Solid state amps that are lightweight and can do fusion as well as jazz tones?

**PaulHintz** · 03-31-2016, 10:45 PM

It seems to me this amp ( the DV Mark Frank Gambale) was discussed in another, fairly recent thread. With negative comments about the tone. Perhaps worth a search of this subforum?

**yebdox** · 03-31-2016, 10:57 PM

How about this and a small cab? Not sure what it would sound like for archtop, but seems pretty convincing otherwise. Not cheap.

BluGuitar - Home of the AMP1

**sgcim** · 04-01-2016, 02:41 AM

Originally Posted by jzucker

The problem with the jazzkat, the henriksen and the AI amps is that the treble control doesn't work at the right frequency to get good funk, fusion and pop music sounds. They sound great for that dry, middy bruno-type sound but you can't get a sweet wes/benson tone out of them. And without a working treble control centered at 4.5k(ish) you can't get sizzle or cut through for fusion tones.

I love the sound sheryl bailey gets out of hers for straight-ahead stuff...

I don't know about the Henriksen amps, but I have an AI, and the JazzKat's treble sound is much stronger than the AI's, which is virtually non-existent.
It's not as good as my Twin or PV, but it was designed to be a jazz amp...

**jorgemg1984** · 04-01-2016, 05:28 AM

Jack I believe your perfect amp would be the Fuchs Jazz Classic, but it's expensive... but couldn't you get someone to build you an amp? Tube blackface preamp, ss 150w power amp, accutronics digital reverb (same as boing reverb) and a small open back with something like an Eminence Texas Heat in there. I could get that easily here at an affordable price, I bet it would be even more simple in the US.

Also the Henriksen Alfesco is open back and has a good reverb but it's not a Fender style eq...

**Fidelcaster** · 04-01-2016, 06:43 AM

Originally Posted by jzucker

I'm not. I've had incredibly bad experiences with boss/roland gear at every level from amps to pedals to midi pickups and synths. I'm just not interested in their guitar products.

Damn, I like my Blues Cube...

What about the Yamaha THR100H, then? The Yamaha cabinet is closed back, but the amp employs impulse responses.

**jzucker** · 04-01-2016, 08:52 AM

OK, you guys talked me into trying the blues cube....

**jzucker** · 04-01-2016, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by sgcim

I don't know about the Henriksen amps, but I have an AI, and the JazzKat's treble sound is much stronger than the AI's, which is virtually non-existent.
It's not as good as my Twin or PV, but it was designed to be a jazz amp...

it's not a matter of stronger. It's a matter of the treble control being in the wrong place in the harmonic spectrum. 8k is above the range of a guitar speaker and is not very useful. To get a benson, wes or early Martino tone you need the treble control around 4.5k like the fender preamp and which mambo now supports.

**jzucker** · 04-01-2016, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by yebdox

How about this and a small cab? Not sure what it would sound like for archtop, but seems pretty convincing otherwise. Not cheap.

BluGuitar - Home of the AMP1

This seems like the best way to go IMO...

**Fidelcaster** · 04-01-2016, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Fidelcaster

What about the Yamaha THR100H, then? The Yamaha cabinet is closed back, but the amp employs impulse responses.

Forgot to post a video:

**jzucker** · 04-01-2016, 09:41 AM

Thanks. I wasn't crazy about that clip but I listened to some japanese clips and it sounds awesome. I think it sounds as good or better than the amp1 and it's cheaper plus it has an xlr output on it so I can use it with my powered PA speakers...

Originally Posted by Fidelcaster

Forgot to post a video:

**Woody Sound** · 04-01-2016, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by abelljo

Can't say I have. Not familiar withe them.

Solid state amps that are lightweight and can do fusion as well as jazz tones?-pearce-g2r-jpg

**jzucker** · 04-01-2016, 11:28 AM

Found and bought a used Yamaha THR100H. I'll post a review when I get it.

**Fidelcaster** · 04-01-2016, 11:39 AM

Look forward to it!

**JazzyJim** · 04-01-2016, 03:29 PM

Eager to hear your thoughts on the Yammy, I hope you like it.

@jzucker specifically, you appear to think like me with regard to "clean" Jazz tones in that there are two primarily favoured options: one which is a classic Tube-esque clean (Burrell, Benson etc) and the other which is the prototype "dark" Jazz Polytone Pass/Ellis type tone. Do you think you would be happy with just one of those tones, or do you like to have both available to suit your mood?

not wanting to bash the bop tones of the early Christian/octal amp tone, or the saggy crunch of the Selmer and Tweed tones, I love them, but they're pretty much an impossible ask from an SS amp.

**jads57** · 04-01-2016, 04:15 PM

You know what's funniest of all! The Jazz guys in general could care less about not only their amp choice in general but hardly pay attention to their guitar choice other than what was available at a fair price. This is really stems from Rock and Roll GAS. I know cause that's where I caught that bug years ago,LOL!

**yebdox** · 04-02-2016, 12:39 AM

look forward to hearing it, Jack. Yamaha engineers have some strange ears, but maybe they got this one right. If I sell some stuff I'm not using, I might pick up an Amp1. Seems a bit more organic, but hard to say from web audio.

