Amp Odyssey: List what you went through to get where you are.

[golias]

Just as a fun way to kill time and swap stories. Most people who have been playing a while went through a lot of amps before arriving at their current stage rig. What have you used?

 

(Skip the stuff you just "tried out". For example, I left out my G40V, even though I owned it for a decent while, because I never actually gigged with it. Also, there were a lot of other amps, especially Fenders, which I briefly experimented with but ultimately chose not to use. Just tell the tale of how your performing amp selection has evolved, going back to your newbie days.)

 

For me:

 

SWR Workingman's 12 Bass Amp I started as a bassist. When I switched, I was very happy with the strat clean tone through this amp, eventually using pedals to get my dirt, reverb, etc.

 

(There was a long gap here when I was experimenting with trying to use digital modeling multi-effect pedals directly to the board. Loved not hauling an amp around, but was never satisfied with the tone.)

 

Roland JC-77 OMG, what a beautiful chorus and reverb this thing had. One of those pieces of gear which I probably never should have sold. Someday I might buy another.

 

Epiphone Valve Jr. "mini-stack" Head & 1x12 Cab Some people don't think highly of the tone of the VJ. I loved it. Sadly, it was just a *hair* too quiet, especially when playing clean. Also, I kind of missed having a good spring reverb.

 

Epiphone SoCal 50 Head My first BIG amp. I ran it as a half-stack at first, then got my hands on a bottom cab. Everybody says "you don't need a full stack", and that's true, but it's pretty damn fun. Sadly, the power transformer blew on it and it had to go in for repair, leading to...

 

Peavey Classic 50 I found one on Craigslist with a bad reverb tank & a couple missing knobs and bought it to be a "backup" for the SoCal. Once the SoCal was fixed, it liberated me to tinker with the Classic to get the reverb working again. Once the reverb was fixed and I could properly A/B the heads... My love affair with the SoCal was OVER. The Classic became my main gigging amp, and the SoCal became the backup.

 

Peavey Windsor Studio Combo I wanted something smaller for "coffeehouse" settings and stuff. The Windsor seemed like a great choice, and I got a new one at a B-stock price due to M123 wanting to make good on an inventory mix-up of theirs. There's a long thread (actually a couple) about my quest to get a really good tone out of this amp, and as far as the sound coming out of the speaker is concerned, it never quite happened. But the XLR "mic simulator" direct-out on this amp sounded GREAT! I still record with it, and have used it that way on stage a few times. The sweet XLR signal to the PA board, the speaker serving as a stage monitor for me. Not perfect, but not bad. For the most part, the Classic 50 stack remained my drug of choice.

 

Peavey Classic 30 1x12 Combo w/ 112e extension cab At last. Tone Utopia. It's so good, I think I just might sell off my entire stack AND the Windsor, and use this thing for EVERYTHING. It can be loud enough and sound great, quiet enough and sound great, feeds terrificly into an SM-57 for the PA, and sounds absolutely killer on its own. Great clean, great crunch, acceptable reverb. The tweed on both cabs is seriously scuffed up, but I'm going to live with it like that for now because it just looks and sounds so cool. THIS will be my gigging setup of choice for years to come.

 

 

So... tell us your story.

[Orange Jackson]

Fender SS something in the 90's. (sold, bass amp, so it was pretty sweet.)

 

Blues jr in the late 90's (sold, sounded too small.)

 

Zoom MRS-8 multi effects processor thru home stereo. (2000 to today, thing is an awesome little multi track recorder.)

 

Crate usa V30. (sold, cool but had a glitch.)

 

Blackheart 5 watt (sold, could not love the tonez.)

 

Fender Super champ XD (sold, pretty darn cool, had a glitch.)

 

Fender Vibro champ xd (sold, too small, but pretty cool.)

 

 

Rivera 55 watt 1x12r (with 1x12 extension cab (bought about a year ago, love, gush, nirvana, etc.))

