Different amps for different guitars

[JeffB]

The topic of this thread sort of ties a lot of things together that Im not sure about but am interested in.

I know things dont only have to be either-or. Is it really the amp/guitar combo that is right or wrong or is it just what you want to hear?

Listening to a lot of guitar players one thing Ive noticed is a guy who is a strat player through and through will pull great strat sounds out of any amp that a 335 player has just pulled great 335 sounds out of.

Im not sure there are universally good guitar and amp combinations just individual preference.

[koula901]

 

I don't play any C&W, but I still have a Tele. It's one of the most versatile guitars I own, comfortable as heck, and came in a really nice case.

 

There are also plenty of tele clones from the 80's and 90s that would be fine. Hamer USA made some, Peavey USA made some, G&L has made a ton, etc.

 

+1 on tele love - I can get so many sounds out of it, and for me, the most comfortable neck, as I grew up playing it. And the great thing is, these days you can get a g&l with a wider radius.

[iim7v7im7]

For me, it not only depends on the guitar/pick-up combo but the genre of music that I am playing. I have three amps (2-tube, 1-solid state) and I use them all a bit differently.

 

Acoustic Image Clarus 2R Series III: This solid state head only gets used with my Archtop playing jazz. It is not flexible, but it provides a clarity and immediacy to pick attack that none of my tube amps provides. So playing solo chord melody, his amp kills.

 

Lil' Dawg D-Lux: This is a 5E3 clone that works best for overdriven classic rock and blues using a Strat or Tele. I did install a humbucker mod with a toggle switch to deal with the farty bass using my H-535 but as others have said, its best with single coils in my opinion. I need to use this in conjunction with an attenuator, because it likes to sing when LOUD.

 

Redplate Blackverb Combo: I can't say enough good things about this amp. It is so damn flexible. I can get straight ahead Fender cleans to Dumble, Pre-amp saturated overdriven tones. The flexibility does come with a price of control complexity and tweak exploration. I can play any style, with any type of guitar. If I had to sell my others, I would be fine using just this amp.

 

So some amps are more flexible than others, but the price is complexity of learning how to use it. It really also depends on the diversity of your musical genres/styles which goes beyond the type of guitar pick-up combination that you play.