**mikostep** · 04-07-2016, 07:19 AM

Tested it, Jack?

**jzucker** · 04-07-2016, 04:41 PM

Got it today. Will post a followup tonight.

**jzucker** · 04-07-2016, 04:47 PM

but i'm 99% sure i'm not keeping it based on recent changes in my "circumstances".

**christianm77** · 04-07-2016, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

You may be incredibly happy but not only did I own one but I spent today listening to almost a dozen clips and to me it just sounds harsh and nasally for jazz. I don't like the sound at all. It doesn't get that sweet, velvety fendery wes or benson tone and it doesn't get that dark and smokey joe pass tone and it doesn't get that high-fi jimmy bruno or pat martino tone. It just gets a nasally , middy clean tone. I'll say it again but it sounds great with a strat. I think they eq'd it with a strat or tele in mind. Sounds very good for classic rock tones.

I tried it through a bunch of great speakers including an EV. I owned it for a couple months so I gave it plenty of chances. The mambo blows it away for a jazz tone. It sounds better for fusion than the mambo 1x10 due to the cabinet size but I couldn't deal with that clean tone.

I already have an axefx so I'm not looking for that. I'm looking for a 1x12 SS amp. Peavey Bandit would be great it it wasn't so heavy.

Forgive me if I'm being a bit dim, but wouldn't it be possible to put your Kemperer (I think you said you have one) through a lightweight powered PA?

**Bluedawg** · 04-07-2016, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

but i'm 99% sure i'm not keeping it based on recent changes in my "circumstances".

Hope everything is ok ...... best of luck with any "circumstances"

**guitarbard** · 04-08-2016, 01:08 AM

Orange are known for making very good solid state amps, but for the tones preferred in jazz, in general, I'd not think they'd be what you want. But, one never knows. And, too heavy for the wattage needed. Probably a bit noisy for any but rock stages,,, Enough of the blasphemy,,,just FWIW.

I am curiously interested as to why I've not seen Hughes & Kettner mentioned. I'm not in the market, couldn't be if I wanted. Maybe too heavy, also. Holdsworth gets nice sounds out of them. 'light weight' in the OP is probably the operative word, here. I know I can't deal with the more than 39 lbs. of my QSC powered speakers, and I got the 8's because they were light, and small and easily portable. Other gear, the same, including the Quilter MicroPro 200. I assume it's the original, as I don't see 'Mach II' anywhere. Except for mic-ing my fiddle, and for the 2nd amp, pushing my Korg keyboard at church, I've not really put it through its paces to see how I really feel, though I do like what I hear, so far. It was amazingly powerful and clean in a mid-sized church big enough to have a choir loft.

re: the QSC's,,,if you put em on stands, engage the 'deep' switch. It really opens them up. If on the floor, you can leave them on 'norm', and get tremendous amounts of bass. Those are in the LF settings. In the HF settings, I leave it on 'flat', though there is a 'vocal ext' which I assume will yield more highs. I've not tried that setting.

**jzucker** · 04-08-2016, 06:24 AM

Originally Posted by christianm77

Forgive me if I'm being a bit dim, but wouldn't it be possible to put your Kemperer (I think you said you have one) through a lightweight powered PA?

Many places I play don't have a PA

**jzucker** · 04-08-2016, 06:27 AM

you won't see me mention H&K because my tubeman was the most unreliable piece of gear I ever had. I sent it back to them and they couldn't find the problem (it was cutting in and out) and finally a local repairman found a crack in the circuit board. So that experience soured me. When the manufacturer can't repair their own gear, I rule them out. I got it repaired, sold it and moved on.

Originally Posted by guitarbard

Orange are known for making very good solid state amps, but for the tones preferred in jazz, in general, I'd not think they'd be what you want. But, one never knows. And, too heavy for the wattage needed. Probably a bit noisy for any but rock stages,,, Enough of the blasphemy,,,just FWIW.

I am curiously interested as to why I've not seen Hughes & Kettner mentioned. I'm not in the market, couldn't be if I wanted. Maybe too heavy, also. Holdsworth gets nice sounds out of them. 'light weight' in the OP is probably the operative word, here. I know I can't deal with the more than 39 lbs. of my QSC powered speakers, and I got the 8's because they were light, and small and easily portable. Other gear, the same, including the Quilter MicroPro 200. I assume it's the original, as I don't see 'Mach II' anywhere. Except for mic-ing my fiddle, and for the 2nd amp, pushing my Korg keyboard at church, I've not really put it through its paces to see how I really feel, though I do like what I hear, so far. It was amazingly powerful and clean in a mid-sized church big enough to have a choir loft.

re: the QSC's,,,if you put em on stands, engage the 'deep' switch. It really opens them up. If on the floor, you can leave them on 'norm', and get tremendous amounts of bass. Those are in the LF settings. In the HF settings, I leave it on 'flat', though there is a 'vocal ext' which I assume will yield more highs. I've not tried that setting.