Is this pursuit of my perfect amp pointless?

[yavuz]

That is all very true. I think my biggest problem has been just that: finding myself. I believe I am as close now as I have ever been. I know the 575 I have is part of the equation. That guitar is just me. Now... I am trying to find that amp. I LOVE the tone I get from the Cube particularly in the JC setting. I am really hoping that the Starlite I am having built is about right.

Now, you're a few steps ahead of a lot of players. If y ou're decided on your main axe, you probably have decided on your most effective eq which is your pick.

You probably are set on your strings as well ( brand, gauge... ).

The amps you have and you have on order ar nice.

Keep playing them and when you have the cash, get what excites you.

After a while it may surprise you to see that you sound the same thru a radial D.I. box

 

P.S. Back to checking out Eventide Space videos ( Oh no... I have to buy something else :) )

[barrymclark]

Now, you're a few steps ahead of a lot of players. If y ou're decided on your main axe, you probably have decided on your most effective eq which is your pick.

You probably are set on your strings as well ( brand, gauge... ).

The amps you have and you have on order ar nice.

Keep playing them and when you have the cash, get what excites you.

After a while it may surprise you to see that you sound the same thru a radial D.I. box

 

P.S. Back to checking out Eventide Space videos ( Oh no... I have to buy something else :) )

The amp is indeed the last part of the puzzle.

 

Strings: D'Addario EJ21

Pick: Dunlop 3.0 Gator Grips

EQ: I try to approximate the acoustic sound of the guitar with the amp as much as possible.

Guitar: Heritage H575 with Seth Lover pickups

Amp: ?

[yavuz]

Strings: D'Addario EJ21

 

We use the same strings except I use Thomastik BB112 when I want to use an unwound G for my Guild Bluesbird.

But my H575 always have EJ21

 

Pick: Dunlop 3.0 Gator Grips

 

I use Fender mediums since I hold the pick angled when engaging strings so it sounds a bit more like my thumb.

This also gives Jim Hall kind of acoustic comping sound.

I played with really thick picks for years.

They sound great for single line soloing but not that good for swing-strumming/comping...

 

EQ: I try to approximate the acoustic sound of the guitar with the amp as much as possible.

Guitar: Heritage H575 with Seth Lover pickups

Amp: ?

Check out my Evans JE200 with my H575, it is very close to acoustic sound of my H575 with added some fatnessç

You might like it.

[barrymclark]

 

We use the same strings except I use Thomastik BB112 when I want to use an unwound G for my Guild Bluesbird.

But my H575 always have EJ21

 

 

 

I use Fender mediums since I hold the pick angled when engaging strings so it sounds a bit more like my thumb.

This also gives Jim Hall kind of acoustic comping sound.

I played with really thick picks for years.

They sound great for single line soloing but not that good for swing-strumming/comping...

 

 

Check out my Evans JE200 with my H575, it is very close to acoustic sound of my H575 with added some fatnessç

You might like it.

I will definitely check it out when I get home. Not a cheap amp! haha.

 

Sound wise, I believe I am going for that late 40's to early 50's era swing sound. It was clean but had a bit of break up when you leaned into it a bit. That is the driving force behind having my Starlite amp designed the way it was.

[barrymclark]

I guess... people wise... think Danny Cedrone (Rock Around the Clock) and Hank Garland (Rockin Around the Christmas Tree). Both played through Gibson amps. Those things just have a sound to them... that I haven't heard out of any amps at all OTHER than Gibsons.

[barrymclark]

I guess... people wise... think Danny Cedrone (Rock Around the Clock) and Hank Garland (Rockin Around the Christmas Tree). Both played through Gibson amps. Those things just have a sound to them... that I haven't heard out of any amps at all OTHER than Gibsons.

...and his work on Jingle Bell Rock.

[bolero]

ha, this is a good thread

 

it seems we are forever on a quest for that mythical piece of gear....but once you get it you realize your playing is more important

 

I can get a decent sound out of pretty much anything, if I have to

 

but I have to admit, there is an extra element of mojo invoilved when you fire up a 50 year old tube amp, feel the heat from the tubes seep through the control panel & top of the amp, see the glow off the back wall change dpending how hard you hit the tubes, and smell the burning dust & old tolex...

 

I see that as a tangible factor that inspires you to play differently...or even more often, than if you had a less remarkable amp

 

ie: if you just want to get drunk why bother drinking good wine? it's the journey

[yoslate]

The pursuit is not at all pointless, but it does have characteristics which make it seem very much like a mobius strip....

