Ok, I am looking to upgrade from my tiny practice amp (Peavey Companion 15W) and I have a $600 budget. I play mostly blues with some old rock standards. I don't need lots of crunch and would prefer a good clean channel. What is the best bang for the buck out there today?
Ron
"What we need are more people who specialize in the impossible "- Theodore Roethke
Used Deluxe Reverb Reissue (around here we just call it DRRI).
Do not under any circumstances buy a Hot Rod Deluxe or DeVille.
If you want to buy new, Peavey makes some very nice, versatile, workhorse amps...like the Classic 30 or the Delta Blues.
"I'm gonna find myself a girl
that can show me what laughter means
And we'll fill in the missing colors
In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."
There are lots of good choices. A lot will depend on what you want to do with it. Bedroom/basement or with a few friends ocassionally or get in a band and play out.
How much head room ie clean do you want etc, that said here are the ones I like (and have) for what its worth and in no particular order:
DRRI (used)
Tech21 Trademark 60
thd Univalve (used)
JC 120 (used)
1965-1967 Fender blackface Bandmaster head. Or, if you want something a little nastier, a silverface 1968-1971 Fender Bassman head. In this depressed market you can pick one up for about $450. Use the other $150 to build a 2x10 or 2x12 cabinet and buy two new Eminence speakers.
How do you feel about the Blues Deluxe or the Blues DeVille? Same issues as the Hot Rod series?Originally Posted by Rickenjangle
Ron
"What we need are more people who specialize in the impossible "- Theodore Roethke
Ron, I think so...I owned an original one of each back in the early '90's and gigged them like crazy. Only problem I had was a busted input jack on one of them...
But, I think that the "reissues" have pretty much the same shoddy PC boards and perhaps the same heat issues...some of the amp techs among us would probably know.
If I had to pick, though, I'd pick the Blues series over the Hotrod Series...
Oh... (smacking myself upside the head)...you can have a Vox AC15 for $599 or less, new, all day any day. I love mine! I don't know why I didn't mention it earlier...
"I'm gonna find myself a girl
that can show me what laughter means
And we'll fill in the missing colors
In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."
If you want a versatile home amp, check out some of the new Traynor combos. I have 40 watt with two 10's. The 20 watt with one 12 is a really really nice little amp (with a Celestion Greenback).
"The beauty and profundity of God is more real than any mere calculation."
Erm - they're the same build quality inside - just slightly different circuits - depends on whether you like the sound of 5BQ4/EL84's or 6V6/6L6's - nothing wrong with EL34's either - go and be an absolute pest in as many music stores a you can - find out what's out there - I like the idea of a Bandmaster or Bassman - only because I know I don't like EL84's - loads of people like 'em though... the Bandmaster or Bassman of those vintages are decently built amps...
If I could find a road to get away it wouldn't be too soon....... Shipwreck Moon.......
I haven't heard the new stuff but they always made a decent amp - well worth a look
If I could find a road to get away it wouldn't be too soon....... Shipwreck Moon.......
I own a couple of amps. One is an older Mesa Boogie mark III combo. I really like it. I don't use the overdrive channels much because of the annoying delay and volume changes. I use a stomp box for overdrive. This amp sounds great at low volumes with the low power switch on the back but has the 100 watt for gigs.
Yes.......I must also mention that I do have a Hot Rod deluxe. Yes, really! It has vintage 30 celestions in it. Actually, I know there are alot of Hot Rod haters ou there but the headroom is incredible for 60watts. More than most any other close wattage tube amps. The only thing I've found that I don't like about the Hot Rod is that it doen't sparkle like a "real tube" amp. It has plenty of low end warmth though....In some ways it is a great sounding amp but loses in that "actual" tube sound. And of course, try soldering on the curcuit board!?!?!?!
Funny, I've played with many great guitar players all over the country and a great player can sound good on virtually any amp. Having said that, I honestly believe tone comes from the right hand. (of course unless you play lefty). Touch is where most of it comes from. Have you ever put your rig in the hands of a great player, well, you'll want to keep yer rig.
Buy these used:
DRRI- $600-650
Traynor YCV40 - $400-450
Peavey Classic 30- $400
Hughes & Kettner Edition Tube 20th Anniversary - $400-500
All Prices are approximate.
Then Play On
Hey Froog, yer right in many respects - I think you mean a HRDv ( the Dx has 1 12") - and mine was fine until I tried to re-cap it - and it's all in the hands - always has been - but good hands can - however - tell one amp from another - I didn't hate my HRDv - it let me down - and as far as I'm concerned - that was down to FMIC - if you buy an 8-9 yr old Fender amp and it's still going strong - it should keep going strong - the HR's don't - I've worked on all kinds of electronic equipment for virtually all of my 30+ yr working life and I've not seen anything as badly built - including everything I've ever opened up and worked on - as that amp. So I stripped it out and built a Bassman out of the iron, chassis and cabinet. The cab's the next thing to go - it's so badly built that everything vibrates with unbelievable ferocity... I'm fully qualified to say the the HRDv is not worth the asking price - and the recommendations that have been put forward are way better - in terms of longevity than either a Blues or HR series amp any day of the week - and that's the point of the thread - I think...
If I could find a road to get away it wouldn't be too soon....... Shipwreck Moon.......
Weber 5E3 Kit with a Weber 12A125 speaker or a Blues Jr with the Bill M tonestack and bias mods.
I would get a beater late 60's or early seventies head (like Gris suggested), and freehand the cab. Money goes to speakers.
Even if you aren't handy with a skilsaw, cabs can be picked up cheap just due to the weight of shipping. Pawn shops are the place to shop. I'm a gear whore, a slant Mesa, Avatar, or many others will last a lifetime.
But I'm a diehard DIY guy. I picked up a 67 drip edge 2x12 for just about free and it's my workhorse cab.
+1 on the 5E3 kit, for the builder.
Upgrade the pots, though.
Luckily, the new Weber kits have the Carling switches and Neutrik jacks. I'm building a 5E3P for someone that is a slightly older kit, and it didn't have those parts.
I had to replace the jacks and switches before I even got to fire it up...they were pretty bad.
"...pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field;
that, of course, they are many in number; or that, after all, they are other than the little,
shriveled, meagre, hopping, though loud and troublesome, insects of the hour."
-Edmund Burke
unless you HAVE to have a combo, this is great advice...
Yummo!
My Gear:
Gibson SG
James Burton Tele (standard---not the flaming one)
Guild Bluegrass Jubilee w/DTar
Kap'n 5E3
Marsh 5F11
Ok, i love Fender amps and own one super twin rewerb from 79 but for a small practice amp i have to recomend the harley benton GA5H and the epiphone 112 cab! The harley benton GA5H is a epi valve junior with an eq controll (tone pot) added and sounds faboulous with all my guitars. 5 watts, everything set at max (well the tone pot is optional set at prefered level) without any boxes gives me a vintage tube tone that i´ve strived for for a very long time. And i payed 200 euros, got it from Thomann in Germany.
Yes, it is a HRdv. I completely agree. The insides look like an old radio kit I got from radio shack on my 10th birthday.
I had a Fender super amp not the super reverb, it was built in the mid 90's it had 4 10's and I thought the tone off that amp was one of the best for the money. I think the amp was $500.00 used. It moved some serious air. The only problem was, it didn't have enough clean headroom for me to fit my style. I would highly recommend this amp if you played rock or especially blues.
Is there anything out there that might be similar with more clean headroom? I think the super was 60 watts but broke up quick.
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