Members wankdeplank Posted October 26, 2015 Members Share Posted October 26, 2015 Played a party last Saturday where we opened for two bands with a whole lot more stage experience. I got some love from some of the musicians for my tone (old Magnatone Custom 413) but the lead player left his tube amps at home (save his back) in favor of a Mustang modeling amp which didn't really cut through (mix issues). At one rehearsal I used a Solid State DOD that didn't cut it at high volume. At another I used my Peavey Red Stripe Bandit which would have worked fine - lots of power and clean headroom. Not saying the Bandit would have sounded as good as the Maggy but it sure impressed me with it's tone and the other guys were certainly fine with it. Got a cheapy you feel alright playing out with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted October 26, 2015 Members Share Posted October 26, 2015 Crate Vintage Club 20w, single ch 1-10 w reverb. Cost me $300 in 1994. All I've ever done to it is tubes. Sounds great, compact and portable. Been my main amp since new. A lot of the time I don't even have to mic it. My Bandmate plays a Frontman 65R. Sounds great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted October 26, 2015 Members Share Posted October 26, 2015 I buy most of my gear used and save hundreds in the process. Some of my least expensive amps are actually high end stuff so I'd have to substitute the term value, in place of amp cost. For a lower end budget amp, I have an older Peavey Studio Pro which is likely the lowest wattage amp I'd try and gig with. It probably cost a couple of hundred new back in the day. I Paid $25 for the head which came mounted in a small Marshall combo cab. I bought a 10"Jensen Mod for $30 on sale that could handle the wattage safely. The amp has channel switching but I'm not a fan of the drive tones. I use the clean channel and use drive pedals instead. Still need to scrounge up a reverb unit for it but that wont cost much. The amp would probably sound better with a 12" for some extra bass response. For $55 I cant complain. Its plenty loud and even if the tone isn't the best I can shape its response well enough using various pedals. I do like the fact its super light and compact. Something I've had to focus on when I switched from driving a Pickup Truck to a Mustang which has limited trunk space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jtr654 Posted October 26, 2015 Members Share Posted October 26, 2015 A pair of small fender amps like 2Pro Jr. or a Pro Jr. and a 1964/5 Pr total for all 3 $410.00 . !st Pro Jr. $80 Tweed with Blue Alnico speaker the 2nd PJ was $ 260 with a Eminence speaker up grade 3rd PR $80 had to replace the reverb Tank and it was fitted with a 12" speaker so I put A Altec 417 in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 26, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 26, 2015 Oh yeah, those are great little amps - gotta love that creamy overdrive when they're pushed. Got a buddy that has one. Don't think he even plays anymore, might have to give him a call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 26, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 26, 2015 Gotta love a good no maintenance lightweight amp like that. I mean besides Roland, has anybody made a better Solid State (not talking about modeling amps). The only objection I have to the Bandit is that it's actually kinda heavy. Might have to have some casters put on it like my Mesa Heartbreaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted October 26, 2015 Members Share Posted October 26, 2015 No, since I don't like cheap amps that color the tone of the guitar.Currently have my original Roland BC-60, that serves me as well as my old Seymour Duncan convertible 100, at a 3rd of the weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 26, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 26, 2015 A pair of small fender amps like 2Pro Jr. or a Pro Jr. and a 1964/5 Pr total for all 3 $410.00 . !st Pro Jr. $80 Tweed with Blue Alnico speaker the 2nd PJ was $ 260 with a Eminence speaker up grade 3rd PR $80 had to replace the reverb Tank and it was fitted with a 12" speaker so I put A Altec 417 in it. Love those. I've got one which I've modded for harp use with a different preamp tube. Hadn't considered it for a live situation on guitar cause I'm new to micing. Still, I agree that it's a wonderful amp with a really excellent clean tone for single coil guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted October 26, 2015 Members Share Posted October 26, 2015 . . . My Bandmate plays a Frontman 65R. Sounds great. That's my amp as well (actually I have the FM65R, it doesn't say "Frontman" on it but it's essentially the same amp), the one that's "too loud" for worship even with an attenuator box. I bought it used with a bum reverb tank, which I replaced. Love the light weight (32 lbs.). . . . For a lower end budget amp' date=' I have an older Peavey Studio Pro which is likely the lowest wattage amp I'd try and gig with. . . .[/quote'] Which Studio Pro is it? The original was a 40 Watt with a 10". The later version was 65 Watts with a 12". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted October 26, 2015 Members Share Posted October 26, 2015 I've done a number of gigs with my first generation Fender Super Champ XD with an upgraded speaker (Jensen Neo). It's fine for small gigs when I don't feel like bringing my Mesa or Marshall amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jtr654 Posted October 27, 2015 Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 Wankdeplank I use these amps I Stereo and they keep up with My 50 watt Marshall. One is good for small gigs but with 2 you can play almost anywhere. Jeff Beck used 2 Pro Jr. for his Les Paul Tribute Check it out on Youtube . