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Well fellas, a new world is opening up for me and I need some help. Here's the back drop.... My girlfriend of 10 years just became my ex... So I'm doing the mid-life crisis thing. Sold a bunch of shit, mostly hers, sold some of mine, bought a new truck and joined a band.

I need a bit of help with the joining the band thing. I've known the guys for a decade, though they formed 3 years ago. They have an amazing lead guitarist, and I'm just going to play some rhythm, maybe some keys. Kerry the other guitarist has a 100w Marshall half stack. Last week it was an outdoor gig, and they were pushing 6500w through the PA.

So the question is, what setup should I get?

considerations:

I've only played solid state (mostly modeling amps)
I'm scared (not opposed to) of tube amps because from my limited experience, they require a finesse that I don't possess (yet)
I don't know shit about pedals outside of my Line 6 Pod X3 live
I am partial to Line 6 amps (familiarity) but willing to change
*The set list contains Bush/Metallica/Nickelback/Ugly Kid Joe/Dylan/Foo Fighters/Seether/Zeppelin/Skynyrd/etc

Perfect opportunity to spend some time in the shops trying out gear!
I'd chat with the lead player and band leader if they are not the same person to get their opinion, both on amps and on a base set of pedals/pedal board (if you will be using them)
Maybe even get them to go out with you to test some gear.
Just use their opinion as a starting point to find what you like, as the gear will be yours even if you split.

There is nothing mystical or special about tube amps, they are as old as I am....
Lot of strange voodoo has been dreamed up about them, especially powering up and down, which is all BS :)
Just keep a spare set of tubes and fuses around.
If you are doing a lot of live gigging many keep a backup amp handy, that goes for any kind of amp they all can give up at the worst possible moment.

I've had more issues with Solid States becoming Silent States than with tubes.

How are they traveling to gigs? If it is in a cargo van you might want to look into a road case for your equipment too.

Any rate seem a great opportunity opening up. Good luck!

no idea what suggest tony, but best of luck with the band.

A breakup can be a trying thing so good for you Tony on moving forward and planning ahead! Life does go on so you might as well enjoy the ride.

I gigged for many years (35 to be exact) before retiring from it last year. I was in the same position (2nd guitar/lead/rhythm/vocals) as you are stepping into. The band that I played in didn't require the volumes you are talking about so small combo Fender tube amps mic'ed up worked for us. The lead player and I matched out wattage so that the on stage sound was fairly equal but the out front mix was different.

Since your lead guitarist is playing a 100 watt Marshall half stack and from my experience you'll have to match his set up in power and speakers or at least close to it. There's nothing worse than a good lead guitarist wailing away and that's all the crowd can hear...they need to hear the rhythm guitar and those harmony leads to round out the sound and make the band sound fuller.

So I would say get at least a 100 watt twin or a half stack...whether it's solid state or tube. I've always played tube amps on stage but I have a couple of solid state amps that I could get by with in a pinch. Having a back up amp is a good idea....that has saved the show a few times for me.

As to what kind of amp, well that depends on your budget and music style......You can get by with as little as $500 or you can spend thousands. Go try some out at the local music stores but keep the high wattage in mind. An amp might sound loud and proud in the store but that can change out in the open on stage. Get more than you need...head room is a good thing.

Since you are sort of used to the solid state or modeling sound you might check out the Squire Fender Mustang III twin. I think they are 2x12's with 100 or 150 watts...can't recall off the top of my head. I have a friend that gigs with two of the Mustang II amps stacked (40 watts 1x12" each) and they get loud and hold the sound. Don't take this as a stage endorsement because the only experience I've had with the Mustang series amps is the Mustang I (20watts) I use in the studio. I've had it for a year without any problems and it gets a variety of sounds but I don't know if it is road worthy.  

As far as pedals...they are a million to chose from. I prefer individual pedals over the combined effects pedals. I've tried the combined pedals but the draw back I found was not being able to switch between effects immediately. Most have you scrolling to the next effect. If you go the individual pedal route make sure you get a pedal board set up with a power supply so when you get to the gig you can just open it up and plug in. That way you're ready to go and don't have to worry about connecting the pedals or worry that a battery will fail. Also if you tire of an effect or one fails it's easy to change it out.

