Carvin X100B Series IV Guitar Amp Head

Carvin X100B Series IV Guitar Amp Head

Carvin has been around for over 60 years and is known today for there gorgeous high quality guitars and basses but there amps do not get talked about as often. Back in the 80's there X100B amp graced more stages then I or anyone can count. With bands like Frank & Dweezil Zappa, Starship, Missing Persons and Steve Vai using this amp to give them the tone and balance they was looking for in there tone. With the Series IV that is the latest and greatest version of this amp it is better then it ever was and well worth taking another look at. I have wanted one for a very long time and being a long time player of the V3 and V3m this was a nice addition to my already huge heavy Carvin collection. I have to mention also this was a awesome Christmas present to me from my wonderful wife Kathrine and Carvin.


Features
Dual Channels: Clean & Lead
Master Volume with switchable boost
Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence and Reverb Controls
5 band graphic EQ assignable to clean or lead channel
25/50/100 watt output switch
Bias switch for 5881, 6L6 or EL34 power tubes
Cabinet voiced XLR balanced output
Foot switchable Effects loop
Four EL34 & Three 12aX7 Tubes
25.25 wide x 10.5 high x 9.5 deep
(I have the Jungle Red Tolex put on mine like all my amps)


Sound
This amp has the best clean channel I have ever used on any amp to date with headroom that bursts the roof off.  I can get everything from country and bluegrass chime to blues and that beautiful almost acoustic sounding ballad sound. The lead channel is really bold and allows to take my sound from a very well almost non distortion to blues, rock, classic rock, hard rock and even a very heavy sound. The amp is one of the best all tube amps I have used (I am a bit of a old school purist I prefer all tube amps) getting that natural breakup that musicians adore.This is kinda a jack of all trades amp that will allow you to take and make any tone with the easy to dial in controls. The sounds are very rich and robust with clarity on all sides of the most sought after amps in the world.



My Opinion
Carvin has taken this amp and over the years tweaked and peaked it but kept it very close to the original keeping purists like myself very happy. It seems that most of the people that have used any version of this amp have loved it in one form or another and still play it or have it in there studio today. This amp reminds me of the most cherished Marshall's of the 80's but with more options and tone variation. It does not quite amp up to reach the Hardcore and Death Metal sounds but besides that it is a amp that can do it all and still stands up to any amp out there on the market today. With the tone and watt options on this amp you can use it in your bedroom, stage or studio and with the easy to dial in sound spend much more time playing then switching knobs. With the switchable EQ it takes a two channel amp and you can work it into a four by how you adjust the EQ and flip it in and out what is really genius. I fell in love with this amp with about 2 min of playing time making this one of my main amps I use now for just about everything I do. This amp is very pedal friendly using the effect loop what is one of the quietest loops in a amp I have used to date. I love everything about this amp and honestly would not change anything about it. It is rare this day in age to get a amp of this caliber for under 600 bucks that is made in the United States!!!


Contact
www.carvinguitars.com
www.facebook.com/carvinamplifiers
www.facebook.com/carvinguitarsofficial

Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36 Guitar Head

Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36 review
By Kris Martens

Hughes & Kettner have a big hit with the tubemeister series of lunchbox heads. The grandmeister 36 is the flagship of the line. This amp has more features than any amp I have seen to date. It does almost everything you could want from an amp. And it looks killer on stage with its blue glowing front panel.

Features

4 channels (clean, crunch, lead and ultra)
Built in fx (chorus, flanger, phaser and tremolo. Delay and digital reverb)
Midi compatible
Power soak changes wattage from 36 down to 1 watt
Built in Red Box speaker simulator
Controllable fx loop
Noise gate
Speaker mute for silent recording.
Gain boost to add more gain to any channel.
128 preset slots to store your own sounds with a midi footswitch.
iPad tweakability with compatible midi interface.
TSC tube safety control


This amp covers a lot of bases. The clean channel is pretty versatile. Running at full wattage you have a ton of headroom. Adding some chorus and delay makes the tone come alive. I absolutely love the clean channel on this amp.

The crunch channel is pretty smooth and sounds similar to a Marshall plexi. Adding the boost allows for a tight classic rock/early metal tone.

The lead channel is amazing. Very tight and focused. Tons of gain available.  Liquid highs match well with the insane low end. Turning up the mids adds some punch to the sound. I love this channel and spend most of my time using it.

The ultra channel is for gain junkies. It is tight and focused like the lead channel but not as punchy. Using the lead channel for rhythm tones and the ultra for lead works great. I find the amount of gain on the ultra channel absolutely frightening.

