I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Rushfan2112

Rushfan2112

New member
I'm so conflicted about my Blues Junior. Mod it, don't mod it, upgrade it, blah blah. It's confusing. I was originally just going to throw a Cannabis Rex in there, as I do like the sound, but then I thought about how much the verb sucks, it's a little boxy sounding, etc.

Sooooo look at this:

Around 30 watts
6V6/6L6/EL84
Nice reverb, trem a plus
Combo - 1x12, 2x10, 2x12
Some clean headroom, gets a nice verge of break up tone. I'll boost with a booster if I need.
Nice low end, bright and jangly, too. Something to compliment a Jazzmaster and possibly a hollowbody.

What fits? And then what fits that's under $1000? I play music like Wilco, Ryan Adams, Cold War Kids, Delta Spirit and other things. Alt country, rock, indie, a little jazz. And I only own a booster pedal, that's it. So no amps that are good for different distortion pedals, cause I don't have any. I either set my amp up for a nice clean sound/clean breakupish verge stuff and boost for a lead or set it up for a rhythm guitar kind of thing (still low-medium gain) and push it with the boost. So the amp inherintly has to have great sounding drive.
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe:

Around 30 watts 40 watts
6V6/6L6/EL84 6L6's
Nice reverb, trem a plus O.K. Verb, no Trem
Combo - 1x12, 2x10, 2x12 1x12
Some clean headroom, gets a nice verge of break up tone. YES
I'll boost with a booster if I need.Takes pedals well
Nice low end, bright and jangly, too. Something to compliment a Jazzmaster and possibly a hollowbody. Yes

$600 new $350 to $400 used

Fender DRRI

Around 30 watts 22 watts
6V6/6L6/EL84 6V6
Nice reverb, trem a plus YES & YES
Combo - 1x12, 2x10, 2x12 1x12
Some clean headroom, gets a nice verge of break up tone. Good Cleans up to 6 0r 7
I'll boost with a booster if I need. Takes pedals well
Nice low end, bright and jangly, too. Something to compliment a Jazzmaster and possibly a hollowbody. Average

$850 new
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Check out the Crate v3112T with the tone tubby
30watts EL84, 3-12ax7
Spring reverb
Effects loop
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

The Hot rod deluxe and deluxe reissue are cool.

I'd also recommend the Vox AC30CC. It's a great sounding amp, and a great fit for your influences (Wilco=AC30). If you want lower wattage, I'd go for the AC15.

Also, Crate apparently make some nice 30 watt amps right now.

If you want to go secondhand, I'd recommend a Mesa Blue Angel. 6v6 and EL84s, either on their own or together. A fantastic amp with a Vox AC30 and Fender tweed deluxe tone on tap, at least close enough to fool recording engineers I've worked with. Great reverb and real build quality well above what fender, crate and vox can give you.

For a more fendery tone with more flexibility and better build, check out a used mesa F30 or F50, or a new Express.

If you can, go for a Crate, Vox or mesa head and a separate cab with nice speakers, like a celestion G12H30/V30 mix or some of the new eminence speakers. That will be a big improvement in sound over your current combo. Choose an open back combo if you mostly do clean work, or a closed back cab if you mostly do high gain.

Hope that helps...
 
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Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Check out the laney VC-30. 30 watts, EL84, single channel with footswitchable gain, has reverb, and costs $850.
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

For the life of me I don't know why Rivera doesn't get more mention in these threads. It's always Fender, Peavey, and Vox. I've spent enough time with Fender and Peavey tube amps to know that I'd choose the Rivera stuff over them any day. Can't comment on the Vox though.

Anyways, the Rivera Clubster 25 is a 25 watt, 6V6, 1X12" combo. That's what I'd be looking at for this role.
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Red_Label said:
For the life of me I don't know why Rivera doesn't get more mention in these threads. It's always Fender, Peavey, and Vox. I've spent enough time with Fender and Peavey tube amps to know that I'd choose the Rivera stuff over them any day. Can't comment on the Vox though.

Anyways, the Rivera Clubster 25 is a 25 watt, 6V6, 1X12" combo. That's what I'd be looking at for this role.
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Well, I can't speak for others, but I tried the clubster and pubster amps last year and was distinctly underwhelmed. The larger Rivera stuff I've tried was miles away from sounding bad, but somehow I've always found them to lack a bit of character. Y'know, a nice marshall emulation and a nice fender emulation, but neither tone really stands out. Another factor is that the retail on Riveras where I live is up there with boutique prices. I could import a s/h bogner or buy a Carr or Top Hat for the same price as a new Rivera head. I imagine you guys in the states have better luck getting deals new and used.

Well built, though.
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

I just bought an orange rocker 30. It's 30 watts class a (still loud as hell) with awesome distortion/od tones ranging from bluesy to an almost full death metal (not the same 5150 or recto but still good). The clean channel may not be the absolute best like some fenders, but it really lets the guitar's voice come thru. The clean only has one knob, volume which I love to death cuz I'm a total plug and play guy. One last thing, this thing has mojo out the ass.
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Hot _Grits said:
Well, I can't speak for others, but I tried the clubster and pubster amps last year and was distinctly underwhelmed. The larger Rivera stuff I've tried was miles away from sounding bad, but somehow I've always found them to lack a bit of character. Y'know, a nice marshall emulation and a nice fender emulation, but neither tone really stands out. Another factor is that the retail on Riveras where I live is up there with boutique prices. I could import a s/h bogner or buy a Carr or Top Hat for the same price as a new Rivera head. I imagine you guys in the states have better luck getting deals new and used.

