What is a good amp for Tele?

I have a Fender Twin Amp 100W switchable to 25W. A great amp and an excellent couple with my Tele and Strat guitars.
The issue is that it weighs 80 lbs (36,2 kg) and taking it around is a nightmare for my back...
I really don't need 100W and always use it set to 25W but I do apreciate two 12" speakers and do not want to move down to 10" speakers.

So I'm looking for a nice amp with fender clean tones and less weight.

Your suggestions are really apreciated

Hi,

the Fender Deluxe Reverb is a really good sounding amp. Soundwise it´s not too far away from your Twin Amp, because it´s also a Fender Blackface, but it has only got ONE 12" speaker. But therefore it´s pretty leightweight and easy to carry around. It has 22 watts, so just the amount of wattage you want. I would testdrive it, if I were you. :mrgreen:

2x12" combos will always be heavier, because the speaker weigh a lot. The Jensen C12K speakers for example weigh 9.65 lbs each (4,4 kg). These are the stock speakers in the Deluxe Reverb (and similar to the ones in the Twin). So having just one speaker is the easiest way to save weight.

Please don´t buy a HotRod DeVille. They are a little bit lighter than your Twin Amp - 53.5 lbs. (24.26 kg) - but they just don´t have the sound quality of a real Blackface Amp. You will miss the magic!!! I own a Hot Rod Deluxe and I have the same Twin Amp as you borrowed from a friend for nearly 1.5 years now. So I know what I´m talking about. You just can´t get a REALLY good sound out of the HotRods. I will sell mine...

But as I said, I guess the Deluxe Reverb is a good amp for you, if you´re after the Fender Blackface sound. It has an awesome sound and is easy to carry around. And you can turn it up to get a nice crunch without making your windows break (although it´s also very loud :twisted: ).

Good luck in finding your right amp!
Daniel

I have owned a TRRI for 15 years now and it permanently sits in my church where I play it every Sunday along with my Tele. It is just to heavy to lug around. My small portable amp is a PRRI which I believe has even better blackface tone than my TRRI with the obviously wattage headroom/volume difference. Just recently, I had to get the TRRI repaired, as it needed a new O/T. I used the PRRI while the TRRI was being repaired and was extremely surprised with the result. My church is very large and my concern was using such as small amp in a large venue playing along with a keyboard and base and a five singers. The PRRI sounded great with my Tele, with plenty of volume and clean headroom. I find the PRRI and a Tele a great match up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v653/ace1099/6-23-2009RESTRINGTUNETEST.jpg

I love the Fender Deluxe but my amp I love today is a VOX Valvetronix AD60VT.

I run it though a 2 X 12 cabinet and it is just great. I use the BF Fender setting the most but once in awhile I will got with the VOX AC30 and wow, Brad Paisley sound :wink: The clean Dumble is another one that I love with the Tele. Heck they all sound good except for the Recto setting.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/Pepi4/VOX/SideView.jpg

Since you don't want to move down to a 10" speaker, that really only leaves a deluxe reverb as your choice. It'll be about 1/2 the weight as your twin.

I know it only has a 10" speaker, but try a princeton reverb. They really do sound good and have suprising volume and bass response given their size and mix great with a tele.

I've been using a 65 Amps Soho for the last year.
It is such a brilliant amp.
A bit on the expensive side but they do a 2x12 that sounds huge.
20 watts.

Thanks for all your replies; i will certainly look into the deluxe reverb. I suppose 22 watts should be ok since I was playing the twin set for 25 watts, assuming that those were really 25 watts.

Vox and Orange amps look pretty nice too but i really don't have much info on their sound.

Going from your twin at 25 watts to a DR at 22 watts will be a big difference. That big output transformer on the twin adds a lot of oomph no matter what the setting. I used a half power switch on my '69 Twin (dropped out two power tubes) and it sounded bigger and punchier than a Pro Reverb when it was in half power mode.

