Members fiveoclockhero Posted February 4, 2011 Members Share Posted February 4, 2011 The blues are kind of like punk rock in that they don't demand any one specific set of devices, just that you play with conviction and allow your tone to come from that sincerity. Stop asking your equipment to provide your soul for you. As long as you're doing that, you'll always come up short and you'll always wind up being jaded. My advice is to watch the movie It Might Get Loud and pay particular attention to everything Jack White says. He gets it. EDIT: I just re-read your post and I do understand what you're going through, though. I happen to think the best amp for you would be a Fender Blues Junior but my larger point is that once you have a decent amp, it's moot. Your tone will come from your heart and your fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mistersully Posted February 4, 2011 Members Share Posted February 4, 2011 Try a Dr. Z or a Swart or a Clark. played some swarts recently... cool amps... ended up with a 65 amps lil elvis but a swart atomic space tone was definitely in the running Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesnapper Posted February 4, 2011 Members Share Posted February 4, 2011 Sooo...you're on a search for the perfect tone but yet you can only get a 5 watt amp? That's your problem dude, you're limiting yourself to 5 measly watts. Although I'm sure you have a very good reason for it, I've never heard a 5 watt amp that has captured the tone of some of the more well known 30+ watt amps.Then you haven't heard one of these:http://www.cornfordamps.com/harlequin.htmOr these:http://www.dc-developments.com/cornell_plexi7_combo.htmSmall wattage amps can provide utterly awesome tone - very few of the cheaper ones are designed well enough though. Most early Led Zep stuff was done with a measly Fender Champ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fiveoclockhero Posted February 4, 2011 Members Share Posted February 4, 2011 Most early Led Zep stuff was done with a measly Fender Champ! Those amps were great and sounded great. But they didn't define Zeppelin's guitar sound. Jimmy Page did that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesnapper Posted February 4, 2011 Members Share Posted February 4, 2011 Those amps were great and sounded great. But they didn't define Zeppelin's guitar sound. Jimmy Page did that.If I ever need to drive women away I find striking up a detailed conversation about Page's various pioneering studio recording techniques does the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sailorofdarknes Posted February 4, 2011 Author Members Share Posted February 4, 2011 Thanks everyone for the very good conversation! Lots of great points in here. I think though that I might have worded my post a little diffrent in that basically I was unhappy with my amp. I think most of you get what I am saying. I can make the music I desire with my fingers but the means I have now to convey it is {censored}! lol. I have written down all the amp suggestions and am willing to pay a higher price for something that is worth it. As far the size of the amp I do own a couple of larger amps to include a Blues Junior and a Marshall JCM 800. But here is the thing, I live on a ship at the moment and I have so little storage space I can't even begin to fit larger stuff on board. And has anyone ever carried their amp straight up a ladder six decks? I am pretty sure carting my Blues JR up those ladders would make me fall to my death. That being the only real reason I chose the 5watt mark. And volume being a concern in such a small area. DaleH - To comment on your post YES I am pretty sure that is a good way to describe it. All this being said I love my Blues JR it is a awesome amp and I does give me what I ask for and am looking for but it is 2400 miles away and will be for the next 8 months! Although I have never played my p90's through it, can't friggin wait! So I think what I am really trying after thinking hard about it is mimicking the fender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fiveoclockhero Posted February 4, 2011 Members Share Posted February 4, 2011 Apologies for misunderstanding you at first. You might try a Champ 600 and put a distortion pedal in front of it if you need truly hi-gain sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sailorofdarknes Posted February 4, 2011 Author Members Share Posted February 4, 2011 FIVEocolockhero it's cool! I may need to speak clearer too. I did go out to GC today to try one of those Jet city amps and it was pretty dang good! But I am not ready yet to settle. Also I got to ring out my new Mean 90's on a fairly cranked twin with a box of rock in the front of it. And well holy mother of god! I damn near passed out at the sound, I cannot believe how the mean 90's rip:love: I am def starting a savings plan for a Fender twin, if only they came smaller and lighter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MyNameIsMok... Posted February 4, 2011 Members Share Posted February 4, 2011 Pics of the ship? Intriguing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sailorofdarknes Posted February 4, 2011 Author Members Share Posted February 4, 2011 William P Lawrence DDG110 the newest in the fleet. Proud plank owner here! For security reasons I can only show generic pics of the ship and none of the inside. But here she is on super trials. She is extremely well built thanks to the efforts of the North Grummen ship yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metallica_00 Posted February 5, 2011 Members Share Posted February 5, 2011 I am def starting a savings plan for a Fender twin, if only they came smaller and lighter. They sort of do. Try a Princeton Reverb or a Deluxe Reverb. It's not quite the same, and the thump/hugeness isn't quite there, but the voicing and feel are in a similar ballpark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Spike Li Posted February 5, 2011 Members Share Posted February 5, 2011 Well if size and weight is an issue, definitely have a look at the ZT lunchbox amp: http://www.ztamplifiers.com/products/lunchbox.html Ive just recently got one as a backup amp and am loving it Is tiny, sounds pretty damn good and can even hang with a band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashasha Posted February 5, 2011 Members Share Posted February 5, 2011 William P Lawrence DDG110 the newest in the fleet. Proud plank owner here! For security reasons I can only show generic pics of the ship and none of the inside. But