Amp for Blues

[jeremy]

Re: Amp for Blues

there was more great old time blues played thru the Tweed Deluxe than any amp in history...well, really for those guys there wasn't a whole lotta choices...so that may have something to do with it...

is that true? i kinda doubt it. i love my 5e3 and my buddies 5d3 is awesome too but im guessing there was more "great old times blues" played through cheaper amps and more varied amps than a tweed deluxe.

 

[justFred]

Re: Amp for Blues

is that true? i kinda doubt it. i love my 5e3 and my buddies 5d3 is awesome too but im guessing there was more "great old times blues" played through cheaper amps and more varied amps than a tweed deluxe.

you might be right...just a WAG on my part...classic electric blues was a 1950s to early 60s phenomenon....think the American Folk Blues Festivals marked a real high point...at the time the Tweed Deluxe and Tweed Bassman were the amps that set the standard...Gibson, Silvertone and others were around so who knows...the only thing I know for sure is that when I hear Otis Rush it sounds to me like the tone from a 5E3...

 

[jeremy]

Re: Amp for Blues

rush used a tweed 4x10 bassman for most everything as far as i know. although i do remember seeing a pic of a boogie behind him but dont know where it was or the back story. most guys playing clubs back in the day used big amps, not "practice amps" like the deluxe.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Amp for Blues

not "practice amps" like the deluxe.

How dare you!!!!!!! "Practice" amp? The Deluxe series is considered the "Desert Island" Fender of all Fenders and should be respected as such.

I need a written apology on a chalk board x20 times plz :lmao:

 

[jeremy]

Re: Amp for Blues

no chance on the apology or chalk board. i gig with a '66 dr 90% of the time and have a 5e3 clone that sounds great as well. they are killer amps, but back in the day, they were not "professional" amplifiers. when pa systems were severely underpowered, you couldnt gig with a 12w amp through a p12r. it wouldnt get above the drummer with any semblance of a cleanish tone.

 

[AxlOz]

Re: Amp for Blues

is that true? i kinda doubt it. i love my 5e3 and my buddies 5d3 is awesome too but im guessing there was more "great old times blues" played through cheaper amps and more varied amps than a tweed deluxe.

Did someone say Gorilla?

I'd love to know what Junior Kimbrough has used, he gets some pretty gnarly sounds going on there..

 

[Wattage]

Re: Amp for Blues

that looks sweet! not sure how they get 15w out of a single 6l6 though, fixed bias and high voltage i guess?

I dunno? not much up on that part of things, I'll ask them. The amp has great "feel", definitely thinking it's my next addition to the family, I really dig it.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Amp for Blues

no chance on the apology or chalk board. i gig with a '66 dr 90% of the time and have a 5e3 clone that sounds great as well. they are killer amps, but back in the day, they were not "professional" amplifiers. when pa systems were severely underpowered, you couldnt gig with a 12w amp through a p12r. it wouldnt get above the drummer with any semblance of a cleanish tone.

They were Professional -they were used as recording amplifiers on more recordings than most any other amp in history. A Champ is a "practice" amp in my estimation.
"

 

[IM4Tone]

Re: Amp for Blues

.......and have a 5e3 clone that sounds great as well. they are killer amps, but back in the day, they were not "professional" amplifiers. when pa systems were severely underpowered, you couldnt gig with a 12w amp through a p12r. it wouldnt get above the drummer with any semblance of a cleanish tone.

They were Professional -they were used as recording amplifiers on more recordings than most any other amp in history......

:bigthumb: You're both correct! Just a different connotation of 'professional'. :beerchug:

 

[justFred]

Re: Amp for Blues

rush used a tweed 4x10 bassman for most everything as far as i know. although i do remember seeing a pic of a boogie behind him but dont know where it was or the back story. most guys playing clubs back in the day used big amps, not "practice amps" like the deluxe.

sounds like a Deluxe to me...but probably a Bassman cranked up...I wish I had been around to go to one of those festivals it must have been awesome in the true meaning of the word...who knows may not be a deluxe or a bassman, just an amp that was on stage when he got there...whatever, this song and tone is what Clapton found and was a major building block early in his career when he was really nailing it:

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Amp for Blues

I like old Fenders--tweeds, brownies and blackface amps for blues, as well as Marshalls up to and including the JCM800. I've owned a vintage Band Master, a '65 DR, a Twin and a '64 Tremolux...probably the best of the bunch for a small club blues amp. And at one time or another I've played most of those Fender and Marshall models.

But honestly, if I were doing a small club blues gig, I'm probably taking one of my Mesa Mark III combos. All those Fender tones are in there, and I'm really close to Marshall tones too. My amps have the EVM speaker, EQ, Reverb and Simul-Class option. With the Simul-Class power section, I can go 15 or 75 watts.

It's a killer amp, full of tone, super versatile, loaded with pro features, and reliable. And the Mark III is really easy to use live, where some of the other Mesas can be too tweakable for easy stage use.

I think this is a better long-term amp--rather than some of the one-trick ponies available at a bargain price.

Bill

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Amp for Blues

I love my 5e3 clone for blues/bluesbreaking etc. But as Jeremy said, 12W is a bit risky when the PA system is not the best. That is why I've got myself a 5e7 clone recently, and loving it... The tones are a bit different, not like 5e3. More bass, more thumb. A bit cleaner and lotsa headroom and "clean" compression. It has 5881's and I made l-pad attenuators in order to reduce it's power to sorta 15-20W when needed. 40W might be a bit too much in a closed space.

B

 

[PAPADON]

Re: Amp for Blues

I've played nothing but tube amps for about 50 years. I've currently got a Twin, a Mesa Express 550+ and a Blues Jr. that haven't been getting a whole lot of use since I picked this thing up. Blues, Country, Jazz you name it. I can't believe I'm saying this but someone finally came out with a modeling amp that actually satisfies my craving for tube tone.

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1.../AF1QipMwOOfa4pvPxr91dICWUTocylnIyX3C0uqEeRBM

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Amp for Blues

What is it — the Yamaha?

 

[SoPhx]

Re: Amp for Blues

RE Jr. Kimbrough's amp: Probably an 80s Peavey. A lot of the Mississippi guys used them.

 

[newking70]

Re: Amp for Blues

Vox Amps are incredible -but not the most "bluesy" of amps -they are bright and peppy

but you do Blues your way.....

Rory Gallagher says hello.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Amp for Blues

Rory Gallagher says hello.

to my point he did it his way -thus his greatness

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Amp for Blues

For me most versions of ac30 were not bad for blues with the tone cut dialed in
Ac15 with the greenback is not bad either I think the speaker helps a lot there


Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: Amp for Blues

I'll put in another vote for the 30 watt Peavey Classic and raise you one Ibanez Tube Screamer* with it. That combo will do all the Blues you need.


Or a Boss SD-1, or a Boss BD-2, or a Green Rhino, or a Digitech Bad Monkey....really any of them.

Lots of good suggestions, but this is my choice also. Inexpensive, can keep up easily in a blues setting, and sounds great. Heavier than a Blues Jr or Pro Jr, but still easy enough to drag around.

If you really want a Fender, I'd go Blues Jr or Pro Jr if you want it extremely easy to haul, or a Hot Rod 1x12 if you want more headroom. These are all very affordable.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Amp for Blues

Rory Gallagher says hello.

As I understand it Rory Gallagher used an AC30 way back when he was in Taste, but from the early 70's on it was mostly big Tweeds such as his 56 Twin.