The Amp-Envy Club

Is there an amp which you admire and kind-of covet, but will probably never buy (or at least won't buy anytime soon) for some reason other than not liking it?

Maybe it's too similar to your current "every gig" amp.
Or maybe the sound doesn't really mesh with the style of music you find yourself getting hired to play.
Or perhaps it's just a touch too expensive.
Or you've got a bad back and it's too heavy.

Whatever reason, if there's an amp which you love from afar, post your admiration for it here.

For me, it's the VOX AC15. What a wonderful-sounding amp, especially when you get it right in that early-breakup sweet spot! The first time I plugged into one and tried it, the sound was pure sex to me. :cool:

However, I'm a Peavey Classic player, and my C30 with my Liquid Blues pedal can get very close to the same dirt tone and also (to my tastes) a more satisfying clean.

If I was one of those studio rat / collector types who liked to own a room full of amps, the AC15 would be the very next one I would buy. But I'm mainly a live player. If it doesn't come with me to gigs, it might as well not exist, and every time I lug a tube combo to a gig, it's going to be my C30.

So while I salivate like Pavlov's Dog at the sight of the VOX logo now, I'll probably go on living without one of my own for the foreseeable future.

I'll bite man! It's like I just gotta tell somebody. Maybe I'll feel better. OK! Out of all of the new and improved, the wonderful expensive boutique amps and the vintage collections, I just want an early 60's blackface Super Reverb. I love'em and I envy the guys that have'em. I just can't afford one of 'em!....oohhh somewhere is a Super Reverb for me!!!!!

Trace Elliott Trident 100H Custom... http://www.gbase.com/gear/trace-elliot-trident-100h-custom-shop-1996

I can't afford one and have absolutely no use for one, but I've always lusted after a Marshall full stack. I grew up with classic rock and got to play through a full stack a couple of times. Even played through one turned all the way up once. Lordy! What sound. What tone. Those bad boys move a lot of air. Oh well, maybe some day I'll play a huge stadium and have use for such awesome firepower.
-Mr. N.

I really want the Fender Super Six,nothin looks cooler.Saw a guy in a local blues band,late 70s,played his gold top through one.

I'll second the bf super reverb.

Vibro-King

(sigh)

I'll probably never buy Fender's Tweed Deluxe RI. Too expensive! But I might buy a clone, or a kit.

Just one ???

I would like to have an Ampeg Reverberocket II from the 60's and also a Tweed V front Super and a Tweed Tremolux.

I have more amps than I need already...

All of the above...

Matchless DC-30

I'd love to have an original Marshall Super Lead. I don't have the money, the gig or a practice space to turn one up, or the talent to make use of one even if I had it, but man, the glorious tones those have produced over the years... :cool:

An early EF86-fronted VOX AC30 would be great as well.

- Scott

would love an older Fender Twin. Love the sound, but for the forseeable future I cannot see the price/space/volume fitting in my life.

Has to be a Dumble.

I don't mind spending money on gear but I will never spend £30k on an amp.

For me it's gotta be an AC30.
Love the sound of the things, but far too heavy and waaay too loud for what I'd use it for. If I did get one it'd just join my Marshall Artiste and homebrew Princeton reverb in the (unused) amp pile on the landing...

Marshall Bluesbreaker!!!!

My Peavey C50 410 is awesome, don't get me wrong, but that Bluesbreaker tone.... :grin:

I tried an old classic Fender Champ at GC San Francisco a few months ago. I used a Jimmie Vaughan Strat. Its now behind a glass case. It was also pure sex for me...haha

but I think I also want a Vox AC15 too. I was intially thinking of the Night Train but the classic sounds draw me more.

yeah a Music Man 210 HD 130..... every time one comes up, I'm broke...whenever I'm cashed-up there are none to be found...it's been a 3 year rollercoaster.

Randall Warhead is an amp ive always dreamed of playing. Even though its solid state, it can stand its ground agianst others like Mesa/Boogie and Laney

Pretty happy with my AC15 at the jamspace and my Vibro XD at home, however if I have any envy it would probably be an old Ampeg V4 and a nice 4x12 cabinet, however it would have to come with a roadie included to lug it around. The head alone is probably as heavy as my AC15, but they always sound sooooo good.

