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its a personal decision as to what "sounds good" If you are the only one playing..you are going to be bias as to what you hear..how can you not...I have played some very expensive equipment and thought "naaa" and then another player plays the same eq and settings and sounds very different..now the question is does that player like what he hears?
for home practice..I found a very nice Crate/6"/$49 amp that I run a les paul through using the neck PU..(57 PAFs)..for jazz/blues warm and cool at the same time..
I use a Blues Jr with a 12" Jensen for small gigs..it cuts through when needed .. breaks up nice .. not sure how it will work with a new tele ..if it dosent work out may sell it and get a delux reverb..a twin seems to be overkill..and they weigh 60+..
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09-16-2016 07:08 PM
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Vinny.
The only thing I would suggest is to listen to Dutchbopper's blog demoing Mambo's
they have moved on since then with different circuits, (an additional Fender sound
option also now) the new ones have been upgraded and are now 400 watts, Wedge or
Cube style and can facilitate an extension speaker. Still very portable and ultra
reliable. If I were still able to gig, it would be first choice over the Fender,Evans or
Henriksen.
Glad your Wesmo arrived safely, hats off to Wildwood.
Alan
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Vinny
Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
Enjoy the L-5. Congrats !
I think you should try a Mambo and so should I. ( my WesMo deserves better than what I'm using ) .
So -- work your magic and find out:
1. How do we get one, and
2. How do we get one that looks like this ?? ( or close )
Yes a Henriksen would do.
Please Vinny and thanks very much !
Dennis
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My "best" choice today may not my "best" choice tomorrow. That's why I ended up with 15 guitars and 6 amps. Trying to pick the best is too hard and makes me dizzy.
Thanks John
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I don't play out and haven't for about 4 years but when I did play, I used my Heritage Gretsch which is essentially a Super 400 and a DeArmond Rhythm Chief played through an Ampeg J 20 Jet Amp. When I really want great sounds, I play the same guitar through a 1965 Ampeg Gemini I.
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It's not the wand but the magician who uses it! Many great combinations already mentioned and it comes down to $$$ and how much you like carrying an amp around. My vote is Quilter Aviator combo and probably a laminate archtop (ES-175, Benedetto Bambino, Sadowsky,etc.) Light weight,Loud and versatile in many situations!
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Are you playing out? Or, are you "firing up" the living room?
For classic jazz I would tend to favor a Gibson/Heritage/etc. archtop with set-in humbucker(s). You could go with a 16" laminated body/24-3/4" scale, a la the ES-175, but my preference (these days) would be for a carved body 17"-18" body with 25-1/2" scale, a la the L-5CES or Super Eagle. For amplification, I would lean toward the old, Fender tweed Deluxe for home use--fantastic sounding amplifier for classic jazz. For gigs, I would probably get a Fender Super Reverb. Weight conscious? Save a few pounds and get the '59 Bassman RI amp. It sounds fabulous. Reverb? Use a pedal.
All this being said, what would I actually use? A Heritage Super Eagle into a Polytone MiniBrute IV with 15" speaker. That is what I have across the room. Actually, I have a couple of the amps. This rig sounds super for old jazz--but not _better_ than a well adjusted Fender Super Reverb or Twin Reverb.
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My current favorite is an Eastman T145 with an Acoustic Image Clarus (the old series 3) and a Raezer's Edge cab. I liked my Epi ES175 Premium a lot with that until I got the Eastman. Now it sounds rather bad to my ears after the Eastman. I have a Vibrolux Reverb, but I seldom turn it on, it's just too muddy compared to the Clarus/RE combo.
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I value versatility in a rig -- it's gotta be able to do clean, gritty, and heavy, the guitar has to be playable and deliver a decent basic tone, the amp has to have good headroom and still be able to sound like it's melting down if that's what I want.
Two best rigs I've owned meeting those criteria -- 73 LP into a 71 Bassman (after some pedals), and an 09 SG into a Peavey Valveking 2x12. Anywhere from jazzbo clean to metal mayhem, depending on settings, pedals, and attitude.
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Dennis,
The Boogie is a great looking amp,but with all due respect its rather heavy
and more than twice the price of a Mambo. But I am not knocking it, they
are fabulous amps. In my advancing years i defer to smaller lighter weight
amps , the Mambo has it all ,particularly good with Archtops my L5 sounds
great through it. The Fender 65 Custom 15 remains immovably in the house
as I would need my own roadie to take it out.
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I just sold a vintage Deluxe Reverb. With the alnico speaker it had, it weighed 45 pounds. I no longer want to carry that much. At home, I play acoustically. Amps are for gigs. I am pretty happy with my Clarus/RE rig and sometimes I substitute my Polytone head for the Clarus. My AER Compact 60 is great for urban gigs where I sometimes have to walk a mile from my car to the venue. My 1964 Blackface Princeton will likely be my last tube amp. Any venue where the Princeton lacks headroom will usually have a PA. Originally Posted by silverfoxx
I have never liked the Henriksen amps that I have demoed. They seem too muddy for my taste. Mesa amps are not made for jazz, but some are capable of getting a good jazz tone. I have owned a couple, but always went back to old Fenders when I want a tube sound. I have owned a few new Fender amps and did not like them at all. But the Mambo sounds like a winner. Perhaps one day I will try one. It would be nice if a US distributor hooked up with them.
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Hi Marc,
I am inclined to agree with your comments, my Henriksen is 3years old an ER112 and
the latest model is said to be much improved but I can't comment on it as i have
not seen or heard it. I also had a Polytone for some years until it gave up the ghost.
For a long time i then had an AER, ideal as you say for gigging ,albeit somewhat lacking
in tone and EQ I suggest.
