Joined: December 05 2014
Location: New York City
Status: Offline
Points: 2
Posted: December 05 2014 at 12:58
There are a lot of great 15 to 22 watt amps, and a lot of great 100 watt amps, but not a lot in between. In most cases if a 20 isn't loud enough you need a 100 to get significantly louder. The exceptions are the Orange AD30 and HiWatt SSH and pretty much anything built by Dr. Z. But all of these are very, very expensive. After searching high and low I came up with the Traynor DH40H... a TREMENDOUS amp for the price.
I have a Traynor "Darkhorse" 40 watt head (DH40H) and it solved every problem I was having staying on top of a power mad bass player with a stereo rigged Rickenbacker bass (two 500 watt Markbass heads into two 4x8" Markbass cabs... it's NICE and it's LOUD!) I was using a Bogner Rebel 20 into two Celestion Greenbacks (25s) and dimed it sounded swell but the rest of the guys were burying me.
The Darkhorse 40 is technically a class AB1, and its tone and response to Gibson Humbuckers is similar to an old 30 watt Marshall (or Orange or Vox (with top boost) ... btw: they weren't really Class A, more like Class A -esque!) As far as I can tell the only "true" Class A big amp is the Laney Lionheart 50 (which uses five El-34s (that's not a typo... I said FIVE) in parallel single ended configuration - and NOTHING sounds better... but I can't afford it.)
It's VERY rugged... you can throw it down the stairs. I had an old 1960 TV cab (4x12" - G12H -30s) and it sounded really good, but I didn't want to carry it around New York so I sold it, and the 2x12, and two other assorted abandoned cabs (they stunk like cigarette smoke and took up a lot of room in a Manhattan apartment... or so I told myself!) and with the proceeds I bought a MoJo Tone empty 2x12 which I fitted with 2 Eminence ej1250s ... these are AlNiCo speakers and they come with an AlNiCo price tag... the cab + speakers cost me around $900 total.
The bigger Traynor has some nice features, it's plenty powerful enough and it LOVES effects... for the price (I paid $560 out the door with tax in NYC) I couldn't find ANYTHING nearly as nice. Everything in its class was over $1000 and most (like Egnater) were WELL over $1000.
I play an early '80 Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion and we do a mix of mostly fusion and prog with a dash of shoegazey - stoner - jammy anesthetic (gotta keep the young guys happy)
Joined: April 01 2009
Location: Atlanta
Status: Offline
Points: 26138
Posted: December 05 2014 at 12:43
The only piece of equipment I've really splurged on is my amp. More than anything else I wanted a good, warm clean tone to work with. It's a 40 watt amp with one 12" speaker - a Fender Blues Deluxe Jr
My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
Joined: October 20 2014
Location: not here
Status: Offline
Points: 2360
Posted: December 04 2014 at 18:41
Both seem like good options for me. Danke! The amp I used there isn't mine but it's about the same size, a tad louder than mine, but not quite as loud as I'd like.
Joined: November 06 2012
Location: here
Status: Offline
Points: 8856
Posted: December 04 2014 at 16:58
You might find a used Hot Rod Deluxe for that amount. That would be my amp of choice.
If you don't care about having many options, you might try the Excelsior. It is a small-ish amp, but bigger than the one you have (if that live video of you is any indication) and loud for its size. It has a nice warm tone and goes for $350. It's a tube amp as well if you don't want solid state.
Joined: November 06 2012
Location: here
Status: Offline
Points: 8856
Posted: December 04 2014 at 16:22
Smurph wrote:
For my rig I use a Les Paul Gibson Double Cut because I play backwards and I need it. It's a great guitar.
For my amp I use a Fender Deville 4 by 10. I prefer that to the 2 by 12. I dknt use pedals because I am not good enough at guitar to deserve them.
For my home recording I own an Axe FX Ultra. I can get an infinite number of sounds out of this. Perfectly amazing. I don't use it live though, because Im not good enough and don't want to shell out 1000 dollars for the switchboard.
You certainly have plenty of chops on your instrument, but I can understand not wanting to use them as a crutch. I can also understand them getting in the way of playing in a live setting. Having anxiety, I can see how the extra stuff might hurt your playing. It sometimes does mine and I have to do some extra practice with the extra elements to perform my best.
Joined: October 20 2014
Location: not here
Status: Offline
Points: 2360
Posted: December 04 2014 at 15:45
I'll use this thread to pose this question: what guitar amp should I get? I have a very nice amp that's great for recording and practicing, but it's much too quiet for a live performance, specifically when playing with a drummer. Are there any models, brands, or whatnot that I should look out for for a loud amp that's high quality but cheap?
Joined: January 11 2012
Location: Columbus&NYC
Status: Offline
Points: 3167
Posted: December 04 2014 at 15:00
For my rig I use a Les Paul Gibson Double Cut because I play backwards and I need it. It's a great guitar.
For my amp I use a Fender Deville 4 by 10. I prefer that to the 2 by 12. I dknt use pedals because I am not good enough at guitar to deserve them.
For my home recording I own an Axe FX Ultra. I can get an infinite number of sounds out of this. Perfectly amazing. I don't use it live though, because Im not good enough and don't want to shell out 1000 dollars for the switchboard.
Joined: November 06 2012
Location: here
Status: Offline
Points: 8856
Posted: December 04 2014 at 13:28
I'll stick to guitar gear for now. My guitar is a Godin Solidac.
Not my first choice for a guitar if I'm being honest, but it's pretty versatile and has helped me find an archetype for the tone I want.
I do not have my own amp at the moment (I have a mediocre solid state, but I don't use it and only keep it for when I don't have access to >>>>>>>>). I generally use my brother's Fender Hot Rod Deville. I plan to get a Deluxe as I like the HR amps but want one I can crank higher that's a little quieter than a cranked Deville.
As far as pedals, I've not got many and most were impulsively bought so it's all across the board (pun not intended). Mooching off my brother, still, as a result, but I'm working to get my own pedalboard functional.
I have a ZVex Fuzz Factory that I like but don't use. I can dig the noisy aspects of it, but I don't use fuzz that often. I may try and integrate it into my bass rig, but if I can't manage to wield the animal I'll probably sell it.
I also have a DS-1. Don't use it, can't sell it for more than $20. May get it modded someday, after I've gotten the gear I need.
My favorite is my Malekko Ekko 616. A beautiful analog delay with some nice, easy to use oscillation. Probably will stay in my rig for a while.
Now that I need the essentials, the impulse purchases are kind of embarrassing. I don't even have an overdrive. On top of that, I don't have a steady income so I've been applying for jobs and selling anything I don't need. I've brainstormed a few other ways to make money, but a job seems like the best solution overall.
Joined: November 06 2012
Location: here
Status: Offline
Points: 8856
Posted: December 04 2014 at 12:56
Welcome to the Definitive Gear Thread.
While there have been a few "list your gear threads," I intend a broader emphasis. Lists and photos of your rig are welcome and allowed, but you may also discuss gear you'd like to or are planning to get, musicians whose sound you like, reviews of gear you have, etc. etc.
I will kick it off with my post below (leaving this one to be easily quotable without any extra nonsense except for this sentence).
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