Any recommendations for a clavinet amp?

[John Tweed]

I'm planning to get a valve amp, mainly to further my guitar playing ambitions, but since I've decided not to sell my clavinet after all (my gf thinks it's cute!), I figure I could run the clav through it and use it in my retro keys rig (if I ever get a gig where I could use such a thing). So I'm wondering what valve guitar amps folks are using for clavs.

 

I'm leaning towards something like this Fender or similar with lower power.

 

Thanks

John

 

 

[HammondDave]

twin reverb

[mate stubb]

Depends on how much you want to spend and how much power you need!

[yorgatron]

 

I'm leaning towards something like this Fender or similar with lower power.

 

lower power?

 

screw that, you need more power.

 

the clavinet deserves to be heard, and in order to be heard you need a rig designed to stun children and small animals at fifty paces.

 

Fender PA100 head with homebuilt speaker cab, enough power to actually have a drummer ask me to turn it down once...

 

http://i.imgur.com/V6norGx.jpg

 

this rig is only for clavinet, organ, and electric piano, for acoustic piano and synth sounds you need solid state amps.

[Steve Nathan]

Try to find an old Fender Concert (w/original Blue Jensens). If you cant find one, go with a Twin. Lastly, believe it or not, Peavey used to (and maybe still does) make a two 10s amp that was surprisingly good for clav.

[frogmonkey]

I like smaller Fenders for Clav-- like a Deluxe-- that will distort at relatively low volume.

Twins are too loud for my taste, and you really need to crank them to make them distort.

 

Of course, the idea is to mic it onstage.

[Analogaddict]

I ran my D6 thru a small Blackstar amp on a session, it sounded surprisingly good. Espescially if the idea is to mic it onstage.

[Doerfler]

that's the strangest reason I've ever heard not to sell a Clavinet, don't know why you would want to sell it anyway. I run mine through a 1967 Twin Reverb. They are, however, heavy and LOUD. The 65 Princeton Reverb Reissue sounds great also at lower volumes .

[HammondDave]

In the 70's I ran my clavinet through an Ampeg V4 stack.... Talk about loud....

[Bill H.]

Any guitar amp with a clean channel (or controls that can clean things up) should work. Classic clav tones are fairly bright and not all that dirty.

 

My fav clav amp back in the day was a JBL equipped Twin. But if your main focus today is guitar, buy for that and it will work for clav too.

[jimkost2002]

I go with Fender Deluxe or Blues Deville

[J. Dan]

Gonna go off the reservation a little bit here. I know there's nothing like a tube amp, but since your guitar and clav requirements might be significantlt different, what about goung with a Line6 modelling amp. The models are surprisingly good, though the pickiest guitar players still prefer the real thing. The advantage is you can try it with different amp/cabinet combinations by turning a knob. And if you want to run your guitar through a marshall stack and your clav through a fender twin, you can do it through the same amp.

 

Some guitar players i know will do things like pair a Line6 pedalboard up with a tube amp running through the clean channel and insist it improves the sound.

[yorgatron]

what about goung with a Line6 modelling amp.

 

no. just...NO.

[J. Dan]

what about goung with a Line6 modelling amp.

 

no. just...NO.

 

Have you tried it? I appreciate your strong conviction in your response, but you offer no experience or reasons to back it up. I don't own a clavinet, but I've run (in addition to guitars) several synths through my POD with good results. Lots of fun running my Moog Opus 3 through it, using pedal wah in the POD, and working the switches on the Opus 3 similar to a Les Paul using the pickup switch cut it in and out.

[mvanmanen]

Vibroverb with a 15" single

(also nice with rhodes)

[retrokeys]

+1 for the Fender Deluxe. Ran a C model through one for years. A great funk machine.

[The Real MC]

Even a good overdriven amp like the Fender Deluxe will sound good. Playing triads might best be avoided though.

 

And Line6 are not good amp modelers. I grew up with a brother who played guitar and I know all the classic guitar amps. Vox Tonelab is a much better amp modeler (as long as you roll your own and avoid the factory patches).

