GETTING STARTED QUICKLY
If you are like most players, you probably
want to plug in your new amp and get playing
right away. You can read the rest of the
manual later to learn the finer points of oper-
ating your amp. In order to get started you will
need your X-100B amp, a 120 (or 230) AC
grounded power outlet, your instrument, and
a standard guitar cord. If you have the X-100B
head version you will also need a speaker cord
and speaker cabinet.
Plug in your speaker and set the “SPEAKER
OHMS” switch to match your speaker. If you
have the FS44L footswitch, plug it into the rear
5-pin “FS44L” footswitch jack. Or, if you have
the FS22 footswitch, plug it into the rear 1/4
inch “FS22” footswitch jack. Turn all volume
controls off. With the amp turned off, you may
then plug it into the proper AC voltage.
Now, plug in your guitar and turn the POWER
(1 / 0) switch to ON ( 1 ). Wait 60 seconds or
more for the tubes to warm up, then turn the
STANDBY switch to OPERATE. The amp will
be ready to play in a few seconds. Gradually
raise the channel volume and master volume
controls and re-adjust the tone controls to
your liking. Please call if you feel your amp is
malfunctioning. Occasionally tubes are dam-
aged in shipping.
FRONT PANEL
1. POWER SWITCH ( 1 / 0 )
The POWER switch is to be utilized as the master
ON/OFF ( 1 / 0 ) switch. One of the two large RED
LED’s near the LEAD or RHYTHM controls will illu-
minate to indicate the power is ON.
2. STANDBY / OPERATE SWITCH
After turning the POWER switch ON, wait 60 sec-
onds or more for the tubes to warm up - then turn on
the STANDBY switch to OPERATE. When turning the
amp OFF, first turn the switch to STANDBY, then shut
off the POWER switch. Use the STANDBY switch if
you are taking a break. This turns the high voltage
off, increasing the life of your power tubes while keep-
ing the power and preamp tube filaments on for imme-
diate use.
3. EQ ASSIGNMENT SWITCH (LEAD/RHY)
Use this switch to select which channel (LEAD or
RHYTHM) is shaped by the GRAPHIC EQ.
4. GRAPHIC EQUALIZER
The GRAPHIC EQ is a powerful sound shaping
tool.Each fader controls up to18dB of boost (slide up)
or cut (slide down) for each of the 5 frequency ranges
labeled underneath .
Select the channel to be EQ’d with the EQ ASSIGN-
MENT switch (#3), LEAD or RHYTHM.
5. REVERB CONTROL
The X-100B has been custom designed with a lush,
natural sounding reverb system. Adjust the amount
of reverb with the REVERB control. Reverb can be
turned off by remote footswitch. Only the send is turned
off to allow the end of the reverb to decay without being
cut off.
6. ACTIVE TONE CONTROLS
To start, set the BASS, MID & TREBLE controls at
their center (5) position. These controls are to be set
according to the type of sound you want. For added
clarity, the PRESENCE controls only the highest guitar
harmonics in the 5kHz-10kHz range. Careful adjust-
ment with the TREBLE control makes this feature even
more useful.
7. FS BOOST SWITCH
This switch changes how the MASTER volume con-
trol works. With this switch OFF, the MASTER control
works normally. In the FS BOOST position, the volume
of the amp is set to maximum and the volume of the
amp will be set by the RHYTHM or LEAD controls only.
(see below for more)
8. MASTER VOLUME / BOOST LEVEL
FS BOOST switch OFF (DOWN): Use the MASTER
to change the overall volume level for the amp when
the FS BOOST switch is OFF. The FS44L can mute
the amp output while changing guitars or for quiet pas-
sages in the music when the guitar is not played The
red LED over the MASTER will turn OFF when the amp
is MUTED by the footswitch.
FS BOOST switch ON (UP): The MASTER is
bypassed, and the volume of the amp is controlled only
by the RHYTHM and LEAD settings. The MASTER
control is used to set an overall volume boost of up
to 9dB, activated by the FS44L footswitch. The red
LED over the MASTER will indicate the BOOST is ON.
Try using the FS BOOST with the RMS POWER fea-
ture! (#18)
9. CHANNEL SWITCH
In the DOWN position, the RHYTHM channel is
selected for open, clean sounds with lots of headroom.
In the UP position, the LEAD channel is selected for
overdriven sounds with tube harmonics and sustain.
