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Best amp in the world? You tell me.


myles_rose

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Best amp in the world? You tell me.

 

Many of you have seen me make statements that a given amp is my most played amp or most used amp or favorite amp. That is from my particular point of view and limited skill as a guitar player.

 

Spending a lot of time at various concerts and show ranging from metal to country, blues to jazz, the studio and everthing in between I have to point out what I feel is the amp that may be THE amp if you could have but one single amp.

 

The standard Fender Deluxe Reverb.

 

Now mind you, as in production cars in the old drag match races, various cars of the same make, model, and year were basically the same and some performed better than others. But basically they were the same vehicle.

 

I do not care if the Deluxe Reverb is black face, silver face, or reissue. If you find a cheap silver face that is trashed just toss in a good speaker (stock, Weber, Celestion, or whatever floats your boat), a fresh set of tubes, bias it properly and there you go in most cases. If you can get one real cheap or if you want to upgrade the reissue just pop in a Mercury Magnetics output transformer.

 

Out here in Los Angeles too many folks know that the silver face was never really changed from the black face when more pricy Fender amps were. That has driven the price up on what used to be a less pricy choice. They were not economically worth it to Fender as they were not an expensive enough amp to pay for the time to change the design.

 

I love the single 12". Single speakers are a bit more clean and precise to my ears as no two speakers are the same in a multiple speaker setup and there is a bit of phase cancellation. I also prefer a more simple two band tone stack as each tone control will cause a subtle phase shift in it's working frequency band and simple tone stacks are less of a "tone sucker" to my ears.

 

The amp is small, light, and easy to transport.

 

You can crank it pretty high in smaller clubs and get that nice touch sensitive output section breakup.

 

They are not too picky about pedals so you can even do a bit of that over the top metal stuff if pressed to do so with something like metal type pedal.

 

You can play the world's largest venues as amps today are mic'd and have megawatts of house power behind them.

 

They use standard off the shelf tubes.

 

Well ... that is my two cents worth.

 

http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/images/Picture_013a.jpg

Myles S. Rose

www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com

www.la-economy.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/mylesr

www.twitter.com/myles111us

 

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Myles,

 

Sorry we haven't been able to connect to discuss my Dr. Z tube configuration. Sounds like it's been pretty crazy at work and at home (and I lost your number which is why I didn't call at 5 pm last Thursday -- sorry).

 

Anyway, this posts reminds me of my current mission: get the "best" 6L6 amp in a 1 X 12" combo. I've narrowed it down to the Fender Deluxe and the Carr Rambler, although I haven't heard the Carr.

 

Any insight you can provide there would be great, since it's unlikely I'll find a place to A/B them. I'd also be interested in trading my Gerhart Gilmore and Fuchs Mod of a MusicMan RD65 if you or anybody you know is interested....

 

Perhaps I'll try calling you again. I still have a question about my 6L6 Kingsley.

 

And thanks again for all your past advice :thu:

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The world's greatest amp is the one one has to play through.

 

Now, seriously: thanks for the tip on the Deluxe Reverb.

 

I don't have enough experience to add my opinion.

"Without music, life would be a mistake."

--from 'Beyond Good and Evil', by Friedrich Nietzsche

 

My MySpace Space

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Originally posted by WaterMan:

Myles,

 

Sorry we haven't been able to connect to discuss my Dr. Z tube configuration. Sounds like it's been pretty crazy at work and at home (and I lost your number which is why I didn't call at 5 pm last Thursday -- sorry).

 

Anyway, this posts reminds me of my current mission: get the "best" 6L6 amp in a 1 X 12" combo. I've narrowed it down to the Fender Deluxe and the Carr Rambler, although I haven't heard the Carr.

 

Any insight you can provide there would be great, since it's unlikely I'll find a place to A/B them. I'd also be interested in trading my Gerhart Gilmore and Fuchs Mod of a MusicMan RD65 if you or anybody you know is interested....

 

Perhaps I'll try calling you again. I still have a question about my 6L6 Kingsley.

 

And thanks again for all your past advice :thu:

Waterman,

 

Send me an email or grab me on myspace and I will give you my number again.

 

The Slant 6V is one of my favorite amps from Steve Carr but it is heavier and in full power mode is really over 40 watts easily. The Deluxe is a 6V6 amp.

 

The Gearhart is a blast.

