Time to look for a graduation present amp!

[TimmyPage]

Alright, so here's the deal. I'm graduating from university, all is fine and good, my parents are willing to buy me an amp as a graduation gift.

Most of the places that I play come with amps so I've never really thought of buying a bigger tube amp for my personal practice and gigs, but now I actually have the chance to. I generally like the sound of Fender Deluxe style amps, and actually Fender amps in general. I am currently using a ZT Lunchbox (with a cab) for practice and for smaller gigs.

I'm looking for something in the >1000 range, preferably even lower than that (6-700 is optimal but if the perfect amp is a tiny bit more..). Tube or solid state, I'm looking primarily for a nice big pristine clean tone to play jazz, I have a really solid reverb pedal so that doesn't even matter.

If its any help, I played a few gigs with a borrowed Blues Jr and found it distorted WAY too fast for any reasonable playing volume, so it needs a chunk more headroom than that.

 

[SteveAlysis]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

Used Twin??

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

You want a Super Reverb. Amazing jazz amp.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

It's on the top end of the budget new, but have you looked at the Fender Super-Sonic 22w? I tried one a few weeks back and really liked the sound - I'm not exactly a jazzer though.

 

[MikeM]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

I'd try and find something like a Silverface Vibrolux locally if I were you.. Not as much of a hulk as a twin, but real tasty, manageable tone.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

If you liked the tone on the Blues Jr, but want more head room, try the Blues/Hot Rod Deluxe or Hot Rod Deville. Another amp I really enjoy is the Roland Cube series. I have a Cube 60, and it's LOUD with lots of sparkly clean headroom. The effects built in are so-so, and the overdrive channels leave a little to be desired, but for the price, you can't beat that clean channel.

 

[briggleman]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

You may want to check out the Blackstar amps. I would recommend two to look/Demo, listen too (have a friend play while you listen). They can be ultra clean and then just at the edge of crunch and then if you want, just flat out beastly.

The HT Stage 60

The Club 40.

Brad

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight and it's 1x12 cab. Clean fat jazz tone for days.

You might also look around for a '60s Ampeg with high wattage, maybe a Superbreverb, or Gemini...they were considered to be super jazz amps back in the day.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

If you really are open to solid state, try a Fender Ultimate Chorus.

I am selling my Hot Rod DeVille because the UC sounds better in every way - fuller, warmer, richer.

I bought the 2x12 DeVille to basically be a tube version of the UC - big huge cleans, but with the added warmth and sparkle of a tube preamp and power amp.

Turns out, the DeVille was great, but the UC was greater.

I know that almost everyone will read this post and think I am high and deluded, but I challenge you to play a Fender UC before you berate my assertion.

It is an unreal amplifier for cleans. Better than a JC-120. I owned both the UC and a JC-120 at the same time for about a year, and the UC did everything better.

I have actually owned a Roland JC-120 --- unlike most folks. Most people don't get all the way to the finish line because the amp sounds terrible without the chorus on - and that's true; it does sound terrible without the chorus on.

I used to play in a big funk band, and I wanted the cleanest, loudest amp in the world, so I got a Roland JC-120, and I also got a Fender Ultimate Chorus, which was kind of like getting a Camry and an Accord - two different companies' take on the same idea.

Roland JC-120:
Sterile is overused in tone discussion, so let me qualify for you a bit. This amp felt "stiff," it had a very direct tone, with 0 sag or sponginess to it. The sound that came out of it "felt" brittle. High frequencies were reproduced perfectly, and I mean perfectly --- it sounded like what you heard playing unplugged, almost as if it made your pickups a little "truer." Impossible, I know, but observable.

Mid reproduction was super "closed," like it pained the amp to do it. Mid reproduction was the thing that gave these amps the reputation for being sterile, I think. There's just something so unnatural about the mid reproduction on these amps, I can't put my finger on it too well, but the mids always sounded unnatural.

Low reproduction: there wasn't any. For a closed back 2x12, you'd expect a lot of punch and woof, but you'd be sorely mistaken - the JC-120 never thumped. Some of you know I love a big low thump in my tone, and I actually gigged for years with a subwoofer in my live rig (same band, needed big thick clean tone). The JC-120 had no low end, and you can believe that I turned every knob trying to get it there.

Fender Ultimate Chorus:
This amp sounds unnaturally warm for a solid state amp, on the clean channel. For the record, I'm only referencing the clean channel in both of my assessments. High reproduction on this amp is clear, but sweet - the speakers may be the cause of this, but the highs are not harsh, they are, well...sweet.

Mid reproduction is excellent in this amp. Fender actually added a MID BOOST button to the later revision of this amp (which is the one I had) which can really change the sound of the amp. I used the MID BOOST button a lot when switching between G-style and F-style guitars. Mid reproduction has a very lively and active feel to it --- and carries an immediacy that is generally associated with active pickups, although I never used actives with it.

Low reproduction is ridiculous --- bump city if you dial it that way, or clear and authoritative if you dial it that way.

