Re: What's a "normal" number of amps to own?
I consider myself amp rich at the moment.
I have my old SUNN SS Solos II 212 combo, but don't play it anymore--it needs some work.
I have a Peavey Combo 300 bass amp that is rarely used, since I'm not a bass player. The Peavey was to replace an old Randall Commander 115 bass combo--which will be going away shortly. (Great for guitar, BTW.) I also have a custom-made 112 bass combo, made years ago by a company in Seattle call Bozotronics. I have used that over the years for everything--PA, bass, guitar, monitor...terrific little amp. And I have two of the Acoustic Control AB-50s; these get used for bass, acoustic guitar, and then mostly for amplifying my Alesis Drum Machines.
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And then the Mesas:
DC-3 112 V30 Combo;
Mark III blond tolex, red-stripe, 112 EVM Combo, reverb, EQ, Simul-class, with matching 112 EVM Thiele cab;
Mark III black tolex, blue stripe, 112 Celestion 100 combo, reverb, EQ, Simul-Class, with matching JBL E-120 Thiele cab;
Mark IVa black tolex, 112 EVM combo, with matching 112 EVM Thiele cab;
Mark V black tolex, 112 C-90 combo, with matching 112 V30 Wide-Body Closed Back cab;
Maverick blonde tolex, 212 V-30 Combo;
Mark III 200-watt Coliseum head, no stripe, reverb, EQ.
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In addition to the cabs listed, I also have:
212 Horizontal Recto, V-30s;
212 Half-Back, C-90 top/MS-12 bottom;
412 Half-Back, C-90s top/EVM bottom;
412 Half-Back, all EVM. (This cab weight A TON!!! But sounds fabulous!)
I tend these days to mostly gig with one of the Mark Series combos and a Thiele.
The DC-3 is perfect for small gigs and jams, and it also sounds great on top of a Thiele; it's also fun to play when I can really open it up. It is very dynamic and sounds like a much bigger amp.
The Mark III Coliseum is all about explosive power and maximum headroom, and could not be more different than the "Class A" Maverick with it's sweet, creamy, compressed chime. These are both favorites, and they both put a smile on my face, yet so different. Can't explain.
My Mark III with the blond tolex is even more rare than the exotic wood cabs. The Simul-Class combos have a more liquid tone and feel than the Mark III Coliseum head. The blue-stripe Mark III combo with the Celestion is a very aggressive-sounding amp, but the silky JBL in the Thiele cab really smooths it out. These may eventually go away.
The Mark IV has more control over the R2 and LEAD channels than the Mark III, but it's real strength lies in all the different ways that the power section can be configured.
And the Mark V is like having 27 different amps in one unit. I've had it a year and a half, and I'm still finding great tones. But (And this is the cool part!), when I first got it, it only took me five minutes or less to dial in gig-able tones on all three channels.
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Yet, with all of these amps, I still find myself GAS-ing for others. I still love vintage Marshalls and JCM 800s; and I have always wanted a complete collection of each of the mid-'60s blackface Fender models--how cool would that be! Even if I did get them, I'm probably only going to gig with the Mesas, so it not really practical.
There are a couple of other Mesa amps I'd like to have: a Heartbreaker, a Tremoverb, a Stiletto Ace, and a Royal Atlantic, to start.
But it has been clear to me over the last 35 years of my career that amps play a vital role in one's sound...and maybe the key piece to the whole issue. And that is one of the things that I like about the Mesas--it seems like every guitar sounds great through them.
So, I am definitely in the "MORE" camp. I lot of it just depends on the music you play and the venues. I think a guy doing country gigs in dive bars with nothing but a Tele in his hands could make it with only a Super Reverb. But a guy that plays in a jazz band, a country band, and a hard rock band, and does session work might want a Princeton Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, a Twin and a JCM 2000 half-stack. It is a good thing to have various sizes in power amps for different venues. Mine go from 10, 15, 30, 35, 45, 75, 85, 90, to 200 watts.
And like a guitar, if you have a favorite, Number One amp that you use for most of your gigs, say a Deluxe Reverb--you'd better have a backup in case it goes down. Having to use your Krank half-stack at your weekly jazz club gig, might not cut it.
Bill
