Carvin V3 single channel diversity demo

Apologies for the sound quality. The vidcam is a JVC HDD shot from about 10' in front of the amp. I was pushing the amp pretty loud and with the conversion/compression for broadcast I'm sure the sound quality may appear distorted. The best way to hear this amp is in person so you can get the full effect of the dynamic range. It's really NOT a "buzzy/fizzy" amp unless you EQ it that way!

Even if you don't appreciate my personal tone, there's plenty of room for adjustment with all the EQ refinements the V3 amp offers.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Carvin
• V3
• Contour66

[thethrashdisciple]

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.

[Bundy1]

@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!

[thethrashdisciple]

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!

[Bundy1]

@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!

[thethrashdisciple]

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...

[Bundy1]

@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....

[ToomBurger]

outstanding demo - thx.

[TrickyCross]

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.

[Bundy1]

@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!

[coolkid1095]

Nice demo hows it at say bedroom levels?