Members LenMinNJ Posted November 29, 2015 Members Share Posted November 29, 2015 I've been playing electric since the mid-1960s. The amps we played back then became the standard to which I compared all the later amps. So the blackface Fenders (Twin Reverb, Super Reverb, Pro Reverb, Vibrolux Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, Princeton Reverb, Showman, Bandmaster and Bassman amps), Vox (AC-30TB, AC-15, AC-50) and Ampegs (V4, Gemini) have been what I've bought since then, both for collecting and for playing. Lately I've seen lots of interesting amps. I bought a Mesa Express 5:25 and it's a great amp. A recent Vox AC15CC1 is also pretty nice. Being made with circuit boards and less rugged hardware, I don't think that they'll last 50 years like the old amps, but they're pretty good for what they are. I've been wondering about other modern amps, like the Egnater Rebel. It has fine reviews and looks sharp. Made in China though, as is my VOX AC15CC1. I have no complaints about them. Would anyone suggest a few modern amps that they think are better sounding than the old ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted November 29, 2015 Members Share Posted November 29, 2015 It's hard to go past Bogner for me. They use aircraft grade circuit board construction, which is more robust than point to point and lets them do more sophisticated and consistent things with wire layout. Plus I like the fact that they're not slavish to the past and will happily break from convention if they think it'll give a better result. But only if, not just for the sake of being different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordptrn Posted November 30, 2015 Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 If it doesn't say Marshall on the front then ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted November 30, 2015 Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 I don't think it's a matter of sounding better or worse, that's subjective, but as far as long term reliability, it's hard to beat the old classics IMO. For a lightweight low wattage amp (18 watts) that's plenty loud and works great for most band situations, it's hard to beat my old 65 Magnatone Custom 413. I've never had an issue with it. As far as contemporary amps that are built to last and reliable, I'd have to go with Mesa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted November 30, 2015 Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 "Modern" as in "newly built"? I thought your question pertained to things like FX Loops, voicing Features, Multi watts and such. A new DRRI is not a modern amp, just new. I have a MESA Boogie MARK1 reissue (Santana sig with the snakeskin). I don't know where it fits here but it's a helluva good amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LenMinNJ Posted November 30, 2015 Author Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 "Modern" as in "newly built"? I thought your question pertained to things like FX Loops, voicing Features, Multi watts and such. A new DRRI is not a modern amp, just new. The Fender re-issue amps are not, to my mind, modern amps. They've updated (and regarding reliability, perhaps not necessarily in a good way) the old amps but haven't changed them significantly. Still the same 'ol circuits. Yes, I'm talking about features that actually improve their sound, cost, flexibility, reliability... The Egnater Rebel came to mind because it allows you to choose the balance between two power sections: 6V6 and EL84. That's a useful innovation. It's relatively inexpensive, well made and handsome (to my eye). My Mesa Express 5:25 has two foot-switchable channels, each with two-way character switch, plus contouring on each channel. And it seems to be in a very rugged package. Bogner seems to be staying with a Marshall-like appearance. Perhaps they have some sonic improvements, but I haven't heard anything specific. Marshall seems to be operating like Fender: re-issues and subtle changes. Nothing from them strikes me as innovative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted November 30, 2015 Moderators Share Posted November 30, 2015 If it doesn't say Marshall on the front then ..... I tend to agree, Marshall 1974X or a Bluesbreaker, is about all the amp one ever needs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted November 30, 2015 Moderators Share Posted November 30, 2015 The Fender re-issue amps are not, to my mind, modern amps. They've updated (and regarding reliability, perhaps not necessarily in a good way) the old amps but haven't changed them significantly. Still the same 'ol circuits. Yes, I'm talking about features that actually improve their sound, cost, flexibility, reliability... The Egnater Rebel came to mind because it allows you to choose the balance between two power sections: 6V6 and EL84. That's a useful innovation. It's relatively inexpensive, well made and handsome (to my eye). My Mesa Express 5:25 has two foot-switchable channels, each with two-way character switch, plus contouring on each channel. And it seems