 

I think I may have already answered an email from you by the way ... write again for my phone number.

Myles S. Rose

www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com

www.la-economy.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/mylesr

www.twitter.com/myles111us

 

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Originally posted by Picker:

I like my Mark III Boogie, but the 60 watt version of with no graphic or reverb that I used to have was better.

These were great amps.

Myles S. Rose

www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com

www.la-economy.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/mylesr

www.twitter.com/myles111us

 

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The Deluxe is really a very fine amp.

I have the Mesa version. Slightly less transparent with more of a pronounced "voice". http://images1.snapfish.com/3477%3A6398%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3249%3E%3B3%3B%3E37%3B%3EWSNRCG%3D3233%3A2895%3B%3C95nu0mrj

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Myles,

 

It's cool that you picked a Fender amp.

 

I'm crazy about Fenders. That may change someday but for now, I just love what they can do.

 

Every time I'm trying out guitars at the local G.C., I'm always plugging into a Fender.

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Originally posted by jimash:

The Deluxe is really a very fine amp.

I have the Mesa version. Slightly less transparent with more of a pronounced "voice". http://images1.snapfish.com/3477%3A6398%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3249%3E%3B3%3B%3E37%3B%3EWSNRCG%3D3233%3A2895%3B%3C95nu0mrj

What's the name of the Mesa model?

"Without music, life would be a mistake."

--from 'Beyond Good and Evil', by Friedrich Nietzsche

 

My MySpace Space

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I absolutely agree with you Myles. I have played a number of Deluxes over the years. Everytime I have thought to myself, "You know, I really need to get one of these things."

 

I like them for all of the reasons you pointed out.

 

With your endorsement, I now anticipate a dramatic jump in price. :mad::D

Mudcat's music on Soundclick

 

"Work hard. Rock hard. Eat hard. Sleep hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need 'em."-The Webb Wilder Credo-

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I am a Fender fan too. I am suprised and impressed that with all the amps out there you would choose a Fender! I love my old bassmand '68 it has a very plexy sound to me. The pro junior is always easy to carry and sounds great and too loud sometimes even. The twin '72 get the least use as I don't need that much clean right now with what I am doing. It is still a great amp. One of the coolest sounds I got was the bassman through a 15" in an old tuck and roll cab.
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I tried some Fender amps before I got mine, but I personally didn't like that bright, crisp sound. Key word being personally. Actually, it's not that I don't *like* it...in fact I love it when other people use it, I just prefer a fuller, warmer sound for myself. My favorite amp? See my avatar image :D It's really warm and dynamic, has a bright switch that comes close the the fender sound. The tone is extremely full, especially with the reverb is has, but it can be heavy in the midrange due to the single EQ. Of course, it is single channel and just won't crunch, it's way to clean, but it works great with stomp boxes.

 

For a crunching amp and if I had no limitation on budget, Mesa seem extremely tough to beat. I never played one, but whenever I hear one used, I'm blown away.

-Andy

 

 

"I know we all can't stay here forever so I want to write my words on the face of today...and they'll paint it"

 

-Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon)

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I got this thing on MY guitar call a tone control. It helps with the brightness~! :D

 

More OT I like the sound. I like that spanky tone. It is so easy to mellow out if I want. Still like my bridge strat to a Fender amp thingy. It just rocks. I played through the bassman into a sealed cab with 75 watt celestons. Really edgey tone, it is cool.

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It's tough to dispute your choice, Myles, given its portability and versatility. Twins likely have more touring history, and are exceptionally tough, but damn heavy when youth fades away. A friend has 2 Deluxes, and is convinced he'll never need another amp. This amp makes far more sense to me than a JR, as it can hold its own with all but the most brutal of drummers. another friend has a JCM900 50W combo that is very similar in size, but much heavier and more powerful, at the expense of that unique clean tone that has always eluded Marshalls, and it's not as pedal friendly. For a guy like me who prefers to shape his sound with outboard fx, few amps, if any, can deliver the baseline sound of a Deluxe.
Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never!
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Originally posted by Bluesape:

It's tough to dispute your choice, Myles, given its portability and versatility. Twins likely have more touring history, and are exceptionally tough, but damn heavy when youth fades away. A friend has 2 Deluxes, and is convinced he'll never need another amp. This amp makes far more sense to me than a JR, as it can hold its own with all but the most brutal of drummers. another friend has a JCM900 50W combo that is very similar in size, but much heavier and more powerful, at the expense of that unique clean tone that has always eluded Marshalls, and it's not as pedal friendly. For a guy like me who prefers to shape his sound with outboard fx, few amps, if any, can deliver the baseline sound of a Deluxe.

