Looking for Cornford Carrera impressions

StrangeSound

StrangeSound

GlossesForNothin'
Hey guys,

I'm looking for a very straight-foward amp which works great with strats. From mild to aggressive break up. Did anyone have the chance to test drive this amp?
 
Re: Looking for Cornford Carrera impressions

Cool, thanks man! It shouldn't be a problem to test the Blackstar. I'll give it a go!
 
Re: Looking for Cornford Carrera impressions

OK then. Well as you can see I'm really into the Cornford sound. Although I haven't had a Carrera they are great sounding amps, and if I see one in the future at the right price I will get one. At the moment I have an MK50 and a Hurricane. Both amps are excellent and have the trademark Cornford sound which is a rich, thick sound that retains clarity and note definition even when driven hard. I don't generally use any drive pedals unless I set my amps clean when I'm at home because the drive sound is pure bliss! Another important factor is how they clean up, even when pretty dirty, with the guitar volume knob. They are very dynamic and touch sensitive, and the only amp I have thought about since getting these is an XTC but when I tried one as superb as it is it was just too much amp and I still preffered the sound I'm used too. If I were you unless you can get a Carrera for a great price I would consider a Hurricane, they still sound great at low volumes but are loud enough for smaller gigs and sound great with singles and buckers. I normally only really use my bucker equipped guitars but for the last few weeks I'm really into my G&L legacy with SSL5/ SSL1/ Custom Surfer in the neck and it's a fantastic sound. All the sounds are in there, Clapton, Blackmore, Hendrix... it's a great place to be.

So you may think I'm a little biased? Not really, they just work for me and they make my average playing sound better than they should! Lol

Blackstar. Whilst I am not a big fan of the HT stuff, the Artisan range are also really nice amps. I still prefer what I have because my amps "feel" better to me, but the Artisans are very similar and excellent build quality too. Well worth a look.
 
Re: Looking for Cornford Carrera impressions

Thanks so much, man! Yeah, I came the Hurricane across after posting here and it does look even tastier for my application :) I dig the sound as well! Just like a tasty, fresh ingredient :D That's some great info! I'd love to have 1 splendid amp for gigging and not carrying pedals around.
 
Re: Looking for Cornford Carrera impressions

I haven't owned any Cornfords but I've used a few. The Harlequin was a nice amp but only like 5w or something. Pretty loud 5 watts, but good for home and studio only. No FX loop, very little tonal options, but the controls it does have work pretty good and give you enough variation in sound for a 1 channel combo. The MK 50 II was the one I most liked but very pricey. Cornfords are really warm sounding amps and very thick. I think my only minor dislike was that they sounded TOO warm and thick perhaps. I'm not really sure what it was that never made me want one over other amps. My preference has nothing to do with quality or tone because Cornfords have tone and quality in spades.

However, you should check out the Diamond Balinese combo. It's very much like the Cornford - simplistic, no frills, but sounds awesome. I gassed for one pretty hard for a while and still want to get one from time to time. It's one of those amps that just has something special about it. No FX loops but loves pedals. It has an attack and tone that is incredible. They're really well made and can be bought at fair prices. It can get plenty loud if you want it to, but the volume has many sweet spots so it's great for all kinds of uses.

I highly recommend one if you're looking for something simple but versatile and can be used as a pedal platform. One similar amp is the Diamond Del Fuego and there is a sweet deal on a perfectly mint one right now only $1199: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Diamond-Del...084?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d00a8e76c

The Del Fuego is more powerful than the Balinese but has some power options to drop the wattage. I can't recall specifically but I think it also includes and FX loop and genuine built-in tremolo effects. I kind of lost track of that one after a while because I was fixated on the Balinese, but it's an awesome amp and definitely worth your time. You will be amazed at how these vintage style amps respond to overdrive pedals. You can get some pretty sick saturated lead tones. Lots of organic beautiful tone in those amps.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top