I also envy the portability of a ZT lunchbox, but not really the tone.

Mine would probably be a Marshall Plexi half stack.

If I could afford one I would like an old Bluesbreaker.
My realistic amp envy (meaning I am saving up for) is a Pro Reverb or Deluxe Reverb.

65 Amps London Pro.
Too much money but a great sounding amp.

A '60s black face Super Reverb. Definitely.

I have two i would like to mention; one is a REAL super bass plexi, other is an old 60watt dean markley signature combo. had both of em back in the 80's. wish i had em back. funny how we took "vintage" for granted back then.

I played through a Carr Rambler a few weeks back (in a shop, not with a band) and I can't shake it off. North of 2Gs, I can't shake it on either. Just awesome tone, and in a box I can actually lift!

Sighhhh.....

For me, it's the VOX AC15. What a wonderful-sounding amp, especially when you get it right in that early-breakup sweet spot! The first time I plugged into one and tried it, the sound was pure sex to me. :cool:

However, I'm a Peavey Classic player, and my C30 with my Liquid Blues pedal can get very close to the same dirt tone and also (to my tastes) a more satisfying clean.So, the AC15 is like the hot girlfriend you'd have if the missus didn't mind? :wink:

I own an AC15, and some nice pedals, and can get pretty much every sound my (extremely) modest skills can make use of. But when I get to dreaming...well, it's this one:

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRlo1ZDIHVSbW4mVc50ynw_hxb3mXlsV bNYtxKPoWfn2Ps8PqVC5A


I expect to eventually own a genuine Fender tube amp, and there a couple of other nifty amps that I'll be able to afford one of these days, but I kick myself every time I think about how stupid I was not to grab an original plexi back when I was young (and did I mention stupid?)... :wink:

A friend of mine owns the best amp I've ever heard, a 5e6a Bassman. It's previous owner was a Harp player, diodes replaced the two rectifiers, it has a single 12 AlNiCo Vibranto speaker and a 125A13A OT. It shouldn't be as great as it is, but it's the one amp I covet.

Already have a vintage Blackface Super Reverb (so dam cool), so it would probably have to be either a Trainwreck or Dumble. I kinda like the sound of Trainwrecks more then the Dumble stuff, but I'd be happy with either because I'd only want one just to piss the cork sniffers at TGP off by using it to play snot-nosed 3 chord punk.

In all fairness I'd probably just go off and make my own amp over buying an ubah expensive one. I have gear that I think is great at the moment and I don't really GAS for much. The only realistic way I could think of getting stuff I like more is by making it myself.

I have a rough 3 year plan to make myself my own pedal board this year, an amp next year and a guitar after that. What I want specifically isn't currently being made my anyone else at the moment. I have weird tastes.

Audio Kitchen Little Chopper. Pretty sure I'll not be spending anywhere near two grand on an amp until the day before I get divorced. [sigh]

I'd love to have an original bluesbreaker and an old twin.

The single-ended octal preamp Siegmund Midnight Special in a Koa cabinet..... eek!

The head alone is probably as heavy as my AC15, but they always sound sooooo good.

It's heavier. By a good bit. Unfortunately I have amp envy for the V4 I already own... I live in too small a space to keep a cabinet for it, so it sits unused in the closet, waiting for its chance to strike and blow every person's ear drums within a block radius.:mrgreen:

Louis Electric 2 x 12 tweed

Victoria Regal II. 1 x 15 tweed

Carr Ramber tweed 2 x 12

The Fender CS 57. I think my obsession stems from when they first came out. I wanted one sooooo bad and tried my best to get the money together. I eventually did but once i did, they were all gone except for a few on ebay that they were trying to sell for like 2k over list price. Its always been that item thats out of reach. I have wanted a lot of gear over the years but never anything like this amp and I am not sure why. I would probably sell part of my liver for this thing. That is if anyone wanted it. Funny thing is, i have never played one.

