TONE CONTROLS
The T-Bridge passive BASS, MID and TREBLE tone controls offer a wide range of tone settings. Take
full advantage by setting them where they sound best. Your sound may not be at center (5 on the
dial). Instead, the treble and bass may need to be at 10 while the mid control at 0 (or) the treble at 1
and the bass at 10 depending dual or single coil pickups. The greater range of these controls comes
from the high impedance 1 meg sealed pots (most guitar amps use 250k pots). The frequency of the
bass control is set at 80 Hz while the mid control is set at 650 Hz. The treble control is set at a very
high 11k Hz giving the VINTAGE TUBE SERIES it’s dynamic highs.
REVERB
The FS22 footswitch for the long tailed REVERB system in the VINTAGE TUBE SERIES switches
only the reverb send leaving the tail of the reverb to decay naturally, the way it’s done in the studio.
A special pre filter eliminates the spring “boing” normally heard in other systems, giving it a lush
sound. The reverb system offers vibrant clarity with full depth reminiscent of the sixties tube amps.
(Switching function on 50 watt models only.)
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 ship-
ment. 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 inquiring.
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.
GETTING STARTED QUICKLY
FIRST, SET THE REAR 120V/240V AC SWITCH FOR THE PROPER AC VOLTAGE.
If you are like most players, you probably want to plug in your new amp and get started playing it right
away. You can read the rest of the manual later to learn the finer points of operating your amp. To get
started you will need your VINTAGE TUBE SERIES amp, a 120 or 240 AC grounded power outlet, your
instrument and a standard guitar cord. If you have the VT16 or VT50 head, you will also need a speaker
and speaker cable. Set the Speaker Ohms switch for the speaker you are using.
After checking the rear AC VOLTAGE switch, set Power and Standby switches to OFF and plug into
an AC voltage source.
Now turn all Volume controls to “0” and set Drive and Tone controls to the “5” center position. If
you have the FS22 foot switch (50-watt models), plug it into the rear foot switch jack for switching
the channels and reverb. Note: The channel SELECT switch must be selected for channel 1 for the
FS22 to function.
Now, turn the POWER switch ON and allow a few minutes for the tubes to warm up. For 50-watt
models, turn on the STANDBY switch. Gradually raise the Volume control, adjust the Drive and
Tone controls and you are ready to go. If you feel your amp is malfunctioning turn the Power OFF
and check all connections and settings. Occasionally tubes are damaged or loosened in shipping.
CARVIN ENGINEERING DATA
OPERATING MANUAL
VT16, VINTAGE16 SPECS:
RMS Power:
16/5 watts
Output Imp:
8 ohm, 16 ohm, or Silent Mode
Input Imp:
100,000 ohms
Tone Controls:
BASS: 80Hz
MID: 600-700Hz
TREBLE: 11kHz
Sensitivity:
16mV for full output
Voiced Line Out:
approx -23dB from Speaker Out
Preamp Tubes:
2 - 12AX7’s (dual stage)
Power Tubes:
2 - EL84’s
AC Power:
120/240VAC, 60VA, 50-60Hz
Fuse:
1A 250V slow blow, 5 x 20mm
VT16 head:
16W x 8.25H x 8.5”D, 18 lbs.
406 x 200 x 235mm, 8.2 kg.
Vintage16 (112):
16W x 18H x 8.5”D, 34 lbs.
406 x 447 x 235mm, 15.4 kg.
Combo Speaker:
One 12”
Carvin GT12
or
optional
Celestion
™
Vintage 30
Cabinet:
7-ply hardwood, open back
Warranty:
One Year
Options:
CV3MC
cover (combo)
112E
1x12” Extention Speaker
212E
2x12” Extention Speaker
Custom Vinyl Coverings
VT50, NOMAD & BELAIR SPECS:
RMS Power:
50 watts
Output Imp:
4, 8 or 16 ohm
Input Imp:
100,000 ohms
Tone Controls:
BASS: 80Hz
Both Channels
MID: 600-700Hz
TREBLE: 11kHz
Channels:
2 - switching
Ch 1 Sensitivity:
1mV for clipping
Ch 2 Sensitivity:
16mV for full output
Voiced Line Out:
approx -23dB from Speaker Out
Preamp Tubes:
4 - 12AX7’s (dual stage)
Power Tubes:
4 - EL84’s
AC Power:
120/240VAC, 210VA, 50-60Hz
Fuse:
3A 250V slow blow, 5 x 20mm
VT50 head:
22.5W x 9.5H x 10.25”D, 28 lbs.
571 x 248 x 260mm, 12.7 kg.
Nomad 112:
19.5W x 17.75H x 10.25”D, 42 lbs.
495 x 447 x 260 mm, 19 kg.
BelAir 212:
26W x 17.75H x 10.25”D, 55 lbs.
660 x 447 x 260 mm, 25 kg.
Combo Speakers:
One or Two 12”
Carvin GT12
or
optional
Celestion
™
Vintage 30
Cabinet:
7-ply hardwood, open back
Warranty:
One Year
Options:
CV3200, CV211, CV3212
covers
FS22
footswitch
112E
1x12” Extention Speaker
212E
2x12” Extention Speaker
76-10302E 0811
12340 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128
800.854.2235 carvin.com
For your records, you may wish to record the following information.
Serial No._____________________ Invoice Date_______________
212 Bel Air™
VT50/NOMAD/BELAIR & VT16/VINTAGE16 GUITAR AMPS
Congratulations on your purchase of the VINTAGE TUBE SERIES all tube amplifier.
Carvin has been building tube guitar amplifiers since 1949. They have been used by top
professionals like; Joe Walsh, Chet Atkins, Jeff Beck, James Burton, Jorma Kaukonen,
and many other great musicians. You will discover that these amplifiers represent a
significant sound improvement over conventional tube amplifiers. Spend time with your
new amp and get to know it’s many sounds.
TECHNICAL DESIGN OF THE VINTAGE TUBE SERIES
The VINTAGE TUBE SERIES has a 100% tube signal path - no IC’s, FET’s or transistors. The design
criteria was to build an all-tube guitar amp that sounded better than anything else on the market.
This meant that the VINTAGE TUBE SERIES was going to be totally new from the ground up and
that it was going to be an all tube design.
DYNAMIC EL84 POWER TUBES
Premium EL84 power tubes are selected for their excellent saturation and power soak charac-
teristics. EL84’s are used for their ideal transconductance delivering a tight bottom and soft drive
with superior definition.
HIGH IMPEDANCE GUITAR INPUT
Carvin has long known about the effects of miss-loading a guitar pickup which can cause high
frequency loss. The VINTAGE TUBE SERIES guards against this loss with its ultra high input
impedance. Also, we considered the capacitance of the average shielded guitar cable which can
reduce the high frequency response of your guitar pickups. Unlike other amplifiers, we purposely
avoided adding capacitance anywhere in the preamp to control high frequency oscillations. Instead,
we controlled oscillations through careful component layout and lead placement allowing its
shimmering highs to be reproduced.
CLEAN AND SOAK CHANNELS
The equalization of the clean and soak channels is designed to offer clarity to your instrument.
Special mud-cutting circuits reduce levels in the 500 to 700 Hz range which normally cause loss
of tone defintion. You will also take notice of the clean channel rear PRESENCE control (50w
models) which adds acoustic voicing to your instrument. This control boosts only the guitar’s very
highest harmonics which are in the 10kHz range instead of the normal 3K Hz of a bright switch.
Nomad 112™
c
Vintage 16™
VT50™
VT16™
