Amp Quest, driving me nuts!!

[tone?]

ok me looking for an amp is driving me insane!

i sold me JTM60 and i want to get a good VH tone for my house.

i live in Athens, Greece and it is tough to shop here cause there is hardly a market for amps here.

so i went and saw a crate GFX cause i heard is has a great VH sound and i does. except that it is SS. and of course this makes it lack a bit.

so my next idea is that i am going to London in two weeks, so i was thinking to find a good 70's JMP Marshall there, which a realativly cheap , buy a cab here 1x12 or 2x12 and a hotplate and drive the front end with a tube screamer.

so what do you guys think about that? good idea?

or do you think i will be better off doing the crate solution??

by the way i dont want to spend more than 800-1000euro.

thanks cause this is driving me mad!!

BY THE WAY ANY GOOD PLACES IN LONDON FOR CHEAP MARSHALLS USED?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Amp Quest, driving me nuts!!

Another option, which is also abundant in London, would be the new Vox CC series tube amps, which are quite versatile. Or, if you want something that does low volume very good, for your house, the Valvetronix heads/cabs are a good way to go.

Marshall tube heads are great, but they tend to do only 1 good sound, and the volume is hard to deal with in a home environment. They need to be cranked at a commercial rehearsal space, in my opinion.

 

[tone?]

Re: Amp Quest, driving me nuts!!

thanks Gearjoneser! always willing to help!

so even the Marshall pushed with a pedal and putting an attenuator wont probably do the trick e?

i just didnt dig the Valvetronix. it sounded a bit sterile to me.
what do you think about the crate sounds from that guy Jfrocks?

dont suppose you would sell me your Bogner for 500euro! LOL!
THAT would give me the VH sound!

 

[Gdntoneguitars]

Re: Amp Quest, driving me nuts!!

First things first, there's nothing wrong with solid state. If you think it nails the sound you're looking for, you don't need to look any further.

Sounds like you're getting caught up in the same mess we all do, which is "what else can I get that's bigger, cooler, or has tubes?"

Nothing wrong with that either, just tends to be more expensive that way.

You may end up with 30+ amps in the end anyway, but go with what you're excited about playing because it sounds good.

I've seen more people impressed with someone's sound out of a small combo than they were out of a deafening half-stack or 50 watt tube combo cranked just a tad too much.

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Amp Quest, driving me nuts!!

If i were you I would ebay myself a traynor bassmaster yba-1 or 70s silverface bassman head for around $300 US and build myself a 1x12 or 2x12 cabinet (easy and cheap) for around $150. I would then get a really nice used OD/Distortion unit like a carl martin plexitone (about $200 US). Nice clean tube tones when you want them, and nice overdrive from the pedal.

 

[tone?]

Re: Amp Quest, driving me nuts!!

thanks Gdntoneguitars,

yeah we get caught up in this tone thing and it freaks us totally out when we mention the word SS.

i do however think i have good ears and it is a curse in a way cause after me playing for about 20 years it is hard to be motivated to play if the sound isnt right.
i do get motivated by the sound. like it is hard for me to play through something crappy.

you guys have to keep in mind that being in a country like Greece i dont have many options in getting my sound and especially at a good price.

if i was in the states again i would play a messload of amps and annoy the heck out of everyone till i found what i wanted.

 

[Gdntoneguitars]

Re: Amp Quest, driving me nuts!!

Glad to share my opinion. Let us know what options you end up with. I am interested in seeing your choices down the road.

Good luck!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Amp Quest, driving me nuts!!

I'm kinda curious.....what brands are readily available, living in Greece? I'm assuming that most stuff in Intl. catalogs will ship to you?

Yeah, believe me, I'd recommend the Bogner to any rock guitar player who wants the best money can buy, but I realize they cost nearly as much as a used car, so I usually suggest stuff that's more realistic. Have you thought of using a small rack setup with a Marshall JMP-1, Mesa Triaxis, or VHT Valvulator? At least those are versatile, sound great, and can be used low or loud.

 

[tone?]

Re: Amp Quest, driving me nuts!!

I'm kinda curious.....what brands are readily available, living in Greece? I'm assuming that most stuff in Intl. catalogs will ship to you?

Yeah, believe me, I'd recommend the Bogner to any rock guitar player who wants the best money can buy, but I realize they cost nearly as much as a used car, so I usually suggest stuff that's more realistic. Have you thought of using a small rack setup with a Marshall JMP-1, Mesa Triaxis, or VHT Valvulator? At least those are versatile, sound great, and can be used low or loud.

well there are a very limited amount here.
the usual stuff, Marshall, Crate, Fender
we do have VHT, Custom Audio, and SMF but there is only one shop that offers those, so no competition in prices and hard to find any used deal for that stuff.
i am going to London next week so hopefully i will score a nice old Marshall. i am looking for a nice JMP era 76-79 Master volume so i wont scare the neigbors away. i will still need an Attenuator probably and a pedal to drive the front, but i am hoping to get a good amp like that.
the cab i can buy from here or ebay after i have tried a few over in London.

the JMP preamp/Valvulator sounds like a cool idea but in the end i think it will cost about as much as a JMP 50 watter.
i already found JMP's in London for about 500pounds about 700 euros, so it isnt much of a difference.

plus there is still a huge plus in buying a head i think cause you hear the end result right away ( well without taking the cab so much into consideration) .

with doing the rack thingy you need to match it with a power amp. jeez another quest on its own!!

see if i lived in a country with a lot more guitar resources i would be able to buy and change gear often till i find what i am looking for while keeping my losses at a minimum.

the other thing that i am thinking is that a vintage Marshall ( if i buy one) will have great resale value here so i wont go wrong. i might even make a few bucks.
plus i think these Marshalls will give me the sound that i am looking for, a Van Halen, Shencker, ZZtop/ rock sound.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Amp Quest, driving me nuts!!

for home use marshall used to make a little studio 15. a 15w 1x12 tube amp. i was just at my friends house and that little thing was great for nailing the older vh tone