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Thanks for the info Jorge - I've emailed both builders, tho' the London maker's 15W 6v6 head is £750 for one with just a volume knob and no loop - we shall see. G - I currently have a little H&K SS 60W combo, which is a cheap amp, but gets a JC120 type sound thro' an EV speaker with a SD Twin Pre + Lexicon reverb. I've done large wine bars with a six piece band with it OK. For the dirty sound I have a couple of DG amps. I've considered getting a JC120 and cutting the speakers off (!), but I think the tube amp idea will open up my sound a bit more.
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02-13-2012 07:25 AM
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My main amp is a Jack Anderson 20W, 6V6, 1x12 combo, and I have a 1x12 extension cab when I need extra sound. It's an excellent amp, and is great for jazz (that's all I play!).
Marc
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That sounds like a great amp, Marc. I like the way he lists the options for customising, with prices, on his website. If he was in the UK, I'd be prepared to travel a long distance, like a friend of mine who used to use Pete Hartley's amps, to check them out.
Jamie
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I used to have an Egnater Rebel 20 amp head that had both 6v6 and el84 tubes. It allowed you to dial in any amount of each. So it served as a great way to hear the differences between them. I wish I could do something similar with 6v6 and 6l6 to see their differences. I didnt think they were much different from each other tonally.
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Martin, I tried an Egnater Rebel the other week, before I realised that there was any difference between power tubes! On paper, it sounded exactly what I was looking for, but I didn't get a sound I liked out of it, tho' it was in a shop booth. Interested to know why you sold it.
Today I had emails from: Two Rock, who confirm they have an 8-10 week backlog on orders - there don't seem to be any of the smaller amps in the UK, and also that the effects loop on the Studio Pro 22 has a parallel reverb loop, which means you can't use it for another reverb, as far as I can see; and various from UK amp builders I've never heard of before who will build me a small 6V6 head for the cost of 2-3 X your Egnater Rebel 20.
My current thinking is I think I'll investigate the merchandise in the shops first. The guitar shops in France, Germany and Holland seem to sell some their gear for 15+% less than the UK. If I can get someone with a VAT number to buy an amp on my behalf, I could save another 19%. Maybe there's a boutique amp out there for me after all..
Jamie
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I sold the Egnater because I wanted to go back to combos. I liked the Rebel 20. It didn't have a lot of clean headroom though. But I was able to hear a distinct difference between the el84 and 6v6 tubes and found I preffered the 6v6. I had mostly played el84 amps prior. Now I have a Princeton Reverb RI with a 12" speaker and a 1971 Bandmaster in a 2x10 combo format. Also have a Super Champ XD.
Originally Posted by VitalSigns
By the way, my screenname is made up of two of my favorite players, Pat Martino and Joe Pass.Last edited by monkmiles; 02-14-2012 at 11:43 PM.
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Sorry, I assumed you were Irish - "Martin O'Pass" !By the way, my screenname is made up of two of my favorite players, Pat Martino and Joe Pass.
I'm totally flabbergasted by the number of boutique amp makers out there - you do a Google search and they keep popping out. The custom builders who don't sell to shops, require quite a lot of faith from prospective buyers - you don't hear the exact amp you've specified 'til it's built.
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VitalSigns - I have a silver face deluxe reverb, a tweed deluxe clone I built, a Quinn Amp Derby Octal head, (all 6V6) and a VVT Lindy Fralin amp (now available in head form) that I bought direct from the USA. Good guys to deal with. The LF does big,clean using 6L6s, and you can put in 6V6s (JJs recommended) to get lower power/6V6 sound. Exchange rates currently make it possible again. Charlie Chandler used to have an LF in stock, if you wanted to try one in store.
Don't know where abouts you are in UK, but I'm on the South coast.
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Bananafist (great handle) - I must say looking at that Jack Anderson site, I'd be tempted to splurge out on custom US built amp, trouble is all the clips (as is usual) are of Strats in pop/blusey style. A friend of mine bought a Mojave Coyote amp direct from the States - tho' as there's no return to the send, he has this complicated wet/dry arrangement..
I think the VVT might be more amp than I need and I didn't like the hum before the only humbucker sound clip - again rock/blues tone. I see Charlie Chandler's (who do my guitar work) only give the cost on request, like a restaurant that doesn't put it's prices out front - I'm thinking this might be out of my league! Can I ask how much carriage, import duty and tax you had to pay on top of the price? I'm 20 miles NW of London.
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Hi VS,
Arrgh! I wish I hadn't looked the info up! Not a word to the wife!
When I bought it in Dec07, amp price translated as just under £1000,
shipped via DHL (v. expensive, but took two, yes two days!) shipping £172
Duty, VAT, etc £223. Total - horrendous!!! but £500 less than in the importers shop at the time.
