I want to get a GUITAR AMP! Any suggestions?

bbchris · Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 10:58 am Post subject: Re: re

Cool suggestions Ron!! They'll think I'm a pro :wgrin

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

chris, honestly, try posting at the website I provided the link for. They're all nice guys...some are actually fairly well-known in the industry. Just be honest and open and you will indeed be treated like a princess...and you will find out all you need to know...probably more. Try the "Off Topic Lounge" first and just say you want to buy your first tube amp. They'll be tripping over each other to help (even if you post as a guy). Just tell them what you have and what you are looking for and be sure to tell them you know very little about it, or they may get too technical. The board is very well moderated, so you don't have to expect any flame wars or vulgarity.

bbchris · Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 11:01 am Post subject: Re: re

Thanks Dreamtone7 for that advice - I was a bit overwhelmed by the board and didn't know where to go first. Thank you. I will go there tomorrow morning - I'm just grabbing a quick snack before heading to Battle of the Bands judging again...

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

BTW, I would seriously recommend this sight for anyone else who ever had any questions about tube amps. From speakers to effects, this forum has a greater wealth of knowledge than any other single forum I've ever visited...and I've visited a lot of them!

RonOnGuitar · Joined: 08 Jan 2003 Posts: 1916

Quote:
I was a bit overwhelmed by the board and didn't know where to go first.

It looks like a good place for ideas & info. It seems they have an "intro" thread - "ROLL CALL" - in addition to the amp-specific threads.

DT7 sez:

"They'll be tripping over each other to help (even if you post as a guy)."

Hmmmm.....a transgendered guitarist's board, eh?

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

Actually, if anything, it's the opposite, Ron. The board is fairly Christian heavy. I know that nice boards are not the norm (at least so it seems) in todays i-net world...that board is just an exception. That's all I was trying to say...troublemaker! :bleh

RonOnGuitar · Joined: 08 Jan 2003 Posts: 1916

Yeah, and I also see there's a few Minnesota musicians in the intro thread, at least.

But I'm still picturing Chris pose-posting as a fella, heheheh!

questionnaire · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 640

.... you're misunderstanding me. Most modern tube amps, except the very expensive ones, are made with circuit-boards which have replaced the old-fashioned insulated plastic or cloth/rubber wiring that joined all the components - tubes, capacitors, resistors etc. - together. There are no insulated wires on a circuit-board, only strands of metal which are exposed to the air. If you get moisture on them, it conducts the electricity and causes at best crackles and hisses and at worst short-circuits which can 'blow' your amp on stage. Circuit-boards also corrode after a while, and if anyone spills a pint of beer over your amp and it goes over the circuit-board you're looking at a very expensive repair.

Since the early 70s I've had old Fender, Vox, Hiwatt, Selmer, Orange, Marshall, WEM, Carlsbro, H&H, Session and Peavey amps that have had beer spilled all over them, been dropped off the back of vans etc. and still worked (after you dry 'em out of course :laugh

). Modern amps are loud, they look nice, some of them sound good and the electronics are reliable if you look after them really well (get a strong metal flight-case straight away and don't let anyone stand their drinks on them on stage!!), but the build quality is generally poor.

So, in a nutshell my advice is:

[b}Either[/b]

Follow Mike's advice and get a Vox AD60 modelling amp and wrap it in cotton wool when you're gigging.

or

Get hold of an old Fender Twin, Vox AC30 or similar, get someone to go over the electronic circuits with a hot soldering iron (gets rid of 'dry-joints') and buy a digital modelling pedal to vary the sound (the best value I've come across is the Digitech).

MIKE BURN

Well, keeping the budget in mind again....

...here you can listen to some samples of how the

VOX Amp sounds:

www.valvetronix.co.uk/audition.htm :frankie

MIKE

10 free song uploads||1 free video upload

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

Note that it will only sound as good as your computer speakers...

questionnaire · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 640

"Note that it will only sound as good as your computer speakers..."

.... that's pretty obvious but also pretty pedantic. Chris, those samples will give you an idea of what the amp can do vix-a-viz modelling.

I wouldn't bother visiting that board if I were you. You'll just get a load of male-menopausal music-store windbags talking a lot of bollox in a game of endless one-upmanship and you'll come out more confused than ever and spending more than you wanted on something you don't need. Try the Vox AD60, it's a great amp in that price-range.

MIKE BURN · Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 10:03 pm Post subject: Re: of course ....

LOL You guys are really "hot"!

Well, like Steve said I only wanted to give Chris an idea,

the samples there are lo-fi anyway, but it's better than posting pictures.

Plus, I can say that I checked out this particular amp myself recently and the sound samples really fulfill in reality what they are promising online.

Especially the warm and brilliant clean sounds are top notch

and very loud for this price range. The distortion is a matter

of taste, sounding better than any transistor- or hybrid-

amplifier in general for this money IMHO

RonOnGuitar · Joined: 08 Jan 2003 Posts: 1916

Quote:
samples there are lo-fi anyway, but it's better than posting pictures.

I always put my ear on the monitor and listen to every pic that's posted! :wgrin

MIKE BURN · Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 10:32 pm Post subject: Re: of course ....

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

Q (and all) - Make no mistake...that board has some members (that post regularly) that have much success in the field of playing guitar, working with amps and speakers...past and present. I know who some of them are, but I will not divulge it to the masses and spoil that board as a result. We've already had some leaks that turned into a mess for the people involved (every fan on the web wanted the inside scoop on this and that, etc.). Only a fool would scoff at people with twice the experience and the collective knowledge of several thousand members who's main focus is getting the most out of their equipment...and, at some point, started out by buying their first tube amp.