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What Kind of Amp Do you use?


Olipticle

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Hey all,

Was going to look into getting another amp soon, There just so many to choose from and its such a hard choice lol. Was just wondering what all the guitar players on the forum are using in terms of amps.

Do you prefer Tube over solid state?

For me i know im going for something tubed but im still in need of some shopping around!

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I currently have two stage amplifiers that see use. My main one these days is a Fender Blues Deluxe (40 watts - and loud), but also use a Marshall 50 watt head and 4x12 cabinet: it depends on venue, really. Both are valve amps - I wouldn't use anything else. I favour the Fender these days, mainly because of its capability to a produce warm, clean sound if I need it; the Marshall set up can't compete on that level (although it's not too bad). It's always more feasible to add distortion to a clean signal than to try and take it away from a dirty one.

RB

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Nice, man that wattage sounds good to me i was thinking is getting something within that range as well. Iv tried the fender blues deluxe and fell in love. I know what you mean about the warm tones its just to addictive.

Im more so pulled to wards a Marshall if im going to shell out a little bit alot of the sound i love comes out of one, Do you use any heads on top of the Marshalls or any of the fenders?

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Anything over 50 watts is wasted as it rarely gets used to its full potential. Many, many years ago, I was in the position where I could use a full-blown Marshall stack (100 watts) at full power on some gigs (you haven't lived until you've played through such a rig! - no master volume pots in those days -none of that stuff), but eventually had to reduce the wattage in later years to around 50 or so, using master volume heads to get a similar sound. I say similar, as you're not moving as much air with only one cabinet, and it is much less of a physical experience, sound wise.

Those were the days!

RB

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Anything over 50 watts is wasted as it rarely gets used to its full potential. Many, many years ago, I was in the position where I could use a full-blown Marshall stack (100 watts) at full power on some gigs (you haven't lived until you've played through such a rig! - no master volume pots in those days -none of that stuff), but eventually had to reduce the wattage in later years to around 50 or so, using master volume heads to get a similar sound. I say similar, as you're not moving as much air with only one cabinet, and it is much less of a physical experience, sound wise.

Those were the days!

RB

Alot of good points mentioned, I think ill keep my next purchase at around 50 watts. I think for my use in the studio and the stage it would suffice. I couldn't imagine playing through a marshall stack with 100 watts at full power that must be amazing. Master Volume does work wonders. I think my problem is i like getting that full chordal sound if that makes sense, alot of the ones iv played through sound muffled when playing chords on clean. I think i just need to find myself a nice blues deluxe fender or a smaller marshall. i onyl really use master volume and reverb the most so i mean im not that picky.

What type of guitars are you using through these amps? Right now id be playing with a Sig Series Eric Clapton American "blackie" Or my mexi strat. i just cant wait to record with the noiseless pick ups in Blackie, sucha nice clean Tone. But i starting to think a nice orange amp might do good as well. What are your thoughts on orange amps? iv been dying to own one for some time.

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During the days of the stack I used a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, then moved onto a Standard. All these guitars went straight into the front of the amp - no effects, just pure guitar. My main guitar theses days is an ES335, although I still have two (not the ones mentioned) Les Paul Standards that still see the light of day from time to time.

Funny, at the moment I'm on the lookout for a Les Paul Custom (two pickup), but not desperate!.

RB

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During the days of the stack I used a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, then moved onto a Standard. All these guitars went straight into the front of the amp - no effects, just pure guitar. My main guitar theses days is an ES335, although I still have two (not the ones mentioned) Les Paul Standards that still see the light of day from time to time.

Funny, at the moment I'm on the lookout for a Les Paul Custom (two pickup), but not desperate!.

RB

Urgh, I need / Want a nice les paul custom the necks on those things are my favorite on any guitar iv ever played. bigsby or no bigsby. And the fact you have a es335 makes me even more jellous iv been wanting to pick one of those up for the longest time, I hear the balance thoese things have are to die for. id probally pick one up in Cherry Red... huge clapton fan lol. Have you kept the es335 factory? or have you modded it? What year is it? and is it the dot inlayed one?

Back to amps? I just plug in straight into the face of the amp. Sometimes i use a cry baby but thats about it in terms of effects im a real fanatic for natural rigs or plug ins. i think it brings out the full spectrum of an instrument. Are you using the 50 watt fender deluxe to record or just to gig. im not really looking for which is loudest just the one that gives the vest tones... any insight into orange Amps?

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Re: ES335;

It took over 30 years before I found what I was looking for! The one I have is an early '60's reissue (skinny neck) cherry red dot inlay, and was built in 1989. It is still all original, as I don't want to mess with the sound charactistics. Get a good one, and these guitars are exceptional.

