Gigging guitarists: what amp(s) do you use?

[Locke]

I've asked this question at a few places and I'm still searching. I'm looking for an amp that's loud enough to stand by itself at a small club gig if need be. We play everything from funk to rock to metal but I'm not looking for a Limp Bizkit-type bassy sound, more like Hendrix-kind of tones even for the heavier stuff. So no need for huge amounts of low-end or sustain. Oh yeah, and I'm on a budget. I could prolly dish out about...say, about $400. Any suggestions?

[noisewave]

I use a reverend hellhound 40/60 head and marshall 1936 2x12 cabinet....it's more than loud enough in a small club unmic'ed.

 

before that I used a peavey classic 30 with a traynor 112 cabinet. I also used setup unmic'ed in a club and kit could be heard pretty well.

[worthyjoe]

I just switched to a Peavey Classic 30 which ran me $400 new. I always mic it but it's pretty loud. You could probably get by in small club. Then eventually maybe you could add a cabinet.

[Guitar Guru]

POD XT.......every amp and sound you want.

 

End of Thread

[anonpostguy]

This 1X12 combo rocks. It is a great gigging guitar players amp because it is bulletproof, has el34's which sound killer. It's got great clean and dirty channels with a boost on the dirty for solos. It doesn't weigh a ton. This thing is plenty loud to cover virtually any gig. All in all a real working guitar players amp. Plus, it has a two-year, even if you break it, warranty, ie. you ran over your amp with your car, they will still take care of you.

[fastplant]

Marshall JCM 900. It's only 50 watts but cranks pretty well. And it actually sounds better around 8 or 9. I've used a 100 watt JCM 800 as well, and that thing rocked as well.

[GCDEF]

I use a Crate V3112. You may find one used for $400. Peavey Classic 30 or Delta Blues would work, as would the Traynor YCV combos or perhaps the Peavey Valve King.

[digwhisper]

I'm running my ultimate little six space prog metal junkie rack, which by the way also happens to work amazingly well for every band (blues to country to classic rock to Prog to Nu Metal) I work with.

 

Mesa Boogie Triaxis

Mesa Boogie 2:90

TC Electronic G Majorr

Power Conditioner

Open Slot (saving for a rack wah)

[Dylan Walters]

I use a Mesa Boogie F-30 Combo. It sports a single 12" Celestion Vintage 30, 25-30-ish tube watts, EL84's, etc. It has an absolutely wonderful clean sound to my amazement. Very dynamic and not mushy like some of the cheaper Fender tube amps on the market today. You can usually find them used for about $500. I use a Tonebone Classic for my overdrive/distortion.

[Brian Krashpad]

For my side roots rock band I use a vintage Sunn 200S tube head:

 

 

Got it for $300 shipped. Run it through an 80's Risson 4x12 I picked up for $100:

 

 

So that's 4 bills.

 

For my main, 70's style punk rock band I use a Sovtek Mig50H "Tube Midget" head I got for $250 scratch'n'dent from Musician's Friend:

 

 

I use the same Risson cab, so that's $350 for that rig.

 

On tight stages or tiny clubs I might substitute a 2x12 instead of a 4x12. I recently bought a DIY 2x12 cab (speakers in a gutted Crate combo amp) w/Silverback Celestions for $90, here it is run as a verticle "quarter-stack" with the Sovtek head:

 

 

So the "quarter-stack" rig cost me $390 or $340, depending on whether I use the Sunn head or the Sovtek head. But in fact since the Sunn price included shipping the prices are even closer for the actual gear.

 

Both amp heads are about 50W. No prob for unmic'd performances in small to medium-sized clubs.

 

BK

[MoreGuitars]

Originally posted by fastplant Marshall JCM 900. It's only 50 watts but cranks pretty well. And it actually sounds better around 8 or 9. I've used a 100 watt JCM 800 as well, and that thing rocked as well.

I've got a couple of JCM 900's 50 watts, and never get close to 8-9. Are you attenuating or do you play really loud!

