Favorite 1-12 combo?

[Hoss]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

i like my blues jr for what it is...i'm really tempted to send it off to BillM to have some mods done and then also upgrade the speaker...i also really like the Blues Deluxe and from everything i've heard (save B_Bent's fire) i think i would absolutely love the Mesa Lonestar Special!

you should try some Z's out...although they are loud!!! but, with that, very giggable!!!

i think the VHT Pitbull would be an awesome amp too (man i almost had one of those!)

 

[B Bent]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

No kiddin Joe, but since I have had my Celtic Aislinn Deluxe I can't quit playing it!! Obviously it's not feature rich, but that's what I love about it. I have used it the last 2 weeks now on Wednesday night and it just smokes!! Just plug it in and turn it up and use your volume on the guitar and pick attack for the rest! I do hit it with my "Loudmouth Lady" OD that I built for a touch more hair and oomph.

Some other 1x12s that I have been fond of in the past are Deluxe Reverbs, (duh) and several of the smaller Mesa 1x12s.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

I've got a Fender Blues Junior. It's a little boxy at first, but the speaker needs to break in. Plus, about $10 in new mods and a new set of tubes and you have a whole different amp. Everything just sounds fuller and better. 15w all tube. If you don't need reverb/EQ/master volume, there's also the Pro Junior. Don't expect much headroom out of it.

I'm pretty happy with mine. It needs a new speaker still, but I'm having trouble deciding if I want to go for a more hard rock sound with it or keep it clean and smooth and get the dirt I want from the rest of the chain. I've actually thought about getting a second one, setting one up for good clean tones, and modding the fire out of the other (something like Voodoo's mod, maybe even theirs) for some overdrive. I guess that means I wouldn't be using just one. :laugh2:

If you can make up your mind there are a ton of mods out there for these little amps and you can really dial them in to where you want them. It's probably not really what you're looking for, Joe, especially with your preference for getting something that will do it right out of the box (You can do pretty well just swapping out the tubes for JJs, though!), but maybe someone else will be looking for something like that.

I've never tried the 1x12, but Luke's 2x10 Dr. Z just screams. Like Mike said, you really need to try one if you haven't.

 

[Mkf411]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

Maybe a Vintage Club amp by Crate. I think they were made in the 90's. It's a cool EL84 amp with two channels that have seperate controls and two reverb controls. Easy to get a dirty tone. Not sure about clean. But a cool amp for very little money. Saw a 2x12 for $400. I think they made a 1x12, too.

Or get the Gibson Goldtone.

What about a Soldano Atomic 16 or a Mesa Subway Blues.

 

[Dirt123]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

Still use a 60 watt Boogie Mk II b for everything.

EQ in the FX loop, push it with a Digitech Screaming Blues & a Cry Baby.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

Single channel?

Deluxe reverb.

My all time faave though is my friend's mesa Mk IV. :burnout:

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

Deluxe Reverb..........why would you need an overdrive pedal with one anyway?:fingersx: I haven't heard one of the old 1x12 Brown Vibroluxes, but I would like to:laugh2:

it's one of those "do anything that isn't compressed as ****" amps

with the right guitar you can dial in 1 setting on the amp, then play rockabilly, blues, classic rock, anything like that

 

[J Moose]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

GJ,

I think you'd dig a Rivera, something like the Chubster. Two channels with boosts, get your FX loop, pair of EL34's and 1x12. http://rivera.com/chubster.php They aren't too hard on the wallet, I think they're just over $1K which is a helluva deal for a solid amp.

The dirt channels on the Rivera stuff all feel & respond a little differently...the Chubster doesesn't have "modern metal" gain on tap but has plenty in an old Marshall JMP kinda way. The only thing I don't dig too much is his 'verb. For some reason he puts in the long pan Accutronics tanks and I don't dig 'em...I swapped the long pan in my Rake Reverb out for a short pan & feels much better now...closer to a "Fender" reverb.

If you can dig up an old "Jake" combo (the Jay Gradon sig) you might like that even more...

Single channel? Hands down, gotta go with a Deluxe Reverb of some type coupled with 'yer favorite dirt boxes & OD's. I'd love to say there's something cooler out there and there probably IS...but you can't go wrong with a DR.

 

[sooperunkn]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

GJ,

I think you'd dig a Rivera, something like the Chubster. Two channels with boosts, get your FX loop, pair of EL34's and 1x12. http://rivera.com/chubster.php They aren't too hard on the wallet, I think they're just over $1K which is a helluva deal for a solid amp.

The dirt channels on the Rivera stuff all feel & respond a little differently...the Chubster doesesn't have "modern metal" gain on tap but has plenty in an old Marshall JMP kinda way. The only thing I don't dig too much is his 'verb. For some reason he puts in the long pan Accutronics tanks and I don't dig 'em...I swapped the long pan in my Rake Reverb out for a short pan & feels much better now...closer to a "Fender" reverb.

If you can dig up an old "Jake" combo (the Jay Gradon sig) you might like that even more...

