Classic rockers - tell me 'bout your 112 combos!

[Fireproof]

My 100w amp is just overkill for most of the time (I'm not currently gigging - just jamming with friends).

 

And all my practice amps are solid state. So I'm considering getting a 1x12 all-tube combo - something 50watts or less.

 

I play 90% classic rock and blues (from Cream to AC/DC). Would love something with both a clean and dirty channel. I'm not sure what to get. I've been eyeing the Traynor and Kustom '36 Coupe. Vox AC30 112 is nice but more than I want to spend (trying to stay near $500).

 

Anyway - I thought I'd see what Single 12" tube combos you guys have in your collections and what you think about them...

 

Post 'em up & tell why you like it!

[jonny guitar]

1971 Traynor Guitar Mate - 15 watts, point to point wired, outstanding build quality, enclosed 12" speaker for tight sound, straight forward great tone -- paid 70 bucks canadian.

[TheDove]

Not pure tube but my Vox VT 50 does some good stuff if you can be arsed mucking about with it - great 80's marshall sound and AC30 is amazing - even better when you play it clean and stick an OD or MT in front witha bit of 'verb

[docjeff]

I have four 15 watters that are perfect for small clubs. Orange AD15/12, Marshall DSL 201, Ampeg Jet and Vox AC15TBX. All four sound fantastic and were

 

 

The Orange is my main gigging amp. It has quite a bit of clean headroom and a nice brit crunch. Perfect for classic rock. The AC15TBX is the best sounding of my 1 x 12's, but they are getting quite rare, so mine stays home. The Marshall is really aggressive and I use it when I need extra gain. The 40 watt version (DSL 401) may be exactly what you are looking for. Check it out. i'd stick a new Celestion Alnico Gold (50watt) speaker in the 401. You'd have a great amp that could do Voxy chime to true Marshall grind.

 

The Ampeg doesn't get used too much, but it has a really glassy clean sound and works well with drive pedals (like a Radial Tonebone Hot Brit). They make a 50 watt version that is pretty nice.

 

The Fender HR Deluxe has an expensive Jensen P12N and some caps that I installed across the volume and master pots. It sounds like an older Deluxe now with a great clean channel and lots of headroom. The drive sounds are nowhere near as good as the Orange, Vox, or Marshall.

 

By the way, I also have a THD Univalve that I gig with all the time. It's exceptionally flexible, and I can leave my cab at the gig and just cart the head back and forth. I use a 2 x 12 Marshall cab and a 1 x 12 Marshall cab. It is plenty loud enough, but not much clean headroom.

[guitarlady]

I have a Fender Deluxe Reverb. The one with the teddy bear on top.

 

 

 

[Hopeless]

Originally posted by docjeff I have four 15 watters that are perfect for small clubs. Orange AD15/12, Marshall DSL 201, Ampeg Jet and Vox AC15TBX. All four sound fantastic and were The Orange is my main gigging amp. It has quite a bit of clean headroom and a nice brit crunch. Perfect for classic rock. The AC15TBX is the best sounding of my 1 x 12's, but they are getting quite rare, so mine stays home. The Marshall is really aggressive and I use it when I need extra gain. The 40 watt version (DSL 401) may be exactly what you are looking for. Check it out. i'd stick a new Celestion Alnico Gold (50watt) speaker in the 401. You'd have a great amp that could do Voxy chime to true Marshall grind. The Ampeg doesn't get used too much, but it has a really glassy clean sound and works well with drive pedals (like a Radial Tonebone Hot Brit). They make a 50 watt version that is pretty nice. The Fender HR Deluxe has an expensive Jensen P12N and some caps that I installed across the volume and master pots. It sounds like an older Deluxe now with a great clean channel and lots of headroom. The drive sounds are nowhere near as good as the Orange, Vox, or Marshall. By the way, I also have a THD Univalve that I gig with all the time. It's exceptionally flexible, and I can leave my cab at the gig and just cart the head back and forth. I use a 2 x 12 Marshall cab and a 1 x 12 Marshall cab. It is plenty loud enough, but not much clean headroom.

 

 

Your rig is painfully wonderful.

[ChrisGansz]

Marshall Valvestate 8080 always does me well:thu:

[Cougar Hunter]

my traynor ycv 40 sounds great right now. I have one of the old ones with the adhesive badge that fell off. I replaced the seventy/80 celestion with a weber michigan. I put some cheap chinese 6l6's in instead of the 5881s.

 

remember, the amp will only sound as good as your guitar. also, on the overdrive channel, put the gain on like 3 or 4. put the post volume on 10. it sounds awesome.

 

add a tubescreamer and it sounds a bit like Ratt's "out of the cellar".

 

the clean sounds very fendery. Filtertrons really kick ass through it.

 

I keep hearing people bitch about the reverb. I've never had a problem. Maybe they changed the circuit somewhere in the timeline.

 

you also might check out the ycv 50 blue too.

[docjeff]

Like gunslinger said, the loudspeaker choice is really important in a 1 x 12. I read how Fender, Marshall, etc. search far and wide for the best sounding, most cost effective speakers for their mid priced combos, but a step up to a Weber or Celestion Alnico can make a huge difference. A 15 or 20 watt amp can sound much louder than it should by using a really efficient speaker.

 

I like the Weber Silverbell ceramics (Brit voiced). They are less than a typical Celestion (at $90), and you can get them custom voiced depending upon your setup. I put one in my Orange. I have a Weber early 60's U.S. voiced speaker in my Ampeg.

 

But Celestion Blues with EL 84's are simply beyond description.

[Fireproof]

OOh - great pics, nice feedback, and good suggestions.