Well built, though.
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Well... You're right about Rivera lacking that certain "something". That's why I don't own one. But I've never owned a Fender for a Peavey that had much of anything I liked either. For some reason, the Peavey Cl***ic is well thought of around here. I dunno why. Yeah, it's cheap. I bought my tweed cl***ic 50 head for like $300. But it was pretty lame in the tone department. I could get a Voxish, dark EL84 sound out of it on the drive channel. But the cleans were not good at all. Every tube amp that I've owned since having that Peavey has soundly spanked it.

I don't know about Rivera being in Bogner territory price-wise, but it is expensive and there's no doubt that Bogner spanks it. Still, Damon Johnson from Brother Cane got some pretty sweet Marshall Plexi goodness out of his Riveras on those recordings.


What's going on with the censorship around here? I tried to type in the word "plexigl***" in another thread. And now Peavey Cl***ic 50 gets sensored.

Hmmm... I feel cravings for a Vl***ic pickel. Could someone please p*** me one. And don't har*** me about it. I will eat it out on the lawn gr***. And give me a gl*** of water with it, will ya? And could I get a nice fillet of sea b*** too? I'm sure there's a video c***ette laying around here of how to prepare it.
 
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Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Red_Label said:
Hmmm... I feel cravings for a Vl***ic pickel. Could someone please p*** me one. And don't har*** me about it. I will eat it out on the lawn gr***. And give me a gl*** of water with it, will ya? And could I get a nice fillet of sea b*** too? I'm sure there's a video c***ette laying around here of how to prepare it.
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XD

I'm gonna check out some of the vintage series Crates, custom cl***ic series Voxes and a few Fenders in that price range, and if I can find any Riveras or Oranges I'll try them out. Though I'm not opposed to dropping a new speaker in my Blues Junior and a new reverb tank and keeping it. Hmm...
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Can I recommend a Traynor YV40 WR? 40 watts, 1X12 Celestion V30 speaker, 5881 (6L6) tubes, and great sound . . . plus you can get a matching 1X12 extension cab if you need more volume.
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Red_Label said:
Well... You're right about Rivera lacking that certain "something". That's why I don't own one. But I've never owned a Fender for a Peavey that had much of anything I liked either. For some reason, the Peavey Cl***ic is well thought of around here. I dunno why. Yeah, it's cheap. I bought my tweed cl***ic 50 head for like $300. But it was pretty lame in the tone department. I could get a Voxish, dark EL84 sound out of it on the drive channel. But the cleans were not good at all. Every tube amp that I've owned since having that Peavey has soundly spanked it.

I don't know about Rivera being in Bogner territory price-wise, but it is expensive and there's no doubt that Bogner spanks it. Still, Damon Johnson from Brother Cane got some pretty sweet Marshall Plexi goodness out of his Riveras on those recordings.
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Speak of the devil: played a gig last night, and one of the other bands' guitarists turns up with a knucklehead and 2x12. He used a tele with a bucker into it and it sounded freakin' amazing.

I'm no fan of the Classic 50, either. I'm a massive fan of the classic 20, though.
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Rushfan2112 said:
XD

I'm gonna check out some of the vintage series Crates, custom cl***ic series Voxes and a few Fenders in that price range, and if I can find any Riveras or Oranges I'll try them out. Though I'm not opposed to dropping a new speaker in my Blues Junior and a new reverb tank and keeping it. Hmm...
Click to expand...

Out of love with the reverend?
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Hot _Grits said:
Out of love with the reverend?
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Yeah, I had to purchase my first love, a Jazzmaster, and I'd like to get a new amp/upgrade my current one/get my Jazzmaster set up and possibly installed with new pickups, and the Rev's gotta go. It's a great guitar though.
 
Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Crate V32 Palomino.


For what you're looking for, it's perfect. 30w, really nice Class A Vox/Matchless type cleans, a cool Vox/Marshall hybrid type overdrive channel that does indie stuff really well. Best of all, you can get a 1x12'' for $400. Believe me when I say nothing can touch it for the price (I have a hard time finding amps that are $1000 that sound as good). You get a decent reverb tank and there's even a boost switch for lead playing as well (although it's a bit bright for my taste - I always end up switching to the neck pup of my guitars to compensate).

I'm not sure what you mean exactly by "nice low end" though. If you want more lowend emphasis, you'll want to go to a higher wattage.
 
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Re: I need a super rad amp, mojo a plus

Hot _Grits said:
Speak of the devil: played a gig last night, and one of the other bands' guitarists turns up with a knucklehead and 2x12. He used a tele with a bucker into it and it sounded freakin' amazing.
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Very cool! I know that those guys from Brother Cane loved their Knucklheads for sure. Dunno what they're using these days. I should do some searching and find-out what Damon used on the Slave to the System recordings I guess. Very cool tones on that CD.

I never tried a Knucklehead or Bonehead. But I did try several of their combos. I actually had the wine red Quianna for about a week gigging it. A friend who owns a music store sent it out with me. It was pricey! $1900 I think. I didn't care for it's 6L6 overdrive though. Definitely an EL34 devotee here. The next time I look at a $1900 amp it'll definitely be a Bogner Shiva and I'll be keeping it. It takes all I can muster on a daily basis not to put my favorite gun up for sale and buy a Shiva. But I digress...
 
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