What two amps should I look at?

[Nodremark]

I just bought my first real stratocaster a 98 MIM. I have been playing a strat fender clone for some time now. It has a clone body and neck, but I have re-plumbed the guitar with all Fender electrics. PUPS are Texas specials. I have a fender squire amp in the computer room where I play at times. And in the den where I do most all of my 1 man concerts I have a Crate G-20 and a 1976Fender Vibro Champ. Ok to my question and it is a two-part question.
If I buy a new amp to compliment my "real" strat which one do I buy if;
Part 1 money is no object.
Part 2 I am on a budget and need to get a good bang for my buck.

Thanks; I know I will get a ton of opinions.

[xjazzy]

Do you plan to play in a band situation or just at home?

[Wayne Alexander]

You need to tell us more - what guitar sound do you want? Give us some examples from recordings we'd know.

And how loud do you need to be? Home only, small rooms with a quiet band, big rooms with a loud band?

[Nodremark]

OK, I play at home by myself or with someone. Never had an urge to gig. I like Waylon, Willie, John Prine, BB King, Slow Hand and if I could exchange a body part for talent I would be able to play (and sound as good as) anything SRV ever did.
A moment of silence please.........thank you.

I do not believe volume is a substitute for talent or sound quality.

[Wardpike]

Well sounds to me like you want something with mild gain, power tube compression and sparkle. The SRV tone is a result of a few things...an amp turned up very loudly with speakers and power tubes working (not just a pedal or preamp overdrive), a strat with heavier strings usually tuned down a halfstep and with higher action. On top of that, SRV had huge strong hands.

I would recommend a Dr. Z Galaxie Amp, 2x10 speaker cabinet and a power attenuator like those from Dr. Z or Badcat. If you go to the Dr. Z page for the Galaxie...
http://www.drzamps.com/galaxie.html
Listen to the sound samples at the bottom... then pick your jaw up off your chest.

Best regards,

Ward

[backalleyblues]

Methinks you already have the amp you need... that Vibrochamp is likely all the amp you ever need for what you're doing, just turn it up some, and if you're after some more dirt, put a Tubescreamer (or clone-there's lots of them, and most of them are very nice) to juice it a little more...

If money is no object, then a real BF small Fender amp, or some of the clones like Allen or Headstrong would be my choice (with the Tubescreamer, of course-in this case an original 808!) Think Princeton, Deluxe, etc.

Franc Robert
Delta Aces

[Wardpike]

I should add, I am at a similar point and debating whether or not to next add to my amp arsenal a Dr. Z Galaxie or a Dr.Z EZG50

Decisions, decisions!!

[mistermullens]

Originally Posted by backalleyblues

Methinks you already have the amp you need... that Vibrochamp is likely all the amp you ever need for what you're doing, just turn it up some, and if you're after some more dirt, put a Tubescreamer (or clone-there's lots of them, and most of them are very nice) to juice it a little more...

If money is no object, then a real BF small Fender amp, or some of the clones like Allen or Headstrong would be my choice (with the Tubescreamer, of course-in this case an original 808!) Think Princeton, Deluxe, etc.

Franc Robert
Delta Aces

I'm inclined to agree here. I don't think you'll need anything other than that Vibro Champ. Well, personally I would plug it into a bigger cab, and you'll love the sound that comes out.

[eugenedunn]

Sounds like the money no object amp should be an Allen Accomplice or Encore. Pick a 2x10 cabinet.

If you have a tremelo pedal already, and don't need tremelo on your amp, then I totally recommend the Allen Old Flame because it has a groovy 3-knob reverb section.

Best clean tones, plus bulletproof modern construction and the RAW control let's you dial in a bit of tweed if you need it.

Your bang for the buck amp should be a new Fender Superchamp XD.

[maggieo]

Get a Holy Grail Plus pedal for reverb and either a tubescreamer or a treble booster pedal and plug them into your Vibro Champ. Honestly, there are amps that will sound different, but none will sound better.

Here's my bedroom rig:



If you want something with more oomph, take a look at a Swart Atomic Space Tone. I've got one and LOVE IT!

[tiktok]

Originally Posted by maggieo

Here's my bedroom rig:

Nice! What's that neck pup?

[beep.click]

Money is no object: you might like Victoria amps.
Budget: try a Fender Blues Junior. They're ridiculously popular.

I've been playing my Strats a lot more since I got my Fender Twin Reverb reissue. Yes, it's big and heavy, but I don't play it loud -- and the Strats sound great, with that particular brand of clean tone.

[Nodremark]

Maggio,

I like the way you think. Pumping some bucks into the amp I already own make $ence to me. The speaker in the V Champ is original and the cone has the feel of an aged flanel shirt so I will need to select a new speaker. I have seen rebuild kits for the vibro champs. Is this realy a need if it works? I guess some of the hard parts have been working a long time but do I want to fix something that isn't broken?
I am a simple caveman and you new ways scare me. Could you IM me and explain what all those peddles do?

Again thanks for the input.

[Nodremark]

Originally Posted by mistermullens

I'm inclined to agree here. I don't think you'll need anything other than that Vibro Champ. Well, personally I would plug it into a bigger cab, and you'll love the sound that comes out.

I hope this doesn't sound completely lame but you mean take the guts out of the vibro champ and put it in a bigger cabinet with say a 12" or 2 10 " speakers? Is there a place to get bigger empty boxes like you do with computer cases?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Scott S]

I'm digging the Charlie Christian neck pickup. Been listening to him a lot lately.

- Scott

[tele_jas]

I'd look at two different camps of tone...

American and British.

American, go for the Deluxe Reverb

British, go for an AC30.

That's all I gotta say about that.

[robertplace]

I just went through a little modding of my MIJ Strat...going to Texas Specials. The sound came out just as I had hoped for...filling a place between the EC Lace and the AmDeluxe Noiseless that my other two Strats cover.

I also did a couple of easy mods to my Hot Rod Deluxe. I went to a Vintage 30 Celestion and a 12AT7 in V1. Total cost about $140.00

Saturday night, I enjoyed playing the two for the first time together and the sound was really nice, with lots of versatility.

The 2nd choice would be an AC30. I have one, and it really gives you a range of sounds that is very different from the Fenders in my opinion.

[e-merlin]

Originally Posted by Nodremark

I hope this doesn't sound completely lame but you mean take the guts out of the vibro champ and put it in a bigger cabinet with say a 12" or 2 10 " speakers? Is there a place to get bigger empty boxes like you do with computer cases?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Not a lame question. But, no, just get a speaker cabinet with a bigger speaker and plug the output into that speaker.

As far as for the "what amp" question, for a budget amp, I would go with a used Peavey Delta Blues 115. If money was no object? A new Peavey Delta Blues 115. I don't find that spending cubic dollars gives me a corresponding increase in tone.

[Nodremark]

e-merlin,
I put my crate and the vibro champ back to back last night with the speaker leads going to the 10" in the crate. It did sound better, but not as good as the digital crate does on its own. I am thinking I need to take all the tubes I have and have them balanced, then maybe go through the hard parts in the vibro champ and, after I get the replcement speaker see what it sounds like.

BTW I like you screen name. My middle name is Merlin

[Nodremark]

Just and update on my Vibro Champ. I took it to the a place called Amp Lab last week and the doctor told me my amp sounded like $hiot. I said, "you should have heard it with the original speaker (I had removed it before taking it in)".
He called the other day and said she is ready to come back home. Can't wait to hear my old\new tube style amp.
I have also picked up a Squire tele to plug into it.