to be in a very rugged package. Bogner seems to be staying with a Marshall-like appearance. Perhaps they have some sonic improvements, but I haven't heard anything specific. Marshall seems to be operating like Fender: re-issues and subtle changes. Nothing from them strikes me as innovative. I think Marshall like Fender guitars and Gibson guitars don't have to innovate too much as ever since they both perfected their flagship products, everybody else has focussed on copying them or modelling them....reinvent...wheels..all that. However I have to say the MB 5:25 has always been on my list of would love to haves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted November 30, 2015 Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 Allot of new amps have been moving towards an all in one solution incorporating built in effects and modeling. Line 6, Fender, Vox and many others have a full pallet of effects. Whether this is better then individual effects or just a cost savings and convenience is questionable. There are some simple things like channel switching and effects loops that are hard to live without these days and many people mod older amps to have them available. When it comes to modeling and effects, you usually find them in SS amps more then Tube amps but even that's beginning to change. I think for long lasting durability its hard to beat having basic circuits. The more complex an amp gets the more things can go wrong and the few techs can fix them when they do fail. Vintage amps lasted because even amateur techs could repair them. Most modern amps with complex circuits are only repairable by the manufacturer so you'll likely find scores of them in the graveyard called EBay during your lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted November 30, 2015 Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 Vintage ams are a love / hate thing with me.When all is well I love the sound but when I get a noisey tube and discover that world wide production has ended I hate it.I mainly use an old (not vintage ) Fender Princeton Chorus solid state for reliability . I also don't like to turn the tubes on and off so unless I have plenty of time to play I just don't bother. My vintage Ampeg uses a 7199 tube which is no longer made. There are adapters to use a different tube but it's not quite the same. I'm down to my last tube and hate to spend the big bucks NOS is bringing.This is the down side of vintage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted November 30, 2015 Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 .... you actually get tone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted November 30, 2015 Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 I did the vintage amps and back then it was called "used", and I have to agree with Gardo above. The tones were great! Warmth, articulate, chimey, whatever I needed, my old Oliver gave me. It also gave me migraines. Each gig it sounded different, tubes were near impossible to find, (This was before tubes became cool again.) and it was a beast to move from car, to gig, up stairs, etc etc. Same with my old Carvins and Duncan Convertible 100. I discovered Roland and the original BC60 in the late 80's, and haven't looked back.I've looked at other amps, including my beloved Yamaha THR10, and yes, modern amps offer more features, the older ones offer tone. Do I want a Line 6, so I can sound like 10,000 other players? Or do I want a amp that makes me sound like myself? I prefer older, more simple amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members speakerjones Posted November 30, 2015 Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 I love vintage amps when they work, lol. I like using them in the studio, but not at all live. Mesa is my favorite of the bigger, mainstream amp companies that are building "modern" amps. They're built like tanks and they sound great. Honestly, I think where it's at, is with the boutique builders who are giving some small, modern updates to vintage designs, and hand building them with high-quality components. My main amp is a Valvetech Hayseed 30. The bones are a 1964 AC30 circuit, but it has a switchable preamp, half-power switch, and master volume. You can also get them with FX loops, and other options. Allen Amps, Swart, Metropoulos, are others that are building modern "clones" of old circuits. They tend to be less in price than their vintage counterparts. All-in I think my Hayseed 30 cost me about $1200 used, which you couldn't even touch a working '64 AC30 for. Plus, you tend to get great support from these smaller builders. Being able to call up the guy who actually built my amp to ask him a question about it is a lot of added value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted November 30, 2015 Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 You can rewire the socket and use 6U8A tubes in place of the 7199. They sound virtually the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted November 30, 2015 Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 I