Hey John - I've got a couple Divided by 13 amps here which are very similar to 2 rock in terms of cost and quality. I've learned a few things about them over the years. One - if you are going to buy a boutique amp like your 2 rock or mine, you should buy a Fryette Power Station. It's another $800 to the bottom line but it will turn that loud AF amp into your best friend and it has the best tone shaping to overcome the intrinsic issues with attenuating. Two - nothing sounds good until you get it up to 85-90 dB - doesn't matter if its a tube amp or the QC through studio monitors. You won't start getting interplay with the speakers and get a full dimension tone until you hit 85 dB - and coincidentally that sound pressure level is about the same that will trigger your family to tell you to turn it down!
The Tone King Imperial MK II solved the to loud for home, won’t break up issue. The attenuator allows for nice break up at low volumes. They also make a head version if you don’t want a combo.
Remember that wattage vs SPL is on a log scale. So if you want to double the SPL of a 15W amp, you need a 150W amp... And to add to the confusion, there's no standard way of measuring what a watt is anyway. So between brands or even models, you're not comparing apples with apples.
Amp tone aside. Your playing is beautiful. Teasing the most beautiful song ever written, looping those fat clear midrange tones, and the ambience behind your dynamics really are quite enjoyable to listen to. Keep pickin my friend!
My Boogie Mark V 90w is more than I'll ever need; the master volume makes it useable at home, too. I can switch the wattage down, but I never do. I've no idea why they excluded the master from the newer Mark VII.
I owned three Two-Rocks over the years, as well as a bunch of Marshall and Fender amps. Now I am using a Quad Cortex and two Fender ToneMaster Pro FR10 FRFR speaker cabs. The transition was quicker than I thought. I even thought I would never move from analog pedals - amps all the way to the digital realm. So here I am, super happy with this new reality. It is perfect in terms of sound quality and possibilities, but also: it does not hurt your back! :) For now I am keeping only one Two-Rock at the studio, for some of the recording sessions - and because it looks great :D The other thing is, as John said, with modellers and proper FRFRs you end up playing WAY more than with amps. It's ready to go, it doesn't annoy anyone, and still you enjoy proper sound without the need of absurdly high volumes.
Old school Jazz Chorus amps, different sizes, JC120, JC60, JC77. Clean, perfect for pedals, analog. Can be ripping loud or whisper quiet. Never a better type of amp.
My go to amp for jams and gigs since 2006 is my Bruno Cowtipper 22. It’s basically an “improved” vintage Deluxe Reverb. The treble end is smoother, the bass end is never flubby, it has a mid control (a DR without a mid scoop!), it takes pedals better than almost any amp I own, and the volume is reasonable. If I’m in a situation where the volume is too much, I just use an Aracom attenuator. I also own: - 1967 Fender Super Reverb - Fender Michael Landau Hot Rod - 1967 Ampeg “Goldenglo” Reverbojet - Dr. Z Route 66 - Fuchs ODS 50 - and several more Those are all great amps! The 1967 Super Reverb is my absolute favorite amp! There’s something about the classic AB763 circuit combined with a 2 ohm transformer into 4x10” speakers that’s just magical. I don’t take it out anymore, because it’s much heavier and louder than the Bruno, and there’s always an added risk of something going wrong with an amp that old. The Landau Hot Rod is the most “Neutral” amp I own, but too is much heavier and louder than the Bruno. The Fuchs is its own thing. It does the “Dumble” thing better than anything else I’ve tried, but I’m finding the “Dumble” thing isn’t really my thing. As I’m typing this, I’m realizing it might be time to sell the Fuchs. The Route 66 is a beast unlike anything else I’ve played. Even though I have 2 other Fenders, if my Bruno needed any service, I’d gig the Route 66. It’s not outrageously loud, being a head and can it’s actually easier to carry than the Bruno, and with a couple tweaks on my drive pedals it gets me close enough. I only mentioned the 1967 Ampeg Reverbojet because it’s the best “rock amp” ever! With the volume and tone cranked, you instantly get that Stones/Joe Walsh crunch, and with your guitar’s volume and tone controls you can go from that to super clean. It’s the type of amp that practically BEGS you not to put any effects in front of it, but using an AnalogMan SunLion for fuzz and/or treble boost does open it up to more Hendrix and even SRV type sounds. Still, if I want something I’m completely at home with, the Bruno just can’t be beat!
My four favorite amps that I own are: (1) Marshall JVM410H, (2) Tech 21 Trademark 60, (3) Fender Deluxe Reverb Tone Master and (4) Fender Deluxe Super Reverb Tone Master.
@@MiguelGuitars I owned a tube 65 Deluxe Reverb and I got rid of it because it sounded too brittle. Later, I learned about the "bright cap" scenario. I bought the Blonde version Tone Master and have "no brittleness". Given the choice between the two, I'd go with the Tone Master.
My favourite amp is my California tweed 4:40, that thing gets played the most. It’s the 100w jensen speaker and I love the clean and edge of breakup range. Takes pedals lovely!
@@aeiplanner Volume. I own Fender Silverface Champ, Princeton, Deluxe Reverb and Bantam (2x12 Super Reverb Mod). Princeton Reverb never cease to amaze me, unfortunately it doesn’t have enough volume if you are playing gigs unmiked. It is my rehearsal amp.
Im using a Marshall 1987x and DSL15 in stereo and couldn't be happier. Through an old 1936 cab. The cab and speakers are so important in how the rig sounds, more important than the amp. If the amp is good, the cab and speakers do the rest.
I have parked my $2000 handwire 6L6 with a Vintage 30 built to my specs. Love this Amp, King Amplification Uptown 33. But the past 5 years it has been replaced with my Katana Artist Mk1. They both sound great but the Katana is 15lbs lighter and a lot less to replace.
When I had tube amps, my favorites and not in any particular order was original mid sixties hand-wired Silverface Vibrolux Reverb that Paul Rivera modded before he came out with his own amps. Original Matchless Chieftains and a Chief made by Mark Sampson. Early 60's Blackface Princeton Reverb modded by Lee Jackson. Mesa Boogie Mark I reissue. Rivera M100. I'm 71 and have probably owned more than 200 amps since I started playing. I've probably forgotten about a bunch of them. I have to say that out of all my amps I like my Quilters the best.
Agreed...I own a few tube amps still (Deluxe Reverb and a Supro RT1622) after years of owning many, but I gig with my Quilters now mostly. I have both Superblocks, and original Aviator and a Pro Block. I use them all for different things and they are indispensable.
I spend the last 40 years with the same questions and conclusions… tubes are great , have amazing feel, and are very heavy and finicky…. In the end , no one will hear the difference in a band between an expensive amp or a modeler… I’m a recovering tube snob 😂
Is there a joining fee? Always had tube amps ( headstrong, DrZ, Mesa Lonestar). Had to sell them to survive pandemic and kept my helix as it would do all gigs as they came back (I do lots of deps from stones to 80s to country and rock n roll). Recently could afford to get an amp. After lots of looking I’ve got a Princeton Tonemaster. Sounds right to me, and age and long term illness post covid means the lightweight is great. And also now having the joy of guitar pedal-porn again.
That's what ive realised. It's mostly a feel thing. Modelling feels odd after using valves for years but you'd need real golden ears to hear a difference.
@@emcg.9655 the strangest experience I’ve had recently was doing a silent stage. Worked fine as ‘do the job’ as we were working in a room with a brutal sound limiter, but was no joy. I think it absolutely loses that resonance between guitar and amp which I’ve always had, even using a modeller and using a stage monitor. Wont do that again for only uk pub gig prices (about £75)
I’ve been thinking about this lately. A 4x12 with a Creamback, a Greenback, a Vintage30 and an EVH type. Purely for micing up. I do wonder if that might be too much in one cab.
