Best Tube Guitar Amp For Bebop

Posativek · 04-10-2011, 06:03 AM

Hey I just thought,,,,Ive spent ages trying to get the useless metal freaks over at 'The gear page' to give me some ideas of a good valve amp around 30w/50w that will do jazz,,I should have checked here,,,,

I just cant find a tube amp that sounds better than my cube,,,,
They just dont sound round and mellow,,,theres always a problem,,,
The thing is, I want one so I can also do Fusion/blues/rock/funk for my tele...
Maybe I could just run good pedals in front of the roland but it seems a bit weird!!!
I want the dynamic response and break up you get with tubes,,,,
My cube is responsive and Dig's in but doesnt break up....

So yeh can anyone suggest a good tube amp that does goo BE-BOP sound,,,

Pref 30/50w a single 12'' speaker but deosnt have to be....

Many Thanks

**kris** · 04-10-2011, 06:12 AM

Peavey Classuic 30-great amp for jazz hollow-body guitar.
Kris

Posativek · 04-10-2011, 06:22 AM

Hmmm
Yes I have heard this,,,
However as many people say yay!! just as many say nay!!
I would think that the Memphis Delta Blues is a good one but there a pain in the ass and has a 15'' speaker,,I would prefer a 12....
I will check one out,,,

**mambosun** · 04-10-2011, 06:56 AM

I recently tested the H&K edition tube 25th anniverary with very good result, but it's only 20w.
You'll have to give a try to an SS amp that sounds like tubes amp, the Tech 21 TM60 (60w)

**jzucker** · 04-10-2011, 08:47 AM

best amp I've heard in years is the Gries 35. Blows away the cork sniffer amps that are heralded on TGP. The only negative is that for really loud gigs it doesn't have enough headroom for wes-style block chords but for 95% of the gigs I've been doing it's fantastic.

and when I say loud I'm talking about REALLY loud gigs, not your typical jazz quintet gig. It's got way more headroom than my 80 watt SS peavey bandit

Posativek · 04-10-2011, 10:58 AM

Cool ok gonna check it out,,thanks guys

Will get back to you

**Tom Karol** · 04-10-2011, 12:44 PM

I used to have a Rivera R55-12 (with a Weber California speaker). It sounded way better - for jazz with a semi-hollow or rock with my Tele - than the Cube 60 I also used to have. But it weighed 47 pounds - not excessive, but more than I wanted to lug around anymore. Now I have a Henriksen JazzAmp112 (32 pounds) for Jazz and a ZT Club (22 pounds and louder than the Cube 60) for rock.

Posativek · 04-10-2011, 02:40 PM

What do you think of those henriksens,,I never get to see them and the one that did come up for sale on ebay over here,,although it went cheap,,it had a 10,,speaker and im definitely a fan of the 12...i think it has a better bass response and not such piercing treble,,,

Im not saying a roland is the best by the way,,,it has its shortfalls,,,,

What about these stealth jobies and the razers edge or something,,,

Is the henriksen a solid state,,,if so I would definitely like to try and keep it valve,,although saying that,,if the amp is gonna do good.rock.blues.and funk with the right pedals,,,solid state is fine by me,,,

less hass smaller lighter etc...

**jzucker** · 04-10-2011, 02:59 PM

i have a henriksen and it's great. it's ss and very loud. i replaced the speaker with a emi delta pro 12 A which is much better than the stock speaker.

I also have a couple raezer's edge speakers. A NY8 and a Twin 8 tower. They are great too but VERY DARK. They're great for the white guy with a moustache tone

but don't get much in the way of benson tone or fusiony tones.

I use a Barber Barb EQ pedal with the henriksen which gives it a more tube-like tone. I also use a custom showman preamp with a Markbass LM II bass amp which works fantastic. In fact, it's probably my favorite SS setup.

**Tom Karol** · 04-11-2011, 05:24 PM

Jack - Please tell me more about replacing the stock Beta 12A speaker in the JazzAmp112 with the Delta Pro. How is it better? I've toyed with replacing the Beta 12A myself - possibly with a Weber California 12 - the one I liked so much in my Rivera. (I realize that the Delta Pro is a different animal.) Thanks.

