Need Help and Opinions on Amp Selection

[SWLDguitar]

I am in the market for a new guitar amp. I currently have a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier triple channel solo head into a Marshall stock 1960a cab. I am looking to sell this combination as it is too big and loud for my current living situation and I don’t play on stage anymore. I need something transportable and lightweight.

 

I will be joining a cover band that plays mostly bars (moderate size rooms) and the occasional wedding. This band mics everything into their expensive PA system.

 

I am looking to replace my heavy gear with a smaller lunchbox style amp. I am looking to get opinions on my choices:

 

Marshall Jubilee 2525H

Friedman PT20

Orange TH30H

Mesa Rectoverb

Mesa Mini Rect

 

One of these would be going into an Orange PPC112 with a Vintage 30.

 

I have a Line 6 Amplifi that emulates some of the above sounds. Right now, my favorite of the picks is the Jubilee based on the Line 6 sounds I get. However, every video I watch of real Jubilees I feel like the tone is thin with next to no sustain. No music shop around me has any form of a Jubilee so I can’t try one in person.

 

I’ve been through all of the Line 6 emulations and my FAVORITE sound is the JCM800. It just fits what I like, however, I could never use one anymore with all that power. Which is what lead me to the mini Jubilee.

 

I would go the Mesa route but I feel as though I have been down that road already and don’t want to spend hours trying to get the perfect tone. Having said that, I do feel enjoy the tones I get with chords with a mesa, not so much lead tones.

 

I have played the Orange TH30H and I did enjoy the tone with a tubescreamer in front, however I don’t like how there’s not a way to shape my ‘own’ sound.

 

I’ve watched videos of the Friedman PT20. Some videos, the guitarist gets killer tone and in others it’s kind of ‘meh’. I don’t really know how well I would adapt to a 1 channel amplifier – especially when I join a cover band and will need to swap from cleans to dirty. Not all of my guitars have quality volume pots.

 

I currently run my guitar straight into the amplifier and am halfway through the process of finishing a pedalboard. The board will consist of: MXR Carbon Copy, Earthquaker Bit Commander, TC Spark Booster, Tuner, DOD compressor 280, Electro Harmonix NextStep Wah, Arion Stereo Chorus (MIJ), LovePedal Purple Plexi, and Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor. My primary guitar is an Ibanez S-Series loaded with Dimarzio Evolutions.

 

I play a little bit of everything: the most metal-tone I play is Metallica and I need cleans like Ed Sheeran.

Originals I write are Pop-punk / 2002-2007 era style music.

 

Any insight, suggestions, help, or experiences, would be appreciated.

[Mikeo]

I had a Rectroverb combo and it was nice. The cleans are not spanking clean, but they're there.

The mini 25 is really good too.

 

A Mark V is a good one. Mark 35 id you can get away with less. The Mark IV was a bitch to dial in a tone, the Mark V is laid out much better. Don't rule it out.

 

I'd team a Rectro up with a single 12 rectro cab, or maybe the Mark with one of there compact cabs

 

 

From your list I pick.

 

 

 

[WRGKMC]

I'm partial to Marshall, especially for lead work, but the silvers haven't been out there long enough to have reviews for me to judge them.

I even saw a dead ones being sold on EBay the other day. It may be the only one there is but it makes you wonder about the quality.

 

For Rhythm work I'm not sure I'd like any of the others. I like being able to get everything from a clean jangle to good rock chords.

I suppose a Vox AC30 would be a an option I'd consider.

[Mikeo]

I'm partial to Marshall' date=' especially for lead work[/b'], but the silvers haven't been out there long enough to have reviews for me to judge them.

I even saw a dead ones being sold on EBay the other day. It may be the only one there is but it makes you wonder about the quality.

 

For Rhythm work I'm not sure I'd like any of the others. I like being able to get everything from a clean jangle to good rock chords.

I suppose a Vox AC30 would be a an option I'd consider.

 

I like Marshall amps, but it seems there newer amp don't have the quality they once had. My old JCM 800 combo still works fine, but you need to treat it with a little care.

 

I have never had an major issue with a Mesa, but some folks have.What has happened to a few mesa amps I have owned was, it the will eat pre amp tubes. So keep a few on hand.

