Need amp buying advise

emmaporkchop

emmaporkchop

The face of emmaporkchop
So I'm basically going to be switching over from bass to rhythm guitar, the music ranges from The Who, Tom Petty, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Tragically Hip, Rolling Stones type music. Since I don't really check out guitar amps too much I was hoping to get some advise on something that would work for the stuff I'm playing. Would like to stick w/ a combo amp.
Guitars I'm using are a Tele with P-90 Phat Cats and my G&L Legacy Strat.
Thanks for any input!
 
For that line up of artists I would look towards something with a really good clean tone. Something in the Fender/Vox tonal families. Anything specific will depend on your price range, but some good choices would be a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue, Vox AC15, Fender Blues Jr, etc. Something with 6V6/6L6 or EL84 tubes. That will get you the right kind of tones for what those artists sound like in most cases.
 
What's your price range?

FWIW, I break the amp world up first by power tube types then I worry about the rest of the stuff.

6v6: Low power, clean balanced sound -- Fender Deluxe Reverb
6L6: High power, clean sound with a lot of headroom, strong tight bass response -- Fender Twin Reverb and Bassman
EL34: High power, not known for pristine cleans but has a strong midrange that cuts through a band mix -- Marshall
EL84: Low power, semi-clean sound with a uniquely clear treble -- Vox

If you don't want to deal with tube headaches, there are good choice in the solid state world. Roland's Cube amps are my favorite. For the bands you list, I would want an amp that can keep up with a loud drummer but might start to break up a little in a good way. That probably means tubes.

A simple 50 watt 6L6 combo with a 12" speaker is about as straightforward and versatile an amp as you can get.
 
I agree with the others...a good, medium powered amp (30 to 50 watts) with a 12" speaker and 6L6 tubes would pretty much cover what you need...throw an overdrive pedal on the floor for dirt and rock it...
 
Chad said:
What is your budget? I think a Vox AC15 would do the trick.
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This is becoming my go-to suggestion for the "under $1k" budget. Most venues that you'll be playing won't handle a 50 watt amp without a master volume. I like the Fender 1968 Deluxe Reverb reissue but not the 1965. The best thing is to go to a music store and make some noise though. See what you dig (bring your own guitar though).
 
emmaporkchop said:
The guitarist and drummer are pretty loud, would the Vox AC15 keep up?
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Yes.

I use an AC15 live and have no problems being loud enough. I didn't even have it up that far either. Until you start playing huge arenas you really do not need anything over 30 watts in a tube amp.
 
I did check out a Classic 30 at the last guitar show I went to, it was great but the guy had it way overpriced.
Anyone have input on Blackstar or Egnator amps?
 
emmaporkchop said:
I did check out a Classic 30 at the last guitar show I went to, it was great but the guy had it way overpriced.
Anyone have input on Blackstar or Egnator amps?
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I had an Egnater Tweaker, the 15 watt. It was pretty good for the price. If you are trying to stay under a grand, maybe the reissue '68 Deluxe Reverb. I think they land about a grand.
 
You should be able to find Classic 30s in the $350-$400 range all day long on craigslist.

I strongly recommend a speaker swap. I personally love the Mesa/Celestion Black Shadow but I've seen people say they are really happy with Vintage 30s.
 
emmaporkchop said:
Looked that one up, sounded great.
I would like to stay under $1,000, and nothing louder than 50 watts.
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The Badger 30 is what I use for my cover gigs and it is great but pricey. I bought a used head for $1500 a few years ago and then found a combo enclosure for $150 a couple of months ago to make the combo.

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Mark Wein said:
The Badger 30 is what I use for my cover gigs and it is great but pricey. I bought a used head for $1500 a few years ago and then found a combo enclosure for $150 a couple of months ago to make the combo.

954828_10152964260712425_9024277431568570073_n.jpg
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Finding one to try out is the hard part, some amps are worth it to me to go over budget on, not many but I really liked what I saw / heard with that one.
 
emmaporkchop said:
Finding one to try out is the hard part, some amps are worth it to me to go over budget on, not many but I really liked what I saw / heard with that one.
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One of the things that makes this amp worth it for me is that it has a power scaling feature that actually sounds good.I can play a living room and get a decent sound or I can play a big outdoor venue and 38 watts is plenty loud for that too. Its a very useful amp.
 
emmaporkchop said:
I did check out a Classic 30 at the last guitar show I went to, it was great but the guy had it way overpriced.
Anyone have input on Blackstar or Egnator amps?
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Always liked the Egnator Renegade head, but you want a combo.

I liked a Blackstar I herd in the local Mom and Pop. Not 100% sure, think it was the HT40.

Yet another vote for a classic 30.

Tons of solid state Fenders out there with a great clean, if you don't mind getting your dirt from pedals. Dirt cheap $100- $150 for a 100 watt combo.
 
The peavey classic 30 is a great amp that won't break the bank. In the same league is the fender blues jr. Both can be found often used in 300-400 range.
 
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