[yorgatron]

 

I don't own a clavinet, but I've run (in addition to guitars) several synths through my POD with good results. Lots of fun running my Moog Opus 3 through it, using pedal wah in the POD, and working the switches on the Opus 3 similar to a Les Paul using the pickup switch cut it in and out.

 

I own two, a Clavinet/Pianet Duo and a D6 that'll see a Castlebar installed one of these days pretty soon.

must...have...TUBES.

 

synth is fine, I'm considering getting a digital multi-effects unit for my Moog Prodigy and recently-acquired Opus 3.

 

 

[CEB]

Blackface Fender Twin or a Fender Super Reverb. A Fender Deluxe Reissue might work OK on clav. But if you think you may run a EP through it someday you would probably want a little more headroom.

 

My favorite amp right now is a Mesa Boogie Lonestar 212 combo or an old 410 Mesa Nomad or 410 Mesa Blue Angel. Depends on your budget. The Lonestar is called the Twin killer. Great amp runs about $2100. (Not the Lonestar special)

 

This is the configuration I like. This is a killer guitar amp. 100 watts but sound great in 10 watt mode or 50 watt mode.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Lone212

 

[AnotherScott]

I never tried a keyboard through it, but for a similar style lower cost guitar amp alternative to the fenders, at least with guitar, I was pretty impressed with the Peavey Classic 30. I would expect it would be a good choice for clav as well, worth trying out.

[Steve Nathan]

Lastly, believe it or not, Peavey used to (and maybe still does) make a two 10s amp that was surprisingly good for clav.

Sorry. I meant 4 tens. NIt's called the CLassic 50

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/images/items/350/Class50410.jpg

[John Tweed]

Thanks everyone for the comments. It's pretty clear that whatever guitar will sound good through, so will the clav.

 

That's an impressive rig, yorgatron, but I'm over monster rigs these days. I play with a guy who has one of those Fender PAs for vocal, harmonica & sax, and it does a good job. (BTW what's a Castlebar?)

 

I'm not attracted to anything with 4x10s due to size and weight considerations. That rules out the Peavey Classic 50. A friend has a Laney with 2x10s that I've tried with guitar and I liked that. I have also considered Peavey Classic 30 in the past but I'm pretty sure I'm going Fender this time around.

 

I have tried out pedals like Blackstar and Vox Valvelab for guitar in the past. Currently I have a Digitech RP55 in the keyboard rig which I use for guitar occasionally. But I haven't used the clav live for 5 years or so and never with that particular pedal. The last time I used it live I put it thru the audio input of my Roland SH2 for auto-wah effects. Sounded good.

 

Over the last few years I've sold off a lot of the grear that I've really had no plans to use again, and originally the clav was to go as well - too heavy, too limited use. I had a prospective buyer, and set it up ready to demo, but the prospect never turned up. In the meantime my significant other, who plays a little piano, had a go and quite liked it. So I'm going to hang onto it and see how it goes with the amp. Next time I have it set up I'll try it through the RP55 too.

 

When I was using the clav regularly (with Fender Rhodes and Odyssey) in the 70's I had a HH amp or two (bi-amped) at times, and a JBL 15 and horn. It was pretty loud if needed. I was never a fan of putting Rhodes thru twin reverbs etc - I always preferred a clean sound, the better to make it thru the wall of guitars. Maybe I'd think differently these days now that getting a clean sound is a lot easier than it was then.

 

The Vibroverb with a 15" speaker is a thought - I've always preferred 15" speakers, but nowadays I'm using a K10 for keys and don't feel I am missing out on anything; it has plenty of bass for LH organ work. It does seem counter-intuitive to be buying a larger (12") speaker in a heavier package for guitar though.

 

I'm still leaning towards the Hot Rod Deluxe or maybe a Blues Deluxe.

 

[Steve Nathan]

You could always get one of these

Clonk

Then you wouldn't have to choose

[linwood]

Steve...I'm thinkin' you need one of these.

 

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