What Have You Heard or Played Lately that Made You Go, "WOW!"

[Paul in Colorado]

Have any cool amps crossed your path recently that perked up your ears and given you GAS? Have you rediscovered an amp that you already own and tweak it to do something you didn't know it would do? Share your stories here.

[Warm Gums]

I picked up a champ 600 from the used pile at my local GC for the incredible price of $50...( it was "scuffed and dirty" lol) a little elbow grease and Elmer's and it looks almost new..

It sounded pretty good, (well played in I suspect..)so I back burnerd any mods.

Over Easter week I went to PA to visit some friends, we went to a flea market..and a guy had a bunch of electronics stuff, including a big box of tubes.

I started looking thru it, and he asked what I was looking for" guitar amp stuff"
Oh he said, let me see..he rooted around a bit, and pulled out two GE 6v6s and a RCA coke bottle 6L6..then he pulled out a bag from under the table with about a dozen US made preamp tubes in it including two GE 12AX7s along with some AT7s and AU7s..any idea if they are good? Oh yea..I test em...they are decent...umm how much?...let me see..3 power tubes, bag of little guys..I dunno..$10 bucks?
They sound incredible it's like a whole different amp...

[gitold]

Originally Posted by Warm Gums

I picked up a champ 600 from the used pile at my local GC for the incredible price of $50...( it was "scuffed and dirty" lol) a little elbow grease and Elmer's and it looks almost new..

It sounded pretty good, (well played in I suspect..)so I back burnerd any mods.

Over Easter week I went to PA to visit some friends, we went to a flea market..and a guy had a bunch of electronics stuff, including a big box of tubes.

I started looking thru it, and he asked what I was looking for" guitar amp stuff"
Oh he said, let me see..he rooted around a bit, and pulled out two GE 6v6s and a RCA coke bottle 6L6..then he pulled out a bag from under the table with about a dozen US made preamp tubes in it including two GE AX7, along with some AT7s and AU7s..any idea if they are good? Oh yea..I test em...they are decent...umm how much?...let me see..3 power tubes, bag of little guys..I dunno..$10 bucks?
They sound incredible it's like a whole different amp...

I've got a Marshall Class 5 that I put a early 70's Mullard 12ax7 in...What a difference.

[swleamon]

I'm still blown away by a Dr Z Mazerati that a friend owns. I've played several Z's but this one is special.

[ce24]

My Boomerang III looper.......WOW!

[Lance]

File under "yeah - we know that".....but I played a Blues Junior III at GC and realllly liked it. Then Axis29 got his NOS BJ and liked that too. (although different) It's kinda hard to justify the boutique stuff when this production line gear sounds that good.

And of course, there's my 80's Super Champ in its new 12" cabinet with Emi Can Rex. It's really made that amp into something special.

[spurgie79]

I played a princeton RI at a pawnshop. I cranked to about 7 and thought "WOW". It's still a little too loud for where I live but I'm kicking myself for not paying the $225 for it.

[wallis222]

My Clara Super Deluxe - new to me about a week ago.

It's a tip top of the line 5e3 Deluxe clone with a vintage JBL D-130, finger jointed birch cab, PTP, running 6l6's for 30 watts.

Aside from that, I'm really liking that little Megnatone Tonemaster that Phil X plays in all the Fretted Americana YouTube demos.

[banjohabit]

my new eminence swamp thang.

[bigmuff113]

My V6 Big Muff.

[zendriveseven]

A mid 70's Fender Twin Reverb I have been playing lately in a local rehearsal studio. I've been using it with a Les Paul and zendrive and it sounds great. I'm now on the hunt for a good one.

Another "wow" moment was playing through a Matchless Chieftan at Ultrasound Studios in NYC a while back, but they're out of my price range at the moment. That place has some serious amps. Quite a few Trainwrecks too, but I was never lucky enough to play through one.

[Ringo]

Believe it or not ( in my best Jack Palance voice!)
A Roland Cube 80xl and a Boss OD3.

No it isn't going to replace my tube amps, 66 Fender Deluxe Reverb and Hinson Z28 style head, BUT ...

I have been getting some amazing tones out of the Cube, the Boss OD3 works really well with the Cube too.
I don't like all the amp models,but the JC Clean, Tweed, Vox and Marshall models sound great, the onboard reverb , chorus, phase, flange, tremolo all sound great, still working with the delay but it's good.

I paid $350 new for the Cube80XL, got a like new Boss OD3 for $50 and it's the most fun I've had in a long time.

And I'm running my Roland GR55 synth into the aux input in the back, it's a neutral input so the GR55 sounds good through that.

[Justin_D_Myers]

Fender Blues Deville 4x10 Reissue!

[E5RSY]

Marshall Class 5. I was completely surprised by it. And, I'm not a Marshall guy, in the least.

[Elibrown09]

I recently played a friends blues junior that was in a custom hand made pine cabinet. Looked beautiful, sounded beautiful, all around awesome little amp.

[Axis29]

As Lance says, I recently picked up a Blues Jr NOW. I love it. Very portable and good tone.

But, a few months ago I was out in California visiting some family... I dropped into a local music store (as traveling musicians are want to do) and played a '65 ES-125 though a used Twin Reverb Reissue. That was heavenly tone, even at the low volumes I was using in the store. But it's hard to justify another big amp right now...

I am VERY intrigued by the new Fender Excelsior. Can't wait to try one in person!

[OlRedNeckHippy]

Plugged into a 67 (not RI) Princeton Reverb and just fell in love. Like the kids say - OMG! Sweetest tone my guitars have ever made. All original. Been stored in a basement. It's slightly moldy. Offered him $400 for it and he said "OK". It was his dad's, and has been dormant for 10 years.
My 95 Delux Reverb 112 that I never really bonded with, is for sale.

[RaistMagus]

Once I played through a No-master-volume Silverface Super Reverb with Alnicos I knew this was it. Tone heaven! I got myself one and every day that goes by I grow happier.

Originally Posted by Justin_D_Myers

Fender Blues Deville 4x10 Reissue!

Very close to awsome as well.

[Chet Johnson]

Really REALLY loving a relic tweed Blues Junior that I got in trade a week or two ago.

[firemedic]

Anything you build & tweak yourself. Also a 65 Ampeg Reverberocket turned up all the way in a huge garage.