Carol Ann Amps - Thread XVII

[rawkguitarist]

Probably power tubes going south. Even when you are playing softly, all the tubes are getting the full plate voltage. It still causes wear. Also make sure if you are using the loop that you have good cables and connections.

Yeah, that's what I was hoping. And I just looked, I don't have an old box of 6L6's with a date on them. So I think these are the tubes Alan put in it in 2016.

BTW, yup my Tucana 3 runs 6L6's for anyone interested(6V6's and EL34's too).

 

[jsboswell]

Anyone seen their custom CA speakers yet?
I know of one person who said he got his a couple of weeks ago.

I was sent a UPS tracking number by Alan...but after almost 3 weeks...
...the tracking still only shows..."Ready for UPS"...and nothing more.

I don't get why Alan would go so far as to box up the speaker, provide a tracking number...and then not ship it out...???
I emailed him a couple of times since, asking what's up with the UPS tracking...no response yet.

Wondering if anyone else has gotten their speaker...or the tracking info, but never shipped...?

I received my speaker a little over a week ago.

 

[tweedphan]

I received my speaker a little over a week ago.

Excellent. Good for you and hopefully good news for us.

 

[Miroslav L]

I received my speaker a little over a week ago.

OK...then you're the second person who I know got his...but I have no idea why my shipment never got off the ground.
I'm even more unclear why Alan simply doesn't respond to any emails after the one he sent me with the UPS tracking...over 3 weeks ago...?
The communication difficulty is becoming frustrating. I don't want to feel like I'm being a PITA by sending a new email every so often asking what happened...but at the same time there's a point where having the patience to wait endlessly...runs out.

C'mon Alan...let's wrap this up please.

 

[jsboswell]

OK...then you're the second person who I know got his...but I have no idea why my shipment never got off the ground.
I'm even more unclear why Alan simply doesn't respond to any emails after the one he sent me with the UPS tracking...over 3 weeks ago...?
The communication difficulty is becoming frustrating. I don't want to feel like I'm being a PITA by sending a new email every so often asking what happened...but at the same time there's a point where having the patience to wait endlessly...runs out.

C'mon Alan...let's wrap this up please.

Miroslav,
I'm as sorry for your frustrations re: Alan's responsiveness as I am for everyone else's. To be honest, even though I love the Carol-Ann amps I've owned, the experiences over the last couple years have soured me forever on the brand. I've been waiting for this speaker to arrive so I could install it in my OD-50 MkII combo and sell it with the CA speaker. It'll go "on the block" soon and I'll move on to another amp chapter. Hope you receive your speaker(s) asap.

 

[In Absentia]

I’m sorry you folks are going through it. I do hope it all gets sorted for you. I liked my Trip 2 and almost got in the speaker list. Wish I’d have had the two together.

 

[Miroslav L]

Miroslav,
I'm as sorry for your frustrations re: Alan's responsiveness as I am for everyone else's. To be honest, even though I love the Carol-Ann amps I've owned, the experiences over the last couple years have soured me forever on the brand. I've been waiting for this speaker to arrive so I could install it in my OD-50 MkII combo and sell it with the CA speaker. It'll go "on the block" soon and I'll move on to another amp chapter. Hope you receive your speaker(s) asap.

I still love my CA amps, and have no plans to sell them...their quality and value stands on its own...
...but I can't deny that Alan has allowed a few lingering unfulfilled obligations to tarnish both the Carol Ann name...and more importantly, his own image, to responsibly fulfill those obligations in a timely manner.
I've said it to Alan...he's done it to himself, no one else is at fault.

I think everyone that is still owed something by Alan has been more than patient and understanding of all the explanations that have been given, but you know...at some point things need to come to closure.
I just want to move on...and the more this lingers, it just breeds bad feelings, which is not how I want it to go.

 

[pete12string]

I must say that regardless of the issues that arose over the last year or so, I agree that Carol-Ann amps are some of the finest sounding, well built amps I have ever seen. The quality and tone of my British Series 67-18C is extraordinary. I actually bought 2 - one for home and one to leave at a friend’s house for jams.

 

[In Absentia]

I must say that regardless of the issues that arose over the last year or so, I agree that Carol-Ann amps are some of the finest sounding, well built amps I have ever seen. The quality and tone of my British Series 67-18C is extraordinary. I actually bought 2 - one for home and one to leave at a friend’s house for jams.

