What are the must-try amps

[acfnqiowuva]

Hi everyone. I began my tube amp search today by browsing MusiciansFriend but the product lines are enormous. No clue where to start! So what are the must-try combo amps from Fender, Marshall, Crate, etc. in your opinion?

Lets try to keep it under $1000

[KC]

a grand will buy you a lot of amp but let's start from the other end: what do you intend to use it for? If you're going to be playing out in big rooms, then the Vox AC-30, the Fender tweed Bassman & the Marshall stack are all classics (though you'll have to find the Marshall used to stay within your budget).

If you're going to be using it mainly around the house with an occasional jam or party / bar gig, then you might want lighter weight, less power and fewer speakers. You might find a silverface Deluxe Reverb or Princeton in this price range, or a Dr. Z Maz 18 junior, or a Swart Atomic Space Tone, all amps I covet. So: whatcha gonna do with it?

[CatfishStudios]

If you have 1000 bucks and want the best amp for you, you owe it to yourself to try them all out....find the ones that come closest to the sound in your head that your after...then ask about quality and reliability from owners of those amps...I take it you have a Tele...since we are on a Tele board...so I would say go ahead and try a Fender Deluxe Reverb....good place too start.

[uniphasian]

Swart 6V6SE - I have so much fun playing this thing.

Clark Beaufort - I've seen them for sale under $1000.

[Spidercaster]

The way the economy is you could probably get a great deal on a used amp, so you may want to also look at amps in the $1300-$1500 range to see if you find something you like.

I recommend a Dr. Z Carmen Ghia.

[acfnqiowuva]

Thanks for the advice. To clarify, I'm looking for a jamming/gigging amp. I play with a Tele of course. I do plan on trying out a lot of amps before buying, I'm just looking for a good place to start with each brandtype of amp.

[IronJoe]

ACF, there are lots of amps out there and not enough time after work to try them all. Go out to GC and try these 3 amps and come back and give us your review. Pay attention to which one is closest to the sound you want and note what you dislike about each of them (too loud, too heavy, no Master Vol, etc)....

1. Fender Twin Reverb
2. Vox AC30 (or AC15)
3. Marshall 1974x (This is the classic 18 W amp. It's way out of your $ range, but try it anyway. It will give you an idea if this is the sound you're looking for.)

[Gaber_771]

Yeah, i'm done with new gear... and cars for that matter but thats for another board... play as many as you can, find something you cant life without, and start the search... the classified section of this board usually has some nice options, but also look in your local classified, and even ebay... be smart and get a little more amp for you money... (and sometimes a lot more amp)

[e-merlin]

Peavey Classic 30. It's a great all-around amp (though it won't do Metal). Plus, it's inexpensive enough that with your budget, you can swap in your favorite speaker. I don't think I've heard much bad about the C30 on this board.

[giogolf]

For $1000 and under there are tons of amps you can buy. What type of music do you like and play? Personally, I only like Fender amps, and Fender Circuit clones. Also, I am partial towards tube and PTP wired amps only.

So start with telling us what you style is, and what equipment you have now. Do you want a clean amp, do you want an amp that will give good overdrive?

[romo]

Originally Posted by Spidercaster

I recommend a Dr. Z Carmen Ghia.

+1

[ndeli55]

dont count out the kustom amps. i love my kustom 72 coupe. it has a great clean sound and can also get gritty, or crunchy. try plaing one, they seem to be a great sleeper amp, and are quite versatile. metal is not its forte but country, blues, rock, and rockabilly can be acheived easily.

to beat all that its a combo which is easy to carry from gig to gig. and i got my used for 450 dollars, well under your 1000 maximum. mine was a stellar deal but they are normally let go for around 700

[eugenedunn]

New Princeton Reverb Reissue that's just being released.

Old Princeton Reverb from the early 70's, then spend extra dough to service it and upgrade speakers.

Old Deluxe Reverb from the late 70's, spend extra dough to service it and upgrade speakers.

Used Mesa Studio 22 Plus

Silverface Champ, get serviced and get speaker upgrade and also get a Fender reissue outboard reverb tank. Now that's what I'm talking about! (^_^)

[Zhurh]

I see 60's Super Reverbs on C.L. couple times a year for 800-1200; hard to beat.

You'll find used Fender clones on emporiums for 1500-2000. I notice Bruno Cowtippers and they actually sound better than old fenders to my ears.

[woodman]

still not clear on what kind of music you play ... that's a big factor. just firing blind, i'd recommend trying a tweed Deluxe clone and see if it's for you.

[JohnnyCrash]

Depends on your kind of music, but...

Fender BF Deluxe Reverb reissue
The new Fender BF Princeton Reverb reissue
Or any of the "65 reissue" amps for that matter (like the Twin and Super)

The '59 Bassman (while you're at it, compare it to a Marshall JTM45)
While we're on the subject of tweed covered Fenders, try out the new '57 RI Deluxe.

Vox AC30 (or AC15) with Celestion Blue speakers

Peavey Classic 30 or Classic 50. Great sounding all-around amps that can cover a huge amount of territory and they're inexpensive.

Marshall JCM800 reissue (or the 1959 SLP or 1987X plexi reissues)
Marshall 1974X 1x12" 18w handwired reissue

If you're not buying online and will be test driving these amps at a local shop, try any weird vintage amps lying around.

[acfnqiowuva]

Thanks for all the replies. I play a MIA Tele and Epi LP. I bought the Tele recently and I'm looking for a quality amp to bring out its finer qualities. I currently use a 30w Vox Valvetronix which I like for clean settings (Tweed is especially balanced) but the distorted modelings are very shrill and bass heavy regardless of EQ.

