hehe and the hairstyle looks good :)

  • can see the Strat behind him that Malmsteen gave him!

  • I wish steve would do more work with plain tones like what happens around 4:00+

  • It puts you on a top of the band wich is where guitar player belongs...face :D

  • How much?

  • haha was looking for a js then boom 5:29

  • He should be a car seller :D Really good skill of making me want this amp

  • Steve looks like Eric Martin of Mr.Big here =)

  • Steve Vai's clean tone is probably the most beautiful thing on Earth. I bet it could end wars and bring worldwide peace with its divine beauty...

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  • is that a Jackson Kelly I can see in the bottom right of the screen? ;)

  • No SHIT, get the AXE FX out of the mix, and let us just hear the amp ALONE!

  • I wonder how much of the tone in this video is actually being effected by that Axe FXII? I'd like to hear just the amp with no effects. I can see the reverb knob on the amp is at zero so the Axe is providing the reverb. I would assume the Axe is going through the FX loop of the Legacy 3

  • Just with effects? And the natural sound of this amp?

  • Only an idiot can buy this amp and think that he will sound like this....NO...the sound you hear is mixed with studio mics....in your garage you won't sound like STEVE VAaaaaaI !!!!

  • @Sebastianodelarada if you are interested in this amp, you should try it first, dont you think? and of course it is mixed with studio mics, they wont record the audio with a camera  or a shitty mic.

  • Is just me or Vai is not so proud of this Legacy version ??? I realy like the reverb ..

    I played a Legacy 1 and was to harsh and loud...

  • Steve, we're not like you. We can't afford 10 God damned amp heads to take on tour.

  • 100w in that little box!!!!! 100 fucking watt???!!!!!

  • @darren0512341

    ALL AMP HEADSHELLS ARE 35% BIGGER THAN THE ACTUAL CHASSIS.

    Thats why Mesa can make small Mark series amps they just simply make the amp shell to fit -no air!

  • @carvinguitars He said he does not use a distortion pedal in this video. Does that mean there is no need for the Jemini distortion pedal no longer?

  • I'm pushing for the Lydian mode in E to have its name changed to the "Vaian" mode. How about it?

  • 4:35 “channel 3 got a lot a hair in it”. – Well Mr. Vai, we miss that you have it on your head ;-)

  • Do i see the axe fx 2 in his rack?

  • @nemogre yes that is an Axe FxII

  • @Passamani73 and reverb..

  • @AlexHoly1composer , what i was tring to say was that vai get all cool features that already exists in V3 ( i have one ) and incorporate in the legacy... so the reason for my commente "V3 with eq tone form legacy"

  • He has probably the most recognizable guitar tone. You always know it's him. It's so hard to describe, but the Legacy tone has like a dark bass tone. It sounds almost ethnic like some kind of middle eastern thing going on. Maybe I'm just talking out of my ass.... but that's what I hear all the time from his tone.

  • @dance2noise002 Coudln't agree more, its like slash and his tone, zakk wylde and his tone, Yngwie malmsteen, mark tremonti....Need i go on? The point is, his tone is very unique

  • @dance2noise002 Legacy lead tone is based on Steve's Bogner XTC -common knowledge in guitar circles.

  • @dance2noise002 Right on the money

  • @dance2noise002 You know that is him because it's lydian 99% of the time. It has nothing to do with his tone.

  • $899

  • how much this head cost? i've been using legacy head-cab for 8 years now, and looking forward to buy this amp :)

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  • I'm really happy for Steve about this. That tone is kinda what I consider the classic Vai sound but it sounds kinda high quality also, which is good. And especially that organic distortion I can imagine is what Vai wants really much

  • My god I wish I could afford a killer Carvin guitar and amp. I have wanted one since 1986!

  • @Wezzcott If you had saved up since 86 you would have enough :P

  • Steve uses the Axe-Fx the same way John Petrucci uses it,mainly just for delays,choruses,etc...

  • @thecrowing24 yeah i maee one exactly like it. wenever i do whammy "acrobatics" i always seem to lose my pick, so its very helpful

  • What's the white thing on the headstock? Is it a pick holder?

  • @bornburied LOL U JELLY.

  • What are the "3 different mics" on his speaker cabinets and how were they each positioned?

  • @GearBoxTy I don't remember the exact models of all of the mics but one of them was a SM57.

  • V12

  • Nevermind "I'm Becoming" is the song I was thinking of.

  • What is that song Steve starts out playing? I've heard that from him before.

  • I had the chance to play through one of these last week. VERY nice!

  • Looks like shit, sounds great but I wouldn't buy one. I refuse to use anyone elses signature equipment.

