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Appropriate tube amplifier for middle class suburban home.


TrevorGil

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I am new to this forum, so hello!

Allow me to provide some background information.

I have played guitar for 2 years now and I am looking for a valve amplifier.

I live in a very middle class suburb in Wiltshire and have a very middle class job, which is why I want to find an appropriate amplifier for my situation. I do not want to look uncouth with a loud amplifier, and I don't want to look like a pleb for using a solid state amplifier.

I have had a middle class education and had clarinet and piano as my main instruments in private school and sixth form, but guitar has always had something about it which is why I took it up two years ago.

My guitar was a Martin accoustic, but I have recently bought a Gibson ES-335.

I want the amplifier to look appropriate too - I don't want any cheap looks as it would clash with my furnature, which is mostly from John Lewis.

I have a reputation to keep in my area, so please, no loud amps as I do not wish to disturb my neighbours - it can be louder than 1W as I live in a a detatched house, but I don't want to disturb my neighbours as they too have middle class jobs - my two closest neighbours are a doctor and a police inspector, very respectable people from very respectable backgrounds with conservative values like myself. I respect these people and want to keep everything stable.

Hope there is something out in the market for me!

Trevor

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I have many amp for many different occasions. What is your price range?

 

One amp I have that I play often is a Yamaha THR10 C.

 

I play it through headphone late at night when every one else has gone to bed. It is not a tube amp.

 

[video=youtube;6K12Mi0TmPY]

 

Also not a tube amp is the Quilters. I don't own one but I wish I did.

 

[video=youtube;GB30KQd-iQY]

 

Besides that I have about a dozen amps, Fender Princeton, Deluxe Reverb and more , Mesa amps, Marshall's and a Dr Z.

 

 

You can take a Princeton and push it with a od pedal and it's not super loud. You can do the same with the DRRI. They record great.

 

 

Mesa' have a master volume.

 

 

 

 

 

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As with most things it depends on how much you're prepared to spend. Here are some options: https://www.thomann.de/gb/tube_guitar_combos.html?oa=pra&filter=true&feature-46702-first=1&feature-46702-last=5. The Vox AC4TV comes to mind. It's a 4 Watt (switchable down to 1/4 Watt) ''tube'' (as we say in the US) amp with a 10'' (25cm) speaker. It's not particularly gaudy IMHO. A decent size speaker is a must and I can't recommend anything smaller than 10''. Smaller speakers just don't produce good full range sound.

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I have many amp for many different occasions. What is your price range?

 

One amp I have that I play often is a Yamaha THR10 C.

 

I play it through headphone late at night when every one else has gone to bed. It is not a tube amp.

 

[video=youtube;6K12Mi0TmPY]

 

Also not a tube amp is the Quilters. I don't own one but I wish I did.

 

[video=youtube;GB30KQd-iQY]

 

Besides that I have about a dozen amps, Fender Princeton, Deluxe Reverb and more , Mesa amps, Marshall's and a Dr Z.

 

 

You can take a Princeton and push it with a od pedal and it's not super loud. You can do the same with the DRRI. They record great.

 

 

Mesa' have a master volume.

 

 

 

 

 

I earn £51,000 per year so my price range would be anywhere between £1000 - £2200.

The Yamaha is solid state I think, and that wouldn't look very respectable in front of people.

I tried the fender Princeton and I know for a fact that there is no way my neighbours will accept anything that loud. I would get reported to the local council, which would affect my reputation. My neighbours have to get up early for their jobs - nobody in my area claims any benifits so it's important that I have reasonable volume levels. I have a very large morgage from a very respectable bank, and I don't want anything to unbalence in my area.

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So let me get this straight, you've been playing 2 years but don't want to look like a pleb because your using a SS amp? Damn son I've been playing for close to 50 and still use SS amps on certain things, Granted older than you in most cases but SS all the same. Don't want it to clash with your John Lewis furniture? Oh My! Pretty sure I've heard it all now, but get the feeling I haven't. But to be honest wouldn't know what John Lewis furniture looked like if you hit me in the head with it. But if the prestige of a label captivates you and classic styling is your thing take a look at some of the smaller amps Matchless has to offer, Nice looking amps. Last I checked they all had volume knobs too.

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I am new to this forum, so hello!

Allow me to provide some background information.

I have played guitar for 2 years now and I am looking for a valve amplifier.

I live in a very middle class suburb in Wiltshire and have a very middle class job, which is why I want to find an appropriate amplifier for my situation. I do not want to look uncouth with a loud amplifier, and I don't want to look like a pleb for using a solid state amplifier.

I have had a middle class education and had clarinet and piano as my main instruments in private school and sixth form, but guitar has always had something about it which is why I took it up two years ago.

My guitar was a Martin accoustic, but I have recently bought a Gibson ES-335.

I want the amplifier to look appropriate too - I don't want any cheap looks as it would clash with my furnature, which is mostly from John Lewis.

I have a reputation to keep in my area, so please, no loud amps as I do not wish to disturb my neighbours - it can be louder than 1W as I live in a a detatched house, but I don't want to disturb my neighbours as they too have middle class jobs - my two closest neighbours are a doctor and a police inspector, very respectable people from very respectable backgrounds with conservative values like myself. I respect these people and want to keep everything stable.

