Amp choice - I think I need help here

Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

I tried the Mini Recto thru a single 1x12 speaker. Sounded amazing. If you're into light crunch to modern metal, this amp is for you. Plus, selectable 10 or 25 watts. I found the 25 watt setting perfectly loud for large rooms. It was that loud, "pushed", "cranked" sound without it being 1,000,000 decibels making your ears ring.
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

Many good questions here.

I want a simple amp but I still want a mid gain channel. No bells and whistles.

The tones I'm going for? Blackmore, Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Rolling Stones... everything blues and and blues rock... I don't need any modern metal tones.

From my experience with amps - I like the mostly the Tweed Fender voicing and early Marshalls... I still want to add a higher gain channel.
I also want something a little rounder. I won't say no to an EL34 amp but the direction is more towards the 6L6 or 5881 options...

Tubes and light weight don't go together - but some tube heads are really okay when it comes to weight and some are just friggin heavy. 3 or 4 pounds sometimes make a world of difference.

I'm not going to buy something cheap - unless I'm sure I can use it as an upgrade platform. I get stuck with cheap gear and it takes too long until I get to move it. That's why I want to invest smartly.
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

What do you guys think about the Jet City 50W head? how usable is its gain channel for someone who wants to play distorted blues leads but really doesn't play modern metal?
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

It's simple.

If you can do a Mesa, that is a great choice. I LOVE most of their amps.

Otherwise, it's hard to beat a good 50-watt Marshall.

Bill
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

JohnnyGuitar said:
Many good questions here.

I want a simple amp but I still want a mid gain channel. No bells and whistles.

The tones I'm going for? Blackmore, Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Rolling Stones... everything blues and and blues rock... I don't need any modern metal tones.

From my experience with amps - I like the mostly the Tweed Fender voicing and early Marshalls... I still want to add a higher gain channel.
I also want something a little rounder. I won't say no to an EL34 amp but the direction is more towards the 6L6 or 5881 options...
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It sounds like you should go the Fender route here and toss in a few pedals.

Marshallwise your looking at JTM, JMP or JCM series.

The DSL can handle the tones you want on the green/orange channel. It's not too heavy for a tube head. The red channel maybe overkill for you, but tweaked right could probably be a solid lead/solo channel.
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

I think you're right about the Fender and JTMs. I do think that I'm essentially somewhere between vintage Marshalls and vintage Fenders. I'm starting to identify a few options. Even checked if any Super Sonic heads are available at the stores (the answer was no).

Currently I'm looking at an already built custom made amp head which I would be able to try. The Fender VM head is also still an option. And I'm hoping that Fender or any other manufacturer would come out in 2012 with a head that fits my needs exactly.
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

You might not need to go custom.

What brands are readily available to you?

Couldn't find it on previous posts, but how is the import tax there? Could you order something and have it mailed to you?
 
Re: Amp choice - I think Ieed help here

Re: Amp choice - I think Ieed help here

Egnater Tweaker 40 could be just the ticket for you if you can get one in Israel. I have the 15 watter with the 2x12" cab and it's fantastic. For now my Tweaker has all the headroom I need. When I need more clean headroom I'll liklely pickup a bigger Tweaker or a Rebel 30. I always mike up my rig so usually headroom isnt an issue as long as the sound guy gives me a half decent monitor feed.

The cool thing with the Tweaker is you get 3 different sounding tone stacks so you can get a lot of different sounds out of the amp (US is a generic Fender tone depending on how you TWEAK the other knobs you can get tweedy or blackfacey tones). VX is definitely the VOX sound (I love using this one most of the time). Brit is your classic british crunch tone (again depending on your settings you can get all types of Marshall/Orange flavors.

Now with a Tweaker you can always experiment with different power tubes like 6L6, EL34, 6CA7, KT77, etc. So you can really get a wide range of tones and suit it to your exact needs.
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

We have most big brands here, Fender, Vox, Marshall, Peavey, ENGL, Blackstar, Jet City (and all other budget brands). Not a lot of boutique amps but we do have some representation. The only brands that are currently priced properly (and imported in a way that represents the full line) are Mesa and Carvin.

We have 16% VAT and additional 15% tax on all amplifiers (they promise to cancel it in the next few years... but I can't wait that long). Plus, most big importers hike the prices a little more. If I want a vintage amp I better look for something used or build one to order. Like in the 1960's in the UK, you had to be creative if you wanted to get the good stuff. 1960's UK is not a bad place to be musically... ;)

Right now, I'm eying 3 or 4 amps... (1) an already built, custom made, two channel amp, (2) a Tweaker 88 (the importer is closing his business here, that's all that is left, (3) the Orange or a (4) Fender VM Bandmaster which I might want to mod later on... 3 of them are priced the same way (~$1000), the Bandmaster goes for $500, which is a relatively good price when you take 31% tax into account.

I'm cosidering the Tweaker, seems pretty cool - but honestly - I hate tweaking.
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

JohnnyGuitar said:
We have most big brands here, Fender, Vox, Marshall, Peavey, ENGL, Blackstar, Jet City (and all other budget brands). Not a lot of boutique amps but we do have some representation. The only brands that are currently priced properly (and imported in a way that represents the full line) are Mesa and Carvin.
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SOme friendly advice. I highly recommend checking out the Carvin Legacy I esp if prices are the same. NEw your looking at $700 and the head is fairly light. It's el34 but can be swapped for 6l6s. SOunds fantastic. Great clean. Liquid overdrive.

Check out some ENGLs too. I know you're not into the modern metal tone thing, but check them out. I own a Fryette Deliverance which is known as a "metal" amp, but I don't play metal. I dont play hardrock anymore. I only do rock with edge of break up to moderate overdrive. sounds fantastic. plus always have the ability for that extra gain.

Check out Vox AC30, Fenders, and oranges,
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

I play an ENGL Fireball in our main rehearsal room. It's really too modern metal for me (the gain channel is brutal though, I can't imagine anyone who would actually want more gain). They are also overpriced here.

I'm considering the Legacy although much less than other options. The importer is only selling the Legacy 2 version though... which might also do. The prices should be the same, after you add 31%...
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

If you can try the jet city please do. I have the smaller version and it is awesome.

Also, I would recommend going the 2x12 route. Figure out what kinda cab you want for your eventual head, and get it now and use it with the peavey. If you cant play blues and blues rock on a peavey classic somethings wrong.......
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

^ Thanks. The Peavey Classic 20 really is a great blues-rock amp but it really needs bigger speakers... it doesn't have enough volume with its stock speaker.
 
Re: Amp choice - I think I need help here

ok so you reckon the classic 20 is no good whether is miced or not.....
mebbe a classic 30 - that has a 12 inch speaker and more headroom, plus a drive channel.
or classic 50?
or a delta blues - 15 inch speaker.

if you dont want to go for peavey again then bang for buck, the fender hot rod deluxe is hard to beat. Itll go as loud as hell if you need it.
 
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