adios Carvin audio

[john o]

Carvin [audio] has announced they are closing their doors for good after 70 years of high quality American-made amp and PA system production at very reasonable prices. Kiesel, who separated from the audio section a few years ago, will carry on with their excellent guitar craft. I remember perusing the Carvin catalog as a teen, fantasizing about the latest gear.

I've been using Carvin PA equipment for 20 years, and more recently, their fine tube amps for guitar.
I especially like how my G&L's with MFD pickups sound through these amps, and wonder, if anybody else on the forum will miss Carvin like I will??

[DanDoulogos]

I've never used one, but they sure look nice. I regret being such a gear snob when I was younger, as I was sold out to whatever brands my heroes endorsed by their use. By the time I grew out of that, I had kids, and gear was a luxury I couldn't justify to myself (or ... and perhaps especially... to my wife).

I feel like I'm going to may have missed out on something I never knew was good. I hate it, for example, when I discover how great an artist is post mortem. From what you say, I am now a bit worry that I may have a similar experience with an amp brand.

[FZTNT]

That's too bad. I always thought Carvin was a good amp for the price. Owned a few for my home system and had them in PA's I mixed on many times. I was first introduced to them as a kid, my Dad had a Carvin tube amp. I used to love to watch those tubes glow. Then I started taking them apart and hooking my guitar up to them and shook the house. Even blew a few up in my day.

Tom

[Kit]

I got into the good tube amp train a lot later than I got on the cool guitar train so I never got into Carvin amps much. I did lust for their guitars for a long time. I ordered a DC200 built of solid koa from Carvin in 1980 and played it for many years. In the end I realized I just had too many guitars and sold it around 2000. It was a very well made guitar with some very distinctive features to create different voices. I'm glad their guitar line will continue.

[john o]

I always wanted to pick up one of those holdsworth fatboy guitars, they look cool and are unique in their construction.

I just love the gain channels of the V3m amp by carvin, all tube (4x12ax7, 4xEL84) , 50 watts, 3 channels, very versatile with different eq and gain character switches on each channel, sounds better than Marshall combo's I have owned