My amp...

Gunny47

Gunny47

New member
is too **** loud for home usage. Sure, I can get *singing sustain* at bedroom levels for lead tones with the channels jumped with the neck pickup, but it is very very clean. It's a great amp when I'm writing stuff, playing chords and jazz, gigging or just playing clean in general. Ove rhte last week, it has been an utter annoyance getting told to turn down all the time when I don't have ANY grit on the signal what so ever. Its an AMAZING amp, the fattest clean sound I've ever heard, and I'll always use it at bedroom levels, but when I want some more distortion, there is nowhere to look.

I sold my 2 overdrive/distortion pedals (Fulltone OCD and Fulltone Fulldrive II MOSFET) just because I did not like the way they sounded. Despite not liking the Fulldrive II, which is a very tube screamer esque pedal, I've tried my friends Maxon Tube Screamer clone through my amp and my guitar and I've LOVED it, so I will definitely put a Keeley modded TS on my list.

I've been working the whole school year, I've been working the whole summer (and will continue that) and I have a lot of nice cash saved up. I really had my heart set on buying either an SG or ES-335 after the summer ends, but I think it is more practical to get a new amp. My gibson amp (which used to be my distortion amp) does not work, and I sorta lost the taste for the sound (too buzzy and grainy - too thin). I am probably going to wind up with a blackface amp around the deluxe reverb range in wattage. I might get a head and just hook it up to the speakers in my Tweed, which are great. I was considering a Tweed Deluxe clone or similar, but I want something with a little more headroom and not as much grit, well, more blackface sounding.

So, if money was not an issue (please provide cheaper alternatives as well), what amps would you recomend? Basically, I'm looking for Freddie King like lead tones, but in a smaller package. Maybe like Derek Trucks lead tones as well or Duane or Dickie. Anything around 22 watts, may be a head, 6V6 or 6L6 powered (or similar, just NOT EL84s). Clones, reissues, tell all, brothers! Thanks
 
Re: My amp...

Bro...I know you love your tweed Twin and you should, it's a great amp however it is too much amp for most guys in most small to medium playing positions.

Keep this in mind...a Deluxe Reverb can be too...if you are looking to get grit at low volumes a Deluxe Reverb or even a Princeton is still too much amp in your bedroom.

If you want a killer bedroom amp get a ZVEX Nano Head and a 1x12 cab...if you want another gigging amp look into a Deluxe Reverb!

FWIW, a stock BF Fender is NOT a crunch amp anyway...not without pedals, just keep that in the back of your mind.

You either need a small (and I mean VERY small) amp, or you need a smallish to mediumsize amp WITH a master volume or you need a good sounding amp that works well with pedals and a few good pedals, your only other choice is to give crunch at low volumes...or get a modeling amp, I hate them too but for some things that have become a must.

In my opinions some of the best blackface style amps are tweaked and slightly modded Silverface Fenders, if you want a new amp David Allen makes some fine Blackface style amps as does SDG Vintage, Clark, and even some of the newer Victorias have a more BF style tone to them.

Good luck
 
Re: My amp...

THD Hot Plate.

Or DR Z Airbrake.

Get one of those & some gnarly 12 guage speaker cables.

Problem solved. (mostly) lol
 
Re: My amp...

Okay, so assuming you're unhappy with your valvetronix (hint: plugging it into better speakers will help your practice tone)...

You need to look into a sub 5w single ended amp like the 6v6 version of the Matamp minimat or the Z Vex mini amp. Depending on the amp, you may need further attenuation, via an airbrake, hotplate or similar.

Then there's larger amps with power attenuation or 5w mode built in: non-EL84 equipped models include the mesa express 5:50 and fender princeton recording amp. Perhaps even a 6V6 equipped kit project will suit.

My home situation is not dissimilar to yours: I have a 40W Victoria double deluxe and Mesa Blue Angel, and even the 18w 6V6 option on the Blue Angel is way to loud for neighbours and girlfriend. Personally, I just accept that my pedals (which are high end, boutique models) aren't going to sound as good as my amp by itself and get on with playing and not getting too tone-anal around the house. Of course I rehearse twice a week and gig at least once a week, plus studio work, so I get plenty of time to shake it all out. If I only played at home I'd be looking into small amps and attenuators.
 
Re: My amp...

LoFiBrian said:
don't you have a AD15VT in your sig? thats a fine bedroom amp IMO
Click to expand...

Well, I'm sort of a tube snob now, and that amp is not giving me the tones I seriously use and am after. The clean sounds suck IMO, I dislike the classic rock settings and theres no really "pushed clean" sound which is really what I'm after. The amp is fun for wanking on Guns N Roses or Metallica with friends over but other than that I never use the thing, or have a desire to use it.

A common theme I see here is those 5 watt or lower tube amps designed to crunch out. I already have one of those, the Gibson GA5, which I am able to get a crunch at reasonable volumes. I am not after crunch at all. I'm into those smooth lead tones, the tones that you can't really tell are "distorted" unless you smack a chord. Probably the amount of gain in the Duane Allman or Derek Trucks territory. I want an amp with a good amount of clean headroom and that I can gig with still, and could give me a good pushed not "super" clean tone. And then I want it to have those smooth lead sounds. But maybe a little thinner tones when cranked up, not as warm and thick as the tweed amp. I just like the sounds of a bigger amp, but I want that slightly less "largeness" of the amp, so 1 speaker instead of 2 and maybe half the wattage. So far, I'm leaning toward the DRRI and will probably replace the stock jensen with a Weber JBL clone for that more Duane/Peter Green thinner nasally sound. Gotta play some stuff, I'm still really dying to go for the ES-335 Fat Neck that just came out or a VOS SG Standard, so I'll take my time making my next decision! Thanks guys
 
Re: My amp...

i have a bunch of loud tube amps that i can never use at home... for home i've been using SS amps for years.. Mostly older Fender SS amps.... My main loud amp is a 5150 yet in the bedroom i use a Fender Princton Chorus amp... The Princton Chorus works great in my Bedroom... i've used them since 1987 so it's been 20 years now... they have some serious sustain at low volumes... Most people say they sound too fuzzy and raspy.. but if you don't crank the gain all the way and adjust the EQ you can get some great tones out of it quietly.. I also have the bigger brother the Ultimate Chorus amp..

And from time to time i also use a Berhinger 1x12 combo... a cheap Vintager model... it does that AC/DC crunch and 4x12 like bassiness at low volumes rather well.....

Oneday i plan to include some Modelers in my bedroom group of amps

saddly since i'm not in a band anymore my large stacks and louder tube amps are seriously collecting dust
 
Re: My amp...

hmm that windsor studio looks very interesting. I like how you can throw in just about any powertube. Like I said, I gotta go to some stores and make a decision.
 
Re: My amp...

Try a SFX-03 or English Muff'n. The Windsor recording is not released as yet. I am hoping it is a great amp as well.
 
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