Guitar Gear Forum

.. It knocked my socks off

I remember playing one about a while back and it was not that great sounding imo, nothing really stood out on the amp, no big bottom or searing high gain, etc it was just 'there', not bad but nothing that stood out sonically but not the one i played the other day, that sumbitch sounded very nice

The clean seems to not breakup at all (I actually like a lil breakup in my clean) but very nice clean tone, i then went to the OD channel and it was warm and sweet. This particular amp had EL-34's in it, so there was some british/marshall vibe in the tone, but it was a lil more refined/smooth sounding (not as 'raw' as most Marshalls) It was just a warm almost engulfing type tone ---- The 1 thing that stood out was the amp seems a lil dark tone wise, you have to be carefull with that as i played a 4x12 with V30s and the amp seems to get dark kinda fast if that makes sense

Overall it was a big improvement to my ears from the first one i played, the amp can be set for 6L6 or EL34's, i would lean towards the EL34's but would like to hear 6L6 out of curiosity. The amp seems to get loud really fast (powerfull loud sucka) but i was much more impressed with this tone than the 1st one i played, it seems that they go in the $500 or so range used and i would consider 1 down the road, a very under the radar type amp imo, im now a fan (at least the EL34s)



PS ---- On a side note, im glad to be here after the HC debacle (yet again) but i just started a new job last week and my schedule was really tight, but glad to see a functioning forum with you knuckleheads, i was at HC since 2005 its a shame what happened, but glad to be around here with my peeps, :grouphug:

Legacies are cool amps. Very warm and smooth overdrive. Too smooth for my tastes. Excellent for lead playing though. The cleans are awesome as hell. Definitely a loud mofo though. I have one at my house that I've been storing for a friend. I break it out every once in a while. I'm pretty sure that he'd sell it too if you're interested at some point.

Glad to see you made it over here

I like the toan of the Legacy amps. Ive tryed a few of them & they seemed like they'd be good for several styles. A good amp that'd only need a pedal or 2, & could be very versitile. Ive heard some guys using them getting really nice tones.

Carvin amps are cool in my book. They aint pretty, but it aint about looks.

I am a big fan of the Legacy, especially the original version (I), they're great sounding amps, the clean channel is probably the best I've heard on a high gain amp and the lead tones are also amazing.

guitarbilly wrote:I am a big fan of the Legacy, especially the original version (I), they're great sounding amps, the clean channel is probably the best I've heard on a high gain amp and the lead tones are also amazing.

Word. Nice & thick.

I have the Legacy I for close to 8 years now. One of the best cleans ever. No shit.

phrophus wrote:Legacies are cool amps. Very warm and smooth overdrive. Too smooth for my tastes. Excellent for lead playing though. The cleans are awesome as hell. Definitely a loud mofo though. I have one at my house that I've been storing for a friend. I break it out every once in a while. I'm pretty sure that he'd sell it too if you're interested at some point.

^ this used to be my amp


It is a cool amp, just totally does not fit my style. I gigged with it for a few years with zero issues

Orbis_Mortis wrote:Glad to see you made it over here

Thanks from my Cajun Saints fan

Yea im with most guys, its a darker sounding amp but a warm nice lead tone. I like the EL34 version, i wonder how the 6L6 sounds, just out of curiousity

Glad to see the board up and running well with some of the good ole crew

***1776*** wrote:

Orbis_Mortis wrote: I like the EL34 version, i wonder how the 6L6 sounds, just out of curiousity

There is only one version. There is a switch on the back to go from El34 to 6L6. When I finally ditched the stock EL34's in mine I put in some 6L6's. I liked the amp a lot more after that, but I dunno if the difference was more due to the fresh tubes/bias or the actual tube type.

The amp seemed brighter and tighter, better for rhythm playing after I did that swap.

Devin wrote:

***1776*** wrote:

Orbis_Mortis wrote: I like the EL34 version, i wonder how the 6L6 sounds, just out of curiousity

There is only one version. There is a switch on the back to go from El34 to 6L6. When I finally ditched the stock EL34's in mine I put in some 6L6's. I liked the amp a lot more after that, but I dunno if the difference was more due to the fresh tubes/bias or the actual tube type.

