My new Carvin Legacy 3

Muppet

Muppet

Cat in the Hat
Just took delivery of my baby. Carvin kicks ass. The head has an issue. They are rushing me a new head without even having mine back yet. I will have no downtime at all. I love these guys. Plus, it's an amazing amp. I'll put this tone up against anything out there. I've played 'em all, except for maybe a Diezel VH4 (I can't afford the $4k pricetag). But here it is!

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I'm not really much of a Carvin fan but I've always been curious about the Legacy amps....can you post clips at some point?
 
I had an X100B for a while. That thing had more headroom than any amp ever made and it might be the cause of my partial hearing loss (d'oh).
 
Mark Wein said:
I'm not really much of a Carvin fan but I've always been curious about the Legacy amps....can you post clips at some point?
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When you say that, what Carvin amps have you tried? I tried the V3, which I didn't like. Too much like a Boogie- hollow and fizzy. The Legacy is like a cross between a hot-rodded Marshall and a Bogner Shiva or Extacy, all for about $800. Who knows tone better than Steve Vai, right? The thing I like about the Legacy is that, with the drive set on only about 3, it's got this gorgeous Plexi sound that will make a believer out of you. And then, you've still got a third gain channel with a high gain switch for more molten lava stuff. Plus, you've got an adjustable (up to 6dB) boost for all 3 channels. Top that for under a grand. I paired mine with the original Legacy slant cab with Celestion Vintage 30's. Amazing speakers.

I want to try the X100B. My wife is the rhythm guitar player in the band, and I think that tone fits her taste more. Happiness is marrying a musician. In particular, a metal-headed, gorgeous, electric guitar player. I was hesitant about purchasing the Legacy right now until I sold some gear. She told me not to worry about it, and we signed up for their 6 month no interest plan.

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Muppet said:
When you say that, what Carvin amps have you tried? I tried the V3, which I didn't like. Too much like a Boogie- hollow and fizzy. The Legacy is like a cross between a hot-rodded Marshall and a Bogner Shiva or Extacy, all for about $800. Who knows tone better than Steve Vai, right? The thing I like about the Legacy is that, with the drive set on only about 3, it's got this gorgeous Plexi sound that will make a believer out of you. And then, you've still got a third gain channel with a high gain switch for more molten lava stuff. Plus, you've got an adjustable (up to 6dB) boost for all 3 channels. Top that for under a grand. I paired mine with the original Legacy slant cab with Celestion Vintage 30's. Amazing speakers.

I want to try the X100B. My wife is the rhythm guitar player in the band, and I think that tone fits her taste more. Happiness is marrying a musician. In particular, a metal-headed, gorgeous, electric guitar player. I was hesitant about purchasing the Legacy right now until I sold some gear. She told me not to worry about it, and we signed up for their 6 month no interest plan.

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Thats pretty cool :)

I haven't tried any of their current amps. It's probably been since the mid 90's since I've plugged into anything with Carvin on it and I was always incredibly disappointed. I haven't seen anything in person in years around here even though we have a Carvin factory store the next city over.
 
Mark Wein said:
Thats pretty cool :)

I haven't tried any of their current amps. It's probably been since the mid 90's since I've plugged into anything with Carvin on it and I was always incredibly disappointed. I haven't seen anything in person in years around here even though we have a Carvin factory store the next city over.
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Do me a favor, just go try one. I've been chasing tone all my life. My taste isn't everyone's taste, how well I know that by the horrible noise I hear in clubs everywhere around here. But, I think you'll like this amp.
 
Muppet said:
Do me a favor, just go try one. I've been chasing tone all my life. My taste isn't everyone's taste, how well I know that by the horrible noise I hear in clubs everywhere around here. But, I think you'll like this amp.
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If I have the opportunity I definitely will. I did just buy this though:



I think it's the perfect amp for me :)
 
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Mark Wein said:
If I have the opportunity I definitely will. I did just buy this though:



I think it's the perfect amp for me :)
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At least through the computer speakers, that thing sounds awesome. More of a vintage tone. What tubes are in it?
 
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Muppet said:
At least through the computer speakers, that thing sounds awesome. More of a vintage tone. What tubes are in it?
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EL34's..its kind of Marshally. I use a bunch of pedal in front of it on cover gigs to get all of the sounds I need but by itself its the perfect amp for me.
 
I've been looking at the Legacy 3, kinda..

I had a Carvin XB100 for 19 years. Great amp, built like a tank, awesome clean channel, but it just didn't have enough gain for my taste. It could do the AC/DC, Iron Maiden-type stuff fine, but the '90s+ more modern gain stuff, no.


I've been wanting a smallish tube amp for a while now that'll still do the metal, but do bluesy sounds, clean funky stuff, etc. too.

I'm kinda looking at the V3m, I know a lot of people say the V3 is fizzy, but I hear that the V3m doesn't have that, maybe because it uses el84's?

But then I thin "the Legacy 3 is only a few hundred more..."
 
Just noticed this. Muppet - I know you are not him but you look a lot like a guy I went to school with. He played guitar too. But you're too young to be him.
 
Jbird said:
I've been looking at the Legacy 3, kinda..

I had a Carvin XB100 for 19 years. Great amp, built like a tank, awesome clean channel, but it just didn't have enough gain for my taste. It could do the AC/DC, Iron Maiden-type stuff fine, but the '90s+ more modern gain stuff, no.


I've been wanting a smallish tube amp for a while now that'll still do the metal, but do bluesy sounds, clean funky stuff, etc. too.

I'm kinda looking at the V3m, I know a lot of people say the V3 is fizzy, but I hear that the V3m doesn't have that, maybe because it uses el84's?

But then I thin "the Legacy 3 is only a few hundred more..."
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I played the V3 and the V3M. I found both to be fizzy, but I also found the V3M to be hollow. I almost ordered one sight-unseen out of the catalog, and I'm so glad I didn't. I don't get to southern California very often, but I'm so glad I waited to be there to place an order. The Legacy is amazing, at least it is for me. It is NOT a molten high gain amp. It will not do what a Rectum-fryer will, and for me, that's a good thing. I'm not a fan of the Boogie sound at all, with the exception of a really well dialed in, backed off old Mark series. Otherwise, I prefer an EL34 crunch, which this will do in both crunchy and highly saturated forms. You'll never need a sustain/compressor pedal ever again. Even the clean is to die for. The boost is super clean. It's your exact tone, only louder. The sustain is amazing.

My next toy will probably be an X100B, but I really haven't had the time to play with one. I'll do that on my next trip out. You hear that, Randy? I'm comin' back! Be ready for me.
 
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