I hope that you do try a Mambo ( no affiliation ) as I am inclined to think it would suit
your style from the clips i have seen of yours, and in particular the instruments that you
use.
The bad news is that it is extremely unlikely that Jon Shaw ,the maker of the Mambo
would consider using a dealership even here in the UK let alone the USA.. He does not
charge V.A.T which would be another 20% on prices and is literally a one man operation
I think he has a helper or helpers .but his whole idea is to keep prices to a minimum while
using the very best materials and parts. Jon is a really nice guy , quite accommodating
and willing to fit different speaker configurations if so desired. Needless to say his amps
are hand built to the highest quality.
I suggested to Vinny to look up Dick ( Dutchboppers) blog demoing older versions of the
Mambo, or ask the opinion of JZ / aka Agent Smith ,or any other users. I have not
encountered any disparaging reviews of the amp.
regards Alan
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I just want to pipe up in favour of hemp speakers - such as the Eminence L'il Buddy or Cannabis Rex. The former has tamed the high end on my Princeton Reverb '65 RI very nicely. They also have a lot of headroom for a small valve/tube amp and pretty efficient, making it more giggable for jazz players.
I can get a very mellow sound out of an archtop with this, while not completely removing that Fender high end sparkle for my Tele (I can also get a good jazz sound out of my Tele with this amp.)Last edited by christianm77; 09-17-2016 at 07:28 AM.
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That's a big ask from one amp... Originally Posted by Thumpalumpacus
I would always go for a good clean sound and add pedals in afterwards (hence the way I've set up my Fender not to break up as much as possible) but this would be anathema to many blues players!
But I figure I can always alter the sound from pedals - sound like you do something similar?
In terms of a full blown metal amp - well if I played that music (I don't) I would need something very different. But I'm pretty happy with the sound I get from the amp and a pretty minimal pedal board (tuner, tubescreamer, ehx freeze, looper, analog delay) for everything from swing to fusion... That said - I am looking into get an EP booster just to fatten up the clean sounds a bit for lead (i.e. make it a bit less clean from time to time ;-)).
I think Bassmans are just great. A little heavy for everyday use (I'm in a top floor flat), but great. The modded PRRI works great for most gigs, and sound guys seem to love it. Probably a bit quiet for a full on rock gig.
Peavey valve amps are very good - IMO comparable to Fender, actually. I've been really impressed with every one I've tried, but they seem to have increased the price recently?
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For me, if I were to only have a single amp, it needs to cover:
- Clean tones for solo archtop playing
- Clean tones loud enough for playing with a drummer playing jazz, rock or blues
- Overdriven tones for for playing with a drummer playing rock and blues
The amp that Henry Heistand built for me back in 2014 fills that bill. It is a 40-watt, cathode bias, 6L6 based, 32-37 lb. depending on the type of speaker, 1 x 12" combo amp. It is also incredibly flexible in its sound shaping capabilities. It has switchable, independent a F*nder blackface and tweed preamp sections and a wonderful, touch sensitive, smooth overdrive section should you need it.
Henry built it using a small, 15" chassis. I installed a power strip in it and keep a small digital reverb pedal inside it plugged into the effects loop. It also has a very useful switch to adjust input level between single coil and humbucker pickups. Power tubes should be changed every 200-hours +/-20% and Preamp tubes every 400-hours +/-20% so there is certainly overhead as an every day amp vs. A solid state amp (which I own two of). But in terms of a "swiss army knife", for me, this amp is it IMO.
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Originally Posted by silverfoxx
Thx Silver, I'm at the advancing years too.......I know the Boogie is way too much output ....and too heavy - - even if it'll only be in my living room. I am just trying to get that look, if I could.
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J design they can make cab for you ( amp you have ) but good wood still cost $$$ Originally Posted by Dennis D
Vinny
Enjoy the L-5. Congrats !
I think you should try a Mambo and so should I. ( my WesMo deserves better than what I'm using ) .
So -- work your magic and find out:
1. How do we get one, and
2. How do we get one that looks like this ?? ( or close )
Yes a Henriksen would do.
Please Vinny and thanks very much !
Dennis
http://jdesigncabs.com/photo_galleryLast edited by 999369; 09-17-2016 at 10:22 AM.
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I know there are other threads for this but what gives a mellower tone. The amp and P90 or Humbucker combination. I almost always just use the neck pickup. There is a great looking Wes Montgomery L-5 CES in like new condition for sale on E-bay right now at a decent price.
Last edited by Jazzchief1; 09-17-2016 at 11:54 AM.
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Yup - those are nice. I just keep thinking someone has already done this sort of thing. Originally Posted by 999369
So, maybe my next e/m is to Henriksen and ask - " OK - - how do I get one of your amps w/ a cabinet like this ? "...
I always have to bite my tongue when I get that stock answer: " Why, no one in the world has ever asked for anything like that at all - ever - you're the first. "..... ( " I always like that ' in the whole world ', and ' ever ', usually followed by :
" - that I know of . "
Oh well...
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That's exactly the approach I took with the Bassman -- I bought the amp for its great cleans, and then used a Butler Tube Driver for my gain tones. This was back when I was a metalhead, not much into blues, and it was a good way to add a dirt channel to the amp. Originally Posted by christianm77
I've never played thrash, never needed scooped-mid and tight bottom ... my metal tones were always towards Sabbath and Rush, high-gain but not insane. Originally Posted by christianm77
It depends on the model, and if you're willing to buy used. Classic 30s have held steady, with perhaps a little price-creep, and used ValveKings (the old designs) are dirt cheap and represent good values for a pretty versatile amp. Originally Posted by christianm77
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