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 27, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 I don't feel like my Bandit colors the tone at all, although I would have to admit that it does sound a little different than a tube amp would. I guess it sounds a little more country and a little less rock n roll if that makes sense. It works well with pedals and I swear by that transtube technology. Not to dicker but some might consider the Roland an inexpensive amp as it is not tube but rather a simulation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 27, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 Too cool. Such a small footprint on those, do you put them on stands? Do you still get a lot of clean headroom that way (with two I mean)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 27, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 From the responses, Frontman and Super Champ, think I need to check out a solid state Fender some time. Harder and harder to come by I imagine. Nowadays everything is modeling and after last Saturday (17th) I'm not convinced that a Mustang can hang in a live situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jtr654 Posted October 27, 2015 Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 Yes there is a fair amount of clean headroom and no I don't use a stand. I set them for a nice sustain but articulate and turn the volume on my guitar for anything from crystal clear to overdrive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted October 27, 2015 Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 No' date=' since I don't like cheap amps that color the tone of the guitar.[/quote'] I know what you mean give or take but guitars don't make tone without the amp.Oh well... I don't gig although I have used a Sansamp live. Cheapest stuff I see is the Pods and all in one floor stuff. Which to me sounds better than all but the real good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted October 27, 2015 Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 From the responses' date=' Frontman and Super Champ, think I need to check out a solid state Fender some time. Harder and harder to come by I imagine. Nowadays everything is modeling and after last Saturday (17th) I'm not convinced that a Mustang can hang in a live situation.[/quote'] Still around though. Here's what's on my local (St. Louis) CraigsList for less than $200: Mustang II V2 40 Watts 1X12 $150 Frontman 212R with footswitch 100 Watts 2X12 $150 Deluxe 112 Plus 94 Watts 1X12 $175 (supposed to be the SS equivalent of a Hot Rod Deluxe) Studio 85 with 12" JBL E120 65 Watts 1X12 $175 That Frontman 212R would likely hang easily in a live situation. Essentially the big brother to my amp. You'd probably want a pedal for a decent OD but you'd get plenty of loud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 27, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 Cool, and you're right that is just a terrific sounding clean amp esp with my Strat. Haven't picked up a harmonica in quite awhile and I often think about changing the amp back the way it was (more clean headroom). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 27, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 Sounds like a whole lotta amp for just a little. How's the new reverb tank working out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members speakerjones Posted October 27, 2015 Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 I've certainly gigged some cheap amps over the years - Fender M80, Fender Princeton Chorus, Peavey Stereo Chorus. Anymore, I gig seldomly enough that I'm going to bring out the big guns when I do. The exception there is a Peavey Classic 30 that I bought for next to nothing as a grab and go for jams and such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 27, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 Classic 30 is one of those cases where yeah it might not cost much, but it's made for the working musician. Wonder if those are still American made. A friend ordered the recent Delta Blues and it didn't stack up to my older model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members speakerjones Posted October 27, 2015 Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 I don't get this post. A guitar amp is meant to color the sound of a guitar. It's arguably half the tone of the instrument. If you've ever plugged a guitar directly into a console or powered PA speaker - that's what "uncolored" guitar sound is like, and it's usually pretty anemic and sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted October 27, 2015 Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 I used to use a Line 6 amp, but it just never cut through a live mix. Same with every other modelling amp or simulator I've tried, but I've never gigged an AxeFX or Kemper. As long as I've got a tube amp with decent clean headroom I'm happy, but I'm happiest with the Bogner, so I use that now always. I only do a handful of electric gigs a year these days so I don't need to worry about gear weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted October 27, 2015 Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 Wank, I disagree with you on the "cheapness" of my Roland. Yes, it is SS, and yes, it does have a simulation circuit. But since when is a SS amp a bad thing? It's not a tuber, but it is a great sounding amp. SS is an alternative to tubes. Just as a strat is an alternative to a Paul. Speaker, I have always believed that a great amp should do just that: amplify the guitar's natural sound without coloring it with the tone of the amp, unless you want it to. How many times have you heard a guitar, without having a clue as to what it is, but KNEW the amp was a Marshall, or a Mesa? For me, it's a major turnoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 27, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 Interesting observation. I definitely felt like my buddies' Mustang sounded good at rehearsal levels in a small room but kind of disintegrated playing in the open air back yard on the gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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