I love the tone. I can’t say much about build quality (not an expert by any means), but what I did see looked well-done to my untrained eye. I really wish things would have turned out different for Alan and the company. The clean on the Trip2 was gorgeous.

 

[rawkguitarist]

Probably power tubes going south. Even when you are playing softly, all the tubes are getting the full plate voltage. It still causes wear. Also make sure if you are using the loop that you have good cables and connections.

I had some old JAN Phillips 6L6WGB's in the tube box. Put them in and AutoBias'd them up. So far no noise and I've been playing it for a while today. Man... that AutoBiasMon is so awesome.

By the way... yes it sucks Alan has soured many people. I don't want the legacy of his/these amazing amps, the best available IMO, to be solidified in the negativity created in the end.

 

[Jonathan]

I had some old JAN Phillips 6L6WGB's in the tube box. Put them in and AutoBias'd them up. So far no noise and I've been playing it for a while today. Man... that AutoBiasMon is so awesome.

By the way... yes it sucks Alan has soured many people. I don't want the legacy of his/these amazing amps, the best available IMO, to be solidified in the negativity created in the end.

Thanks for the update - my Trip-R started doing the exact same thing last week. Sounds like I need to grab a pair of EL34s to see if that's the issue. I know the bottles in it right now are original from 2013. This thread has been a great source of info given that these amps have been out of production for quite awhile.

 

[ZMoney]

Hello everyone
I bought a Tucana 3 off of the emporium here a few months ago and I've been loving it so far. Overflowing midrange with clear treble and tight, natural bass. Anyway, I've been using a 1x12 Sebago Sound cab with it and I'm thinking of upgrading to perhaps a 2x12.

What sorts of cabinets and speakers have y'all found to work well with the Tucana 3?

 

[244300]

What sorts of cabinets and speakers have y'all found to work well with the Tucana 3?

Congrats on grabbing a Tucana 3! I have the 3R myself and I’ve used it with both open back 112 and 212 cabinets from Carol Ann which I understand to be built by MojoTone. You see them come up in the emporium on TGP and on Reverb from time to time. Humbucker Music probably still has some unloaded 112s for about $400. I think just about any cabinet should work well for you and you’ll find there are a wide range of opinions about people’s favorite cabinet. If you dig back through this thread, you’ll see that range. I see Mather, Stone Age, Avatar and others recommended all the time. Mesa makes great cabinets too. Used cabinets are often a forgiving purchase locally on Craigslist.

From a speaker prospective, the kind of music you play will have a big bearing. Without knowing that, I’d still look at an EVM-12L. It’ll really let the character of the circuit shine through. Celestions will have a little more character and a Redback or pair of Creambacks would work great. The secret speaker sauce around these parts for that old Celestion Greenback vibe are Scumback speakers. Lots of guys with CA amps rave about their speakers. I know I joined the club recently. Jim offers a few different models with wattages running from 25-100 watts and a 55 or 75 hz bass response. They all come broken-in which is a nice touch. M75s seems to be the most common call and many will mix two speakers in a 212. M75/H75 is common and what I choose. If you complete the form at @Scumback Speakers then Jim can tailor a recommendation.

Alan didn’t recommend a specific cabinet or speaker on the product page for the amp.

Carol-Ann Amplifiers Tucana 3

Carol-Ann Tucana 3 Model guitar amplifier. 3 Channel all hand built. 75W/130W

www.carolannamps.com

 

[ZMoney]

Congrats on grabbing a Tucana 3! I have the 3R myself and I’ve used it with both open back 112 and 212 cabinets from Carol Ann which I understand to be built by MojoTone. You see them come up in the emporium on TGP and on Reverb from time to time. Humbucker Music probably still has some unloaded 112s for about $400. I think just about any cabinet should work well for you and you’ll find there are a wide range of opinions about people’s favorite cabinet. If you dig back through this thread, you’ll see that range. I see Mather, Stone Age, Avatar and others recommended all the time. Mesa makes great cabinets too. Used cabinets are often a forgiving purchase locally on Craigslist.

