The Ultimate Guitar Amp

[stevo67]

I use a JazzKat Custom Tweed together with an Ibanez GB-10. As I live in Sweden I think I am one of very few Swedes that have a JazzKat. I also have a rare Roland combo named ST100 that I use sometimes, but its very heavy to carry. Sometimes I use a small Roland MicroCube, that I run through the ST100 or the JazzKat (this is fun as you can change the character very easy and fast). Btw, this is my first post - hi everybodey!

[Brad]

I want to check out that Roland MicroCube. Have heard about it but have not seen a jazz player here play one.

bpm

[stevo67]

The MicroCube is just a small 2W amp for practice. But its versitile with Cosm technologies and different amp modelings. It has a line in and line out (for phones too). You can even run it on batteries. It costs about USD 150 and is a smart and cheap way to test new sounds through an existing compo (use the return jack on the combo or the main in if you have it).

[Chito]

I use a Peavey Classic 30!!

[Motion]

I ordered an amp kit from Weber. It arrived today and I'm curious as hell.
For now, it's only a buch of plastic bags with all the parts but soon a (hopefully) beautifull amp will be born out of it.
I ordered the 5f6a tweed bassman kit. I've no idea whether this will be a nice amp for jazz or not, but they do offer other kits that might be more fitted to playing jazz.
Maybe a nice suggestion if you're looking for a nice amp without totaly emptying your wallet...

M

[m78w]

A few years ago I decided to upgrade my gigging rig, so I went out and speant a bunch of bread on an Acoustic Image Clarus I head, a Raezor's Edge Stealth 12, and a Raezor's Edge Jack Grassel Signature 12 inch cabinets.

I love them, but I still find myself using my tried and true 12 inch Polytone Mini-Brute II. I guess you can't really replace a classic amp like that!

MW

[derek]

Someone's got to think this is a stupid question...but I must ask it: What is the difference between a speaker and an amp.?

No worries. An amp is the electronic device that creates the power and takes the signal coming out of your guitar and increases it. Can be solid state, or tube driven. Usually there is some sort of eq controls present bass, midrange, treble. There may be other knobs like level (aka volume) and gain, which can produce distortion. Some amps have built in effects like reverb.

The speaker is the device that takes the signal from your guitar, which goes in to the amp, which amplifies it, and the speaker turns it into sound. There is a magnet with a cone (varying types of thick paper construction) that produces this sound. Different types of speakers can carry different amounts of power, and specialize in reproducing different types of sounds or music. Hope this is what you were looking for.

[yankeetelecaster]

I lean more towards fusion and I tend to agree with everyone about the JC120 (I used one in the early 80's) but lately I've found that Peavey Bandits and StudioPro amps work pretty well. They're plentiful (cheap), loud with a crisp clean sound, lightweight, and reliable. The distortion channel is cheesy, but I seldom use it. I run a telecaster and an Ibanez 7 string through them. They lack the 'cool' factor, but I can live with that.

[yanksfanwhm]

anyone care to comment on how they set theyre amps for a jazz tone, as in how you bass mid and treble knobs are set?

[blkjazz]

I've had tons of amps over the years (all combos) including an original blackfaced Fender Deluxe. I sold it for a song in the early 80's and regreted it as soon as I did it. When the 65 Twin Reissue came out I bought it and LOVED it for years. I got older and the Twin got heavier. By then Fender reissued the 65 Deluxe, I jumped on it! That'all I play for gigs and other than not having the mid control I love it. It's ALWAYS loud enough for dinner music gigs, clean and sweet for chicken pickin' country gigs and, driven a bit, is outragously good for Blues and Rock. I use no pedals or effects no matter what style I'm playing and the amp kicks butt. I've owned Polytone, Mesa , Peavey, Roland, Randell, Crate and various transitor Fenders. The Blues Jr. is what my church uses and is fine if it's miked. However, I've found it useless as a stand alone performance amp. It has no headroom at all.
Thanks for letting me speak!
Neal7

Your experience sounds so much like mine. I've been playing guitar since 1964. My first amp was a '63 Fender Deluxe. In 1969 I bought a Twin Reverb with factory JBLs. At the time I was playing a Strat. I switched to an ES 175D (which I still own) in 1970 and it is so sweet thru a Twin. I had several Twins among numerous amps over the years (a Pevey that blew up on stage, Fender Super Six, Gibson L5, a 30 watt Crate). I currently have a '65 reissue Twin that I love. However, it is just way too heavy to lug around now at age 58. A few months ago I bought a '65 Deluxe Reverb new and I think it sounds great for jazz. The Twin will always be the preferred sound but the DRRI is close. I just wish it had a mid range knob. I understand it can be modified as it has mid but it is permanently set at 8. In any event, the DRRI sounds very good with the 175 as well as my ES 335. I pretty much play just jazz and a bit of R&B / Blues these days.

[Fernando]

anyone care to comment on how they set theyre amps for a jazz tone, as in how you bass mid and treble knobs are set?

Hello:
The Jazz tone that like me in my amp(a old tube amp Vibrosonic reverb of fender) is:
bright switch=desactivated(no bright)
treble = 1 or nothing ( sometimes betwen 1 or 2,dependient of the ambient,the room,the hall).
middle = 4 or 5
bass = 5 or 6.
reverb= 3 (spring reverb that tend to sound brightnes)
Saludos

[JorisFun]

I've found it useless as a stand alone performance amp. It has no headroom at all.
Thanks for letting me speak!
Neal7

Hi Neal, Can you explain what 'headroom' is? For an amp, I mean.

