Help me buy a new amp!!

JimmyZ · December 13th, 2004, 05:51 PM

You know that feeling when you sell some gear and then you have the cash to buy something new? Well, I just happen to have about a grand I can spend on a new amp and I've got to have some help here. I'm torn between several choices and I need your help. I play a Tele and mostly classic rock, blues and country. I would like reverb but could live with a pedal. I would rather have something fairly light weight and I don't need huge power, maybe not over 30 or 40 watts. I have been thinking about the following amps:
Fender Vibrolux Reverb (the new ones)
Fender Deluxe Reverb (new ones)
Used versions of the above in the '70's vintage (PTP)
Used Fender 63 Vibroverb reissue
Soldano Astroverb 16 combo
Dr Z Carmin Ghia or MAZ Jr (combo) used
??
Please let me know what you think about these if you own one and give me your suggestions. I can't let this go on too long...............

gls500 · December 13th, 2004, 05:59 PM

All of those are fantastic amps, yet all very different.

I don't think you could go wrong with any of them, outside of perhaps the '63 Vibroverb. I had one of those for a few years, and I just found it too thin & papery sounding, if that makes sense. It was a beautiful clean tone for sure, but didn't have much meat to it.

Another one I think you should add to your list, given the styles you mention, is the Dr.Z Z28. It's my favorite all-round amp of Dr.Z's

KC · December 13th, 2004, 06:03 PM

there's a dr. z "prescription" 2x12 combo on the weber buy and sell board for egg-zactly your $1000. be a nice little thing to find under the tree. may be a little more amp than you need but at that kind of money, you could afford to try it out & see whether it suited you.

gls500 · December 13th, 2004, 06:11 PM

I had an Rx for a while.

Amazing amp, but LOUD. I loved it, but gave it up for the Z28, which I now use all the time.

If you mostly use pedals and don't mind hauling a 2x12, the Rx might be a good choice.

e-merlin · December 13th, 2004, 07:07 PM

OK, I'm going to go out on a limb here...

You said maybe under 30 Watts and with reverb so...

Pick up one or two of the Peavey Bravos on eBay right now. You should be able to get the best one on there for under $300 and they are the most versatile amp you'll ever own, I kid you not. It will do anything. 25 all tube (EL84) watts, two channels with a boost on the Ultra channel. Great clean channel. Heck, you can probably get most of what you want on the Clean channel. Responds well to preamp tube changes. Best amp ever made IMO, and I've played a bunch.

tele71 · December 15th, 2004, 01:52 PM

is a 64 tremolux listed in the garage sale on this board right now for 700.00.
A VERY good amp for the money. I'd buy it if I didn't already have one

P

Marc H. · December 15th, 2004, 02:18 PM

And you'll have some $$$ left over for any maintenance it might need...

Kewlpack · December 15th, 2004, 02:40 PM

The VOX AD50VT isn't on your list, but it could certainly prove to be a HIGHLY versatile amp that can be set from .1w-50w.

It sounds pretty great for almost every genre I've tried.

And it sells for $360 at GC - so you can use the rest of the money for an axe or buy 2 and run 'em in stereo! ;)

Just thinkin' outside the box.
~A~

Marshall Thinline · December 15th, 2004, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyZ

I have been thinking about the following amps:
Fender Vibrolux Reverb (the new ones)
Fender Deluxe Reverb (new ones)
Used versions of the above in the '70's vintage (PTP)
Used Fender 63 Vibroverb reissue
Soldano Astroverb 16 combo
Dr Z Carmin Ghia or MAZ Jr (combo) used
..

All are great amps for your purpose. I was looking at a DRRI but went with a Reverend Kingsnake. It has a great reverb but does not have a footswitch. It is switchable from 60 to 20 watts. Weighs 32lbs. It has point-to-point wiring where it counts. It has tone for days and is way under a grand. It is in the same league whith the Dr Z Carmin Ghia or MAZ Jr (combo) used. But much less money new.
http://www.reverendguitars.com/rever...ake_20_60.html

This is a loud amp. They have another version called the Goblin that is only 15 watts. It has the same features but uses a single 10" speaker instead of a 12". Many people say its plenty loud enough to gig with. But I have no experience with it myself.

