versatile el34 amp

drew_half_empty

drew_half_empty

Looking for Real Life
yeah, so for rock & roll nothing beats the tone of a marshall, but i'd like something versatile, as in something i can do rock & roll crunch with, good clean channel that you can push with a tubescreamer and a ds-1 & NOT have terrible sounds after a certain point, balls out hi gain (if necessary), aaand i guess that about sums it up. Problem is you'd need more than one marshall for that kinda versatility

I've tried the mesa stilleto & wasn't a big fan of it, so i'm thinking maybe jsx or something else i haven't heard about

opinions?

100 watt minimum, heh
 
Re: versatile el34 amp

I know you said 100 watts (damn, but that's loud), but have you considered the Traynor YCV 50? I have'nt actually heard one myself but I've read great things about them. I think they're coming out with 100 watt head version before too long.
 
Re: versatile el34 amp

I haven't tried one, but I'm desperate to. Traynor Custom 50 Blue... apparently it's like a normal Traynor but with more balls. Check it out.
 
Re: versatile el34 amp

What on earth do you need 100w of tube power for? Seriously. For the 12% or so percieved volume increase over a 50w amp, you've got another 10-15 lbs in excess electronics you will likely never use as well as two more power tubes to replace.

I've been using a Marshall half stack for a long time, 100w heads for about 4-5 years, 50w for the rest. I can think of one time in almost 20 years that I needed to turn the master volume past 4 (with the preamp cranked). (and in that case it was outdoor show with no PA support- another speaker cabinet would have given me way more volume than another 50w.)

My experience has been the various 50w heads I have owned have all had more bottom end and a more pleasing gain than any of the 100w heads I have owned.
 
Re: versatile el34 amp

Everything you're saying leads me to one amp: the Hughes & Kettner Triamp.

Huge sound that only 100w can deliver, 6 footswitchable channels covering shimmering cleans to various shades of Marshall to high gain VHT type territory.

Oh yeah, Alex Lifeson from Rush uses these amps and he says his master has only gone up to 6 playing live. So yes, we know you love volume drew_half_empty, and this thing is SCARY. Check out www.hughes-and-kettner.com for clips.

I don't own mine anymore because it was just too much amp for me, but man the tone kicked. I still have some buyer's remorse from that and support H&K's products fully. I can talk about them all day long, but playing one will seal the deal for someone who can appreciate the features it has. The clips are relatively accurate on the website, but I don't like the way the cleans sounded like they were distorting online through heavy pick attack (which on 1a, is virtually impossible).

1b, however, is a bit warmer of a channel, not quite as "shimmery" and can be pushed into a very sweet blues overdrive with a TS-808/9 etc.

The Mk1 Triamp can be found for less than a grand used and it's worth absolutely every penny. I'm convinced you can't get more features or tone for that price anywhere.
 
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Re: versatile el34 amp

hm, the h&k seems pretty alright

1b is really friggin bluesy & nice, 3b is kinda, ehhhh, 3a could also be better, 2b is also a great blues channel, 2a is hella ac/dc

only thing keeping me from getting it, is the lack of a good rock & roll channel

www.myspace.com/tightphantomz listen to the song 'sickening', that guy has awesome rock & roll tone, and if the h&k could do that i'd be sold, like a jcm900 sound

so i guess i want a bluesbreaker, plexi (i think thats what acdc used?), and a jcm900 in one

and I'm guessing the jsx is just not that at all?
 
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Re: versatile el34 amp

drew_half_empty said:
hm, the h&k seems pretty alright

1b is really friggin bluesy & nice, 3b is kinda, ehhhh, 3a could also be better, 2b is also a great blues channel, 2a is hella ac/dc

only thing keeping me from getting it, is the lack of a good rock & roll channel

www.myspace.com/tightphantomz listen to the song 'sickening', that guy has awesome rock & roll tone, and if the h&k could do that i'd be sold, like a jcm900 sound

so i guess i want a bluesbreaker, plexi (i think thats what acdc used?), and a jcm900 in one

and I'm guessing the jsx is just not that at all?
Click to expand...

Buy a 2210 marshall and send it to Jeff Seal, problem solved. Either that or build your own amp... thats probably the only way you're ever going to get all that you want in one amp.
 
Re: versatile el34 amp

well, i could do without either the plexi or bluesbreaker, but it'd be nice to have more than a one trick pony, since that 1 trick would cost like a grand with marshall
 
Re: versatile el34 amp

Rivera Chubster/ R series

all the tones you are asking for..not perfect approximations but damn close..great bluesbreaker type sounds on the clean channel w/ Ninja boost (minus the tube rectifier sag).. Fender type cleans, hybrid 800/NMV type sounds Ac/DC, thin Lizzy type crunch into 80's metal sounds.. and lead w/ boost is higher gain like a 900 but sounds better...think super high gain 800..punchy, sings, crunches, but not as dark.

Active tone controls, 2 ind channels w/ boost on each REALLY allow ya to sculpt alot of sounds...tickled pink with my Chubster 40.
 
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