Just some quick thoughts but I could go on and on on this subject, lol!

I hope this helps some.

Farrell

For live work tube is always best IMO. Solid state is great for recording and the studio, but when playing live you need to "feel" the sound and you need to be able to change the sound just by how hard you hit the strings for example. There is nothing complex about tube amps, the key thing is that you have a gain and a master volume, the gain will control how much dirt you get. The beauty of tune amps is the warmth and feel they give - you can set the gain so you have a cleanish sound when you play gently but when you whack the strings you get more dirt.

Keep the pedal set up simple to start with. For most of what you want, you can get the sound from the amp. A tube amp will be great for Foos, Zepp etc. For heavier stuff like Metallica you will need a distortion pedal, or an amp with multiple channels so you can switch between clean, crunch and heavy distortion settings with a footswitch. Some of the simpler ones won't support that.

For me, Marshall rules but I used to use a 1970s JMP master volume amp, one of the all time classics, so I am biased.

Have fun!

Cheers,

Nigel

Bad news on the missus :(

But good luck on the band thing :)

Ampwise, my preference would be valve - and so will yours be once you've used it at any volume.

If you go valve, you won't necessarilly need to get 100W to match his 100W. The difference in volume between 50 and 100 is not great (and the number of and choice of speakers will affect it). Also, unless you're playing enormo-domes or outdoors a lot (or unless he's a complete nutter :D) I seriously doubt that he's using all his 100W (especially if the PA was only 6.5K)

I used to use a 50W master volume 1X12 combo (the amp inside is a "clone" of the 70's Marshall m/v amp). In all the time I gigged, and I could be pretty loud, I never got it much above 4 or 5 on the master (and that was outdoors gigs!). I also used it in set-ups where the other guys were using Marshall 100 stacks, and I was the one that used to get asked to turn down on stage by the sound engineer! (That was a 20K PA, all instruments mic'd - and my puny 50w not even a third of a way up was deemed "too loud" :()

Most gigs I did (clubs and pubs), my 50W was down to 3 on the master - and that was NOT where the good sound was, valve amps like to be cranked a bit. My current home valve amp is a 15W m/v 1X12 combo. I've had it up to the volume I used to use live - that seems to be about 7-8 on the master (and that IS where the good sound is!). The amp I have now would have been far better than the one I used to drag round hundreds of gigs.

Nobody really needs that much power unless you're trying to fill a huge space with just the backline. A lot of guys I know will seriously disagree with that (and your lead guitarist might be one, in which case you'll probably have to go his route). But I'm convinced that the main thing is in what it feels like to play. The guys with the big stacks insist on taking them into tiny venues because "it don't sound right, I can't project without my 4X12". A 20-30 watt through a single 12" speaker does project, and it doesn't sound much different at all out in the venue - ask the audience...

Unless your band is b@stard loud, so you have to keep up to join in, you're in the perfect position to learn that a smaller (and less back-breaking) solution is actually fine. If you get used to playing through stacks, that's what you'll need from then on.


You do have another option... If you've mastered your X3 and have some amp patches you like, then you could use that. You can feed it straight to the PA, but you'd need some way of monitoring it. Instead of messing around like that, I'd lean towards getting myself a powerful keyboard amp (you want clean, almost hi-fi, to get the best out of a modellor on stage), and then get the band/sound-guys to treat whats coming out of your keyboard amp's speakers just the same as whats coming out of his 4X12.

However(!) Although using the X3 like that would definitely work, using a nice ordinary valve amp would be a lot easier and less hassle (and, btw, the other guys in the band will think you're more of a "man" if you're using a "proper" amp!! :D)


I'd go with what others have said - first stop is get the other guitarist to help you out. Then just have fun trying/buying some gear and learning to cope with the sheer volume your geetar can suddenly generate (and I'm thinking of my 15 watter at home, let alone what you might end up with! :))

Andy makes a really good point.

