Amp buying advice

[jzgtrguy]

Greetings,

 

And thanks in advance. I thought I would throw this out and see if I could benifit for everyones experience.

 

I am primarily a Jazz player, Play an Arch Top (Comins Concert model) and use and Evens JE200 for an amp and am pretty happy with it.

 

However I find that lately I am playing more and more electric music and the Evens just wont cut it. I am plugging a Yamaha DG Stomp in the effects return. I sounds OK but it doesn't behave like a real amp.

 

So I have given up on finding one amp to cover both the arch top area and the electric stuff because you have to scew each set up for a specific purpose. So now that I am playing more rock oriented music and want to play more fusion oriented music which would be a great amp? I am a little out of the loop on this stuff so I thougt I would ask you all.

 

The amps that interest me are;

 

Fender Pro Tube Pro Reverb (Good used prices)

Rivera Fandango and Quiana

Groove Tubes Soul-O75

Gerlitz Revolator

Randall MTS Series (the modular one)

Cyber Twin or Vox ValveTronix(I like the idea of having all the effects and amps in one nice package, however I am afraid that it would behave like the DG Stomp thru my Evans)

 

I know that tone is a subjective thing and it would be ideal if I could walk into a guitar store and see all of these amps sitting on the show room floor and just compare them all but that is unlikely.

 

I listen to Allen Holdsworth, Frank Gambale, Eric Johnson, Jeff Beck and so on. I am not really interested in sounding like anyone else but myself and I cannot play like any of these guys but you might see where I am going with what I play based on what I listen too.

 

Thanks for the ear!

 

Best,

 

Jeff

[David7215]

Well, I'm no expert, and it's not one of the amps you listed, but you should check out the line 6 stuff. I have a 112 spider that I use with either a Strat or a LP and am very happy with it. It has a wide range of effects and you can program into a few presets of your favorite combos. I mostly woodshed, so I opted for the smaller 112, but I have a friend with a 212 that either gigs with it or uses it as a head on a big cabinet set-up. I know a lot of pros want tubes, but for us mere mortals, the line 6 stuff really works well.

For me it was really hard to try to "audition" an amp in a store, either you had to try to hear it over some dude with an amp next to you cranked up, or deal with a sales person that didn't know anymore than you do. I took the advice of a trusted friend and just bought what he recommended (Line 6 Spider) off ebay. Good luck. David

[Blue Strat]

Jim Soloway (another Jazzer who posts here) likes his new Roland Cube 30. You might track him down and send him a private message about it.

 

As far as rock, that covers a lot of ground. Any specific artist's tone you're wanting to cover?

 

My own personal picks are as follows:

 

up to 6 watts:

 

Fender 5C1 Champ

Fender 5F1 Champ

my EL-84 design - Top Boost preamp w/ SE EL-84

 

10 to 20 watt:

 

Ampeg Jet II

Fender 5E3 tweed Deluxe

Fender 6G2 brown Princeton

1482 Silvertone

Magnatone MP-1

Gibson GA-8T Discoverer

 

30 to 60 watts:

 

Marshall JCM 800 2204 w/ 5881's or KT-66's

Marshall JCM 2000 DSL-50

Vox AC-30 Top Boost

Fender blackface Super Reverb

 

100 watts:

 

Fender tweed Twin

Fender blackface Twin Reverb

Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier

Sunn Model T

Marshall JCM 800 2203 w/ KT-88's

[jzgtrguy]

Bluestrat, David P.

 

Thanks for the advice. I like the way you break them down by power. I think I would be in the 50 watt range. Interesting none of bluestarts recomentdations are on the list that interested me. Tone is very subjective.

 

As far as the line six stuff goes I had gone into GC one day and tried to play a Vetta combo. I did not like the interface. I did not find it very intuitive. However I do know that for the modeling amps line6 enjoys a great reputation. I also tried and liked a Cyber twin. Very tweekable and some really nice sounds but as I was fooling around with it it stared to rattle like crazy. Scared me off. I heard Allen Holdsworth last weekend and he was using Two Yamaha DG80's with extension cabs. He was just astonishing.

 

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate the input.

 

Best,

 

Jeff

[Mudcat]

Originally posted by jzgtrguy:

Bluestrat, David P.

 

...As far as the line six stuff goes I had gone into GC one day and tried to play a Vetta combo. I did not like the interface. ...

You may want to check out a Flextone. Their interface is much easier to work with and they have several excellent sounds (IMHO).

[Darklava]

Originally posted by jzgtrguy:

Bluestrat, David P.

 

Thanks for the advice. I like the way you break them down by power. I think I would be in the 50 watt range. Interesting none of bluestarts recomentdations are on the list that interested me. Tone is very subjective.

 

As far as the line six stuff goes I had gone into GC one day and tried to play a Vetta combo. I did not like the interface. I did not find it very intuitive. However I do know that for the modeling amps line6 enjoys a great reputation. I also tried and liked a Cyber twin. Very tweekable and some really nice sounds but as I was fooling around with it it stared to rattle like crazy. Scared me off. I heard Allen Holdsworth last weekend and he was using Two Yamaha DG80's with extension cabs. He was just astonishing.

 

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate the input.