Other cool features include an adjustable noise gate and red box cabinet emulation. The TSC tells you if your tubes are functioning properly and even pinpoints trouble tubes. The power soak is a built in attenuator that can go from full power (36 watts) down to 1 watt for playing late at night. Since the power soak setting is stored for each setting you could have your clean tone at full power for headroom, rhythm tone at half power to get more power tube saturation and your lead tone at 5 watts for max saturation.

A free iPad app gives you hands on control to save, load and tweak your sounds. You do need an iPad approved midi interface to use it though. This is a great feature for guitarists who play a wide variety of styles and need an easy way to organize tones.

This blue glowing tube beast is awesome looking, awesome sounding and has a feature set that blows most amps away. It isn't cheap ($1299) but it is loud enough to handle most gigs. Canadian thrash band Annihilator used the grandmeister to play huge festivals this summer. Check it out!

Vibramate V5 Standard

Vibramate V5 Standard

This day in age guitars are so much more then just wood with strings on them. There are so many upgrades you can do to make that certain axe in your life perform up to the level that is needed from jam rooms, studios to the grandest stages. The Bigsby tremolo is known all around the world and used in just about every style of music know to man. I was put in touch with Vibramate a few years ago when a fan of my work told me to check them out. I was first a bit on the fence with the products cause I did not want my guitar to be scratched or dented and I was worried that this product might somehow hurt or destroy some of my favorite axes. I wanted a model that I could put on many of my guitars and be able to take it off and have my guitar be as beautiful as it was before I added the device to it. Today we will be talking about
one of the many products that Vibramate does the V5 Standard with the String Spoiler.


Features
Base Mounting Plate
Base Mounting Screws (English or Metric Threads)
Front Mounting Screws
Rear Mounting Screws
String Spoiler (Optional Accessories)
(I also purchased my Bigsby from Vibramate but if you already have one there should be a model of Vibramate to suit your needs).


Sound
The Vibramate itself has no sound but it allows the Bigsby to be mounted to any Stopbar Tailpiece guitar (Check the charts on the Vibramate website to make sure this model fits your guitar there are many models you can choose from that will fit Tele's, V's, Arch tops and just about any other guitar you can think of). It sounded amazing on all the guitars I tried it on I could get that southern twang clear to dive bombs usually reserved for trems like the Floyd Rose.

My Opinion
Vibramate really has hit a home run with there products allowing a musician to be able to dress up there favorite guitar with a Bigsby and to be able to undress it at any time with no marks, dings, bings or scratches of any kind. I tried this on my Carvin Cs6, Gibson Les Paul, Ltd Eclipse, ESP Phoenix, Dean Cadillac with no problems or issues of any kind. It only takes a few minutes to change over (Might need a new set of strings cause it will take more string length). I recommend also to get the String Spoiler cause it makes changing strings a breeze and looks really cool to boot. The V5 is built using the highest grade aluminum on the market so it will not bend or break and hold the tension of the strings with ease. This is a remarkable product that I have used now for a couple of years and have fallen in love with it. If you check the website they have many other products also to upgrade other parts of your favorite guitar to make it the axe you have always dreamed of.

Contact: www.facebook.com/vibramate?ref=br_tf
http://vibramate.com

Chili Custom Guitars

Chili Custom Guitars

I met Horst from Chili Custom Guitars some time ago via Facebook and become good friends cause of both our passions for guitars and music.

Chili Custom guitars is out of Austria made with a one man operation with the finest materials known to man kind. Horst and Chili Custom Guitars is RBJ Spotlight Gear Maker for Oct 2014. I was honored to have him be a spotlight cause of not just his guitars but his willingness and passion to give musicians not just a guitar or tool of the trade but a piece of art like no other.This write up will be about my personal Chili
guitar that I call my Tigerbaby!!


Features
Walnut Body
Walnut Neck
Flame Maple Figured Top
Two Volume
Two Tone
Locking Tuners
Mother Of Pearl/Abalone Rectangle Inlays
Stop Bar Tail Peace Bridge
Three Way Toggle
Binding On Body & Neck
Two Humbuckers


Sound
The Tigerbaby has such a brilliant sound and tone from top to bottom. The Walnut wood in the guitar gives it so much more darker blend of tones what is perfect for just about all styles of music. The cleans are open and sparkle in the neck that almost sound acoustic. When I lean on the gain a bit it breaks up to give that southern blues and classic rock that musicians love. When I kick it into the bridge I can lay on the distortion and it sounds a lot like a Les Paul but with more natural tone and more of a bold feel. This is very similar to a double cut Gibson but has so much more balance and resonance. The Tigerbaby is a guitar that could work its way into any style of music you would want to play from country and blues up to hard rock and prog.

