Any "forever" amps?

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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by Danger Mouse »

matman wrote:Well I guess I'm way past fashionably late to this party but I'd definitely say my custom amp built by Ryan back in the day would fit the topic heading. The longer I've owned it the more I've found it gives me pretty much every sound I want at a volume that my family can live with. Seldom fails to bring a smile to my face.

For those who weren't around for the build threads and don't know what it is:

Preamp is 3x 12AX7, output is 2x 6V6, but it's cathode-biased and can take other output tubes e.g. 6L6, EL34 for more output. Rectifier is solid state. Output is around 15w clean/25w max with 6V6's, and around 23w clean/40w max with 6L6/EL34.

It's 2 channel in the same sense that the JCM800 2203/2204 is - the low input bypasses the first gain stage (and associated gain controls). The high input is 3 gain stages, voiced for 80's rock/metal and beyond; the low input is 2 gain stages, goes from Tweed Bassman type cleans to 70's Brit crunch. There's also a Jose mod to give gobs of gain at low volume along with a heap of bright, dark, and other tone shaping switches

Here's a clip of Ryan demoing it (pre final tweaks and tolexing) for Danger Mouse at a Tronfest many moons ago (Capt. Black did the filming)
https://youtu.be/suc-WB13ar0
It is still one of the greatest amps I've ever played through. Like in my top 2 and a close call with my Greenstone, even though I think yours does some things better.
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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by mugamee »

My current swart might be. At 5 watts, i can set it on the verge of break up and just vary my picking attack for different shades of od. I used to be on the blackface amp camp but this thing has piqued my interest re: tweed style circuits.

Also loving the tone im getting with a fuzzface/tb/ bb style od i use in front of it. I also like the fact that it has very minimal controls to muck around with/ give me options anxiety.

At 5 watts and with attenuation is also a godsend for bedroom guitarists like me.
Fuzz Face Forever...
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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by matman »

Danger Mouse wrote:
matman wrote:Well I guess I'm way past fashionably late to this party but I'd definitely say my custom amp built by Ryan back in the day would fit the topic heading. The longer I've owned it the more I've found it gives me pretty much every sound I want at a volume that my family can live with. Seldom fails to bring a smile to my face.

For those who weren't around for the build threads and don't know what it is:

Preamp is 3x 12AX7, output is 2x 6V6, but it's cathode-biased and can take other output tubes e.g. 6L6, EL34 for more output. Rectifier is solid state. Output is around 15w clean/25w max with 6V6's, and around 23w clean/40w max with 6L6/EL34.

It's 2 channel in the same sense that the JCM800 2203/2204 is - the low input bypasses the first gain stage (and associated gain controls). The high input is 3 gain stages, voiced for 80's rock/metal and beyond; the low input is 2 gain stages, goes from Tweed Bassman type cleans to 70's Brit crunch. There's also a Jose mod to give gobs of gain at low volume along with a heap of bright, dark, and other tone shaping switches

Here's a clip of Ryan demoing it (pre final tweaks and tolexing) for Danger Mouse at a Tronfest many moons ago (Capt. Black did the filming)
https://youtu.be/suc-WB13ar0
It is still one of the greatest amps I've ever played through. Like in my top 2 and a close call with my Greenstone, even though I think yours does some things better.
As much as I love the tone - it definitely sounded even better when you and Ryan were playing through it (or Willow, or Null_pointer, or Higainer, or Danny, or well... pretty much anyone else actually!)
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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by StratMatt »

That sounds like what I'd want in an amp if I had one made. That red Custom looked great too.

I'll keep my AX8 and DSL50 until something goes bang or doesn't light up anymore.
Loving it so far

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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by jeremyb »

WellyBlues wrote:My Yamaha THR10 will probably be my forever amp. sigh. :lolno:
Could do a lot worse!!!
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by werdna »

Overlooked amp: Peavey Classic.
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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by GrantB »

handsoffmatt wrote:
Laney VC-30
Crate Club Series amps from late 90's
I gigged a VC30 for many years. Put AlNiCo Blues in it, but TBH the HH Invaders were super good. It always ran too clean though...natural break up and saturation, from the clean side, was near impossible.