Hope there is something out in the market for me!

Trevor

 

are you for real?

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So let me get this straight' date=' you've been playing 2 years but don't want to look like a pleb because your using a SS amp? Damn son I've been playing for close to 50 and still use SS amps on certain things, Granted older than you in most cases but SS all the same. Don't want it to clash with your John Lewis furniture? Oh My! Pretty sure I've heard it all now, but get the feeling I haven't. But to be honest wouldn't know what John Lewis furniture looked like if you hit me in the head with it. But if the prestige of a label captivates you and classic styling is your thing take a look at some of the smaller amps Matchless has to offer, Nice looking amps. Last I checked they all had volume knobs too. [/quote']

 

I don't think you understand. I have a reputation to keep in my middle class social circles, you yourself may not be in the same class bracket as I, but I can garantee you that if my neighbours even just THOUGHT that they MAY have heard somethine like a tube amp, I would get instantely reported. Like I said, I live in a very high brow area and I pay every month a very large respectable morgage. I can't put my families repution into jeopardy like this. My son goes to an extremely middle class school with others in this area, and if I act so thug-like as to have either a solid state amp or anti-social valve volumes, then the scandal could get to the teachers and put my sons education and social network in jeopardy. Everybody would be talking about me behind my back. If the school teachers think that I may be from a lower class due to anti-social behaviour, they may not try as hard.

 

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Check this one out

 

PTP American made in North Carolina.

 

http://www.carramps.com/products/mercury-v

It has an attenuator on it.

 

You can put an attenuator on any amp. Look at the Dr Z Break LITE.

 

  • Class A
  • Push Pull 6V6 - enriched fixed bias
  • Single channel: Treble, Mid, Bass, Reverb
  • 3-position boost switch
  • Parallel or series input gain stages
  • Built in attenuator 4 to 0 watts or 16 watts full power
  • Mercury 1x12 combo, Head

 

 

https://www.soundsgreatmusic.com/products/carr-mercury-112-combo

 

https://www.coda-music.com/carr-mercury-v-2-tone-luna-out-for-review.html

 

https://www.coda-music.com/carr-mercury-v-2-wine-cream.html

 

This is very nice and would be very respectable in any living or on stage.

[video=youtube;k-9LZkb1Rms]

[video=youtube;-omfezZNGdg]

 

This is the Dr Z Break Lite that I mentioned. It will handle up to 45 watts.

[video=youtube;87B7hKI4rK4]

[video=youtube;EVPqHZLdruo]

 

I have a Dr Z Maz 18 w/ reverb and the eq mod. It kicks some serious tail.

 

None of this stuff is inexpensive, but it's top notch.

 

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If it's really about looking cool with a 335 then there is only one possible choice...

 

fed41e54d17e9cf29691a00bb67f42b7--gibson-guitars-musical.jpg

 

 

I don't think you understand. I am not allowed to have that amp in a middle class suburb in Wiltshire. It's all about being appropriate for the respectable neighbours. I am middle class, very middle class, and I must conduct myself in that manor or else the neighbours will talk. Amps that big are anti-social and should be banned.

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I don't think you understand. I am not allowed to have that amp in a middle class suburb in Wiltshire. It's all about being appropriate for the respectable neighbours. I am middle class' date=' very middle class, and I must conduct myself in that manor or else the neighbours will talk. Amps that big are anti-social and should be banned.[/quote']

 

My apologies. I based my comment on this from the OP...

I have recently bought a Gibson ES-335.

I want the amplifier to look appropriate too

 

There is no more appropriate look for a 335 than an early 60's BF Super Reverb

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I don't think you understand. I am not allowed to have that amp in a middle class suburb in Wiltshire. It's all about being appropriate for the respectable neighbours. I am middle class, very middle class, and I must conduct myself in that manor or else the neighbours will talk. Amps that big are anti-social and should be banned.

 

http://drzamps.com/product/z-air-brake/

 

 

At home, the Air Brake is useful for lower volume while still allowing for full output tube distortion. The Air Brake has a “bedroom” level control that, when selected, will allow for fine adjustment and maximum attenuation down to 1 watt (with amps less than 100 watts). The Air Brake can be used with 4, 8, and 16 ohm loads.

 

[video=youtube_share;la8lX-3B3E8]

 

[video=youtube_share;bTL7QIWXRcc]

 

[video=youtube_share;V9euTPXpWcw]

 

 

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http://drzamps.com/product/z-air-brake/

 

 

At home, the Air Brake is useful for lower volume while still allowing for full output tube distortion. The Air Brake has a “bedroom” level control that, when selected, will allow for fine adjustment and maximum attenuation down to 1 watt (with amps less than 100 watts). The Air Brake can be used with 4, 8, and 16 ohm loads.

 

[video=youtube_share;la8lX-3B3E8]

 

[video=youtube_share;bTL7QIWXRcc]

 

[video=youtube_share;V9euTPXpWcw]

 

 

 

Is the air break good for the middle classes?