**jzucker** · 04-12-2011, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

Jack - Please tell me more about replacing the stock Beta 12A speaker in the JazzAmp112 with the Delta Pro. How is it better? I've toyed with replacing the Beta 12A myself - possibly with a Weber California 12 - the one I liked so much in my Rivera. (I realize that the Delta Pro is a different animal.) Thanks.

the delta pro 12a is more efficient and has better high freq response. I thought the beta 12a was too dark.

I don't like any of the weber speakers. Very inconsistent. I had a cali 12 and it was absolutely horrible. Sounded like a cocked wah. I assume they all don't sound like that. It sounded nothing like a jbl

**kris** · 04-12-2011, 02:45 PM

I think modifications in amps is no good idea...
Kris

**jzucker** · 04-12-2011, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by kris

I think modifications in amps is no good idea...
Kris

huh?!?

**cosmic gumbo** · 04-12-2011, 03:33 PM

What requirements do you have that a fender deluxe reverb could not fulfill?

**jzucker** · 04-12-2011, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

What requirements do you have that a fender deluxe reverb could not fulfill?

headroom

**customxke** · 04-12-2011, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

headroom

+1

**Tom Karol** · 04-12-2011, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

the delta pro 12a is more efficient and has better high freq response. I thought the beta 12a was too dark.

I don't like any of the weber speakers. Very inconsistent. I had a cali 12 and it was absolutely horrible. Sounded like a cocked wah. I assume they all don't sound like that. It sounded nothing like a jbl

Thanks Jack. I looked at the Eminence Website: The Delta Pro 12A weighs about 9 lbs more than the Beta 12A - ouch! But I understand what you're saying.

As far as the Weber Cali 12 is (was) concerned, I guess I got a good one - mine was ceramic with a cloth dome by the way - but it's true that it didn't really sound all that much like a JBL.

**jzucker** · 04-12-2011, 07:56 PM

i'm considering trying a deltalite 2512 in the henriksen. It weighs 5lbs! Unfortunately it doesn't have as high a freq range as the delta pro 12a but it's supposedly a great speaker. Evans is using it in their 12" cabs and several jazz guys have told me they like it.

**nado64** · 04-13-2011, 01:02 AM

a blackface fender amp with an alnico jensen speaker, of course !

**gianluca** · 04-13-2011, 03:53 AM

Originally Posted by Posativek

So yeh can anyone suggest a good tube amp that does goo BE-BOP sound,,,

I'm happy to have recently gave up with any compromises: fender twin reverb!
heavy, I know, my arms know, but great.
(it is 85W)
on my youtube page there is something recordered with it (the other one is a polytone).

**jzucker** · 04-13-2011, 07:30 AM

those alnico jensens are horrible. Very mid rangey/nasally IMO

**Franz 1997** · 04-13-2011, 08:02 AM

I like the deltalite 2512. It sounds rather like the old altec 417. I'd call it ''neutral but very open'' - no midrange honk. It's not even marketed as a guitar speaker but as a ''pro audio'' speaker, presumably because it's neutral-sounding. It lacks the metal-dome highs of the JBL, but I'm ok with that - it will still let a tele cut right through. And the 5lb weight, 250w rating and 100 db sensitivity doesn't hurt.
One consideration if you're considering a swap - it's quite deep, maybe 6" or so; deeper than many speakers.

**tele jazz** · 04-13-2011, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by customxke

+1

what about a twin?

**mambosun** · 04-13-2011, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by gianluca

I'm happy to have recently gave up with any compromises: fender twin reverb!
heavy, I know, my arms know, but great.
(it is 85W)
on my youtube page there is something recordered with it (the other one is a polytone).

+1 for the Twin reverb whether it is BF or SF (100w).
You'll have it all: excellent clean sound, tone shaping, headroom, crunch, highly versatile (head banger stuff excepted) etc...
But of course it is bulky and weighty, this seems the price you have to pay for a high wattage tube amps.