LIMITED WARRANTY
Your Carvin product is guaranteed against failure for ONE YEAR unless otherwise stated. Vacuum
tubes are guaranteed for 90 days. Carvin will service and supply all parts at no charge to the
customer providing the unit is under warranty. Shipping costs are the responsibility of the cus-
tomer. CARVIN DOES NOT PAY FOR PARTS OR SERVICING OTHER THAN OUR OWN. A
COPY OF THE ORIGINAL INVOICE IS REQUIRED TO VERIFY YOUR WARRANTY. Carvin
assumes no responsibility for horn drivers or speakers damaged by this unit. This warranty does
not cover, and no liability is assumed, for damage due to: natural disasters, accidents, abuse,
loss of parts, lack of reasonable care, incorrect use, or failure to follow instructions. This war-
ranty is in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied. No representative or person is autho-
rized to represent or assume for Carvin any liability in connection with the sale or servicing of
Carvin products. CARVIN SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES.
When RETURNING merchandise to the factory, you must call for a return authorization number.
If your unit is out of warranty, you will be charged the current FLAT RATE for parts and labor to
bring your unit up to factory specifications.
HELP SECTION
1) AMP WILL NOT TURN ON
Check the power to the amp. Check for tripped circuit breakers, unplugged extension cords
or power-strip switches that may be turned off. Check the fuse. If a dark brownish color or
no wire can be seen within the glass tube, then replace. The amp may be perfectly fine but
occasionally a fuse may blow because of high AC voltage surges. After the fuse has been
replaced with the proper Slow Blow value and if the fuse fails again, the amp will require ser-
vicing.
2) NO OUTPUT with POWER light ON
Tubes damaged in shipping will be the primary reason for your amp to not function properly.
Please give us a call to help guide you through this simple repair.
3) KEEP YOUR AMP LOOKING NEW
Use a damp cloth to wipe the controls on the front & rear chassis panels. Wipe the black vinyl
covering with a damp cloth.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS (EUROPEAN)
The conductors in the AC power cord are colored in accordance with the following code.
GREEN & YELLOW—Earth BLUE—Neutral BROWN—Live
U.K. MAIN PLUG WARNING: A molded main plug that has been cut off from the cord is
unsafe. NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU INSERTADAMAGED
OR CUT MAIN PLUG INTO A POWER SOCKET.
IMPORTANT! FOR YOUR PROTECTION, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:
WATER AND MOISTURE: Appliance should not be used near water (near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen
sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool, etc). Care should be taken so that objects
do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through openings.
POWER SOURCES: The appliance should be connected to a power supply only of the type described
in the operating instructions or as marked on the unit.
GROUNDING OR POLARIZATION: Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polariza-
tion means of an appliance is not defeated.
POWER CORD PROTECTION: Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be
walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs,
convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the appliance.
SERVICING: The user should not attempt to service the unit beyond that described in the operating
instructions. All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.
FUSING: If your unit is equipped with a fuse receptacle, replace only with the same type fuse. Refer
to replacement text on the unit for correct fuse type.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL!
THIS UNIT CONTAINS HIGH VOLTAGE INSIDE!
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
This symbol is
intended to alert the
user to the presence
of important operat-
ing and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature
accompanying the appliance.
MODEL X-100B AMP SPECIFICATIONS:
RMS Power:
100, 50 or 25 watts, switchable
Output Impedance:
4, 8 or 16ohm, switchable
Input Impedance:
220,000 ohms
Tone Controls:
BASS, MID, TREBLE, PRESENCE
Graphic EQ:
5-band, 18dB boost or cut
Channels:
2—switchable
Ch 1 Sensitivity:
1mV for clipping
Ch 2 Sensitivity:
16mV for full output
footswitch functions:
FS44L: channel, reverb, effect loop and boost/mute
FS22: channel, reverb
Voiced Line Out:
1.5 VAC @ 100 watts RMS
Preamp Tubes:
3—12AX7’s (dual stage)
Power Amp Tubes:
4—EL34’s (power pentode), switchable to 5881(6L6GC)
USA Model:
120VAC, 300VA
6A , slow blow fuse, 5x20mm
Export Model:
230VAC, 300VA
3A, slow blow fuse, 5x20mm
Cabinet Size:
Head: 24.25”W x 10.5”H x 9.5”D
Combo: 26”W x 17.5”H x 10.25”D
Cabinet:
Multi-ply hardwwood
Net Weight:
35 lbs (head) , 58 lbs (combo)
Warranty:
One Year
Country of Mfg:
Made in USA
Options:
-CV3200 (head) or CV3212 (combo) cover
-FS44L footswitch - 4 function
-FS22 footswitch - channel and reverb
-GX412T or GX412B (matching 4x12” speaker cabinets)
CARVIN ENGINEERING DATA
X-100B TUBE GUITAR AMP
OPERATING MANUAL
Congratulations on your purchase of your X-100B series IV tube
amplifier. Carvin has been building tube guitar amplifiers since 1949.