Going from your twin at 25 watts to a DR at 22 watts will be a big difference. That big output transformer on the twin adds a lot of oomph no matter what the setting. I used a half power switch on my '69 Twin (dropped out two power tubes) and it sounded bigger and punchier than a Pro Reverb when it was in half power mode.

Thanks Durango. So what you're saying is that the 22 watts will not sound as loud as the twin. Then I would imagine that I would be best off with a few more watts (35-50).
But that brings back the weight....:sad:

Going from your twin at 25 watts to a DR at 22 watts will be a big difference. That big output transformer on the twin adds a lot of oomph no matter what the setting. I used a half power switch on my '69 Twin (dropped out two power tubes) and it sounded bigger and punchier than a Pro Reverb when it was in half power mode.

That's ONE MOD that I too REALLY LOVE!!! :cool:
Mine's got it and it's splendid.

I don't think a 1x12 vs 2x12 is exactly a fair comaprison. In the majority of the cases, the 2x12 is going to sound fuller and have more punch. IMO, there is no mini twin that offers the same exact fullness through a single speaker.

If you want that 2x12 sound, maybe try a head/cabinet or a 1x12 combo with an extention cab. It'll take two trips to haul everything, but the weight would be much more manageable.

I don't think a 1x12 vs 2x12 is exactly a fair comaprison. In the majority of the cases, the 2x12 is going to sound fuller and have more punch. IMO, there is no mini twin that offers the same exact fullness through a single speaker.

If you want that 2x12 sound, maybe try a head/cabinet or a 1x12 combo with an extention cab. It'll take two trips to haul everything, but the weight would be much more manageable.

Or put a G12-H30 or Celestion Gold in the 1x12.
Both of them are bigger sounding speakers, esp the G12H30.

Or put a G12-H30 or Celestion Gold in the 1x12.
Both of them are bigger sounding speakers, esp the G12H30.

Yup, more efficient speakers work good too.

Still.....they're not quite as full as a 2x12 twin. :wink:

This is good information... Thank you!

I think you ought to try out a Deluxe before deciding that it doesn't have enough volume. It's definitely loud enough to keep up with any drummers I've ever played with. I just bought one myself. I haven't really cranked it up loud yet, but I played in a band for years with a guy who had an original BF Deluxe Reverb, and his was loud... we were a loud band!

I don't agree that the Hot Rod Deluxe is a bad sounding amp. I don't like the way the overdrive channel sounds, but played clean I think they sound great.

Please keep in mind that for example 100 watts is not twice as loud as 50 watts. It´s more like this:


* Compared to 50 Watts:
o 40 Watts is 94 % as loud as 50 Watts
o 25 Watts is 81 % as loud as 50 Watts
o 15 Watts is 70 % as loud as 50 Watts
o 5 Watts is 50 % as loud as 50 Watts
o 1 Watt is 31 % as loud as 50 Watts

(Found this on the German wikipedia.de site in the thread about guitar amps)
Daniel :wink:


I guess a VOX AC30 maybe won´t help you with your problem. It´s also heavy as hell! :twisted:

+1 on the DRRI. I've heard a lot of amps the past year, and none sounded better with single coils than the DRRI.

A blackface Vibrolux reverb. My tele sounds awesome through it!

Does it have to be a Fender?

Anybody else thinking "Blackface front end into a 5C8 Twin output section"? :cool:

- Scott

Marshall 18 watt.

Bad Cat
Matchless
Dr Z

:lol:

I'd think a Deluxe Reverb would be ideal for the situation you describe. It can get nice and loud (though that's certainly a relative term!), loud enough at least for a good bar gig, particularly if you stick a mic on it so that the PA system can pick up any slack that needs taking up...

