Review: Carvin X1 All-Tube Guitar Preamp Pedal

(Image credit: Carvin)

A guitar preamp can add new life to an amp by expanding an its tonal range, dynamics and performance. Even better is a versatile preamp like the Carvin X1 all-tube guitar preamp pedal that also sounds great on its own and can be used to drive a power amp for live performances or plugged directly into a recording system in the studio. While the Carvin X1 is packaged in a pedal format, it’s packed with features comparable to standalone multi-channel amps and professional preamp systems. When it comes to bang-for-the-buck and performance, the Carvin X1 is one of the most attractive preamps we’ve encountered recently.

FEATURES The X1 is designed to offer the tones and versatility of Carvin’s esteemed X-100B amplifier in a compact format, and as a result it’s packed with more features than many combo amps. The X1 is driven by two 12AX7 tubes that provide four gain stages to deliver everything from pristine clean tones to extreme high-gain distortion. Individual Rhythm and Lead channels provide instant access to two separate tones.

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Chris Gill

Chris is the co-author of Eruption - Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. He is a 40-year music industry veteran who started at Boardwalk Entertainment (Joan Jett, Night Ranger) and Roland US before becoming a guitar journalist in 1991. He has interviewed more than 600 artists, written more than 1,400 product reviews and contributed to Jeff Beck’s Beck 01: Hot Rods and Rock & Roll and Eric Clapton’s Six String Stories.