Went amplifier browsing tonight. (long report inside)
Dirty_Frank
Posts: 957
Spent about 3 hours playing with amps inbetween two different stores. Definitely looking for an amp now. It's official.
I played a whole pile of different tube amps at different price ranges, and all sorts of styles. I'll run them down. I brought my strat with me and used it on all the amps
1.) Laney LC-30 II 112
I really liked this amp. The cleans were actually pretty good, the reverb was lush and it really sang out. The dirt channel was awesome IMO. Very britishy, lots of overtones and a really harmonic quality present in it. At low gain, it broke up nicely, medium gain was just great for chords, and higher gain really soared. Up in the higher gain areas, I'd avoid much chording, but for lead work, it was awesome. Got to use a '92 Les Paul that played like butter as well, and it sounded clear, and not muddy at all. Only complaint is that it is really really REALLY loud. I was in an isolated room, and I still didn't turn it up past 3. I'd love to hear how it sounded at about 6 or 7, but the place would fall down. The price was right, at about $920.00 or so.
2.) Vox AC-15 New old stock
Made in Britain, not China. One channel class A amplifier, reverb, tremolo. Sounded great. Very british clean, and the tremolo sounded awesome. I bet it would sound great with a nice OD pedal in front on the edge of breaking up. I turned master and channel volumes up to about 5 each, and it wasn't earth shattering loud. Just right, managable for my living condition right now. Only concern was the price. It was about $1600. A great amp, but I don't want to pay that much for a one channel at this time in my life. I need a little more versatility. They had an AC-30 Made in China, but I wasn't really interested in paying $1500 for a Chinese amplifier. Didn't try it.
3.) Fender Tweed Blues-Deluxe
40 watts, 6L6 and 12ax7s I believe. Clean channel great, very bluesy like the name implies. Drive channel was low gain, but broke up like a loud tube amp at low volumes with the gain at about 6-7. Not a practice amp like they seemed to market it as. Cool amp. Price was about $850.
4.) Traynor YCV50BLUE
I was lusting over this one recently, but I came out a little disapointed tonight after playing with it. The last time I played one, I used a Les Paul with Burstbuckers, and was getting some great mid-> high gain tones out of it. That's about where it ended for me. The best strat tones I was getting tonight was by turning on the boost, lowering the gain to about 2.5 (just above the breakup point) and the master at 5. Great blues rock tone that breaks up when you turn up the volume on the guitar. That was cool. The clean channel was nothing to rave about. The 80 watt I have already has a way cleaner, lusher clean channel (it's the 6L6s, I know
) The drive channel on the Blue was better, but I've found settings on my my 80 that really let it sing, especially boosted with the Shannon Dirt box or the SD-1. I'm going to pass on this amp for now. IT was about $750 new.
5.) Traynor YCV40WR
Good amp, but basically what I already have, except with more pronounced highs and a Vintage 30 that gives it a bit more 'bark'. Price was about $720.
6.) Marshall DSL 40 112 ?
40 watt Marshall DSL combo. Cleans were typical marshall. Nothing special, but not bad. OD 1 was very good for rhythm and chording. OD 2, I hated. Something about it bothered me. It seemed very solid state to me. No individual control over the dynamics, and didn't pronounce the way I'd like it to. The price was about $1250. Totally not worth the money IMO. Paying for the 'Marshall' name.
7.) Marshall 1974x
18 watt Marshall.
All I can say is: I had to stop playing it before I actually considered spending $2200 today. I was running figures on how much I could get for old gear and how much I could make in an afternoon by whoring myself out to the meth addicts of London's Dundas Street east. Great amp. Lived up to what I'd expected and more.
So far, I have no idea what I'm going to get for an amp. I'm willing to spend a bit of cash, if the store offers a good financing plan. $1000 is cash tops, but I'll go as high as $1400, but the Traynor will have to be sold for that. I know I want a combo, preferably a 112, but a 212 will do as well. I really liked the Laney, and the Vox, as they had the British tone I'm looking for. Maybe the store will get an LC-15 (I think they exist), and I can give that a whirl. As for now, I'm open to suggestions. I'm going to keep looking.
The one amp that suprised me recently was the Classic 50. Pretty good amp for the money. I have an old bandmate who has Classic 100 head reliability horror stories, so that worries me a bit.
I'm willing to buy used, but people typically (if they're sane) like to see all the money up front, rather than in payments, as how I'd like to deal (say with a store) I really do like to play with the amps for a good while though, so unless I KNOW, the amp will sound good, I'm a bit hesitant (say eBay or classifieds).