Tim

I would consider some NEO 12 inch speakers for that. Or maybe one NEO and a new pine combo cab to get you sub 50 lbs. Just never put it in 100 watt mode while you have it in the 112 cab. ;)

Also, a head cabinet and an external cab. I have a a NEO jensen 15 that can is rated at 150 watt, it is in a little Marrs Cab and the Cab and speaker is 16 lbs. A nice pine head cab should get you twin as ahead maybe 35 lb ??

Think out side the box I say...

Yeah, I missed the bit about how you wanted Fender clean tones. Never mind the 18 watt (though mine does rule with a tele...). You probably want a smaller Fender.

Does it have to be a Fender?

No, I'm open to everything. I like the sound of the AC30 but again it's heavy. I was also looking into orange tiny terror.

I take fender sounds as reference because I like them best on clean sounds
but I also have a Hughes and Kettner triamp (even heavier!) and I play fender as well as gibson (an old Les Paul recording and a 335).

Thanks to all for the great advice. This forum is great.

I gig quite a bit, but I never use anything as big as a Twin. I can play any gig or jam I have access to with a Princeton, Deluxe, or Vibrolux. It is hard for me to imagine that you would need anything bigger than a Deluxe when you have a Twin to take care of bigger louder gigs. A properly set up Deluxe is loud, but it will break up a lot if you push it hard. A single twelve is plenty of speaker for most occasions. Dan

Please don´t buy a HotRod DeVille. They are a little bit lighter than your Twin Amp - 53.5 lbs. (24.26 kg) - but they just don´t have the sound quality of a real Blackface Amp. You will miss the magic!!! I own a Hot Rod Deluxe and I have the same Twin Amp as you borrowed from a friend for nearly 1.5 years now. So I know what I´m talking about. You just can´t get a REALLY good sound out of the HotRods. I will sell mine...



I know everyone loves to bash these amps, but seriously, I get killer tones outta my Deville. Ive not played through too many fender amps, so I'm not comparing it to something its not. It is what it is; loud, chimey, responsive, toneful, and versatile. I agree with the opinion most tdpri'ers have on the drive channels though, not too nice. The clean channel is great and takes dirt boxes well, so who cares?
Cost me about half the price of other options in the 2x12, 50 to 100 watts range and sounds great, therefor it was the right choice for me . Consider trying one out.

I know everyone loves to bash these amps

I in fact hate to bash them. But my experience of ownership with a HRDV was not conducive to loving the amp, nor publihing much positive. Thus any 'bashing' you may have seen me personally enter negative information was/is but really accurate review data. Now, on the 1993 Super I have now you won't see much negative info coming from me. ;)

Just saying, any negative HRDV posts you may have read of mine are warranted, it's not that I love to say bad things about it.. Just saying

Try a Reverend Kingsnake or Hellhound if you can find one.

Someone else has already pointed out the Vibrolux and though it has 2x10's instead of 2x12's, I guess it is a helluva choice for a gigging amp.

The Custom Vibrolux Reverb is a Vibrolux designed to give you earlier break up and it won't be able to give you pretty loud cleans. However modding a CVR to turn it into a Vibrolux is not a hard task and it can be easily done. I think these amps are superior to a Deluxe Reverb because even though they also use 6L6's tubes it has a bigger OT which is resposible for giving that extra oomph we all crave for.

Another interesting issue is that many people complains about the DR not being a pedal friendly amp. IMHO this is due to the bright cap they have in the reverb input. I personally am not experienced with these amps, so take my advice with a grain of salt. Your best judge will always be your ears and it is worth to check each and every option out.

Regarding the HRD, IMHO this is the working man's amp. Pretty affordable, compact and easy to transport, and with some minor tweaks, such as some tubes swaps, it can really sound very good. Of course YMMV.

Just my humble $0,02 :cool:

my fav is the Z carmen ghia

Gibson GA 15 RV.

42 Pounds. Articulate, expressive, toneful. Can be found used for a reasonable sum.

Great Telecaster amp.

I use a Mesa F-50 combo.
It weighs about 40lbs. and sounds great to me.
Quite versatile.

