That was a nice score! Congrats! The dream is now reality, now you just need to enjoy it! There are cool mods for the series II and III, if you are interested you could search for them on the web. Basically, they are for the low gain mode (lead without pulling the knob). There is even one to cascade the clean channel and lead channel. I got the series IV, got it second hand, but it has some problems here and there. It seems Carvin Bias them cold, so a hot bias bring it back to live. That said I do cold bias 😂 and I didn't mod mine. The amp will translate everything you play as it is, that includes the errors in performance. Indeed, it does love analog pedals, and boosters seems to be it fav. I bet the MX5 has really good ones, I recommend to sit one afternoon and try them all lol. Remember the tonestack is not passive, is active!! little mov does bigger changes. Zappa and Vai used the clean channel the most, and for drive they used Marshalls. Chaquico & Dwezzil Zappa are the ones that comes to mind when talking about the drive channel. Of course, there were more. For me that drive channels seems like a blend between a Marshall and a Mesa, more to the Marshall side. There is a trick with the FX loop switch, you set it "in between" the values and it gets a vol boost. I don't do this anymore, cuz it is loud. Take note the watt switch is only for the headroom (for the power tubes to saturate earlier) and not for the actual vol, but this have caused problems in the past on series II and III, hence I recommend to stick to 100w. Man, when mine works as it should... feels soooo good to play it. I bet you will understand that feel quickly lol. If you go the recording path with an interface, try the line out, you will need to use and Impulse Response. Without an interface, maybe with the 4 cable method, the MX5 can record via USB (at least the Carvin preamp). You may consider a loadbox like the Torpedo Two Notes in the future. I did a video recently imitating tones with Revv pedals and the Boss GT-10, and man... I did struggle doing EQ, is like you said, the sound in the room is not the one we hear on the digital realm, and it's kinda hard to translate it. At least for me. Glad you got your dream amp, I hope you enjoy it a lot and keep on rocking man! 🤘
@@terribleligadelmal4541 Thank you sooooo much for this insight.. I will admit that my knowledge of this amp is lacking because I never thought I’d own one… So, your comment has helped in many ways 😁.. I did know that modding was an option but haven’t pursued it because, well, I’m just so happy with it and how it sounds with the MX5 pushing it 😆.. However, down the road, I plan to explore the mods a bit more. I use the clean channel mostly, and push it with everything the headrush offers.. I play metal the most but, when I play older songs (classic rock from the 60’s and 70’s) I use the distortion from the Carvin because it sounds so authentic to that era. I have played many amps in my years but none like this one.. So, when I say “Thank you for commenting” please know that I am extremely sincere. I am new to all this UA-cam stuff and it’s people like you that help me along the way that I really appreciate.. Thank you again, and you bet you’re bottom dollar I’m gonna keep rockin.. 🤘😆.. you do the same!
@@Stringpullin_gitpicker I feel you are telling my experience with this amp on that comment lol. I'm sill learning all that the amp is and can do. I did search for the mods just for the knowledge on tube amps. The channel Uncle Doug has lots of info about it. But, the same as you, with pedals, I feel the amp doesn't need the mods. I use chorus all the time on, not so noticeable, but one day dial the vol up and used the clean channel on a Bm chord on a slow arpeggio... it was the sound you get from the 80, right there. Jim Lill "Where does the tone come from in a guitar amplifier" is a good video that may reinforce the decision of using pedals instead of mods. Nothing against mods here xD I just think the pedals do the trick in this case. Speaking of Pedals, I push pedals with the preamp, inverse of what is common, the idea is to get the analog part first in chain, is an interesting sound, you should try it in 4 cable method, if the MX5 has blocks of fx that can be order how you like, then it could be done. Well! actually there is lots of possible combinations with the MX5, like there is combination for a sandwich, you got guitar tone for a long time from now on lol. Ok this comment will seem like a weird spiritual shaman wacko but... I think that amp choose you man. That is your partner know lol. About the tips, well I was happy you liked the am so I throw them there 😂 you can bet there is other channels that will know and share better tips, when you got time try to watch them.