 

Mesa is a small-ish company and they really work with the customers. I have called them many times, but not in recent years.You get to talk to a real person.

 

I do like the Mark 35 even better. Cleaner cleans, crispier Blackface Fendery mids and a bit more money.

[SWLDguitar]

I appreciate the responses so far.

 

I definitely have been a fan of Mesa, as it has always been my 'grail' amp. However, like I said, i feel like i've been down that road already. On my Dual Rect i don't even use the Red channel. I don't play any type of music that requires that much presence. I think as I matured my tastes in music and tone have changed.

 

I didn't even think about Vox. I personally don't know much about Vox and have only played them a short amount of time in a store. If memory serves me right, I wasn't a huge fan of the voice of the tone. Perhaps this weekend I'll sneak into a store and really pay attention since they could be a viable option.

 

I have owned 2 Marshalls in the past and had 'bad' experiences with them. The head i owned, a DSL, had bad pots. I sold to the other guitarist in my then current band, who also sold it soon after for something more stable. The combo I owned just stopped working. The only input that works was a Line In - which apparently is a common problem as people at my work have reported the same thing with their Marshalls. That doesn't necessarily push me away from getting a new marshall as i recently found a good repairman in my area who i can trust.

 

 

[WRGKMC]

I've owned a Marshall Valvestate for at least 15 years now without a single issue.

The only tube version I'd want is a 50Wv Plexi. They were simple designs and had good pots, switches and jacks.

Some of their newer versions may sound similar but when I see the plastic rocker switches it immediately turns me off.

 

Plastic switches on tube amps spells trouble because the arch out more easily given the higher currents used by the transformers. If I spend that kind of money I don't want to have to mess with cheap pots and switches, SS its OK but they still aren't very durable.

 

I also have a small 15 watt for practice. I' been on the lookout for a 30 or 50W Valvestate combo so I don't have to haul my 1960 cab around. I don't have a pickup truck any more and getting a 4X12 into the truck of my Mustang isn't going to happen. I can get a 2X12 or a 4X10 in there which is what I usually use with my Marshall head gigging.

 

Marshall's can sound fabulous with an open backed 4X10 cab and the audience doesn't have to wear seat belts to avoid being blown out of their chairs.

 

Allot of people like the orange amps. They may sound good but they look fugly as hell to me. When I'm on stage I want peoples attention drawn to my playing - not my gear.

 

Orange Vinyl dates back to the 60's Psychedelic era when people were into bright gaudy plastic which enhanced their LSD trips. Just about everything made then was junk and totally impractical.

 

If I was playing in a Geek Parody band with the Austin Powers look, playing stuff like Talking Heads, the amp might look at home on a stage full of 60's psychedelic props, I'd use a chair like this as an amp stand. I'm not a vain person and always prefer quality over looks but I grew up during the 60's. Going retro psychedelic 60's at my age would look foolish as it does when most people over 40 start dressing up like they did when they were in high school. Bell Bottoms still haven't come back into style nor has the PVC pants look.

 

The thing is, most of the plastic look came from older people in the 60's, not the kids. It was like old dues trying to look hip so they could get young chicks to notice. Ugg. Of course that changed to hey baby what's your sign in the days of disco when you got dome over the hill fat guy squeezing into a John Travolta suit.

 

I'm not ragging on the amps quality here. For someone else it may be perfectly suitable for them, I'm just not kidding myself into thinking the retro look is cool for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DeepEnd]

No recommendations but a few (fairly obvious) observations for whatever they're worth. AFAIK, the Line 6 emulations are pretty good. Bear in mind that you can't tell that much from YouTube vids, the audio quality is all over the map. That said, I'd be leery of spending serious cash on an amp I couldn't try first. The amps you're looking at range from US$1000 to US$1500. That's a serious investment IMHO. You've pretty much ruled out Mesa and that's fine. Stick to your guns unless you hear a convincing reason otherwise. I'm not sure I know what you mean about "how there’s not a way to shape my ‘own’ sound" with the Orange. Are the EQ controls just not to your liking? The single channel issue with the Friedman isn't going to go away. If you think it will be an issue you're probably right. Remember too that the sound you actually get will depend largely on that Orange PPC112 cab. Seems to me you can take a crap shoot with the Marshall or learn to live with the Orange.