15:47 That was exactly my experience. I compared my Brunetti Singleman amp with Two Notes Cab M versus UAD Dream, and I realized that I like playing the UAD more… Besides that it so much easier to manage and dial tones. My amps are getting dust nowadays 😄
Headroom is where you hit a boost/OD pedal and the amp/speaker don’t start falling apart. Sometimes a higher headroom speaker change is all you need. Certainly helps the Princeton from being a can of bees with OD added.
The 30-watt Class A Mesa Lonestar Special is the one for me. I love my other amps (my favorite hi-gain lead sound is on the King Snake), but I keep coming back to the LSS as my main sound.
I’ve had my Suhr Badger 18 head for mostly at home use for some 13 years. Bought it used for 1,2k€. A few amps and a Kemper have come and gone, but this one stays and will do so. Power scaling is a lovely feature and it sounds just lovely. No need to look for a new one.
Talking about heavy combos my main amp, when I was touring, was a Mesa Boogie Trem-o-Verb 2x12 100W Dual Rectifier combo. In its flight case it was impossible for one person to lift, too wide and heavy to manhandle. So to transport the amp to our touring van from home (our van used to belong to Ocean Colour Scene, ha ha) I had to take the amp out of the flight case, transport the amp and case in my car separately and reassemble before two people lifted it in to the van. Bonkers. It weighed well over 100lbs! Pretty flexible amp though. I went straight into it, no pedals at all, apart from a tuner! Fun days back in the mid 90s.
What you said about the cab being most of the tone is super true, and what makes Two-Notes stuff so freaking fun to use. Genome is amazing (as the amp, after the pre, or on the loadbox, its made for all 3) and the scrolling through virtual cabs with pics and descriptions and positioning is actively fun and sounds amazing. Amazing how much a cab or parallel stack can transform the sound (and i dont have to kill my back to do it anymore lol)
I love playing my handwired AC15 and my Hot Rod Deluxe in wet/dry, I love my DSL100 through my V30 cab, and my Friedman clone through my custom 1x12"/1x15" cab, but for my 4 hour gig this Saturday, I played my PodGo with a little EHX Magnum 44 power amp into a 2x12" because of all the different delay, reverb, and modulation settings I go through for the 40+ song set from all different eras and genres.
I really enjoy hearing your thoughts on these subjects. I haven't gone down the "amp" hole too far since I have a Helix - but I have had a Fender Blues Jr IV (sold); currently own a Catalyst 100 and then I have a PC 112+ for making my Helix/HX Stomp XL loud. Oh yeah, and I have a Spark Mini for portable practice...
The latest Coffee with Ola was very interesting. Marcus Siepen of Blind Guardian owns a ton of Mesa amps. The Rectifier is well over 3 grand in the UK... but he now uses a Quad Cortex with the built in Silver Jubilee model! The QC is not cheap but it certainly is compared to buying the amps.
I just this month picked up a Badcat Black cat and OH MY is it beautiful....a little loud for home but as you say, those master volume switches help a ton! Still working on making my pedals work with it but it's a solid amp. Although ironically this is also my first combo, I also have a H&K TM20D head and the accompanying 2x12 cab but I think the cab will be going up for sale soon
I have a Carvin x100b, and it is the ideal pedal platform amp for me. I've played other amps, and they're cool, but the Carvin is extremely versatile as well as great sounding. It only cost $400 used, and I can't imagine ever getting rid of it
I love my Mesa|Boogie Fillmore 100 combo, and love the warm, clean headroom. I play for my own enjoyment at home and would never gig with this heavy monster. What a nightmare that would be! How loud do I play it? My so-so decibel meter tells me it’s about low 90s most of the time. It’s the headroom I love in a high wattage amp, not the volume. Could you hear what I’m hearing in a mix or live situation - blah blah blah… I have no idea. Maybe some people could. I don’t know that I’m hearing anything so much as feeling it. I think the sound and feel of a glorious amp is something that most of us, if we’re honest with ourselves, enjoy with any the gear we love: it feels great to play, and it’s loads of fun. Maybe what, 5% of gear is purchased by gigging or working musicians? The vast majority of us play for the joy of it, maybe with some friends, with no aspirations beyond having a nice time, feeling the joy of music, song writing, recording, and the physical experience of making sounds with a guitar. For the vast majority of us, this is a hobby. It’s easy to forget in an age where everyone leads you to believe that hobbies are - competitions, require perfection, require a purpose, must be evaluated & judged by peers and strangers online, or worse, monetized - to forget what a hobby is. A hobby is not a to do list, an obligation, a requirement, a test, an evaluation of us. We have all the rest of our lives for those, most everything else in daily life are those things. It only matters that you have fun. Play the gear that makes you smile. Play the music that makes you smile. Chase smiles and bliss. Give yourself a break. Be very kind to yourself. Much peace to you all. ✌️😌🎸
I, thankfully, still have and operate my favorite amps. One is a Mesa Boogie Lonestar Classic (combo format). O found it used in my local store, and I stopped my fast-paced walk to confirm what I saw in my peripheral. The other is the 70s Fender Bassman 100. I jump the channels and was an amp a dear friend of mine gifted me as a present in our early 20s. I run them into PowerStations that a then feed into whatever IR I have available. They are quite dear to me. I’ve got an Egnater Rebel 30 that’s also a lot of fun. Edit - I forgot to note that the amps mainly live at home for recording. When playing live, I’ve got enough modeling gear to get me through anything I need, and it’s wonderful thing.
Definitely agree about the speaker cabs. It’s surprising how much of the sound we might associate with an amp actually comes from the speaker cabs. Also use my amps with helix in 4 cable, then use the helix output volume as a master volume. Works well.
My favorite amp used to be my Rivera S120 but since I purchased my Fuchs Bassman ODS head a couple years ago it has become my hands down favorite! It just sounds and feels so great and I can use 1, 2, or even 4 12” speakers and can great tone in about any setting.
Generally speaking I think you are correct. I sold all of my pedals, but my wah pedal and bought a line 6HXFX. I can tell that my playing has gotten much better. And I think it has to do with the fact that I can concentrate more on my playing and less fiddling with my pedals. I’ve also been a fender fanboy my whole life. But I must say the cleans on a two rock blow away the cleans in a fender. They’re much thicker fuller, and the top end is just so much better. And I love Fender amps. But I think two rock is worth the money. Even though they are expensive, I have a Studio Pro 22, which is on the “budget friendly” side. But if I spend as much time playing, as I did looking for amps and pedals, I’d probably be a lot better than I am. Love the channel, your advice, and your playing.
Still have three amps. Ceriatone OTS lunchbox, Mesa Express+ 112 combo, and a first edition Katana. I have kept them because - Ceriatone tone is lovely, great warm cleans and rich, saturated D-style gain tones. It really scatches the D-tone itch. The Mesa has a wonderful clean channel that makes a great pedal platform. Oddly in that amp i dont like the gain channel but use pedals for gain tones. I also really appreciate the power scaling on that amp that switches between Class AB and Class A. The build quality of the Mess is also superb. And then there is the Katana, which has been an all- around workhorse used for everything from recording, practice, live and as stage volume for modelers. Katana is great bang for the $$$ and I still plug into that thing quite often.
Best amps I've owned: *Multi-Channel* - Suhr PT-100, *Clean/Edge of Breakup* - Two Rock Studio Pro 35, *Clean* - '71 Fender Twin. All of them were brilliant. All were too loud by the time you hit the sweet-spot. Did modelers for a while, but ultimately I just switched to plugins. Neural for grit to metal - and - Mixwave Milkman Creamer for clean. I don't miss amps at all.
