Which amp? Opinions and advice please :-)

[candid_x]

Thanks. I thought perhaps an open back might account for the better cleans, but nope.

I've heard great things about the 5150, but have also read about reliability issues. My kid almost got one but chose a Marshall DSL instead.

Imho, an amp without separate EQ for each channel is pretty self defeating of having two channels. Dunno if the 5150 has separate or combined.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Thanks. I thought perhaps an open back might account for the better cleans, but nope.

I've heard great things about the 5150, but have also read about reliability issues. My kid almost got one but chose a Marshall DSL instead.

Imho, an amp without separate EQ for each channel is pretty self defeating of having two channels. Dunno if the 5150 has separate or combined.

The 5150 Combo has shared EQ. If you get the 5150II head it has seperate EQ, though its 100w and has no reverb.

 

[candid_x]

Thanks, Tim.

 

[rrhea]

You might try out the Motherload speaker emulator and an amp head for ease of "luggability".

The Motherload is supposed to be the shiznit. I haven't tried one yet, but it sounds promising.

http://www.motherload.co.uk/

RR

 

[brentrocks]

Closed - quite a thump by all accounts!

that's the understatement of the year! it thummps-a-plenty!!!

 

[Enc3f4L0]

+1 for MESA.

Don't get the Mark IV if ya want easy transportation. I tell you, when this amp sits it stays.

 

[candid_x]

Just fwiw,

One of the things I look for in amp – head or combo – is a variety of ohm choices for speaker cabs. Lugging a 16 ohm quad-cab around, especially to a small gig (party) or rehearsal is a drag. Lugging a head and a solid 8 ohm 1x12 or 2x12 cab, not so bad.

For those who like closed back quad-cabs but want a small alternative, consider the ported Bogner cube cab. With a quality heavy duty speaker, that thing can crunch with the best quad. Built like a freakin brick house, only a lot smaller.

 

[ChrisB]

Amp

I have a Gibson GA-15RV. It has very few control (volume, tone, reverb, bright swich, and a switch that cuts it to half power) I play every week my churches youth meeting and this amp does the job quite well. It is 15 of the loudest watts you will ever hear. I use the 6 watt mode and turn it uo. It has alot of clean headroom and above half way on the volume it gets the sweetest OD. Do yourself a favor and check out the new Gibson amps. They are class A and very loud.

 

[mhorse]

The one I'm currently chasing after is a Rivera Clubster 45.

+1 on the Rivera. I sold my old Mesa DC5 to get the 25-Watt version and now I'm totally happy. When I was buying it, I was a little worried about the high gain territory: Clubster sertainly has less gain then Mesa. I can tell you this much: you'll be pretty much covered up to Metallica range or so, and you'll get one of the best cleans I've heard. I'm no expert in boutique stuff, but I couldn't find anything that came close to Clubster for the money. And for really heavy stuff, I'm sorta looking for a pedal to cover it, but in the mean time I find myself playing on clean channel all the time instead!

Just my 2 cent

 

[candid_x]

The Epi Valve Junior head is a kick in the pants, for a hundred bucks, shipped. 15 watts of class A, 4,8,16 0hm speaker outs. Intimate and direct responsiveness. If you don't need crunch and prefer clean or on-the-edge-of-distortion tones, this little amp is pretty cool. Great for practice or even recording certain parts, but I personally wouldn't care to gig with it.

 

[phatduckk]

I was f***ing around on a Mesa Roadster for the past few visits to my local music store; and bought one. It's bloody fantastic. It minimalizes the bedazzle that comes on the Road King; and you end up with a streamlined combo amp that would make Jesus switch companies. (I totally see him as a Fender Tweed kinda guy... very minimalistic )

The clean is totally killer on it, and the distortion is ... Mesa. That's the only way to describe it. On top of that, there's two of each channel. You can have two very different cleans, and two very different overdrive/distortions. It's got a 50/100 watt selector for each channel, because we've all had situations where no matter how much we try, the perfect sounding clean is never equally matched with the perfect distortion. On top of all this, reverb per channel, solo boost; as well as the tube/diode selector.

Finally, each channel can be voiced differently, making a tweed clean to a brit overdrive to a nu-metal distort. It's totally the amp to own. I swear by Mesa, because nothing compares... RIP Blue Angel.

im sold. thats pretty much the exact thing i needed to hear ... now i bet it costs way more than i wanna spend

 

[robelinda2]

yeah i priced a lone star here in Oz, a bit out of my league, would have to not buy a EBMM guitar for 6 months, forget that!!!!

