Talk me out of a Pignose amp

[Securb]

I have always wanted one since forever. Zappa used one in the studio cranked in an iso booth. The new High on Fire disk just came out and Matt Pike daisy-chained three of them and put them in an iso booth for his tone. They are short money maybe I should just shut up and buy one. Does anyone here have one? How do you use it?

 

[JMP/HBE]

.

 

[strat dude]

Don’t do it, (did it work?)

 

[strat dude]

I have one, I have always thought it is a great tool in learning how to get the most out of the least. If you can make a Pignose sound good you can make anything sound good.

 

[Mincer]

As small amps go, technology has seriously improved over 50 years. Look at the Bias amps instead, unless you are nostalgic.

 

[SlyFoxx]

Eugene kicked Jack Butler's buttocks with a Tele and a Pignose.

 

[Securb]

As small amps go, technology has seriously improved over 50 years. Look at the Bias amps instead, unless you are nostalgic.

Yep, mostly nostalgia than anything, don't need it for any application in particular. My fear is I buy it and a month later it is collecting dust in the basement for the rest of its existence. If I still worked at the office I would buy it for there.

 

[Securb]

I have one, I have always thought it is a great tool in learning how to get the most out of the least. If you can make a Pignose sound good you can make anything sound good.

That is the thing I love about my Excelsior. Bare bones not even a tone knob, you have to work, think and play the amp to get a great tone but when you do it is magical.

 

[ehdwuld]

I had two back in the 90s

The smaller open book one
That I blew up plugging a mic a guitar and a bass into

It just wasn't a PA

Then the hog 40 which was much louder

Loved em

Neither of them held up well

It may have been the battery tech back then
Or something

they were cool.to look at with the pigskin covering

 

[DankStar]

Always wanted to try their tube amp.

I guess I don't believe in the pignose as an amp as much as the idea that "everyone has their pignose," that cheap piece of crap (marshall lead 12, small crate combo, cigarette pack amp, etc.) that you like to use because it brings out some riffs or make you feel good. I doubt there's magic in the pignose itself, but there is a joy in having a junky amp that you can make sound good for you.

 

[Securb]

BTW this is '76 and FZ is doing two-hand tapping. Don't tell the EVH fanbois

 

[Aceman]

Do it for the Nostalgia. Otherwise don't. Cool little thing to have is some random room of the house.

 

[strat dude]

BTW this is '76 and FZ is doing two-hand tapping. Don't tell the EVH fanbois

Check this guy out
https://youtu.be/u7M8L1rAUsI?si=4uLfy46ce9AQ8v2g

 

[strat dude]

My Gnome digs em, He hangs in my jam room.

 

[ehdwuld]

Yeah that one

has a single volume knob

To get more bass
Open the book and adjust to taste :1:

 

[beaubrummels]

I played a Pignose when they were barely 1-2 years on the market. Thing just sounded like Moose Mud Farts to me. I can see Matt Pike or Frank Z getting the goods out of one (or three), but I couldn't get anything appealing out of one. I would consider finding a non-functional one and gutting it out and putting in like a Fender Champion 600 guts in it and a beefier speaker.

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

I've got one. They are a lot of fun. I used to use mine when we'd go to church camp and I needed an amp on batteries.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I like the tone at the 2:45 mark. Fits the music well.

But man, Matt Pike should really consider doing some sit ups.

 

[zionstrat]

There are so many great small amps out there, I couldn't imagine doing this other than for nostalgia.

I get the idea of this could have been fun in the '80s, but even then, it wasn't hard to put together a small rig that sounded good.. just not a fan, but have fun if it floats your boat..

 

[ehdwuld]

Probably get more mileage put of a battery powered Cube
or positive grid