The Ultimate Guitar Amp - Page 12

Tcoov03 · #**331** 07-18-2010, 09:45 PM

I really like the Fender Super Champ. Great sounding, cheap tube amp.

Silentwiz · #**332** 07-19-2010, 01:24 PM

I've played a number of Polytone amps, Fender amps and Carvin amps. More recently, I acquired an Ibanez Promethean Combo. This is HANDS DOWN the best bass/guitar amp that I have ever owned. It is 28 lbs with the 10" combo, the head is detachable, it pushes 500 watts when an extension cab is added and it doubles PERFECTLY as a bass or guitar amp. It's truly a remarkable piece of equipment. I can't imagine finding a better combination at any price.

CliveR · #**333** 09-01-2010, 11:23 AM

I had some problems with my Tomkat but they were fixed.

I love this amp. Just upgraded to a Phatkat.

Perfect jazz tone (click the tube button to get an edge to the sound), enough clean volume for any gig and easy to carry.

BigDaddyLoveHandles · #**334** 09-01-2010, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CliveR

I had some problems with my Tomkat but they were fixed.

I love this amp. Just upgraded to a Phatkat.

Perfect jazz tone (click the tube button to get an edge to the sound), enough clean volume for any gig and easy to carry.

Have you taken a look at the new TomKat (with the tweeter and 5 band EQ)?

rwfthesr · #**335** 01-15-2011, 04:37 AM

I've had this amp for a week and can comfortably leave my "The Twin" behind. I have to 40XL also but the Deluxe CMOS that is provided on the 80XL has given me a comfortable feel with my Gibson 345, 125 and Hagstrom HJ-60 on a jazz gig. Not missing the tube sound at all. I've tried a few amps and this 35 lb amp has won me over. The last couple nights I used my ES-335s and even my Strat without a lot of frustrations. Those have GK pickups.

This one is worth the try! Especially for the $350 I paid for it.

RF

shartom · #**336** 03-26-2011, 10:06 AM

Not sure if there is a perfect amp out there, as there is a perfect guitar either.
I think the "jazz sound" is a personal thing. I've found that regardless of the guitar/amp combination I use, I'm always focusing on a certain sound.
I have a friend who has an old Gibson jazz box. When we jam, I sometimes use my 65 Tele, with the highs rolled off. He is always asking me how I get "that" sound? It's not the guitar making that sound, it is me.
I often see questions posted on other guitar web sites such as "What kind of pickups will let me sound like Jeff Beck, or Kenny Burrell. The same applies to amp settings.
No two people have the same signature and that applies to music also.
Remember to "Keep Your Pick On The Ice"

fumblefingers · #**337** 03-26-2011, 10:38 AM

for straight ahead playing on hand-carved archtops, what about these choices?:

1. Fender twin - hand wired version, or
2. Mesa Boogie Lone Star, or
3. AI head with Buscarino Chameleon speaker.

The first two are expensive, heavy tube amps. The latter is an expensive versatille non-tube set up that can also accomodate acoustic and nylon string guitars (obviously).

outatune13 · #**338** 03-26-2011, 10:54 AM

thanks, good ideas on the amps.

outatune13 · #**339** 03-26-2011, 10:56 AM

has anyone tried the d'angelico archtops? from what i've heard on youtube, they sound ok but i wonder if the guys on youtube are using roundwounds? i think they would sound better with flatwound, anyone with any experience with these?

fumblefingers · #**340** 03-26-2011, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outatune13

has anyone tried the d'angelico archtops? from what i've heard on youtube, they sound ok but i wonder if the guys on youtube are using roundwounds? i think they would sound better with flatwound, anyone with any experience with these?

please start another thread with that. it has great thread potential, but its not about amps.