My Opinion
Horst over at Chili Custom Guitars has such a great eye for wood and design when it comes to guitars. When I first seen this guitar I fell in love with it because of the natural beauty of the flame top and the amazing inlays that are all hand done. Once I got this guitar into my hands it was love at first chord. I could not believe how light this guitar was considering walnut usually can make a guitar really heavy. I was simply blown away of how easy of a guitar this is to play and how well the balance was from top to bottom with this guitar. The neck is as smooth as butter and not to thick or thin what allows any player to easily run up and down the fretboard. When you get your Chili you will prob have a different experience cause you will have it built your way with the woods and set up you want cause Horst makes every guitar custom to the customers wishes.

When you buy from places like Chili Custom Guitars you are not supporting big box stores or a board of owners. The guitars are not made on a factory line you are supporting a single person that makes all the guitars by hand and it allows Horst to follow his passions what is making top of the line guitars one at a time!!

Contact: www.facebook.com/pages/Chili-Custom-Guitars/324692780908377

Re-Axe Products - The Axe-Handler

Re-Axe Products Axe-Handler

 I met the guys from Re-Axe for the first time on the side of the road and did a interview for a radio show I was doing at the time. I can honestly say Jeff Cutler is one of the most genuine, honest, down to earth people you will meet that truly cares for people in a way I almost never see anymore from business people. The American company is based out of Arizona with there Axe-Handler being there top product also there gearbox is a great tool for musicians on the move and a great
acoustic guitar pick with many more products on
the way. Re-Axe makes products to make the 
musicians life better with well thought out 
products in a price range even the starving musician can afford.
Today we will talk about the mighty Axe-Handler!
Layout & Features
There is two versions of the Axe-Handler ''The Original'' and ''Strings Out''.  The Original works by using the fretboard to sit right in the small C in the Axe-Handler that is set on any flat surface from your cab, combo amp, table or any other surface. The Strings Out works in the same aspect but instead of having the guitar leaned with the face of it inward you turn your guitar around like more of a standard guitar stand. The product is heavy enough that your guitar will not slip out of it from normal use or vibrations of cranking your amp on a
heavy vibration stage or jam room. The Original also has a small open on the top great for your guitar picks or loose change. Both of these products are small and light weight that can fit into any guitar case or gig bag for a instant guitar stand on the go from jam rooms, stage, studio or just showing off your favorite instrument.

My Opinion
Re-Axe products has not just made another ''Guitar Stand'' they have totally reinvented it from the ground up. I have three of these that I use on a daily basis from Jam room, studio and bedroom playing. I have never once had the product fail on me or my high priced guitars that I would not trust anything else to keep them from losing a headstock. I honestly do not think for under 20 bucks you can find a better product that will do everything the Axe-Handler will. This gets rid of the bulky overpriced tube guitar stand that has been littering jam rooms and stages since the guitar was first invented and gives you the freedom to never be without a guitar stand. If you also are a company that likes the Axe-Handler then Re-Axe Products can make up a custom run of these bad boys with your company logo or band name and or logo. They do not deal with big box companies giving the mom and pop shops the exclusive selling rights or you can buy them for the same price right off the website.

Contact Info
http://axe-handler.com 

www.facebook.com/ReAxe 

 

 

 

Mack Amps - Gem Head

Mack Amps - Gem Head

I met Don Mackrill some time ago and got to know him and his
company really well. The Canadian company Mack Amps does
things the very old school way of using high quality components
hand making each amp with the ideals of a high quality all tube old school amp should not cost 2000 dollars or even 1000 and in this case not even 800 bucks. Don is one of the nicest down to earth guys you will ever meet while his knowledge of amps is second to none. Mack Amps has three main amps the Gem, Heatseeker and the Skyraider. They also have a great line of classic pickups that will take that Les Paul or Strat and breathe life into it like you only hoped them higher priced pickups would do. For them that want a 
really cool cab to match there Mack Amps then Don can hook you up with that also. Today we are going to talk about the Gem a low wattage all tube masterpiece that will thrill the all tube addict and make a believer that you do not need to spend a mortgage payment to own. 

