Carr The Viceroy Amp User manual

CARR AMPLIFIERS
OWNER’S MANUAL
Revised 22 Mar 2011

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The Viceroy Instructions
Thank you for purchasing a Carr Viceroy amplifier. The Viceroy model employs pure and
simple, classic 60’s American-style preamp circuits combined with output sections owing
more to the late 50’s. This unique blending yields very rich clean tones and chunky, smooth
overdrives. Using this classic circuit heritage as a springboard, we have refined and
innovated, creating unique circuits (Drive and Boost) which bring players new sonic
palettes. Also you will find the Viceroy works exceptionally well with pedals – staying
dimensional and bringing out the best from your guitar. Please take time to familiarize
yourself with this manual.
Volume – Adjusts the loudness of the amplifier. Clean sounds are generally at settings less
than 1 o’clock on the dial while higher settings yield more and more overdrive.
Treble – Varies the level of high frequencies from dark to bright.
Middle – Varies mid frequencies and is very influential in taking the tone from crystalline to
forward sounding. The Mid and Treble controls are interactive, so for the darkest sound, turn
both down; conversely, for the brightest sound, turn both up. The Mid control is also a
switching pot that engages the Boost function. See Boost below.
Boost – The Boost function increases midrange and gain. When the amp is set for a clean
sound, the boost will provide a large volume increase and thicken the tone for an immediate
and cutting lead or loud rhythm tone. When the amp is turned up for overdrive, the Boost
will provide a moderate increase in volume and add fantastic grind with a thick, smooth
compression. The Boost partially bypasses the tone stack so the tone controls will have little
effect when the boost is on.
The Boost can be activated in two ways: via the Mid control or the included footswitch.
Using the Mid control applies a fixed amount of boost to the signal, while using the
footswitch allows you to vary the amount of boost to suit your needs. To activate using the
Mid control, turn the Mid knob all the way down until the switch is engaged. To use the
footswitch, set the amp to Standby and plug the footswitch into the Footswitch Jack found
between the third and fourth preamp tubes (see Chassis Diagram). Return the amp to Play
mode and turn the Boost on and off via the foot button. The amount of Boost can be varied
using the knob on the footswitch. When the foot pedal is plugged in, the Mid control switch
is defeated.
Bass – Varies low end from lean to full. Generally, the louder you play the amp the less
Bass you will need as the amp sounds fuller and fuller as you turn up the Volume. To retain
clarity, it is best to turn the Bass down at high volumes.

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Reverb – Varies the amount of reverb from none to deep and lush.
Drive – The Drive control is somewhat like having a clean boost pedal in the middle of your
amp. As you turn up the control, the spank and punch of the amp is increased. The Drive
works by shunting a tone-shaped portion of your signal around the reverb circuit freeing a
great deal of gain and purity of sound. Moderate settings bring a twangy forward tilt while
higher settings send the amp into overdrive. The Drive control is after the Volume control
and tone circuit, so how they are set will affect the sound of the Drive signal. You can get
interesting tones by setting the amp’s Volume control low and turning the Drive up for a
very focused sound. With the Volume control set higher, the Drive adds clarity and snap.
33/7 watt Power Switch – The Viceroy has two output power levels. On the 33 watt setting,
the output tubes are configured in the most efficient circuit arrangement. This setting yields
the maximum punch and power. The 7 watt selection works well for home use and for when
you want to get output section overdrive at lower listening levels. Which is the most
appropriate will depend on the venue and on how much clean headroom you need for a
given volume.
Standby – Set the amp to Standby (switch baton down) before turning on the power switch
(see On-Off-On below). After 1 minute of warm up, switch the Standby baton up. The amp
is ready to be played. Using the Standby switch every time the amp is turned on will prolong
tube life.
On – Off – On – Selects between two ON positions and the OFF position (middle). The
two ON’s are wired in opposite phase of each other. If you receive a shock from another
piece of equipment (a microphone or another amp) that is not properly grounded, or if you
hear static, switching to the opposite ON may solve the problem. This is sometimes called
“switching polarity”.
Bottom Panel
Fuse – In the unlikely event that a tube fails, the amp is protected by a 1.5 Amp slow blow
fuse for 120v and 100v (North America and Japan) models or a 0.75 Amp slow blow fuse
for 220v and 240v (Europe and Asia) models. Please consult us or a qualified tech for
further instruction or assistance in the event of a fuse blowing. The fuse is located on the
bottom of the chassis by the power cord.
Speaker output jack – The speaker output jack is located between the power tubes on the
speaker side of the chassis (see Chassis Diagram). The Viceroy is designed to drive an 8
ohm load. Maximum power and tone will be realized when connected to an 8 ohm speaker
or cabinet. The speakers in Viceroy combos and extension cabinets are configured to
provide the amplifier with an 8 ohm load.

