Amp Rigs and Speaker Preferences

[Lisa]

What kind of amp rigs is everyone using for gigs and recording? Do you play through small combo amps, half stacks or full stacks? Also, what kind of speakers are you using (brand and wattage)?

 

I usually play through a 100 watt Marshall half stack or full stack for gigging or doing product reviews. I love Marshall 4x12 cabinets and have several of them, but I don't always prefer the sound of vintage 25-watt Celestions. For more bottom end and clarity, I really like the sound of 75- and 80-watt Celestions because they don't break up as much.

 

Let's find out what everyone else is using.

[BK_dup2]

Lisa,

 

I share your love of Marshalls.

 

But I play so much out that I am really sick of hauling around a "plexi" half-stack.

 

I am purchasing a Bluesbreaker to retire my Half-stack. As far as the studio goes. I bring my POD, Deluxe Reverb and Budda Verbmaster to cover most of the bases.

 

When the bluesbreaker is added I think It will get top billing across the board. I just love that wide open Marhsall tone.

 

BK

[coyote]

I've owned a few different amps, and am now using a Fender Princeton 30watt most of the time.

 

In EVERY case, I end up running thru a 4x12 cab (I have a Marshall cab & a Fender cab). The Fender, being a slimmer cab, gets used more frequently. But either one (or sometimes both w/ my Marshall Major 200watt top) improves the tone of whatever amp I end up playing through.

[Scott from MA]

I use two LabSeries L5 amps in stereo. For those who are unfamiliar, these were designed and built by Moog, and distributed by Gibson. They are 100 watts each, and each has two 12" Eminence speakers.

 

These amps have the best tone I've ever heard! I found them when I was looking to buy a Fender Twin. Once I tried it out, I forgot all about the Fender. The sound of the L5 won me over instantly. I had never known anyone else to use them, until I went to see BB King play and saw his. Also, I've been told that Ty Tabor used an L5 to record the early King's X albums.

[cristofemusician.org]

Mmnn Yeah, nothing like a cranked up stack moving so much air your pants flap in the breeze. I got tired of lugging my stack too. These days depending on the gig, I use either a blackface Fender Bandmaster with a Super-Texan mod by Dan Torres powering a 4x10" semi-open Gibson cabinet,(loaded with Eminence) that also used to house a GA-55RVT Ranger amp,(which now rusts in pieces), or a '56 Fender Vibrolux or my mini-stack: a Sovtek Mig50h with sealed 2x12 cab loaded with Celestions. In the studio I use the Vibrolux, an old Danelectro OM-10 and several types of direct devices....Cheers...Cristofe

[stanner]

well i pray to the altar of dual showman(s) into cab(s) w/ JBL D130F 15"s and ''cowabunga" surfzup...

[jef5f]

Live and recording -- Ampeg Reverberocket with JBL speaker (30 watt amp into a 120 watt speaker - a lot of head room); A Vox Pacemaker with the gold Vox speaker (45 watts at 4 ohm); and an Oliver B200 head into a Mesa Boogie 1x12 with a Celestian made Black Shadow speaker. I mic everything, no direct for electric.

[strat0124]

You may laugh or be in disbelief, but I've been killin in the clubs with a Blues Jr. Miked up, it's pretty damn wicked. I front end it with a Boss SD-1....and that's it. No fancy schmancy nothing. For bigger venues, I use one of my Supers. The Supers just don't perform well unless you turn them up so loud that dogs start howling. My backup amp when I use the Blues Jr is the Pro Jr. People smirk until they hear these things growling and snarling. It really fits the genre we play.

[art]

My main rig right now is a '71 Marshall 100 watt Super Lead thru a straight 4x12 checkerboard cab with 25 watt greenbacks. For smaller rooms I'll use the same head but with a 2x12 Fender cab with Vintage 30s or a Deluxe Reverb with an extension closed back 1x12 cab loaded with JBL D-120s. I love old Marshalls and Fenders.

For recording I've used all of the above as well as a Johnson J-Station.

[dj3]

Strat,

 

Hurray for the Blues Jr!

I love mine. People actually have requested that I turn the little 15w guy down. Whoa, big fella!

 

I love that amp.

(Ahem, I still use the Mark II sometimes...)

 

dave

[fuzz]

right now for recording i am digging my old 66 bassman head going though a 1-12 cabnet.

 

for live i use a mark4 and a fender deville in stereo....for now cuz thats all i really have.

 

i use to use an old super reverb, that was by baby...but when my dad got himself a tele i gave it to him cuz they sounded so sweet together...and since he is a bit older i figured he would keep it in better condition at his house than i would hauling it to bars and the like.

 

"fuzz"

[lrbreez]

Lisa I agree with you about the 75 watt Celestions. I use them (4 x 12 cabs) with 2 50-watt MkII Marshall heads. I like the 25 watt Celestions with my Bluesbreaker though.

Buddy

[Tedster]

I got my Marshall TSL 122 2x12 combo, and a JCM800 4210 single 12 combo. I shoulda had 2x12s years ago. I used to have a 50 watt half stack in the now rare beige with brown grille cloth color scheme...but I couldn't fit it in the car I was driving and I was doing a lot of sit-in gigs. I do kinda wish I still had it...

[gizmohis.com]

Bruno Underground 30 w/ 2-12" Celestions. Can't remember which ones except that I know they're not Vintage 30's or Greenbacks. I seem to remember a "K" and a "75" in the name...

No built-in reverb so I use different ones. Currently a Lexicon LXP-1. Also, just in case anyone is interested - a Hotcake overdrive. I just got a Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive and I'm pretty sure the Hotcake still rules.

 

Frequently though, when I record (don't yell at me please!) I use a Yamaha DG-Stomp or a POD. Go figure.

[D. Gauss]

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no laughing here, i use an old old fender tweed deluxe (15 watts) and my other guitar play and my harp player use blues juniors. easy to carry and they sound great...

 

-d. gauss