Re: Orange;

I had an Orange 100 watt head and 4x12 cabinet roughly around the same time as I climbed down from the Marshall stack, but didn't keep it long. Although good gear, it didn't suit me at the time. I have, however, recently considered the Orange Tiny Terror for recording purposes, as it's switchable between 7 and 15 watts. Although the clean sound is reportedly not as good as the Fender, it does sound nice when cranked-up.

RB

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Sounds like some fine product guys. I just purchased a Fender 60-Watt Supersonic last month and I love it's sound. The valve tube sound is my favorite and this amp sparkles. I've been playing it on the clean Bassman setting and boosting it with a Boss Overdrive pedal. I also have a Mesa Boogie 50 Calibre that I've tormented over the years and a 1982 Fender Super Champ that I will never relinquish.

I'm greatly attached to my 1972 Les Paul Standard and vary it up with a 1990 Fender Strat with Lace Sensor pick-ups and a 2003 Epiphone Sheraton that looks and plays beautifully.

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Re: ES335;

It took over 30 years before I found what I was looking for! The one I have is an early '60's reissue (skinny neck) cherry red dot inlay, and was built in 1989. It is still all original, as I don't want to mess with the sound charactistics. Get a good one, and these guitars are exceptional.

Re: Orange;

I had an Orange 100 watt head and 4x12 cabinet roughly around the same time as I climbed down from the Marshall stack, but didn't keep it long. Although good gear, it didn't suit me at the time. I have, however, recently considered the Orange Tiny Terror for recording purposes, as it's switchable between 7 and 15 watts. Although the clean sound is reportedly not as good as the Fender, it does sound nice when cranked-up.

RB

Yeah i saw those tiny ones (orange) they do look awesome for recording. Although the ones i saw were solid state.

RE the es335, The dot inlayed 89 sounds like a gem man, good find to bad it took you so long to find her haha. I was thinking about it and might start out with a fender 30 - 50 watt. i wont need much louder for a while ne ways. Most of the stuff i do right now is recording ne ways.

thanks for all the info though you have allow me to make the choice alot easier lol!

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Sounds like some fine product guys. I just purchased a Fender 60-Watt Supersonic last month and I love it's sound. The valve tube sound is my favorite and this amp sparkles. I've been playing it on the clean Bassman setting and boosting it with a Boss Overdrive pedal. I also have a Mesa Boogie 50 Calibre that I've tormented over the years and a 1982 Fender Super Champ that I will never relinquish.

I'm greatly attached to my 1972 Les Paul Standard and vary it up with a 1990 Fender Strat with Lace Sensor pick-ups and a 2003 Epiphone Sheraton that looks and plays beautifully.

Sounds like you have a really nice rig there. that 72 paul must be a gem to play aswell.

Im wondering about the lace sensor pick ups, what kinda tones due they produce?

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Sounds like you have a really nice rig there. that 72 paul must be a gem to play aswell.

Im wondering about the lace sensor pick ups, what kinda tones due they produce?

The Lace Sensors lessen feedback and reduce some of the high shrill sound associated with the Strat sound. Plus with the whammy bar it's a nice contrast to the thick and sustainy sound of the Les Paul. I have to admit it's hard to put down the Les Paul for very long. It sounds so good.

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lol yeah idimagine it being really hard to ut down. thoese pic up sounds awsome for a nice clear tone... iv been playing through noiseless one and have been loving them. But i might try a lace sensor one next change i get...

what is your strat like... maple, rosewood? which color?

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lol yeah idimagine it being really hard to ut down. thoese pic up sounds awsome for a nice clear tone... iv been playing through noiseless one and have been loving them. But i might try a lace sensor one next change i get...

what is your strat like... maple, rosewood? which color?

My Strat is American made. It has a Rosewood neck and is a cream -whitish color similar to Hendrix's guitar. I bought in 1990 for $700. I do a good amount of practicing on it as it's a bit more of a struggle to play than a Les Paul. But it really cuts through when necessary. I use it for a few songs in the band I'm with presently. If you've ever heard the songs Sleepwalk or People Get Ready, it's perfect for that sound.

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Nope no effects, just guitar -> amp.

Though I may need to get either 1) an attenuator or 2) good OD unit soon, early Marshalls didn't have master volumes so really, getting any break up at any volume lower than 4 is a bit of a challenge. And that's while using high output pickups, and turning it up to 10 in the house really makes me wonder about losing my hearing.

Though I may just end up installing a PPIMV or power scaling in that amp but right now I'm not quite ready to mess with the circuit just yet.

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lol right on, yeah man i hear ya bout turning up the volume in the house but 10! lol that pretty loud man haha

Im glad t hear you lug stright into the amp to iv been doing i for a while now and just useing the pre amp volume with the master on the guitar. im thinking of by passing the tone controlls of one of my strats so that its only controlled by the master volume. Might be a good idea i like fucking around with them any ways lol

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