If your backline is too loud it makes the mix out in the auditorium hard to control. You need enough to be heard on stage - use stage monitoring - and have the backline at a reasonable volume. You only compete with the drums when the sound gets front of house.

Our guitarist uses a Blackstar 25W/100W  switchable. This means you get the nice dirty sounds at relatively low volumes at the lower power setting. Mic your cab up, Shure SM57 is ideal and experiment with where you place the mic. Put the mic through the desk and out through the PA and have enough coming back through your monitors to be able to hear what you need to.

It's a black art. You should take to it like a fish to water....

Hi, lots of wise words out there, having gigged on and off for the best part of 40 years I've played through a whole bunch of amps but have two favourites. The Marshall 100w + 4x12 and the Fender Twin Reverb both of which were loud enough for most venues in the UK especially when put through the pa. Never be under powered, it is just so frustrating. I never used pedals much only an expression pedal and an octivider much preferring the natural sound of the guitar to do the job for me oh yes and I went through a period of using a chorus but not that much. Enjoy shopping...............Willie

If you are playing predominantly rhythm, I would caution you not to muddy up a band dynamic with high-gain stuff (depending on the music you are playing).  You shouldn't be competing for sonic real estate. 

There really is no right or wrong.  I wish I had my old Yamaha solid state amp because I know I could throw a couple pedals in front of it and get a killer sound.  Having said that, there really is nothing like standing in front of a juiced tube amp, and I'm not talking about volume.

I've noticed music stores carrying more and more entry items with not a lot of variety in the shops.  You may just want to spend a couple afternoons on Youtube or figure out what's behind some great tones.

My next amp will be a Fender Twin, but it's only because that's where my head is at right now.  I'd love to have a Two Rock Dumble clone, but I don't have $5,000+ to spend.

Good luck.

Blooby

I'm like Jim I don't know much about amps but the chaps above seems to know there stuff....just wanted to wish you luck on the band ..............be careful with all those groupies now your a single man playing guitar in a rock'n'roll band......break a leg.....enjoy it

Quote from: Blooby on September 15, 2011, 07:23:28 AMMy next amp will be a Fender Twin,

Dream machine - I missed a second hand one that was going for £300. Bugger.

Not sure why I did not think of this until the twin was mentioned,
don't overlook getting some good ear protection!
These amps can push some seriously ear damaging energy.

Quote from: Blooby on September 15, 2011, 07:23:28 AMMy next amp will be a Fender Twin,
Good luck.

Blooby

Great info thus far. I assumed a 100W marshall and a 4x12 were complete overkill, and I never understood the need to drag that big ass setup around.

My 75w spider jam weighs in at about 50lbs. and causes most drummers to beg me to turn down. That said, a marshall half stack sure makes the dick look bigger right?

Nigel,
You confirmed my suspicions regarding the power of the tube. I had a Vox AC15CC1 for a bit, and the guy I bought it from could make it sound so sweet, but I never came close. I know that I now have the control to use a tube amp, it's just a matter of having one at my disposal to get familiar with it. Fortunately I made a little money on it when I sold it.

Andy,
I really dig the idea of the X3 with a keyboard amp, I currently have a Roland KC-150 that I use for e-drums and keyboard in my studio. I still have 2 working channels unused. I may play some keys on a few songs, so that really seems like an ideal concept and reduces the overall load. I wouldn't have to spend a dime either....

Mike,
The backline being too loud... That's a conceptual problem that I don't think I'd be able to remedy. These guys are already vested in their setups and sound. The last thing they will want is a new guy telling them to downsize. They dominantly play 75-300 capacity dives, when they load up, its overkill. I'm won't say a word, I'll just try to fit in as best as possible.

I love my Hiwatt (http://www.hiwatt.com/) 50-watt head and 4x12 cabinet. I never gigged with it, but when practicing or jamming with various bands, I never got the master volume control above 1/4 of its rotation. It's a very loud amp. It's got great tube distortion and dynamics and great clean sound too.


