Amp Recommendation Time (a bit long)

Kurt · January 8th, 2007, 06:28 PM

I'm ready to upgrade my amp and would like some recommendations. Currently have a Carvin Belair-great amp for the price, good clean channel, but nothing really remarkable about the tone. Also have a DRRI which is not loud enough for some of the places I play. Plus, for me at least, my Fenders sound good thru the DR but my humbuckers sound much better thru the Belair. I use mostly an 98 AS Tele w/Bardens (for blues, some jazz, some rock), sometimes an 89 AS Strat w/ Kinmans, rarely a stock 75 SG, and quite often an Ibanez Scofield model (a lot of jazz, some funk, some pop, some blues, some rock). I prefer 2X12 combos (1X12 may be ok), no bells or whistles other than good reverb/tremolo is a nice to have, head room when I need it, some hair when pushed, cover the spectrum from jazz ballad to classic rock. When I play out, it's mid-size clubs or halls & don't usually mike the amps. No real hunger for vintage or boutique, per se. I also like very quiet amps. Price range in the $1K-$2.5K. So, other than wanting everything, I'm flexible.

RomanS · January 8th, 2007, 06:40 PM

Have you tried the Hasserl mods for your Bel-Air?

I have a Carvin Vintage 16, and I already liked it a lot unmodded, after doing some of the Hasserl mods, I really LOVE it now (I removed some of the mods, though - for the Carvin V16 there are 9 different mods, and not all worked for me, while others, like the Post-PI-MasterVolume & the 'Raw'-Control are GREAT).

Oh, and in case you are not familiar with the term, head over to the amp forum at www.carvin com and do a search there - 'Hasserl' is the user name of a guy who devised a set of simple mods that greatly improve the Carvin Vintage-series amps! I think you can also send him your ampt to do the mods (though they aren't really difficult to do if you have basic soldering skills and are aware of the danger's of tube amps).

petebradt · January 8th, 2007, 06:40 PM

Build a Tweed Super. 35 watts, 2x10. Nice amp but NO effects. Other than that, I'd suggest a BF or SF Vibrolux Reverb.

del · January 8th, 2007, 07:00 PM

if u havent tried one yet, and dont mind the weight, i suggest spending some time with a new vox ac 30. I think u might like them.

jjh37854 · January 8th, 2007, 07:06 PM

oh man, you NEED to play a Dr Z Stangray

Tremo · January 8th, 2007, 09:36 PM

Sounds like you want a Pro Reverb. 40 Watts, reverb, tremolo, 2x12, and no nonsense.

dean · January 8th, 2007, 10:11 PM

How about a Bandmaster Reverb? This might be the perfect amp for you - I know the two I've owned have been exceptional amps:

Dean

mad dog · January 9th, 2007, 11:02 AM

Mainly in the BF camp:

To buy, I'd be looking at a Gries 35 (heard so many great things) and a Sewell Texaverb 50 (going by the tone of my wampus cat, I'd say this is a can't miss proposition.)

For kit stuff, I'd go David Allen Encore or Old Flame.

tonebender · January 9th, 2007, 08:45 PM

You might want to look into a Rivera R-100. Vince Gill has used it for years and it's supposed to be really be able to crank out a lot of tone. It has good head room as well and the clean is Fender Clean. I personally own a Rivera S-120 and wouldn't trade it for anything. I've had it for 13 yrs and have never even considered buying a different amp. Rivera is rock solid and has tone for years.

backalleyblues · January 9th, 2007, 08:57 PM

Really, just about any 40-50 watt Fender (2 x 6L6) amp would do the trick here-maybe a used VibroKing? Lotsa good boutique amps can be had used as well, even some of them new...