I play rock and blues music. A lot of Hendrix, Clapton, Frusciante, etc. I have a definite preference for guitars but never got around to trying all different amps. From my experience, Fender amp cleans are great but perhaps a little too bright for my taste. As for distortion, I like the creamy tone I've gotten from Marshalls.

I appreciate all the help. Let me know if there are any more blanks to fill in.

[JohnnyCrash]

Originally Posted by acfnqiowuva

Thanks for all the replies. I play a MIA Tele and Epi LP. I bought the Tele recently and I'm looking for a quality amp to bring out its finer qualities. I currently use a 30w Vox Valvetronix which I like for clean settings (Tweed is especially balanced) but the distorted modelings are very shrill and bass heavy regardless of EQ.

I play rock and blues music. A lot of Hendrix, Clapton, Frusciante, etc. I have a definite preference for guitars but never got around to trying all different amps. From my experience, Fender amp cleans are great but perhaps a little too bright for my taste. As for distortion, I like the creamy tone I've gotten from Marshalls.

I appreciate all the help. Let me know if there are any more blanks to fill in.

In that case I'd try these:
'57 RI Fender Deluxe
Marshall 1974X reissue
Peavey Classic 30

Great overdriven sounds, for sure. I built clones of the first two and I owned three Peavey Classics (a C30, and two C50's)... I like them all for rock/blues.

[Axis29]

Originally Posted by JohnnyCrash

In that case I'd try these:
'57 RI Fender Deluxe
Marshall 1974X reissue
Peavey Classic 30

Great overdriven sounds, for sure. I built clones of the first two and I owned three Peavey Classics (a C30, and two C50's)... I like them all for rock/blues.

I'd only add one to Johnny's list and that's a 59 Bassman, but I'm not sure how much they're goin for these days. Not nearly as shrill as the blackface amps.... you know, that Princeton Reissue might not be a bad voicing....


Oh you know you mention Hendrix and Clapton... Clapton's beenknown to use tweed voiced amps some... a champ in the 70's in the studio. Hendrix used Fender's in the studio. I get a nice Hendrix Band of Gypsys out of my Deluxe Reverb Reissue....

[giogolf]

I agree with the last 2 posters, but based on your musical preference I will put those amps in order.

1. Marshall 197X Combo (This is the amp you should try first)
2. Bassman Reissue Combo (Circuit is what early Marshall's where based off of)
3. Fender Tweed Deluxe (I have one and it will do almost anything)

[ac15]

If you play blues or roots music, or music that requires that type of sound, I strongly suggest a Mesa Blue Angel 4x10 combo. You can pick one up used for about $800. Fantastic reverb, great cleans, overdrives nicely. A simple, nice sounding amp.

[11 Gauge]

Originally Posted by acfnqiowuva

To clarify, I'm looking for a jamming/gigging amp.

If it is a gigging amp, fiddling with it in the store or at home probably won't give you an accurate feel for if it works with a band, more specifically, your bandmates, and even more specifically - if you like what it does within the context of your band.

My best advice won't be very practical, but I suggest that you try stuff that you can borrow or rent, at actual gigs. Start with your buddies' amps, if they'll let you borrow them. If this is out of the question, you need to at least figure out a few criteria:

- How much power do you need?

- How flexible is the amp's design to help you tweak it until you are happy with it? Note: flexibility doesn't necessarily mean that the amp has a zillion switches, knobs and channels.

I personally prefer amps that are somewhat power scaleable, by switching power tubes, rectifiers, and rebiasing. My favorites are the Marshall JTM45 and Fender Super Reverb. JMO.

Then there's the issue of finding an amp that you simply bond with. We could name a thousand different amps, and you might not like any of them. I kind of associate trying out guitars and amps to dating. You just aren't really going to know if the connection is there until you try it.

If you are afraid of buyer's remorse, try to limit it to amps that you won't take a bath on if you have to turn around and sell it.

Above all else, try to have fun in the process. Don't overthink it. Let your ears and intuition be your guide.

[Yoni]

I'm a huge fan of the Peavey Classic 50 4x10 it plays like a half stack and will cover the ground your looking to play plus it has or did have a built in fan to keep the tubes cool.

[Wardpike]

Originally Posted by Spidercaster

I recommend a Dr. Z Carmen Ghia.

+2. Try everything by Dr. Z and then look for one used!

[zosofan]

In addition to the amps already mentioned I'd at least test drive a Epiphone So-CAL 50.
I don't own one but I've tried out a couple and it sounds close to the type of tone your style covers.
HTH
Eric

[DevOl]

How is the Amp hunt going? Only a few months ago I was in the same situation. I had a thousand +change to spend on a quality amp (been playing for years out of a Line 6 Pod and a bass amp cab... yeah, I Needed a gutiar amp!).

Anyway, what helped me was reading about a gazillion reviews on sites like MusiciansFriend.com and also going on and watching a gazillion videos on YouTube.

I am a fan of Hendrix and Frusciante and Clapton. But I really didn't care to have their sound, though I love Frusciante's style most. I ended up with the Vox AC30 and haven't regretted it at all.

It's got really nice highs and solid lows too. And everything in between is obtainable by tweaking a few knobs. It breaks up really good on hot pickups, and it has a Master Vol knob to cut the power circuit so you can break the amp up without blowing your ears in. Infinite possibilities in sound. My overall theory, now (after owning 1 amp, I know!) is that you should find the clean sound you love, then find ways to dirty it up. Keep in mind that you can't do that the other way around. 1000 bucks is an investment.

Hope this helped. Good Luck!

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