recommend me some amps.

[simonc]

What Im after :

An amp with tremolo & reverb, around 20-30 watts....for smiths & cramps kind of sounds.
It needs to be loud enough to keep up with a drummer, and just on the verge of overdriven. I know both Johnny Marr & Poison Ivy used fender twins, and /or pro reverbs...
Is a DRRI what Im after? anything else that could do the trick?

I've been using 2 pathfinders for ages, and while I love them to pieces - Im looking to simplify things. Last time I looked into this sort of thing, I decided the AC30 was too heavy, and the AC30VR didn't have the trem / warmth Im after.
I do love how Vox's sound though.....whats a guy to do?!?

[Inuitdream]

Fender Princeton Reverb bro!

[el cheapo]

Just about any used Peavey of the appropriate wattage. Use pedals on the clean channel for whatever you need.

[dconeill]

Peavey Delta Blues?

[sacrificetravis]

Excelsior

[simonc]

I'm thinking excelsior, though there's few demos with the tone I'm after, and no verb...none in these parts yet either...but it's a contender. Loud nough with drums?

[losergeek]

Even though it's not 20 watts, it sounds like the AC15 is probably what you want....I imagine it's at least as loud as two pathfinders and if not stock, then with a more efficient speaker it surely would be.

I haven't tried the Excelsior, but there definitely seems to be a pretty solid argument that it doesn't quite keep up in a lot of band situtations - seems like a bit of an odd duck to me - too loud for at home and not quite loud enough for bands. Obviously opinions will always differ greatly in this area though.

[jonhart]

How much are you looking to spend ? It sounds like you're looking for either a DRRI or maybe a Vox AC15. If you have the extra cash you should look into a silverface DR or even better for your situation, the Vox AC15HW1. The AC15 is decent, but the handwired is a lot better. Those 15 watt amps are suprisingly loud. It's plenty of volume for most gigs. I played at a very large church with a guy that used an AC15HW1. I was using a 66 Super Reverb and my amp was miked. He wasn't miked and his amp was just as loud with just as much clean headroom. It's a great amp, but I'm more of a Fender guy.

[Justinvs]

Johnny Marr is a big Blackface fan. I think the Delux is his weapon of choice, but you can get the same sounds out of a Super or Twin Reverb for a lot less money.

[simonc]

The ac15 is a good amp, no doubt but I've found theres too much distortion at volumes I'm after...good suggestion though, I used to have one.

Any thoughts on the custom vibrolux reverb?

Other than that, it indeed looks like a ddri may be in my future.

[uriah1]

I modded my custom vibr delux about 3 times....dont' have anymore.
A lot of nice ones mentioned above..

[jefrs]

Hmm, got to say that the Marshal Vibratrem VT-1 pedal is better than any built-in valve tremolo I ever came across, incl Vox. It has become my fav pedal and usually on (low).

The Marshal 1962 "Bluesbreaker" 2x12 combo has a tremolo circuit ???

[jklotz]

If you can afford to go boutique, it's hard to beat a Tone King Imperial. If I could afford it, that's what I'd have. Second to that, just pick up a used DRRI. If it doesn't tickle your fancy, you could sell it and not loose much is any

[SamClemons]

Peavey Delta Blues

[dada]

Originally Posted by simonc

The ac15 is a good amp, no doubt but I've found theres too much distortion at volumes I'm after...good suggestion though, I used to have one.

Any thoughts on the custom vibrolux reverb?

Other than that, it indeed looks like a ddri may be in my future.

Had the Custom Vibrolux for a short time. Didn't like.... much prefer the DRRI. Peavey Delta Blues is a great amp. Princeton is great also but doesn't have much headroom.

[jklotz]

I've got a Princton Reverb, and it doesn't have enough juice to keep up with a drummer. Maybe our drummer is too loud?

[simonc]

Thanks for the opinions...I'd have to order a custom vibrolux in specially - no stores here seem to stock them....so its good to know some genuine feedback on them, the youtube clips sound OK, but I've been let down before with buying amps based upon youtube videos - but never from TDPRI opinion :).

I think the princeton would be a great sounding amp, though just that tad not enough volume wise...

my budget is not huge $1- 1.5k is about all I can afford.

I've never gotten along with Fender's hot rod amps either....which is a shame really because they are in my budget, and have the features I want.....is the 3rd gen more solid than previous incarnations? they've always felt a little cheap, and unreliable looking to me...* and I also just realised - no trem!

[Justinvs]

Go used. Tons of great bargains out there.

Wasn't the Princeton bascially designed to be a home/practice amp? Just saying.

[mitchfit]

something for later on, when you do narrow it down to just a few amps. spend the fossil fuels to go try them with your axe(s) and pedal(s) at a physical store. if you decide you're gonna buy it later from another less $$$ intensive source, make sure you pick up $20 (or so) worth of accessories from them as amplifier rent.

if online sales eventually drive all the hard copy storefronts outta business, buying musical instruments will truly become a gamble!!!

as far as research:

is the 'TUBE clip for this amp downstream from the same gear you'll be using? that could be hard to find, even with the vast amount of them out there. obviously different feed signals will render different output signals.

other variables to deal with...

masterful recording methods ~CAN~ make cheap-o amps sound like the holy grail. the inverse function theorem applies, also. clips for a genuine "holy grail" amp can stink like hammered dung on a low quality recording.

how good are your monitor speakers? even if yours are studio reference quality, is the digital format they used MP3, or one a little more hi-fi?

"your" sound is just that, yours. don't trust my likes/dislikes or those of others before you go dump the hard earned coinage.

just my opinion,
mitchfit

[jonhart]

Originally Posted by simonc

The ac15 is a good amp, no doubt but I've found theres too much distortion at volumes I'm after...good suggestion though, I used to have one.

Any thoughts on the custom vibrolux reverb?

Other than that, it indeed looks like a ddri may be in my future.

If you're going to spend the money for a brand new DRRI, you might aswell get a handwired silverface DR. I don't get why the reissues are priced so high. They use cheap PCB that is hard to repair if something breaks, and also hard to mod if you decide you want something a little different. As for the AC15, it has plenty of clean headroom from what I've seen. I was using a Super Reverb with the volume about 5-6 with the amp miked. The guy with the AC15HW1 was not miked and he had plenty of clean headroom.