:cool:
I played a whole pile of different tube amps at different price ranges, and all sorts of styles. I'll run them down. I brought my strat with me and used it on all the amps
1.) Laney LC-30 II 112
I really liked this amp. The cleans were actually pretty good, the reverb was lush and it really sang out. The dirt channel was awesome IMO. Very britishy, lots of overtones and a really harmonic quality present in it. At low gain, it broke up nicely, medium gain was just great for chords, and higher gain really soared. Up in the higher gain areas, I'd avoid much chording, but for lead work, it was awesome. Got to use a '92 Les Paul that played like butter as well, and it sounded clear, and not muddy at all. Only complaint is that it is really really REALLY loud. I was in an isolated room, and I still didn't turn it up past 3. I'd love to hear how it sounded at about 6 or 7, but the place would fall down. The price was right, at about $920.00 or so.
2.) Vox AC-15 New old stock
Made in Britain, not China. One channel class A amplifier, reverb, tremolo. Sounded great. Very british clean, and the tremolo sounded awesome. I bet it would sound great with a nice OD pedal in front on the edge of breaking up. I turned master and channel volumes up to about 5 each, and it wasn't earth shattering loud. Just right, managable for my living condition right now. Only concern was the price. It was about $1600. A great amp, but I don't want to pay that much for a one channel at this time in my life. I need a little more versatility. They had an AC-30 Made in China, but I wasn't really interested in paying $1500 for a Chinese amplifier. Didn't try it.
3.) Fender Tweed Blues-Deluxe
40 watts, 6L6 and 12ax7s I believe. Clean channel great, very bluesy like the name implies. Drive channel was low gain, but broke up like a loud tube amp at low volumes with the gain at about 6-7. Not a practice amp like they seemed to market it as. Cool amp. Price was about $850.
4.) Traynor YCV50BLUE
I was lusting over this one recently, but I came out a little disapointed tonight after playing with it. The last time I played one, I used a Les Paul with Burstbuckers, and was getting some great mid-> high gain tones out of it. That's about where it ended for me. The best strat tones I was getting tonight was by turning on the boost, lowering the gain to about 2.5 (just above the breakup point) and the master at 5. Great blues rock tone that breaks up when you turn up the volume on the guitar. That was cool. The clean channel was nothing to rave about. The 80 watt I have already has a way cleaner, lusher clean channel (it's the 6L6s, I know
) The drive channel on the Blue was better, but I've found settings on my my 80 that really let it sing, especially boosted with the Shannon Dirt box or the SD-1. I'm going to pass on this amp for now. IT was about $750 new.5.) Traynor YCV40WR
Good amp, but basically what I already have, except with more pronounced highs and a Vintage 30 that gives it a bit more 'bark'. Price was about $720.
6.) Marshall DSL 40 112 ?
40 watt Marshall DSL combo. Cleans were typical marshall. Nothing special, but not bad. OD 1 was very good for rhythm and chording. OD 2, I hated. Something about it bothered me. It seemed very solid state to me. No individual control over the dynamics, and didn't pronounce the way I'd like it to. The price was about $1250. Totally not worth the money IMO. Paying for the 'Marshall' name.
7.) Marshall 1974x
18 watt Marshall.
All I can say is: I had to stop playing it before I actually considered spending $2200 today. I was running figures on how much I could get for old gear and how much I could make in an afternoon by whoring myself out to the meth addicts of London's Dundas Street east. Great amp. Lived up to what I'd expected and more.
So far, I have no idea what I'm going to get for an amp. I'm willing to spend a bit of cash, if the store offers a good financing plan. $1000 is cash tops, but I'll go as high as $1400, but the Traynor will have to be sold for that. I know I want a combo, preferably a 112, but a 212 will do as well. I really liked the Laney, and the Vox, as they had the British tone I'm looking for. Maybe the store will get an LC-15 (I think they exist), and I can give that a whirl. As for now, I'm open to suggestions. I'm going to keep looking.
The one amp that suprised me recently was the Classic 50. Pretty good amp for the money. I have an old bandmate who has Classic 100 head reliability horror stories, so that worries me a bit.
