I think I'm going solid state...

[Jakedog]

Don't get out much to jam with other folks, I'm usually too busy playing myself, but I went out last night and made a very disturbing discovery. There was a guy at the jam with an Evans amp. when he threw it up on stage I was sure it was gonna be a joke, the thing was about the size of a 15 watt crate, with a single 10" speaker. What it did was nothing short of amazing. This little bitty sucker filled the room with the smoothest creamiest tele tone I've heard in a long time. It couldn't have weighed more than 15 lbs., it was 200 watts, and just blew me away! anyone familiar with these?

Jake

[Hucklebilly]

Funny coincidence: the steel player in our band brought his new evans amp to practice for the first time yesterday. Same deal--200 watts, one ten inch speaker. Awesome sound. Nobody could believe a tiny solid state amp could sound that good.

[maxvintage]

jazz guys are big into evans amps. I haven't heard one, but some love them, others find them--waddya know--"sterile" Take a look at rec.musicmakers.guitar.jazz. You can access it through Google, and search the archives. There's a lot about evans

[The Actionman]

Got a Tech 21 Trademark 60 and love it!
I took some tweaking to get 2 channels that worked correctly for me,but the thing is super versatile and can get just about anything from clean tweed to super heavy Mesa and Marshall. Better tube emulation than Line 6 IMHO. Decent 6 spring Accutronics reverb.
The other thing about this I really got it for is the direct XLR & 1/4" out that is basically the SansAmp routed from the back. Very cool for recording, going direct into a mixing board or for headphone wailing when the kids are asleep. I haven't given up my SF Twin, but it's a different animal anyways!(and definately louder!!!)
Now that I've gained some respect for SS amps I'll have check out the Evans...still think I'm a TUBE man at heart!

Keep us posted on the Evans.

[spyder]

Ho...Evans produces boutique SS amps...normally a favorite of steelers because of they're powerful warm and clean tone...they are infact favored by many electric guitarists for the same reason...later, spyder

[ehren]

the cool thing about evans is that it is a ss amp that sounds like itslef, rather it is not a ss amp designed to cheaply mimic a tube amp. My best bro uses one. He has a SF quad reverb and the Evans gets the call most of the time. Incredible amps.

[Michael R]

I was suprised the first time I heard one too (an R150 I think), I had not heard the name before and from the size and hearing it was 150w I was thinking "ebay special", it sounded 'big' and smooth to me, and after seeing the previous comments defintely suited for jazzz, after hearing the price though they are a little too steep for me.

[Jakedog]

Thanx for all the input, I have to say, I'm a BIG tube advocate, as a matter of fact, I've spent my whole career as an outspoken anti-ss preacher. But not only was this thing not sterile sounding, at all, it was incredibly reactive to picking dynamics. I really was floored, and I'm not at all surprised to hear that Jazz guys and steel players are using them. I definitely want one, but I've found that the model I saw is about $1200 bucks. If I can get over the mental block of paying that much for ANY piece of gear, let alone a solid state amp, I'll give a full review.


Jake

[JoeyV]

I endorsed the amp for about a year and then gave it back to Evans...the amp to me , sounded like a Peavey but not as durable...There expensive and there not all that flexible...If you want that kind of sound, you can get more out of a Peavey Bandit...same sounds but definately more flexible and Im sure alot more durable. Evans uses a full range Eminence Speaker...The amp broke down quite often and it was very beamy at times...For a while a bunch of the jazz guys were playing the amp, however we all got them for free..soon as the company wanted the amps back most went to a Polytone or an Acoustic Image with a Raezors Edge Cab. The owner of the company is an arrogant and pushy kind of guy and made many enemies in a very short amount of time...Stay clear of this amp its a turd!!!
J.

[stantheman]

how 'bout 199 BUCKS !!!!
Behringer GX210...now that's what I call a deal,
and built like a brick house.
Just remember this....once you break it (solid state)
it's worthless JUNK. 1200 dollars...I could buy a car
AND a pickup truck for that money...or a Melody Custom,or a Victoria, or a chunk of Microsoft....

[ehren]

my buddy totally fried his because it had a sweater stuffed behind it and it was too close to the wall. It overheated. It was fixed under warranty. Maybe worthless junk wasn't the exact words you were looking for?

[Bob Rogers]

I think that's one reason that people love to hate Peavey gear. The stuff is cheap, so people buy it when they are starting out. But it never breaks down so you never have an excuse to buy something that sounds a bit better for twice the price.