Unfortunately, the price of Hiwatts has skyrocketed and they don't seem to be widely available in the US and Canada anymore. I bought mine in the seventies when the prices were reasonable.

http://www.bananasmusic.com/productdetail.asp/pid_8565/productname_HIWATT-Custom-100-Tube-head (http://www.bananasmusic.com/productdetail.asp/pid_8565/productname_HIWATT-Custom-100-Tube-head)

One thing I don't like about the Hiwatt is that it's very heavy and awkward to lug around. So a few years ago I decided to buy something more portable. I got a Marshall MG50DFX (http://marshallamps.com/product.asp?productId=37) solid-state amp with a single 12" speaker and built-in digital effects. It's very portable but I don't like the sound of it. It's muddy sounding and doesn't have the dynamics and rich tone of my Hiwatt. I'm sure that Marshall tube amps are great, judging by their popularity, but I can't recommend their solid-state amps.

There may be some good solid-state amps available but I think tube amps are the safest bet. If you want portability, look at some of the "combo" tube amps (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/tube-combo-guitar-amps). I've heard good things about VOX modeling amps, though I've never tried one.

It's really hard to evaluate amps in the store. Some stores have a plan where you can rent various amps then apply the rental fees against a purchase. That way, you can try a few amps at home or at rehearsals or gigs, then buy the one you like best. I'd recommend doing that if you can. You need to know how an amp will sound when playing with the band. You can't do that in the store. So rent an amp for your next practice session. Then rent a different one for another practice session. Try a few amps in this way until you find the one that's right for you.

Tony, Sorry to hear about your Breakup.
Sounds like a new window was opened for you and sounds like a lot of fun.
Go to your Local music store and try out some combo amps.
Alot of the amps out today that are Modeling amps are awesome, Fender Mustang for one is really good, I love mine, But maybe a good 50 watt combo amp with a pedal like the Line 6 HD or Digitech rp500 which I have would work for you. So Many amp models on it that sound Great, plus all your Delays, reverb, effects and wah pedals included. Look at some video on you tube.

Good luck with Playing out with the Band.  I know you will ROCK HARD!!
JIM

Tony, you've had a lot of good input from the group on this subject. Here's one more.....have you heard of or seen the Blackheart amps? They are now making a tube head that is 100 watts Class A/B or Class A with switchable power. In the Class A/B mode it is 100 or 50 watts. In Class A mode it is 60 or 30 watts. This is some great power versatility out of a single tube amp. I have a Blackheart 15 watt coupled with an Epiphone 5 watter as mini stack in my studio. The Blackheart cranks for 15watts and has been reliable. The BH100 watt should absolutely smoke and it's a nice looking amp to boot. Here's a picture of my mini stack.

Farrell

(https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12309.0;attach=12807)

I have only played through one once, but for a "budget" amp, I would take a look at the Jet City (http://www.jetcityamplification.com/) line.  Mike Soldano had a hand in making them.

Blooby

Hi Tony sorry to hear about you recent split with Kim ,, i hope you find someone else who can make you happy !!

Amps ! all you need is a clean, sound a chorus / flange / sound , a crunch and a lead !! i use a Marshall vlavestate which is ultra reliable and a boss gt 6 for the sounds ..

Look for something that is easy to use live and not to complicated when you are under pressure , keep it all simple and maybe expand when you feel comfortable with your setup ,,

Live is an art in itself as you will hopefully find out , take two guitars and practice like F%K !!!

There is NO subsititue than playing with the band and rehearsing till you are robotic like !!!!

Good luck and speak to you soon ..

Dunny

 

Quote from: PJD1 on September 15, 2011, 12:05:05 PMi hope you find someone else who can make you happy !!

Fortunately I did, ME! Thanks Dunny, you probably know I hang on your every word.

Blooby,

You just reminded me that I never set a price range!

I'm not afraid to drop $3000 for a long term investment, though I'd much prefer the $1500 range.

I look at this like any other hobby that costs money. Take golfing for instance, $65 for 3 hours on a course if you're lucky (that's before beers). It doesn't take long for that to add up, its just gradual. So as much as I'd like to say price is a concern, the return on the investment (both pleasure and resale value) is more what I care about.

Good luck with this Tony. As for amps, I know that guitaron just purchased the 100W version of the new Fender Mustang Amp (solid state modeling amp) for live gigging and he loved it, said it was an excellent gigging amp.  I have the 40 W version and I can say that it is a damn fine amp for the price, similar to a Spider amp, but way better tones for live play, so the critics say.....worth looking into.  Not very heavy either.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNgTipganH4

I was on the fence with the mustang when I bought the spider Jam. I was already a line 6 whore, so I continued..... I might have to track Ron down.... maybe road trip to him and play his rig.

So much amps and tones to choose. I would say this amp is the bees knees and not many people have heard of it!

The Evil Robot is the amp to get for a classic rock sound. Has great crunch too. I wanna get one badly!

There are other demos you can listen to on youtube


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CZKksFkH9A

Much good advice have been given here Tony. And ultimately ou'll have to test some amps to find the one that's for you.

From my experience, in a similar setting to yours, my only additional advice is to be light on the effects. A distortion pedal might be a good choice if you're amp only has two channels, but everything else only will mud up the sound. Two guitars is A LOT !!!! I think Henny will love me for this ( ;D ) : Do NOT use any reverb, delay or chorus/flanger. With two guitarists it's paramount to keep it simple !!!! In a recording session it's ok to experiment but live it almost certainly will get muddy if the effects are overdone !!

I am completely eating up this thread. I knew I could count on you fine folk to give a ton of viable feedback so I could make an educated decision. I've got plenty to work with and hope to have more.

Eric, when I hear an evil robot in your stable, and some examples.... I might hop on that train. You're a guitar....hero... yeah I am referring to the song.... in my world.

Geir, so true with the effects, and keeping it simple. One thing I've noticed with my limited experience is to not throw the kitchen sink at tone creation with multiple tracks. I've deleted more than my fair share of tracks that just didn't work lately.

I've got quite a bit of time before I am ready to make a purchase, this one is not going to be an impulse buy. I could easily wait 2 months before I jump on a new amp. I only want to do it one more time... for now... this time... only.

I must admit I'm with Geir on the effects.

I kept quiet about them because I know a lot of folks love them and seem to make them work in their situations.

The last band I was in was a two guitar set up. I can't remember what the other guy used effectwise, but it wasn't much. Me, I was just going through a single channel valve amp, with a Marshall Guvnor pedal set as clean as possible in front of it. I'd kick the Guvnor into action for a slight solo boost. Using the guitar's controls as well, I could get from "country clean" through to crunch and then riffing and "here's yer solo folks".

We found that nice guitar sounds, left dry, pretty much did it for us. I think he kicked in some reverb or mebbe delay for his solos, but I didn't even bother doing that. The volume and the venue make notes sound and feel lot more impressive than they do in your living room - and that's often enough to get your mojo going anyway.

Playing through my modellors in the living room - 'tis a much different story :D. I actually fiddle around with delays and stuff quite a lot. But live, I like that plain old "cooking valve amp" sound - not too much grit, but enough to put yer granny off (and get the rocknroll going).

First trip to a store, a small local one. I tried out a few amps, and crossed a few off the list. The standout in the store was a Blackstar HT-60 (60w 2x12 combo). Clean, I really wish I had the ES-336 in front of it... It was amazing. The overdrive channels were not quite what I have in my mind, but they are more than serviceable. I think with a little time tweaking it, and having my own guitar would make a huge difference.

Next up samash and GC... stay tuned..... get it, TUNED....

The Blackstars are great amps. But unless you go with a Series One 100 or 200, the gain is going to be a bit on the "less growly" side of things. Great for blues and old rock n roll, but not quite there for Metallica and harder stuff. You will want to get a good distortion to add to it or an eq. I bought an MXR M-109 6-Band Graphic EQ (http://www.guitarcenter.com/MXR-M-109-6-Band-Graphic-EQ-100100151-i1124434.gc) for my Blackstar HT-5, and it does wonders in bringing out the growl. You will the best results though by patching it in through the Effects Loop in back rather than inputting between the guitar and amp.  

