Best Amp You've Ever Played Through-Clean

casadyrocks · October 11th, 2007, 02:04 PM

Hi- In a way -this is a sort of a follow up on my Mesa amp thread.

I realize that all of us have different tastes and styles, but what are the best amps you ever played through- new school or old school? Personally, I've found numerous guitars that I love, but almost NEVER find an amp that I really like.
I would love to hear what everyone here considers the best sounding (clean) amp they have ever used,
Thanks ,Tom

maestrovert · October 11th, 2007, 02:10 PM

Hands down the absolute BEST amp i've ever heard or played through is my '63 Princeton....
i've owned and still own lots of great amps, but this one's still the best !

Jes' m.h.o., y.m.m.v.

getbent · October 11th, 2007, 02:10 PM

sf twin, tone king imperial, Gomez GVerb, bf super reverb, bf & sf deluxes. They all sound stellar given that they have been taken care of and you take 5 seconds to dial them in. I kind of think the amps I listed are hard to make sound bad.

I remember getting my super back after Craig Swancy (Craig's music Weatherford, tx) had gone through it and it just sparkled... I had an even richer experience the first time I fired up my tone king... oh my.

dibber124 · October 11th, 2007, 02:14 PM

1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb with Altec-Lansing speaker. Best amp I ever had. Sold it because I was a jerk.

purpletele · October 11th, 2007, 02:17 PM

a 63' super reverb

BritishBluesBoy · October 11th, 2007, 02:20 PM

This:

My '77 DR

tiktok · October 11th, 2007, 03:07 PM

4x10 Mesa Blue Angel

aunchaki · October 11th, 2007, 03:11 PM

SF Twin Reverb

11 Gauge · October 11th, 2007, 03:17 PM

SF VR, SR, TR...

I currently have a '71 Vibrolux Reverb that is absolute Heaven for cleans. It's a great "taste tester" amp for delay pedals, and similar stuff.

I know there's a circuit-specific reason for it, but the reverb in the silverface amps seems to be much more lush than in the BF counterparts...

The silverfaces truly shine for cleans - they make BF amps sound dirty and overdriven in comparison.

If you have only a passing fascination for playing surf/spaghetti western instrumentals, the silverface series are THE amps, IMO.

I'd love to snag a late 60's/early 70's Twin Reverb (and they are cheap right now), but I just can't justify the brutal power of one, let alone retubing, recapping, replacing a pair of 12's, etc. - but SF TR's have got to be it when it comes to shimmery cleans and reverb that will make you pee your pants

tiktok · October 11th, 2007, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 11 Gauge

I'd love to snag a late 60's/early 70's Twin Reverb (and they are cheap right now), but I just can't justify the brutal power of one, let alone retubing, recapping, replacing a pair of 12's, etc. - but SF TR's have got to be it when it comes to shimmery cleans and reverb that will make you pee your pants

+1

My first amp was a 70's Silverface TR (which I seem to recall buying for $425 in 1986, and they seem to be everywhere for around $700 these days). It sounded great, but was too heavy and all the great sounds were up above the volume level I needed, so I sold it. Three years of living in a second story studio apartment definitely factored into it.

nasonm · October 11th, 2007, 03:27 PM

I could never afford it, but A Juke Warbler

djinn1973 · October 11th, 2007, 03:30 PM

Its a tie, SF Pro Reverb, and a Victoria Victorilux.

furrfurrfurr · October 11th, 2007, 03:36 PM

Carr Rambler

fierce_carrot · October 11th, 2007, 03:55 PM

my GDS 18watter....sounds like a mini plexi...absolutely killer tone...my Ceriatone Trainwreck liverpool has a very very cool clean vibe that I'm just now figuring out....kinda like a VOX AC30 on steriods...

trag-o-caster · October 11th, 2007, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maestrovert

Hands down the absolute BEST amp i've ever heard or played through is my '63 Princeton....
i've owned and still own lots of great amps, but this one's still the best !

Jes' m.h.o., y.m.m.v.

Oh I have to chime in here with this one!

