amp choices?

[FuseG4]

Liked the Blackheart, but alas as far as tube tone goes it's like reading the first chapter in a college textbook... feeling good for having done that chapter but confused as hell as to where it goes next, and feeling there's so much more out there.

I want to look into getting a new amp. Tube amp. Problem is there's a shortage of music stores 'round here. Very limited as to what I can go test. Local store has an AC30, a JCM, and some solid state stuff.
I'm an intermediate player. I don't gig so I don't need crazy wattage. 15 to 25 preferred. Don't need 2 speakers... or a butt-load of gain. I like rock (classic rock, blues rock, brit-rock, punk, j-rock), electric blues, and ska. Here's what amps I'm considering

1) Blues Jr.
pro: widely used, widely available mods, master vol., good reverb. takes pedals? cheap-ish. manageable volume
con: 1 channel, dunno about the fat switch, dunno

2) AC15 CC1
pro: vox tones. OK reverb. master vol. cheap-ish. Manageable volume
con: wharfedale speaker not so great? harsh sound with OD pedals? heard stories about cheap parts (input jacks, etc)

3) Peavey Classic 30
pro: normal and lead channel, reverb. effects loop? cheap
cons: need speaker swap off the bat? Could be more gain than I need? dont need an FX loop. no master vol on "normal channel... 30W is too loud?

4) Peavey Windsor Studio
pro: Class A, accepts different tubes. attenuator, master vol. spring reverb. 2 inputs, boost function. manageable vol. cheap
con: lacks bass w/ stock speaker? attunator a tone suck? FX loop not needed?

5)Fender Deluxe VM
pro: clean and drive channel. reverb, delay, chorus. included footswitch. Celestion speaker. Like a pimped out HRDx?
con: 40W is prolly way too loud to crank it. no master or mid knob on clean channel.

6)Fender 65 Princeton Reverb Reissue
Pro: Sweet clean and good overdriven tones. 2 inputs. Tube reverb, vibrato, tube rectifier. Jensen speaker. Could mic it for gigs if I need?
Cons: 10" speaker. no master vol. no mid knob. pricey as hell, w/ DRRI being only a bit more.

7)Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue
Pro: vintage tone for dayyyyys... 2 channels. tube reverb, tube vibrato, tube rectified. 22W is prolly manageable. Jensen speaker. could get an attenuator, or just use a pedal for OD?
Cons: no master vol. or mid knob. Price tag?

Thoughts?
I like the 65 PR and DR, but are those too much amp for me, especially the DRRI? On the other hand, how wise would it be to buy one of the other amps and feel like switching later? Hmmmmmmm

 

[FuseG4]

Re: amp choices?

no one wants to rant or rave about any of these amps?

 

[Baltar]

Re: amp choices?

both the blues jr and the peavey classic are worth a recommendation.
the others i don't know. both require a speaker swap imo

the peavey is a really good bang for the buck and quite versatile.
the blues jr imo needs pedals for rock.

i wouldn't those two 'to last forever', but the build quality
is pretty good standard.
i've heard bad things about windsors reliability and would keep my hands of that one


i'd be interested in the princeton ri as well, but haven't had a chance to test yet.
there's been a pretty good review on the german gitarre&bass magazine

 

[FuseG4]

Re: amp choices?

which is more versatile? Prolly the peavy? I mean 2x wattage would mean more headroom, plus it has more gain than the b-jr can put out right?

 

[rowdy27]

Re: amp choices?

Kustom 36

 

[FuseG4]

Re: amp choices?

anything in particular about that amp?

 

[FuseG4]

Re: amp choices?

something makes me wanna get the deluxe VM and an attenuator... most amp for the dollar type of thing. 800 amp plus 1-- attenuator = 900$ 40W gig worthy amp? saves $300 over the DRRI... plenty for a speaker upgrade?

 

[FuseG4]

Re: amp choices?

f it i'm just gonna chill on my blackheart and pay off my car and snowball my medical debt down. I'm gonna save some dough for the DRRI and cop that later...

Holy crap it's hard to be patient when you could just be like "screw obligations I'm gonna have unnecessarily superb clean tones and vintage tube reverb, and I want it now".