Though it sounds like the HT-60's gain is not bad at all. Should be plenty to get Metallica type stuff. Most metal is not as high gain as you think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MicxsQRUKM

This one he is only using the EQ pedal and delay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f2JGGD7fFg

Or like we had talked about before... the Blackstar HT-100 - No pedals used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjWQm74l1fE

And finally and Blackstar Series One 100

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBkauwciqK0

You are after my own heart Sai. The second video is exactly what makes my short hairs stand.

I played a Mesa single rectifier tonight. The sales guys at samash asked me to turn it down, they couldn't hear the phones ring. I replied, if you can figure out a way to turn it down, then go for it. It was at the minimal settings. I'm really wondering what it would sound like at half volume....

For some amps like the Mesa, you need to buy an attenuator. It allows you to control the output and lower the volume. 

I have some serious amps and the same pedalboard as you, seriously i'll buy any amp with effects loop you like for using at home without any pedals just for play and when you rehearsal and gig plug that X3 live to the return plug just for stage sound and send the XLR outputs to the PA system, you can't beat that sound unless you use the 80's Steve Lukather's rack.
Marcelo.

Quote from: Tony W on September 16, 2011, 07:54:14 PMI replied, if you can figure out a way to turn it down, then go for it.

This cracked me up :D

I experience it when I'm trying guitars. They ask "What sort of amp do you play through sir?" (if you're lucky)... I say "oh, valve, preferrably, blues/rock crunch kind of thing, not squeaky clean, not higain"...

There was one shop always used to plug me into a nice old Fender, not sure what it was, made every guitar sound good.

But in most places you end up plugged into some sort of space-ship control board with speakers attached. It might look old-skool and rocknroll, but you need a manual and three days training to figure out the knobs on it. They dial in some sh1tty tone with buckets of reverb on it and leave you to it... you start tweaking to try and make it vaguely pleasant and invariably you hit "let's knock some walls down"... BUT (especially when it's got switching and buttons) you've no idea what you did to get there... you start frantically turning knobs trying to turn it down again... (you always seem to forget at this stage that the guitar itself has a volume control :D).


Still, trying out amps themselves, I'd expect to be turning the thing up. If the shop won't let me hear whether it can do the job, then how do they expect to sell it to me?


Sounds like you're having fun, though :)

Haven't been around much-been lurking some-i dont own a working pc at the moment.
Tony, sorry to hear of the breakup-that's brutal

Th Fender Mustang3 was good for what i was doing that night-a country gig, with some blues and rock mixed in. It was quite loud but we had a top notch sound crew from the Kawadin casino running sound. Outside gig- master volume around 6 or 7. i toiled over which amp to bring to the gig and now considering what Bill was using, i'm glad i didn't bring my 100 watt twin-it's a heavy fucker as well.

assuming the band is commited to having managable stage volume and dynamics, and everything is to be mic'd, I'm not convinced you really NEED a new amp. But if you do buy one, consider where the "sweet spot" is on your choice of tube amp.

With tube amps, the sweet spot occurs usually when your pressing it a bit. So a generally,100 watt amp is going to be loud when it sounds it's best compared to a 50 watt when it sounds it's best.

I'd run with a 30-50 watt tube amp with you POD3(with the amp sims turned off)

My favorite tube rig is simple- guitar-compressor (a "must" for country imo)-dist/od pedal and a chorus.
"the Twin" has a nice Accutronic reverb tank-i use that
This set up works well for rock too

Remember,  the guy with the 100 watter will trump everything if he choses to. If the backline gets to loud it will sound like shit-or worse a loudness war.(been there-that gets ugly) 
Got to go-work beckons me
 Ron

This Thread is giving me some serious GAS! LOL!
Yes The Evil Robot, that is one SWEEEET AMP!!! I would love to have one of them.

JIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mgYcI9mOV8

Some Classic SWEET tones for Sure!!!!

I want one!!!!!

JIM

I've been through about 20 amps, but the Marshall's that I'm most interested in seem to elude me. I've played some of the low end ones, and am unimpressed.