The amp seemed brighter and tighter, better for rhythm playing after I did that swap.

When ole boy gets back from Alaska, I'm gonna try to convince him to buy some good EL34's and see what's up with it. Maybe A/B it with the two different power tubes.

Vai must be some kind of alchemist to make such a smooth amp sound so damn thin.

I've always really really liked carvin amps. Everyone I've played has sounded huge!

Good to hear. If course, now you know Billy is going to buy one and sell his Marshall, starting the vicious cycle over again.

I've been gigging a first version Carvin Legacy VL-100(EL-34), since '99. It's one of the most unique sounding amps I've ever played. The clean channel is probably the best clean of any tube amp, and the Gain channel is meant for lead playing.

Most of the time I play the guitar straight into the amp w/no effects. For leads, I might add a bit of chorus & delay. I've found it to be more versatile than other amps I've played thru(Marshall, Mesa, Peavey, Fender, Engl, Ampeg, HiWatt, etc) without the "fizziness" of a lot of high-gain amps.

It has plenty of gain for most genres of music, if I ever need more, I have a MXR 10-band EQ in the loop w/my chorus & delay. In front of the amp I use a Dunlop EVH wah, & sometimes my Suhr Riot depending on the gig.

To the OP, if you liked it with the V30's 4x12, please try it w/a 4x12 loaded with Greenbacks, I have both, & prefer the greenies, it sounds more 3 dimensional, if that makes any sense to you. I had played an outdoor gig, and the greenbacks sounded amazing outside unmiked, most amps the sound gets lost outside.

Enjoy you Legacy dude, you're gonna be surprised how many musicians are going to approach you about your tone, every gig.

leftyaxeman wrote:I've been gigging a first version Carvin Legacy VL-100(EL-34), since '99. It's one of the most unique sounding amps I've ever played. The clean channel is probably the best clean of any tube amp, and the Gain channel is meant for lead playing.

Most of the time I play the guitar straight into the amp w/no effects. For leads, I might add a bit of chorus & delay. I've found it to be more versatile than other amps I've played thru(Marshall, Mesa, Peavey, Fender, Engl, Ampeg, HiWatt, etc) without the "fizziness" of a lot of high-gain amps.

It has plenty of gain for most genres of music, if I ever need more, I have a MXR 10-band EQ in the loop w/my chorus & delay. In front of the amp I use a Dunlop EVH wah, & sometimes my Suhr Riot depending on the gig.

To the OP, if you liked it with the V30's 4x12, please try it w/a 4x12 loaded with Greenbacks, I have both, & prefer the greenies, it sounds more 3 dimensional, if that makes any sense to you. I had played an outdoor gig, and the greenbacks sounded amazing outside unmiked, most amps the sound gets lost outside.

Enjoy you Legacy dude, you're gonna be surprised how many musicians are going to approach you about your tone, every gig.

Well i only played it, i didnt buy it

yet, lol


Not sure that i am going to buy it, i liked the amp and it was MUCH BETTER than the first time i played the amp (amp was mehhh, kinda plain) but this 1 just rocked out - the master volume was still sensative though, it was ok at low volumes, but you could tell the amp just wants to ROAR


Im now a fan (at least this 1 with EL 34s) but not sure if im buying 1 now

***1776*** wrote:.. It knocked my socks off

I remember playing one about a while back and it was not that great sounding imo, nothing really stood out on the amp, no big bottom or searing high gain, etc it was just 'there', not bad but nothing that stood out sonically but not the one i played the other day, that sumbitch sounded very nice

The clean seems to not breakup at all (I actually like a lil breakup in my clean) but very nice clean tone, i then went to the OD channel and it was warm and sweet. This particular amp had EL-34's in it, so there was some british/marshall vibe in the tone, but it was a lil more refined/smooth sounding (not as 'raw' as most Marshalls) It was just a warm almost engulfing type tone ---- The 1 thing that stood out was the amp seems a lil dark tone wise, you have to be carefull with that as i played a 4x12 with V30s and the amp seems to get dark kinda fast if that makes sense