I use it more for tele in a country band now, but it sounds good with my Gibson Country Gent (IMO) doing jazzy/blues stuff.
Quinn Amps do a neat looking 2x or 4x 6V6 combo, and I found Shad good to deal with, also. Shipping via USPS much cheaper and no problems.
I think, after reading the Ameson website (love their stories) I'd probably sound him out about a 4x 6V6 build, his prices seem v reasonable.
There is a tech I use in Surrey who will build amps, or put together kits if wanted as on the Weber VST site, but not as reasonably as Ameson. What about one of his Jazz 90s and A N Other for the overdrive?
I'm a bit of a 6V6 man myself, as you may have gathered.
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Thanks BananaFist. I could handle the £400, but prices seem to have moved up a bit.
I had an email from Michael Ameson, who told me he didn't do effects loops (a shame, as his prices seem reasonable), but I should look for a Laney AOR30 - I might wait a long time.. I heard from EVA in Norfolk, but they wouldn't supply an effects loop either. I guess it'd be like asking a archtop builder if he'd fit a 490R. I guess if the amp is for an ear splitting rock gig you don't need reverb or effects. I can't say my talent or sound is remotely in the same league, but I guess John Abercrombie springs to mind in what I'm looking for - a post Extrapolation ethic, where bop, fusion and freeish elements combine - except I'm not a chorus player, and I'm trying to open up my sound a bit with valves, but it all seem a bit complicated!
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Why do you need the fx loop so much? (weird they don't do it, I don't think it's a hard thing for an amp builder to include in an amp)
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Jorge - I prefer the sound of digital reverb to the usual amp spring type, plus there are certain delays etc it's nice to have on certain tunes, and you can't add that stuff before the amp sound, especially if it's overdriven, I find. Some of the amp makers are very purist about this and won't even have on board reverb, let alone an FX loop. It all seems like a hunt trying to find some near extinct creature: For what I would consider a lot of money, say £1500, all I want is a good quality 20 or 30 Watt head with master volume and loop, with a nice clean to crunch 6V6 sound. The boutique makers that supply the fancy shops are a bit more than I can afford - Carol Ann, some Riveras etc. It sounds to me this is a bit like sports cars - expensive to buy and maintain, an esoteric market driven by enthusiastic rich customers, as some of the custom builders are doing so well they won't even build something to your specifications!
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I love digital reverb and digital delay - also prefer them over say spring reverb and analog delay. I have two pedalboards - one has a Lehle mixer in the end and the other doesn't. Doing A / B tests I really like what the Lehle does but I don't mind that much not having it on the small one. The same with FX Loop - one of my amps has it, I like it but ir doesn't bother me going out front...
But I never use amp's OD. I know some blues guys say a Fender crunched cannot be replaced by any pedal and hard rock guys say there's nothing like a Marshall or Soldano distortion but to me I love the sounds you get from a RAT or a TS. Most of the players I like have a RAT or a TS in their circuit folloew by delays and reverbs and just use it in the front.
Otherwise you will be very limited in your choices I think... I know some amp builders refuse to have reverb in their designs and I can understand them - usally they change the tone a litte, digital or spring.
If you're budget is 1500£ I think you can import from the US. This guy will build you deluxe (2x6v6) in head format. He also has several 6l6 options.
Tube-Tone Amplifiers
Tube-Tone Amplifiers
You have several options there - two of them are fx loop and the other Diaz gain (not sure if it will give you overdrive).
Vintage Sound Amps : Point-to-point, hand-wired tube amplifiers
This guy has two princetons and one deluxe. I know he will build you a head and when i talked with him he was pretty open to mods so he might add an fx-loop and some sort of OD maybe.
Never tried any of the amps, just trying tho help you
I think 1500£ would cover any of these amps. To me I would only care about clean sound - that's what pedals cannot give you
Last edited by jorgemg1984; 02-16-2012 at 07:45 AM.
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Thanks Jorge. I'm getting a bit discouraged by all this. Waiting to have an amp made in the US, importing it, and which you won't know is the sound you want until it arrives. I once bought a "bargain" Epiphone guitar on Ebay, which I ended up throwing in a skip! (Long story).
I was speaking to a friend yesterday who went on one of those Barney Kessel courses, years ago. (Digression - I did too - my first meeting with Barney, was seeing him check into the hotel as I arrived. I got stuck in the revolving doors with my guitar and baggage, and BK came and hauled me out - OMG!) Anyway, my friend asked him how he got his sound, what strings, amp etc - "whatever's available". BK picked up the guy's guitar and preceded to make it sound exactly the same as his own! My point being that even if you hear somebody play an amp, you won't know if it's for you until you plug your own guitar in.
