Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

baba o'riley

baba o'riley

Member
I recently sold off some collectables and realized I had enough money to buy a new amp :). Lucky me. I use a Clapton Strat, an LP, and an old hollow body. I play a pretty large variety out live but mostly blues / classic rock. Think Bad Co, Free, Cream, Zeppelin, Mick Taylor, Gary Moore, ZZ Top...etc..
I'm looking for either a tube or hybrid amp that isn't going to blow ear drums away. I will be using this amp for studio/house/ small club gigs. Would love to hear some suggestions....

Would like to keep the costs around $800 or under
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

get a laney LCII. I want to get a 15W one, and put a celestion Blue in it. JUST CAUZ I CAN FOO
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

There is a lot of amps in your price range that might fit your criteria. SF fenders are getting pricey... But you could still find one in that price range. As far as new production amps. The Hot Rod Deluxe and the simular Crate are worth looking into.
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

30 watt Peavey classic is a nice choice. FOr a little more umph go to Fender Hot rods.
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

Forget about the HR Deluxe. Tone for tone, the Crate Palomino 32 blows it away. Spend a bit more cash on a Red Fang and you're good for a long, long time. :)
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

baba o'riley said:
someone told me the Peavey Classic series are pretty good...any thoughts on those?
Click to expand...

IMO they lack bass

i'd go the used route, you could pick up a deluxe reverb RI, a '59 bassman RI, or the palomino

hot rod deluxes are good if you do some work on em (new speaker, new tubes)

both are pretty much a necessity for what you're wanting to do, and since you're wanting to lower the wattage anyways i'd go with EH 12ax7's (12at7 in the PI if you want), some JJ 6v6's - seeing as they're the only 6v6's you'll be able to run, and an eminence governor.

with all this done you'll have the magic 2 speaker watts to 1 amp watt (roughly), and enough natural tube distortion that the only time you'd really need to use the gain channel would be for bedroom practicing
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

Fender DRRI - replace the crappy speaker with a weber - possibly upgrade the tubes and your in vintage tone heaven.
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

thanks for the advice guys. I'm looking for one I wont have to mod much though... After checking online and talking to some friends... I've narrowed it down, out of the ones mentioned so far, between the Crate Palomino and the a Laney...

Haven't heard much about Laney amps though.....
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

You might be able to grab a used VHT Pitbull 45 in that price range, not sure how you feel about EL84-based amps though. They sound like a mix between Vox and Marshall, and do the blues and rock gigs very well.
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

Find a used Rivera. You'll get fender and marshall in one box and all your guitar god tones you can summon up.
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

Dont know that much about tubes really, as long as it gets me the Paul Kossoff ballpark I'll be happy haha. Rivera I haven't heard of, I'm from a small area in Ohio so our music stores don't carry anything except the big boys like fender, marshall, crate, etc.. I'll search ebay and see if anything is up for auction.
 
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Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

I would stay from the Fender Hot Rods, based on the types of music you are playing. Sounds like you need an amp more geared towards hard rock. Definitely check out those Crates, I think I heard Gibbons was using those recently?
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

I would try the Traynor YCV 50. For your price you could buy the amp, and a matching extension 1x12 cab. The master volume works very well with that amp. I tried one recently in a store and was amazed at the tones I was getting at lower volumes. If that's too much amp check out a Traynor YCV 40 or YCV 20. Both of those blow away the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe in my opinion.

I own a Mesa F-50 and think that or an F-30 would be a good choice too, but you would have to go used.


I saw a band a few weeks ago and the lead guitar player was playing a Fender Vibrolux or Vibroverb I believe. He was pushing it with a Crowther Hotcake pedal and sounded awesome. he said he bought his amp for $800 used.

I also saw a guy last summer playing classic rock/blues with a Carvin Vintage 16. It sounded great as well. Good luck!
 
Re: Help me pick an Amp for blues/rock

Crate V1512 or V16 palamino if you can get one. One of those plus new tubes and a nicer speaker is way under your price limit. if you can try the V1512 with the tone tubby speaker upgrade, those amps are smoking.
 
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