[derek]

Hi Neal, Can you explain what 'headroom' is? For an amp, I mean.

I am not Neal, but headroom is the amount of volume you have with the clean tone of an amp before it starts to break up.

This is the reason why you tend to see jazz amps having huge amounts of watts. Higher power gives you more clean volume (headroom) before amp or speaker break up.

[Jake Hanlon]

I use either

Modified Fender HR Deluxe 112.
Fender Deluxe 112 Plus from the mid '90s
Roland Supercube 60

[Footprints]

I have a Schertler 'David' for my archtop. It's great for acoustic archtop styles. Considering a Henrikson JazzAmp or JazKat for more electric archtop sounds... I suppose the ultimate jazzamp would be one that covers all the styles you want to play, but, on reflection, all my jazz guitar heroes sound like themselves no matter what amp they find themselves playing through. Maybe we should spend more time digging for our inner sound...???

[alexwgoody]

I'v checked out JC 120s and I really like them, would get one if I can find it cheap. but I defnitely prefer my mid 80s mesa boogie Mark III, like what Al Dimeola just started using.

[blkjazz]

Hello:
The Jazz tone that like me in my amp(a old tube amp Vibrosonic reverb of fender) is:
bright switch=desactivated(no bright)
treble = 1 or nothing ( sometimes betwen 1 or 2,dependient of the ambient,the room,the hall).
middle = 4 or 5
bass = 5 or 6.
reverb= 3 (spring reverb that tend to sound brightnes)
Saludos

I can never make up my mind for too long. I'll use a setting for day or months or minutes. It just kind of depends on what and where I'm playing. Lately, on my TRRI I have set bass just right of 9, treble just under 7 and mid at 5. On the DRRI its bass 9 and treble at about 6 and 1/2.

I am able to vary the tone on the guitars pretty good so I can get a very nice round jazz tone with the 175. The 335 is a little brighter but still mellow.

[andihopkins]

i have a 65' Twin Verb, and I must say, I couldn't be happier. I'm mainly a Jazz guitarist, but I also play in a cover band, so I need a versatile amp that will sound great no matter what style of music your playing. I'm extremely happy with my twin, and I know a lot of other jazz guitarists (including my gtr teacher) who adore the twin.

[JorisFun]

Hi Andi, There is no doubt about the quality of the Twin. But my back protests. I tried the '65 reissue Deluxe Reverb and loved it, pity I has no stand-by switch. In the end I went for the Blues Junior (my back won). I've seen on Harmony central that some replaced the speaker with a Celestion. At this time I'm still happy with the original speaker but has any one ideas on this?

[bennybassdrum]

Got a great deal on a closeout-a Crate Palomino 30watt(V-32 model) tube amp with el84's, celestion speaker. Was 350 USD a couple of months back. Good looking with great sound. They're not making them anymore, and you rarely find them on ebay. What a steal............Benny,

[valriver40]

i play thru a peavy classic 30 via a boss me-50. am looking for a solid state with a good clean channel.

[Jon]

Hi,

A question about the JC120...If you plug into both channels, does it output to the two speakers independently (it's got 2 seperate amps inside, right?)? By which I mean, if I go out of my outboard stereo reverb, or my effects board L and R into channels 1 and 2, will I actually get real stereo output, or just the same thing coming through both speakers?

I have, incidientally, an old Polytone Minibrute 4, which is amazing even though it looks like it may have survived the last mass extinction, and a Henriksen Jazz Amp 10, which is beautiful too, and very portabe, but maybe not quite as flexible. I had a JC-120 provided once on a tour this year though, and it blew me away. It just sounded very, very full - really unbelievably so - so I'm thinking it might be worth a shot, and I think if they're built like people say, almost any second hand one would do...

[symodiezel]

Hi, i am thinking about getting a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue, it will mainly be for practice at home/recording and some live playing with a drummer, the sound i want is that Wes Montgomery sound, when its just starting to break up, i was thinking that the Deluxe is 22 watts into 8 Ohms, ideal for what i want, am i right? and can i get the sound im after on it? any advice from anyone who has played it would be great.

I play an Epi ES 175 with flat 14's.

[Little Jay]

@symodiezel:

My guitar teacher has a 22watts Deluxe and I played his a lot.

It's a very good amp with a very sweet tone, Wes is definately in there. Breakup happens only when the volume is already pretty loud though, so it might be too loud in your situation. I think the Fender Blues Junior breaks up earlier, so you might want to try that one too and see which one suits your needs better.

Good luck!
Jasper

[eddd57]

Hi there guys - only recently got into jazz and then only the foothills - inkspots and glenn miller but its getting to be fun

As for amps - Ive had a life threatening change recently - chucked out everything except the modified epiphone valve juniors- and no-one seems to have mentioned it:

simulation - do check out guitar rig 3, perhaps run on a netbook when they get up to 2.4Ghz and 40 gig flash hdrives (the netbook wwwdisabled and running nothing else - no antiv, nothing) -and then into a Roland KC150

synthasis - I've got a godin xtsa and thats great into a roland GR33 and then into the roland KC150: but recently a roland GK3 on an old solid into a GR20 - the GK3 and GR20 together cost £250 on ebay. try a slow number on 'breathy sax' - its like being a whole 6 piece band - and just wallow in the sound

these sounds are fantastic and so cheap - i cant tell the difference except the sound is better than all the previous amps, better than its ever been- but then my ears are abit duff these days