Overall, this amp had a spongier feel to it --- almost elastic, where the amp would save up some energy and kick it out extra hard based on how you picked. It just felt alive, and the Roland didn't.

Both amps have true stereo chorus, and two separate power amps, as in the Fender, rated at 130W, has two separate 65W power amps sitting next to each other --- essentially two 1x12 65W amps sitting next to each other in one cabinet. The Roland was built the same way.

The Roland was closed back and had fixed casters, I believe, and the Fender was open back and had removable casters.

I also found the chorus on the Fender to be both more pleasing and more adjustable.

I offloaded the JC-120 to a hippie bass player who wanted it for some reason, and kept the Fender.

Real reviews based on real experience from your boy I6.

I know it's not an expensive or lusted after amp, definitely not going to get any "hey man, nice amp!" with one.

But I have never ever played a better clean amp.


If you like Fender style sounds, and jaw-dropping cleans, the Fender Ultimate Chorus is the one.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

You can find a used Traynor YCV-80 for about 5-700 on craigslist. They do the loud and clean thing pretty well (tons of headroom) . . . but I didn't think that the reverb was all that great on them (although if you like your reverb pedal that's no biggie). Try one out at least before checking out the more expensive options, any L&M in the area should have one kicking around the back.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

i just let an Ultimate Chorus amp go for $100...

 

[tone4days]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

check out AER amps ... small, high powered, ss amps ... i played one once after hearing a guy play one at a wedding reception (fingerstyle nylon string jazz w/ synth access) and it was outstanding

pricey - but worth it
t4d

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

i just let an Ultimate Chorus amp go for $100...

You fool!

Just kidding - but, since you owned one, what was your take?

 

[zzmoore]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

I hate to say it, but if I want to sell something, I have to take quite a bit less that what I think the amp is worth. Just sold my 2006 4x6V6 Fargen BB for 950. That included the ATA as well. The thing was pristine, and had reverb.
There has never been a better time to have cash for used gear. You will have to help out your Mom and Dad....but:
SF Fender of course
Fargen
Vintage Sound
Allen
Head Strong
to name just a few in the Fender Arena.
Good Luck to you. What did you major in.?

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

If you really are open to solid state, try a Fender Ultimate Chorus.

You're preaching to the choir man, they had one in one of the studios at my University, and I would literally ignore every other amp in the room to play it. Unfortunately it broke down and was replaced by the time I hit 4th year, but thanks for reminding me it'd definitely be worth looking for

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

Good Luck to you. What did you major in.?

Thanks man. I majored in music, my specialisation was in jazz guitar, so this isn't an idle purchase by any means.

 

[Deathmonkey]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

A ton of Jazz players use these: http://www.polytoneamps.com/

You see Brutes on ebay for ~$400-500 all day.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

You fool!

Just kidding - but, since you owned one, what was your take?

i owned various Princton Chorus amps, Ultimate Chorus Amp's, plus the short lived Ultra Chorus and Power Chorus versions too...

the last Ultimate Chorus Amp i got for $200 so it was not hurtin me much to let it go for $100... i sold a Princton Chorus for $80... they are worth easily double that anyday of the week... but i have become quite the pack rat and knew they were going to end up in good hands... it was important to let them go before i have a horders cave in... i've moved into the Digital modeler world...

i loved using the Princton Chorus's in my room since about 1987/88 when i got my first one... that high gain sounded very cool at low bedroom volumes... i remember thinking this sounds like the big 80's guitar sound, without blowing my mom and dad out of the house... but it sucked for band work... they sounded thinner and disappeared in the mix, and the speakers crapped out at about 4 on the volume...

enter the louder 2x12 Ultimate Chorus... that was my main amp thru the mid-late 90's before i hooked up with a 5150 stack for a few serious loud years... again the Ultimate Chorus kind of sounded thin in a band and some felt mic'ing a stereo amp was a nightmare

for me the clean Channels lack some life to them but still were quite good at the same time... that analog chorus before the DSP versions was killer... quite lush...

i still own some SS Fenders... one being a Stage 100.... the Ultimate's clean channel was slightly better then the Stage... but the Stages Drive Channel cut thru bands noise better...

i bought a new stereo 2x12 Fender Mustang IV and it does a lot of great tones... it has some great stereo cleans that i like as much as the Ultimate... and all the effects sound nice... it's loud and has many great tones... so i made room for it by pretty much gifting away the others

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Time to look for a graduation present amp!

I'm gonna put in another vote for the Super Reverb. I know it's a big amp, but it gets the job done. I've used it for every gig from small jazz combos, big bands, blues trios, ...I've even played electric organ, bass, and acoustic guitar through it! (the bass was played at a reasonable volume for recording purposes).

It's a killer amp, but it's a heavy amp.

There are some great videos of Wes Montgomery on youtube and you can see a 65 Super Reverb leaned behind him. He used them until he began using polytone amps. I'm fairly sure the switch to polytone was more convenience of weight than it was for tone, though he sounded like Wes regardless.