HotClubBrampton · #**341** 03-26-2011, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fumblefingers

for straight ahead playing on hand-carved archtops, what about these choices?:

1. Fender twin - hand wired version, or
2. Mesa Boogie Lone Star, or
3. AI head with Buscarino Chameleon speaker.

4. ZT Lunchbox

I am pairing it with my solid wood, hand carved archtop and the sound is pure, rich and focused. Plenty of lows, mids and highs.

I've had the henriksen jazz amp, polytone mega brute, cubes micro, 15, 30 & 60 and i can say that the little lunchbox sounds great for jazz

rwfthesr · #**342** 03-26-2011, 11:48 AM

The sound is in each individuals mind! That is the real answer. I strive to sound like I want to sound on stage or in smaller settings. I also use synths to break the monotony. YOU decide how you want to sound. Admire others but get the sound in your head. I don't consider myself the greatest but if you go to youtube and do a search for rwfthesr you can hear samples of what I sometimes do.

rwfthesr · #**343** 03-26-2011, 11:49 AM

I love my Twin but the Roland 80XL is 50 lbs lighter

82Benedetto · #**344** 03-26-2011, 12:15 PM

I just have to plug my Blackface '65 Twin Reverb Reissue again. I love the tone of that amp a little bit more every time I play it....and it took me a while to truly appreciate it. If I didn't hang on to that thing I'd be sincerely upset.

That being said, you can find a few small boutique builders or a shop like Ceriatone amps that will make you handwired, point to point clones of it for about the same price as the reissue.

Also, don't be afraid to change out the speaker. It can make a huge difference on your tone (more than the tubes, in my opinion....though I did throw in some JJ6L6 GC's.

)

rwfthesr · #**345** 03-26-2011, 01:00 PM

I have The Twin and any guitar I plug into it has the sound that I like. I'll never get rid of it but at this point in life I carry something lighter

82Benedetto · #**346** 03-26-2011, 01:05 PM

I cheated and put mine on casters

Tom Karol · #**347** 03-26-2011, 01:17 PM

The 3 best (out of about 25) I've owned:
1) '68 Silverface non-Master Volume Fender Twin Reverb with EV SRO speakers - weighed 85 lbs.
2) '94 Rivera R55-12 with Weber California Speaker - 47 lbs.
3) '09 Henriksen JazzAmp 112 - 32 lbs.

82Benedetto · #**348** 03-26-2011, 01:29 PM

I really dig Weber's speakers...they glisten. Been toying with WGS, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

The 3 best (out of about 25) I've owned:
1) '68 Silverface non-Master Volume Fender Twin Reverb with EV SRO speakers - weighed 85 lbs.
2) '94 Rivera R55-12 with Weber California Speaker - 47 lbs.
3) '09 Henriksen JazzAmp 112 - 32 lbs.

rwfthesr · #**349** 03-26-2011, 05:08 PM

You still have to put it in and out of the trunk, lift over curbs (mine has castors also) and up on some stages

fumblefingers · #**350** 03-26-2011, 06:48 PM

for tube amps - nobody likes the mesa boogie lone star? maybe not enough have tried it?

Bushwackbob · #**351** 03-28-2011, 11:15 AM

I use a Lone Star Special and it's great, 5-15-30 watts with one 12". The 5 watt setting is so good it's made me wish they just made a 5 watt (or a 1-3-5).

bananafist · #**352** 03-28-2011, 01:53 PM

I like my Lindy Fralin amp for electric blues, country or for the sorta jazzy stuff I do, as much, or possibly more than my DR or tweed deluxe clone. For an 'acoustic' sound, I use an Aphex Xciter as a preamp or go direct into the pa. I've got a micro-cube and hate it!

Uyasgali · #**353** 03-28-2011, 10:09 PM

My ultimate Jazz amp is my Fender Twin Reverb Reissue. It is super clean and only breaks up at very high volume which I don't use. I do use a little reverb and sometimes "vibrato" to help fill the room up. Other than that I use my guitars and me.