think you need to play a few Bogners.if you think they haven't made any sonic improvements. Yes they look a bit like Marshalls and they have models that do their sound (better and more consistently), but they also have a huge palette of other sounds. They'll knock your socks off, but they'll take a bite out of your wallet. I'm not saying they're necessary to make great sounding music, but they help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted November 30, 2015 Members Share Posted November 30, 2015 There a really nice all-original 1959 Magnatone 260 on Ebay right now for $800 plus shipping. So tempting. Forget it. I pulled the trigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jtr654 Posted December 1, 2015 Members Share Posted December 1, 2015 The only modern amps I own are Fuchs ODS 100 and 2 Fender Pro Juniors. The rest are vintage Marshalls and Fenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LenMinNJ Posted December 1, 2015 Author Members Share Posted December 1, 2015 The only modern amps I own are Fuchs ODS 100 and 2 Fender Pro Juniors. The rest are vintage Marshalls and Fenders. The Pro Juniors are pretty old-fashioned. What's do you like about the Fuchs, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jtr654 Posted December 1, 2015 Members Share Posted December 1, 2015 The Fuchs has a nice Dumble like tone sustain that blooms and cleans that are Fender like.It also has a tube buffered effects loop. But right now I use 2 Pro Jr. in stereo and they sound great without killing anyone with volume. About the Fuchs go to the users reviews( at HC) and check out the reviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted December 1, 2015 Members Share Posted December 1, 2015 There are a ton of amazing new tube amps with features that make them a million times more practical than vintage amps. The new modern trend of lower watt amps that do what high powered amps did in 60's, 70, and 80's has been a revelation. Such is the cheap trend at HCEG that nobody has even mentioned them. Take 65 amps for example. All the tones you'll ever need short of metal, and many of them come in one product. Divided by 13 are another amazing company. Matchless. and on and on. Plenty of great point to point hand wired modern amps that will last every bit as long if not longer than any vintage amp. Yeah there not cheap....but quality usually isn't. You get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danhedonia Posted December 1, 2015 Members Share Posted December 1, 2015 Used to work with major label bands around recording environments that were oriented towards gear snobbery: lots of wonderful vintage amps. I'm a Fender-y guy but try to appreciate things for what they are. A musician I once managed currently plays through a vintage Plexi and/or Hiwatt. I also have an Egnater Rebel 30, and love it. In fact, although I have "nicer" amps (including a vintage Bassman) the Rebel 30 is my usual playing preference. I paired it with a Vox 212 and they just got on well, haven't looked back since. The tweaking is NOT a gimmick, although you need to really play at decent volumes to get the most out of the features. That's probably uncomfortably loud for a lot of noodlers - I'm fortunate to be blessed with space and a wife with a vicious love of volume. Ask me more questions, would be delighted to gush about that special little amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted December 1, 2015 Moderators Share Posted December 1, 2015 I have hear a Divided by 13, and I gotta admit it was very impressive, sort of like hifi vintage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted December 1, 2015 Moderators Share Posted December 1, 2015 Now that I think about my earlier Marshall gushings, if I Had to live with one amp it would be a SWART, a few years ago the Space Tone, but now the MOD84. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LenMinNJ Posted December 1, 2015 Author Members Share Posted December 1, 2015 Vintage amps lasted because even amateur techs could repair them. Most modern amps with complex circuits are only repairable by the manufacturer so you'll likely find scores of them in the graveyard called EBay during your lifetime. This is one of the things that makes me stay away from amps that have on-board digital effects. It only takes a few years and the ICs and gate arrays that they use will be obsolete and unavailable. There's are no parts in a broken blackface Fender that can't be sourced now. I really doubt that a Line 6 amp will be repairable ten years from now. And I wonder if a channel-switching amp that doesn't use real relays for the switching will be repairable either. Hmmm... that makes me wonder what's inside my Mesa Express 5:25. Maybe it's time to open it and have a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LenMinNJ Posted December 1, 2015 Author Members Share Posted December 1, 2015 How's the workmanship on the Rebel 30 head? Have you looked inside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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