Amps in the Stable

[DetroitBlues]

I've had a whirlwind of year with guitars and amps. I've never swapped, sold, modified, or otherwise parted and obtained so much gear in such a short amout of time.

 

I think I'm done for a while, hopefully, a long while.

 

The Marshal DSL40C is a great amp. I find I only use the clean/crunch channel really nails that vintage Marshall goodness. I don't care for the OD1/OD2 channels as they sound really compressed. The amps volume is perfect for bedroom and gigs. I like the effects loops and the ability to cut the wattage from 40 to 20. The digital Reverb is really lacking unless you use the clean channel. Mostly it sounds like a hint of delay than a reverb. But that's ok. I have the Mr. Black Deluxe Plus running through the effects loop. An interesting thing about this amp verses the older Haze 40 and other lower wattage Super leads is the power section is two EL-34's, not four EL-84's. I find this is an excellent amp, matches well with any guitar I have, particularily with the Les Paul.

 

The Peavey Valve King II Micro Head. This is a great verstile amp for anything I want to play. Its clean and overdrive channels are fantastic. The digital reverb is much better than my Marshall. The effects loop is great and I like the ability to line out to headphones or to an XLR interface. Not to mention I can switch between 1, 5, and 20 watts.

 

Finally, the Peavey Bandit 112 Redstripe USA model. This is the best analog solid-state amp I've ever heard. Both the clean channel and the overdrive channel sound great. Maybe its my lack of hearing great tones or maybe its truth, but the overdrive on the Peavey really does sound just like my Marshall. No one would of guessed that huh? Best amp investment I've ever made. Great for clean blues and for some classic rock. Reverb sounds great (since its a full sized USA made two-spring Accutronics tank), but only when it wants to work. Can't figure out why it does that. Doesn't matter though, it works great otherwise.

 

I've got some great stuff going on. Can't see a need for anything else...

 

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving... I'm very thankful for what I have.

[peterbright]

I need less but different ones. Plan to dump at least one and buy one in 2015.

[duhvoodooman]

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving... I'm very thankful for what I have.

 

Same sentiment here! It's been a great gear year for me, as well. In addition to my first Heritage guitar, an H555 I bought from MartyGrass, I snagged a beautiful PRS Studio when GC was blowing out a lot of high-end PRS stock at huge discounts, and I also managed to cop a sweet Mojave Coyote amp head off Reverb.com. Wonder what 2015 holds?

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

[peterbright]

I predict many of us will buy all sorts of new gear.

[Thundersteel]

I completely understand. I went on an amp buying spree a few years ago, and bought a Carr Mercury, Swart STR, and Mesa LSS all within a few months. They sounded great, were built very well, but eventually realized I didn't need all of them. I recently sold them all, and am content with the two I have left (Marshall DSL50 for when the wife isn't home, and a Peavey Vypyr 30 for when she is).

[rockabilly69]

I haven't touched some really nice amps of mine since I got my Victoria. But I went on a spree myself, because sometimes you just have to do that to find

what you really like, and what works for you in gigging and recording situations. You just can't get a feel for that in an in-store demonstration, or reading specs

from an internet page, or listening to you tube clips. And, I for one, believe it's better to have more good amps. I think there's more tonal diversity that way,

but it gets to the point where amps take up a lot of real estate in my very small equipment storage area. Long story short, I need to sell some amps:)

[gpuma]

Well, I sold my smallest amp, the bugera V5 and I am left with two "Italian" amps (in the sense I brought them over from Italy): a Marshall lead 12 and a Marshall mosfet twin plus 3 "American" amps: a micro cube for studying/practicing, a mesa 5:25 and a mesa mark v for gigging. Can't imagine getting anything else

[Blunote]

If we're going to have an amp brag, I may as well jump in too.

1. Chicago Blues Box Kingston 18 purchased from Brent is a great grab'n go. It has some really sweet modern Fender tones and takes pedals well
2. KBP 810 Reverb Deluxe purchased from DB a few years back. Blackface DR all the way. Great cleans, and coupled with my Alex Attenuator, provides some great distorted tones at easy listening volume levels
3. Little Lanilei purchased from Mahaffay Amplification. Mostly Marshall without much headroom. 1/2 watt tube output into solid state 3rd stage on board amp allowing clean or distorted tones from .5 watt to 33 watts. Can play at bedroom levels or drive a 4X4 at on-stage volume.
4. Schertler Jam150 Acoustic Amp provides accurate amplification up to 150 SS watts with onboard reverb and delay across 4 channels with phantom power for mic.
5. Guytron GT100 FV. Definitely not grab n go. Basically, three onboard amps with the third being a final power stage for the other two. Like the Mahaffay amp, it can model the tone you want in either of two channels and scale up the tone using the final EL-34 power section. Additional focus and voicing switches allow the amp to assume any of 16 different personalities. If you don't mind carrying it, this thing will handle small rooms, or hold it's own with any plexi.
6. Marshall AS50R- Acoustic amp offered locally for sale.

My amplifier needs are pretty much met. If anything, I should think about parting with either the KBP810 RD or the CBB Kingston as they are quite similar.

[212Mavguy]

Started up my list, then thought better of it. Home security risk. Same for Heritage guitars.

[smaj]

Two amps, a 1966 Vibrolux Reverb, a Mesa Lonestar Special. Joe's Music in Eastpointe,Mi. has a Heritage Revolution head and cab. Going down monday to take a look see.

[pegleg32]

You can see my amps in my signature - pretty happy with this stable:

[Trouble]

66 Super Reverb

76 0r 77 Vibro Champ

KBP 5e3 head

Carvin V3M

Peavey Valveking 112

[HANGAR18]

I've had a staggering amount of change this year in my guitar and amp accommodations but I predict that next year I will see little to no change at all from where I am right now.