Many years ago I was doing a session, and I literally tried out a HUGE pile of vintage amps - a blond Bassman, BFSR, BF Bassman, a tweed Vibrolux, a REALLY old National (40's-ish perhaps?), and I can't remember what all else. Out of the whole pile absolutely NOTHING sounding better on tape than this old brown Princeton (this one had white knobs I do believe). I don't remember what speaker was in it, but I think it was stock. GREAT amp for low volume overdrive.

Wally · October 11th, 2007, 04:07 PM

Clean at volume.....Fender TR....and yes, the SF's seem to do more of it. The UL135 watters can be made to yield good tones with some simple mods...not too bad stock.
I have a 1970 Sunn 1200S right now that runs 4X6550's through a 6X12" cab that is insanely clean. Dual rectifiers. NEar mint. Nice, rare amp.
Re: 6G2 Brown Princeton...one of my favorite amps. I don't generally think of it in terms of 'clean', though. It has a good clean sound at lower volume. Great OD. WIth a ceramic speaker, a 6G2 rips. With an Alnico, the distortion is a bit softer and creamier.

kludge · October 11th, 2007, 04:11 PM

For clean? Depends on what you mean by "clean"...

Savage Macht 12, probably. Or a brownface Fender Super.

HC · October 11th, 2007, 04:15 PM

The amp I have now, a Dr. Z Prescription head through a 4x10 cab, is fantastic. It has some breakup, but it's still on the clean side. A very inspiring amp. And pretty loud too.

Last year I played an old blackface Twin Reverb at a festival in Lofoten, Northern Norway, it was a loud amp with probably the best Fender clean sound I've heard! Wish I could have brought it home with me.
Haven't been very impressed with other backline Twins I've used though.

Mr. Sparkle · October 11th, 2007, 04:17 PM

Any Vibrasonic. This one pictured is an early one, 1960.

bobbyg · October 11th, 2007, 04:21 PM

I get a great clean tone through my Princeton Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, 5E3 clone and the Bassbreaker. They all have different maximum volume for clean sounds but they do the job well. A good clean sound is much harder to get then a good overdriven sound from a lot of amps out there. Maximum volume for clean sound figures in with the equation.I used to have a really nice SFTR with JBL speakers and at the time the band I was with was very loud but the amp held up very well, I am sorry I let that one go.

CancerLeoCam · October 11th, 2007, 04:27 PM

My own amps.

petebradt · October 11th, 2007, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casadyrocks

Hi- In a way -this is a sort of a follow up on my Mesa amp thread.

I realize that all of us have different tastes and styles, but what are the best amps you ever played through- new school or old school? Personally, I've found numerous guitars that I love, but almost NEVER find an amp that I really like.
I would love to hear what everyone here considers the best sounding (clean) amp they have ever used,
Thanks ,Tom

This 'un. 5F4 Super. Back off a little on the guitar volume and the clean is SWEET.

Chris Callahan · October 11th, 2007, 05:45 PM

Homebrew 5F6 or SF Twin. This is my Bassman through an Ampeg V9 cab.

Wally · October 11th, 2007, 05:48 PM

Another one comes to mind....especially for acoustic. I have a Gibson GA-100
bass amp that has an ultralinear output section and tube compression. IT produces the sweetest acoustic guitar tones that I have ever heard.... amplified anyway.

Paul in Colorado · October 11th, 2007, 05:59 PM

This is my standard for clean tone:
'66 Epiphone Riviera > cable > SF Twin Reverb (non-master) with stock speakers also pushing a homemade extension cab with a JBL D-130 15" speaker.

Close runner up:
'70's Traynor Bassmaster (rubber baby buggie bumper model) with a Real Tube Reverb patched between the channels into a small closed back cab with an EVM 12L. That combination makes my Fender amps jealous.