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: amp choices?

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/...483075&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=89323991
i was demoing it yesterday, and it's really cool. on one channel, it's an all tube 6v6 15w tube amp with a basic clean channel, goes into overdrive with enough volume. on the other one, it's got a crazy amount of digital pre-amp voicings that range anywhere from spanky jazz cleans, fat 'n' middy 70s type crunch, to all out scooped death metal. it's also got a handful onboard effects which aren't half bad.

but if you're gonna be doing mostly rock and a 'lil ska..
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/...ior-15W-1x12-Tube-Guitar-Combo-Amp?sku=481861
this is a great choice. i saw a ska show where one of the band's guitarist was using one, and he got some great tones allaround(fat cleans and crunchy distortion with good definition). personally i'd go with this one, it's got more EQing ability and a 1x12, opening up your options for many good aftermarket speakers.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: amp choices?

Go for the Super Champ XD if you're keeping it at home at low levels...the voices are about as nice as a valvetronix, but there's a REAL tube amp for power.

 

[drpietrzak]

Re: amp choices?

I have not found a major attraction to the many of these.

) Blues Jr.
I like my older greenboard. Takes pedals well and is a great grab and go amp for smallish locations. I like a 12at7 in V1.

2) AC15 CC1
It has sorta Vox tones to me with the non-blue for speaker. It has always seems harsh and I really want ot like that amp.

3) Peavey Classic 30
I have not really liked the gain channel much and the clean is a lot like my greenboard to me. At least with the speakers I have tried it with to date. There s a lot of love for it though.

4) Peavey Windsor Studio
I have not had a chance to really try one of these. A friend has one and says a speaker swamp makes these a nice amp but that the tubes are hard to swap.

5)Fender Deluxe VM
I have not tried this one at all.

6)Fender 65 Princeton Reverb Reissue
I have not tried this one ... I just do not like 10" speaker much.

7) Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue
BRIGHT!!!! Too much so for me. There is a cap to cut that makes this better, along with a speaker swap but I have just not found it in me to go there with one. I do not think is really very pedal friendly.

8.) Tweed Deluxe Clones - Great amps. Not much headroom, but has great tone as it ODs.

 

[phil_104]

Re: amp choices?

I've tried the windsor, the classic 30, the blues junior and the deluxe. Owned the deluxe and the head version of the windsor actually.

The first one I would recommend would be the deluxe, but only if you have GREAT sounding pedals to put in front of it to get your distortion. The drive channel on it is a joke, and you will need good pedals.

The classic 30 is the most versatile. Although I didn't like it's overall sound as much as the deluxe, it did pack a great distortion and clean channel for the price. A major turn off for me though was lack of a standby switch.

The blues junior is like the deluxe in the sense where I would only get one with great pedals to go with. I am not a fan of the windsor, so I can't recommend that one.

 

[alex1fly]

Re: amp choices?

something makes me wanna get the deluxe VM and an attenuator... most amp for the dollar type of thing. 800 amp plus 1-- attenuator = 900$ 40W gig worthy amp? saves $300 over the DRRI... plenty for a speaker upgrade?

i'd recommend against buying an amp so loud that you need an attenuator. you don't even need 25 watts... i gigged with a hot rod deluxe, 40 watts, and NEVER turned it past 4. people say that 5 watts is even too loud for practice and small venues.

if it were me, i'd be happy with the nice little tube amp i had and branch out with other things... like pickups, guitars, pedals, external cabs... i find that often just running into a different cab inspires me to play in different ways. or a multieffects pedal to use some wild presets on for funsies.

though if you do decide to get another amp, you know that the only way to choose is to play them. and the sound/feel of the amp outweighs the features. so do yourself a favor and don't obsess too much (easier said than done, i know). when you try amps, look for reasons WHY you should buy that particular one, rather than why NOT to buy and "narrowing down" the choices by eliminating the undesirable ones. just trying to save you some headache because i've definitely been down these roads

 

[playas]

Re: amp choices?

Problem is there's a shortage of music stores 'round here. Very limited as to what I can go test. Local store has an AC30, a JCM, and some solid state stuff.

