One trick ponies or Jack of all trades?

[Phantasmagoria]

What do you look for in an amp more? Versatility or a strong/unique character to their sound? I've always been the kind of guy who prefers AC/DC. Motorhead, Maiden etc to bands that change form album to album as far as my taste in music goes & the same thing extends to my preference in amps..I much prefer the way a Recto sounds to a Mark, a JCM 800 to a JVM , An Orange to well anything else out there :laugh2: etc...


I was listening to demo's of other modern hi gain amps and thinking that while they're all supposedly brutal, (I often don't hear it tbh) what they lack is individuality & I honestly doubt anyone could "pick out the amp' in a blind test with other similar amps, ;cause of the facelessness of their sound & their lack of any charecteristics that set them apart from the next "flavour of the month amp". But they all claim to be "versatile". So is versatility just another word for facelessness?

Just wondering what others think?

 

[Rabelais]

I can only speak from YouTube experience, and from what I've heard in records, but I definetely prefer amps with personality: a 5E3 Fender Tweed, a JTM 45, a Plexi. There is a reason why these 50-60 year old designs are still used: you can instantly recognize them. The 30 year old Rectifier too. And all these amps are not one trick ponies: you can get great low-medium gain tones from a Recrifier, great clean tones from a Plexi, and you can surely make the Tweed roar. Neil Young certainly does.

 

[Securb]

Funny you just posted this. I was just downstairs playing with my Randell orange stripe. You can dial it in very neutral and add a stomp to get a traditional metal/high-gain tone, and it sounds great. Pulling the amp's "personality" out of it gives you a unique playing experience. Traces of 60's and wonderful grainy, lo-fi distorted tones. My Fender Excelsior is even more stripped-down and funky. I would say my Carvin X100B is fairly complex with multiple channels, 5 Band EQ and gain staging. And the JCM 2000 also has a huge range of tone. But typically, even in a complex amp, I am dialed into one tone I really like.

TL/DR: The simpler the better for me

 

[beaubrummels]

I prefer an amp that makes 'that' one sound that I never get tired of hearing. If I need another sound, I need another amp. ;-)

 

[Mincer]

I need a great clean sound at any volume, and a long tail reverb. If an amp has those things, I can make it work.

 

[Sirion]

Whatever works. I own a Soldano Hot Rod 50, a bare-bones single-channel amp, and a JVM Satriani, which is probably the most versatile amp Marshall has ever made. Both sound glorious when dialed in correctly, but with the Soldano I had better not need any pristine cleans. I can't say that I hear any difference in recognisability as a rule.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

you can instantly recognize them. The 30 year old Rectifier too. And all these amps are not one trick ponies:

Yeah ..instantly recognizable ....that's what I meant. Like you said they are'nt nessesasirily one trick ponies.

 

[Top-L]

The guitar sound is an sm57 on a 75 watt celestion. Amp brand doesnt really matter. When things get loud, the differences get even smaller. Speaker cabs matter most.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

I'm afraid I disagree completely ^^... Though I'm sure when you have a faceless sounding amplifier that's most likely the case. (Revv, Mezzabarba, Driftwood or what have you..)

Otherwise, an Orange or Recto into__________ (insert speaker/cab of your choice) always sounds like an Orange/ Recto to me...

 

[Top-L]

I'm afraid I disagree completely ^^... Though I'm sure when you have a faceless sounding amplifier that's most likely the case. (Revv, Mezzabarba, Driftwood or what have you..)

Otherwise, an Orange or Recto into__________ (insert speaker/cab of your choice) always sounds like an Orange/ Recto to me...

The vast majority of guitar music, you either cant tell what brand the amp is, or it sounds like a marshall.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

The point of a modern mix is to compress the life out of everything & suck out any character that an amp might have

I guess I meant in the room & definitely not in a "modern" mix of any sort :laugh2:..

There are plenty "flavor of the month" type amps out there that are as faceless/forgettable/interchangeable &"versatile" in either situation (room & mix)

 

[Top-L]

I want an amp that allows me to cover any song.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Whatever works. I own a Soldano Hot Rod 50, a bare-bones single-channel amp, and a JVM Satriani, which is probably the most versatile amp Marshall has ever made. Both sound glorious when dialed in correctly, but with the Soldano I had better not need any pristine cleans. I can't say that I hear any difference in recognisability as a rule.

The JVM is actually my fave of the versatile amps out there. i would'nt say it lacks character at all despite being versatile. That's beecause it always undoubtedly sounds sounds like a Marshall ........so it's versatile "within the Marshall spectrum of sound" if you get what I mean.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

I want an amp that allows me to cover any song.