Single channel? Hands down, gotta go with a Deluxe Reverb of some type coupled with 'yer favorite dirt boxes & OD's. I'd love to say there's something cooler out there and there probably IS...but you can't go wrong with a DR.

The R series are great too.... look at the R30 & R55 while you're over there.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

Celtic Franklin... definitely my favorite 1x12. Basically a matchless lightning.

 

[shaka]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

For some reason Bruno's are hard to find on the west coast, but I'd love to try some of those out. My sound is pretty much strats into British style amps, so maybe a Mojave, Germino, or some sort of low powered EL-34 combo would be cool.

I have to chime in on Bruno's.

I had access to a Bruno Underground 30 for a couple of months. It was hands down the best pure amp I've ever heard. It's cleans were so compelling and it sang when cranked up.

I meant to get one ordered but haven't got around to it. I already have two boutique combos and probably need to save some dough to get a third. I do know that the third will be a Bruno.

Eric

 

[foo3001]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

I want to hear from everyone who has a 1-12 combo they would be confident using as a main amp.

I´ve used the GT Soul-O for many years now as my main live/recording amp. It´s very good, but I gotta say I sometimes wish it would be 2x12 as the single 12" speaker sometimes seems a bit too little. But that´s only when playing real loud in a bigger stage. Other than that I think it´s a very good-sounding and very portable little amp. And works very,very well with pedals.

I´ve used a lot of pedals with it, some of the ODs I´ve played through it are

Boss OD-1, OD-3, SD-1, BD-2
MI Audio Blues Pro, Tube Zone
Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive
RAT
Big Muff (Russian)
Marshall JackHammer
Carl Martin Plexitone
Fulltone FD2

...you get the picture but this far the MI audio pedals and the Sparkle Drive are the ones on my pedalboard.

Oh and I´ve swapped the speaker to a Weber California.

 

[Liquid]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

Same here. But I have yet to find the right OD pedal for that amp.

I hear the boss blues driver makes it scream but thats just wht iv heard.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

Orange Rocker 30

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

The Orange combos and Reverend amps seem like cool amps to own. Nothin wrong with having something that turns heads because it's different.

 

[shaka]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

I´ve used the GT Soul-O for many years now as my main live/recording amp. It´s very good, but I gotta say I sometimes wish it would be 2x12 as the single 12" speaker sometimes seems a bit too little. But that´s only when playing real loud in a bigger stage. Other than that I think it´s a very good-sounding and very portable little amp. And works very,very well with pedals.

I´ve used a lot of pedals with it, some of the ODs I´ve played through it are

Boss OD-1, OD-3, SD-1, BD-2
MI Audio Blues Pro, Tube Zone
Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive
RAT
Big Muff (Russian)
Marshall JackHammer
Carl Martin Plexitone
Fulltone FD2

...you get the picture but this far the MI audio pedals and the Sparkle Drive are the ones on my pedalboard.

Oh and I´ve swapped the speaker to a Weber California.

Brian Blush the guitarist for the now defunct Refreshments used a Soul-O and had incredible tone. I'd really like to pick one of these up.

Eric

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

Crate VFX5112.

I've found MY sound in it. And honestly so far it's the best sounding amp I've used. If I can find a head that sounds like it or really close to it, I'd be happy as hell.

 

[Rocker35]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

Joe, get a Shiva and be done with it!!!

 

[tone?]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

Gearjoneser;



that would have to be my VHT PitBull 50/12 combo ( no EQ), hands down. Mind you i picked it over the 50/2x12 with EQ as well. ( just sounded better to me)

tried a ****load of amps before getting this one.

It is simply amazing. Has an awesome clean channel too ( why i didnt pick the CL series cause they dont have a clean channel) . Plus you can drop in 6L6's to get an even better clean sound ( even though i think the EL34 cleans kick)

The amp has Souped up Plexi tones, ZZtop tones, Halen, can get into Lynch gain and do less gainy Dire Straights stuff as well. It has a rich smooth gain tone. for those who say that VHT's are too tight the 50 has a bit more of Sag to me.

It has a Tube rectifier as well as Silicon rectifier and the switch isnt just for kicks it really makes a difference. So you can get a tighter sound or more smoother mushier distortion.

Also Has a Class A switch. Havent really messed with this too much but also adds to tweakability. Series/parallel loop

By the way these are really useable knobs not just gimmicks.

Did i also mention that it is built like a tank and with the best components?

I waited and tested amps for years before getting this one. Literaly!

If you havent heard a VHT you are really missing out.

Out of these amps i chose the VHT.
SMF ( really kick butt amps), CAE OD100, Soldano 50 hot rod, 5150, VHT Deliverance, Star amps, Mesaboogie Lonestar, early 70's Marshall JMP 50, Newer Marshalls, Rivera, Engle screamer, Engle powerball, and a few others i cant remeber right now.

oh yeah, sounds great a really low levels as well.

Mine cost 2000euros, but you can find em cheaper used.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Favorite 1-12 combo?

I have a H&K Attax 80 that I use for home practice, but I´ve used it for gigs before and would do so again.

Yeah, it´s solid state. Big Whoop, wanna fight about it? :laugh2: