21 posts
I'm struggling to physically carry my 2x12 combo up/down stairs & in/out car/venues (bad back) :( & am looking to buy a 2 (or 3) channel all-valve head (new or second-hand) to use with my Vox AD212 cab (2x12" 80w Celestion Century G12 'Neodogs');
Budget: £500 UK
For: Blues, funk, jazz and classic rock (not new metal)
Cleans: Pristine, glassy cleans
Distortion: Harmonically rich, able to go from blues overdrive to Brit crunch to high gain lead (but I don't need ultra heavy metal distortions)
Reliability: This is for gigging, so must be reliable & roadworthy
Power: Probably 30-50w - needs to be loud enough to easily punch through with full band
Master Volume: Essential
Channels: 2 minimum, with 'footswitchability'
Spring Reverb: Essential
FX Loop: Essential (switchable is a bonus)
Power selector: bonus if can change from pentode to triode etc
Guitars used: Les Paul Custom, '69 Fender Strat; PRS CU24
All suggestions much appreciated :)
(Re the Vox Night Train & Orange Tiny Terror/Dual Terror, brilliant re size, budget, weight & distortions - BUT the cleans break up far too early, & there is no in-built reverb - I'm limited to 6 pedals on my BCB-60 Boss pedalboard, & I prefer a proper spring reverb to a stomp reverb pedal anyway)
Thanks guys! (I'm UK)
Rich ;)
I'm hanging out to try these new Haze amps from Marshall. The 15w head is a whisker under 10kg and the 40w combo is just over 20kg. Check out the demos on the Marshall site and on Youtube.
http://www.egnateramps.com/Renegade.html
Great cleans (6L6) with plenty of head room (65w), killer, unique drive (though Marshall flavored with EL34's) but NOT mondo heavy, (enough to RAWK some high gain leads if need be, especially if you toss a boost pedal in front), jazzy sounds, snappy - finger style, etc. Reverb. Very close to your budget....big stumbling block might be $hipping co$t though.
Yeah, I wan't one too. ;) :)
Egnator sounds absolutely perfect - but way, way over my budget :( even the Rebel 20w head is £589 UK! :( :( The 1x12 65w Renegade combo is about £985, & the 2x12 combo is over £1100 - so i'm guessing the $999.99 US will translate to £1,000 UK!
I wish I could afford one!
Rich
Sucks, didn't realize the conversion was that far off, sorry!
Maybe you'll find a perfectly suitable gem in the used world for a decent price.
FENDER Bandmaster VM, digital reverb but sounds better than the tank in my old Hot rod deluxe
Peavey Classic 30??? Maybe
voxman — Jun 02, 2009 All-valve head - need some recommendations guys!
I'd suggest one of these options: :D
I'm not sure I want to know where you have to put the meter terminals to check the bias.... ;D ;D ;D
add 150 and get one of these
http://www.andertons.co.uk/ElectricGuitarAmps/pid9300/cid557/VOXAC30CustomClassic30WHead.asp?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=pricecomp&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaxfPaEm9rs
AC30 controls always seem ass about tit - they do things only roughly denoted by their label - just twiddle them by feel.
Pretty hairy distortion - which I know you don't like.
But the real test for this head is how it takes the boost/pedals - as that is when traditionally AC30's start to scream into other places
e.g. Hi EQ boost in - Brian May.
It might be what you want.
Has my interest - just think it will be too god damn loud to use the good stuff in practice
I would try the new Marshall Haze too !!
Ciao !!
Marco
The Haze head is a no-no guys. I like the gain of the combo (saw the you-tube demo) but it has no effects loop, no master volume (although gain & vol on the gain channel), and most importantly insufficient power at 15w. (& I don't want another combo) :(
Have you looked into the Blackstar folks? They're in your neck of the woods, killer sounding stuff, very strong pricing (at least over here) and great word of mouth so far.
http://www.blackstaramps.co.uk/products/artisan/index.html
The — Jun 02, 2009FENDER Bandmaster VM, digital reverb but sounds better than the tank in my old Hot rod deluxe
Just watched the Greg Koch vid - aside from the fact he can make ANYTHING sound great, it ticks a lot of the boxes, no question & the inbuilt effects are a plus, although there's no Master Volume. It does seem to be Fender's take on the H&K Switchblade.
But I'm not a fan of Fender 6L6 distortions (I sold my Blackface & Silverface amps many years ago for Marshalls) which tend to be more like heavy overdrive rather than UK ball grabbing EL84/EL34 harmonic crunch - however, I appreciate the recommendation & I will find one to try out in person.
Kabala — Jun 03, 2009
Have you looked into the Blackstar folks? They're in your neck of the woods, killer sounding stuff, very strong pricing (at least over here) and great word of mouth so far.
http://www.blackstaramps.co.uk/products/artisan/index.html
Great amps - but the Artisan 30H is £1,000!! :( (even the 15w is £700!)
The new Laney LH50 !!
- 50Watt
- 2 Channel (Clean / Drive) with separate EQ, separate gain and separate master level !
- A "modern" switch on the drive channel (it raise low & high frequencies)
- A "bright" switch on the clean channel
- Spring reverb
- Global Tone control (..a "presence" with a different name.. :) )
- Serial EFX loop (switchable input DB sens. )
- Four 12ax7 , two EL34
I think it's a good amp... :)
Ciao !
Marco
voxman — Jun 03, 2009[quote author=Kabala link=1243943756/0#13 date=1244052835]
Have you looked into the Blackstar folks? They're in your neck of the woods, killer sounding stuff, very strong pricing (at least over here) and great word of mouth so far.
http://www.blackstaramps.co.uk/products/artisan/index.html
Great amps - but the Artisan 30H is £1,000!! :( (even the 15w is £700!)
So are ya saying a Mesa Mark V is out of your price range? HAHAHA!! ;D
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Vox-AC50-Classic-Plus-50w-Amp-Head?sku=481027
If it's $550 US it's gotta be ridiculously cheap in the UK.
The AC50/100 series isn't too bad. Very decent in that price range. I'll give it a thumbs up.
The AC50CGH is circa £800 UK. I have a Laney VC30 & 1x12 cab. I might plump for a retube & putting a G12H or V30 in to replace the seventy 80.
But the Laney LH50 Head looks very promising so thanks for that thought Marco - I definitely need to find one to try out. ;)