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The Viceroy will work with a 16 or 4 ohm cabinet with the following caveat - you will lose
a little power from the impedance mismatch, and the power tubes will have to work a bit
harder and thus age faster.
To run an external cabinet, turn the Viceroy OFF, unplug the internal speaker (combo amps)
and plug in the external cabinet’s speaker cord. Alternatively, a “Y” speaker cord can be
used to run an 8 ohm external cabinet along with the internal speaker(s) of a combo amp
without damage to the amp (the total impedance or speaker load in this case will be 4 ohms
– see the previous paragraph).
Damage will result from operating the Viceroy without a speaker load.
Footswitch Jack – The Boost can be turned on and off using the lighted footswitch included
with the Viceroy. The jack for the footswitch is on the bottom of the chassis between the
third and fourth preamp tubes (see Chassis Diagram). Plug in the footswitch while the amp
is off or in Standby, otherwise a loud pop will result. Connect the footswitch using the ¼"
stereo cable included with the Viceroy.
Biasing your Viceroy
The Viceroy is a cathode bias (self bias) amp and as such does not require a bias adjustment
when changing tubes. Please use well-matched pairs of output tubes for maximum clean
power; however, the unique design of the Viceroy output section allows use of unmatched
tube pairs as the amp tends to balance out tube differences. The Viceroy can only use pairs
of 6L6, 5881, or 7581A power tubes.
Carr Amplifiers selects and tests the finest current production tubes specifically for each
amplifier model. Caution should be used when buying replacement tubes from any dealer
who does not have a return policy as all tubes can have problems (NOS tubes are
susceptible to microphonics and failure too).

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Recommended Settings
Both of the Viceroy’s power levels will work well with the settings below. You can
overdrive the amp at lower listening levels when on the 7 watt setting, though the amp has
more overdrive potential and a somewhat fuller sound on the 33 watt position. In general,
humbucking pickups have more bass and volume output compared to single coil types. As
you try these settings you will need to tailor the tone controls to your guitar. For
humbuckers, less bass and less volume on the amp will keep your sound cleaner. The Mid
control is interactive with the Treble control so lower settings of the Mid will increase the
range of the Treble control from dark to bright sounding. In rooms with full bass response
you may like the amp sitting on a chair for better dispersion. Conversely, the amp will have
more low end when set on the ground and near the back walls of a room. Please use quality
guitar cables for the best tone.
Sound Volume Treble Mid Bass Reverb Drive Boost
Clean
Tones Off
Ambient
Clean Off
Pushed Mild
Overdrive
Off for
rhythm,
On for
lead
Discrete
Funk
Off for
rhythm,
On for
lead
Full Drive On

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Important Reminders
Please keep the original packing materials in case your amp
needs to be shipped for service.
When inserting power
tubes, the power tube key
must line up with the tube
socket keyway.
Do not insert power tubes
with missing or damaged
keys or pins.
When inserting preamp
tubes, the tube pins must
line up with the tube socket
holes.
Do not insert preamp tubes
with missing or damaged
pins.
To reduce the risk of electric shock, keep the unit away from
excess moisture.
No user serviceable parts inside.
Potentially lethal voltage present.

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CARR AMPLIFIERS WARRANTY
All Carr amplifiers are warranted to be free from defects in workmanship (solder
joints, hardware assembly etc.) for the lifetime of the original owner, and free from
defects in materials (including cabinet) for three years from the date of purchase by the
original owner, provided that:
The owner mails the signed warranty registration card (next page) and a copy of the
original sales receipt to Carr Amplifiers within thirty days of purchase.
Problems are not the result of misuse, abuse, tampering, circuit modification, improper
tube installation (incorrect orientation of tubes can damage the amp), or spilled
beverages, as these will void the warranty.
The amplifier is shipped to Carr Amplifiers in the original packing materials with freight
paid by the purchaser. We pay the return shipping after the warranty work is complete.
Tubes, speaker(s), and reverb tanks carry a ninety-day warranty, and are subject to
the same terms and conditions as above.
Please call us at 919-545-0747 if you have a warranty claim. Be prepared to provide the
model and serial number of your amp. We will issue a Return Merchandise Authorization
number (RMA#) before the amplifier is shipped for service.
For customers outside of North America, warranty and repair service is provided through
the dealer where the amp was purchased.
Shipping address:
Carr Amplifiers
23 Rectory St., Suite E
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Mailing address:
Carr Amplifiers
433 W. Salisbury St.
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.carramps.com
[e-mail]

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