October 11th, 2007, 02:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
casadyrocks Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: colorado Posts: 112	Best Amp You've Ever Played Through-Clean Hi- In a way -this is a sort of a follow up on my Mesa amp thread. I realize that all of us have different tastes and styles, but what are the best amps you ever played through- new school or old school? Personally, I've found numerous guitars that I love, but almost NEVER find an amp that I really like. I would love to hear what everyone here considers the best sounding (clean) amp they have ever used, Thanks ,Tom

October 11th, 2007, 02:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
maestrovert Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Branch Mi. Posts: 5,840	Hands down the absolute BEST amp i've ever heard or played through is my '63 Princeton.... i've owned and still own lots of great amps, but this one's still the best ! Jes' m.h.o., y.m.m.v. __________________ Sing the Song Bro' Play on Drummer www.godonthe.net

October 11th, 2007, 02:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
getbent Moderator Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Benito County, California Age: 48 Posts: 8,814 37 Photos	sf twin, tone king imperial, Gomez GVerb, bf super reverb, bf & sf deluxes. They all sound stellar given that they have been taken care of and you take 5 seconds to dial them in. I kind of think the amps I listed are hard to make sound bad. I remember getting my super back after Craig Swancy (Craig's music Weatherford, tx) had gone through it and it just sparkled... I had an even richer experience the first time I fired up my tone king... oh my. __________________ I got a room at the top of the world tonight, I got a room at the top of the world tonight, and I ain't... comin'... down. Last edited by getbent : October 11th, 2007 at 05:08 PM. Reason: forgot a killer amp that is beautiful and clean....

October 11th, 2007, 02:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
dibber124 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Long Island, New York Age: 53 Posts: 1,174	1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb with Altec-Lansing speaker. Best amp I ever had. Sold it because I was a jerk. __________________ "I feel that it is healthier to look out at the world through a window than through a mirror. Otherwise, all you see is yourself and whatever is behind you." - Bill Withers

October 11th, 2007, 02:17 PM	#5 (permalink)
purpletele Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Morgantown,WV Posts: 654 10 Photos	.. a 63' super reverb

October 11th, 2007, 02:20 PM	#6 (permalink)
BritishBluesBoy Friend of Leo's Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brooklyn, NY Age: 40 Posts: 4,132 62 Photos	This: My '77 DR __________________ BBB.

October 11th, 2007, 03:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
tiktok Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 3,248	4x10 Mesa Blue Angel __________________ It takes two people to paint a perfect painting: one to paint it, and the other to shoot him when it's done. http://www.myspace.com/travishartnett http://www.myspace.com/sugarcanemutiny http://www.myspace.com/davidbavas

October 11th, 2007, 03:11 PM	#8 (permalink)
aunchaki Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Western New York Posts: 1,123 16 Photos	SF Twin Reverb __________________ Two Teles, One Strat, Two Acoustics (6 & 12 strings), Two Mandolins (4 & 8 strings), One Bass (5 strings)

October 11th, 2007, 03:17 PM	#9 (permalink)
11 Gauge Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: The East Coast Posts: 2,745 10 Photos	SF VR, SR, TR... I currently have a '71 Vibrolux Reverb that is absolute Heaven for cleans. It's a great "taste tester" amp for delay pedals, and similar stuff. I know there's a circuit-specific reason for it, but the reverb in the silverface amps seems to be much more lush than in the BF counterparts... The silverfaces truly shine for cleans - they make BF amps sound dirty and overdriven in comparison. If you have only a passing fascination for playing surf/spaghetti western instrumentals, the silverface series are THE amps, IMO. I'd love to snag a late 60's/early 70's Twin Reverb (and they are cheap right now), but I just can't justify the brutal power of one, let alone retubing, recapping, replacing a pair of 12's, etc. - but SF TR's have got to be it when it comes to shimmery cleans and reverb that will make you pee your pants __________________

October 11th, 2007, 03:27 PM	#11 (permalink)
nasonm Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bangor, Maine Age: 31 Posts: 1,548 16 Photos	I could never afford it, but A Juke Warbler __________________ "i have learned to just grit my teeth, change the subject, consider their deep total ignorance, fondle the thumb picks in my pocket and go on my way" - bender-freak It's been lonely in the saddle since my horse died

October 11th, 2007, 03:30 PM	#12 (permalink)
djinn1973 Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Dixon, California Age: 34 Posts: 350	Its a tie, SF Pro Reverb, and a Victoria Victorilux. __________________ I wonder if there will be cake?

October 11th, 2007, 03:36 PM	#13 (permalink)
furrfurrfurr Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: South of Heaven Posts: 1,857	Carr Rambler __________________ Hope I'm not too Messianic or a trifle too Satanic. Meow.