I'm not sure if I'll ever gig again, but I enjoy playing/practicing at home (living in a duplex so I have neighbors thru the wall. So for me, a Katana 50 and Blackstar HT-5R wet/dry are too loud so I have them turned to 70db at the maximum. But I like the tones I get.
I suspect I could get tones that are just as good with a modeler, but i feel like nicely made equipment is art itself and inspires me to play more and take it more seriously. Not to say modelers haven't reached art themselves. I'm particularly blown away by Cliff at Fractal.
Hey man. What makes you mention Cliff at Fractal, specifically? Just the quality of the models they produce there? Is there something about Cliff in particular that might be worth enlightening us about? I was really looking at the Fractal stuff before I bought my HX Stomp, but all the clamoring people do about Fractal products being less than user friendly scared me away. Which kind of bummed me out because I thought the amp models where better.
@@dvespa he just seems like a total wizard. I've perused the forums there and read some of his responses and am blown away by his depth of electronics and DSP knowledge. I don't even have a modeler, but I appreciate the maniacal attention to detail he seems to have. I could be wrong. I've not spent large amounts of time digging into it.
@@jmfreelandOh he's absolutely a wizard. Never ceases to amaze me how great a product the Axe Fx is and we get consistent almost weekly updates to it. The newest firmware 25.00 is great.
The favourite amps I owned are, Kingsley Deluxe 30 head, 1971 Deluxe Reverb, Two Rock Opal, Trinity 18 Plexi with VRM. All very touch sensitive amps with both a clean and overdriven personality. Only the Opal approached the 5k threshold.
Yes, I have two things to say about your amplifier dilemma. In the day I’ve put Ernie ball casters on my guitar amps I even had a 112 inch 50 W music man amp that I put the casters on. So I could pick it up, carry it up a couple of stairs and then rest the time push it around where I needed to, turn the amp on its side the casters out in the back and I could be jammin. I traded that amp for two 100 W music man and did the same thing. Yes it’s a drag to move the amp around, but it helped considerably to have the casters. Could get just about any sound with any amp that it’ll never be a helix. And so I really don’t play amplifiers anymore. I play my helix through two head rush FRFR powered speakers the thing about real amp is basically you only get one two or three great tones out of it kind of a one trick pony, but with things like helix not only do you have different and sounds and you can argue the authenticity of it obviously it’s not an amp in the room. So I guess it depends on what you’re looking for. It’s really great to have a great combo amp, crank it up loud in the garage with your buddies on an afternoonand making the local police or your local neighbors angry lol not sure I’ve never done that with my helix lol
My cornford Carrera is great at bedroom volumes. In fact I think I prefer it at lower volumes than any volume that would be too loud for a bedroom. My 50 watt line 6 DT50 is also really good at doing low volumes at home. Really flexible amp with a Bluetooth midi plug in for accessing all the power amp settings
I bought a Cornford Hurricane in 2001 but haven't used it for a few years. Used a Fender Pro Junior with a 12ay7 preamp valve that I could turn up to get the output cooking and that's good but for the past year or so its much lighter and easier to use my Katana 50 ex with a GA-FC footswitch and send a line out to the PA.
My Orange AD30HTC and PPC212 is my "big amp" that doesn't leave the house. It's not worth the hassle of carrying it or the stress of getting it dinged up. If I'm going out, I take my Rocker 15 1x10 combo or Quilter Tone Block 201 head if there is already a cab to plug into. Then, I load my pedalboard accordingly.
I have always liked Mesa Boogie. My last one was a Fillmore. I brought home a used Carr Lincoln, and the Carr was noticeably better. I had no problem letting go of the Fillmore. My two cents is that a Carr amp is worthy of your consideration.
As modelers get better and better, I've sold most of my amps. I started playing in the 70's so I've had a lot of different amps. Some of my favorites were Music Man 112RP, Roland JC120, Mesa Roadster combo (48kg, never left the studio as it was way too heavy for gigging. H&K Switchblade, Blackstar HT100 (both using a Marshall 1960 4x12). But I'm now down to one amp that I'll keep until I die. A Mesa Boogie Mark V:25 head with a 70's Music Man 2X10 open back cabinet. Best combo to my ears and not too heavy to take out and gig with.
Yep the Lonestar is my favourite amp. I got mine in 2011 after being a Marshall player pretty much all my guitar playing life. My tastes changed and a great clean tones became more important than a great driven tone. I now also have a Mesa TA30 which is also great and pairs well with the Lonestar in stereo.
I don't think you mentioned a characteristic of tube amps that I definitely notice. Their behavior, responsiveness, and tone often change for the better as the night goes on. I usually make a few minor tweaks to the gain or eq sometime around the middle of the second set, and by the last set, the amps usually sound very alive and sweet.
Have 2 amps run together. A Revv D20 and just got the Revv D25. They are awesome and affordable. Plus have the 2notes built in. Haven’t played tons of amps but really happy with mine.
I thought Mayer had abandoned Two Rock after the John Mayer signature amp debacle (where they quietly tried to sell more autographed amps than they'd contracted him for, by using some autographs he'd made where he was just testing his signature).
The Mesa boogie Lonestar specials with the EL 84 valves, is such great sounding amplifier, we have three of them on the ship that I’m working on and they’re all just lovely. I find the ones with the 6L6 tubes excuse me valves, I just a little too much. Might as well just get a fender. At home where most of my amplifiers live, and I never get to play on. I think my favourite would be the Ceritone overdrive special, 50 W. Although they all do different things, don’t they I like your idea of the different speakers. I remember, putting in an EV speaker in my very first amp, which was a Yamaha G112. And that’s a super great little amplifier as well, even though it was a solid state I really liked it. The speaker made it way a lot more but it sure sounded a lot better too.
1) vht d50, at home or on stage. Od tone is so good even at low volume. So easy and safe to ajust the bias. Mine was a bit cold without. 2) princeton reverb 65 : the reverb and the 10p 3) champ 57 custom : for the direct connection with the guitar, like playing an acoustic
Great guitar playing and great video. I decided to splurge on a Magnatone Panoramic Stereo, I suppose on the basis that I wanted to have a boutique amp which sounded good clean, I love reverb and tremolo, I fancied the sound of vibrato and it offered a different type of sound for me with, what I thought, was the familiarity of EL84 valves. I am finding after a while that I get on better with my Vox AC15/ Greenback…which is approximately 1/5th of the price. The Magnatone is certainly lovely and compelling but it’s not the route to audio nirvana that I had hoped. It’s tempting to go for a boutique Vox-style amp by Matchless, Morgan etc. but I’ve learned that fixating on components is pointless. Gear doesn’t make a lot of difference, although I always hope that it will.
Great vid John. Buying a two-rock or similar, is akin to buying an Audi instead of a Skoda or Seat. All share the same technology, similar specs, hell they’re all part of VW, but the 4 circles on the back cost a fortune. I couldn’t afford a two-rock, but if I did, I too would be curious and want to try one. I have a Supro 25w with 6V6s and a 10” creamback speaker instead. Cost me £500 new in a deal, plenty gigging volume, got a master and doesn’t weigh a ton! But, like someone said earlier, I’d be happy with a Deluxe Reverb for life.
I use cab IRs when playing at home. They sound good enough to record for an album if I want, and they let me play cool big powerful amps like Vox AC30 at master volume on 4.
I've had two amazing hand built amps, a Savage Macht 12 and a Top Hat Club Deluxe. I had to use an attenator, a THD hot plate, to pull down the volume on the Top Hat. It was one of the loudest 15 watts I've ever heard. I was gigging a lot back then and I could play funk, jazz, blues, up to pretty crunchy power pop using those two amps. Together (basically a tweed deluxe and an AC15 togther) they were a lovely, lovely racket. Completely unusable in any situation outside of a state in decent sized venue. HX Stomp and Walrus ASC-1 guy these days. I can't imagine going back.
I gave up on combos as well, except for the smallest gigs. Otherwise I’m two heads and two 1x12 cabs for a lovely and quite portable, amazing sounding wet/dry. I think two £500 amps wet/dry or stereo might be more fun than 1 €1k amp on its own. Agree with you on speakers - went down that rabbit hole recently! Incidentally, the Dexter is £1700 from Chris as a brand new build. So it’s still pretty boutique.
I agree with everything you've laid out here and considerably so. But I do have a little wrench to throw in there for you. You might be very pleased to play through a Cornell Romany 12. It's a 10 watter. The 12 refers to the speaker. It has a really interesting attenuator that's perhaps the most organic attenuator I've used--instead of keeping the sound exactly the same at different volumes it adds or subtracts headroom. But it also has THE grooviest addition to the tone stack, a switch that actually drops the tone stack out, and man I cannot get enough of that when I want to get into overdrive. You have to play it to understand it. But it is a sick amp. I myself have been thinking about getting a selection of various cabs with different speakers. Because, apart from my HX Stomp, I just don't need my other amps anymore. IMOP Denis Cornell is a genius, and I'm more interested in further exploring the Romany 12 with different speakers than I am in getting anymore amps. Cheers, dude.
I currently have a mesaboogie mark 5/35 head (which is plenty loud for any gig), a mesaboogie cabinet, a katana head mk2, katana combo 100mk1(which I'm selling), a couple of headrush FRFRs which I've used with hx stomp/pod pro(selling)/ampero. I think for gigging and practicing the katana head is unbeatable. It's plenty loud as it is, I can send the output to either a cabinet, FRFR, or the mixer. (If I do the latter I'll use the built in speaker as a low(ish) volume stage monitor). Extremely portable, plenty of tricks you can do with it. You can setup the preset as pedalboard, thus having 8 * 3 possible setups. I agree with a couple of heads, and cabs, you can have so many options open to you. Thinking back to when I started in the 80s you don't need the same amount of gear we used to. We think we do, but we don't
Yeah. I have a two rock sp35 bought new in 2011. It’s basically the only amp I use. I find for the gigs I do a lot, modellers are best. I need clean fender to cooking Marshall and I think I get more authentic results this Way. The amp is for gigs where I am allowed to sound like me.
My favourite amps are a Cornell plexi 7 practice amp and my main amp, the tone king imperial mk2. It comes with a fantastic attenuator, making it very usable for home use
Matchless DC-30 and Princeton/deluxe reverbs are my favorite. I imagine a bad cat would do just as good, but didn’t realize that until after I got the dc-30, and at that point not gonna sell it. I had an ox box, but a UA-ruby and dream are what I use 99% or the time anyway since I’m such a fan of modulation and delay effects.
My favorite amp was a Carvin XB100 head/2x12 cab. Such a wonderful amp! Sold it because it wasn't getting used as we've been playing with a silent stage for well over a decade. That's when I began playing with Boss GT100, Helix, etc. Current favorite amp is a Boss Nextone 80 which is a fantastic solid-state (not modeling like the Katana) 80-watt beauty that can be run at 1W, 40W or 80W. Normally I'd have bought the 40W version, but the 80W was a demo on huge discount :)
I really dig Fenders Tone Master Deluxe. Funny story: My friend and I tried out some different Amps and used the Tonemaster as a chair... Only when we could not find anything fitting our needs, we tried out this (bad, because its digital) amp. two years later, it is my favorite workhorse. but of course, its nice for working and not for owning. Edit: And I REALLY regret buying the Roland Blues Cube...
I regret selling all of the 7 or 8 all tube US Fender amps I used to own. I don't regret selling the all tube Blackstar HT5R which sounded like complete crap. And best sounding amp I tried was a Fender Vibroking stock original.
Do you like the Tone King Imperium and what do you think about amps that come with attenuation built in? Would a master nob change the tone of a fender amp?
The most expensive amp I ever bought was a Mark VII, and thankfully it did exactly what I wanted it to do and has the built-in two notes stuff so it really works well for recording too. Other than that one, I find it hard to go beyond $2k USD on any amp, and even then amps in general are tough to justify as most of the time I'm using a modeler, or Katana
I've had a few and played many. My all time favorite (I still own) is my Zinky Blue Velvet (900USD for the head). It has a tonal quality that is quite different from other amps. Other amps I've played that I liked a lot are Dr. Z, which I can only describe as bring the sound of the steel of the strings combined with the wood of the guitar - and Divided by 13, which is one of the more expressive amps I've played in terms of going from clean to overdriven with pick attack alone. To me, what you can get from the more expensive amps is some tonal uniqueness (Dr. Z and Zinky) or unique responsiveness (Zinky and Divided by 13 - the Zinky has a very organic bit of compression and feedback to the player). FWIW, I've played many other amps and found them to be rather sterile by comparison (that includes almost every Mesa and Fender I've ever played, and most Vox and Marshalls - only the older ones have anything unique going for them - Bogners are good but not that far ahead of the others). In fact, I actually prefer to gig with a modeler, because it's easier to get good tones to the audience by going direct - and you can go stereo (which I really like). It may not be quite as good as the boutique amps, but it's not thousands of dollars worse - and unless I'm A/Bing, I don't really notice.
I have owned tons of amps over the years, and also own a FR-12 that I use with a HX Stomp/Tonex. However, I've had a Two Rock Bloomfield drive for the last year or so, and I honestly can't imagine wanting to play anything else.
Ya, I made that mistake once, buying a ridiculously overpriced TwoRock. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great amp, but it’s not any better than many outstanding amps in the $2k-2,500 range. (ie, Soldano Astro, Synergy, ToneKing, Magnatone, etc). Not worth double the price for a TwoRock. The only amp over $4k that still temps me is an Amplified Nation, but I refuse to spend more than $2,500 on an amp anymore. So I’ll be fine without it. :)
I had a peavey backstage plus when I was a teenager that I used a proco rat with. I thought I needed a better sound so I sold it. 25 years later I found another at a second hand store for $10. Ordered a rat pedal dialed it in. It's the sound of my youth! Its distorted and punchy sound. I also recently bought a joyo Jackman 2 on sale. Ran it through the cab of a 90s Marshall park amp. Its decent on it's own but I ran a boss metal zone 2 with it. Wow! It's a huge sound!
My back trouble is down to lugging a Mark III Mesa Boogie and carrying a mechanical bull and it's motor by myself. Plus all of the other heavy lifting jobs which I've done which means I can't stand up for too long without moving. So as far as amps and modelers go the lighter the better.
All other things being constant I believe that to double the acoustic volume you need 10 times the power. so a 100 watter is only twice as loud as a 10 watt Speaker efficiency makes a huge difference. My Boogie Mk5 25 through my JBL E130 speakers is absolutely deafening, but that speaker is 6-8dB more efficient than most Celestions for example.
fender twin (red knob job) mesa roadster head with mesa 2x12 cabs kemper powered toaster (into mesa cab) All fantastic amps, fender sounds amazing but sooooooo heavy to lug around. Mesa Roadster brilliant sound (sometimes) huge pallet of usable tones & more manageable to carry. Kemper great consistent sounding amps and effects and easy to carry about. As guitarists we are so luck to have great sounding gear at all price levels.