From a speaker prospective, the kind of music you play will have a big bearing. Without know that, I’d still look at an EVM-12L. It’ll really let the character of the circuit shine through. Celestions will have a little more of character and a Redback or pair of Creambacks would work great. The secret speaker sauce around these parts for that old Celestion Greenback vibe are Scumback speakers. Lots of guys with CA amps rave about their speakers. I know I joined the club recently. Jim offers a few different models with wattages running from 25-100 watts and a 55 or 75 hz bass response. They all come broken-in which is a nice touch. M75s seems to be the most common call and many will mix two speakers in a 212. M75/H75 is common and what I choose. If you complete the form at @Scumback Speakers then Jim can tailor a recommendation.

Alan didn’t recommend a specific cabinet or speaker on the product page for the amp.

Carol-Ann Amplifiers Tucana 3

Carol-Ann Tucana 3 Model guitar amplifier. 3 Channel all hand built. 75W/130W

www.carolannamps.com

Thanks for all the information! That's good to know that CA cabs are Mojotone. As for music, I play classic rock, blues, jazz and fusion mostly. Tone wise, I really like Duane Allman, Cream era Clapton, Santana, Eric Johnson, Larry Carlton etc. I also take inspiration from some sax players like Cannonball Adderley, Coltrane and the like. I am not looking to copy any of them exactly but those are the sorts of tones I'm into.

Thanks for the help!

 

[evanj69]

Regarding the OD-100 / OD-50 MkII TX-50 / TX-25 again ....

Can anyone tell me which is V1 / V2 / V3 / V4 ? and their function maybe.
I have a Custom OD-50 MkII, which is the same platform as the TX-50, but with updates.

I know the 12AU7 will be for the effects loop, but I really can’t find anything like owner's manual ....... anywhere
I don’t even know if Alan even had one for that series

 

[244300]

Regarding the OD-100 / OD-50 MkII TX-50 / TX-25 again ....

Can anyone tell me which is V1 / V2 / V3 / V4 ? and their function maybe.
I have a Custom OD-50 MkII, which is the same platform as the TX-50, but with updates.

I know the 12AU7 will be for the effects loop, but I really can’t find anything like owner's manual ....... anywhere
I don’t even know if Alan even had one for that series

I’ve got half a mind to create a Carol Ann fan website to document this stuff. I’m not savvy enough technically to do it on my own, but it’s something I’ve thought could be useful.

 

[evanj69]

That would be incredibly useful for people like me.
I came into the Carol-Ann thing, right at the time Alan had announced he was shutting down any new production.
Now ...... I'm looking for another CA, and detailed info on the amps

But I will say, I am really glad I got my custom order into him when I did. I love the amp ..... wished I could get him to do another (variation), but I don't see that in the cards at this time.

Maybe Alan will regroup, and start producing sometime down the road

 

[244300]

That would be incredibly useful for people like me.
I came into the Carol-Ann thing, right at the time Alan had announced he was shutting down any new production.
Now ...... I'm looking for another CA, and detailed info on the amps

But I will say, I am really glad I got my custom order into him when I did. I love the amp ..... wished I could get him to do another (variation), but I don't see that in the cards at this time.

Maybe Alan will regroup, and start producing sometime down the road

I’ve never talked with Alan and I couldn’t profess to know what he might do. I did buy eight Carol Ann heads in the past year and a half. IF some of the tech savvy folks here would chip in with accurate technical information, I might pony up the dough to get a domain, and post the content that would allow people to makes sense of their amp models.

This is a good example of what’s possible. It’s a fan site for Fender Master Series guitars from the 80s. I found it very useful.

Master Series Guitars

 

[evanj69]

It could also be e great place to trade / sell / buy a CA.
Wow ....... 8!!
What all do you have?

The OD-50 MrkII I have I love ...... really looking to add a REVO-1 MK-II (they don't seen to come up for sale often), or maybe a OD-50 / TX-50

 

[244300]

It could also be e great place to trade / sell / buy a CA.
Wow ....... 8!!
What all do you have?

The OD-50 MrkII I have I love ...... really looking to add a REVO-1 MK-II (they don't seen to come up for sale often), or maybe a OD-50 / TX-50

Three Revos
There ODs
Satin
Tucana

My favorite is the Revo 100 watt.

There a picture of the amp wall a couple months ago.

At a minimum, model, feature and basic technical info.