I also gigged a Crate Club 50, 2x12. Monstrous Marshall tones but with appalling reliability. Such a shame. I really liked that amp. The tech that worked on it many times in Akl, under warranty, said something like “I have seen almost as many of these in the workshop as have been sold in this country”. How often do you see them second hand? Not. They’re all in the tip.
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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by codedog »

+1 for the VC30. I had one and loved it! It was way too loud for me, glass rattled around the house for the amp to sound good.

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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by NippleWrestler »

The crate palomino amps were awesome. Designed by obeid Khan who went on to found reason amps they had a fender clean and soldano drive channel. By changing about 15 components you could literally have an slo.

They were made in USA when st Louis music owned the crate brand but only said crate in a byline on the back panel. Those things were fantastic and I toured mine without incident but sold it when I left the states.

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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by kdawg2a »

GrantB wrote:
handsoffmatt wrote:
Laney VC-30
Crate Club Series amps from late 90's
I gigged a VC30 for many years. Put AlNiCo Blues in it, but TBH the HH Invaders were super good. It always ran too clean though...natural break up and saturation, from the clean side, was near impossible.

I also gigged a Crate Club 50, 2x12. Monstrous Marshall tones but with appalling reliability. Such a shame. I really liked that amp. The tech that worked on it many times in Akl, under warranty, said something like “I have seen almost as many of these in the workshop as have been sold in this country”. How often do you see them second hand? Not. They’re all in the tip.
I had a Crate Club 50 at the same time too. I always thought the tone was pretty good but as a live review of my band in Rip It Up said at the time, 'the guitar sounded like a long wet fart'. I got a JCM 900 soon after. I don't think that changed my tone much.
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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by Terexgeek »

kdawg2a wrote:
GrantB wrote:
handsoffmatt wrote:
Laney VC-30
Crate Club Series amps from late 90's
I gigged a VC30 for many years. Put AlNiCo Blues in it, but TBH the HH Invaders were super good. It always ran too clean though...natural break up and saturation, from the clean side, was near impossible.

I also gigged a Crate Club 50, 2x12. Monstrous Marshall tones but with appalling reliability. Such a shame. I really liked that amp. The tech that worked on it many times in Akl, under warranty, said something like “I have seen almost as many of these in the workshop as have been sold in this country”. How often do you see them second hand? Not. They’re all in the tip.
I had a Crate Club 50 at the same time too. I always thought the tone was pretty good but as a live review of my band in Rip It Up said at the time, 'the guitar sounded like a long wet fart'. I got a JCM 900 soon after. I don't think that changed my tone much.
Did you try a wet/dry rig?
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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by DongHua »

handsoffmatt wrote: Closely related to your original comment regarding the Rectoverb: I actually believe that the Mesa Dual Rectifier is pretty much the most misunderstood (misrepresented?) amp on the planet. Due to it's success as a metal amp, the DR has been very much pigeonholed in that category, though in my opinion it is one of the most versatile and musical amps on the planet for almost ANY style. The current "Multi-Watt" version of the Dual Rec is just straight up amazing. I reckon it's the amp I'd be gigging with if the BOSS Katana didn't exist and someone stole my SLO.
Totally agree, and so much fun tweaking Rectos, and the amp respond very well to different guitars and pickups, plus different styled boost pedals too, just endless fun with improved modern features on Multi-watt.

I haven’t played mine in a while, and a quick jam tonight just confirmed that my Recto is not going anywhere.

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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by KNNZ »

did someone say Crate? :wink: :mrgreen:

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Re: Any "forever" amps?

Post by godgrinder »

KNNZ wrote:did someone say Crate? :wink: :mrgreen:
My Crate GX130C is definitely a forever amp... if it holds together that is.
Amps:
Soldano SLO100 x2 | Wizard MC1 & MC2 | Diezel Herbert
Fryette Pittbull CL | Marshall 2203KK | Krank Rev 50 | Mesa Mark 2A

Rack stuff:
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Verellen Meatsmoke | Synergy SYN1 | Mesa Studio

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