What Is Your Favorite Solid State Combo Amp?
- Thread starter jcthejester13
- Start date
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: What Is Your Favorite Solid State Combo Amp?
Roland Jazz Chorus jc60. ....but i still hate it!
Roland Jazz Chorus jc60. ....but i still hate it!
SirJackdeFuzz
New member
Re: What Is Your Favorite Solid State Combo Amp?
For my type of music : Sunn Beta Lead by a counrty mile . . .
. . . why ? It is the only SS amp i know of, that compliments my tone style.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3353/3438682495_c7480fa252.jpg?v=1239655494
http://sunn.ampage.org/site/museum/betalead/betaleadf.jpg
BUT, i would not mind a Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight . . .
http://www.12fret.com/new/fender_jazzmaster_ultralight_amp2.jpg
. . . for those quiter jazzy moments.
For my type of music : Sunn Beta Lead by a counrty mile . . .
. . . why ? It is the only SS amp i know of, that compliments my tone style.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3353/3438682495_c7480fa252.jpg?v=1239655494
http://sunn.ampage.org/site/museum/betalead/betaleadf.jpg
BUT, i would not mind a Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight . . .
http://www.12fret.com/new/fender_jazzmaster_ultralight_amp2.jpg
. . . for those quiter jazzy moments.
Kosh Naranek
New member
Re: What Is Your Favorite Solid State Combo Amp?
My favorite all around is the Trace Elliot Tramp. I used to have the 2-12 80 watt combo without chorus. I wondered if it had a 12AX7 preamp tube, the tones were so good. It covered the important bases from clean to blues overdrive, and on the dirty channel, a voicing switch let you select a classic British crunch or a more sizzly metal chug. While it didn't sound like a boutique tube amp, it had no hint of solid state grittiness.
Another favorite, for the clean tones, is the Yamaha G100 212 II. I owned one in the 80's. It had not a hint of solid state harshness. It sounded warm and full like a good clean tube amp. I have the G100 II head now. Of course, the distortion channel wasn't the most aggresive sounding, but with a pedal in front, it's great.
My favorite all around is the Trace Elliot Tramp. I used to have the 2-12 80 watt combo without chorus. I wondered if it had a 12AX7 preamp tube, the tones were so good. It covered the important bases from clean to blues overdrive, and on the dirty channel, a voicing switch let you select a classic British crunch or a more sizzly metal chug. While it didn't sound like a boutique tube amp, it had no hint of solid state grittiness.
Another favorite, for the clean tones, is the Yamaha G100 212 II. I owned one in the 80's. It had not a hint of solid state harshness. It sounded warm and full like a good clean tube amp. I have the G100 II head now. Of course, the distortion channel wasn't the most aggresive sounding, but with a pedal in front, it's great.
Last edited:
jmh151
Active member
Re: What Is Your Favorite Solid State Combo Amp?
I had one, a 250 ML. They were awesome and got that Queensryche tone easily
I had one, a 250 ML. They were awesome and got that Queensryche tone easily
Empty Pockets
BadHairDayologist
Re: What Is Your Favorite Solid State Combo Amp?
I just found out that Electro Harmonix makes a 22-watt solid state power amp the size of one of their Nano pedals. Theoretically, putting it as your last pedal on the board with a good tube preamp pedal in front of it could give you a good tube-driven guitar tone...running straight from pedals to a speaker.
EDIT: Oh yeah but it's not a combo. My bad.
I just found out that Electro Harmonix makes a 22-watt solid state power amp the size of one of their Nano pedals. Theoretically, putting it as your last pedal on the board with a good tube preamp pedal in front of it could give you a good tube-driven guitar tone...running straight from pedals to a speaker.
EDIT: Oh yeah but it's not a combo. My bad.
Kam
Shaftologist
Re: What Is Your Favorite Solid State Combo Amp?
I've always had pretty decent experiances with Laney, especially my current LV300 which kicks insane amounts of ass.
Though I've just realised that it's half-tube. Woops.
Well, in that case the only SS amp I own is an little MG30. I actually really like it for bedroom volumes, with the gain up around five or six. It gets pretty muddy ad higher volumes though.
I've always had pretty decent experiances with Laney, especially my current LV300 which kicks insane amounts of ass.
Though I've just realised that it's half-tube. Woops.