Check out the reviews.
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data/Reverend/

JimmyZ · December 15th, 2004, 04:20 PM

Thanks Marshall. Tell me about the build quality of the King Snake. I noticed that the power switch is a plastic "rocker" type switch. Do you know if the tube sockets, pots and jack are part of the circuit board or can they be replaced?
At 32 pounds it seems to be just what I'm looking for but I don't have any experience with them. Can you give a little more in depth review of your amp. I'm sure others would be interested in it too.

Marshall Thinline · December 15th, 2004, 05:34 PM

I guess to keep the cost down it is a mixture of hand wired and pc board. The switches and jacks are all hand wired. The tube mounts are ceramic but mounted to a pc board with locking tabs. It seems to be built for the working musicians.

I was looking for something easier to lug around than my DSL200 half stack. I was leaning towards a Bad Cat or an older Deluxe Reverb. After hearing a buddy at a gig with his Hellhound (the last version of this amp) I was very impressed and called and talked to the people at Reverend.

I am very impressed with the amp. It can get the Deluxe sound, Older Marshall / Vox sound and a real nice blues sound with the "lo-fi" setting. The lo-fi setting kind of reminds me of a Matchless type of tone.

With the type of music I play (rock), I tend to be using the UK setting the most at live shows. The UK setting works good when using your volume knob on the guitar for more gain on leads. At home I am constantly changing between the three voicings.

This is not a high gain amp. If you need a ton of gain, you will need a pedal. But if you are looking for a tone monster without breaking your wallet, I think you will be happy with it.

Pigsfootpeete · December 18th, 2004, 06:36 PM

The Kingsnake looks good. Please let us know how it sounds, etc., after you put it through it's paces.

Marshall Thinline · December 18th, 2004, 07:55 PM

I gigged at a club that was big enough for me to open the 60-watt setting last night. It sounded very full. I used the UK setting most of the night and rolled my guitar volume back. I opened the guitar volume up when I needed more beef for a lead. It had a nice controlled response and feeling.

I used to use my Tube Screamer for almost all my leads, but I used it last night very few times. The Kingsnake has a non-dirty but very musical responsive tone when playing leads. I find that I can use more than just the bridge pickup and not feel like there is an unbalanced sound when switching between PU settings. With my DSL2000 I could make it sound good with either PU, but when I switched between the two PUs it would sound either too bright or to muddy depending on which PU I had it set for.

So far I am very satisifed with this amp. If I were to change anything on it, I would like the Schizo switch to have a foot-switch. Other than that, I am really enjoying this amp.

jkats · December 18th, 2004, 07:59 PM

With all due respect to the poster above, I think the 63 Vibroverb Reissue could be a good amp for you if you're willing to make a couple of modifications -- new tubes and new speakers. I agree that the clean sound of the stock amp is thin, but a pair of quality power tubes (Svetlana, or SED -- NOS would be too expensive for this amp), decent preamp tubes and almost any replacement for the stock Oxfords would improve this amp's tone. Although this amp has PCB wiring rather than PTP, it has ample clean headroom (more than the Custom Vibrolux Reverb, which is very similar, but which is designed to break up earlier), is reasonably portable and is fairly affordable. Of course, a BF or SF Vibrolux Reverb would be even better because of the PTP wiring (which is not necessarily "better" but is easier to repair and mod), but is more expensive. You might want to check the Harmony Central reviews for each of the amps you're looking at, and then go listen to these amps and play through them to see for yourself. Good luck!

JimmyZ · December 19th, 2004, 10:06 AM

As I was looking for amps and leaning toward the King Snake, I found one of my favorite old amps in my local guitar shop. A SF Princeton Reverb that I had once owned. I had installed a Cellestian vintage 25 speaker (12") and the amp is very clean. I had a chance to pick it up for $425 so I grabbed it. The amp is better than I remembered it to be and will work for most small rooms. I think this will satisfy my needs but I am going to keep my eyes open for a 63 Virbroverb RI as well. I did try one and I believe that with better speakers and tubes that could be a great amp.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

JimmyZ · December 19th, 2004, 10:06 AM

As I was looking for amps and leaning toward the King Snake, I found one of my favorite old amps in my local guitar shop. A SF Princeton Reverb that I had once owned. I had installed a Cellestian vintage 25 speaker (12") and the amp is very clean. I had a chance to pick it up for $425 so I grabbed it. The amp is better than I remembered it to be and will work for most small rooms. I think this will satisfy my needs but I am going to keep my eyes open for a 63 Virbroverb RI as well. I did try one and I believe that with better speakers and tubes that could be a great amp.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

Marshall Thinline · December 19th, 2004, 03:44 PM

The Princetons are nice. I like the fact that you can push them hard without splitting eardrums. I am glad that you were able to play it first. There are some really nice sounding ones out there and also alot of not so nice.