 

Also have a Korg Pandora px4-d for headphone use and it's just great for that, really like it.

[Wyatt]

Amps I've owned and sold (or lost)

 

Univox B-1010

This was a 100-watt 1011 head with matching 2080 cabinet. (pic is just to show the styule, not my own)

 

It was loud, but bland, never really got overdriven, great reverb The head's secondary impedance was switchable from 2, 4 or 6 ohms, but the matching cabinet was 16-ohms. Genius. When the output transformer went, it took a speaker and power tube with it. Was subsiquential stolen by a tech who left town. I wish I still had it for the cab, I would gut it and drop a Plexi circuit in it.

 

Carvin XV-212

100-watt. Real workhorse. Twin Reverb-esque on the Clean channel and JCM-800-esque on the Drive channel. Every trick in the book...25%, 50%, 100% power, assignable active EQ, The problem was if you dial one channel in great the other sounded like ass. Weighted exactly one-quarter of a ton.

 

Supro Thunderbolt

Rebuilt a basketcase. Never, ever gelled with the tone. Big and thumpy. It eventually fell into the hands of Aimee Mann's guitarist who used it in an Oscar telecast.

 

Amp's I've kept:

 

'60 Tweed Deluxe

(my pic)

One of the all-time classics. Perfect tone for me. Raunchy and organic.

 

'68 Champ

Modded into a Tweed, great Neil Young in a box tone, maybe even better that the Deluxe above.

 

'78 Champ

Stock. My go to jam amp, light and easy to carry.

 

2002 Allen Accomplice

The old style with the tweed-like hanging chassis. Allen's are like ultra Blackface tone, with more gain and lower preamp headroom to really rock out, I modded my to be more straight-forward clean Fender tone.

 

Amp I haven't finished rebuilding

 

'50 Gibson GA-20

Darker and greasier than Fender Tweeds

[Railfanespee]

Fender Frontman 15G First amp, came with my strat pack. I learned using it, but it wasn't cutting it at all. When it broke I was all too happy to get something better.

 

Roland MicroCube My next amp, and the oldest one I still use. I stupidly tried to gig it, which is when I learned that I need a lot more power. I still have it, and if I need to play guitar at school or somewhere else, it's the one I use

 

Vox Valvetronix AD50VT My first good amp, which I bought based on the recommendations of the guitarworld forums and a friend at a music store. They thankfully talked me out of an MG marshall, and convinced me to give the Vox a try. It has served me well over the past year and a half. Every show my band did I was playing through it. It never really let me down

 

1976 Fender Bassman 100 I had the crazy idea of getting a huge clean tube amp to practice with at home, figuring I could use pedals to get all the tones I wanted. I did this for a few weeks, but then I loaned it to my bass player for a gig, and he never went back. For a long time, both the Bassman and the Vox lived at our practice space, and I was playing the MicroCube. When the band broke up, both came home. I was using the Vox more, because it sounded better at low volumes.

 

Peavey Deuce II Another loud, clean tube amp. I bought this because it was a killer deal ($65). It died on me, so I started using the speakers as a cab for my bassman. This arrangement lasted until about a month ago.

 

Peavey Classic 100 head + Marshall 1960a cab I played this at a new music store and fell in love instantly. I finally took it home a month ago, but not before having the cab rewired to 4 ohm so I could use the bassman with it. Since it had an effective master volume, I finally had a tube amp I could play at home. I haven't gigged it yet, but when I do I'm sure it will sound incredible doing what it was meant to do.

[Vince]

Park G10 First amp I had, used it for a couple of years before I got

 

Laney LC30II My first valve amp. Used it in a variety of bands (rock, church and a funk/soul band. Nice amp, but wanted something better/different so I got a

 

Marshall JCM800 2205 went for a while having this and the laney. Used this with the rock band and it was lots of fun. Kinda want a marshall again.

