Help! I need help deciding on an amp

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Grandpa Whine
I'm looking for an amp-and $1500 is TOP end for me. Even that is stretching it. I play all kinds of different music-classic country,classic rock,hard rock,etc. I need something to cover everything I guess. I was looking at a Mesa 5:50 Express Plus for a long time but am relying solely on You -Tube videos. Another thought is a Fender DRRI or a Peavey Classic 30 with stomp boxes. I'm not a snob but I want American or British made only. Just a hang up of mine. I know I'm limiting myself but so be it. I know having a couple different flavor amps would be ideal but I can only get one. I'm a bedroom warrior now but do want to look at either joining church worship team or a band in the future. Any help is appreciated!!
 
Used Zinky Blue Velvet is always my answer. :)
Rivera Clubster is another good one.
 
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I have a 5:25 Express (not a plus). I love it. I had a 5:50 2x12 as well for a well (bought it to flip).

They are GREAT amps. The clean channel is the best sound fender clean you'll find in a non-Fender amp. The other 3 voices are great as well. 2 completely separate channels make this a gigging machine.

That said, I'd love to have a Mark V 25 Head and a 1x12 cab. Worth checking out.

I had a DRRI and it was disappointing. It sounded good, great even, but it was no blackface Fender. The Express 5:25 covers WAY more ground.
 
Thanks for the info guys-appreciate it. Been a frustrating deal researching amps. Lots out there to choose from. I'm always interested in what others have that work well for them. Reliability is a huge deal as I'll only have one amp. And weight too-my arm is more screwed up than I thought so heavy is a deal breaker.
 
Make sure you have clearly defined the specs of the sound and gain that you're looking to utilize...is it more American (6L6/6V6 tubes) or more British (EL34/EL84) voiced? Is the 20 to 30 watt range enough? Too much? Are you going to play the amp clean and get your dirt from pedals or are you looking to utilize tube distortion?

Portability is key for you...a head and 1x12 cabinet setup might be better for you than a combo...

It's probably better to focus on these kinds of details before you start considering manufacturers and models...just my 2 bits...
 
The 1965 DRRI never worked for me but the 1968 Custom Deluxe reverb or whatever they call it seems like a good call and is under your budget....

I like them both for different reasons, but I would say that the '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb would be a better choice for a greater variety of styles. It also breaks up a little faster that the '65. The bad news on these amps, if you like tweaking EQ knobs, is that both the '65 DRRI and the '68 CDR only have treble and bass knobs on each channel. If you like twiddling with the midrange, you'd be out of luck. Of course, an EQ pedal would make that mute.
 
If you want an American made channel switching amp, it's hard to beat a Riviera or Mesa. For single channel amps, look at Dr. Z and Allen. Buy used and you'll have no trouble finding what you want in your price range. The Fenders and Voxes in this thread are MIM and MIC.
 
There was a red Carmen Ghia head with matching 1-12 cabinet for 1k at the guitar show over the weekend. I walked by it numerous times. Lol. Would have loved to have picked that one up.

That must have been hard to pass up. That looks like a good price. I've seen the heads as low as $800 so $1k for the head and cab seems good.
 
If you want an American made channel switching amp, it's hard to beat a Riviera or Mesa. For single channel amps, look at Dr. Z and Allen. Buy used and you'll have no trouble finding what you want in your price range. The Fenders and Voxes in this thread are MIM and MIC.

Several good deals on used Dr. Z's here:
http://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/collections/dr-z#/?_=1&filter.comp_condition=Used&page=1

Crap, I did not need to see those.
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I had the same type of thread here about a month or so ago, ended up w/ a Peavey Classic 30 and couldn't be happier. Granted you're going to get some great suggestions here but going out and trying as many as you can will help the most.
 
Well, here's a question for you...

Do you want something that's clean all day that you're going to add dirt pedals to or do you want something with it's own dirt that can handle good cleans and dirt up to hard rock levels?
 
Well, here's a question for you...

Do you want something that's clean all day that you're going to add dirt pedals to or do you want something with it's own dirt that can handle good cleans and dirt up to hard rock levels?

Preferably have its own dirt-I'm just not a fan of stomp boxes. I have a Carbon Copy delay but that's it
 
Preferably have its own dirt-I'm just not a fan of stomp boxes. I have a Carbon Copy delay but that's it
I'm assuming you want a combo?

Just a few ideas. I'd go with the 5150 III myself for your purposes since it has a fairly decent clean, the blue channel is classic Marshallish, and the red channel is devestating. It's a bit more versatile than the older 5150/6505 because of the blue channel.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampl...ube-guitar-combo-amplifier?rNtt=5150&index=2#

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampl...ca5012c-50w-1x12-tube-guitar-combo-amp/h76846

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/peavey-6505-112-60w-1x12-tube-combo-guitar-amp

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/peavey-6505-212-combo-2x12-guitar-amp

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampl...r-renegade-112-65w-1x12-tube-guitar-combo-amp
 
Preferably have its own dirt-I'm just not a fan of stomp boxes. I have a Carbon Copy delay but that's it

If you need clean and dirt from the amp, you probably need a channel switching amp. I personally don't like channel switching amps, it seems you usually get either a good clean or a good dirt from them but not both. Others like them, so maybe I am just picky or haven't found the right one.

If you go American made channel switching, then I would probably say Mesa. But I recommend trying them out first. Mesa's amps really sound different from model to model. There are some Mesas I love and some I can't stand (their Mark I is one of my favorite amps of all time, but their Nomads, I wouldn't take if someone gave it to me for free, well I probably would but then I would sell it).
 
I got a lot to chew on here. Thanks for the info! I'm a very indecisive person at times and change my mind a lot. Probably because I don't have a lot of money so in stuck with my decisions for a long time!!
 
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