Right now There are 2 standouts. A single rec Mesa and the Blackstar HT 60 Stage. The only way the Blackstar made it back on the list was the EQ pedal that Sai suggested, Unless something jumps off the shelf at me at a small store, that may be the one. I've been watching Craigslist like a hawk, and can't find anything that fits the bill. I still have several weeks though.

The Low end Marshalls like the MG series are kind of crappy sounding to my ears also. I have a 15 watt one, But are great with the Digitech multi effects peadals, I get a GREAT Mesa Boogie, Mark IV,and Triple Rectifier amp sound out of it. The MG really takes well to these pedals but any of the Tube Marshalls High End are GREAT by themselves. I think the Blackstar AMPs are really good. Good luck with your search.
JIM

Yeah thats the vid i meant to put up. The Evil robot is actually named after Phil X. He just recently used that
amp taking over for Richie Sambora on the An Chovi(Bon Jovi)Tour while Richie was in rehab once again. He is one hell of a session guitarist. He went to the same high school I went to although he is 5 years older. He took off for L.A a while back and has worked with the likes of Rob Zombie, Tommy Lee, and many others. He mad a great name for himself.

Anyways i`m off topic. I really suggest you get a tube amp for gigging Tony. All these amps everyone suggests are great. Its all apples and oranges and just comes down to what makes you happy when that tone is coming from your finger tips. And most times its your playing that makes a great tone. It isn`t always the tool, it`s how you use that tool.

Just one more comment ..

remember if you wanna play twice as loud as the lead guitarist (he had a 100w right?) you have to have 10x the power .... So I say go for a 1000w guitar-rig ;D

Blackstar seem to be pretty gig proof too.

 Or one of my amps, very old. They are used for the space rock band and the cover band, they sound
 great when they work, but, if you sort em out then you have a £1000/£2000 bang on valve sound for ?

   The Roost being a fine example of British 70's ( Marshall sound), which the old Les Paul,
   just loves being hooked up to. The Selmer being slighty on the bright side of life, loves
 the Tele/Dano but can equally be happy with all three guitars.

These old amps do take some looking after though, but the sound............ wow,
even with Thomas the tank engine hooting..... I play them both in the cover band,
no effects and they both just rock it. One will be off in the morning to yet another tech
Still............. these amps are well worth it............if you are that way............
     

Geir, you put me in mind of the movie "Back To The Future" for various reasons. I might have to download that right now!  1000 watt amp... (http://www.chambonino.com/construct/const17.html)

I watched like 10 Evil Robot vids, those are tight amps. Gotta play it to decide though, and I'll never find one locally.

Quote from: Tony W on September 18, 2011, 06:12:11 PMGeir, you put me in mind of the movie "Back To The Future" for various reasons. I might have to download that right now!  1000 watt amp... (http://www.chambonino.com/construct/const17.html)

You have to watch out for Geir though Tony, he likes everything louder than everything else.

Tony,

I've got a Vox AC30cc2x. Its so loud its scary.

 Its a couple of years old now and I'm still finding new tones in it.   I have a Boss blues driver pedal but I rarely use it.

I love the warm clean tone and I also love the fuzzy overdriven tones.  I've got a channel switcher so I can use both channels with one guitar. When I'm jamming with my son we both plug into it. If you can find one in the shops, I recommend you try one out.

I was looking at the Vox AC15 the day I bought it and tried the AC30 just to see.   I changed my mind immediately.  I play a strat and it seems the two are made for each other.  I have never gigged with it but they are commonly used.  I'll often spot one sitting up on stage behind some of the better known players - both old and young.

best of luck with the new direction.

Ian

Quote from: Flash Harry on September 19, 2011, 03:46:25 AMYou have to watch out for Geir though Tony, he likes everything louder than everything else.

(https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12309.0;attach=12838)

^^^^^^^^^^  ha ha - that's brilliant!

Do you mean to say Geir's amp only turns up to eleven?

Not nearly enough power for my purposes. I just hang this sign on my stage gear.

                                    (https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12309.0;attach=12840)

Quote from: Speed Demon on September 19, 2011, 08:59:34 AMDo you mean to say Geir's amp only turns up to eleven?