The difference between a Fender clean and a Dumble clean is the feel (apart from the mids content), Dumble type amps do not have the "bouce" of the Fenders. Agree with you on paying for a brand's name.Two Rock being the case in point...
I own a Tone King Royalist MKIII 1x12" combo. Three amps in one. Awesome at 40W; awesome attenuated at -36dB (built-in). Unfortunately a touch heavy at 27Kg. Am trying to get my hands on a Carr Bel-Ray, if they ever reach Down Under.
Hughes&Kettner Triamp is the one that is important, finally you did not need any OD/DIST pedals at all. 100W Plexi Marshall (modded, from 68) i propably should have kept, but i just did not used it much.
I have a Fender hot rod ML (Michael Landau) and it has the best clean tone I've heard from an amp and works so unbelievably well as a pedal platform For me the best amp around!
Katana 50 EX all the way. Small . Has the volume or no volume. Has all the internal pedal options. Because it’s a 50, it has the 20 watt setting (unlike the 100). Has the line out too. Onwards and upwards!
Hey John - I've got a couple Divided by 13 amps here which are very similar to 2 rock in terms of cost and quality. I've learned a few things about them over the years. One - if you are going to buy a boutique amp like your 2 rock or mine, you should buy a Fryette Power Station. It's another $800 to the bottom line but it will turn that loud AF amp into your best friend and it has the best tone shaping to overcome the intrinsic issues with attenuating. Two - nothing sounds good until you get it up to 85-90 dB - doesn't matter if its a tube amp or the QC through studio monitors. You won't start getting interplay with the speakers and get a full dimension tone until you hit 85 dB - and coincidentally that sound pressure level is about the same that will trigger your family to tell you to turn it down!
Speakers and cabs are the ultimate guitar gear.
John....I watch your channel most everyday. Even through my phone, right away to my ears, this is the warmest and most crisp tone to date. Well done!😊
The Tone King Imperial MK II solved the to loud for home, won’t break up issue. The attenuator allows for nice break up at low volumes. They also make a head version if you don’t want a combo.
Remember that wattage vs SPL is on a log scale. So if you want to double the SPL of a 15W amp, you need a 150W amp... And to add to the confusion, there's no standard way of measuring what a watt is anyway. So between brands or even models, you're not comparing apples with apples.
Suhr PT15 I.R. is my favourite amp. If you use with IR output is 8W and if you disconnect the IR it's 15W. Very usable and versatile amp.
Amp tone aside. Your playing is beautiful. Teasing the most beautiful song ever written, looping those fat clear midrange tones, and the ambience behind your dynamics really are quite enjoyable to listen to. Keep pickin my friend!
My Boogie Mark V 90w is more than I'll ever need; the master volume makes it useable at home, too. I can switch the wattage down, but I never do. I've no idea why they excluded the master from the newer Mark VII.
Suhr Badger. Designed with power scaling in mind so it sounds great at any volume!
And you can dial in and blend the perfect amount of power tube vs preamp breakup as well.
@@jerrymckenzie1858 yes! Honestly hard to justify another amp. Not that that makes a difference 🤣
I owned three Two-Rocks over the years, as well as a bunch of Marshall and Fender amps. Now I am using a Quad Cortex and two Fender ToneMaster Pro FR10 FRFR speaker cabs. The transition was quicker than I thought. I even thought I would never move from analog pedals - amps all the way to the digital realm. So here I am, super happy with this new reality. It is perfect in terms of sound quality and possibilities, but also: it does not hurt your back! :) For now I am keeping only one Two-Rock at the studio, for some of the recording sessions - and because it looks great :D The other thing is, as John said, with modellers and proper FRFRs you end up playing WAY more than with amps. It's ready to go, it doesn't annoy anyone, and still you enjoy proper sound without the need of absurdly high volumes.
Old school Jazz Chorus amps, different sizes, JC120, JC60, JC77.
Clean, perfect for pedals, analog. Can be ripping loud or whisper quiet.
Never a better type of amp.
Most guys would be happy with any Katana or any Tone Master.
My go to amp for jams and gigs since 2006 is my Bruno Cowtipper 22. It’s basically an “improved” vintage Deluxe Reverb. The treble end is smoother, the bass end is never flubby, it has a mid control (a DR without a mid scoop!), it takes pedals better than almost any amp I own, and the volume is reasonable. If I’m in a situation where the volume is too much, I just use an Aracom attenuator.
I also own:
- 1967 Fender Super Reverb
- Fender Michael Landau Hot Rod
- 1967 Ampeg “Goldenglo” Reverbojet
- Dr. Z Route 66
- Fuchs ODS 50
- and several more
Those are all great amps! The 1967 Super Reverb is my absolute favorite amp! There’s something about the classic AB763 circuit combined with a 2 ohm transformer into 4x10” speakers that’s just magical. I don’t take it out anymore, because it’s much heavier and louder than the Bruno, and there’s always an added risk of something going wrong with an amp that old.
The Landau Hot Rod is the most “Neutral” amp I own, but too is much heavier and louder than the Bruno.
The Fuchs is its own thing. It does the “Dumble” thing better than anything else I’ve tried, but I’m finding the “Dumble” thing isn’t really my thing. As I’m typing this, I’m realizing it might be time to sell the Fuchs. The Route 66 is a beast unlike anything else I’ve played. Even though I have 2 other Fenders, if my Bruno needed any service, I’d gig the Route 66. It’s not outrageously loud, being a head and can it’s actually easier to carry than the Bruno, and with a couple tweaks on my drive pedals it gets me close enough. I only mentioned the 1967 Ampeg Reverbojet because it’s the best “rock amp” ever! With the volume and tone cranked, you instantly get that Stones/Joe Walsh crunch, and with your guitar’s volume and tone controls you can go from that to super clean. It’s the type of amp that practically BEGS you not to put any effects in front of it, but using an AnalogMan SunLion for fuzz and/or treble boost does open it up to more Hendrix and even SRV type sounds.
Still, if I want something I’m completely at home with, the Bruno just can’t be beat!
My four favorite amps that I own are: (1) Marshall JVM410H, (2) Tech 21 Trademark 60, (3) Fender Deluxe Reverb Tone Master and (4) Fender Deluxe Super Reverb Tone Master.
How different are the Tone master amps soundwise? Would you recommend one over the other?
LOVE My Trademark 60. I have a first gen one with the Tech21 proprietary speaker. I believe the went to celestions in later revisions.
I love my Marshall JVM, not the 410, just the 210c which works perfectly for everything
@@MiguelGuitars I owned a tube 65 Deluxe Reverb and I got rid of it because it sounded too brittle. Later, I learned about the "bright cap" scenario. I bought the Blonde version Tone Master and have "no brittleness". Given the choice between the two, I'd go with the Tone Master.
@@christopherjbutler Mine is a 2014 model and has the Celestion speaker. Great amp!
My favourite amp is my California tweed 4:40, that thing gets played the most. It’s the 100w jensen speaker and I love the clean and edge of breakup range. Takes pedals lovely!
Most boutique amps are based on Fender Amps. Get yourself a Deluxe Reverb and forget about amps.
What’s wrong with Princeton?
All Amps are based upon electricity, so buy a washing machine instead. 🤣
Overpriced for what it is nowadays
@@aeiplanner Volume. I own Fender Silverface Champ, Princeton, Deluxe Reverb and Bantam (2x12 Super Reverb Mod). Princeton Reverb never cease to amaze me, unfortunately it doesn’t have enough volume if you are playing gigs unmiked. It is my rehearsal amp.
@@gregorglasbruch6917 If it had valves you could probably mod it but it doesn’t.