I want 5 amps instead

 

[Rabelais]

What do you look for in an amp more? Versatility or a strong/unique character to their sound? I've always been the kind of guy who prefers AC/DC. Motorhead, Maiden etc to bands that change form album to album as far as my taste in music goes & the same thing extends to my preference in amps..I much prefer the way a Recto sounds to a Mark, a JCM 800 to a JVM , An Orange to well anything else out there :laugh2: etc...


I was listening to demo's of other modern hi gain amps and thinking that while they're all supposedly brutal, (I often don't hear it tbh) what they lack is individuality & I honestly doubt anyone could "pick out the amp' in a blind test with other similar amps, ;cause of the facelessness of their sound & their lack of any charecteristics that set them apart from the next "flavour of the month amp". But they all claim to be "versatile". So is versatility just another word for facelessness?

Just wondering what others think?

I also forgot to mention the Vox AC 30. Not a high gain amp, but certainly one with a beauriful crunch when maxed. It does more than just clean jangle. And yes, Orange amps are very unique too. Such a huge midrange.

 

[Aceman]

I have 6 legit amps, not including bass, acoustic, etc. I am looking for what I am looking for. Could be a unique personality, could be a variety of tones, could be chameleon powers.

Mesa Stiletto: It has no less than 24 "switchable sounds between Silicon/Tube, Bold/Spongy, 50/100, Clean/OD, and 3 modes on each of those. But I was walking into a store to buy a 2555 Marshall head. I got the Mesa because it absolutely does that one thing (among others). And it does it very very well.

Fender Pro Jr. I got it for the one thing it does. It does that thing over a range, but literally one thing

I got my Marshal VS100 for three things: Clean channel for pedals, Crunch channel, and lead channel. I usually set them all very differently

I have my Peavey Express 112 literally because it has no personality, but can do anything; Clean Jazz, Blues, Rock, Uber-Metuhlz

I got the H&K TM18 because of the modern vibe

My Roland Cube is there for one button access to 7 different models

 

[Mincer]

I guess my main live amp has been a Fractal, so that obviously has lots of sounds. But I essentially use 1.

 

[Ascension]

Have owned about anything you can name at some point. I care less about the brand or if others like what I play amp wise it just has to work for me. I learned to play with the old JCM 900 MK III Dual master volume amps. I need an amp to respond to touch like I want and feel right to play. Own 5 rigs right now.
PRS MT 15 and a 50 watt US series one Archon head are the amps I play most. The MT 15 stays on stage at my church driving a miced cab backstage. The Archon is my main play our rig when I can crank a little outdoors or in a larger venue.
The way I have the MT 15 set up it sounds much different than most and much more like the Archon. Great cleans and the gain side is super smooth and responsive to touch.
The Archon is a very smooth fluid modern sounding amp that responds to touch better than any amp I have ever played. Very big smooth tone with the best fluid singing solo tones of any amp i have ever owned.
Have 2 EL 84 20 and 25 watt amps.
Mesa Subway Rocket the best small lightweight and easy to carry combo I have ever worked with. Vicious little amp at high gain with a lot of character and touch sensitivity. Solid cleans and a stunning little amp with a mic on it at super low stage volumes in the FOH.
Zinky Blue Velvet 25 watt combo. Solid very simple rock amp that can play well at low volumes but also has surprising punch at higher volumes. Solid cleans and a unique high gain voice.
Also own a 1991 Carvin X 50B Hot Rod Mod head that is a killer for those 1980's and 90's modded marshal tones.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

and a 50 watt US series one Archon head are the amps I play most. The MT 15 stays on stage at my church driving a miced cab backstage. The Archon is my main play our rig when I can crank a little outdoors or in a larger venue.

The Archon is a very smooth fluid modern sounding amp that responds to touch better than any amp I have ever played. Very big smooth tone with the best fluid singing solo tones of any amp i have ever owned.
.

They have the new Indo made Archon 50's in all the stores here though I have'nt checked one out yet. On the face of it they sound pretty cool to me in the demo's & they don't break the bank either. I'm interested in what you're saying about the lead tones and was wondering how the newer ones compare to the older. Have you had the opportunity to compare the two by any chance?. I've heard a few comparisons on youtube in which they both sound extremely similar...

Of course, in the end , it's going to depend on what I think of them when I actually play them myself...but meanwhile it would be nice to hear some other opinions.

 

[GuitarStv]

Amp has to do one thing really well for me - outstanding cleans/edge of breakup. Usually means I get along with blackface Fenders, but I've played a few Plexis and HiWatts that both get there in a slightly different way. It's nice if there's a decent drive channel too, but if I can be happy with the cleans from the amp I can always use pedals to get any gainy tones necessary.