Jump to content

Buy me an amp,,,,,,$800-$1K.


Bobby1Note

Recommended Posts

  • Members

Hi all,

I'm shopping for an amp, with a budget of roughly $800. That figure is quite flexible (up to 2x) but I'd like to keep it around $800.

I'm primarily a geezer, acoustic guitar player, and very little experience playing electrics. Every now and then, I meet a new bunch of playing buddies who are into electrics, so I'm looking for a new, relatively portable amp for small gigs, jams, band-practice, and studio use.

I haven't shopped for electrics i over 20 year, and the last time I did, I bought a Mesa-Boogie Mk III Signature Edition, and a PRS Custom 24 w/birds/ "10" top. I've also got a Strat-Plus Deluxe, Deluxe Telecaster, Les Paul Custom, and a Gibson ES-175. Nice gear, but unfortunately I keep gravitating back to the acoustics,

Last weekend, at a local jam, I met a couple of guys who were playing Fender Deluxes; one was a Blues Deluxe, and the other was a Hot Rod 3 Deluxe, and they both sounded great as far as I was concerned, A few days ago, I stopped by a small local shop, and bought a Limited Edition HotRod 3 Deluxe (lacquered tweed/ Jensen). Since then, some of the guys on the live-sound forum have suggested that the HR3 was not "the way to go", so now I'm having doubts. Could I have done better for the money? If so, what would you recommend? I can always take it back and exchange it.

I paid $825 + tax (15%). I also picked up an Ibanez Tube-Screamer and a T-Rex Engineering Fuel-Tank Jr. power supply. I heard a Hot Rod Deville while I was there, and it did sound "fuller /fatter" , although it was a very short demo, but, it was also a LOT heavier.

Any suggestions for this geezer? Will I regret the Hot-Rod III Deluxe?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Did anyone have specific comments about the amp or were they just spouting general negativity? The HRD seems to be a popular target for corksniffers but if you like it, don't let them make you second guess yourself. I really liked the HRD that I tried a while back but it was just too much amp for what I needed. I'm a bedroom player and even though it sounded good at low volumes it was just bigger and heavier than I wanted it to be. I'm trying to get out of the habit of obsessing over "getting the best deal..." I've passed on a few things that I really wanted over that and ended up regretting it. Same thing goes for something being the most for the money - if you're happy with what you got and it's worth the price you paid then that's all you need to worry about. FWIW, the laquered tweed finish looks awesome and I'd say it's worth the extra dollars. Don't get worked up over people who judge your gear because it says Fender or how much it costs or anything like that - it's a stupid cliche, but judge with your ears. If you're having second thoughts now that you're playing it, then you should consider looking for another amp; but if it's just because some snobs on a music forum were bull{censored}ting about your gear, then rock on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 


Bobby1Note wrote:

 

 

 

 

I haven't shopped for electrics i over 20 year, and the last time I did, I bought a Mesa-Boogie Mk III Signature Edition

 

 A few days ago, I stopped by a small local shop, and bought a Limited Edition HotRod 3 Deluxe (lacquered tweed/ Jensen).

 

You did better the first time. (Insert non-crappy wink emote here)

 

Come to think of it, Tolex-covered MkIIIs go for your price range pretty regularly. A bit loud if you're going to drive it into power section distortion though. VoxCC2?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 


ermghoti II wrote:

 


Bobby1Note wrote:

 

 

 

 

I haven't shopped for electrics i over 20 year, and the last time I did, I bought a Mesa-Boogie Mk III Signature Edition

 

 A few days ago, I stopped by a small local shop, and bought a Limited Edition HotRod 3 Deluxe (lacquered tweed/ Jensen).

 

 

You did better the first time. (Insert non-crappy wink emote here)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, the Boogie is a monster. I really should have that thing in a good road-case with casters. It's a pain to drag around for quick jams.

As for shopping for a decent affordable amp, I'm just totally not up to speed on what's out there these days. I probably wouldn't recognize a great deal, if it was staring me right in the face, which is why I've come here for a few recommendations.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

My main problem is getting access to these amps to try them out. I'm in a small town (10k pop), and 50 miles north-west of Montreal, where there would be plenty of selections to choose from. It may be a few weeks before I get a chance to go into the city, so I'm hoping to narrow down the models I should be looking at.

I've heard of brands like Egnater, and Bugera, etc, but I have no idea which models I sould kook at, if at all.

For now, I just wanna focus on one reasonably portable, reaonably flexible, and reasonably good-sounding amp. If I have to exchange the HRD 3 for a Super-Sonic, or Twin Reverb, I'll do it,,,, then I'll take my time looking for the other amps I'd like to have in the collection. For example, there's a guy who's recently listed a Marshall BluesBreaker on Craigslist,,,, but how good is it?  It's been recommended, but I know nothing about it.