Yup, Marshall Stack, GAS LUST

I'll NEVER need that kind of volume and I'm not good enough to play that loud either, yet . . .

Thank god I've got my lil AC4 and princeton reverb

Probably a 6G2 Princeton (Brownface or four-knob Blackface.) Unfortunately, there's no budget substitute out there that I know of...It's either vintage or boutique.

For me it's simple: Swart Atomic Space Tone.

Although the Carr Rambler is reallyl nice too...

I almost feel guilty saying that I already own what WAS once my dream amp - a '66 BF Bassman. Incredible tone IF you turn it up past 4. With two kids now, that almost never happens. The Bassman may just have to go up for sale soon...

I've been lucky enough to fall into a couple of vintage amps at steal prices, a Silverface DR and an early Blackface DR. I'll probably have to be happy with those, but I sure crave a Brownface.

I'm an AC15 player... So probably an AC30 :razz:

Sigh--
http://www.standelamps.com/vintage_plus/100ul15/index.html

DR503 For me. With Gilmour MOds of course. And a Fane loaded 4x12. Original fanes...

Too loud for me tho. So maybe someday I acually will just get a Trinity Amps Triwatt.

Every amp and reverb unit in this picture. I'd really like the exact ones here, but I would take ones from the same time period if I was forced to.

http://www.theinertia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Beach-Boys-1.jpg

I came real close to buying a super nice blonde Tremolux and cabinet at Southworth Guitars in the early 90s. Probably coulda gotten it for about $750 IIRC. Doh!

-Kevin

Every amp and reverb unit in this picture. I'd really like the exact ones here, but I would take ones from the same time period if I was forced to.

I came real close to buying a super nice blonde Tremolux and cabinet at Southworth Guitars in the early 90s. Probably coulda gotten it for about $750 IIRC. Doh!

-Kevin

Complete with the jbl d120s no doubt.

I came real close to buying a super nice blonde Tremolux and cabinet at Southworth Guitars in the early 90s. Probably coulda gotten it for about $750 IIRC. Doh!
-Kevin

A friend of mine has one and it's amazing. Quite Marshall-like actually. Early 60's brown and blonde Fender amps are my favorite Fender amps.

Maybe a Naylor Super 38 or a Komet of some type.


Ed

A Dr. Z Maz 18

I've wanted a Dr. Z ever since I found out about them. I was once known at one of my jobs as Dr. Zach, so it's appropriate. Plus they sound awesome. However, there's no way I can afford now.

For excellent broad-spectrum clean tones and warm fat-bottom funky blues tones I love the Dean Markley Signature Series 120 Model T-120R. Four 6L6GC power valves for 120W and a 3 x 12AX7 preamp section. It can do the '58 Fender Bassman tone and dial up the gain it sounds like a Marshall...

This thing can put out a real good Robert Cray style tone

Also the Mesa Boogie MkI, which the above can come close to matching as far as sound...

The trick to T-120R great sound is to keep them fully serviced and update some of the components.

The Fender CS 57. I think my obsession stems from when they first came out. I wanted one sooooo bad and tried my best to get the money together. I eventually did but once i did, they were all gone except for a few on ebay that they were trying to sell for like 2k over list price. Its always been that item thats out of reach. I have wanted a lot of gear over the years but never anything like this amp and I am not sure why. I would probably sell part of my liver for this thing. That is if anyone wanted it. Funny thing is, i have never played one.

You've got company. Never played one either, but it really stuck in my head since the first time I saw it several years ago. Must be something about the way it looks.

VT 22/ VT40 too big, too loud, too heavy ...but the way cool amps of my youth.
Marshall 1974 x reasonably light, not terribly loud, not terribly big, but if I sold all my amps, I would still be $1k short >.<

The Dickinson amp Matt Bellamy plays through
http://www.fxgroup.net/item/image_field/609/large/dickinson.jpg

Original early 60's Twin....wait...'59 Bassman...no wait...
Something about the original early Fenders that just get close to me. YOU know what I'm talking about...kinda makes ya a lil misty...