The channel can also be changed by footswitch.
Leave the switch in the UP position when using the
footswitch. The LEDs near the LEAD or RHYTHM con-
trols indicate which channel is selected.
10. LEAD VOLUME
When the LEAD channel is active, the volume is
adjusted with the LEAD control.
11. GAIN SWITCH
The GAIN switch changes the gain structure of the
LEAD channel:
OFF (DOWN)- with the DRIVE control, go from a
bluesy breakup to a dynamic crunch overdrive.
GAIN (UP)- increases the amount of drive available,
allowing thick distortion harmonics.
12. DRIVE CONTROL
As the DRIVE is turned up, tube harmonics and sus-
tain are increased. The GAIN switch (#11) also affects
the drive.
For textured harmonics with mild tube overdrive, turn
the DRIVE control below “4”. For increased harmon-
ics and more tube saturation, set the control between
4 & 6. For full blown distortion turn on the GAIN switch
and set the DRIVE control between 7 and 10 (your
guitar volume should be turned all the way up).
The amount of overdrive you can get from the amp
is also affected by the pickups in your guitar. Output
levels vary from model to model, and single coil pick-
ups generally have less output than dual coil humbuck-
ers.
Because the X-100B has been “Hot Rodded” with
so much gain, you may encounter feedback. If feed-
back is a problem, reduce the DRIVE or move the guitar
to the side or away from the speaker(s).
13. RHYTHM VOLUME
When the RHYTHM channel is active, the volume is
adjusted with the RHYTHM control.
14. BRIGHT SWITCH
The BRIGHT switch adds high end to the preamp, invit-
ing high frequencies to ring out more easily.
15. GUITAR INPUT
A standard 1/4” input jack feeds the signal from your
guitar to the amp. Use a professional quality guitar
cord no longer than 25 feet. Typical cable capacitance
should be under 50pf—the longer the cord, the greater
the capacitance (you can measure this with a capac-
itance meter). A long cable with high capacitance will
reduce the overall treble response from your pickups.
REAR PANEL
16. SPEAKER OUTPUT JACKS
Two 1/4” SPEAKER JACKS are featured to operate
several speaker systems at the same time. Calculate
the total speaker impedance based on parallel wiring
as the speaker jacks are wired in parallel. Select the
IMPEDANCE SWITCH for the correct impedance.
17. SPEAKER OHMS (IMPEDANCE) SWITCH
The IMPEDANCE SWITCH offers the selection of 4
ohm, 8 ohm or 16 ohm to match your speaker system.
The correct setting for two 16 ohm speakers or cab-
inets would be 8 ohms. The correct setting for two 8
ohm speakers or cabinets would be 4 ohms. Select
the proper impedance. (see IMPEDANCE CHART at
the top of this page)
18. RMS POWER SWITCH
The 3-position RMS POWER switch reduces the 100watt
output of the amp down to 50 or 25 watts, while still using
all four output tubes. Lower settings will allow the great
sound and
feel
of the tube power amp being over-
driven, but at lower volume levels. For maximum output
power and headroom set the switch to 100watts. For
early power amp saturation move this switch to
50watts. Setting this switch to 25watts can change the
sound dramatically if desired, by turning up the MASTER
or using the FS BOOST (#7) to produce even more
power amp overdrive!
19. POWER TUBE BIAS SWITCH
If you desire to change from EL34 to 5881(6L6GC)
power tubes, you may do so by selecting the exter-
nal BIAS switch to the 5881/6L6GC position on the
rear panel. Be sure that this switch is set to the proper
position or excessive heat will damage your tubes. The
amp should be re-biased when replacing the output
tubes.
*
CAUTION!
- The presence of high voltage inside tube
amps can cause death or serious injury!
Tube amp biasing should be performed by a quali-
fied technician. Do not attempt if you are unsure of your
ability to perform this operation safely. To set the bias,
measure the current across the terminals of the
STANDBY switch (set the switch to STANDBY when
the amp is ON). With internal trim control P10, set the
idle current to 100 mA DC for all tube types.
20. LINE OUT
The LINE OUT jack is a fully balanced XLR output
for connecting to power amps or mixers without the
need for a direct box. All power amp dynamics are
captured in this signal, including the RMS POWER set-
ting. The output level is more than adequate to drive
any professional mixer or power amp. A speaker load
must be connected at all times while using the amp.