Well, in that case the only SS amp I own is an little MG30. I actually really like it for bedroom volumes, with the gain up around five or six. It gets pretty muddy ad higher volumes though.
bluesbend
Lovely BIG Starologist
Last edited:
SirJackdeFuzz
New member
Hurricane
New member
Re: Polytone , What's Your's ?
Re: Polytone , What's Your's ?
just got a real honey of a catch in gear .
It's one of the first made Polytone P . A .s / electric guitar and other amplified musical instruments like an accordion , When I got it home I cracked it open only to see it was as clean inside as out , the musician who owned died many years ago and it's been in a climate controlled environment so it looks almost new for something at least 25 to 30 years old . It was well taken care of with only marginal ware to it's looks ,
The guy who invented this little legendary company made and designed as he put it :
" designed by musicians for musicians "
amplifier company and a got to have / must have piece of equipment for solo musicians and guys like Joe Pass & George Benson no need I drop anymore names man .
Polytone's kind of like the California guitar and amp company called " Carvin " out here in southern California , a little secret we had to ourselves and traveling musicians who played southern California gigs .
They make many different models now and what looks like a mom and pop type operation to some -
others swear by no matter what .
Here's a link with pics of one identical to mine :
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/Polytone-Mini-Brute-Guitar-Amp-5750715.html#des
Looks are deceiving so :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCjktHg0s-U
Don't read any further till you have looked and listened ! Work with me on this one won't ya
================================================================================
*
Now these baby's are hard sought after by the jazz guitarists & solo acts big time all over the world now ! And other solo/duets vocal instrumentalists jazzers as well . The list includes many experienced stylists that
" KNOW "
about these gems , country western and blues guys love them too .
The one in that auction sold for $ 252.00 recently and if I had known of it I would have paid it . It's only the head too .
I got mine with two Polytone cabs they have each a 12" and a 6" spkr and also it came with a Shure Bros. Unysphere PE585 high hz mike !
3 channels with :
Individual Hi/lo 1/4 inch inputs with volume , reverb with it's own gain control - individual bass - treble controls
A - BRIGHT - FLAT - DARK channel EQ . on each channel
And a master room EQ like a loudness button on a home stereo receiver or " flat " setting .
and
Master reverb and volume .
Mono amp with 100 watts of clean quiet till you punch it power and all hand wired not a printed circuit board to be found . Great for solo casual gigs and coffee house gigs too .
My Godin through it's " DARK " setting and wow deep warm and clean distortions rolls out like melted butter on hot pop corn . I could not stop playing it was so good a sound , really a traditional sounding jazz tone .
Put my Squier Pbass through it too and it's sick ! Totally Cool Vibes Man ! Could not help thinking :
" Weather Report "
jazz bass sounds !
Ripped big time Chicago Paul Butterfield " Jump Blues " with a vintage circa 1954 American Chrome Bullet mike through it too ! MEAN MAN JUST PLANE MEAN **** ,
And I'm a Total Tube Dude Too ! This things is all solid state with a real spring reverb !
And like in the Youtube video the jazz guitarist did a " clean" sound and then a " distorted " one in the Youtube link , I plugged in my GNX4 DAW's stomps and FXs into it too and took it to another level sonically .
Light as a feather too . All I need is it my Godin LGXSA - Digitech GNX4 DAW - one vocal mike , one harp mike and a few percussion instruments and my harps and I'm looping and with state of the art sound !
All this for .......................
$18.00 You know it just doesn't get sweeter than this heh heh heh .............
Well that's my big little score this year so far
Easy partners in musical madness !
HR
Re: Polytone , What's Your's ?
just got a real honey of a catch in gear .
It's one of the first made Polytone P . A .s / electric guitar and other amplified musical instruments like an accordion , When I got it home I cracked it open only to see it was as clean inside as out , the musician who owned died many years ago and it's been in a climate controlled environment so it looks almost new for something at least 25 to 30 years old . It was well taken care of with only marginal ware to it's looks ,
The guy who invented this little legendary company made and designed as he put it :
" designed by musicians for musicians "
amplifier company and a got to have / must have piece of equipment for solo musicians and guys like Joe Pass & George Benson no need I drop anymore names man .
Polytone's kind of like the California guitar and amp company called " Carvin " out here in southern California , a little secret we had to ourselves and traveling musicians who played southern California gigs .
They make many different models now and what looks like a mom and pop type operation to some -
others swear by no matter what .
