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Princeton and Plexi tone... is there a low watt amp capable of both?


musojosh

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Hey guys.

So im in the market for a new amp. Is there any head/combo that can pull off both a Fender Princeton/Twin type clean and a Marshall Plexi type saturation - at a maximum of 30watts - preferably 5-18w?

 

I fully realise that these are two completely different types of amps using very different tubes/parts etc. and to do it right you need to buy em separately.

But i also know that there are now many manufacturers doing clever things with power staging and multiple tube options so just putting the feelers out to see if anyone has any come across any goodies?

 

I'm assuming it would have to be a two channel amp, but am open to single channel amps if they pull off one really well, and the other reasonably well.

 

No Fractal, Helix or Kemper recommendations please... I'm aware of these goodies.

 

Thanks, Josh

 

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Hey guys.

So im in the market for a new amp. Is there any head/combo that can pull off both a Fender Princeton/Twin type clean and a Marshall Plexi type saturation - at a maximum of 30watts - preferably 5-18w?

 

I fully realise that these are two completely different types of amps using very different tubes/parts etc. and to do it right you need to buy em separately.

But i also know that there are now many manufacturers doing clever things with power staging and multiple tube options so just putting the feelers out to see if anyone has any come across any goodies?

 

I'm assuming it would have to be a two channel amp, but am open to single channel amps if they pull off one really well, and the other reasonably well.

 

No Fractal, Helix or Kemper recommendations please... I'm aware of these goodies.

 

Thanks, Josh

 

 

 

You might not like what I have to say. There is, and more. There a 6 button foot switch that deos channel sect, reveb, trem, boost, a limiter and fx loop.

 

Just be a bit open minded. You can get a another cab that makes a small stack.

[video=youtube;GB30KQd-iQY]

 

A Mesa Mark V can kinda sorta do it too.

 

[video=youtube;-KcLV5Bmp3I]

 

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There are plenty of modeling amps that can do the job. If you're looking for a straight up tube amp which has both architectures it would be extremely difficult. The amps use different power tubes and the tone stacks of a Fender vs Marshall are in different places in the circuit. The Fender tone stack comes early in the amp just after the first preamp tube. A Marshall has its tone stacks after the second stage before the inverter. This is what gives the amps they're unique tones.

 

I do own both Marshall and Fenders. I also own Marshall Pedals like the Governor and Blues Breaker which can make my fender amps sound just like a Driven Marshall. They also make Fender pedals which can make a Marshall sound like a Driven Fender. You'd have to choose one amp or the other for Clean tones however, and that would come down to your own personal preferences.

 

Personally I like the Marshall cleans over the Fender so if I only had the choice of one amp, I'd use a fender modeling pedal to get fender driven tones. I can get an exact match to the Marshall tones with the Marshall pedals and do so all the time because I run dual amps in the studio recording.

 

I should note the speakers have a great deal to do with the tones too. You get much closer to a Marshall tone with a Fender using Celestin Speakers, and closer to a Fender tone with a Marshall using Jenson Speakers. (I have both of those as well) What I don't recommend using with a Fender head is something like greenbacks. They can sound good with a plexi because that amp has boosted upper mids and highs but it severely limits a fender amps ton stack to muted mid tones. Celestin's like the Cream backs are good for either amp getting British tones and Jensen's are good for either amp getting American tones.

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