Im using a Marshall 1987x and DSL15 in stereo and couldn't be happier. Through an old 1936 cab. The cab and speakers are so important in how the rig sounds, more important than the amp. If the amp is good, the cab and speakers do the rest.
I have parked my $2000 handwire 6L6 with a Vintage 30 built to my specs. Love this Amp, King Amplification Uptown 33. But the past 5 years it has been replaced with my Katana Artist Mk1. They both sound great but the Katana is 15lbs lighter and a lot less to replace.
When I had tube amps, my favorites and not in any particular order was original mid sixties hand-wired Silverface Vibrolux Reverb that Paul Rivera modded before he came out with his own amps. Original Matchless Chieftains and a Chief made by Mark Sampson. Early 60's Blackface Princeton Reverb modded by Lee Jackson. Mesa Boogie Mark I reissue. Rivera M100. I'm 71 and have probably owned more than 200 amps since I started playing. I've probably forgotten about a bunch of them. I have to say that out of all my amps I like my Quilters the best.
Agreed...I own a few tube amps still (Deluxe Reverb and a Supro RT1622) after years of owning many, but I gig with my Quilters now mostly. I have both Superblocks, and original Aviator and a Pro Block. I use them all for different things and they are indispensable.
I spend the last 40 years with the same questions and conclusions… tubes are great , have amazing feel, and are very heavy and finicky…. In the end , no one will hear the difference in a band between an expensive amp or a modeler… I’m a recovering tube snob 😂
Exactly, most of the nuance of a tube amp is lost playing in a band or in the mix unfortunately.
Is there a joining fee? Always had tube amps ( headstrong, DrZ, Mesa Lonestar). Had to sell them to survive pandemic and kept my helix as it would do all gigs as they came back (I do lots of deps from stones to 80s to country and rock n roll). Recently could afford to get an amp. After lots of looking I’ve got a Princeton Tonemaster. Sounds right to me, and age and long term illness post covid means the lightweight is great. And also now having the joy of guitar pedal-porn again.
That's what ive realised. It's mostly a feel thing. Modelling feels odd after using valves for years but you'd need real golden ears to hear a difference.
@@emcg.9655 the strangest experience I’ve had recently was doing a silent stage. Worked fine as ‘do the job’ as we were working in a room with a brutal sound limiter, but was no joy. I think it absolutely loses that resonance between guitar and amp which I’ve always had, even using a modeller and using a stage monitor. Wont do that again for only uk pub gig prices (about £75)
NeuralAmpModeler just about got me cured, Two-Notes Genome has me completely converted lol. No back pain and no standby switch XD
Mesa Boogie 4:40 California Tweed. Still my favorite amp Ive owned! Its a forever amp for me.
You're right on about having a variety of cabinets with different speakers. I have three cabs that I built and I'm thinking of adding one more
I’ve been thinking about this lately. A 4x12 with a Creamback, a Greenback, a Vintage30 and an EVH type. Purely for micing up. I do wonder if that might be too much in one cab.
@@lostinpa-dadenduro7555 Have you seen this? th-cam.com/video/RdUbZgLOMJs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Zs7MY6onURo_uH9o 4 10-inch speakers in a 4x10 cab shootout.
15:47 That was exactly my experience. I compared my Brunetti Singleman amp with Two Notes Cab M versus UAD Dream, and I realized that I like playing the UAD more…
Besides that it so much easier to manage and dial tones.
My amps are getting dust nowadays 😄
Supro Amulet.. been a great lounge room amp, a princeton in features but different clean and grind to the drive sound
Headroom is where you hit a boost/OD pedal and the amp/speaker don’t start falling apart. Sometimes a higher headroom speaker change is all you need. Certainly helps the Princeton from being a can of bees with OD added.
I have been LOVING my FR12 with the Axe. Just so fun to get that amp push again.
Fender Vibrolux Reverb are priceless. Vintage or early silver face
The 30-watt Class A Mesa Lonestar Special is the one for me. I love my other amps (my favorite hi-gain lead sound is on the King Snake), but I keep coming back to the LSS as my main sound.
I’ve had my Suhr Badger 18 head for mostly at home use for some 13 years. Bought it used for 1,2k€. A few amps and a Kemper have come and gone, but this one stays and will do so. Power scaling is a lovely feature and it sounds just lovely. No need to look for a new one.
Talking about heavy combos my main amp, when I was touring, was a Mesa Boogie Trem-o-Verb 2x12 100W Dual Rectifier combo. In its flight case it was impossible for one person to lift, too wide and heavy to manhandle. So to transport the amp to our touring van from home (our van used to belong to Ocean Colour Scene, ha ha) I had to take the amp out of the flight case, transport the amp and case in my car separately and reassemble before two people lifted it in to the van. Bonkers. It weighed well over 100lbs! Pretty flexible amp though. I went straight into it, no pedals at all, apart from a tuner! Fun days back in the mid 90s.
What you said about the cab being most of the tone is super true, and what makes Two-Notes stuff so freaking fun to use. Genome is amazing (as the amp, after the pre, or on the loadbox, its made for all 3) and the scrolling through virtual cabs with pics and descriptions and positioning is actively fun and sounds amazing. Amazing how much a cab or parallel stack can transform the sound (and i dont have to kill my back to do it anymore lol)
Nice - Amazing Grace exploration ❤
I love playing my handwired AC15 and my Hot Rod Deluxe in wet/dry, I love my DSL100 through my V30 cab, and my Friedman clone through my custom 1x12"/1x15" cab, but for my 4 hour gig this Saturday, I played my PodGo with a little EHX Magnum 44 power amp into a 2x12" because of all the different delay, reverb, and modulation settings I go through for the 40+ song set from all different eras and genres.
I really enjoy hearing your thoughts on these subjects. I haven't gone down the "amp" hole too far since I have a Helix - but I have had a Fender Blues Jr IV (sold); currently own a Catalyst 100 and then I have a PC 112+ for making my Helix/HX Stomp XL loud. Oh yeah, and I have a Spark Mini for portable practice...
The latest Coffee with Ola was very interesting. Marcus Siepen
of Blind Guardian owns a ton of Mesa amps. The Rectifier is well over 3 grand in the UK... but he now uses a Quad Cortex with the built in Silver Jubilee model! The QC is not cheap but it certainly is compared to buying the amps.
I just this month picked up a Badcat Black cat and OH MY is it beautiful....a little loud for home but as you say, those master volume switches help a ton! Still working on making my pedals work with it but it's a solid amp.
Although ironically this is also my first combo, I also have a H&K TM20D head and the accompanying 2x12 cab but I think the cab will be going up for sale soon
I have a Carvin x100b, and it is the ideal pedal platform amp for me. I've played other amps, and they're cool, but the Carvin is extremely versatile as well as great sounding. It only cost $400 used, and I can't imagine ever getting rid of it
I love my Mesa|Boogie Fillmore 100 combo, and love the warm, clean headroom. I play for my own enjoyment at home and would never gig with this heavy monster. What a nightmare that would be!
How loud do I play it? My so-so decibel meter tells me it’s about low 90s most of the time. It’s the headroom I love in a high wattage amp, not the volume.
Could you hear what I’m hearing in a mix or live situation - blah blah blah… I have no idea. Maybe some people could.
I don’t know that I’m hearing anything so much as feeling it. I think the sound and feel of a glorious amp is something that most of us, if we’re honest with ourselves, enjoy with any the gear we love: it feels great to play, and it’s loads of fun.
Maybe what, 5% of gear is purchased by gigging or working musicians? The vast majority of us play for the joy of it, maybe with some friends, with no aspirations beyond having a nice time, feeling the joy of music, song writing, recording, and the physical experience of making sounds with a guitar.