 

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 212 got rid of the Laney for this. Nice, but not amazing, so it didn't last very long.

 

Matamp C7 Got rid of the Marshall (needs changed and I didn't need the power). Really great little amp, just was a tiny bit too dark for me.

 

Valvetech Hayseed 30 Somewhere along the line I sold the Fender and all I had was the Matamp, then I sold the Matamp and got this AC30 clone. Bloody amazing amp - really really nice, but found I was running it on 1/2 power all the time and didn't like the trem, so I sold it and got

 

Valvetech Hayseed 15 with no trem. Still have this and I can't see myself ever selling it. Probably the best amp I've ever owned.

[Elias Graves]

My journey is fairly brief.

 

Ibanez 10 watt SS. Came free with my free guitar.

 

Crate 15 watt SS. Better than the Ibanez, but a single channel and pretty bland sound.

 

Fender Blues Jr. My nephew has one of these and I loved the way it sounded. I was sold on it, so I got one. Love it to death. Wish it had a little more OD and a headphone jack, but those are minor niggles. I doubt I ever go to anything else. The sound is perfect, loud enough for my needs; love it.

 

EG

[Faber]

I've played through a lot of borrowed amps over the years, but limiting to the ones I've owned

 

89-92 Yamaha solid state twin copy. Bland but reliable considering what I put it through.

 

92-2003 - Peavey Classic 50 410. Lovely sound out of that one, very reliable. Gigged the hell out of it. In the end, it felt a bit bland to me, or perhaps I just vent looking for greener grass - I eventually let it go to finance the Bassman.

 

95-2008 Trace Elliott Velocette 15w 1X10. A truly great sounding class A amp. Very touch responsive and loud too. Not very reliable, and the last time it broke down, I ddn't get it fixed.

 

04-08 Blues Jr. Good sounding until you push it hard, then it turns boxy.

 

03-06: Bassman LTD. Incredible clean sound, way too loud to get to distort in my application. It seemed to favour single coil/fender instuments over more gibsonesque ones, and since I play both, that felt like a limitation. I think I should have kept this one. Sold it to help finance the two I have now -

 

Mesa Mark III blue stripe w 1X12 cap. Surprisingly fine cleans, that great lead channel, and move versatily than I know what to do with. First amp I've had where I feel the sound favour humbuckers, but the amp is a guitar flatterer regardless of kind

 

Rivera R30 (30-12) combo. Very good fenderish clean side and Marshallesque distortion. First amp i've heard that does both this well. Very portable and at 30w, I get to drive the whole amp at gigging vol. The stock speaker isn't that good, so until I get it changed, I use the mesa cap

[stanfield]

Univox U10.. I think.. freebie.

Yorkville BLOC G100.. better than the Uni

Peavey Classic 30.. first tube

Phaez 22w head.. quest for hi-gain

Harmony H-195.. quest for blues; in the mail

[Special J]

1. Crate - little practice amp of some sort

2. Peavey - I also forget what model this was. Funny how I used to really not care that much about gear. It had "chorus" in the name, I think. It was a 2x12 SS combo. OK cleans, horrible distortion or I believe the knob said "saturation".

3. Fender M-80 - Just a horrible little amp. Really. It was only slightly better when I unhooked the main speaker and ran it through a KMD 4x12.

4. Laney AOR ProTube Lead 100 - in white tolex with matching 4x12, got it when I was 18. What an awesome amp. Wish I still had it.

5. Fender Blues DeVille - one of the original early 90's tweed 4x10 ones. Not the most reliable amp in the world, but I got some killer tones out of it, especially with my Strat.

6. Trace Elliot Tube Tramp - nice little hybrid combo with a 12ax7 for OD. Not a bad amp at all, especially after I upgraded the speaker. I still have it, though it hasn't seen much use in a while.

7. MusicMan HD130 - Just ridiculously loud with clean headroom for days. Also a hybrid, with power tubes and SS pre. Takes pedals really well. I run it either through my custom 1x12 or Laney 2x12.