Spend time with your new amp and get to know its many sounds.
You’ll discover why many creative guitarists have choosen the X-100B
to achieve their sound.
HISTORY OF THE X-100B
The X-100B holds a place dear in the hearts of guitar amp affectionados. The
X100B series tube amps were a mainstay on many arena stages and MTV videos
throughout the 1980's. Artists such as Frank Zappa, Craig Chaquico with Jefferson
Starship, Warrant, Warren Cuccurullo with Missing Persons, and Steve Vai all
played X100B amps. Frank Zappa raved about the Clean channel on this amp.
Steve Vai recorded a song called "Blue Powder" (available on his first solo release
Flexable) featuring the X100B. As a tribute to the original X100B amps, the new
Series IV is badged with the vintage Carvin logo.
DESIGN OVERVIEW
The circuitry of the X-100B allows several layers of control over the dynam-
ics and tone of the amp from the input jack to the speaker output.
PREAMP
Great sounds start with a great preamp. The glassy clean sounds of the
Rhythm channel sparkle even more in the Bright setting. The Lead channel
Drive control is combined with a Hi Gain switch for highly selective control
over the 12AX7 tube overdrive.
TONE CONTROLS
The BASS, MID, TREBLE, and PRESENCE use active circuits to create a
wide range of cut or boost from each control.
5-BAND MASTER EQ
The X-100B features a five band graphic EQ that is assignable to the Lead
or Rhythm channel. An extreme amount of control is available here, allow-
ing you to define your sound in a way not available on most amps.
SWITCHABLE EFFECT LOOP
The X-100B features a switching effect loop for true bypass of effects.
CUSTOM REVERB
The X-100B reverb is custom designed for a full, natural sound. The “long tail”
switching system turns off only the send to let the reverb to decay without being
cut off.
POWER AMP CONTROL
The RMS POWER switch not only reduces maximum output, but also lets you
drive the power amp into saturation at lower volumes while using all four tubes.
GIVE YOURSELF A BOOST OR KEEP IT QUIET
The Master volume control can be configured as a variable volume Boost,
available by footswitch. When engaged, it will boost your amp’s output by
up to 9dB for solos or any time you need to stand out in the mix. The footswitch
will MUTE the amp in Master mode, allowing you to switch guitars quietly.
76-22100A 0308
EL34 POWER TUBES
Your amp is equipped with EL34 power tubes because of their powerful output
and responsive tone. The characteristics of these power tubes respond to
the wide dynamic range of guitar playing. If you play soft the tubes remain
clean and if you increase your attack they respond accordingly.
HIGH IMPEDANCE GUITAR INPUT
Carvin has long known about the effects of miss-loading a guitar pickup, which
can cause high frequency loss. The X-100B guards against this loss with its
high input impedance. We also considered the capacitance of the average
shielded guitar cable which can reduce the high frequency response of your
guitar pickups. Careful component layout and lead placement control oscilla-
tions and noise without extra capacitance in the circuit, allowing shimmering
highs to be reproduced faithfully.
For your records, you may wish to record the following information.
Serial No._____________________ Invoice Date_______________
RECEIVING INSPECTION—read before getting started
INSPECT YOUR AMP FOR DAMAGE which may have occurred during shipping.
If damage is found, please notify the shipping company and CARVIN immediately.
SAVE THE CARTON & ALL PACKING MATERIALS. In the event you have to re-
ship your unit, always use the original carton and packing material. This will provide
the best possible protection during shipment. CARVIN and the shipping company are
not liable for any damage caused by improper packing.
SAVE YOUR INVOICE. It will be required for warranty service if needed in the future.
SHIPMENT SHORTAGE. If you find items missing, they may have been shipped
separately. Please allow several days for the rest of your order to arrive before inquir-
ing.
RECORD THE SERIAL NUMBER on the enclosed warranty card or below on
this manual for your records. Keep your portion of the card and return the portion
with your name and comments to us.
12340 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128
(800) 854-2235 www.carvin.com
c
12340 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128
(800) 854-2235 www.carvin.com
c
This symbol is intended to
alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated
“dangerous voltage” within
the product’s enclosure that may be of
sufficient magnitude to constitute a
risk of electric shock to persons.
FS-44L FUNCTIONS AND LED’S
FS-22 FUNCTIONS
SWITCH
LED ON
LED OFF
A. CHANNEL
| LEAD
| RHYTHM
B. REVERB
| REVERB ON
| REVERB OFF
C. EFFECTS
| LOOP ON
| LOOP OFF
D. BOOST mode* | BOOST ON
| BOOST OFF
D. MUTE mode* | AMP ON
| AMP MUTED
* BOOST or MUTE MODE is changed with the “FS BOOST”
switch on the front panel of the amp.
SWITCH
FUNCTION
SELECT
LEAD / RHYTHM
REVERB/EFFECTS
REVERB ON / REVERB OFF
X-212B combo (two 12” speakers)
X-100B head
A
C
D
B