[stantheman]

I've been playing Fender Tube Amps for
most of my life (PTP for the record) and
never had one overheat. Was it FIXED,
or were the INTERNALS switched out.
Something happens to a Fender Tube Amp
you bring it down the street, ya don't
ship it back to the manufacturer and wait for
it to come back...If I won PowerBall I would
BURN the money (overheat if you prefer)
before I'd blow 1200 Dollars on a piece of
equipment that's rendered inoperational by
a cashmere sweater. Solid State has NEVER
gained in value with age EVER. Tube Amps
are like Harley-Davidsons, they're investments
that perform...year after year after year......
I could put my jacket in back of my Pro at the
start of the Summer and leave it there until
mid August while playing the Amp 5 hours a
day 7 days a week and there would be no
issues....none.

[GilmourD]

Originally Posted by Bob Rogers

I think that's one reason that people love to hate Peavey gear. The stuff is cheap, so people buy it when they are starting out. But it never breaks down so you never have an excuse to buy something that sounds a bit better for twice the price.

EVH went with Peavey for a good reason. Their stuff is indestructable. We rent out a lot of Peavey stuff in my store, too. I want a 5150-II... [drool]

[hippietim]

Originally Posted by stantheman

Tube Amps
are like Harley-Davidsons, they're investments
that perform...year after year after year......

There's a "...rather push my Harley than ride a..." joke in there somewher.

['ol hank pank]

Gallien Kreunger made good stuff.
rl 250 and ml 250

[stantheman]

that's right H.T.; why even bother tryin'...
when you know that's when you'll know.
for the record I love Peavey gear too,the
stuff has never failed anyone I know,heck
I even own a used Studio Pro and 1978
Classic with Automix that sounds amazing
with a Tech 21 GT-2. But 1200 bucks for
a little solid state amp is a crime...
Buy the Behringer GX210 for $199 and be
done with it if you've got the Solid State Jones.

[jjmantele]

EVH went with Peavey for a good reason. Their stuff is indestructable. We rent out a lot of Peavey stuff in my store, too. I want a 5150-II...

Are you sure it wasn't all the money they paid him over the years as an endorser?

[stantheman]

Ted Nugent (a former Fender Endorser, and a
pretty decent player for a while now) plays a
Peavey. If ya wanna tell Ted HE'S a sellout I'll
come and pick you up. (can I bring my video
camera?)

[GilmourD]

Originally Posted by jjmantele

Are you sure it wasn't all the money they paid him over the years as an endorser?

Well, from what I understand, MusicMan was paying him a pretty penny... He unceremoniously dumped them for Peavey. Eddies a bit of a nut, but in a good way. The story goes that Eddie had a deal with MM that he also has now with Peavey. All the guitars have to be up to the standards of his touring and recording guitars. And the story goes on to say that he would stop in shops while on tour and play his MM EVH sig and was finding that as time went on, they weren't being made as well as his own. So... GOOOOOOOOOO BYEBYE!

[GilmourD]

Originally Posted by stantheman

Ted Nugent (a former Fender Endorser, and a
pretty decent player for a while now) plays a
Peavey. If ya wanna tell Ted HE'S a sellout I'll
come and pick you up. (can I bring my video
camera?)

LOL Dude... Telling that to Ted... I'd bring a bulletproof vest... And maybe the third battallion... And even then, I dunno. LOL

[Ben Harmless]

Originally Posted by hippietim

There's a "...rather push my Harley than ride a..." joke in there somewher.

Yeah. It starts: "I'd rather push my Hartley..."

[Teleologist]

Originally Posted by stantheman

I've been playing Fender Tube Amps for
most of my life (PTP for the record) and
never had one overheat.

Well my JMI AC30(which literally caught fire and was rebuilt some years ago) fried it's power tranny this spring - took a couple of Mullard EL84s with it. Maybe when the snow flies I'll get motivated to fix it. Fortunately I prefer Fenders and both of my one-owner BF amps are still going strong on original trannies. But my PC board Boogie MkIIC+ combo is doing just fine too and I'd much rather work on it than the Vox with it's folded over PtP circuit board.

So IMO it all depends on how the thing was designed. Many of the SS Peavy's are built to price points just like some of the newer Fenders, but there have been some good ones - like the Nashville 400 favored by some steel players. The Roland JCs weigh almost as much as some tube amps and also seem to hold up well! And not all the '70s SSers were bad either - those black & blue(with horns) Acoustics were everywhere and loud as heck.

Still... I'm sticking with tubes :)

[Nurk2]

FYI - By coincidence, there's a SS thread started up over on FDP just the other day - for people who play and play out with a SS amp. I'm a Stage 100 DSP guy myself (ducking)!



http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.htm...-11-2310:46:00