Carvin MTS 3200 as power amp?

[gregmarx7]

Hey guys,
I have the opportunity to snag a Carvin MTS 3200 head for only 250 bucks! Would this work as a good power amp for an axe fx? I'm currently using a rocktron velocity 300, which I like, but it sounds kind of weak at loud volumes, so I wanted to get a tube power amp.

What do you think?

 

[SnowfaLL]

I think it would work pretty good, going through the return. And its a very solid amp on its own right if you decide to use it without the axefx. Its arguably one of the best deals you can get for an amp with how cheap they are and have a great sound.

Remember, while the axefx is "made" to run FRFR; people still really like using tube amps with it. Didnt Bulb say he was recording the AxeFX-II into the return of a Peavey tube head for the latest Periphery album?? Lots of people do that; like Petrucci and Vai running their Axe-FX's into their Mark V's or Legacy (granted, I believe they are using mostly effects, but the few times Vai said he used the AFX modelling like on the Hendrix shows, he still ran it into the Legacy power section)

Its a very usable setup though, I play modellers through my Carvin x100b all the time when I want a little more "lively" sound than normal poweramps.. It may be a placebo effect but I find complete amps (preamp/poweramp together) sound beefier than a poweramp alone (with return loop), even though my x100b and Carvin T100 both use 6L6's and probably share some circuitry. The poweramp alone has its sound which I use for some things, but going into a full amp just gives that raw edge IMO

 

[gregmarx7]

Yeah, I figured it would work out fine. Would it provide any benefit to switch the stock 6l6 tubes to el34's?