18w TMB or Lite IIb?

[Brad J]

As the title suggests, which is the better amp for gigging duties, and why?

I'm playing british blues through a 2x12 with either a tele or lp.


Thanks!

[TheSmokingMan]

the liteIIb

why? simplicity.

[Brad J]

I'm talking more tone wise.

I have a 5e3, that's simple, but if it had more knobs but sounded as good or better so be it.

Anyone else?

[printer2]

You have finer control with more knobs than one. It can give you better control on your sound especially with different room conditions.

[Rich_S]

I played "real" Marshalls back in the '80s, and these days I have a Lite IIb. Frankly, Marshall's standard TMB tone controls have so little effect, the Lite IIb's single tone control is just as good. It allows your to adjust the overall brightness to the room, or tweak it to suit certain guitars. You have to like the basic sound of the amp from the get-go, but from there on, the tone control is plenty.

[Brad J]

Originally Posted by Rich_S

I played "real" Marshalls back in the '80s, and these days I have a Lite IIb. Frankly, Marshall's standard TMB tone controls have so little effect, the Lite IIb's single tone control is just as good. It allows your to adjust the overall brightness to the room, or tweak it to suit certain guitars. You have to like the basic sound of the amp from the get-go, but from there on, the tone control is plenty.

Up until a few months ago I was gigging a JTM45 clone, then I picked up a 5e3 clone that had been the perfect size for my gigs,
no trouble getting the tone I want with a single tone knob.

So its more about what each amp responds and sounds like as opposed to which is more versatile, as I mentioned I primarily play blues, and have other amps to be versatile.

The main reason I ask is that I have a pre populated board and transformer set to make a lite IIb, (just need the motivation to get it built!)
but I also have a lead on a already built TMB (chassis only) that I can part trade my parts for.

[Turmoil]

I built an 18 watt TMB several years ago and found the difference between the TMB channel and the regular single tone channel to be very similar. When overdriven they sounded almost the same, but the TMB actually sounded a little better to me when playing clean. That being said, I've been playing a lite IIb for the last five years or so and I'm perfectly happy with its single tone control.