When I traded in my 2x12 Gibson Goldtone (75 lbs) I bought the Dr.Z Z-28. a dual 6V6 design having an American type sound with more punch than a DRRI. Still clean if you want it. The head and cab - a 2x10 - is much easier to carry!!

Peavey Classic 30. Try one.

Maybe Swart Atomic Space Tone or ATS PRO?
You could ask for alnico speaker for AST PRO .. Celestion Blue or Gold for more headroom.. And looks killer too:twisted::twisted::twisted:

Ultimate tele overdrive tone for me is Vox AC30 with Blue Celestions in it and Twin is mmmmmmm for clean tones too.. Roland Jazz Chorus is nice with neck pup for clean jazz tones... Allof these are unfortunatly heavy as hell. Consider that i'm a bass player but in love with sound of tele's. It,s statement not guitar!:cool:

Peavey Classic 30. Try one.

+1

Just went through the amp merry-go-round myself and settled on one of these. Sounds great with my Tele.

No, I'm open to everything. I like the sound of the AC30 but again it's heavy. I was also looking into orange tiny terror.

I love my Tiny Terror, but it's pretty much a rock beast. If you're looking into the lunchbox amps, then the Vox Night Train looks good. Haven't read any reviews of the Mesa-Boogie Transatlantic but if it's on par with their other products . . .

+1 one the peavey classic 30 I do love mine :)
Daniel

Carr Rambler or a Tone King Imperial would be my choice for what you've described. Both are lightweight and sound incredible.

Do any amp geeks here know how the Fender Twin Amp's quarter power setting works? With 4 6L6's to get 100 watts I'd assume it uses a push-pull setup... does the quarter power setting actually reduce it to one tube in a single-ended configuration?

If that is the case (and I can't think of how else it would work if that wasn't the case...), then the sound you're hearing on the 25 watt setting might not be a standard Fender style PP power amp, but a 25 watt single-ended power amp. If you like the tone you have now, be aware that some of the amps being suggested might not sound like the amp you're using-- if they're similar to the Fender Twin people are probably referring to the Twin's 100 watt output configuration. What you're actually hearing may be a totally different circuit layout with a way different sound, as the 25 watt setting on your amp probably isn't just the big amp toned down. It's a totally different setup in order to produce that level of sound.
If I were you I'd look into custom building, where you could make an amp with a similar 25 watt output section designed with a nice big output transformer, while keeping everything else minimalist and light. Mainly, I am a fan of this for the actual building and tweaking which I enjoy; to be fair it probably won't save you any money anyways-- so if you are not inclined to do that, look for an amp that is 25 watt single ended (uses one tube). This is what you're actually hearing when you're running your Twin at 25 watts, even though the Twin is a "4 tube amp".

Do any amp geeks here know how the Fender Twin Amp's quarter power setting works? With 4 6L6's to get 100 watts I'd assume it uses a push-pull setup... does the quarter power setting actually reduce it to one tube in a single-ended configuration?
The amp remains in push-pull always. In 25W mode the voltage delivered to the output tubes (plate and screen supplies) is cut in half.

Bob Arbogast

The amp remains in push-pull always. In 25W mode the voltage delivered to the output tubes (plate and screen supplies) is cut in half.

Bob Arbogast

I see... that's pretty clever.
Thanks for the clarification :)

A blackface Vibrolux reverb. My tele sounds awesome through it!

A BIG +1

Right now I have a G&L Aast Classic and I play thru a
reissue Fender 40th Anniversary Twin Reverb. At 85 lbs
its hard on my back. I've had this setup for a while now
and it now doesen't sound that good. I don't know if its
the guitar or amp:confused: Some others have said look
into a Tone King Imperial and I do like that amp the only
thing that I don't like on it is the 1X12 speaker I like 2X12
I would like to get a different amp and one other one that may
work out finr is the Doctor Z:cool: