Amp for Country Blues on electric

[amosrides]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

But if you prefer that pushed-hard amp compression with a slight breakup, then the 15 watter would probably be more suited to your needs.

How loud do you have to push this amp (40) before it starts to break up? Too loud to play that way at home? I'd choose the 40 simply because it can be had for not much more, however I am a bit worried it would be too much power for me to push the tubes when I wanted to, in house and small gig. Also I read the dirty channel isn't much good on these, how is the gain on the clean channel?

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

How loud do you have to push this amp (40) before it starts to break up? Too loud to play that way at home? I'd choose the 40 simply because it can be had for not much more, however I am a bit worried it would be too much power for me to push the tubes when I wanted to, in house and small gig. Also I read the dirty channel isn't much good on these, how is the gain on the clean channel?

Yeah, they're plenty LOUD at home. Such is the case with most tube amps -- especially at 40 watts or more. I play tube amps almost every day for practice and wear ear plugs because of this. And my music room is upstairs and I live close to people. So it's not like it's SO loud that it's unplayable. But it's definitely loud. I recall that the gain when the clean channel is pushed was nice. But I probably only did it once because I usually use an OD pedal to hit the front end and add some hair.

 

[amosrides]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

I usually use an OD pedal to hit the front end and add some hair.

I guess I could go with the 40 and get an OD pedal if I coundn't get the tone I wanted. I am in a house so it doesn't have to be quiet, but my ears and my wife won't appreciate too much noise. What OD do you use with this amp?

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

I use the Fulltone OCD V4 with all my amps and love it. I just use it to push the front-end a bit and add some hair. But admittedly I'm doing that on the OD channels of my amps mostly. I don't have the 40 watt Traynor. I've got the YCS100H head and the Custom Blue 50 combo. It's a bit like the 40, but has EL34s and a master volume.

 

[amosrides]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

Any thoughts on the Custom Special 50? I saw one for $425, it can go either 50 or 15, has a master volume, and more control.

 

[firebirdV]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

I can't really think of electrified country blues. Maybe John Lee Hooker. I don't actually know what he used.

 

[Hellion]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

Shoot, go find an old Fender Twin and run some pedals through it.

 

[drpietrzak]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

I can't really think of electrified country blues. Maybe John Lee Hooker. I don't actually know what he used.

Well, folks like Billy Lee Riley with "Hot Damn" and similar are known for Country Blues.

http://deltaboogie.com/leon/hotdamn/index.htm

 

[Baltar]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

i think the blues jr will do the job.
if you wouldn't have the money limit, i'd say deluxe reverb.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

Any thoughts on the Custom Special 50? I saw one for $425, it can go either 50 or 15, has a master volume, and more control.

Good price. My Custom Blue 50 is likely very similar. I don't think you can go wrong with Traynor. Many people like to suggest the Fender Hot Rod and Peavey Classic amps at this price point. But I've owned those amps and they're long gone. The Traynors are still with me. But that's my preference I guess.

 

[amosrides]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

REd Label, saw your posting on your attuenuator, for these amps would you prefer that or an od to get that tube driven sound at home levels?

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Amp for Country Blues on electric

REd Label, saw your posting on your attuenuator, for these amps would you prefer that or an od to get that tube driven sound at home levels?

You know... I tend to prefer an OD pedal to slam the front-end of a tube amp and give it some "hair", rather than max-out the amp to get it. I'm a bit different that way. I find that with a good OD pedal (like my current prefered Fulltone OCD), I can push the amp hard (like 10:00 - 2:00 on the master volume) but not so hard that things sound overloaded -- whether from my ears being trashed, or too much amp compression. So I will occasionaly use the attenuator to keep that master turned-down and save my hearing.

The most important thing to me either way is keeping the note articulation there. The older I get, the more I turn the gain down on the amp and the pedal. Right now I'm favoring the OD at 9:00 on the gain, and the pedal volume maxed-out. The most the gain on the amp goes to is straight-up. Can't stand mush.