Solid State amp you've known and loved,,, or hated,

My Hughes and Kettner Triplex that I have had for almost 20 years now. Loaded it with a Celestion greenback and still sounds killer.

 

Solid-state amps were never manufactured to go away. They were developed to be the next stage in amplifier design. They will always be here. I've never met an amp, of any design, that I didn't find value in. I spend hours testing every amp and A/B evaluating prior to every purchase. Just like guitars, every one has positive and negative attributes that make them "what they are". If one doesn't like what it is - don't buy it. If you buy it, use it for what it is.

 

I like my Fender Ultimate a lot and have had it for about 15 years. The digital FX have gotten better over the years, but clean it’s tough to beat.

 

I've had quite a few, over the years, and I've currently got 3. I have a Polytone mini-brute III (Which is my favorite SS amp), A Fender Princeton Chorus, and a Fender Mustang IV. I really like the simplicity of the Polytone. Very simple, just treble, mids, bass, volume, a 3-way brightness switch, and a great tone. My least favorite...the Mustang. Sometimes it's better to have less choices I find the Mustang to be packed full of mediocre amp models, and mediocre effects. Not a single thing is really impressive about it, or inspires me to play. I could, however, play the Polytone all day. Too bad it's starting to crap out on me. I'll have to find someone who can repair it, but people that will 'lower themselves' to work on SS amps are a little more rare. I've had a local amp guru tell me I should throw it away because it isn't worth fixing. Some people...

 

This was my first amp too! Circa 1972. Mine was the Audition but the head was a silverface like your Sears version. It had snap locks on each side of the cabinet to lock the 2 pcs together. I smoked it when I mismatched the impedance with a 4 speaker cabinet. The repairman (family friend) couldn’t find the parts to repair it. From what I recall, it was very thin sounding. It got replaced with a Peavey Classic (Hybrid) in 1975.

 

The Mission Statement of my amp is to provide clean gigging volume and reverb. I use pedals for dirt. Tubes are not needed for this. My two gigging amps are tube, but I could get along fine with a class D featherweight amp. My bass amp is a featherweight class D.

 

I have a Mesa Boogie Fillmore but still practice with my Quantum from the 90s..

 

Ampeg's VH140CH w/matching 4x12 celestions. Loved that amp! Gigged many a moon with it!

 

I have a Crate CR65, which was my first amp, and I hate it! It has a nice 12" Celestion speaker, and a beautiful cabinet that's built like a tank, but I have never liked it. No one that I played with liked it either. I tried different distortion pedals, compressors, etc., and it always retained it's terrible sound. Maybe, I'll revisit it someday? I'm not sure why I've kept it other than sentimental value and as a lesson to my self in stupidity.

 

Champion 50XL is my main gig amp. It gives me what I need, and the models and effects are more than enough.

Another surprising SS amp for guitar is my Fender Rumble 100. Seriously nice straight up or with overdrive engaged, just dial in the tone knobs.

 

Call it impulse, but I've had a string of good-paying gigs, so I JUST NOW bought a brand new Roland Micro Cube ( in red!)


I opted for brand new, and as someone that is always posting that I only play acoustics at home ( since I now live in an apt.), between the amp models and the effects, and small size ( and battery power), this looks like a fun, 'at home' practice amp for electrics, at a quiet volume.
Just need to plug in- the Cube has everything covered.

* plus I've always loved the easy, friendly control layout of the Cubes- I have played the larger versions that friends own.

 

Fender Rumble 100? You mean the bass amp?

I've been thinking about getting a bass amp and it would be great if I could use it as a guitar amp too!

 

I currently have a few tube amps but I also have a Katana 100 that I really like. I used to have a Peavey Bandit and Studio Pro, both red stripes and they were awesome amps. However the Bandit was heavy and the Studio Pro couldn't cut it with our loud drummer. So I sold them both and bought the Katana. It's light, loud and sounds quite good. It even takes pedals well.

 

I love mine. Great practice amp. I’ve used mine for a live radio show with my punk band and it sounded really nice. Our singer/rhythm guitar sometimes uses it to the board for small shows and that sounds great too.

 

Get another.

 

Fender m-80. Not the chorus. The standard. Best amp I’ve ever owned. Needs restoring.

when i reluctantly had to retire it I got a fender champion 100. It was fine. But not as good. In the end got a tube amp.

fender m-80. Seriously great amp.

 

My first amp, the mighty Frontman 15.... cranked through a bin, it doesn't sound half bad...

 

I love the Vox Pathfinder 15R.. seriously good.

Also Red Stripe series Peavey Bandit and Studio Pro. honestly, if I find one of these as one of the backline amps, I smile.

Fender SS amps sound nice too, but the highs can be a bit harsh.. I like the Frontman series, Princeton 112, newer ones like the Champion 50XL is really good.

One of the best SS amps Ive ever tried is a roland Jc. seriously loud and seriously clean.

 

I forgot the Blackstar Fly 3, with or without extension cab... 2nd worst amp ever

 

Schertler David Classic (an older ver.).
It's been created/sold as a solid state acoustic amp, but more like 60s-70s Fender's tube operated PA due to its wide frequency range and a good old world sounding spring reverb. You can play from violin to bass guitar through it, but with 'warm' & 'low cut' switch, the amp instantly become a mixture of Princeton & Deluxe Reverb.