[Singin' Dave]

I use the Peavey Classic 30 for small club gigs (rooms about 25' x 60') quite often and rarely go over about 4 or 5 on it. That lisslt sucker is LOUD (though it does have swapped tubes and speaker)

 

For outside or gigs much larger w/ no mic, out comes the Twin.

[FryGuy]

Originally posted by MoreGuitars I've got a couple of JCM 900's 50 watts, and never get close to 8-9. Are you attenuating or do you play really loud!

 

I'd be scared to turn my amp to 8-9. Mainly for the well being of the amp, but secondly for the well being of my ears. At 6 my room vibrates.

[Nighthawkdude]

I use a Mesa/Boogie DC-5 1x12 combo. I've never had to turn it up past 4, and I've played big some big halls (up to 13,000 seats!) without any problems.

[fastplant]

Originally posted by MoreGuitars I've got a couple of JCM 900's 50 watts, and never get close to 8-9. Are you attenuating or do you play really loud!

 

 

[J Kylez]

Hell, I picked up a Flextone II XT combo with the floorboard for $400. I was a big endorser of half stacks and a pedal setup but I've recently switched up and haven't regretted it. It doesn't have all the effects I like but it has enough. Good all around amp. 2-12" inchers and 2 50W solid state amps. I believe it's runs off the POD 2.0. Good setup. I love it.

[HuskerDude]

Another vote for the Peavey Classic 30. Loud enough for most clubs (anyplace that's too big for this amp had better have a PA, anyway) and great tone all the way through the volume and gain range.

[Locke]

Okay, I read some revies of the Peavey Classic 30 and it seems like the amp I'm looking for. One question though: why 30 and not 50?

[Brian Krashpad]

Originally posted by Locke Okay, I read some revies of the Peavey Classic 30 and it seems like the amp I'm looking for. One question though: why 30 and not 50?

 

They're a little cheaper usually and cost is a factor for you.

 

I'd personally go with the 50 just on principle if I could afford either, but one advantage to a lower wattage is that you can probably get breakup without as much volume.

 

Then again I don't have direct experience with the Classic series, and the lowest watt tube amp I have is a Super Reverb which at 40W running into four 10's can get pretty mofo'ing loud. I really like the 40-50W range for tube amps, for me 100W of tube is kinda overkill.

 

 

BK

[SSJMP]

Yes, the Classic 50 is an unsung sleeper out there for good tone for the buck. Classic 30 is nice too but if you don't want power amp breakup at louder volumes (which is cool regardless) the classic 50 has more headroom. Especially if you want the newer metal sounds with some sort of a pedal in front of it.

[Locke]

 

Originally posted by SSJMP Classic 30 is nice too but if you don't want power amp breakup at louder volumes (which is cool regardless) the classic 50 has more headroom.

 

 

That's the reason I don't want the amp to be too small; I want it to stay clean even at loud volumes because I use a distortion pedal.

[LPSlinger]

'66 Fender Bassman through a 2x10 Jenkins Sound Shop cabinet.

 

If I'm going to mic up through the PA there is a good chance I'll use my late 70's Vibro Champ through the same extension cabinet.

[fuzzball]

Classic 30

Peavey bandit 112 combo

[maxnew40]

Line6 HD147 and 4X12 speaker cab. It goes anywhere from country to Death Metal. 300 watts means I can play anywhere with that thing. No tubes means I can play it a decently low volume and it still sounds good.

 

Max

[SSJMP]

BTW... I forgot to mention what I use for gigging:

 

In the blues/blues rock band I use a 1964 Fender Super Reverb

In the modern rock covers band I use a Bogner Uberschall through a Marshall 4X12 with vintage 30's.

For the classics band and studio work I use a 1977 Marshall JMP through a Marshall 4X12

 

If I were on a 400 buck budget, I would look for an older 50 watt tube combo amp or head with a cheap cabinet such as a Laney, Sovtek, Sunn, Crate, Peavey classic, Marshall or if you could find an older Fender. I would use pedals for distortion or just crank the amp(depends on band type/venue etc.)