8. Valvetech Hayseed 30 - this thing produces the tones I've been searching for. I love it. EF86 channel and half power switch. Usually run through my Laney 2x12, but I need to get an open back cab w/blues in it to really get the vox thing going.

[prolog]

Silvertone Smart II: The cheap little practice amp that came with my beginner guitar/amp pack. Awful. No amount of EQ (treble/bass) could cure the harshness, and the overdrive had one setting: buzzsaw. Ran a Pod into it for a while, which made it a little better.

 

Peavey Classic 30 1x12: My first (and last?) tube amp. Love it. Not sure why Peaveys aren't more popular - everyone seems to want a Fender, a Marshall, or a Vox. Guitarists are funny.

[Into Nation]

First amp, I forget. Second amp Fender Pro Reverb. That was in 1975 or so. I didn't buy another till last year due purely to GAS.

[Puckman]

Let's see.....It's been a long, and yet incomplete quest:

 

Vox Pathfinder 15R

My first amp. Not a bad practice amp at all, for the money.

 

Peavey Classic 30

First tube amp. Great introduction to tube amps, and what non-practice amps can do.

 

Orange Tiny Terror

Gave this a try. Found it too fizzy sounding.

 

Fender Champion 600 (RI)

Cute little amp. Not versatile enough and too boxy sounding due to the small speaker.

 

Ceriatone 18W

A 2-channel amp with one channel being a Vox AC inspired, EF86 driven channel and the other being the "standard" Marshall 18W channel. Great little amp. Shouldn't have sold it.

 

Fender Deluxe Reverb RI

No explanations necessary. THE Fender tone (unless you want a Twin) in spades. I still own and play this amp daily.

 

Richter 5E3 (Fender 50s Tweed Clone)

Another fantastic amp. There is nothing like the tone of a cranked Tweed Deluxe. Not the most versatile amp. But a pleasure to play. Still have this one.

 

Blackheart Little Giant Combo

Average practice amp. Does the job in a pinch, without costing the bank.

[Ancient Mariner]

My first amp was a converted record player amplifier, presumably just the power stage, driven by a little 'eagle' preamp that ran off a 9V battery, all housed in one of those old TV cabinets that had a horizontal screen and a mirror in the lid. My father created this for me as a low/no cost thing to play through when I was 16 - wish I still had it!

 

At 18 I was ready to start playing with other guys, and sold a Kawasaki S1b to buy a slightly used AC30 top boost reverb - that was '79. Loud enough to kill cows at 30 paces (and sounded like crap when it wasn't loud) I used it continuously up to '93, when it was sidelined except for the occasional loud gig.

 

I needed a battery amp for street work, and a local music shop had just got in a Dean DGX15, which was a little SS 15watter with a single 6" speaker. They made lots of claims about how good it sounded and they were all true! Used that along with a processor for the next 10 years until the power transistor legs snapped off when it fell backwards.

 

The Vox was still too big and heavy, so I found a Laney AOR30 combo for a good price. Didn't matter what I did, it just sounded lousy to me. Now I'd rebuild it, but then I just put it away and eventually sold it.

 

At a music show one year I came across a stand selling AXL guitars and amps. Tried the TS15R hybrid amp (also sold as a Johnson in the US) and was really surprised at how good it was and took one home, along with an AXL tele. It was good - better than the Laney, but had a nasty mid-range thing going on that I could never dial out. Eventually I gave it to a youthclub for their band, along with some pedals donated by Farmer Geddon.

 

Around this time I started building amps, with my first coming as a populated board from Woodcross in the US, based on the AX84 P1eX design. I used the woodcross/for the next year or so, before building a Madamp A15, my own design metisse amps 'Purity' and another P1eX design in a Vox pathfinder cab and chassis as 'Voxy baby'.

