- Thread starter fogman
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jongitarz said:
That's actually good advice.
As for tube amps ... I can't say enough good things about the Peavey stuff lately. Check out the JSX, XXX, 6505 series'. JSX is likely the most versatile, but they all sound fantastic. At half the price of some of the other's you find.
SteveB
Well-known member
Yeah, growing up I always hated the sound of solid-state Peavey amps. (I still do, actually.)
But I do like their tube amps. And the guy who designed the XXX and JSX seems to be a pretty good amp-man. It's really cool that these new Peavey amps have a power amp section that can be reconfigured for 6L6GC or EL34 tubes, depending on what sound you prefer. I used to have to pay a tech to mod the amp and re-bias the power section for EL's. Now I can just change tubes and flip a switch. Awesome.
Tube amps are also good for maintaining your arm strength. Those all-tube heads weigh in at 50 pounds minimum, it seems. But if you aren't gigging, this is also a moot point. (Or, if you have roadies...
)
But I do like their tube amps. And the guy who designed the XXX and JSX seems to be a pretty good amp-man. It's really cool that these new Peavey amps have a power amp section that can be reconfigured for 6L6GC or EL34 tubes, depending on what sound you prefer. I used to have to pay a tech to mod the amp and re-bias the power section for EL's. Now I can just change tubes and flip a switch. Awesome.
Tube amps are also good for maintaining your arm strength. Those all-tube heads weigh in at 50 pounds minimum, it seems. But if you aren't gigging, this is also a moot point. (Or, if you have roadies...
)
nobozos
Well-known member
For the money you want to spend, a Mesa Nomad 45 1x12 combo is an excellent tube amp. It has the most tonal versatility with 3 channels(Clean, Classic High Gain, and Modern High Gain). All three channels have a swithch that can change the gain structure of that channel, so basically, you have six different channels to choose from, with 3 of them foot-switchable at a time. Also has a "solo" button on the footswitch to boost your volume during leads, which is a very handy tool.
If you are new to tube amps, there are a few things you need to know. Tube amps are pretty reliable, as long as you don't let your tubes get in bad shape. If you play with bad tubes for extended periods of time, you can blow output transformers, ruin capacitors, and do all kinds of things to your amp, none of them good. Usually, replacing your tubes every 9 months to a year will ensure your tubes are in good shape, although, you may get a bad tube from time to time.
Another thing is, if a tube goes bad on you at a gig, you are pretty much done playing on that amp for the night, so a back-up amp is a pretty good idea.
Tube amps sound their best when they are being pushed at higher volumes. I'm not saying they sound bad on 2 or 3, but if you want the most out of them, you have to turn them up. This is something to keep in mind when choosing the size of your amp (amount of Watts). A 30 watt amp is generally loud enough to gig with. The difference between a 50 and 100 watt amp is only about 3 decibels, so you are paying a lot of extra cash for 3db if you go with a 100 watt.
Tube amps run a lot better when they are hot, so they work better for outdoor stuff in the summer, where some solid state amps get too hot and shut themselves off.
Don't forget, speakers make a big difference in an amp, so when amp shopping, try an amp through a couple different speaker cabinets before you decide not to get it.
If you are new to tube amps, there are a few things you need to know. Tube amps are pretty reliable, as long as you don't let your tubes get in bad shape. If you play with bad tubes for extended periods of time, you can blow output transformers, ruin capacitors, and do all kinds of things to your amp, none of them good. Usually, replacing your tubes every 9 months to a year will ensure your tubes are in good shape, although, you may get a bad tube from time to time.
Another thing is, if a tube goes bad on you at a gig, you are pretty much done playing on that amp for the night, so a back-up amp is a pretty good idea.
Tube amps sound their best when they are being pushed at higher volumes. I'm not saying they sound bad on 2 or 3, but if you want the most out of them, you have to turn them up. This is something to keep in mind when choosing the size of your amp (amount of Watts). A 30 watt amp is generally loud enough to gig with. The difference between a 50 and 100 watt amp is only about 3 decibels, so you are paying a lot of extra cash for 3db if you go with a 100 watt.
Tube amps run a lot better when they are hot, so they work better for outdoor stuff in the summer, where some solid state amps get too hot and shut themselves off.
Don't forget, speakers make a big difference in an amp, so when amp shopping, try an amp through a couple different speaker cabinets before you decide not to get it.
mbgreene
Well-known member
If your near Detroit there's a small company out of that area called Reverend. They've got an amp called a Kingsnake which I've been looking into for a while and think might be my first tube purchase.
Its a 12 " speaker combo w/reverb, variable from 20 to 60 watts so it can handle the house or small venue and has three different voicings (although not foot switchable) set up for a Fender blackface sound - a higher gain UK sound - and an old lo-fi boutique sound (old Supros). Runs about $699 US and they sell direct on-line. You can also get it in a head/cabinet set up.
A few threads back some posters indicated they were getting the Reverend Goblin which is a 10" / 15 watt model and might post reviews. Tommy-in-Delaware has also given good word to the Reverend stuff in past threads.
Its a 12 " speaker combo w/reverb, variable from 20 to 60 watts so it can handle the house or small venue and has three different voicings (although not foot switchable) set up for a Fender blackface sound - a higher gain UK sound - and an old lo-fi boutique sound (old Supros). Runs about $699 US and they sell direct on-line. You can also get it in a head/cabinet set up.
A few threads back some posters indicated they were getting the Reverend Goblin which is a 10" / 15 watt model and might post reviews. Tommy-in-Delaware has also given good word to the Reverend stuff in past threads.
fogman said:
Yeah, they're identical to the 5150, only cosmetic changes like the signature and 5150 logo are different. It's just a relabled 5150.
People are always trying to swap me amps and I use the combo 5150. They're shocked to see its a Peavey amp when they get up close.
I took the 5150 logo out of the front grill, so you can't tell. I hate logos like that anyway.
beej
Moderator
> Have you ever seen the clip Triumph does for Star Wars? It's hilarious!
> I hear he just did a good one about Michael Jackson
Triumph does Jacko
> I hear he just did a good one about Michael Jackson
Triumph does Jacko
Axis Sport
Well-known member
I have had many amps, Mesa, Fender, Traynor etc. By far the Dr. Z is the best sounding amp I have ever owned. This thing is a monster and combined with my MM90 is amazing. I also find that I no longer use my pedals and can go directly into the amp. For the money you are looking to spend, you should look at least look at this line. One important thing to remember when purchasing a good quality amp is to purchase good quality cables. Nothing like a 10 dollar cable to kill your tone.
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John C
Well-known member
mhorse said:
I just got a Rivera Clubster 25 last weekend; unfortunatly this has been a killer week at work and I haven't gotten much time with it yet - so far so good. The 25-watters are 1-10; the whole thing was about $100 less than a Mesa F-30, which I also tried out but didn't like with my s/s/s Silo Special.
Rivera has gone to a single price here in the US - just like Mesa; the Clubster 25 was $799 with 2 independent channels; there is also a Pubster 25 for $699 with a footswitchable gain stage but a shared tone stack. I compared both with the Mesa F-30 at $899; I liked the Rivera with all pickup types but only liked the Mesa with humbuckers.
If 25 watts in a 1-10 isn't enough power, there are 45-watt 1-12 versions of both amps for $200 more (compared to a Mesa F-50 at $1,050).
These are stripped-down Riveras; only the gain channel on the Clubster has a master volume and a boost (which isn't footswitchable). To step up to the "full" Rivera you would be looking at a Chubster 45 at $1,295, but both channels have master volumes and footswitchable boosts.
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