here she is on super trials. She is extremely well built thanks to the efforts of the North Grummen ship yard. Nice boat.... I just had a shipmate move out to SD a few weeks ago. Bravo Zulu EDIT: Wait a minute, what is it? Fair winds and following seas? It's something like that. Now I'm spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bluesidae Posted February 5, 2011 Members Share Posted February 5, 2011 Mustang I will cover the bill until you get back to your Jr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bruto Posted February 5, 2011 Members Share Posted February 5, 2011 $500 used can go a long way. I picked up a used 5w Laney Lionheart from GC for that. It is the most transparent amp I have ever heard, needless to add own. Therefore, if you dig the sound of your pickups, this amp only makes them louder. One of the best tube amps I've auditioned lately was a Laney. A local guitar shop has it, but I can't remember the model. He wants $650 for it, and I'm really tempted. BTW, my home/practice amp is a Epiphone Valve Jr head and cab. I didn't like the EH and Sovtek tubes that came with it so I tried out various tubes I had. Settled on an Amperex 12AX7 and Matsu{censored}a EL84. Huge difference in sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted February 5, 2011 Members Share Posted February 5, 2011 buy this and thank me later http://cgi.ebay.com/CRATE-V1512-15-WATT-CLASS-TUBE-AMPLIFIER-12-SPK-/140507586761?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b6e7a0c9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members the new guy Posted February 5, 2011 Members Share Posted February 5, 2011 Is there a chance that you're just suffering from ear fatigue? A week of rest from that rig could do wonders and give you a fresh set of ears to work with. I know that I've gone just about given up on some stuff only to come back weeks or even months later and remember just why I bought it in the first place and ask myself why I had turned my back on it in the first place.Probably not the GAS inducing answer you were looking for...I played a Nighttrain a few years ago and remember being very impressed with it. Not enough to buy it though. Do yourself a favor and unplug for a little while. If you have an acoustic, play that and only that for a week or two. If you don't have one, get one. I'm kind of in the same place right now, everything I play sounds like crap and I'm spending more time turning knobs than I am playing. So I've unplugged for a little while and the simplicity of my acoustic is like taking a vacation........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DavidMgT Posted February 5, 2011 Members Share Posted February 5, 2011 FIVEocolockhero it's cool! I may need to speak clearer too. I did go out to GC today to try one of those Jet city amps and it was pretty dang good! But I am not ready yet to settle. Also I got to ring out my new Mean 90's on a fairly cranked twin with a box of rock in the front of it. And well holy mother of god! I damn near passed out at the sound, I cannot believe how the mean 90's rip:love: I am def starting a savings plan for a Fender twin, if only they came smaller and lighter. Saving for what you really want certainly beats blowing $500 on something right now. Twins are great amps. I have had mine for about ten years and have not had a single problem with it. Very solid. As Metallica_00 suggested, you can always look at others in the Blackface series such as the Princeten or deluxe. If you really want top quality save just a bit more and get a top of the line replica by Clark. Clark uses the best possible components and are priced just a bit over the Fender reissues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DavidMgT Posted February 5, 2011 Members Share Posted February 5, 2011 buy this and thank me laterhttp://cgi.ebay.com/CRATE-V1512-15-WATT-CLASS-TUBE-AMPLIFIER-12-SPK-/140507586761?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b6e7a0c9 Those are very nice..You cannot beat that price either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sfarfsky Posted February 5, 2011 Members Share Posted February 5, 2011 whats the big deal with P90s? Have you considered switching to Fenders? Fenders make my crappy amps sound good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted February 6, 2011 Members Share Posted February 6, 2011 whats the big deal with P90s? Have you considered switching to Fenders? Fenders make my crappy amps sound good http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0l8xRRDAOQ That's the big deal with P90's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jtr654 Posted February 6, 2011 Members Share Posted February 6, 2011 Tone is in your hands. Try Fender Pro Jr. 15 watt great sounding amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted February 6, 2011 Members Share Posted February 6, 2011 Those are very nice..You cannot beat that price either! yeah I love mine a ton. Because it's a crate I always think there should be something better, and there are up in the matchless type levels....but really for a low priced 15w tube amp I've yet to like anything better...and that includes AC15's and blues juniors. And it sounds fantastic at really low levels cause they push the power tubes full at all times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sailorofdarknes Posted February 7, 2011 Author Members Share Posted February 7, 2011 buy this and thank me laterhttp://cgi.ebay.com/CRATE-V1512-15-WATT-CLASS-TUBE-AMPLIFIER-12-SPK-/140507586761?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b6e7a0c9 HOLY SH!T I walked right past one of those in a pawn shop in Pascagoula yesterday!!!!! I'll admit I saw a "Crate" amp and kept walking now am will be driving crack of dawn fast as I can to try it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted February 7, 2011 Members Share Posted February 7, 2011 HOLY SH!T I walked right past one of those in a pawn shop in Pascagoula yesterday!!!!! I'll admit I saw a "Crate" amp and kept walking now am will be driving crack of dawn fast as I can to try it out. LOL...cool. Let us know what you think after you try it. The V15 series were made in america (and so were some of the early V16's from what I understand) and I think they really put a good effort into them, to establish a reputation before shifting production to Vietnam with the V18. Hopefully it works as well for you as it seems to for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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