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I was once in the same boat you are - and I gave up on importing from the US. My tech will build me an amp for nearly free, just charging the parts. This way I don't risk so much money
It will be a Super Reverb head with several mods.
You seem to be stuck, don't know what can I do more to help you... :/
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Hi VS, looking at the Matamp site, they do quote for customising their amps to suit you - no charge - for the quote!
When I last was in touch with them, 5 or so years ago, they did a version of the (I think) 1440 with 4 x 6V6. I f this is still an option, you could ask them to spec one minus reverb, and the effects loop is standard. They have a good rep. and used to have a guy based in London who had amps you could try. Don't know if this is still the case.
Quinn used to do a Dumble clone which was hugely popular, and endlessly customisable (is that a word?) but Shad decided to follow his own muse, so not too sure how much customisation is available now. I had a few tweaks done to my Octal Derby, which I like, but one mans meat....etc,etc.
The guys at VVT are happy for customers to go into their shop and they'll tweak the amp till it suits - but they're in Georgia USA. I wish we had more guys with their approach in the UK.
If you want to contact the tech I use in Surrey for a quote, google Steves Amps.
Good luck!
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Could this be close to what you're after? Single channel but it has an effects loop and it's got great reviews.
Venus 3 Top
Rivera Venus 3 15w 6V6 Guitar Amp Head
Also it might be worth watching eBay UK for a while...I've seen some pretty rare amps (e.g. Redplate) come up for sale and you could avoid import tax/duties etc. I got an Alessandro Working Dog (rare as hens' teeth) for a great price...
Just to prove my point, if you're prepared to spend £1500 you could go for this....with everything in it!
Fuchs ODS 30 head - MINT condition | eBay
Hope that helps...
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I forgot to say about Barkeny Kessel; to me it's like whai I said in the Jimmy Bruno thread: he clearly didn't care about gear and I can hear that when he plays. I don't think he had a good sound but that's me.
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Thanks for all the ideas, chaps. IbanezAS100 - I'll check the Venus 3 Head out. I looked at the specs the other day and thought "15 Watts? Want more!" maybe that'll be enough. By the way, the guy that introduces the demo looks earily like the striker who destroyed The Arsenal last night! Doesn't start very clean maybe it's like the Cornford sound? - need to try it out. Fuchs - not sure I'd want a second hand amp at that price. BananaFist - I think if I knew the maker personally, I'd jump in and place an order, but I prefer the shop and customer idea, where you buy what you hear. I was interested in Matamp a year or two ago and spoke to the guy in SW London at the time. I note they don't mention prices any more, which suggests there's no production line any more - I may be wrong. Jorge - BK was the first Jazz guitarist that really grabbed me (not just out the door!). He really swung hard, with fast blusey lines, later more abstract phrases and always rich chord solos. And he always sounded like Barney Kessel. But I hated his sound too!
Jamie
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Just to say I found a shop which has the little Rivera head and also the Doce 25 1x12 combo. Fingers crossed!
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I was not refering to his playing (which I respect although not exactly a fan) but to his sound.
Hope you like the Rivera!
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I tried the two Rivera amps I mentioned. I liked the Venus 3 Head. Warm sound, tho' I find the EQ on a lot of amps is quite bright, set flat. I didn't go for it as a) I felt that altho' it was quite loud, I didn't think it'd have enough clean headroom to play with a hard hitting drummer without distortion and b) the one they were selling had a white leather finish a bit like a ladies' handbag! The 25W combo had 2 channels, but the clean one has no master, so it only does clean, which didn't sound as good as the head; the O/D channel is quite fizzy, even at low gain. But it was louder. I think for a tube amp I need 25-40 Watts, which would mean 4 6V6s.
I have a problem. I've been used to SS amps for some time now. It's quite a change to have as much variety in sound with just a small change in gain - on the amp, guitar volume or even in attack. Tube amps are much more volatile - like the difference between a sports car and a family saloon. I really want something I can dial in my sound and have that at a variety of volumes, without having to tweak it al the time. I think the solution for me might be to get a small 6v6 amp for recording, and go for something like an Evans for the cleanish live sound.
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Just to say thanks to everybody who came up with suggestions for amps, some of which I was able to try out. I hope some of the ideas were useful to other people too. I think I'll start a couple of new threads in case anyone has any ideas, based on my new plan!
Jamie
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Hey guys:
Maybe this isn't the best place to post, but what do you guys use for tubes to give the most clean headroom? I was thinking Tung Sol, but I'd like some other opinions!
Also, how many people put a 12at7 in V1 of their Princeton (or any amp really) for more cleans?
Thank you everybody!
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