As many of you know, I had a massive Crate BV300H guitar amp head. It was 300W of pure tube power. Obviously, as I only gig small venues with a primarily acoustic setup, this was a bit overkill and was left unused for quite some time. After trying to sell it for probably a bit over a year, I finally found a buyer on craigslist. As part of the deal, I got a Carvin Belair 50W Tube Combo amp. Here are some pictures:
The amp sounds amazing. It's got real glassy cleans and some nice grit in the "soak" channel. It's got a great vintage look and feel to it. I'm very pleased with the trade. If I had it more than 2 days, I'm sure I'd be able to add to the list of accolades, but a full review is a bit of a stretch for that little play.
In addition to looking and sounding awesome, it adds to a nice little pyramid of combo amps that I have started. On top is the Roland AC-60 that I normally gig with for it's acoustic voicing. In the middle is a Marshall G80R 50W combo that I got from my cousin over the summer. On the floor, you'll notice my Boss RC-20XL looping station, Danelectro Tape Reel Echo Simulator, and Boss GT-10. The GT-10 I got in the fall to replace my GT-3 and the Tape Reel Echo I just got a few weeks ago. The loop station and echo through the Belair is an amazing combination.
After seeing an add for the Boss GT-10 in a magazine a few days ago, I realized that it can also be used as a usb interface. Hopefully I'll be able to record with it in the near future, as soon as I find a spare Type B USB cable. There will definitely be more to come on this gear and more of my gear, as the collection expands.
-Alex