Have fun!!!

December 13th, 2004, 05:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
JimmyZ Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Anderson, Indiana Age: 58 Posts: 153	Help me buy a new amp!! You know that feeling when you sell some gear and then you have the cash to buy something new? Well, I just happen to have about a grand I can spend on a new amp and I've got to have some help here. I'm torn between several choices and I need your help. I play a Tele and mostly classic rock, blues and country. I would like reverb but could live with a pedal. I would rather have something fairly light weight and I don't need huge power, maybe not over 30 or 40 watts. I have been thinking about the following amps: Fender Vibrolux Reverb (the new ones) Fender Deluxe Reverb (new ones) Used versions of the above in the '70's vintage (PTP) Used Fender 63 Vibroverb reissue Soldano Astroverb 16 combo Dr Z Carmin Ghia or MAZ Jr (combo) used ?? Please let me know what you think about these if you own one and give me your suggestions. I can't let this go on too long............... __________________ If the phone don't ring it's me!

December 13th, 2004, 06:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
KC Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Missoula, Montana Posts: 1,255 16 Photos	bingo there's a dr. z "prescription" 2x12 combo on the weber buy and sell board for egg-zactly your $1000. be a nice little thing to find under the tree. may be a little more amp than you need but at that kind of money, you could afford to try it out & see whether it suited you.

December 15th, 2004, 01:52 PM	#6 (permalink)
tele71 Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Washington DC Posts: 169	There is a 64 tremolux listed in the garage sale on this board right now for 700.00. A VERY good amp for the money. I'd buy it if I didn't already have one P

December 15th, 2004, 02:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
Marc H. Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Belle Mead, NJ Posts: 223	Silverface Vibrolux And you'll have some $$$ left over for any maintenance it might need... __________________ "How much more blacker can this be, and the answer is none, none more black."

December 15th, 2004, 02:40 PM	#8 (permalink)
Kewlpack Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Westminster, Colorado Posts: 155	Why not try a VOX AD50VT? The VOX AD50VT isn't on your list, but it could certainly prove to be a HIGHLY versatile amp that can be set from .1w-50w. It sounds pretty great for almost every genre I've tried. And it sells for $360 at GC - so you can use the rest of the money for an axe or buy 2 and run 'em in stereo! ;) Just thinkin' outside the box. ~A~

December 13th, 2004, 05:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
gls500 Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 894	All of those are fantastic amps, yet all very different. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them, outside of perhaps the '63 Vibroverb. I had one of those for a few years, and I just found it too thin & papery sounding, if that makes sense. It was a beautiful clean tone for sure, but didn't have much meat to it. Another one I think you should add to your list, given the styles you mention, is the Dr.Z Z28. It's my favorite all-round amp of Dr.Z's

December 13th, 2004, 06:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
gls500 Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 894	I had an Rx for a while. Amazing amp, but LOUD. I loved it, but gave it up for the Z28, which I now use all the time. If you mostly use pedals and don't mind hauling a 2x12, the Rx might be a good choice.

December 15th, 2004, 04:20 PM	#10 (permalink)
JimmyZ Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Anderson, Indiana Age: 58 Posts: 153	Thanks Marshall. Tell me about the build quality of the King Snake. I noticed that the power switch is a plastic "rocker" type switch. Do you know if the tube sockets, pots and jack are part of the circuit board or can they be replaced? At 32 pounds it seems to be just what I'm looking for but I don't have any experience with them. Can you give a little more in depth review of your amp. I'm sure others would be interested in it too. __________________ If the phone don't ring it's me!

December 15th, 2004, 05:34 PM	#11 (permalink)
Marshall Thinline Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 635	I guess to keep the cost down it is a mixture of hand wired and pc board. The switches and jacks are all hand wired. The tube mounts are ceramic but mounted to a pc board with locking tabs. It seems to be built for the working musicians. I was looking for something easier to lug around than my DSL200 half stack. I was leaning towards a Bad Cat or an older Deluxe Reverb. After hearing a buddy at a gig with his Hellhound (the last version of this amp) I was very impressed and called and talked to the people at Reverend. I am very impressed with the amp. It can get the Deluxe sound, Older Marshall / Vox sound and a real nice blues sound with the "lo-fi" setting. The lo-fi setting kind of reminds me of a Matchless type of tone. With the type of music I play (rock), I tend to be using the UK setting the most at live shows. The UK setting works good when using your volume knob on the guitar for more gain on leads. At home I am constantly changing between the three voicings. This is not a high gain amp. If you need a ton of gain, you will need a pedal. But if you are looking for a tone monster without breaking your wallet, I think you will be happy with it. __________________ Shameless plug.... Merry Christmas!!!