I'm willing to buy used, but people typically (if they're sane) like to see all the money up front, rather than in payments, as how I'd like to deal (say with a store
) I really do like to play with the amps for a good while though, so unless I KNOW, the amp will sound good, I'm a bit hesitant (say eBay or classifieds).:cool:
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
i have the same problem getting over the made in china stigma of the new ones.
that british one would be sweet.
the 1974x and ac-15 would be lovely in my little low wattage collection that i dream of.
On a related note, some twat on Craigslist is selling an older AC-30 'that needs some repair' for $300. By twat I mean, 'are you outta your mind?'.
It must be really broken.
just bought the vox ac15 ...yes chinese ...but the sound is pretty damn lovable.
nice break up at fairly low volume and great mid/treble cut .
I also tried the marshall 18 watt a few times.
absolutely awesome.
but then not only would i have had to shell out 2200 i dont have,
but probably would have had to buy the matching extension cab.
considered peaveys over the fenders in that price range
Stone uses 'em!!!!!
i also own the 65 RI .. and exactly right .. you need good pedals ...
i traded a 70's vibrolux for it ....big mistake ,a fair amp
wouldnt buy it again tho
now tho, i need a fairly clean overdrive for my Vox
The road to gear perfection is never ending......
I didn't try out the Chinese AC-15 because they had the Brit one as well. Next time I'll make certain.
They had a Fender Supersonic, but I didn't like the clips from the Fender website, so I didn't really want to fiddle with it.
Another cool thing I'd like to try is the Fender Pro Junior. Tone and Volume knob. EL84s, like the Laney. Interested to hear how it sounds. Also the Epiphone Valve Junior is supposed to sound good too. Input jack and a volume knob.
In a perfect world, I'd get either a Rockerverb 50 or a Mesa F-50. Those are my true objects of lust. I can get an F-50 for about $1700 after tax in Toronto, but that's too much for right now. Steve's Music in T.O had a Rockerverb in when I was there last week. Played it for a bit and it was totally awesome. Lived up to the hype. Near perfect amplifier.
But like you said, gear lust will never end. I'm still looking for the perfect OD pedal too. It's hard, because the stores around here only carry the mass produced stuff.
The Pro Junior sparked my curiousity the other day as well. So did the Kustom '36 Coupe; I saw one the other day at a shop and didn't get a chance to try it out, then the new Guitar World comes out and they tested one looks pretty classy.
Post your impressions of the Pro Junior when you try it out!
try out the 30 watt orange combo's AD-30 i think? they seem to be known to do it all...little more expensive but worth a shot. What tones are you going for by the way, im geussing by your current testing waters, its more of a rocky blues type thign, a mccready tone possibly?lets remember the OD is gonna be found in a pedal too so maybe bring one with you a tubescreamer or something. Good luck
2005.09.05
"how many people did die from that?...did P.Diddy kill them?" - Eddie Vedder 2006.02.19
Hint Hint. Go to
http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPages/marshall18w/marshall18wComplete.htm
This company makes clones of the 18 watter. With a better transformer that can actually handle the load. The most work you have to do is mount the amp into a cabinet that is made to the same marshall specs, and the speaker. Hell you can buy the marshall logo if you want to, and nobody will ever know the difference. My friend just went down this path. But he went down the TMB path. Which has the original normal channel circuit but does not have the tremolo channel. Instead it has a Plexi type circuit, with a High, Mid, Low and master volume controls. He ended up spending right around $900.
I'm going to go this route probably in Jan/ Feb. (Income tax time). How ever I'm going to either go the 18 watt head route, or the JTM 45 route.
Still something to consider.
https://www.facebook.com/aghostwritersapology/
Pac, ceriatone has added a 50 watt Plexi head too. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
https://www.facebook.com/aghostwritersapology/
nice, if I had a basement.....
if you want to try something new with a new sound then do something different...I wouldn't go with the Vox because majority of the time you will be relying on your overdrive pedal to be your overdrive sound...which is not my style, but it may be yours
I said on here once that the sound of a Laney is amazing and yes, they are fuckin loud
IMO anything made by marshall except the 1974x and their plexis are total crap....ive played the AVT, DSL, TSL, JCM and I don't like the sounds of them at all....I do agree though that the 74x makes you want to spend your money right away but then reality sits in
Look into the Riveras, i love those amps to death....I saw a used one for 820$ that I was about to pay for but didn't make sense when I had an amp only 4 months old...if you go on their site, IMO the tone samples are crap
If that was just my problem, things would be awesome. I have a wedding and a house to up keep.
https://www.facebook.com/aghostwritersapology/
old music: http://www.myspace.com/slowloader