If U were going 2 thin out your guitars based on performance on one amp-which amp w/b

[Doctor Morbius]

If it's a single coil guitar test it though a vintage Fender Twin Reverb.

 

If it's a humbucker guitar test it through an old Marshall.

[Strung_Out]

I have yet to play an amp I like better than my Morris mini muscle 20, so I'll say that one. If a guitar doesn't sound good going into it I have no use for that guitar.

[grumphh]

 

I couldn't disagree more. That's like doing your final mix on a $3.99 set of earbuds and hoping it will sound good on a real system.

 

I don't know if you know it - but besides excellent accurate monitoring systems a good studio usually also has a pair of very average sounding monitors. To check how the mix works for the average listener.

 

In any case, the comparison is invalid.

Because a mix is a final product that can only be degraded after completion, depending on your listening gear.

Even the best

[Willyguitar]

I have experimented with lots of amps, and have no hesitation in saying I would just keep my Vox AC30 CC2, with alnico blues. 2x12, so wide and spread enough sound for nearly all the gigs i will ever have to do, but not so massive that you can't play it at home. Yes, heavy, but not impossible to lug around. But most importantly on a Vox you have the following strengths whihc I have haven't seen on ANY other amp around:

 

a) A 'classic' and distinctive tonality which most modelling amps are trying to emulate on one setting or another - the closest you'll get before silly handwired prices. This is the amp that is probably closest to its 'original' without getting into boutique prices.

 

b) A master volume (a must if you are going use it at home, or have flexibility in rehearsals). This is the thing that has basically turned me off the HW series - just not really flexible enough.

 

c) An amp that does both good cleans AND good overdriven sounds, albeit of a distinctive nature

 

d) An amp that takes most pedals well, so you can change the character of your drive sound if you want

 

e) Has reverb and tremolo, and former is easily upgraded. Again, the HW doesn't have reverb.

 

f) Has two channels that can be mixed if you want for extra oomph (better than the more recent C2 - you can do it with a flick of a switch)

 

g) Seems to like guitars of all genres, but particularly (for me) guitars with P90s.

[flummox]

I have a modded Union Jack JTM45 with a solid pine 2x12" cab. Took a {censored}load of work to dial it in, but it's the single best amp I've ever owned and all my guitars sound stupidly great through it. So that won't do for this exercise. If I truly wanted to get rid of the deadwood I'd run something totally ruthless like a Roland JC120.

[Chumer]

If a guitar can't sound good through a nice Fender, it ain't worth having. EG

Me agree!

[Willyguitar]

 

If a guitar can't sound good through a nice Fender, it ain't worth having. EG

 

 

I don't really agree with this. I have played through a few very high quality Fender amps, and some very good guitars can sound pants through them. For eg, OK not boutique, but I had a DRRI which was great with a tele, but quite average with Gibsons, particularly those with humbuckers. And I really don't like their stock 'hotrod' amps at all.

 

I don't understand the theory that you need to keep a crap amp to allow you to thin the herd - I think the OP was suggesting you want to maximise your chances of retaining your favourite/most useable sounds, not to end up with something mediocre. It's kind of assuming that you have the will power to just sell guitars if you need to.

[grumphh]

 

I don't understand the theory that you need to keep a crap amp to allow you to thin the herd

 

 

The theory is based on the fact that an amp is not just a passive compoent in the chain but an active part of tone shaping.

... and of course also on the premise that you wish to reduce the number of guitars strictly going by the guitars individual tonal qualities.

 

This means that a great amp will make differences between several good guitars harder to hear, because it imposes its own characteristics on the tone - where a slightly less flattering amp will let more weaknesses of the guitars shine through.

 

At least i believe that.

[Willyguitar]

 

The theory is based on the fact that an amp is not just a passive compoent in the chain but an active part of tone shaping . ... and of course also on the premise that you wish to reduce the number of guitars strictly going by the guitars individual tonal qualities. This means that a great amp will make differences between several good guitars harder to hear, because it imposes its own characteristics on the tone - where a slightly less flattering amp will let more weaknesses of the guitars shine through. At least i believe that.

 

 

For me, a great amp does the opposite - it makes the DIFFERENCES between guitars stand out - brings out their essential qualities. This is different to saying that great amps make relatively bad guitars sound good. They do that as well, but I would argue that cheaper, or more mediocre amps create more uniform sounds across a range of guitars.

[thunder100]

 

If it's a single coil guitar test it though a vintage Fender Twin Reverb. If it's a humbucker guitar test it through an old Marshall.

 

 

Not much to add just that in my case its Deluxe Reverb and MB Mark V (markI and IIC setting)

 

Just for stirring this up-->my CIJ Jaguar sounds only good with Mark V's Mark IV setting.On all others it sounds thin and weak-->so this alone doesnt do it justice-->I swapped the Pickups (Miserable Dragster J to BG cleartops HB).

 

So the Amp test alone will lead to wrong decissions

 

Roland

[grumphh]

For me, a great amp does the opposite - it makes the DIFFERENCES between guitars stand out - brings out their essential qualities. This is different to saying that great amps make relatively bad guitars sound good. They do that as well, but I would argue that cheaper, or more mediocre amps create more uniform sounds across a range of guitars.

 

All fair, i understand your pov.

 

In any case, for me this topic is highly hypothetical, because there is no way i would voluntarily reduce the number of my guitars...