October 11th, 2007, 03:55 PM	#14 (permalink)
fierce_carrot Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Iowa Age: 52 Posts: 985	my GDS 18watter....sounds like a mini plexi...absolutely killer tone...my Ceriatone Trainwreck liverpool has a very very cool clean vibe that I'm just now figuring out....kinda like a VOX AC30 on steriods...

October 11th, 2007, 04:07 PM	#16 (permalink)
Wally Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 3,567	Clean at volume.....Fender TR....and yes, the SF's seem to do more of it. The UL135 watters can be made to yield good tones with some simple mods...not too bad stock. I have a 1970 Sunn 1200S right now that runs 4X6550's through a 6X12" cab that is insanely clean. Dual rectifiers. NEar mint. Nice, rare amp. Re: 6G2 Brown Princeton...one of my favorite amps. I don't generally think of it in terms of 'clean', though. It has a good clean sound at lower volume. Great OD. WIth a ceramic speaker, a 6G2 rips. With an Alnico, the distortion is a bit softer and creamier.

October 11th, 2007, 04:11 PM	#17 (permalink)
kludge Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Minneapolis Age: 43 Posts: 1,013	For clean? Depends on what you mean by "clean"... Savage Macht 12, probably. Or a brownface Fender Super. __________________ Oz: Well, other bands know more than three chords. Your professional bands can play up to six, sometimes seven completely different chords. Devon: That's just, like, fruity jazz bands. -from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

October 11th, 2007, 04:27 PM	#21 (permalink)
CancerLeoCam Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mule Deer-Mt. Lion Safari, CA Posts: 1,649 5 Photos	My own amps. __________________ Everyone's your buddy when they want you or something from you. If you're not willing to work for free why should somebody else?

October 11th, 2007, 04:15 PM	#18 (permalink)
HC Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 163	Dr. Z Rx and Fender Twin Reverb. The amp I have now, a Dr. Z Prescription head through a 4x10 cab, is fantastic. It has some breakup, but it's still on the clean side. A very inspiring amp. And pretty loud too. Last year I played an old blackface Twin Reverb at a festival in Lofoten, Northern Norway, it was a loud amp with probably the best Fender clean sound I've heard! Wish I could have brought it home with me. Haven't been very impressed with other backline Twins I've used though.

October 11th, 2007, 04:17 PM	#19 (permalink)
Mr. Sparkle Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Carlsbad, CA Age: 40 Posts: 1,301 4 Photos	Any Vibrasonic. This one pictured is an early one, 1960.

October 11th, 2007, 04:21 PM	#20 (permalink)
bobbyg TDPRI Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: mount airy maryland Posts: 51	I get a great clean tone through my Princeton Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, 5E3 clone and the Bassbreaker. They all have different maximum volume for clean sounds but they do the job well. A good clean sound is much harder to get then a good overdriven sound from a lot of amps out there. Maximum volume for clean sound figures in with the equation.I used to have a really nice SFTR with JBL speakers and at the time the band I was with was very loud but the amp held up very well, I am sorry I let that one go.

October 11th, 2007, 05:45 PM	#23 (permalink)
Chris Callahan Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tucson AZ Age: 43 Posts: 416	Homebrew 5F6 or SF Twin. This is my Bassman through an Ampeg V9 cab. __________________ Chris

October 11th, 2007, 05:48 PM	#24 (permalink)
Wally Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 3,567	Another one comes to mind....especially for acoustic. I have a Gibson GA-100 bass amp that has an ultralinear output section and tube compression. IT produces the sweetest acoustic guitar tones that I have ever heard.... amplified anyway.

October 11th, 2007, 05:59 PM	#25 (permalink)
Paul in Colorado Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fort Collins, CO Age: 55 Posts: 4,041 3 Photos	This is my standard for clean tone: '66 Epiphone Riviera > cable > SF Twin Reverb (non-master) with stock speakers also pushing a homemade extension cab with a JBL D-130 15" speaker. Close runner up: '70's Traynor Bassmaster (rubber baby buggie bumper model) with a Real Tube Reverb patched between the channels into a small closed back cab with an EVM 12L. That combination makes my Fender amps jealous.