For the vast majority of us, this is a hobby. It’s easy to forget in an age where everyone leads you to believe that hobbies are -
competitions,
require perfection,
require a purpose,
must be evaluated & judged by peers and strangers online,
or worse,
monetized
- to forget what a hobby is.
A hobby is not a to do list, an obligation, a requirement, a test, an evaluation of us. We have all the rest of our lives for those, most everything else in daily life are those things.
It only matters that you have fun. Play the gear that makes you smile. Play the music that makes you smile. Chase smiles and bliss. Give yourself a break. Be very kind to yourself.
Much peace to you all. ✌️😌🎸
That was an Amazingly Graceful intro John. If you are ever short of an idea you could break that one down for me in a video sometime
I, thankfully, still have and operate my favorite amps. One is a Mesa Boogie Lonestar Classic (combo format). O found it used in my local store, and I stopped my fast-paced walk to confirm what I saw in my peripheral.
The other is the 70s Fender Bassman 100. I jump the channels and was an amp a dear friend of mine gifted me as a present in our early 20s.
I run them into PowerStations that a then feed into whatever IR I have available. They are quite dear to me. I’ve got an Egnater Rebel 30 that’s also a lot of fun.
Edit - I forgot to note that the amps mainly live at home for recording. When playing live, I’ve got enough modeling gear to get me through anything I need, and it’s wonderful thing.
Definitely agree about the speaker cabs. It’s surprising how much of the sound we might associate with an amp actually comes from the speaker cabs. Also use my amps with helix in 4 cable, then use the helix output volume as a master volume. Works well.
My favorite amp used to be my Rivera S120 but since I purchased my Fuchs Bassman ODS head a couple years ago it has become my hands down favorite! It just sounds and feels so great and I can use 1, 2, or even 4 12” speakers and can great tone in about any setting.
Generally speaking I think you are correct. I sold all of my pedals, but my wah pedal and bought a line 6HXFX. I can tell that my playing has gotten much better. And I think it has to do with the fact that I can concentrate more on my playing and less fiddling with my pedals. I’ve also been a fender fanboy my whole life. But I must say the cleans on a two rock blow away the cleans in a fender. They’re much thicker fuller, and the top end is just so much better. And I love Fender amps. But I think two rock is worth the money. Even though they are expensive, I have a Studio Pro 22, which is on the “budget friendly” side. But if I spend as much time playing, as I did looking for amps and pedals, I’d probably be a lot better than I am.
Love the channel, your advice, and your playing.
Still have three amps. Ceriatone OTS lunchbox, Mesa Express+ 112 combo, and a first edition Katana. I have kept them because - Ceriatone tone is lovely, great warm cleans and rich, saturated D-style gain tones. It really scatches the D-tone itch. The Mesa has a wonderful clean channel that makes a great pedal platform. Oddly in that amp i dont like the gain channel but use pedals for gain tones. I also really appreciate the power scaling on that amp that switches between Class AB and Class A. The build quality of the Mess is also superb. And then there is the Katana, which has been an all- around workhorse used for everything from recording, practice, live and as stage volume for modelers. Katana is great bang for the $$$ and I still plug into that thing quite often.
Best amps I've owned: *Multi-Channel* - Suhr PT-100, *Clean/Edge of Breakup* - Two Rock Studio Pro 35, *Clean* - '71 Fender Twin. All of them were brilliant. All were too loud by the time you hit the sweet-spot.
Did modelers for a while, but ultimately I just switched to plugins. Neural for grit to metal - and - Mixwave Milkman Creamer for clean. I don't miss amps at all.
I'm not sure if I'll ever gig again, but I enjoy playing/practicing at home (living in a duplex so I have neighbors thru the wall. So for me, a Katana 50 and Blackstar HT-5R wet/dry are too loud so I have them turned to 70db at the maximum. But I like the tones I get.
I suspect I could get tones that are just as good with a modeler, but i feel like nicely made equipment is art itself and inspires me to play more and take it more seriously. Not to say modelers haven't reached art themselves. I'm particularly blown away by Cliff at Fractal.
Hey man. What makes you mention Cliff at Fractal, specifically? Just the quality of the models they produce there? Is there something about Cliff in particular that might be worth enlightening us about? I was really looking at the Fractal stuff before I bought my HX Stomp, but all the clamoring people do about Fractal products being less than user friendly scared me away. Which kind of bummed me out because I thought the amp models where better.
@@dvespa he just seems like a total wizard. I've perused the forums there and read some of his responses and am blown away by his depth of electronics and DSP knowledge. I don't even have a modeler, but I appreciate the maniacal attention to detail he seems to have. I could be wrong. I've not spent large amounts of time digging into it.
@@jmfreelandOh he's absolutely a wizard. Never ceases to amaze me how great a product the Axe Fx is and we get consistent almost weekly updates to it. The newest firmware 25.00 is great.
@@dvespaI have an hx stomp, but feel the Fractal stuff is in a different league. The amps especially are agood bit better.
Luckily we all have different opinions and tastes, but I wouldn’t touch a fractal.
The favourite amps I owned are, Kingsley Deluxe 30 head, 1971 Deluxe Reverb, Two Rock Opal, Trinity 18 Plexi with VRM. All very touch sensitive amps with both a clean and overdriven personality. Only the Opal approached the 5k threshold.
Yes, I have two things to say about your amplifier dilemma. In the day I’ve put Ernie ball casters on my guitar amps I even had a 112 inch 50 W music man amp that I put the casters on. So I could pick it up, carry it up a couple of stairs and then rest the time push it around where I needed to, turn the amp on its side the casters out in the back and I could be jammin. I traded that amp for two 100 W music man and did the same thing. Yes it’s a drag to move the amp around, but it helped considerably to have the casters. Could get just about any sound with any amp that it’ll never be a helix. And so I really don’t play amplifiers anymore. I play my helix through two head rush FRFR powered speakers the thing about real amp is basically you only get one two or three great tones out of it kind of a one trick pony, but with things like helix not only do you have different and sounds and you can argue the authenticity of it obviously it’s not an amp in the room. So I guess it depends on what you’re looking for. It’s really great to have a great combo amp, crank it up loud in the garage with your buddies on an afternoonand making the local police or your local neighbors angry lol not sure I’ve never done that with my helix lol
My cornford Carrera is great at bedroom volumes. In fact I think I prefer it at lower volumes than any volume that would be too loud for a bedroom.
My 50 watt line 6 DT50 is also really good at doing low volumes at home. Really flexible amp with a Bluetooth midi plug in for accessing all the power amp settings
Yep love my Carrera too.
I bought a Cornford Hurricane in 2001 but haven't used it for a few years. Used a Fender Pro Junior with a 12ay7 preamp valve that I could turn up to get the output cooking and that's good but for the past year or so its much lighter and easier to use my Katana 50 ex with a GA-FC footswitch and send a line out to the PA.
My Orange AD30HTC and PPC212 is my "big amp" that doesn't leave the house. It's not worth the hassle of carrying it or the stress of getting it dinged up. If I'm going out, I take my Rocker 15 1x10 combo or Quilter Tone Block 201 head if there is already a cab to plug into. Then, I load my pedalboard accordingly.
I have always liked Mesa Boogie. My last one was a Fillmore. I brought home a used Carr Lincoln, and the Carr was noticeably better. I had no problem letting go of the Fillmore. My two cents is that a Carr amp is worthy of your consideration.
If you’re looking to go to a single amp I’d highly recommend the Bogner Goldfinger SL45. Amazing clean, great drive tones with a footswitchable boost.