 

In the middle of this (late 2007) I bought a Ceriatone 18watt trem and a Carlsbro Top 50. The 18watter was popped into a new cab along with a 70s 20W greenback, and is my absolute number 1 amp - just too darn heavy even as a 1X12. The Carlsbro had the same dry low volume tone as my AC30 and was sold on last year to fund another guitar.

 

Up until the end of last year Voxy baby has been my go-to amp, but as I was playing sometimes in a large (300 seater) hall sometimes it wasn't loud enough. Late in 2008 I acquired a faulty Pignose G40V with a Hartke bass speaker instead of the original. After very minor tweakage and changing V1 to a 12AT7 this is now my main gigging amp. It's light enough to carry in one hand, quite loud for it's size and really does that Fendery shimmery tone well.

 

So the list is:

Homebrew record player amp

AC30TBR

Dean DGX

Laney AOR30

AXL TS15R

Woodcross P1eX

Madamp A15

Metisse Purity

Voxy Baby

Ceriatone 18 watt Trem

Pignose G40V.

[Spitfire Mojo]

Yamaha Budoken- Used POS SS amp, bad volume control and bad sound.

 

Peavey- Don't recall, small 1x12 SS combo amp from the 90s. Bought new with my first new guitar.

 

Marshall MG30DFX- Bought when I picked up playing again a few years ago. Forum recommendation from a metalhead. Sounded great to me at the time.

 

Vox AD50VT- Wanted a Blues Junior and got talked into this at the shop, with all the sounds it could do a lot more than a BJ. It sounds pretty good and I still use it to practice or jam with friends.

 

Fender Blues Junior- Loved it, great tones and a world of difference in responsiveness. Started driving it hard with pedals and felt it was a little small and boxy sounding when pushed. Love it for SRV stuff on the strat at lower volumes.

 

Ceriatone 18w- Tone heaven through my Avatar 2x12. Gives me chills when I play Hendrix tunes on the strat through it. Awesome natural overdrive, cool jangly cleans and the warmest feedback I have ever experienced. EDIT- THANKS PUCKMAN!

 

I still have all but the first 2. I have been running the BJ in stereo with the Ceriatone lately. But I could dump them all but the 18w and be happy.

[Puckman]

 

Ceriatone 18w- Tone heaven through my Avatar 2x12. Gives me chills when I play Hendrix tunes on the strat through it. Awesome natural overdrive, cool jangly cleans and the warmest feedback I have ever experienced. EDIT- THANKS PUCKMAN! I still have all but the first 2. I have been running the BJ in stereo with the Ceriatone lately. But I could dump them all but the 18w and be happy.

 

 

Give it back!!!! *stomps foot*

[yorgatron]

Hey!

why don't you want to post this in the amp forum? :poke:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Spitfire Mojo]

 

Give it back!!!! *stomps foot*

 

 

From my cold dead hands, sir!

[Ancient Mariner]

Hey! why don't you want to post this in the amp forum? :poke:

 

No brootlz involved - they wouldn't be interested.

[maybe_ebyam]

I still have all of my amps. I've got some others but acquired them and never really got around to playing them. Can you tell I don't use overdrive channels? Always clean...

 

Fender Hot Rode DeVille

'80sFender Princeton Reverb II

'59 Fender Bassman

'69 Fender Bassman 50 w/ 2x15 cab

Victoria Victorilux

Fender VibroKing

'70s MusicMan HD-212 130

Quidley 22 Watt Head

Marshall 1962 Bluesbreaker

Fender Vibroverb 1963 RI

 

[maybe_ebyam]

I've got some matchless stuff too

[HeatherAnnePeel]

1972 Univox solid state 1 12" combo (1972-78):

Not a bad first amp. It had reverb and tremolo, even, and it was pretty loud. Forgot the model number.

 

1978 Ampeg G-18 combo (1978-79):

A solid state Ampeg, but it sounded very tube-like and looked exactly like the bigger Ampegs The Rolling Stones used!