  • @icemanisdangerous I used to think like that. Even though the jem is by far the most comfortable guitar I've ever played I always steered clear of getting one. But now I'm 45, in no danger of ever being the famous rock star I surely deserve to be, I'm just gonna get the gear I love & on the strength of this demo this amp is well worth a look. I just love that smooth distortion.

  • @vubear I suppose its not so embarrasing if you're in the privacy of your own home....

  • @icemanisdangerous

    Given the rest of Carvin's products, the allure isn't that its Vai, but what the amp actually has on it. Any given piece of Carvin equipment usually sounds/plays better than anything at the same price, and that includes the Legacy.

  • @MrTurdFurgeson My brother uses carvin but not a vai sig. it's good stuff but I would never be seen using a signature.

  • @icemanisdangerous I remember getting one of the first 10 Legacy 1 amps ever made back in 1999. I played it at a fairly well known venue in San Diego. I play hard edge blues, nothing that resembles Vai's style of music. Of course someone in the audience had to make a sarcastic remark that I was using Steve Vai's amp. I don't really care what people think. I thought it was very short sighted of that guy cause I liked the tone I got and that was what was really important to me.

  • @carvinguitars I don't care too much about amps or guitars. 80% of your 'tone' or 'sound' is in your own two hands. If it;'s got valves in it, isn't a marshall and a sig then I'll use it and I'll sound like i always sound. Fucking brilliant. Bad workmen blame their tools.

  • @icemanisdangerous Agree, but a $2500 FX processor and two or three mics through a $3,000-$5000 mic pre helps make a nicer sound for demonstrations.

  • @icemanisdangerous Actually, 6 mics if I read the description right hehe.

  • this looks and sounds like a beautiful amp. id love to try it out sometime. i DO wish steve would turn off the delay so we could revel in the cleanliness of the tone straight from the amp. but who the hell is gonna tell steve vai what to do with his sound?! hes a master, and it looks like you guys have created a masterful piece here. great job, and i look forward to trying one out.

  • I already play the amp, i dont like steve vai music too much but let me said something.. The amp is very versatil! nice clean channel ,it takes distortion/overdrive/effects pedals very nice! second channel can be set with low drive so it becomes a very nice rock n roll sound! and 3 channel is a nice distortion witch can turns very heavy with the high gain switch.. i didn't try reverb nether Fx loop.. Really nice an for just $1000 or a little bit more?? No better option for the price!

  • @BonnardsBluesBand hahahaha vaya hasta por aca andas!!!... no mientas bien que te gusta Steve Vai!!

  • @EduSanchezGuitar No como para tocar sus canciones jajaja, prueba el ampli cuando llegue, esta pepisimoa

  • @BonnardsBluesBand jajajajajaja.... de ley pero esa nota me va a desesperar en Junio

  • "the master volume is an unique feature" lol every amp has a master volume knob

  • @100saprissa Yes and what he really mean is whats called a 'global master' so it allows setting indvidual channels volumes.

    It's the prob with these product demos the narrator can come of sounding like a dip shit as he tries to make a feature sound more important or unique that it really is.Totally unecessary.

    There are a few moments like this in the vid and I'm embarassed for Vai.

  • @bornburied Actually the master volume is more than just a "global volume". Remember this is Steve's amp so it is designed the way he wanted. So he's NOT wrong in the way he describes it. Global volumes generally lower the level sent from the preamp to the power amp. Legacy 3 is different. The Master Volume is positioned at the power amp section of the amp so you get your full preamp saturation at any volume as Steve described.

  • ooooh soo vai. now mh jemini is obsolete...

  • Love it!

  • @bornburied why does he use an axe fx?

  • @1withguitar Cause solid state/digital technology as it applies to guitar sounds has been developed enough that it can hang with some tube amps in terms of tone.

    So now he has some varied quality tones,many effects flexibility,versatility,option­s,infinite control of all these elements in a small light,virtually maintainance free product that would've taken literally half a ton of equipment to reproduce.Not to mention with a lap top he can record mix edit etc

    = Artisitic freedom.

  • @bornburied Steve does not use any amp modeling on the Axe-Fx.

  • @1withguitar He uses the "effects" of the Axe-Fx, delay, chorus etc..

  • @1withguitar Steve uses Axe-Fx for the "effects" not the amp modeling.

  • Carvin, its awesome how you've managed to evolve the Legacy amps and even drop the price, its really fucking awesome. I can actually see myself buying this amp.

  • There is only one dislike at the moment but we all know that it is just another wannabe who could never be a guitar player and who could never dream of the success or awesomeness of Steve Vai. So to the one person who pressed the dislike button, we all know that you are just another loser and there was no reason to broadcast it to the world like that. Nice job, you might not have revealed your identity at all, but we all know that the person who pressed the dislike button is just another loser.

  • yess cant wait to see him at g3

  • That's actually the nicest lead tone he's had IMO.