 

Thanks guys - keep them coming!!

 

And I agree that a nice guitar is needed as well. I play either a Gibson SG Classic (love those p90s) or Gibson LP. I play more rock than blues, so they serve me well...

 

Lots of good amps to look into...

[stanfield]

peavey classic 30. I've got JJ tubes, the stock Blue Marvel in mine and a Altec 417 in an open extension cab. But, a greenback is probably the most popular speaker mod for the C30. Fantastic amp, read up on it.

 

I've read the delta blues is good too. you really should be posting in the Amps forum, you'd get better responses. Or just search because there are a number of threads on 50 and below all tube amps.

 

good luck

[GAS Man]

One of my best sounding and versatile amps has been my Fender Super 112.

 

Here's one for sale.

 

http://www.instrumentexchange.com/bid-form.asp?id=20&link=bid-form.asp&list_id=170937

 

In addition to the description it has "pull for bright" and "pull for notch".

 

The one I own has a factory upgrade to a fairly sweet sounding Celestion.

 

What I like about the amp is that it has sweet Fender tones. Probably a little more focused than a vintage style Fender. And its channel switching is very useful and very good sounding OD.

 

It can play clean quite loud and then with the channel switching you can add in the OD tone independent of perceived volume. So it is possible to get a loud bluesy tone as well.

 

This amp cost over $500 at discount pricing over ten years ago and more if you had the upgrade Celestion. So it was more of a quality design than say the current Hot Rod series.

 

But its dependability was the {censored}s. Mine's been in the shop more than anything I've ever owned. I've never had an amp tech really get it back to where it's supposed to be. It's had too many idiot techs {censored}ing it up along the way. The last tech got it working stably for a few years, but messed up the gain control. Now it's dead again and waiting to go off to a tech again.

 

I'm probably going to get it running again and then sell it off. I just bought a new Deluxe Rever RI. Nice tone, but definitely more on the vintage side than the rock side compared to the Super 112. I have yet to run pedals into the Deluxe since it just arrived last week.

 

Let me know if you'd be interesting in being the next owner of a great sounding but challenging Super 112.

[stingxnj]

Love my Classic 30 to bits!

 

[Alchemist]

[Cougar Hunter]

^ Hey Alchemist,

 

I wish I had a badge that actually bolted on like that. Check out my faceless ycv40 above. :(

[Alchemist]

It looks mysterious without it, keep em guessing:thu:

 

Mine is a modded anniversary limited edition from way back:)

[Cougar Hunter]

 

Originally posted by Alchemist It looks mysterious without it, keep em guessing:thu: Mine is a modded anniversary limited edition from way back:)

 

 

Mine's either an '00 or an '01.

 

how old is yours?

[Alchemist]

 

Originally posted by guitarslinger Mine's either an '00 or an '01. how old is yours?

 

 

I believe its an 01, maybe some of the last batches of 01. I bought it in the fall of my last year of high school, I'm in my 4th year of university now.

[Cougar Hunter]

Originally posted by Alchemist I believe its an 01, maybe some of the last batches of 01. I bought it in the fall of my last year of high school, I'm in my 4th year of university now.

 

Yeah, I got mine in the Fall of my first year at Indiana U.

 

It worked well as a frat room hairmetal machine with an ADA in the efx return.

[The Bear]

If you can, try out a Classic 30.

I just got mine a few days ago and I love it.

I've played my 92 Studio and SG Classic through it and they both sound great.

My Strats and Teles are made for this amp.

 

Good Luck

The Bear

[Tonemeister87]

I bought my LC30 because I was on a budget, and it sounds great for classic rock. I use it with my JSX sometimes, but for smaller gigs or practice I just use it with pedals

[Bbreaker]

I have a pair of KT 88's in my GT Soul O 75.

It's a screamer..............

 

[Fireproof]

Wow - lots of great suggestions.

 

The Orange sounds cool, but is probably out of my budget.

 

The Marshall looks interesting but may be more than I want to spend (unless I find used). But I'm wondering if it's too much grit and not clean enough. Gotta research it more.

 

Lots of good feedback on the Traynor (which I was already looking at) and the Peavey Classic 30. That's cool - I'll have to search on this a lot more. Nice to hear The Bear say he's playing the same guitars I have through it and it sounds great. The price seems right too. Hmmmm....

 

Thanks for the PICS too guys - I love it!!

[Z_Zoquis]

Got my classic 30 a few weeks ago. It's scrumptous. I had an AD30VT Valvetronix and while that offers more different tones, none of them is nearly a match for the peavey. It's a great amp for the price. I only paid $449 cdn new...

[The Bear]

 

Originally posted by Fireproof Wow - lots of great suggestions. The Orange sounds cool, but is probably out of my budget. The Marshall looks interesting but may be more than I want to spend (unless I find used). But I'm wondering if it's too much grit and not clean enough. Gotta research it more. Lots of good feedback on the Traynor (which I was already looking at) and the Peavey Classic 30. That's cool - I'll have to search on this a lot more. Nice to hear The Bear say he's playing the same guitars I have through it and it sounds great. The price seems right too. Hmmmm.... Thanks for the PICS too guys - I love it!!

 

 

The Classic s' handle pedals realy well too.

On my Classic 50 4X10 I'll use a crybaby Classic with the SG Classic.

Pull the wah back some and get great early Santana tones.

You can tell I really like the Peavey Classic series amps.

I haven't tried any pedals with the 30, but I'm sure it will handle them just as well.

Now I'm just having too much fun with just the amp and a guitar.

It sounds just as good at low volume.

I've been keeping it at 2-4 and using the guitars volume control.

It's just a great little amp.

 

The Bear