 

1979 Music Man HD 212 130 combo (1979-81):

My first tube amp; a hyrbid actually: tube power amp, solid state pre-amp, Music Man amps are awesome!

 

1971 Ampeg V-4 half stack (1981-90):

Sheer, all-tube Rolling Stones midrange bite and it weighed a TON!

 

Late '60's Sound City 100 Watt Head/Univox 2 "12 cabinet (1981):

No master volume and incredibly clean until fully cranked. Then it sounded like a Plexi Marshall, but it was WAY too loud.

 

1973 Leslie 825 (1981-86):

The best "effect", ever. Nothing beats a real Leslie for that majestic swirl!

 

1983 Fender Super Champ combo (1983-87):

A powerful little tube honker.

 

1973 Fender Dual Showman half stack (1988-89):

A nice silverface amp, but not quite loud enough.

 

1984 Music Man HD 212 150 combo (1989- ):

After letting go of my HD 130, I bought the HD 150, with a built-in phase shifter in place of tremolo. This is my fave amp, period!!!

 

1980 Music Man HD 130 half stack (1990-91):

An awesome amp, but my HD 150 combo is a lot better overall.

2002 Fender Pro Jr. combo (2002- ):

The Pro Jr. rocks! An awesome Champ-like amp, great for recording and jamming with friends.

 

2004 Marshall AVT 50 half stack (2004- ):

My first Marshall. I don't care what the pundits say, the AVT series amps are great sounding amps.

 

1992 Ampeg VL-502 half stack (2005- ):

Designed for Ampeg by amp guru (and now Austin resident) Lee Jackson, the Ampeg VL series are amazing amps. They actually sound more Marshall-esque than Ampeg-like, however. Running this amp in tandem with my DSL 50 has been my main rig since early 2006.

2006 Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 50/1960A half stack (2006- ):

My main amp these days. The DSL series amps are my fave Marshalls, period. Very versatile, rockin' amps, indeed!!!

[thesockmonster]

 

No brootlz involved - they wouldn't be interested.

 

 

Bull. Get it over there, NOW!

 

We're not all metalheads, you know. We like Vox and Marshall just as much as you do.

 

 

We just happen to like dead things. :poke:

[Mandooks]

Abilene 10w SS amp - Got this with my first electric, a Samick strat.

 

Fender Princeton 65 - My first "Loud" amp. The sound would cut in and out when I would push it. Sold it fast.

 

Marshall MG100 Halfstack - I thought since it was a Marshall... it must be good. Sounded so thin and flat to me. Sold it to the guitarist in my brothers band. He still gigs with it. (5 years later)

 

Fender Blues Deluxe - My first tube amp. Loved but got rid of it to help fund an Orange Rockerverb 50.

 

Orange Rockerverb 50 - Pretty cool but not my thing. Got rid of it and picked up a Deluxe Reverb RI. I haven't looked back since.

 

Fender Deluxe Reverb RI - Absolutely a great amp. Sold it in a moment of insanity but bought it back from my friend when I came to my senses. (I wanted an AC 30 really bad and tried to raise funds fast. Still saving for the AC 30)

 

AXL Medway Special - Very cool 18watt amp. Can't get this thing to clean up at all really but it is a great sounding "sleeper" amp. (Still have it, love it)

 

Fender Custom Vibrolux - Had the opportunity to trade a guitar I wasn't using for this. I'm glad I did. Has it's quirks but it a sweet sounding amp. Cool overdriven sound and very punchy thanks to the 2x10 speaker set-up. This is my loud amp.

[King Loudness]

Peavey Rage 108: I was really small when I had this. I remember the cleans and overdrive as being amazing at the time, but I was like 4. My Dad sold it in 2000 or so, when I was 6.