 

[GuitarHack]

Sounds like you're sold, but if you want a GREAT GREAT GREAT tone that you can do anytime at home without summoning the police, lower wattage is better. Low, like 5W! Try the Dr. Z Mini Z (discontinued, but you can find them) or Swart Space Tone if you can. At 5W, you can crank it into that sweet spot area where you've got creamy distortion, plus a little compression and power supply sag, but your ears don't bleed. Nudge the volume up on the guitar, or pick just a bit harder, and it literally roars..roll the volume off a little, and it cleans up to crystal clear. Again all this without the cops showing up. Yes, they're even pricier per watt than a Mesa, but, man, they do sound good. Not quite loud enough for the stage, though I have used my Mini Z at practice. For the stage, I have a Dr. Z 18W head and 212 cab that I mike if needed, and a Naylor 38W head and a 410 cab that can go it alone. For a good, reasonably priced combo, that has some more volume, I love my Peavey Classic 30 112.

I love my 5150 combo (and my 5150 half stack for that matter), will never part with it, and nothing on the planet can beat its roar when you get the volume up over 6 or so, but that literally drowns out the drummer. It's like having a custom made titanium driver but only playing putt-putt, or driving a Ferrari in a perpetual school zone...can't ever take the big dog out for a walk! Still, there's just something satisfying on a primal level about those few times you can do that.

Lower wattage = better sound at realizable volumes...IMHO. Seems as we get older, that's where a lot of us fogies wind up anyway.

 

[robelinda2]

yep i love the sound of those Dr Z amps, they are fabulous!!! i think i'll definitely get a low wattage amp, or at least one that is switchable, my Fender Deville 4x10 is just too much for home use, great for live, only need a 1x12 for home

 

[GuitarHack]

Amen, Robelinda!

I regret that it took two decades of playing guitar (on and off) to realize that 120W, or 60W, or even 50W, is way beyond what's needed, especially in this era of inexpensive, readily available PA systems....I am happy as a pig in s**t with my 5W combos for home use and band practice, and my 18W head for gigs, or my 38W head for BIG gigs.

That said, I am not criticizing any of the young guns out there who can avail themselves of a 120W stack on a regular basis. I'm sure 99% of the folks on this forum can play better than I can. But, like I said, I LOVE being able to be in that zone at 11PM with the kids sleeping and the neighbors still liking me, versus trying to enjoy my neutered 5150 with the volume on 0.1.

Just think about it: Once you tire of peeling the paint off the walls twice a year when the family is out of the house and you don't have to be at work, you can buy a low wattage combo and crank into the sweet spot whenever.

An old fart's $0.02...

 

[robelinda2]

too right mate, i've got a 15w crappy fender amp here, i always use it, only for gigs do i use my Fender deville or th Marshall Bluesbreaker, just too much for home. get a crankin tone using a small watt amp!!!!!

 

[SteveB]

I use a 120-watt head thru a single 4x12 cabinet.. but I generally have the amp's master volume set around 25%. I don't think I've ever turned it past 50%.. even as an experiment!

 

[puppyonacid]

hey all
Thanks so much for the help. Some really useful advice. Sorry i havent responded quicker but had a busy weekend.
I think my Fender has EL34's in it. Thats gonna stay at the rehersal room. I need something with volume for gigging tho. The roadster sounds worth looking at. And id forgotten about soldano. Very classy. Im thinking maybe Engl as well.

Anyhoo. Im gonne make some sort of list of all the maps mentioned and see what i can track down and maybe let you know how i fair in a couple of months.

Thanks again you fabby people!

 

[KungFu Grip]

If you get the opportunity, and if you can actually find one, give a Zinky Blue Velvet or Velveteen a try. Both are kind of one-trick ponies, but that one trick is so damn nice. Just the drive channel of the BV alone can go from light crunch to blaze and NEVER gets even a hint of floppiness or looseness.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Amen, Robelinda!

I regret that it took two decades of playing guitar (on and off) to realize that 120W, or 60W, or even 50W, is way beyond what's needed, especially in this era of inexpensive, readily available PA systems....I am happy as a pig in s**t with my 5W combos for home use and band practice, and my 18W head for gigs, or my 38W head for BIG gigs.

That said, I am not criticizing any of the young guns out there who can avail themselves of a 120W stack on a regular basis. I'm sure 99% of the folks on this forum can play better than I can. But, like I said, I LOVE being able to be in that zone at 11PM with the kids sleeping and the neighbors still liking me, versus trying to enjoy my neutered 5150 with the volume on 0.1.

Just think about it: Once you tire of peeling the paint off the walls twice a year when the family is out of the house and you don't have to be at work, you can buy a low wattage combo and crank into the sweet spot whenever.

An old fart's $0.02...

+1 - a mate of mine here in Cardiff hand builds 18 watt amps and they are awesome.

He put one inside a "Baby Belling" as a joke " The looks he had when he set it up on stage - opened the door and there was his speaker !!