The biggest problem with a junior is that will not do clean well. It can keep up with drummers really well but is in distortion at that point. I haven't bought the amp in question "yet". (Thanks for driving up the price Myles! :D ) It is something I would sell stuff to get though.
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Fenders just aint my cup-o-tea but they were a very popular amp to see up on stage at many outdoor events years back. I remember more Twins than anything. Kim Mitchell, The Guess Who, Rush... all Twins.

 

Solid, versatile amps with a characteristically soft color that lends itself to being what you want it to be.

...and maybe my ears are fried.

I still think guitars are like shoes, but louder.

 

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Originally posted by Bluesape:

another friend has a JCM900 50W combo that is very similar in size, but much heavier and more powerful, at the expense of that unique clean tone that has always eluded Marshalls, and it's not as pedal friendly.

I don't find that to be true of the JCM 2000's, especially the TSL's. The fx loop works great with both rack and pedal processors. And the clean channels stay clean, even up to ear-splitting levels, unless you're using pickups with a lot of output, like EMG's or Duncan Invaders.

 

As for the best amp? Didn't Z. Vex make a 1 watt tube amp a while ago that could drive a 4x12 cab? I want one of those. :)

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I don't have that much experience to judge the best amp. You know I love my THD, but I haven't tried many other amps out.

 

The guitarist in the band after us tonight had a JCM 800 amp and he was using a tube screamer because of course the amp is way too loud to get the kind of breakup he wanted.

 

It didn't really sound that cool.

 

I am sure it would have if he could get teh power section working but the amp sounded better without the pedal. The pedal made it compressed and small.

 

You have explained how say an amp like the Dr. Z route 66 is designed for pedals. In my idiocy, I understand that to mean that it doesn't shrink the signal in the front of the amp. It makes it big.

 

Anyways, I am ignorant with the OD pedals out there..

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There was a time for me when the Vibrolux was -the- amp, I also had the Deluxe at the same time.

 

But I really liked a more 'British' sound. And I did have a collection of cool amps in the studio. But with the help of Myles I got the THD UniValve to the point where I did not want anything else.

 

Bill

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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Originally posted by myles111:

Originally posted by Picker:

I like my Mark III Boogie, but the 60 watt version of with no graphic or reverb that I used to have was better.

These were great amps.
Tell you what though, I had a non-reverb Princeton that I used a LOT for a while. I could crank it and get very cool crunch rhythm, and with the right OD pedal, that sucker was schwee-eeeet. For a long time I have wanted to spend sometime working with a Deluxe Reverb (maybe two:D), 'cause it would get that really nice, complex Fender midrange, which is always nicely enhanced by a light to moderate spring reverb. Two of them would be loud enough for what I do and still be clean. I just wish they didn't cost so freakin' much. To get a couple of silverface Deluxe Reverbs would cost more than grand. And anyone who is making a D.R. clone is charging that much or more, too. I tell ya, boys, chasing the perfect tone is one expensive thing to get into.

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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Well, here's a thought... and I don't claim it as original, it was brought to me by Phil and Lee here on these forums a couple of years ago. Instead of trying to find the perfect amp and looking in the traditional routes, look in the boutique market.

 

I agree with your assessment about cost, but if you buy one amp for $2,000 (and that is quite a bit more than I spent...) and you play it for the next 20 years, did you get your moneys worth? When you turn it on and crank it up and it sounds exactly like what you expect, is that worth it to you?

 

I searched and got a good deal on the amp that I liked, and with the help of Myles ended up with the tone that I wanted. Search over. Think about how freeing that is.... SEARCH OVER. I don't have to think about it anymore. That is worth a few bucks right there.

 

Bill

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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I've owned the Fender Delux Reverbs before, I think two or three times and untill I got THIS one I would have agreed with ya. but NOW this is the Fender sound I missed, I think the best kept secret so far, if you see one GET IT, the Fender Pro Amp: experience the Magic of the single 15 sometime listen to it IN THE MIX and you will see what I mean http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b48/ellwood1/proext003resize.jpg
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