 

Marshall Valvestate 30R: This was my Dad's that he had before getting his Laney combo. He always hated the sound, and I remember it being really thin and trebley

 

Laney LC-15R: Another of my Dad's. He bought this to replace the Marshall after it broke, and it served us well for 8 years or so. I used it with a Zoom HL-01 to cop an EVH brown sound for a long time. Eventually the tranny blew, and it was a year in repair. It hasn't been the same since, and I hate the sound of it so much. In fact, I took my new Tele down to try some chicken pickin today, and I seriously wanted to smash the amp, it sounded so weak and thin, even through my 150 watt 2x12 cab.

 

Peavey Rage 158: I got this one from a TV appearence as a gift along with a Squier Mini when I was 5. I sold the Squier not long after because I already had one, but I still have the Rage to this day. I generally use it for school band, and I'm really surprised at the tones I get from it. The cleans are really thick and full, and the drive is full on 80s rock.

 

Fender Amp-Can: My Dad bought this when I was 6 or so, and I used it to busk a lot. Eventually the battery died, and I haven't bothered to replace it, so it sits unused in my basement at the moment.

 

Yamaha DG-60: This was my first "real" amp that I got in fall 2005. I was just getting into shred guitar for real and I really loved the tone I got out of it. It was cheap and ratty, but I loved it lots. Gigged a ton with it, and used it up until recently when I sold it.

 

Peavey ValveKing 1x12: Back in Nov 2007, I was on the hunt for an amp to replace the Yamaha. I wanted a tube amp, and I wanted something with a better overdrive channel. I played this one, and I really liked it, so I bought it. Used it for about a year, never really gigged with it much, but I liked it for what it was. I kept it around until December, when I traded it for an '80s Kramer.

 

Mesa Boogie Mark III: In June or so of 2008, I really started thinking about getting a real, bona fide tube head. I liked my VK well enough, but I really wanted something just, better. I did lots of research, and settled on a Mark III, but became fed up when I couldn't find one locally, so I started looking at the Randall RM100 head. Then, in a weird twist, a Mark III head popped up locally a couple of days before I was gonna go buy the Randall, so I popped down on a Tuesday night and paid cash. It's really an awesome amp, and I highly reccomend it.

[metallica_00]

Fender 15W Solid-State with Squier Strat Pack - First amp. Crap. Sold.

 

Fender Princeton 65 - Needed something that could hang with a band. This was a serviceable amp, it was reliable, loud, and at least didn't sound bad and was really cheap. Sold.

 

Mesa Boogie Single Rectifier - I wanted something loud and versatile for band use - clean to really mean. Big leap up from the Princeton 65, this amp was really well made and loud as hell. But I always struggled with it. These channel switchers are really not as versatile as they advertise. Mediocre clean, muddy and fizzy mid-gain, and great "wall of distortion" sound. My style was shifting away from the hard rock I first started playing, I got sick of carrying around a head and cab, and I sold it. Sold.

 

Peavey Classic 20 - In the meantime, wanted a small tube combo that was portable and I could bring to college. Not much clean headroom, kind of boxy sounding with the small cab and crap 10" speaker. Sold.

 

Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb - I still love this amp. Blackfaces just do it for me. Great verb, beautiful clean tones. I built a setup using this and some nice pedals for my tones and it's really versatile, easy to bring around, and the perfect amount of volume with single coils. For some environments using humbuckers, I wish it had just a smidge more clean headroom. My dream amp would probably be a 4x6V6 version of a BF Deluxe.

 

Roland MicroCube - About to sell this. I bought it when I was living in a small apartment in NYC for the summer. Handy direct recording via USB, decent effects. But ultimately this is a pretty poor sounding amp. Yeah, it's only $120. I don't care. If it doesn't sound good, I won't play it. To be sold.

 

The amp I have heard recently that has really impressed me is the Fuchs ODS series. I would love to get a 20 or 30-watt version of one of those and keep the DRRI as my workhorse. The Fuchs is one of the few amps that TRULY has a GREAT clean and dirty channel.