[samwheat]

A great bedroom amp is a Univox U45 with a 6AQ5 5W power tube with my modified circuit that ditches the trem. I can build a head version for half the cost of what they want on ebay. Building amps is a great hobby and they sound so much better than the ones in the store.

[DetroitBlues]

If we're going to have an amp brag, I may as well jump in too.

1. Chicago Blues Box Kingston 18 purchased from Brent is a great grab'n go. It has some really sweet modern Fender tones and takes pedals well
2. KBP 810 Reverb Deluxe purchased from DB a few years back. Blackface DR all the way. Great cleans, and coupled with my Alex Attenuator, provides some great distorted tones at easy listening volume levels
3. Little Lanilei purchased from Mahaffay Amplification. Mostly Marshall without much headroom. 1/2 watt tube output into solid state 3rd stage on board amp allowing clean or distorted tones from .5 watt to 33 watts. Can play at bedroom levels or drive a 4X4 at on-stage volume.
4. Schertler Jam150 Acoustic Amp provides accurate amplification up to 150 SS watts with onboard reverb and delay across 4 channels with phantom power for mic.
5. Guytron GT100 FV. Definitely not grab n go. Basically, three onboard amps with the third being a final power stage for the other two. Like the Mahaffay amp, it can model the tone you want in either of two channels and scale up the tone using the final EL-34 power section. Additional focus and voicing switches allow the amp to assume any of 16 different personalities. If you don't mind carrying it, this thing will handle small rooms, or hold it's own with any plexi.
6. Marshall AS50R- Acoustic amp offered locally for sale.

My amplifier needs are pretty much met. If anything, I should think about parting with either the KBP810 RD or the CBB Kingston as they are quite similar.

 

I liked the CBB over the KBP...

 

But then again, seeing as how the VP is such a VIP, shouldn't we keep the PC on the QT? 'Cause if it leaks to the VC he could end up MIA, and then we'd all be put on KP.

[Blunote]

Not sure I figured out that post DB.

 

Did you at one point own the CBB?

[DetroitBlues]

Not sure I figured out that post DB.

 

Did you at one point own the CBB?

 

No, Brent had it and I used it at PSP a couple years ago. I never owned it. I really wanted to, but its an expensive amp. The last bit was a quote from "Good Morning Vietnam"

[kbp810]

Not sure I figured out that post DB.

 

Did you at one point own the CBB?

I think he's saying he liked the CBB over the KBP, when talking about OPP

[DetroitBlues]

I think he's saying he liked the CBB over the KBP, when talking about OPP

 

Ya, you know me!

[CJTopes]

Think I'm set for a while... The Carvin and the 2x12 bottom may be going soon...

[AP515]

I rolled through a number of amps and finally settled down on a few last year.

 

Brugera V5 - nice little amp for carrying to music lessons and playing in the bedroom (won't do high gain).

 

Peavey Bandit 112 - DB already spoke about this one...

 

Fender HRD - Great workhorse 40W 6L6 amp.

 

Mesa Lone Star Classic - lush warm tone, maybe the best I've heard (but won't do loud, high gain)

 

Mesa Single Recto-Verb - there's your gain...

 

PRS SE50 - Marshall tone with a modern feel - great amp

 

I could see selling a few this year. Not thinking of picking up anything.

[JackBaruth]

No sense in listing all of them but my highlights are:

 

* '65 Gibson GA-5T - my first amplifier, a gift from a neighbor whose son didn't return from Vietnam. Had it recapped and grounded a few years ago.

 

* Heritage Patriot - for obvious reasons

 

* Heritage Victory - for obvious reasons

 

* Heritage KB - with the tooled leather covering. The only one I've seen like it

 

* MESA Mark V Bubinga

 

* MESA Maverick 2x12 hardwood/wicker

 

* Two-Rock combo

 

* Phil X Evil Robot limited ed

 

* Gibson GA-40RVT - got this from Brent but have never played it

 

* Marshall Bluesbreaker - has to be cranked which means I have to wear earplugs

 

* The entire Roland VGA series for my VG enabled guitars

 

* A bunch of Crate and Ampeg combos since I collect SLM stuff

 

* A variety of boutique one-offs by local builders including the first-ever TubeAmpFactory (http://www.tubeampfactory.com/) build

 

* and other various Fender reissue stuff/randomness

[MartyGrass]

I ordered a couple of these amp stands. I'm sick of bending over to see the knobs. If the design works okay, I'll get one more.

 

Henriksen 112, KBP810 Reverb Deluxe, Evans JE200, Heritage Patriot, Roland Microcube, Fender Frontman (not in order of importance necessarily!)

 

FedEx is due with the delivery tomorrow.

 

 

[CJTopes]

I like the tilt back amp stands. I can point the amp right at my head so I can hear myself without blasting the audience.

[Horace]

Very pleased to report that the only gear I bought in 2014 was a two -tiered keyboard stand to replace a broken one. I keep my Rivera R100, Rickenbacker 650 Dakota, Kurzweil PC2X and Hammond XK2 in the practice studio along with my Motion Sound rotary amp for the organ and a Roland KC500 for the PC2X. At home I have my completely luscious H-555, and my Gibson GA40-RVT along with another Kurzweil PC2x and Roland KC500. My old Gibson Dove travels with me when I need it. I guess the Peavey PA at the practice studio is mine too. I'm a lucky guy. Hope my luck holds out as I lost my job recently. Here's to a good economy in 2015.

 

Horace