I want a lovely, warm British style amp

Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

Warm ?

Clean'ish ?

Brittish ?









. . . or . . .


...bad recording, but the idea hits home.



. . . and then . . .


http://www.matamp.co.uk/amplification/gt-1.aspx - beautifull warm tones from Huddersfield ! Gain is to die for !!!
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

Sounds like you're in a similar market that I have been recently. I liked what I was hearing from amps like Dr. Z Maz, Mesa Electra Dyne, Budda Superdrive, and wound up taking a shot with a Top Hat Ambassador. The Top Hat is different in that it's the only one I mentioned that's *not* EL84 based (4x6V6), but you get my point.

Don't be surprised if an EL84 amp winds up suiting you, they're not all Voxy. In fact, the amp I wish I'd never sold was EL84-based: VHT Pitbull 45. I MISS THAT AMP!

EDIT: Just found this. Not the best demo, but you kinda get the idea.

 
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Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

Sounds like you're in a similar market that I have been recently. I liked what I was hearing from amps like Dr. Z Maz, Mesa Electra Dyne, Budda Superdrive, and wound up taking a shot with a Top Hat Ambassador.

The Top Hat is different in that it's the only one I mentioned that's *not* EL84 based (4x6V6), but you get my point.

Don't be surprised if an EL84 amp winds up suiting you, they're not all Voxy. In fact, the amp I wish I'd never sold was EL84-based: VHT Pitbull 45. I MISS THAT AMP!

EDIT: Just found this. Not the best demo, but you kinda get the idea.



The Electra Dyne is not E84 driven !
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

that second vid you posted does not help matters.

El34s get very crunchy, and are very midrange focused and are generally paired witha bright pre-amp section. Just nature of the beast. They don't really mate well in the general sense to the characteristics you are asking for- neutral EQ, less variation from high to low frequencies, etc. whereas there are several El84 based amps which will. El34s of courrse do the edge of breakup thing great, but you are looking at NMV style Marshall circuits for that. Not every EL84 amp sounds like a jangly Vox AC30 either.

Maybe I should remove that second video then - all the recommendations mentioning it have sounded terrible to me :laughing:

I am listening to your recommendation clips now
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

Here we have a lovely, warm British style amp . . .











. . . running on EL84s !
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

Why not try a tweed style Fender? :scratchch

 
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Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

Is the premise of this thread a contradiction? When I think British amps, I think chimy, raspy, and crunchy in turn. Unless we're talking Orange. Or possibly an old AC-30 before the bright channel.
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

Is the premise of this thread a contradiction? When I think British amps, I think chimy, raspy, and crunchy in turn. Unless we're talking Orange. Or possibly an old AC-30 before the bright channel.

I feel like those Blackstar amps cop what I'm describing.

I have played JCM 800s that felt and sounded warm in the clean spectrum.

I have played Plexis that did it too.

I do not like playing Vox amps, I do not like the feel and sound.

I had a single EL84 head one time, as well, that sounded terrible no matter what tubes were in it, or what speaker and cab it was hooked to (Blackheart Little Giant).

I will be a trooper and not hate on the EL84 amps, but I am sure that VOX is not for me.
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

I had a single EL84 head one time, as well, that sounded terrible no matter what tubes were in it, or what speaker and cab it was hooked to (Blackheart Little Giant).

This could have been the problem. I think that's a single-ended class A power section. If you get a class A/B with push-pull, I think it changes the character and feel quite a bit. Plus, the preamp makes quite a bit of difference as well, as the Marshall Class 5 has very little in common with that Blackheart.

Don't let what's on paper change your mind. Let the sound be your guide. I'm sure you know this, because your search for that Fender you ended up with did exactly that.
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

6V6? ...Egnator 6V6/El84 mix.
I have a 6V6 very inexpensive use dCrate Stkath that does a good clean crunch.
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

You might be looking for an amp with more features, but here's a cool little amp.



 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

I had a single EL84 head one time, as well, that sounded terrible no matter what tubes were in it, or what speaker and cab it was hooked to (Blackheart Little Giant)..

Guess what?

It wasn't the tube type :D

"I don't like Les Pauls...I had a Epiphone Les Paul Special 100 one time, and no matter what pickups I put in it, or amp I played it through, it would sound like @$$"
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

I feel like those Blackstar amps cop what I'm describing.

I have played JCM 800s that felt and sounded warm in the clean spectrum.

I have played Plexis that did it too.

I do not like playing Vox amps, I do not like the feel and sound.

I had a single EL84 head one time, as well, that sounded terrible no matter what tubes were in it, or what speaker and cab it was hooked to (Blackheart Little Giant).

I will be a trooper and not hate on the EL84 amps, but I am sure that VOX is not for me.

You had the wrong amp. It had no master volume. It makes a big difference.
Don't give up on EL-84s, they do great things in the right setup.
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

email the dudes and see what they use and get that. or search for vids and pics of them live to see what it is. might as well go for what's making the sound, ya know?
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

If you're used to Fenders then you might not be satisfied jumping right into a British amp. I think you should consider the Mesa Electra Dyne because you can get the best of both worlds, plus it's a really well built amplifier. It appears simple but has a lot of great features including a reverb that sounds better than most Fender reverbs which I find too washy at times.
 
Re: I want a lovely, warm British style amp

You clearly don't know it yet, but you want an AC30.

I know that isn't what you want to hear, but it's what you want...just make sure it's not one of the crappy chinese ones. Keep your eyes glued to CL and eBay and try and find a used, old AC30 (it doesn't have to be from the '60s, just find out which year they exported the labor and buy one BEFORE that year).
 
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