[pegleg32]

The pursuit is not at all pointless, but it does have characteristics which make it seem very much like a mobius strip....

 

According to Widipedia: The Euler characteristic of the Möbius strip is zero. That pretty well describes my sound.

[bolero]

I'm a fan of the Klein Bottle myself...at least it will hold beer!!

 

 

http://en.wikipedia....ki/Klein_bottle

 

 

 

..actually it has no boundary...so it will hold infinite beer!!

[wdelaney72]

I love the journey....to me, finding the guitar was the easy part, as it's tangible Your fingers let you know immediately as to what feels good and comfortable.

 

The amp journey is a labor of love for me....I know what I like, but it varies and I spend my journey trying to take the best of 2 or 3 circuits and combining them into 1 workable amp. Then again, best amp tone is a much different conversation than a versatile amp used for playing out.

[barrymclark]

The best I have heard my 575 was through a Gibby GA40RVT for what I want to hear.

 

The Starlite, since it is based on a much, MUCH older Gibson amp, well... I may just have to get another Heritage to match it!

[DetroitBlues]

I can offer this explanation.....

 

When I played many different amps at PSP, for better or worse, I sounded like me. I know that my fingers will yield a DARKER tone. Not necessarily a bad thing, but from my hands, through any guitar, through any amp, my tone will be darker than others playing through the same guitar & amp.

 

This is often a little disheartening because when I try a new amp..... I sound like me, again!!!

 

.

 

I agree with you on that. No matter what amp I use, it still sounds like me. Guess I can't hide that fact for better or worse.

[JeffB]

wdelaney, agree.

The biggest problem about the journey is there are so many great sounding amps. I cant settle on one. Theres not a holy grail amp for me. I like how they all react and sound different and make me play a little differently.

I want a JCM800 because they are so cool.....yes cool. A vox AC30 has a thing going on as does a ac15 and I want those things. A big loud clean fender yanks my chain indescribably as does some of the sounds in a Mesa MK5 and even the Mesa Roadster. Then theres the little JTM45 30w head, probably the coolest amp ever for me. Need a wee 22watt fender and a Bad Cat hot cat.

I could have one guitar and 10 amps....make that two guitars.....no, four. Four guitars and 12 different amps. But then I want one amp that does it all. So a strat, an H150, a 535 and a tele type guitar and 15 amps. Also speaker cabs need a few of those.

But none of it is realistic or necessary. I just cant see finding one amp as a do all. I dont just like playing one style of music even in my personal time.

[yavuz]

I will definitely check it out when I get home.

 

Did you get chance to check out the links?

How does Evans Sound?

[barrymclark]

Did you get chance to check out the links? How does Evans Sound?

I did! Great tone for sure! I'd have to hear it with me playing through it as the way you play is quite different than me.

[yavuz]

I did! Great tone for sure! I'd have to hear it with me playing through it as the way you play is quite different than me.

 

Yes, of course. You might just have a ballpark idea.

I do not know where you can your hands on one of those.

Evans owner Scott Buffington is a great guy.

You can call him up and mention my name.

I am sure he will help a lot.

He might just tell you where you can hear one.

[barrymclark]

 

Yes, of course. You might just have a ballpark idea.

I do not know where you can your hands on one of those.

Evans owner Scott Buffington is a great guy.

You can call him up and mention my name.

I am sure he will help a lot.

He might just tell you where you can hear one.

First... I'd need to come with the money necessary to even talk about getting an Evans. For a $1400 USD amp...I'd need to save up about $1400 USD. haha.

[wdelaney72]

wdelaney, agree.

The biggest problem about the journey is there are so many great sounding amps. I cant settle on one. Theres not a holy grail amp for me. I like how they all react and sound different and make me play a little differently.

I want a JCM800 because they are so cool.....yes cool. A vox AC30 has a thing going on as does a ac15 and I want those things. A big loud clean fender yanks my chain indescribably as does some of the sounds in a Mesa MK5 and even the Mesa Roadster. Then theres the little JTM45 30w head, probably the coolest amp ever for me. Need a wee 22watt fender and a Bad Cat hot cat.

I could have one guitar and 10 amps....make that two guitars.....no, four. Four guitars and 12 different amps. But then I want one amp that does it all. So a strat, an H150, a 535 and a tele type guitar and 15 amps. Also speaker cabs need a few of those.

