Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

Have you ever tried a Zinky? They're very warm. So much so in fact, that I understand one is being gainfully employed to defrost the Great Alabama Glacier of 2014...

I have I think you might be mistaking warm for harsh. Very one dimensional amp IMO.
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

I think your best idea for warm is to get a Peavey Classic 50 and a small handful of electronic stuff and put together an Emerson EM and an Emerson Paramount in one box.
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

60s bassman played loud.


AMEN Bro !

My '66 Bassman has theee best (to my ears) clean sound ever created.
And that warm clean becomes a gritty warm OD when cranked beyound 5 on the vol knob !

In a much smaller package, my Marshall Class 5 is toasty-warm even on it's utmost clean settings.
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

The overdrive in my Genz Benz El Diablo 60 could be dialed in to sound quite warm. In the 30 watt mode, with the tube contour control turned down, and with the "compressed" and "High Gain" buttons off, the overdrive was dynamic, thick, and smooth sounding.
The amp is pretty versatile and in the 60 watt mode, with the tube contour knob turned up and the global attack knob on, it could sound edgier and more metal too.

Unfortunately I have the amp up for sale trying to raise money to make another gear purchase, and I may regret it if it sells.

Had one for about 3 years. Such a versatile amp. Love it with both el34 and 6l6s. It really can do almost anything. Sold mine 'cause it couldn't do the Orange thing and that's really where I was at but it's critically underrated (bought mine for less than 500$ for the combo on ebay). As you said: many versions of "warm overdrive" in there once you get a hang of tweaking that beast.
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

I have I think you might be mistaking warm for harsh. Very one dimensional amp IMO.

You ether have never played one or did some thing wrong then. The reason Bruce Zinky named the amp the Velvet in the first place was because it was so smooth at high gain.
One dimensional?? Not on your life the reason I am so hot on these amps is because they respond to touch and technique so well. If you play one and find it one dimensional for you it's the players fault not the amp!
Carvin Nomad or Bellair is another warm amp at bluesy break up but get's muddy at higher gains.
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

Have you ever tried a Zinky? They're very warm. So much so in fact, that I understand one is being gainfully employed to defrost the Great Alabama Glacier of 2014...

While I have heard it said these were flamethrowers, it would have taken a real one to melt the sheet of solid ice on the street in front of my house last week.
This was 20 minuets after it started and it lasted 4 hours. trying to walk on that street was almost imposable at this point as what you see is not snow on the road it melted as it hit then refroze into a solid sheet of ice that in the end in front of my house was 3 inches thick. Also note no tire tracks or foot prints in this photo and that across the street from me is a school with a thousand students and this street is one of the major entrances to that school.

The little Zinky however does have gain out the wazoo if needed but can also do light breakup well.;)
 
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Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

Marshall Vintage Modern. The combo and matching cab come with the same Celestians as the Hendrix signature amp. The KT66s make a huge difference.
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

You ether have never played one or did some thing wrong then.

I played one, a guy had one as the house amp at a blues jam and I am pretty sure I didn't do anything "wrong". I was not impressed, not in the least. I listened to multiple guitar players with diverse guitars and of different talent levels and not once was I blown away by the tone. Towards the end of the night most players were using the Fender Deluxe. I don't think that amp wowed anyone.
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

You really want a Mesa Boogie Mark V...but you already knew that, didn't you?

Bill
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

Warm overdrive is kinda what the Bogner Shiva was all about. There are days I regret selling mine.

Agreed. My 6L6 Shiva does exactly what you're talking about. If you're on a budget, the Bogner Alchemist could get you there too, but it isn't as organic with natural sounding break-up as the 6L6 Shiva. I love both, but the Alchemist is a little more modern sounding.
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

I played one, a guy had one as the house amp at a blues jam and I am pretty sure I didn't do anything "wrong". I was not impressed, not in the least. I listened to multiple guitar players with diverse guitars and of different talent levels and not once was I blown away by the tone. Towards the end of the night most players were using the Fender Deluxe. I don't think that amp wowed anyone.
Just the opposite reaction I get with mine. A while back some friends in a blues band were doing a fundraiser for a political candidate and I had just left a practice so I have my little Zinky Velvet with me. One of the guitar players was using a Peavy classic 30 and it died so I told them to take a quick break and I had my amp with me . We grabbed the Zinky plugged it in with no effects and he used it to finish the gig. Everybody in the place was floored by the tones and many were asking what the heck the amp was. At the end of the night both guitarist asked where to get one and if mine was for sale.
To each their own and I don't know what that Zinky was you played ,what speaker it was loaded with ( mine right now has a WGS ET-90) or if it needed tubes. What i do know is mine is anything but a one trick pony and it kills!
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

I imagine playing a Zinky here in California would seem a lot colder, since it's not freezing here. Maybe it's just a relative thing; Maybe the Zinky is like...60 degrees warm. It's come off very SS here in the balmy Sac area.

We literally have to light Blue Juniors on fire to get any more warmth out of our amps here. Then we get fined for a fire on a no-burn day. Rockin out has it's hidden costs.
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

So all amps ever have warm overdrive huh? Except for the ones that don't, but we're not talking about those.
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

I just traded a Mesa Boogie DC-5 (2 6L6s, 6 12AX7s, black widow speaker) that had the best 5-Way EQ–could make the drive really smooth and warm.
 
Re: Favorite Amps That Have Warm Overdrive

Just the opposite reaction I get with mine. A while back some friends in a blues band were doing a fundraiser for a political candidate and I had just left a practice so I have my little Zinky Velvet with me. One of the guitar players was using a Peavy classic 30 and it died so I told them to take a quick break and I had my amp with me . We grabbed the Zinky plugged it in with no effects and he used it to finish the gig. Everybody in the place was floored by the tones and many were asking what the heck the amp was. At the end of the night both guitarist asked where to get one and if mine was for sale.
To each their own and I don't know what that Zinky was you played ,what speaker it was loaded with ( mine right now has a WGS ET-90) or if it needed tubes. What i do know is mine is anything but a one trick pony and it kills!

I am not sure of the model but the guy said he had just bought it so I am guessing the tubes were fine. It was blue and looked like the suit they found Elvis wearing on the bathroom floor. I am sure yours cranks to each their own I guess, just not my cup o tea.
 
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