Franc Robert
Back Alley Blues Band

January 8th, 2007, 06:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
Kurt Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: MA Posts: 359	Amp Recommendation Time (a bit long) I'm ready to upgrade my amp and would like some recommendations. Currently have a Carvin Belair-great amp for the price, good clean channel, but nothing really remarkable about the tone. Also have a DRRI which is not loud enough for some of the places I play. Plus, for me at least, my Fenders sound good thru the DR but my humbuckers sound much better thru the Belair. I use mostly an 98 AS Tele w/Bardens (for blues, some jazz, some rock), sometimes an 89 AS Strat w/ Kinmans, rarely a stock 75 SG, and quite often an Ibanez Scofield model (a lot of jazz, some funk, some pop, some blues, some rock). I prefer 2X12 combos (1X12 may be ok), no bells or whistles other than good reverb/tremolo is a nice to have, head room when I need it, some hair when pushed, cover the spectrum from jazz ballad to classic rock. When I play out, it's mid-size clubs or halls & don't usually mike the amps. No real hunger for vintage or boutique, per se. I also like very quiet amps. Price range in the $1K-$2.5K. So, other than wanting everything, I'm flexible.

January 8th, 2007, 10:11 PM	#7 (permalink)
dean Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota Age: 60 Posts: 1,978	How about a Bandmaster Reverb? This might be the perfect amp for you - I know the two I've owned have been exceptional amps: Dean __________________ "I used to be clueless, but I've turned that situation around 360 degrees."

January 9th, 2007, 08:57 PM	#10 (permalink)
backalleyblues Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tampa Bay, FL, USA Age: 45 Posts: 250	Really, just about any 40-50 watt Fender (2 x 6L6) amp would do the trick here-maybe a used VibroKing? Lotsa good boutique amps can be had used as well, even some of them new... Franc Robert Back Alley Blues Band __________________ www.myspace.com/deltaaces "It don't mean a thang if it ain't got that TWANG!!"

January 8th, 2007, 06:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
RomanS Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Vienna, Austria Age: 36 Posts: 2,671 14 Photos	Have you tried the Hasserl mods for your Bel-Air? I have a Carvin Vintage 16, and I already liked it a lot unmodded, after doing some of the Hasserl mods, I really LOVE it now (I removed some of the mods, though - for the Carvin V16 there are 9 different mods, and not all worked for me, while others, like the Post-PI-MasterVolume & the 'Raw'-Control are GREAT). Oh, and in case you are not familiar with the term, head over to the amp forum at www.carvin com and do a search there - 'Hasserl' is the user name of a guy who devised a set of simple mods that greatly improve the Carvin Vintage-series amps! I think you can also send him your ampt to do the mods (though they aren't really difficult to do if you have basic soldering skills and are aware of the danger's of tube amps).

January 8th, 2007, 06:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
petebradt Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Niner Country Posts: 3,348 12 Photos	Build a Tweed Super. 35 watts, 2x10. Nice amp but NO effects. Other than that, I'd suggest a BF or SF Vibrolux Reverb.

January 8th, 2007, 07:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
del TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: antwerp, belgium Age: 28 Posts: 98	if u havent tried one yet, and dont mind the weight, i suggest spending some time with a new vox ac 30. I think u might like them.

January 8th, 2007, 07:06 PM	#5 (permalink)
jjh37854 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Francisco Age: 35 Posts: 1,124 7 Photos	oh man, you NEED to play a Dr Z Stangray

January 8th, 2007, 09:36 PM	#6 (permalink)
Tremo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Silicon Valley, CA, USA Posts: 3,643	Sounds like you want a Pro Reverb. 40 Watts, reverb, tremolo, 2x12, and no nonsense.

January 9th, 2007, 11:02 AM	#8 (permalink)
mad dog Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 710	Mainly in the BF camp: To buy, I'd be looking at a Gries 35 (heard so many great things) and a Sewell Texaverb 50 (going by the tone of my wampus cat, I'd say this is a can't miss proposition.) For kit stuff, I'd go David Allen Encore or Old Flame.

January 9th, 2007, 08:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
tonebender TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Calgary Canada Age: 32 Posts: 48 3 Photos	You might want to look into a Rivera R-100. Vince Gill has used it for years and it's supposed to be really be able to crank out a lot of tone. It has good head room as well and the clean is Fender Clean. I personally own a Rivera S-120 and wouldn't trade it for anything. I've had it for 13 yrs and have never even considered buying a different amp. Rivera is rock solid and has tone for years.