Custom Shop 50

Custom Shop 50

Our goal from the very beginning was to build a combo, which could compete with the best on the market, in headroom, response and power. Unlike, other boutique amp's on the market, the Custom Shop 50 can handle high gain overdrive pedals without breaking up. It has the necessary headroom, dynamic response and feel through the full tonal spectrum, from subtle blues and county to high gain rock and heavy metal.

The amp pictured is covered in black tolex with a tan grill cloth,- gold piping,- gold vent grill and cream chickenhead knobs. It can be made with a variety of different tolex, grill cloth, piping and vent grill's upon request. Our amps will be all tube and hand wired point to point using only the highest quality components.

The Custom Shop 50 features:
KT66 tubes, 2x12" Celestion Vintage 30 speakers, 50W class AB,- 34W class A, Selectable rectifier tube, Large reverb tank, Bright switch, Gain-Bass, Middle, High, Master, Reverb controls and Reverb remote switch.

When you order your Custom Shop 50 you can freely make your own combination of a number of different Tolex and Grill Cloth, together with either Black or Cream chickenhead knob's and White or Gold piping.

Reviews

Product: Carl Martin Custom Shop 50 212 Combo
Price Paid: 27000 (South African Rands)
Submitted 08/23/2005 at 01:19pm by Thomas Selmer-Olsen

Features : 10

Point-to-point handwired, single channel all valve amp. Switchable rectifier, switchable Class A/AB, valve driven reverb, 2 celestion vintage 30 speakers, KT66 power tubes. Controls: Bright switch, input gain, bass, middle, treble, master volume, reverb. Effects loop (series) switchable impedance, external speaker out.

This amp is everything I have ever wanted in a 2x12 combo!!

Sound Quality : 10

First off, this amp continues to amaze me, this is the best sounding amplifier I have ever heard!! Have tested it side by side with: Fender Vibro King, an early sixties AC30, a '67 Fender deluxe, a '68 Fender Twin, assorted Mesa Boogies, the current fender Hotrod series( not bad amps for use with pedals) and every model of Marshall with a JCM in front. This amp smokes them all, the most transparent, warm, high fidelity sound I have ever heard. The Carr Rambler comes pretty close, but is not as versatile...

Right... This amp has been designed to NOT distort in the preamp stage. The fine folks at Carl Martin wanted to design an amp that would be able to take the high input gain of their "Hot Drive & Boost" pedals. As a result, you get glorious power tube saturation without that "squashed" preamp tube sound.

There are 3 basic sound I use with this amp, and I'll rate each separately.

1. Clean - set amp to class A, rectifier to valve, bright switch engaged. This tone is just ridiculous - I will never play ANY Fender again - tops are super bright, but never harsh, even at extreme volumes. But it's only when you plug into any other amp that you realise just how good this is - everything else sounds harsh and hurts in comparison. But it's the low end that amazes me - rich, full and detailed, but never muddy, though when you crank to master volume it does mellow. This tone deserves a 10, but I'd give it higher if I could. (The reverb is unreal as well, almost as good as the Fender outboard units)

2. Blues. Set amp to class A, rectifier to valve, bright switch off. CRANK MASTER ABOVE 3'o CLOCK!!!! It's the BEANO album!!! With my PRS custom 22, this setting just sings, cries and wails. You do need an overdrive to push it over the top, but the results are mind blowing. Loud as hell too, but heres the best part.... Roll you guitar's volume knob back... And the clean to everything in between is so defined!!! Every note remains dynamic, even with massive saturation, the amp never seems to compress your sound, the tone is just so open.
10! 10! 10!

3. High Gain. Switch amp to Class AB, rectifier to diode, bright switch off. USE A HIGH GAIN PEDAL. Set input gain to 9 'o clock. This setting retains a tight, responsive low end, excellent headroom and rich, detailed eq. The only drawback is you have to use a pedal, but I have any better results with this setting than ANY marshall I've owned. This won't replace a 50 watt plexi head, and I have a cornford hellcat on my wishlist, but it certainly smokes the Mesa rectifiers IMO. ( I found the recifiers too harsh, loud as hell though)
This gets an 8 for the use of a pedal, but it is still awesome.

I've gigged for 2 months with this amp, it is just so rich and full, sits perfectly in the mix, but fills in all the gaps at the same time. Set the amp to AB, put the master volume to 10 o clock and watch you drummer smile!!!

Reliability : No Opinion

Haven't owned it long enough to know - The folks at Carl Martin claim it is made from the finest components. Time will tell...

Customer Support : 8

Carl Martin have always been super helpful, but shipping your gear to Denmark for repairs is a pain!!!

Overall Rating : 10

This is the most versatile, best sounding amp I have ever heard!!! It sings with any good guitar and player. I Love everything about it, although I do want to get a Cornford HellCat for the heavier stuff.
If lost or stolen I would certainly replace it. My only conplaint is that I want two of them!! Not cheap at all, but worth every cent and then some. You very much get what you pay for.

