Best Amp You've Ever Played Through-Clean

[Jim L]

'73 Pro Reverb with a pair of Webers. Even after being blackfaced, that thing stayed clean for days.

[surfoverb]

Originally Posted by Big John

Big John with a DualShowman with 2 X 15' JBL's

Do you still have that amp? I've had a 68 dual showman that I always wanted to get a 2X15 cab for but never did...That's a killer surf rig! What was the name of the band? Do you still have that tele? What's the deal with those outfits?

[blackguard1135]

Bruno Cowtipper 35 w/ Celestion Gold,

66 BFDR,

or
Bad Cat Cub 30 R 2X10 Weber Alnicos

all SWEET clean at different vol levels

[octatonic]

Matchless HC30 with Matchless 2x12 with mismatched speakers.

[Ricko79]

Roland JC-90 awesome clean sound from those 2-10s

[garytelecastor]

Matchless DC-30

[strat64]

Swart Atomic Space Tone - big fat cleans tones, with amazing bloom on the notes.

[sanhozay]

Best clean amp by a big margin was a '68 Super Reverb with 4 CTS speakers. Great amp with unreal tone. I used a klon and a strat and played with a bunch of volume. Them was the days.

My health failed and I could not handle the load in of that beasty box and sold it for a song to a fellow player. I sold it for short bills because I paid short money - although it took some coinage to bring it up to snuff - but I felt it was healthy for the karma to pass it on to a player that could crank it up. Not many places that will tolerate that kind of amp, especially with so many high quality PA's available now.

[sanhozay]

Originally Posted by strat64

Swart Atomic Space Tone - big fat cleans tones, with amazing bloom on the notes.

That's my favorite amp at the moment! I'm not getting much cleans from it, though. Are you using stock tubes & speaker?

[sanhozay]

Originally Posted by garytelecastor

Matchless DC-30

Attachment 11493

Amazing amp! But a heavy and loud mutha!

I love the way it grinds, too

[cantolina]

Someone else said depends on what you mean by "clean"

I agree...

Amp/Guitar combinations are so subjective, its hard to get a handle on "best"

LOTS of the amps I've seen listed are awesome vintage pieces, and I have no doubt they sound AMAZING...

I've always been of the opinion that the real "sound" is in a players fingers, and the amp he or she chooses is a reflection of THAT....

I play thru a mid-80's JCM 800 2x12 that will play clean and sweet, or down and dirty....

I've also played thru a Roland Jazz-Chorus that will bring tears to your eyes...

ALL of the vintage Fender amps are incredible, but I have a particular affinity for the 2x12 models, like the Twins....

I also love the Mesa-Boogie Mark series, but I've heard some players use them that sound like broken glass...

[Razzamatazz]

'75 Twin Reverb with unknown speakers...

I just had it revised and the doc found some mods from the previous owner. I couldn't believe my ears when it came back!

The amp doc is an amp builder himself and loaned me his FAD '55 Tweed Twin version with Jensen P12Q speakers. Beautiful clean country tone that breaks up nicely with pedals. It didn't convince me in the living room but it blew away the TR at the rehearsal because I can't turn up the TR to its sweet spot.

Only yesterday we tried to improve the tone of the other guitarist's Super 60, but it kept sounding boxy, gnarling and definitely not shimmering or sweet compared to the TR.

So TR for me, if it wasn't for the sheer loudness of the beast.

I haven't played many other amps, but the ones I have didn't impressed me really. I have a Conquest tube 65 head (Vox AC50-ish) that has potential with the right cab. Have played a blackfaced SFDR that had too much breakup to my liking. Have played a Hot Rod Deville 4x10" that was nice, but the reverb wasn't great. That's it.

I'm thinking of having a FAD built for me in the far future, but first I need to find out for myself what I'm after tonewise.

[DaBender]

My '64 Concert does a pretty sweet clean.

[defaultoprime]

Originally Posted by DaBender

My '64 Concert does a pretty sweet clean.

Ditto that... I just bought my '65 Concert today and it does the best clean I've ever played through by a long-shot...

[nvosmeier]

My SuperSonic and my Super Twin Reverb

[Scott S]

I just got some very lovely cleans out of my 5E7 clone with metal 6L6's and a 5Y3. Oh, and my Rickenbacker 330.

- Scott

[E Baxter Put]

I really like the cleans from Twin reverbs. I had a 79 stock twin reverb that just sounded incredible clean. But I also like this:

[Radspin]

I have a '65 Princeton Reverb with a reissue Jensen ceramic speaker (I can't remember the model number) that sounds sublime. I've had it for around 30 years and would never part with it.

[CatfishStudios]

Im a Telecaster player..but I also use a Les Paul..I needed an amp that would bring forth the nuances of both these tones, both clean and driven...I tried MANY amps with both axe's and It came between the 59' Bassman LTD..and the 65' Twin Reverb custom 15...I ended up getting the Bassman...but still desire the blackface tone as well..But the natural swirly goodness of a tweed bassman with 4-10's is unbeatable in my book...I would not mind still getting the 15" Twin and running an a/b/y switch.

[hockey_head]

80's marshall 50 short stack and combo with a gibson bucker is the sweetest
clean blues tone.... even without verb.

[Michaell]

Dual Professional

custom shop purchase in 2000

[Razzamatazz]

Originally Posted by CatfishStudios

Im a Telecaster player..but I also use a Les Paul..I needed an amp that would bring forth the nuances of both these tones, both clean and driven...I tried MANY amps with both axe's and It came between the 59' Bassman LTD..and the 65' Twin Reverb custom 15...I ended up getting the Bassman...but still desire the blackface tone as well..But the natural swirly goodness of a tweed bassman with 4-10's is unbeatable in my book...I would not mind still getting the 15" Twin and running an a/b/y switch.

I tried the '59 Bassman this weekend and was very impressed. It is warmer and darker than a twin reverb and IMO better for blues than my twin reverb. Dunno if it can do a Shadows or country sound like I need now in my band.

[CatfishStudios]

A Tele through a 59 Bassman CAN do what you need in a country band! BUT...your right, I think the blacface tones are better for that ...Im more a blues/rock/jazz/funk player ..and the tweed rings my bell.

[hal]

Interesting that a bunch of Princetons showed up in this thread. I am back to playing my 66 Deluxe at all my gigs, but I might have to go with my Princeton for best clean tone as well. It's a 68--in the avatar.

[romo]

Originally Posted by strat64

Swart Atomic Space Tone - big fat cleans tones, with amazing bloom on the notes.

I hear this amp is pretty amazing. A buddy of mine has one of these on order right now. I can't wait for him to give me a full report on it.

The best amp I have played through, period, is the Dr Z Carmen Ghia. I have sold off my other Zs, my Pro Reverb, and a Marshall 18 watt after playing this amp. Clean or dirty, the tone of this amp floors me every time I play it. No pedals needed, just an Esquire (or tele) and its volume knob get me what I need.

[Texasjack]

Carr Rambler 1x15 followed closely by a Carr Slant 6V 1x12