In the last day or so, I've also started thinking about separate heads and cabinets. It can be really overwhelming if you're "new" to thiis "world". How do you sort out the winners from the losers?.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

"I haven't shopped for electrics i over 20 year, and the last time I did, I bought a Mesa-Boogie Mk III Signature Edition, and a PRS Custom 24 w/birds/ "10" top. I've also got a Strat-Plus Deluxe, Deluxe Telecaster, Les Paul Custom, and a Gibson ES-175. Nice gear, but unfortunately I keep gravitating back to the acoustics,"

Just curious...why is it that PRS owners feel the need to describe their guitar to such detail...you didn't do it for the Fenders or Gibsons LOL!!! 

(BTW - I own one) 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members


Razsan wrote:

"
I haven't shopped for electrics i over 20 year, and the last time I did, I bought a Mesa-Boogie Mk III Signature Edition, and a
PRS Custom 24 w/birds/ "10" top
. I've also got a Strat-Plus Deluxe, Deluxe Telecaster, Les Paul Custom, and a Gibson ES-175. Nice gear, but unfortunately I keep gravitating back to the acoustics,"

Just curious...why is it that PRS owners feel the need to describe their guitar to such detail...you didn't do it for the Fenders or Gibsons LOL!!! 

(BTW - I own one) 

 


Which one do you own? (That's the point). 20+ years ago, they all looked very much alike to the casual passer-by. The Cistom 24 w/ birds and '10" top, were the top-of-the-heap, and over $3k here in Canada.

Actually, the Les Pauls also vary widely, depending on which version you have. Mine's a "Custom", which some folks used to refer as the "Black Beauty" w/ gold hardware, etc.

My Strat is a Strat-Plus Deluxe, w/ lace-sensor pick-ups, and the Tele is a American Deluxe Telecaster.

The Gibson ES-175,,,is,,,,well,,,,, a Gibson ES-175. (that was easy, eh?):smileyhappy: (natural finish btw)

I've also got a Guild solid-body which is a bit of a strange bird. It's an FS-46ce, and those are strung with acoustic-guitar strings. It's a very particular sound, and they're probably quite rare.

The rest of my guitars are acoustics, and acoustic electrics, with a bunch of nylon-stringed guitars for good measure. Throw in a ukelele and a mandolin, and that pretty well covers it, except for my basses. (an acoustic-elec Tanglewood, and a Music-Man Sting-Ray)

My 12-strings are a Guild GAD F-212, a Martin D-28-12v, and a Taylor 355.

My 6-string acoustic steel-string guitars incluce a Taylor 410 and an 810ce, a Westerly-built Guild JF-30 and a very old El Degas (40 years old)

Add to that an Ovation 1869,,, a Godin Grand Concert Duet,,,, a Cervantes Millenia PE, a Takamine EC-128, a Yamaha C-70, and a luthier built classical, and that pretty well sums it up.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

If you don't mind waiting, I'd get a Ceriatone (they'll build it for you). They have clones of Fender, Marshall, Trainwreck, Dumble, Vox....and I've not yet read a negative review. Marsh amps also put together amazing P2P hand wired amps. One of those will be my next amp. Likely the Dumble or Trainwreck clone (which means I;ll end up with a Marshall clone LOL)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

As it stands now, I'm trying to re-assess the mix of amps I'll go with. Yesterday, I went back to the store to try a Fender Deluxe Reverb, which had been recommended by quite a few guys on the "live sound" forum. That amp was a big disappointment, and frankly, that caught me by surprise. I had hoped that it would have some semblance of the tone of an old Super-Reverb, or Twin-Reverb, but that was not the case. I then tried a 22 watt Super-Sonic head, on a Fender 2x12 cabinet, and that didn't do the trick either. I'm going to try and locate a 100w/25w Super-Sonic 2x12 combo, to see if that fares any better. I need "something" that will give me a reasonably close resemblance to the old Fender sound.

As for my "British" tone, I'm pretty sure I'll go with the hand-wired Vox AC30HW2x with Alnico "Blues". Problem is, nobody here has them in stock. I'll have to take a leap of faith and buy the amp before hearing it. I'm willing to take that risk, but I have a few concerns, and I may have to re-think what I'm trying to accomplish. I had wanted a mix of reasonably portable, and reasonably good-sounding at low level, amplifiers. Apparently, the AC30HW2x has to be driven fairly loud (I'm told), and, it has no on-board reverb, nor FX loop. Most have reassured me that I won't need it.

So, assuming I have the AC30HW2x as my "British" tone,,, and I use my Mesa-Boogie Mk.III Sig. Edition for my "American" tone,,,,, what do I choose for my "Fender" tone? I'm addicted to that sound of the original Super-Reverbs and Twin-Reverbs of the 60's, and one way or another, I'll find it again. The 100w/25w Super-Sonic combo might get close, but that remains to be seen (heard).

Now, to complicate things even further, I tried an AC30 with GreenBacks yesterday, and I liked it a lot. It had an "edge" that sounded really good, and I'm now considering buying both of those AC30's, the hand-wired, and the regular model.

I had hoped to have a mix of lower-output, easy-to-carry amps that I could haul around for small-room "jams", but it's looking like I'm straying away from that idea. If that's the case, I'll use the Hot-Rod Deluxe Ltd. Ed.  for that purpose. The bigger/ louder amps, will stay in the studio/ music-room, and go out to larger gigs.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...