Jazz Amps

[Tarek]

I have just bought a used Hartke 150 W Acoustic Ribbon amp. Loud and cheap with many nice features including EQ. Also has a nice clear signal. I have not had enough time to test it yet. Anyone has experience playing jazz archtops with those amps?

[TieDyedDevil]

... I am getting a custom shop suhr archtop guitar. It is more or less semihollow. ... With that purchase I will be getting a notable discount on an amp if i buy it all together.

My first thought is this: if a discount on an amp is contingent upon your purchase of the Suhr, then maybe you're paying too much for the Suhr..

... So I thought i would see if anyone has any experience with these type of amps and could recommend to me the most convenient and logical route to take.

...

anyways Im just looking for an amp that sounds good and is very portable for gigging and if it is versatile than thats a plus. ...

You're all over the map here. What is it you need from a new amp? For that matter, do you really need a new amp, or are you enticed by the thought of getting a "notable discount". If it's the latter, and if you're happy with all of your existing amps, then I'd recommend keeping your money.

There will always be a better deal. For that matter, you'll save a lot more money buying used than you will through whatever the shop is going to offer you as an incentive. If the shop is really that anxious to cut you a deal, ask them to sell you the Suhr for less. That way you can go into buying a new amp on your own terms, when you're ready, when you have a better idea of what you need, at whatever shop you choose.

FWIW, there is no such thing as a tube amp that covers all bases. Tube amps use very simple circuitry which depends heavily upon component choice for their signature sound. Designers can play games with the less-expensive components to get some variety in tone, mostly in the EQ choices and amount of distortion. Indeed, Randall Smith of Mesa/Boogie has built a very successful company around this exact technological tactic. But compared to a variety of amps from Fender, Marshall and Vox - for example - a Boogie is always going to end up sounding like a Boogie.

The best way to cover a plethora of tones for lots of different styles (without building an entire rig for each situation) is to use a digital modeling unit played through a PA or a powered speaker. In this setup the modeler is responsible for tone creation. The PA or powered speaker only makes that tone as loud as you need it to be. The nice thing about this kind of rig is that you can avoid carrying your powered speaker in the event that the venue provides a PA; all you need is your guitar and the modeler. (I do that a lot here in Portland.)

Modelers are all over the map in terms of the quality of their sound and response to the guitarist's playing dynamics. If you decide to explore modelers, I'd certainly suggest trying them all for yourself. My own experiences have placed Line6, Vox, Korg and Zoom near the bottom of the list, Boss in the middle, and Digitech and Fractal near the top. (There's a new unit from Digidesign; I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but reports from others suggest that it's a serious contender.)

If you buy your own amplification to go with the modeler, quality is important. You're looking for something with a neutral sound without any undue emphasis. You need to be careful here, because less expensive units (and even some expensive units) emphasize certain frequencies to sound "better" in the store. If you first audition a unit having too much high-frequency content, then anything heard subsequent to that will sound "dull" by comparison, even through the "duller" system may really be more neutral. You need to audition powered speakers using music that you know and have an expectation as to how it should sound. Bring your iPod or a CD.

IME, most of the quality powered speakers perform well with a modeler. I'd avoid Behringer, Tapco and Roland.

[Little Jay]

My two cts:

Fender Blues Deluxe.... next to a Twin the best clean sound I have experienced, though with 40W, 1x12" is doesn't stay clean as long as a twin of course.

Have it since 1993 and used it for almost everthing: old school soul, blues, funk, jazz and rock. For good overdriven sounds I use a Tubescreamer and/or a Boss Bluesdriver.

The Blues Deluxe can deliver from smooth dark and round sounds to funky trebly sounds that also do well in country and it has plenty of mids to dial in to make your overdriven sounds sound good.

Nowadays I almost exclusively play jazz and I still can't part from my Blues Deluxe.... it's my everyday workhorse and it's tweed covering starts to look like that of Neil Young's Tweed Deluxe :-)

Cons:
- still pretty heavy to carry around, a no-no for public transport
- earlier models have reliability issues (I know out of experience), but it seems they improved on the re-issues.
- not everybody likes the stock speaker (I changed it once, but now it's back in there and I love it...)
- can be bass-heavy with some guitars (I lower my pickups on the bass-side)

Worth a try?

[Big Ron]

I have a Fender Cyber Deluxe. If you want the solid state version of Fender sound, the Cyber Deluxe is pretty hard to beat for a transportable 12" Fender Deluxe, without the hassle of tubes. The "Manual" button that turns the Cyber side of it off is pretty valuable for non metal rock shredders; but if you do get one try out preset 13 called "Jazz Box" and be amazed that it is hidden down in there with all that super gain and distorted stuff.

Ron