I feel your pain and would recommend investing in a trip to somewhere there is a better selection before you do make your choice.

 

[zzmoore]

Re: amp choices?

How loud can you play where you live ? If volume is not a problem I would recommend something like the PV C30. For the money it has a decent clean channel and a better drive channel than a Fender HRDx. You may not gig right now, but some day perhaps?
Small amps sound small, that's all there is to it. Again if volume is not a problem you can get something like a Blues Jr and buy a 2x12 cab for it. Just something to think about. Without forcing the issue, I would suggest getting as much amp as you can handle.
Good Luck

 

[rowdy27]

Re: amp choices?

Plug in that Kustom 36 coupe & tell me it ain't Heavenly!

http://www.kustom.com/product_detail.aspx?TypeID=2&FamilyID=73&ProductID=98&Tab=0

 

[FuseG4]

Re: amp choices?

so like, since the last time I went to my local music store they got in a Windsor Studio and a Python HRDx. Demo'd each for about 1/2 an hour. They also got an EVH head and a tone of Peavey transtube stuff in.

Windsor studio:
Didn't like the clean tone in either input... it was thick but flat, it just seemed subdued. Boost or no boost. Gain settings were OK, just slightly harsh. was listening carefully to the bass response and it is Lame. It must be called a "studio" amp for recording, what with the "proximity effect" of certain mic placements on bass.
Reverb was... well like in between turning it up enough to notice it and having things wash out there wasn't much on that knob.
I like my Blackheart better, even with no verb.

Python Hot Rod Deluxe
Hi input throughout. Normal channel is nice. Straight Fender clean at loud volumes. I never knew how much I liked real clean headroom until I got to sample it. Reverb is great from 3 to 5. Liked the presence knob low, between 2 and 6. Bright switch is OK. Drive channel was NUTS. I was floored with how crunchy this amp was at low-ish gain settings... and how the more drive button just took me into la la land. Took the master up to 4 on the drive channel before the lady came in and asked me to take it down a notch. Cab didn't rattle but I shook the walls. I had honestly never done that before.
Python vinyl looked pretty whack online but is better in person. Not a turn off at all.

Overall, I can can cross one amp off the list. No windsor studios...
The HRDx is so loud, but I REALLY liked the sound between 1 and 3 volume on the normal channel, which wasn't so loud that I'd get a citation. I hear master vol. audio taper pot mod is way useful. I've used attenuators before with good results, and wouldn't be opposed to one in this case. I even liked the stock speaker.

This makes me really want to play a B-Jr for comparison. But if the B-jr cranked sounds anything like as boxy as my Blackheart, I don't think I'd enjoy it like the HRDx. I can't stand cabinet rattle, either. Dunno how the B-jr is on that. People dis on the HRDx drive channels so much it seems... I dug it. Sounds like my two fav bands, The Stones and The Pillows.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: amp choices?

^the pillows?! i can never get any of their tones. i've gotta check this out.....

 

[FuseG4]

Re: amp choices?

vocals/rhythm guitar man Yamanaka-san uses a Fender Cyclone into a Twin Reverb. By listening you can tell his tone is mostly just Fender stuff cranked.

Manabe-san uses a Mustang, a Jazzmaster, or a LP special double-cut w/ p90s, into Marshall heads, and Fenders combos. he uses some f'ing complictated tones sometimes but a lot is again just the guitar and his amps.

I was playing "Little Busters" on the Hot Rod when the store chick came in and was like "you have a good sound". I got really good tones for their early stuff like "Energy" and "Stand Up and Go" off of 90's My Life. It's just tubes and good reverb. I was playing the lead lick off of "Kanojo wa kyou" when I suddenly wished I had brought my Tele.

the song I was playing when she asked me to turn it down was Go!! by Flow... yeah it was a Naruto OP.... that show has its long, drawn-out lame side-arc crap but some of the music is rather good.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: amp choices?

little busters is soo frickin' cool, that's gotta be my favorite guitar tone ever!

edit: i might just have to follow the advice in this thread too, i'm into similar tones and am getting rid of my current amp:scratchch