Amp suggestions for gigging

[AndyR]

I replied, if you can figure out a way to turn it down, then go for it.

This cracked me up

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 ).


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

[guitarron]

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

[Jim1970]

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

[Jim1970]

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

Some Classic SWEET tones for Sure!!!!

I want one!!!!!

JIM

[Tony W]

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.

[Jim1970]

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

[Gnasty]

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.

[Geir]

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

[Flash Harry]

Blackstar seem to be pretty gig proof too.

[chip]

 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............