That was a nice score! Congrats! The dream is now reality, now you just need to enjoy it!
There are cool mods for the series II and III, if you are interested you could search for them on the web. Basically, they are for the low gain mode (lead without pulling the knob). There is even one to cascade the clean channel and lead channel. I got the series IV, got it second hand, but it has some problems here and there. It seems Carvin Bias them cold, so a hot bias bring it back to live. That said I do cold bias 😂 and I didn't mod mine.
The amp will translate everything you play as it is, that includes the errors in performance. Indeed, it does love analog pedals, and boosters seems to be it fav. I bet the MX5 has really good ones, I recommend to sit one afternoon and try them all lol.
Remember the tonestack is not passive, is active!! little mov does bigger changes.
Zappa and Vai used the clean channel the most, and for drive they used Marshalls. Chaquico & Dwezzil Zappa are the ones that comes to mind when talking about the drive channel. Of course, there were more. For me that drive channels seems like a blend between a Marshall and a Mesa, more to the Marshall side.
There is a trick with the FX loop switch, you set it "in between" the values and it gets a vol boost. I don't do this anymore, cuz it is loud. Take note the watt switch is only for the headroom (for the power tubes to saturate earlier) and not for the actual vol, but this have caused problems in the past on series II and III, hence I recommend to stick to 100w.
Man, when mine works as it should... feels soooo good to play it. I bet you will understand that feel quickly lol.
If you go the recording path with an interface, try the line out, you will need to use and Impulse Response. Without an interface, maybe with the 4 cable method, the MX5 can record via USB (at least the Carvin preamp). You may consider a loadbox like the Torpedo Two Notes in the future. I did a video recently imitating tones with Revv pedals and the Boss GT-10, and man... I did struggle doing EQ, is like you said, the sound in the room is not the one we hear on the digital realm, and it's kinda hard to translate it. At least for me.
Glad you got your dream amp, I hope you enjoy it a lot and keep on rocking man! 🤘
@@terribleligadelmal4541 Thank you sooooo much for this insight.. I will admit that my knowledge of this amp is lacking because I never thought I’d own one… So, your comment has helped in many ways 😁.. I did know that modding was an option but haven’t pursued it because, well, I’m just so happy with it and how it sounds with the MX5 pushing it 😆.. However, down the road, I plan to explore the mods a bit more. I use the clean channel mostly, and push it with everything the headrush offers..
I play metal the most but, when I play older songs (classic rock from the 60’s and 70’s) I use the distortion from the Carvin because it sounds so authentic to that era. I have played many amps in my years but none like this one.. So, when I say “Thank you for commenting” please know that I am extremely sincere.
I am new to all this UA-cam stuff and it’s people like you that help me along the way that I really appreciate.. Thank you again, and you bet you’re bottom dollar I’m gonna keep rockin.. 🤘😆.. you do the same!
@@Stringpullin_gitpicker I feel you are telling my experience with this amp on that comment lol. I'm sill learning all that the amp is and can do. I did search for the mods just for the knowledge on tube amps. The channel Uncle Doug has lots of info about it. But, the same as you, with pedals, I feel the amp doesn't need the mods. I use chorus all the time on, not so noticeable, but one day dial the vol up and used the clean channel on a Bm chord on a slow arpeggio... it was the sound you get from the 80, right there.
Jim Lill "Where does the tone come from in a guitar amplifier" is a good video that may reinforce the decision of using pedals instead of mods. Nothing against mods here xD I just think the pedals do the trick in this case. Speaking of Pedals, I push pedals with the preamp, inverse of what is common, the idea is to get the analog part first in chain, is an interesting sound, you should try it in 4 cable method, if the MX5 has blocks of fx that can be order how you like, then it could be done.
Well! actually there is lots of possible combinations with the MX5, like there is combination for a sandwich, you got guitar tone for a long time from now on lol.
Ok this comment will seem like a weird spiritual shaman wacko but... I think that amp choose you man. That is your partner know lol.
About the tips, well I was happy you liked the am so I throw them there 😂 you can bet there is other channels that will know and share better tips, when you got time try to watch them.