The twin does well for country, rock, blues or anything else for that matter.

jefchan · #**354** 04-02-2011, 01:38 PM

Any suggestions for nylon string acoustic/electric amplification?

jzucker · #**355** 04-03-2011, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gareth

From all the amplifiers that I have owned, I like my Roland Jazz Chorus-120 the most. It has a beautiful reverb and very usable chorus. The distortion sucks big time though.

very hissy. That's a deal breaker IMO

jzucker · #**356** 04-03-2011, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotClubBrampton

4. ZT Lunchbox

I am pairing it with my solid wood, hand carved archtop and the sound is pure, rich and focused. Plenty of lows, mids and highs.

I've had the henriksen jazz amp, polytone mega brute, cubes micro, 15, 30 & 60 and i can say that the little lunchbox sounds great for jazz

don't like the lunchbox at all. Shrill sounding and very little headroom. About as loud as a fender princeton reverb

jzucker · #**357** 04-04-2011, 09:36 PM

i've been using 3 different amps.

Gries 35 112 - Extremely loud 35 watts. I've used it for lots of playing situations. it's got enough headroom for most small group stuff. Not quite enough for organ trio or loud horns.
Henriksen jazzamp - Great amp but a little dark sounding. I use a barber barbeq with mine to give it some tube brightness
Markbass LMII bass amp. This amp weighs 5 or 6lbs and has over 500 watts. Ridiculous amounts of volume. I use the barber with it to give it more guitaristic tone controls. Raezer's edge or openback 112

I'd like to try the Evans someday...

Franz 1997 · #**358** 04-05-2011, 03:36 PM

I have a couple of Evans...a newer 5lb digital head and an older AE100 with a 12" deltalite speaker. These amps have unusual tone controls, including one called depth which fattens the top E string right up - a really good idea. They are not ''intuitive'' controls, but once you get the hang of them anything else seems quite limited and inflexible. Evans amps sound great with anything from an archtop to a tele. Funnily enough the digital head is the warmer of the two. I think they are great, although they are expensive and difficult to service outside the US. However I know some people find the evans tone controls difficult - it's not a ''plug straight in'' amp like the (eg) jazzamp.

82Benedetto · #**359** 04-05-2011, 05:22 PM

Any love for the Ceriatone clones? If I recall, I think it was you that demoed their Dumble clone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzucker

i've been using 3 different amps.

Gries 35 112 - Extremely loud 35 watts. I've used it for lots of playing situations. it's got enough headroom for most small group stuff. Not quite enough for organ trio or loud horns.
Henriksen jazzamp - Great amp but a little dark sounding. I use a barber barbeq with mine to give it some tube brightness
Markbass LMII bass amp. This amp weighs 5 or 6lbs and has over 500 watts. Ridiculous amounts of volume. I use the barber with it to give it more guitaristic tone controls. Raezer's edge or openback 112

I'd like to try the Evans someday...

Klatu · #**360** 04-06-2011, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franz 1997

I have a couple of Evans...a newer 5lb digital head and an older AE100 with a 12" deltalite speaker. These amps have unusual tone controls, including one called depth which fattens the top E string right up - a really good idea. They are not ''intuitive'' controls, but once you get the hang of them anything else seems quite limited and inflexible. Evans amps sound great with anything from an archtop to a tele. Funnily enough the digital head is the warmer of the two. I think they are great, although they are expensive and difficult to service outside the US. However I know some people find the evans tone controls difficult - it's not a ''plug straight in'' amp like the (eg) jazzamp.

I agree that the Evans is one the holy grails for jazz guitar. I've got an Acoustic Image Clarus, an Evans Eighty (120 watt version), and a Fender Super Reverb, and I would put the Evans on top of the pile along with the Super Reverb. While the Acoustic Image is incredible, it is half a notch below the sound quality and versatility of the Evans.

Not only does Evans produce a fine clean sound, but their build quality is superb. If the Evans, Clarus, and Super Reverb fell out of the back of a truck, I'd put my money on the Evans surviving over the other two.