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If he is, I need to rethink my whole life. Everything has been done wrong. My amp clashes with my furniture. The covers don't match my car interior. The color is far too loud for this neighborhood. My amps are British and Italian, but I am not so that can't be acceptable. My MiniMASS might be Catholic, but I am Episcopal (ok, close enough on that one.)

 

One of the guys here has a good sense of humor. Fess up, who dun it?

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Sorry guys, I cant see how anyone cant take this guy seriously.

 

I've seen some vain musicians in the past 50 years, usually to impress the women in the audience. Most women could care less about your musical gear. In fact most hate the fact you pay more attention to it, then you do them. To buy an amp based on your neighborhood class status? Give a break. This has to be a troll thread.

 

Even if you lived in a place where every neighbor was a musician, and you were sucked into keeping up with the Jones's, you wouldn't buy an amp just to fit in. Do you have open tours where you charge the neighbors to visit your home to view your gear? Why should they know or care what you own?

 

A professional buys an amp first and foremost based on how the amp sounds, not how it looks. Its called making good music.

 

I wouldn't care if the amp was solid state or beat to crap so long as you can walk up and play the hell out of it on stage, and neither would anyone in an audience. In fact its actually in vogue to have a road worn amp these days. Kids buy road worn gear to make it look like they've played long enough to have the gear wear out.

 

I live in a middle class neighborhood myself and I could care less of what my neighbors think about any of my gear. None of them are musicians and they wouldn't know their arse from a hole in the ground when it comes to good gear or making music. I could tell them my biggest piece of junk amp was worth a mint and sounded great and they wouldn't know the difference cause they aren't musicians. Even if it sounded bad to them they'd chalk it up to the performer, not the gear.

 

Besides this guy has previous posts that say he supposedly owns an amp already, specifically a Marshall 15W head and cab so either he's looking for attention or pulling your leg.

 

To the OP. If you're looking for an amp, take your guitar to a music shop and plug into a few amps and buy the one that suits you. No one here can tell you what amp might fit your vanity.

 

Its the man behind the gear that makes the music, not the other way around.

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...

A professional buys an amp first and foremost based on how the amp sounds, not how it looks. Its called making good music...

 

Ritchie Blackmore, a well known professional guitarist, played a 335 through an AC30 until he saw Jimi Hendrix play. He was so taken by the appearence of the Stratocaster and the Marshall stacks that he adopted a similar setup for himself.

 

Unfortunatley, Mr Blackmore was not satisfied with the sound he got from the new rig so he searched for ways to beef up the relativey anemic strat and ended up using a modified reel to reel tape recorder for a boost (and for some delay effects).

 

00a9dfa9.jpg

 

I studied Blackmore and found it interesting that his sound developed as a result of choosing gear based on appearance and a big influence on my sound came from trying to emulate what he was doing.

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if an amp need to fit to my furniture' date=' IKEA needs to start selling IKEA amp kids :)[/quote']

 

For your information, I go to John Lewis.

I wouldn't ever be seen in IKEA - the neighbours would talk if they saw any IKEA chav furniture in my very middle class home.

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Sorry guys, I cant see how anyone cant take this guy seriously.

 

I've seen some vain musicians in the past 50 years, usually to impress the women in the audience. Most women could care less about your musical gear. In fact most hate the fact you pay more attention to it, then you do them. To buy an amp based on your neighborhood class status? Give a break. This has to be a troll thread.

 

Even if you lived in a place where every neighbor was a musician, and you were sucked into keeping up with the Jones's, you wouldn't buy an amp just to fit in. Do you have open tours where you charge the neighbors to visit your home to view your gear? Why should they know or care what you own?

 

A professional buys an amp first and foremost based on how the amp sounds, not how it looks. Its called making good music.

 

I wouldn't care if the amp was solid state or beat to crap so long as you can walk up and play the hell out of it on stage, and neither would anyone in an audience. In fact its actually in vogue to have a road worn amp these days. Kids buy road worn gear to make it look like they've played long enough to have the gear wear out.

 

I live in a middle class neighborhood myself and I could care less of what my neighbors think about any of my gear. None of them are musicians and they wouldn't know their arse from a hole in the ground when it comes to good gear or making music. I could tell them my biggest piece of junk amp was worth a mint and sounded great and they wouldn't know the difference cause they aren't musicians. Even if it sounded bad to them they'd chalk it up to the performer, not the gear.

 

Besides this guy has previous posts that say he supposedly owns an amp already, specifically a Marshall 15W head and cab so either he's looking for attention or pulling your leg.

 

To the OP. If you're looking for an amp, take your guitar to a music shop and plug into a few amps and buy the one that suits you. No one here can tell you what amp might fit your vanity.

 

Its the man behind the gear that makes the music, not the other way around.

 

You must be a very ruff individual to approch such delicate matters in this manor. You may be middle class, but I can assure you that I am upper-middle middle class. Maybe once you lived in a council house and recently got into a bit of money and managed to get into a middle class area, but your social and educational etiquette is of a very low brow nature indeed - absolutely not the calibre of a person that I would surround myelf with or intruduce into my very middle class social network. I shop for my grocieries at Waitrose, and I buy my furniture from John Lewis, if you don't mind thank you.

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