EL34 Amp suggestions

G

Gdntoneguitars

New member
I need to find a good versatile tube amp, to be my new main rig. I currently have a Gibson 15 watt tube combo, does clean really well, but I need a little more grit and distortion.

I also have a rectoverb that's amazing, and may end up putting EL34's in it. Only problem is, it's in purple suede. I just don't know if I have the balls to sport that thing to gigs.

I'd go for a 2-12" combo or a head (into a Mesa recto 212 cab), but would you recommend in the $1200 or so price range, or less? I've had 5150's, and the Mesa Stiletto Trident, and I do miss them both, just a little overkill. 100-120 watts is more than enough. I'd like the option to bump the wattage down, like a 15-30-50 or something in that line.

I like the sound of EL34's, like versatility, and reverb, footswitchable if possible. A good clean channel, and a good overdrive channel or two is what I'd need.

Appreciate the input.
 
Re: EL34 Amp suggestions

Gdntoneguitars said:
I need to find a good versatile tube amp, to be my new main rig. I currently have a Gibson 15 watt tube combo, does clean really well, but I need a little more grit and distortion.

I also have a rectoverb that's amazing, and may end up putting EL34's in it. Only problem is, it's in purple suede. I just don't know if I have the balls to sport that thing to gigs.

I'd go for a 2-12" combo or a head (into a Mesa recto 212 cab), but would you recommend in the $1200 or so price range, or less? I've had 5150's, and the Mesa Stiletto Trident, and I do miss them both, just a little overkill. 100-120 watts is more than enough. I'd like the option to bump the wattage down, like a 15-30-50 or something in that line.

I like the sound of EL34's, like versatility, and reverb, footswitchable if possible. A good clean channel, and a good overdrive channel or two is what I'd need.

Appreciate the input.
Click to expand...

Your rectoverb sounds like it will meet your needs most of the way actually. I used to have a rectoverb in blue. It always sounded great (albeit a little too stiff for lead work in my tastes) and got lots of good comments for the color too. I ran mine with EL34s and preferred that WAY over 6L6s in that amp. I also used an overdrive pedal with it for 4 different sounds at any given time, provided I wasn't playing with the mini-switch on the channels between songs.

As far as knocking down wattage, the ROV won't do that but you can always use a Weber MASS or something like that.

Don't be afraid to rock the purple power, man!
 
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Re: EL34 Amp suggestions

I don't know how easily you could find one but I suggest the Cornford Roadhouse. I have the 30 watt combo and it's the best EL34 tone I've heard in a long, long time. A simple amp with bass, treble, mid, gain, master volume and a footswitchable gain boost with it's own control. I also use a clean boost in the loop (which is a great loop) which gives me four footswitchable options. If you like the sound of earlier Hiwatts and Marshalls cranked this amp does it in spades at controllable volumes and the gain boost is to die for - more of the same sound but with as little or as much added grit and sustain as you want. I used a Laney VC50 for years with 5881's and fancied an EL34 based amp. the Laney always sounded great but the Cornford never fails to get people at gigs asking me about it.
 
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