21. EFFECTS LOOP
The EFFECTS LOOP is a standard
series
loop. This
means it sends all signals through your processor. To
use the EFFECTS LOOP, plug the INPUT of your
effects into the SEND jack and the OUTPUT of your
effects into the RETURN jack. Use shielded cables, not
speaker cables. Adjust the processor’s MIX setting to
your liking. If your processor has a “Direct signal
ON/OFF” setting, it is usually better to turn it ON.
22. LOOP LEVEL
The LOOP LEVEL switch allows the X-100B to acco-
modate a variey of devices. If the input of your
processor is being overloaded, use a lower setting.
If you are getting excess noise from your processor,
try the 0 or +4 setting. 0dB is typical for most appli-
cations.
23. FS44L FOOTSWITCH JACK
Use only the Carvin FS44L (recommmended) or
Carvin FS44. Other footswitches will not work.
* DO NOT use MIDI devices in this jack! *
24. FS22 FOOTSWITCH JACK
The switches on the FS22 footswitch control the chan-
nel selection and reverb. Most foot pedals with 2
switches, a stereo cord and plug will work. However,
Carvin’s FS22 is recommended because no rewiring
will be necessary.
25. AC POWER & FUSE
The detachable AC POWER
CORD supplied is designed to operate with one type
of voltage (the European 230V export model uses a
CEE-7 plug cord set). Check the rear power cord label
for the proper voltage. Make sure the cord is securely
inserted into the back of the unit. Plug the cord into
a grounded “3” prong” power source. No attempt
should ever be made to defeat or use the amp with-
out the ground connected.
The FUSE is located within the AC power cord recep-
tacle. If the amp does not turn on, unplug the amp
and check the fuse, AC power connection, your
speaker connection and all tubes. Replace the fuse
only with the same size and type.
5x20mm, 6A SLO-BLOW (3A SLOW BLOW for
240VAC)
If no problem is found and the fuse still blows, your
amp may need service.
HELP SECTION
A) FEEDBACK FROM THE LEAD CHANNEL
The X-100B may feedback when the VOLUME, DRIVE,
TREBLE and PRESENCE are turned all the way up. Like other
high-gain tube amps, this is normal. To help control feedback
and noise, reduce the DRIVE control, or move the guitar to
the side or away from the speakers.
B) TUBE REPLACEMENT GUIDE
It is not uncommon for tubes to malfunction during shipping.
If your amp is not working properly, please call or refer to the
following replacement guide.
1) The 12AX7A preamp tubes are the smaller of the two
kinds of tubes, and are located in the following order on
your chassis:V1, V2, V3. To start with, V1 is located clos-
est to the guitar input, near the output transformer.
Replace the tubes if your amp does not work or sounds
muddy or dull. V1 is the input tube and affects both chan-
nels. V2 is the main overdrive tube. Replace V3 if no output
is heard when putting a signal through the effect return.
2) If there is no output after replacing the preamp tubes, or
if the fuse blows, try replacing the EL34 output tubes. The
amp should be rebaised after replacing the output tubes.
3) If the amp stops working and the fuse is blown, turn the
amp off and try replacing the power tubes. One of these
tubes may have a short.
X-100B FRONT & REAR PANEL CONTROLS
1
2
7
3
4
10
24
19
17
18
16
6
5
9
12
13
15
20
21
22
23
25
8
11
14
SPEAKER
COMBINATION
OHMS
RESULT
SWITCH
SETTING
16 ohms & 16ohms
8
8
8 ohms & 8 ohms
4
4
8 ohms & 16 ohms*
5.33
4*
16 ohms & 4 ohms*
(do not use at 100w setting)
3.2
4*
CAUTION !
8 ohms & 4 ohms
(DO NOT USE)
2.66
DO NOT
USE !
4 ohms & 4 ohms
(DO NOT USE)
2
DO NOT
USE !
* Use CAUTION with these combinations.
When using 2 speakers with different imped-
ances, more power will go to the speaker with the
smaller impedance.
Ideal use of the 8&16 ohm combination would
be a 16ohm 2x12”cab and an 8ohm 4x12” cab.
If your speaker cabinet has a selector switch
this can help you match the impedance.
SPEAKER OHMS SWITCH
IMPEDANCE CHART