  • That's a beautiful "brown sound" on Channel 2! It would have been nice to hear the other channels on the bridge pickup and without effects, but this represents how Vai uses it so I guess that's fair enough. You can't plug straight into the amp and sound like Vai. That's not how he rolls.

  • Quem e distribuidor no Brasil...

  • As much as I do love the tone I'm hearing I'm still an ENGL guy through and through simply cause it's 'my tone' I'm looking for and I like my abbrasive cacodemonical thunder 50.

  • I like the size of this amp^^. It sounds a bit different than Legacy I/II obviously but really interesting :D!

  • I've been playing for over 35 yrs now .. I can say with confidence .. you cannot find a better sounding amplifier than what Carvin offers .. I just received a new Carvin X100B and it's by far the best tone I've had .. EVER !!! .. I've played Marshall's , Fender's, etc etc .... the clean channel and lead channel are simply breath taking .. I damn near cried after plugging into it running it through a Legacy 2x12 extension cab (back panel removed) equipped with Vin 30 Celestions ...

  • @LifesonFan4Life .. I run the clean channel in conjunction with my Voodoo Lab pedal board that has an array of MXR pedals .. the result is like having multiple 'amp channels' using the various overdrive pedals .. but for the first time ever I'm actually using the Lead channel for .. you guessed it .. solos , you can go from Robben Ford/Larry Carlton sweet leads to an 80's Marshall'esque metal tone. This is how I would sum up the X100B ... sparkling Fender cleans to full blown Marshall balls!!!

  • @LifesonFan4Life Sounds like an amazing rig. Carvin is really amazing, i love the Marshall distortion tone, and Fender clean sounds, and this amps give me those tones.

  • @bornburied

    Over here Diezels aren't crazy expensive like they are in America

  • @ThieleM Just like ENGL too. The problem is once people start paying a price for something, it sets a precedent. A domestic company notices it and goes a-ha! The fools are willing to pay x price for x product.Then they create and hype an overpriced product.

  • This amp looks like a winner

  • Looks like it's a great amp and sounds good... Carvin is a solid amp builder. But Steve never sounded as great as when he was playing Bogner XTCs. Best tone he ever had.

  • @FilBack Steve would disagree with this...

  • Steve Vai could plug into a dried up turd and it would still sound great.

  • Love it .....

  • @FastRedPonyCar Not to mention the several thousand dollar Ibanez's.I mean they are just planks of fucking wood.

    I think the best combination of money spent is a Carvin guitar and a Ceriatone amp.

  • A demo of an amp should be guitar to the amp, nothing between or in the loop. 

  • @Youreallysuckguy We at Carvin would agree but Steve Vai will play and record it HIS way cause it's HIS amp.

  • @carvinguitars Maybe that means only Steve Vai will be buying HIS amp then?

  • @weaselpeeker We've already sold a bunch as "pre-orders" when we unveiled them on the site last week. Our dealers outside the USA placed orders for them at NAMM. There are plenty of Vai fans out there that will want them and guitarists that will like the amp once they hear other players playing through it.

  • @carvinguitars ok so you should make video yourself with no effets for us.

  • fuck that, steve still uses the legacy 1 original..i know that for a fact, and that's all i'm sayin so don't ask me how but i do. also yep, steve is an official axe fx dude now..it's really a great piece of gear:) yes he will have this onstage with him, but the glorious tone will be emanating from legacy 1/axe fx/steve..not necessarily in that order:) peace

  • @scottfree6 don't get me wrong folks i'm sure it's a great amp as are all carvin products..as i said i own a legacy, i got it when i had a choice between that and the legacy 2 and the legacy was the way to go and imho still the way to go. i think it's a mistake for them to discontinue the others, this looks like a V3 just with a different set of clothes on.

  • @scottfree6 i also think that this demo is a misrepresentation of the thing because if you buy this, go home, and plug it in as it shows, i guarantee almost for certain it will not sound like this demo in terms of tone. remember how much steve had to talk about the other 2 forefathers of this amp? he talked about the development, the circuitry etc, etc...he almost seems reluctant to be doing this demo, and not really super thrilled like he was about the other legacies... just like ok i'll do it!

  • @scottfree6

    We were both really crunched for time. This video was shot exactly ONE WEEK prior to the unveiling at NAMM. Steve had been busy recording and rehearsing for the 2 performances at NAMM, plus I'm sure he was going over his speech he would give at TEC Awards and the Ernie Ball show, plus they are finalizing all the logistics for G3 starting in March. We did 4 takes when shooting this and that was that. We shot this video and the promotional photos in under 3 hours.

  • @scottfree6 WRONG!!!!!