Overall it was a big improvement to my ears from the first one i played, the amp can be set for 6L6 or EL34's, i would lean towards the EL34's but would like to hear 6L6 out of curiosity. The amp seems to get loud really fast (powerfull loud sucka) but i was much more impressed with this tone than the 1st one i played, it seems that they go in the $500 or so range used and i would consider 1 down the road, a very under the radar type amp imo, im now a fan (at least the EL34s)



PS ---- On a side note, im glad to be here after the HC debacle (yet again) but i just started a new job last week and my schedule was really tight, but glad to see a functioning forum with you knuckleheads, i was at HC since 2005 its a shame what happened, but glad to be around here with my peeps, :grouphug:

Welcome, duder! Likewise, I was similarly impressed with the Legacy head I tried out in a store a couple years ago.

Shadesofcraig wrote:I have a VL-100 Head and I love it. I use that to run 1 4x12 cabinet and my Fender 65 RI Twin to run the other one... They sound great together...

Think you're a GW exile if I remember correctly, welcome to the forum. Do you still have the Anny Jem. I grabbed one of only 150 lefty Jem7v's produced in 2009, sounds amazing thru the Legacy.

HAY!!!


Glad you made it over.

The Legacy is still one amp I haven't tried.

I'd love to. Sounds like it'd be right up my alley.

Shadesofcraig wrote:

leftyaxeman wrote:

Shadesofcraig wrote:I have a VL-100 Head and I love it. I use that to run 1 4x12 cabinet and my Fender 65 RI Twin to run the other one... They sound great together...

Think you're a GW exile if I remember correctly, welcome to the forum. Do you still have the Anny Jem. I grabbed one of only 150 lefty Jem7v's produced in 2009, sounds amazing thru the Legacy.

Yep you are correct and yeah I would never get rid of my JEM 20th... No way, I never thought I would get a chance to own one so when it happened I jumped on it.. I liked to get a Bad Horsie Jem too... Thanks for the welcome. It is funny, I like Vai and have the Legacy and Jem but wouldn't consider him an influence.. and I am also not into signature stuff even though I have like 6 signature guitars now and an amp.. I just liked them you know... Didn't care whose signature instrument it was except for my Custom Shop Jeff Beck Strat...

Nice score on the JEM too... 1 of 150 that is rarer than the Jem 20th, was 500 of those...

I hear you Craig, I've never been a signature equipment guy either. I thought of the Jem as a high quality professional quality instrument, and thought that Ibanez would never produce a left handed version. Once I heard they were going to do a production run of only 150 lefties, I figured I would never ever own one. My beautiful wife tracked down the last lefty in the US as a gift for me. Needless to say it was the most amazing gift I've ever received!

In regard to the Legacy, I picked mine up in '99 and have been gigging it ever since. I was looking for a unique sounding amp, something different from the Marshalls & Mesas I had been playing. I fell in love with the Legacy's tone, especially for lead playing. I also liked the fact I was the only one in the tri-state area rocking one. Think the secret's out now with the L3.

It's cool seeing some familiar names on this new forum.

Is the Legacy a take on the SLO and Rectifier with the cold cathode?

~Abstract~ wrote:Is the Legacy a take on the SLO and Rectifier with the cold cathode?

poor mans ecstacy.

Yeah, poor man's Bogner.....

I cover alot of ground by running mine hot through my Strat with a HB in the brigdge. Roll back the guitar volume for rhythm work and flip the coil tap for a single coils.

Its so funny you guys mention Bogner, there was a Bogner in the room as well and i thought the Legacy sounded better in the room (I think a Shiva?, head) but me and my buddy said the Carvin sounded better than the Bogner

Weird ha?


PS - Can you guys see my avatar? i cant lol

***1776*** wrote:Its so funny you guys mention Bogner, there was a Bogner in the room as well and i thought the Legacy sounded better in the room (I think a Shiva?, head) but me and my buddy said the Carvin sounded better than the Bogner

Weird ha?


PS - Can you guys see my avatar? i cant lol

Last month I played a benefit gig for Hurricane Sandy survivors and was approached by a guy w/a Bogner, he liked the tone of my Legacy better than his amp and nearly shit himself when he heard the price I paid. The Legacy is pretty good bang for the buck.

Your avatar is visible, reminds me of my college keg party days, hmmm, good times!