Here's a link with pics of one identical to mine :
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/Polytone-Mini-Brute-Guitar-Amp-5750715.html#des
Looks are deceiving so :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCjktHg0s-U
Don't read any further till you have looked and listened ! Work with me on this one won't ya
================================================================================
*
Now these baby's are hard sought after by the jazz guitarists & solo acts big time all over the world now ! And other solo/duets vocal instrumentalists jazzers as well . The list includes many experienced stylists that
" KNOW "
about these gems , country western and blues guys love them too .
The one in that auction sold for $ 252.00 recently and if I had known of it I would have paid it . It's only the head too .
I got mine with two Polytone cabs they have each a 12" and a 6" spkr and also it came with a Shure Bros. Unysphere PE585 high hz mike !
3 channels with :
Individual Hi/lo 1/4 inch inputs with volume , reverb with it's own gain control - individual bass - treble controls
A - BRIGHT - FLAT - DARK channel EQ . on each channel
And a master room EQ like a loudness button on a home stereo receiver or " flat " setting .
and
Master reverb and volume .
Mono amp with 100 watts of clean quiet till you punch it power and all hand wired not a printed circuit board to be found . Great for solo casual gigs and coffee house gigs too .
My Godin through it's " DARK " setting and wow deep warm and clean distortions rolls out like melted butter on hot pop corn . I could not stop playing it was so good a sound , really a traditional sounding jazz tone .
Put my Squier Pbass through it too and it's sick ! Totally Cool Vibes Man ! Could not help thinking :
" Weather Report "
jazz bass sounds !
Ripped big time Chicago Paul Butterfield " Jump Blues " with a vintage circa 1954 American Chrome Bullet mike through it too ! MEAN MAN JUST PLANE MEAN **** ,
And I'm a Total Tube Dude Too ! This things is all solid state with a real spring reverb !
And like in the Youtube video the jazz guitarist did a " clean" sound and then a " distorted " one in the Youtube link , I plugged in my GNX4 DAW's stomps and FXs into it too and took it to another level sonically .
Light as a feather too . All I need is it my Godin LGXSA - Digitech GNX4 DAW - one vocal mike , one harp mike and a few percussion instruments and my harps and I'm looping and with state of the art sound !
All this for .......................
$18.00 You know it just doesn't get sweeter than this heh heh heh .............
Well that's my big little score this year so far
Easy partners in musical madness !
HR
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: What Is Your Favorite Solid State Combo Amp?
My little but awesome Roland Cube 20X.
My little but awesome Roland Cube 20X.
crusty philtrum
Vintageologist
Re: What Is Your Favorite Solid State Combo Amp?
I had a Gallien Krueger 250 ML in the 80s, great amp for the sounds of those times. I have a Vox Pathfinder 15 and a Pathfinder 10, and the little 10 watter seems to sound better than the 15, although the high treble seems a little too much (easily fixed by bleeding it away with a cap somewhere in the circuit).
I also like the Roland JC120, and have got good SS tones playing through bass rigs.
However, for me, they are all no match for a good simple valve amp.... SS amps seem 'two-dimensional' by comparrison.
I had a Gallien Krueger 250 ML in the 80s, great amp for the sounds of those times. I have a Vox Pathfinder 15 and a Pathfinder 10, and the little 10 watter seems to sound better than the 15, although the high treble seems a little too much (easily fixed by bleeding it away with a cap somewhere in the circuit).
I also like the Roland JC120, and have got good SS tones playing through bass rigs.
However, for me, they are all no match for a good simple valve amp.... SS amps seem 'two-dimensional' by comparrison.
Jeffo46
New member
Re: What Is Your Favorite Solid State Combo Amp?
My wife bought me a Fender Frontman 65R for X-Mas last year. Before that, I was using a Crate GTD 120 which wasn't that bad, but the effects pretty much sucked and the thing weighed a ton. After I got the Frontman, I swapped out the stock speaker and put in a Eminence Rajun Cajun which really improved the tone of it. I prefer SS because of the maintenance involved with tube amps, so IMO, the Frontman isn't really that bad, plus I'm using a Zoom John 5 Signature Series Pedal with it as well.
My wife bought me a Fender Frontman 65R for X-Mas last year. Before that, I was using a Crate GTD 120 which wasn't that bad, but the effects pretty much sucked and the thing weighed a ton. After I got the Frontman, I swapped out the stock speaker and put in a Eminence Rajun Cajun which really improved the tone of it. I prefer SS because of the maintenance involved with tube amps, so IMO, the Frontman isn't really that bad, plus I'm using a Zoom John 5 Signature Series Pedal with it as well.