    I am personally overseeing the entire G3 backline for Steve and his band. We are preparing Legacy 3 amps for Steve and Mike Keneally. Legacy 1 has been discontinued for a number of months. We can't make them anymore as there are specific parts no longer stocked. It's Legacy 3 from here on out. Steve has a couple of Legacy 1's that I'm sure he'll keep at home.

  • Sounds gorgeous. What'$ the damage?

  • @leftyfusion88 actually very reasonable..$899.00 straight from carvin.not bad.

  • woooow! great news! I'm gonna get me one of these for sure! and to the axefx guys: the axefx is being used for effects only. nothing beats a real tube amp. no wonder the young guys like the modelling amps because they are so easy to play with the noise gates and all the compression. but in my opinion a tube amp like this is more than you'll ever need.

  • @ajcouden axe fx is run into the effects loop -_-

  • BTW Carvinguitars i think the amp is a winner.A compact form 100 watt head were on some peoples short list.I'm glad you simply didn't just rework the V3 mini.I cant stand EL-84's anymore.

    The only significant weak point I think is the clean tone,you (Carvin) and Peavey just can't seem to produce amps with inspiring clean channels.I would seriously suggest reworking it before full production. I really get the impression over the years it's always an after thought or laziness.Reach higher.

  • @bornburied Everyone has their own taste of what makes a great clean channel. So many players I deal with love the Legacy clean tone because it doesn't sound like a Fender or Vox. Legacy clean channel was designed to Steve Vai's taste, so there was no laziness involved. If you watch the original interview we did with Steve about the Legacy amps he even admits "I"m a pain in the ass" cause he won't give up until he gets what he wants.

  • @bornburied Again, read the full description of the video people. There is no amp modeling being used. Steve only uses Axe-FX for the "wet' stereo delay and other effects.

  • @carvinguitars never suggested that there was-I actually didnt even comment on any of the effects being used that obvioulsy weren't being amp driven either :)

  • @bornburied

    Everyone needs to read the FULL description of the video. It describes the exact signal chain. There were no distortion pedals (specifically no DS1 even connected) even though this was his pedal of choice for years. The Axe-FX is only for his stereo delay. No amp modeling is used.

  • @carvinguitars Nowhere did I suggest he was using a DS-1 for this video

  • Great sounding little amp! :) It's nice to see makers like Carvin, Marshall, Mesa, H&K, Blackstar, JC, Orange etc come out with small tube amps!...I can't believe we still have people complaining...first the amps were to loud! Now they don't have "this" or "that"...ok in some cases they are overpriced but most are pretty reasonable so stop whinning!

  • @bornburied Or 101b.  That's what he needs to to back to :idea:

  • @FastRedPonyCar Stop trying to make the Cravy sound a Bognerp? But Carvin owns his soooooulllllllll.

    I use to own Vai's Laney VH100(I suspect he unloaded it cause it's a bit on the bright side)--- true story.

  • Nope thats the risk you take when you post a (clueless) comment.

    It's like expecting a Harley to sound like something else.

    The edgier lead tone you like is typical of most amps so the Legacy offers something different.Why bother saying it's not to your taste?

    There are good reasons to be critical of an amp.I mean if the tone was unpleasant like too fizzy or thin thats a valid criticism.Players like a creamy lead tone

    Tell you what,if you delete your post I'll delete both of mine.

  • @bornburied sounds fair.

  • i like the clean and crunch channels, but the lead channel sounds a bit creamy for what I like :P regardless, great product, Carvin :)

  • @MGBoy100334 umm well the warmer lead tone IS the Legacy sound this is the third incarnation of the amp.

    It's kind of like complaining that Ferrari's are red LOL

    Besides you can always put an EQ pedal in the loop and dial up the brightness.

    So run along and buy yourself a 5150 OK?

  • @bornburied you have your opinions, I have mine. I believe we should keep the smarter than thou attitude out of this, though.

  • i want

  • It looks like a lunch box

  • Oh am I honked off! I bought the Legacy II combo and have been using an overdrive for chanell two because it doen't have enough hair. Now Legacy III comes out! Why you son of a !!!

    Steve, trade me, I need the Legacy III!

  • wonder if steve's gonna take this on tour...

  • @christopherzberlin

    Legacy I and II are discontinued. We are limited to stock on hand. So this IS his amp from now on. We are building amps in time for his G3 tour in March.

  • @christopherzberlin He will have these on the G3 tour starting in New Zealand in March.

  • AWESOME!!!

    

  • The amp sounds really good, but I can't help be distracted by the Axe-FX II sitting there and then the wall of guitars behind it.

  • @jdrudeify LOL beat me to it. I mean Steve has his sig Carvin and Satch will have his sig Marshall but both I'm sure have been wetting themselves over and over again with the AXE FX. I wonder if they stick a DS-1 in front of those too?