Nah. That was in the seventies. He's had it modded since then.

(https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12309.0;attach=12841)

AWESOME

ROFL !!!!!!!!


You made my day 64G !!!

Geir is dangerous!

He's probably got a huge engine turning a 10,000 gallon-per-minute water pump, just to keep that amp cool.

Knee surgery for me again in less than 12 hours... I am going to have a lot of down time to drool over amps. I got a feeling that I know what I am going to get though. I have tried everything local stay tuned....

Good luck Tony ... soon you can do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXYqv_FS9yk

f'n lmao

LOL! Right now about all I can do is fall over backwards! Surgery went well, I'm on the couch for the next week or so. Time to google the shit out of some amps, and Tab the shit out of some songs.

When I had the hernia op I did the same, sat down for 6 weeks, played the guitars
 recorded some stuff, sat down with some music books and didn't pull any amps about.
I made a full recovery and enjoyed it. Take your time out.

Well, after trying every kind of amp available in the store, I settled on the Blackstar Series One 100w head. I'm going to try it with a few cabs to see what I think of it. Saijin and I spent a lot of time chatting up amps, and aside from hearing exactly what I wanted out of it's little 60w combo, there's one feature that I think is the difference maker.

It has a DPR (Dynamic Power Reduction) control, basically controlling the output power to be reduced to 10 watts in linear increments without loss of tone or valve reliability. Pure valve output distortion and compression at any volume....

In a nutshell, that was the amp within my price range that had what I was looking for.

FYI Blackstar was founded by a bunch of Marshall engineers.

Blackstar!! NICE!!!!!

I am a Fan of those amps too!
YEP it was the creation of guys from MARSHALL.
you can't go wrong with that amp TONY!
Have fun Jamming and Gigging.

JIM

That amp has some nice features. Any way you could post a sound
sample of it in action? I'd like to hear it.

Gene

I've used a Peavey 120 watt 5150 head to drive my cabinets for many years, so I'm not an authority on
any of the newer amps. The 5150 is just raw relentless power with an effects loop as its only feature,
other than tone controls for two channels. I plug a Digitech Studio 400 effects processor in that loop.
This is a very good amp for the guitarist that demands massive sustain for lead work.

On the other hand there are many fine amps to choose from that will not send you to the poorhouse
trying to pay for it. When I bought mine the price was $640.00.
Now prices start at $1,000.00 and go higher, depending on where you find one.

If you like solid state, there are some nice rack-mounted preamp/FX devices available as well.
I still use a Rocktron Chameleon I purchased way back in the pre-fossil days. Still producing killer amp tones
and effects.

                                                               (https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12309.0;attach=12899)
(//)

The amp came in early, so I demoed cabs. I wound up going with a Marshall 1960A Lead cab. I liked the pair together, and.... it has casters...

Well Done Tony sounds like a killer rig.....

Well, here it is. I'm not exactly thrilled with the audio sample. It doesn't quite match what my ears tell me, and I could have played a lot better than rushing through. The clean tones I also cycled the pups on my PRS just for a taste of the potential. This was mic'd up with an SM-57 and a Seinheiser e-835. I don't have a condenser mic yet, and the onboard mics were too muddy at close range.


(http://www.cool-lab.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3553.0;attach=4071;image)

And a sample of the amp.

We will be able to hear that over here in the UK !! lol !!

I want one !!!!

Dunny

120 watts of meat-searing power. I cooked a moose with it.

                                                               (https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12309.0;attach=12962)

                            (https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12309.0;attach=12964)

That's a great sounding head - I have a feeling you will be happy with it in the long run. I like the cab, too - I'm staring at the same model right now in the jam room. The 1960 is a lot lighter and easier to lug than a Mesa cab. It feels to me like an 8-10lb difference..

Looks and sounds like you've got a winner of an amp/cab combination Tony! You shouldn't run out of power with this rig.........now turn it up and make some noise! Have fun with it.

Farrell

The neighbor across the street and down the road a bit said it sounds good over there television.

Mark, it'll be ready for you to play in November!

We gotta get Eric in on that trip.... HINT HINT