December 18th, 2004, 06:36 PM	#12 (permalink)
Pigsfootpeete Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Memphis Posts: 324	Re: Help me buy a new amp!! The Kingsnake looks good. Please let us know how it sounds, etc., after you put it through it's paces. __________________ *....I've forgotten more than I could ever hope to remember.....*

December 18th, 2004, 07:55 PM	#13 (permalink)
Marshall Thinline Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 635	I gigged at a club that was big enough for me to open the 60-watt setting last night. It sounded very full. I used the UK setting most of the night and rolled my guitar volume back. I opened the guitar volume up when I needed more beef for a lead. It had a nice controlled response and feeling. I used to use my Tube Screamer for almost all my leads, but I used it last night very few times. The Kingsnake has a non-dirty but very musical responsive tone when playing leads. I find that I can use more than just the bridge pickup and not feel like there is an unbalanced sound when switching between PU settings. With my DSL2000 I could make it sound good with either PU, but when I switched between the two PUs it would sound either too bright or to muddy depending on which PU I had it set for. So far I am very satisifed with this amp. If I were to change anything on it, I would like the Schizo switch to have a foot-switch. Other than that, I am really enjoying this amp. __________________ Shameless plug.... Merry Christmas!!!

December 18th, 2004, 07:59 PM	#14 (permalink)
jkats Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Portland, Maine Posts: 221	63 Vibroverb With all due respect to the poster above, I think the 63 Vibroverb Reissue could be a good amp for you if you're willing to make a couple of modifications -- new tubes and new speakers. I agree that the clean sound of the stock amp is thin, but a pair of quality power tubes (Svetlana, or SED -- NOS would be too expensive for this amp), decent preamp tubes and almost any replacement for the stock Oxfords would improve this amp's tone. Although this amp has PCB wiring rather than PTP, it has ample clean headroom (more than the Custom Vibrolux Reverb, which is very similar, but which is designed to break up earlier), is reasonably portable and is fairly affordable. Of course, a BF or SF Vibrolux Reverb would be even better because of the PTP wiring (which is not necessarily "better" but is easier to repair and mod), but is more expensive. You might want to check the Harmony Central reviews for each of the amps you're looking at, and then go listen to these amps and play through them to see for yourself. Good luck!

December 19th, 2004, 10:06 AM	#15 (permalink)
JimmyZ Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Anderson, Indiana Age: 58 Posts: 153	Princeton Reverb As I was looking for amps and leaning toward the King Snake, I found one of my favorite old amps in my local guitar shop. A SF Princeton Reverb that I had once owned. I had installed a Cellestian vintage 25 speaker (12") and the amp is very clean. I had a chance to pick it up for $425 so I grabbed it. The amp is better than I remembered it to be and will work for most small rooms. I think this will satisfy my needs but I am going to keep my eyes open for a 63 Virbroverb RI as well. I did try one and I believe that with better speakers and tubes that could be a great amp. Thanks for all the suggestions. __________________ If the phone don't ring it's me!

December 19th, 2004, 10:06 AM	#16 (permalink)
JimmyZ Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Anderson, Indiana Age: 58 Posts: 153	Princeton Reverb As I was looking for amps and leaning toward the King Snake, I found one of my favorite old amps in my local guitar shop. A SF Princeton Reverb that I had once owned. I had installed a Cellestian vintage 25 speaker (12") and the amp is very clean. I had a chance to pick it up for $425 so I grabbed it. The amp is better than I remembered it to be and will work for most small rooms. I think this will satisfy my needs but I am going to keep my eyes open for a 63 Virbroverb RI as well. I did try one and I believe that with better speakers and tubes that could be a great amp. Thanks for all the suggestions. __________________ If the phone don't ring it's me!

December 19th, 2004, 03:44 PM	#17 (permalink)
Marshall Thinline Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 635	The Princetons are nice. I like the fact that you can push them hard without splitting eardrums. I am glad that you were able to play it first. There are some really nice sounding ones out there and also alot of not so nice. Have fun!!! __________________ Shameless plug.... Merry Christmas!!!