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Product: Carl Martin Custom Shop 50 212 Combo
Price Paid: 19000 (Dkr)
Submitted 12/15/2005 at 01:53am by Aygosoundplayer

Features : 9

I was looking for a new amp, just bought a Plexitone for my Marshall and found this on their site, and bought one.
I also saw the prototype at Franfurt and heard it briefly and could not wait to get one.
An one channel and one input MV amp, bright switch, bass, middle, treble and reverb.
Swithces for Class "A" mode and A/B, silicone rectifier or tube rectifier.
50 watts combo with KT-66 output tubes.
Two V30 Celestion speakers.
And a long tank reverb.

Sound Quality : 10

I have a few others highend amps, and some good classics too.
This one is defently highend, it is almost like a super JTM45 in some ways.
It has big round bottom, and the mids have a very wide sweep, lots of nice soft highs, very pleasent but still with enough precense, use the bright and it can get you those cut your head off tones that some like for blues and some funky stuff.
I have used for a few jobs now, playing some cover rock stuff, used both the Class A and A/B plus with and without the tube rectifier, both setups worked great.
It fitted very good in the band, one of the jobs required some more focused highgain playing, so I brought along my old Marshall cab with 4 30 watts greenbacks, both as a combo and "head" it worked very well.
With the four 12's it had a very focused and extremely fat sound, no mud or flabby lows, just that round huge bottomend and very woddy mids, dialed enough highs to make it cut well.
It is a pedal friend for sure, no wonder??
The cleans, well very rich and full, like a cross between an old Marshall and a Fender BF style amp, lots of depth in this amp.
You can set it to alot of useable sounds, it could go from chime to very fat and full, and about everything between.
As a combo it is quite versatile and covers alot of ground, it has pleasent personality and you can play and play and feel good about it.
When used as a head with a closedbackcab, it ads even more dimensions to its useage.
I think that I will order a head, when I have a robbed a bank or two that is.
It is an amp meant for clean sounds, you can get it to drive with the four 12 cab, but that is not what it was designed for, it is a clean base, and it can get you that very nice tube crispy sound with fatness to spare.
CM deserve a spot in the highend of ampdom, this one is an outstanding amp with loads of flexibility for the experinced player, even a newcomer would feel comfortable with this one.
One of my young students loved it from the first sight, had no trouble dialing himself into a prefered sound.
In the Class A mode and with the tuberectifier it is still a loud but mannageable amp, the tone is spongy and very pleasent, lovely sag and caresses your notes with a ring of warmth, and you can set it to play low and still get very nice sounds.
In A/B and with the silicon rectifier it tightends up and gets more bite, but still it can retain the inherited warmth and pleasent soft highs, and works great from low levels to earsplitting levels, it can be a very loud 50 watts amp for sure.
I am so happy that I bought this amp, and the wait was worth it.
My guitars are a Gibson with M?rch pickups, one EJ Strat, a Customshop Ashbody Tele, one Kramer Baretta from 84, A Charvel San Dimas strat with one humbucker, Tokai 335 with SD Seth Lovers, and a few others pleasent companions.

Reliability : 10

It is build on old solid traditions, very clean and solid amp, outstanding quality!
Has not given me a single worry until now.
And I expect no troubles, and it will be well cared for.

Customer Support : 10

Talked to S?ren Jongberg and mailed him a few times, always polite and attentive, very pleasent and down to earth company!

Overall Rating : 9

I have played for 23 years, and this is one great amp, right up there with a few classics and other boutique amps.
They did a very good and thoughtful job of this amp, just an addition the top does not come with a reverb.
But it is of no matter.
For those who want a very good workhouse allround amp of a very high quality, then this one will get the job done.
The KT-66's gives it something very special, there is no excuses at this end, it is just a matter of taste.
And this one is defently my taste.

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Product: Carl Martin Custom Shop 50 212 Combo
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 03/10/2008 at 10:52am by Soren J

Features : 10

I`ve just purchased a Carl Martin Custom 50 combo in a very sexy lookin creme colour
and it`s a VERY good sounding amp. One channel - very simple layout and just pure and
sweet sounding tone. A switch for Class A (34w) or A/B (50w) and diode or rectifier tube and a large reverb with remote on/off.
It sounds a bit like a cross between a blackface Fender and an old Marshall.

Sound Quality : 10

Im playin old 60` tele/strats and a 57 Les Paul and is the proud owner of a beige Vox from
the early 60` and a white Marshall head from 69 and im so happy with the Carl Martin amp
because it replaces my former live setup with 2 amps and it does it so well.

Reliability : 9

It looks like it`s gonna last my time out - it`s a very nice piece of work.

Customer Support : 10

Very good support and people that cares about their products and customers.

Overall Rating : 10

I`ve been playin for 37 years (oh lord!!) and i love my new amp.
I`ve tried Matchless and Bad Cat amps (also very nice amps - for studio work) and lots of vintage stuff and what i like about the CM Custom 50, is the way it handles overdrive/distortion pedals. It`s in my opinion one of the best amps for playin live with a clean amp and pedals. I would not hesitate to buy an other, if stolen.

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