Layout & Features
 

• 4 watts switchable to 0.4 watts
• 1xEL84 cathode biased, Class A
• 1xNOS 6AC10 triple triode preamp tube
• Solid state rectifier
• Switchable gain stages: panel or foot 
• Single tone control that cuts AND BOOSTS!
• Speaker output: 8 ohms - like all Mack amps, any impedance speaker cab can be used without causing damage
• Red anodized aluminum cabinet
• 8" W x 5 1/2" H x 4" D
• 117/120 VAC, 60 Hz
• 4 lb 

Sound
The micro Gem is such a warm amp that you can dial up the most sparkling cleans with tons of headroom. When dialed up you can get that classic to modern day blues that amps twice the price would not even come close to dialing in. When pushing the amp a bit I could dial in beautiful classic rock styles of Skynard to Nugent. When maxing the amp out them beautiful tubes pushing full bore I had a gorgeous AC/DC sound that was bright and brilliant. If you are a pedal pusher no worries there the amp is very responsive to all sorts of pedals, I used some heavy distortion pedals and I was very impressed the tone I was getting. This is a great amp for them still true to the real guitar tone starts with using a real tube amp!

My Opinion
Mack Amps has hit a home run with the Gem amp that allows the musician that is in tight quarters or is looking or real tube tone from a real tube amp that can be reached at lower volumes. This is the perfect little studio amp to get that natural breakup from the tubes also at lower volumes and watts. I usually had the amp at the .4 watts and was plenty loud thru a 4x12, 2x12, 2x6, 1x12 cabs I have used it with. The tone shaping is amazing on this amp that allows you to push in the preamp to give you a whole new pallet of sounds to play with. The amp is rated at 8 ohms but with the high quality of parts used there is no issue running this head thru 4, 8, 16 ohm cabs with no issues or burning anything up at these low wattage's. I personally recommend the foot switch if you look into getting this amp it makes the hands free to not mess up your recording, jamming or stage if you choose. I can put this head into most of my cases and gig bags what makes traveling a breeze. I can also state with my head being dropped down a flight of stairs that this thing is built like a tank (Sorry Don).

Contact:
http://www.mackamps.com/ 

www.facebook.com/MackAmps 

 

NSX Engineering - Delay Pedal

NSX Engineering
Some time ago I was contacted by a friend and was told there was a new company hand making effect pedals. I contacted NSX Engineering cause I was excited cause gear makers are very far and few here in the valley.
NSX Engineering is from Idaho Falls Idaho with Nathan Slade at the helm taking a bit of a different take on full on hand wired all analog pedals. When Nathan and I talked on the phone it almost sounded way to good to be true a pedal of my choosing with the skin of my choosing all the entire way I want it for under a 100 bucks but he said that was totally how it would happen. I ordered a Delay pedal but wanted it worded really different so went with D-Laid and a orange simple skin on it. It took about a week and a half and then Nathan said it was ready so I made the hour long trip to Idaho falls and took a quick look around his setup. Nathan had some pedals that he made all setup and played a bunch of them from all styles some that had some of the most beautiful skins on them I had ever seen. Nathan's setup was everything I had hoped it to be from all the components and parts and a bit messy (I like messy). I got this pedal home and it was time to give it a whirl in my own settings and guitars.

Layout & Features
The pedal has three knobs Delay, Mix, Repeats and a toggle Infinity. The layout is basic with a In and Out and Infinity toggle with a simple switch on and off.

Sound
I honestly was not expecting a lot for 100 bucks with most import pedals being close to 200 and high end reaching 500 dollars but this pedal would give any boutique Delay pedal a run for there money. I can get that rich full sounding Pink Floyd sound to the Prog Metal sounds of Dream Theater without a lot of dialing. I could dial in them 80's leads clear to modern day shredding with a quiet on and off what really surprised me This Delay pedal really was bold when it needed to be and it was purring like a baby kitten when the music called for it. I used my Carvin V3 and V3m heads with it mixing it with the amps reverb and I was getting such beautiful sounds that a pedal costing three times the amount would only deliver. I can hear a change with  the Infinity toggle but have not really been in a situation that required me to change it back and forth cause I am getting all the sounds I need without it.   

My Opinion
This pedal can perform up with pedals costing three times or more and who does not like custom features on skin and name of the pedal. While talking to Nathan he was up for making new pedals and new designs of any kind shape or sound. It impressed me this day in age of having products made in other countries using sub par parts and made in huge patches that a person right here in the United States would offer such options and not take the rent money to do so. I would and will use and support this company cause not just cause of the amazing products but honestly Nathan is one of the nicest guys I have ever met and is willing to go up and beyond at a moments notice to keep his customers happy.

Contact
https://www.facebook.com/NSXmusicaltechnology