 

Best,

 

Jeff

Unless you find those used,

I think the dg80's are discontinued.I could be

wrong.

[Dylan]

As Ive said in other threads, if you do go with a Line6 or other digital amp, then buy used only. The depreciation with digital amps is un-holy bad since they are essentially software-driven amps. That being said, I like my Flextone II Plus setup pretty well. Still, Im looking at replacing it with a tube amp and a few good pedals. I really only want two tones anyway, and I rarely use any effects.

[webe123]

Originally posted by Mudcat:

Originally posted by jzgtrguy:

Bluestrat, David P.

 

...As far as the line six stuff goes I had gone into GC one day and tried to play a Vetta combo. I did not like the interface. ...

You may want to check out a Flextone. Their interface is much easier to work with and they have several excellent sounds (IMHO).

You ought to check out their new Flextone 3 amplifiers! I have the biggest. A flextone 3 XL (2x12) but they have a flex 3 plus and a regular flex 3. For the price they are selling those puppies new, it is not a bad investment,(they dropped in price two or three hundred dollars for the NEW amps!) plus as I mentioned earlier, you can SEPERATE the stage and PA volumes! A must for me!

[Darklava]

If you check out the for sale thread,somebody

had a flextone II with extension cab and pedal

for only 500.00g's.

[David7215]

I should have mentioned the Line 6 stuff is not really easy to use. The manual isn't that great. I had my teacher write out 4 different set-ups to input in mine for a baseline. We used nearly an entire lesson. But you sure can make a lot of different sounds!!

I also agree with the comment regarding not buying new. I virtually never buy gear new and have had great luck with Ebay. I got my Line 6 Spider 112, with 4 channel foot switch for $200 w/shipping. It seems that in the quest for perfect tone, lots of equipment gets sold relatively cheap. Good luck.

David

[Dylan]

Originally posted by JesusChrysler:

If you check out the for sale thread,somebody

had a flextone II with extension cab and pedal

for only 500.00g's.

That was me. Actually, I'm asking $599 for the kit. More info here .

[tahitijack]

I love my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. For me there is some vibe in the Fender amps. If you have a large budget you could find comfort in a Mesa Boogie Nomad. Please do yourself a favor and buy a tube amp.

[NMcGuitar]

Originally posted by David Poffenbarger:

I should have mentioned the Line 6 stuff is not really easy to use. The manual isn't that great. I had my teacher write out 4 different set-ups to input in mine for a baseline. We used nearly an entire lesson. But you sure can make a lot of different sounds!!

I also agree with the comment regarding not buying new. I virtually never buy gear new and have had great luck with Ebay. I got my Line 6 Spider 112, with 4 channel foot switch for $200 w/shipping. It seems that in the quest for perfect tone, lots of equipment gets sold relatively cheap. Good luck.

David

I use a Flextone II Plus, and I've never found it difficult to use. There are a couple of functions that you'd never find without the manual (like holding the button down and turning the knobs to determine where a pre-set's parameters are set), but for the most most part it's pretty straight-forward.

 

BTW, welcome to the forum!

[roy d]

Volume, headroom, etc. are only partially related to wattage... speaker efficiency, tone stack, and the general design of the amp are also very important.

Personally, I would go with tubes. I prefer both the clean and the dirty sound of a good tube amp over transitors or a digital modeling amp and with a great tube amp there isn't any question.

I'd look at Carr, Dr. Z., even Peavey and Fender tube amps before the line 6. On your list, the GT Soul-O would be my first pick although the amps you mention seem very different to me from one another. Remember that tube wattage usually sounds ALOT louder than the same watts in solid state. I played a GT Soul-O Single that was so loud my ears hurt in an average sized living room and it was only running at about 8 watts!

[Dennyf]

Originally posted by jzgtrguy:

So I have given up on finding one amp to cover both the arch top area and the electric stuff because you have to scew each set up for a specific purpose. So now that I am playing more rock oriented music and want to play more fusion oriented music which would be a great amp? I am a little out of the loop on this stuff so I thougt I would ask you all.

 

I know, I'm Johnny-One-Note when it comes to amps, but try this: Tech 21 Trademark 60. If it's good enough for Les Paul, it might be good enough for you.

 

Two channels, so you can set up one for traditional jazz "clean," and a dirt channel that cleans up well when you turn down your guitar vol.

[jzgtrguy]

Thanks everyone for all your advice.

I went down to GC yesterday and played a cyber twin. I could get some really cool sounds out of it and it seems infinitly tweekable but then I found this rattle that just drived me nuts. GC never ceases to amaze me the stuff they leave on the show room floor. Knobs missing, malfunctioning products etc.

 

I also left a post for Myles and read a lot of his web site. He like the Rivera amps. My only concern with them is that I know that 55 Rivera watts is going to be really, really loud.

 

As Far as the line6 stuff goes They (GC) did not have much and what they did have I could not get too. Buying a modeling amp used is really good advice. I'll look into the FlexTone III's.

 

Tech21? Never thought of that. More to look into.

 

Anyone tried a Vox ValveTronix? The modeling amps appeal to me because you may be able to get more usable sounds at reasonable volume levels and they have all the effects built in.

 

Thanks for all you advice.

 

Best

 

Jeff