But none of it is realistic or necessary. I just cant see finding one amp as a do all. I dont just like playing one style of music even in my personal time.

 

So true....JCM800 is great, so is the old Plexi-superlead. Yet, both are one channel. I have 3 seperate Marshall replicas that do 3 completely different thnigs, but not on the fly, so if I use them to play live, there's always a compromise.

 

I had one bukld that that was 2 footswitchable channels...one plexi (non-master volume) and the other a hot-rodded JCM800, but ripped it apart as there were some noise concerns. I'm 90% done with the rebuild and I think I've got it...

 

It all comes back to loving the journey and having a little patience....

[blackjack]

Has anyone tried the Bose instrument amplification systems, in the search for transparent audio? I have not, but it appears they're available at the big-box (and please post a picture of someone playing a jazz guitar through a Bose, standing in a sea of finger-tapping metal players). They won't have the wattage of a standard jazz amp, which might affect their popularity.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Bose-L1-Model-1-Personal-Amplification-System-600157-i1320975.gc

 

I can't let the earlier mention of Leonhard Euler go...this guy pretty much invented trigonometry (no trig, no amps), put calculus to good use very early on, and he made up the curvy symbol used for the integral. He and his wife had 13 children, then after he went blind, he derived and dictated his second treatise on lunar motion from memory. He's the Les Paul of mathematics.

[barrymclark]

Has anyone tried the Bose instrument amplification systems, in the search for transparent audio? I have not, but it appears they're available at the big-box (and please post a picture of someone playing a jazz guitar through a Bose, standing in a sea of finger-tapping metal players).

That is pretty well my trip to any Guitar Center. haha. I pickup whatever low handing hollow is available and, although not a bose, I play jazz standards, oldies rock and so on. haha. What is even more fun when you dial up a good useful tone on an amp CLEARLY not marketed for such music. What is my favorite is... when you start playing jazz standards... everyone in ear shot turns down what they are playing unless they are seriously giving an amp a test drive for purchase. Those there just noodling... they either turn it down or off.

They won't have the wattage of a standard jazz amp, which might affect their popularity.

http://www.guitarcen...157-i1320975.gc

I don't know... 250w per speaker? I'd say that's plenty!

[Gitfiddler]

In a seemingly never ending pursuit of tone, I've tried dozens of amps. The ones that I liked (and could afford) followed me home.

 

After many years chasing my Holy Grail of amps, I discovered something. I sound pretty much the same through most amps, just bigger or smaller, depending on the cab. I look for my preferred tone, set up the EQ for my tone (mostly clean and maybe a bit of dirt), and out comes the sound...MY sound. The differences are subtle, but just enough to seduce me into making yet one more amp purchase.

 

Bottom line is that I think we like amps for tone, but also for other reasons. I dig some of the technical stuff like channel switching, pentode, triode, soak, etc., and especially a nice lush reverb. Another reason (justification?) to check out an amp is how it looks, its weight, practicality and vibe.

 

I can safely say (today) that I'm very happy with the amps the warm my humble music room these days. But I can't help but wonder what a Victoria Double Deluxe would sound like?

 

It never ends!! So enjoy the process.

[barrymclark]

For me, I really want that one amp that I always play. The Cube... it is SO close. I could, honestly, continue to be content. However, there is just that smidge off center to it.. that I want to fix.

 

This is where something like the cube falls down. It is what it is... if you don't care for something that is a touch off, you can't just replace caps or tubes.

 

I have found my guitar, picks and strings. The amp really is the last in the line. I have good cables (had them for more than a decade now) that really wish wasn't the brand they are (hey, I got them free when I worked at a music store. I just don't care for how they conduct themselves).

[the jayce]

I think amps are just like guitars. There isnt just one that does it all. Most guitarist have at least 2-3 different guitars for different applications. Amps are no exceptions to this rule.

[barrymclark]

I think amps are just like guitars. There isnt just one that does it all. Most guitarist have at least 2-3 different guitars for different applications. Amps are no exceptions to this rule.

But mine DOES.

 

I can't think of anything I want to play that it doesn't do very, very well. High gain-check. Classic rock-check. Jazz-check. Early rock and Rockabilly-check.

 

Where this amp falls down and, this is where most people are hung up with it, is it doesn't look the part and there aren't any tubes... so... no mojo: that intangible value that really has nothing to do with the sound... but with how the user imagines it sounding.