58 Alma Vale Rd, Bristol BS8 2HS 0117 3307607
Steve Carr and his team have always treated the amplifier as an instrument in its own right and have designed a range of amps with their own characteristic sound that will also recreate the classic sounds of the past. We believe these are some of the best amps anywhere on the planet and if you go by the reviews so does everyone else! They are held in such esteem in the specialist press that reviews are unable to find fault with them (see review page on Carr website if you need convincing! ). Their awesome tones demand attention. Carr Amps are proving to be extremely popular and can be in short supply - please give us a ring to make sure that we have one in stock before paying us a visit.
Each amp is individually voiced to suit its chosen application with carefully matched pre and power amp valves. If you have a particular preference, though, any amp can be made with the valves of your choice.
Carr Amps are point to point wired using only the finest components and materials:-
Custom interleaved paper bobbin transformers
Polypropylene filter caps
Mallory 150 Series Tone caps
Carbon composition resistors
Inernal cabling with George L's cable
12 Gauge Aluminium chassis
Dovetailed pine cabinets with a choice of coloured tolex finishes.
The Mercury is without doubt a practical amp - the built in
attenuator which can switch between 8, 2, 1/2 and 1/10 Watt output power
and is fantastic for low
volume practice and rehearsal
without compromising your tone.
You can get output valve distortion from the single JJ EL34 at whatever volume level you choose. However don't forget that 8 Watts through the 12" Eminence Patriot speaker is still seriously loud; enough for most small gigs. The Mercury has three switchable gain settings from clean to classic sustaining distortion and a great sounding reverb.
The tone controls are active with the clean gain setting but are bypassed for the higher settings which have preset tone settings to give a focused overdriven sound - a high cut switch allows for some further tonal variation if necessary. However as with all the other Carr amps it really doesn't matter where you set the controls it will sound fantastic and serve you a lifetime. Every home should have one - especially in the sylish two tone finish!
Prices
1x12 Combo £1600
1x10 Combo £1700
2x10 Combo £1700
1x15 Combo £1700
Two Tone colour option +£75
(see picture above)
(Coco/Cream, Black/Cream, Green/Cream, and Wine/Cream)
Prices
1x12 Combo £1675
2x12 Combo £1750
2x10 Combo £1750
1x15 Combo £1750
The Rambler was one of Steve Carr's earlier designs
and still one of the most popular -we probably sell more of these than any
other amp. Steve has delivered classic vintage tones but with more
clean headroom and
better bass response than the orginals with the added
benefit of being able to switch from 28 Watts Pentode operation to 14 watts
triode. A cathode bias class A design with 2 6L6's in the output stage and a
choice of speaker combinations in a compact retro styled package with nicely
voiced tremolo and reverb circuits.
The amp comes in either 1x12", 2x12", 1x10" or 1x15" formats.
This is a beautifully responsive amp with a warm tone and clear highs which breaks up in the most musical way once the volume goes beyond 12 o'clock. However, there is plenty of clean headroom for those who need it. Be warned, most people who have tried this amp have ended up buying it!
The Hammerhead is a straight forward no nonsense
amp with the minimum of controls but a killer tone. A 28 Watt Class A amp
using 2 EL34's in either head
or combo form this delivers superb classic
rock tones with enough volume for all but stadium gigs.
The amp has a 4 position 'Impact' switch which selects between a flat response, 'blackface' syle with higher treble emphasis, high treble and upper midrange like an early 70's British amp or high treble and full midrange emphasis like a late 60's British amp.
To vary the preamp gain there is a 'Grip' switch which has 4 settings - 1-3 steadily increase gain and position 4 changes the response of the power stage for a sharper quicker sound. Other than that it is just volume, master and a tone control (which can be switched out for increased gain). The reason behind this setup is to maintain as direct a signal path as possible to maximise the pure tone of the valves.
Take your time with the controls on this amp and you will be blown away by the sounds you can get. Combo available as 1x12" or 2x12" and similarly the matching cabs for the head are available as 1x12" or 2x12".
Prices
Head £1175
1x12 Cab £525
2x12 Cab £600
1x12 Combo £1200
2x12 Combo £1275
Prices
1x12 Combo £1850
2x12 Combo £1925
The Viceroy (formerly known as the Vincent) is a 33/7 Watt combo driven by 2 6L6's running in class A. Another clear winner from Carr - beautiful shimmering cleans with great chiming highs and plenty of low end thump and a great overdriven, driving tone once the volume slips beyond 12 o'clock. The switchable (footswitch included) boost gives the amp a real kick for solos (partially bypassing the tone stack) whether clean or driven. The drive control is really an internal clean boost which pushes the tone to be 'larger' or more 'upfront' when clean or increases the drive when the amp is at full blast. To quote from Guitarist magazine: '....the Vincent's range of clean tones is frankly astounding..' 'awesome tone and response'
The 33 Watts are ample for most gigs and the 7 Watt setting is great for rehearsals.
Prices
Head £2000
1x12 Cab Open £500
1x12 Cab Closed £550
2x12 Cab Open £575
2x12 Cab Closed £600
1x15 or 2x10 Cab Open £575
1x12 Combo £2125
2x12 Combo £2200
2x10 Combo £2200
1x15 Combo £2200
Reverb on OD channel +£90
Footswitchable Boost on OD channel +£150
The Slant 6V is a truly amazing sounding two channel amp. Just plug in and you won't find a bad sound. Check out the reviews
anywhere and they all say the same thing - this is the amp to have. A deceptively simple package - two totally discrete channels with three
band EQ, reverb on the clean channel
and a master volume on the dirty channel but hugely versatile. Internally things are perhaps a little bit more complicated with
with two pairs of 6V6's, one cathode bias and one fixed bias and this unusual combination may be what endows the amp with its superb articulation and dynamic response.
This arrangement also gives the option of two distinctly different half power settings - cathode biased for a warmer sound and fixed bias
for a tighter, punchier attack. A switchable gain boost on the lead channel gives additional versatility but it is the beautifully voiced
tone controls that really help deliver such a variety of sounds without any unpleasant extremes.
The amp is available as a head with 1x12" or 2x12" cabs (others combinations available on request) and as a combo with 1x12", 2x12", 2x10" or 1x15" speaker combinations.
The reverb can be added to the dirty channel and the boost made footswitchable for a small extra cost.
Check out the Carr Website
The full range of Carr Amps are available via Jam Guitars.