‘70’s Carlsboro TR 100W head…any info?
Comments
I’ve worked on and played one, but a very long time ago so my memory may not be that accurate…
Clean up to silly volume, tone controls are tricky to dial in, and it will never sound like a conventional Fender/Marshall/Hiwatt etc - more similar to an old Orange, but not as even-sounding. Better than a later Sound City with the similar coloured knobs though! Build quality is OK rather than outstanding. I don’t remember what the tremolo is like, but I think the reverb was a bit crude and tin-dustbin-like rather than smooth and deep like a Fender.
Personally I wouldn’t bother unless you have a thing for collecting not very useful old amps, or love the particular sound they have.
Clean up to silly volume, tone controls are tricky to dial in, and it will never sound like a conventional Fender/Marshall/Hiwatt etc - more similar to an old Orange, but not as even-sounding. Better than a later Sound City with the similar coloured knobs though! Build quality is OK rather than outstanding. I don’t remember what the tremolo is like, but I think the reverb was a bit crude and tin-dustbin-like rather than smooth and deep like a Fender.
Personally I wouldn’t bother unless you have a thing for collecting not very useful old amps, or love the particular sound they have.
Thanks, I don't need any more amps, but this was quite cheap and so had me wondering. Highly unlikely to be anywhere near as good as my '60's AC50 or MJW Electra so think I'll give it a miss...the GAS nearly got me again =)ICBM said:I’ve worked on and played one, but a very long time ago so my memory may not be that accurate…
Clean up to silly volume, tone controls are tricky to dial in, and it will never sound like a conventional Fender/Marshall/Hiwatt etc - more similar to an old Orange, but not as even-sounding. Better than a later Sound City with the similar coloured knobs though! Build quality is OK rather than outstanding. I don’t remember what the tremolo is like, but I think the reverb was a bit crude and tin-dustbin-like rather than smooth and deep like a Fender.
Personally I wouldn’t bother unless you have a thing for collecting not very useful old amps, or love the particular sound they have.
I used a 100 watt Carlsbro PA head from about 1970 as a bass head for a few years. It was great there, just very clean most of the way up and I don't recall it ever really breaking up at the volumes I used. The build was not meticulously neat, but pretty solid.
I think yours would be at least a couple of years later, but I don't think the build style changed a lot.
I really don’t want another head, but if this had rave reviews I might have considered it as it’s very cheap.MartinB said:I used a 100 watt Carlsbro PA head from about 1970 as a bass head for a few years. It was great there, just very clean most of the way up and I don't recall it ever really breaking up at the volumes I used. The build was not meticulously neat, but pretty solid.I think yours would be at least a couple of years later, but I don't think the build style changed a lot.
Thanks for the input
Bill Nelson used the Carlsboro 100TC amps with Be Bop Deluxe. Apart from their lack of reverb and trem I don’t know if they have a similar sound to the TR. Live In The Air Age has some wonderful guitar sounds (and of course playing) on it using those. Crying To The Sky is one of those amps turned up full in Abbey Road and sounds excellent. Very loud and impractical though!
but Bill gets/got by with MASSES of echo Delay and phasingspringhead said:Bill Nelson used the Carlsboro 100TC amps with Be Bop Deluxe. Apart from their lack of reverb and trem I don’t know if they have a similar sound to the TR. Live In The Air Age has some wonderful guitar sounds (and of course playing) on it using those. Crying To The Sky is one of those amps turned up full in Abbey Road and sounds excellent. Very loud and impractical though!
100W valve head with reverb and tremolo.
Any experience with one of these?