As modelers get better and better, I've sold most of my amps. I started playing in the 70's so I've had a lot of different amps. Some of my favorites were Music Man 112RP, Roland JC120, Mesa Roadster combo (48kg, never left the studio as it was way too heavy for gigging. H&K Switchblade, Blackstar HT100 (both using a Marshall 1960 4x12). But I'm now down to one amp that I'll keep until I die. A Mesa Boogie Mark V:25 head with a 70's Music Man 2X10 open back cabinet. Best combo to my ears and not too heavy to take out and gig with.
Yep the Lonestar is my favourite amp. I got mine in 2011 after being a Marshall player pretty much all my guitar playing life. My tastes changed and a great clean tones became more important than a great driven tone. I now also have a Mesa TA30 which is also great and pairs well with the Lonestar in stereo.
I don't think you mentioned a characteristic of tube amps that I definitely notice. Their behavior, responsiveness, and tone often change for the better as the night goes on. I usually make a few minor tweaks to the gain or eq sometime around the middle of the second set, and by the last set, the amps usually sound very alive and sweet.
Have 2 amps run together. A Revv D20 and just got the Revv D25. They are awesome and affordable. Plus have the 2notes built in. Haven’t played tons of amps but really happy with mine.
I thought Mayer had abandoned Two Rock after the John Mayer signature amp debacle (where they quietly tried to sell more autographed amps than they'd contracted him for, by using some autographs he'd made where he was just testing his signature).
The Mesa boogie Lonestar specials with the EL 84 valves, is such great sounding amplifier, we have three of them on the ship that I’m working on and they’re all just lovely. I find the ones with the 6L6 tubes excuse me valves, I just a little too much. Might as well just get a fender. At home where most of my amplifiers live, and I never get to play on. I think my favourite would be the Ceritone overdrive special, 50 W. Although they all do different things, don’t they I like your idea of the different speakers. I remember, putting in an EV speaker in my very first amp, which was a Yamaha G112. And that’s a super great little amplifier as well, even though it was a solid state I really liked it. The speaker made it way a lot more but it sure sounded a lot better too.
OMG - a pro reverb with two EVs!!! Glorious, glorious, and never take it anywhere ever.
1) vht d50, at home or on stage. Od tone is so good even at low volume. So easy and safe to ajust the bias. Mine was a bit cold without.
2) princeton reverb 65 : the reverb and the 10p
3) champ 57 custom : for the direct connection with the guitar, like playing an acoustic
Great guitar playing and great video. I decided to splurge on a Magnatone Panoramic Stereo, I suppose on the basis that I wanted to have a boutique amp which sounded good clean, I love reverb and tremolo, I fancied the sound of vibrato and it offered a different type of sound for me with, what I thought, was the familiarity of EL84 valves. I am finding after a while that I get on better with my Vox AC15/ Greenback…which is approximately 1/5th of the price. The Magnatone is certainly lovely and compelling but it’s not the route to audio nirvana that I had hoped. It’s tempting to go for a boutique Vox-style amp by Matchless, Morgan etc. but I’ve learned that fixating on components is pointless. Gear doesn’t make a lot of difference, although I always hope that it will.
Tonemaster twin is not too loud. Run vol over 5 and mids 8+. Attenuator to the room. Awesome.
Lovely voicings at the top, and inspiring playing as always.
Great vid John.
Buying a two-rock or similar, is akin to buying an Audi instead of a Skoda or Seat.
All share the same technology, similar specs, hell they’re all part of VW, but the 4 circles on the back cost a fortune.
I couldn’t afford a two-rock, but if I did, I too would be curious and want to try one.
I have a Supro 25w with 6V6s and a 10” creamback speaker instead. Cost me £500 new in a deal, plenty gigging volume, got a master and doesn’t weigh a ton!
But, like someone said earlier, I’d be happy with a Deluxe Reverb for life.
I use cab IRs when playing at home. They sound good enough to record for an album if I want, and they let me play cool big powerful amps like Vox AC30 at master volume on 4.
I've had two amazing hand built amps, a Savage Macht 12 and a Top Hat Club Deluxe. I had to use an attenator, a THD hot plate, to pull down the volume on the Top Hat. It was one of the loudest 15 watts I've ever heard. I was gigging a lot back then and I could play funk, jazz, blues, up to pretty crunchy power pop using those two amps. Together (basically a tweed deluxe and an AC15 togther) they were a lovely, lovely racket. Completely unusable in any situation outside of a state in decent sized venue. HX Stomp and Walrus ASC-1 guy these days. I can't imagine going back.
I gave up on combos as well, except for the smallest gigs. Otherwise I’m two heads and two 1x12 cabs for a lovely and quite portable, amazing sounding wet/dry. I think two £500 amps wet/dry or stereo might be more fun than 1 €1k amp on its own. Agree with you on speakers - went down that rabbit hole recently!
Incidentally, the Dexter is £1700 from Chris as a brand new build. So it’s still pretty boutique.
I agree with everything you've laid out here and considerably so. But I do have a little wrench to throw in there for you. You might be very pleased to play through a Cornell Romany 12. It's a 10 watter. The 12 refers to the speaker. It has a really interesting attenuator that's perhaps the most organic attenuator I've used--instead of keeping the sound exactly the same at different volumes it adds or subtracts headroom. But it also has THE grooviest addition to the tone stack, a switch that actually drops the tone stack out, and man I cannot get enough of that when I want to get into overdrive. You have to play it to understand it. But it is a sick amp. I myself have been thinking about getting a selection of various cabs with different speakers. Because, apart from my HX Stomp, I just don't need my other amps anymore. IMOP Denis Cornell is a genius, and I'm more interested in further exploring the Romany 12 with different speakers than I am in getting anymore amps. Cheers, dude.
I currently have a mesaboogie mark 5/35 head (which is plenty loud for any gig), a mesaboogie cabinet, a katana head mk2, katana combo 100mk1(which I'm selling), a couple of headrush FRFRs which I've used with hx stomp/pod pro(selling)/ampero.
I think for gigging and practicing the katana head is unbeatable. It's plenty loud as it is, I can send the output to either a cabinet, FRFR, or the mixer. (If I do the latter I'll use the built in speaker as a low(ish) volume stage monitor). Extremely portable, plenty of tricks you can do with it. You can setup the preset as pedalboard, thus having 8 * 3 possible setups.
I agree with a couple of heads, and cabs, you can have so many options open to you.
Thinking back to when I started in the 80s you don't need the same amount of gear we used to. We think we do, but we don't
Yeah. I have a two rock sp35 bought new in 2011. It’s basically the only amp I use. I find for the gigs I do a lot, modellers are best. I need clean fender to cooking Marshall and I think I get more authentic results this Way. The amp is for gigs where I am allowed to sound like me.
honestly the current Fender Princeton 12W all tube with the 12" Celestian speaker is all I'll ever want/need.
My goto amp since the 1990s is the Ampeg reverberocket, made in the USA, affordable with a lovely clean channel that works great with pedals.
My favourite amps are a Cornell plexi 7 practice amp and my main amp, the tone king imperial mk2. It comes with a fantastic attenuator, making it very usable for home use
Matchless DC-30 and Princeton/deluxe reverbs are my favorite. I imagine a bad cat would do just as good, but didn’t realize that until after I got the dc-30, and at that point not gonna sell it. I had an ox box, but a UA-ruby and dream are what I use 99% or the time anyway since I’m such a fan of modulation and delay effects.
My favorite amp was a Carvin XB100 head/2x12 cab. Such a wonderful amp! Sold it because it wasn't getting used as we've been playing with a silent stage for well over a decade. That's when I began playing with Boss GT100, Helix, etc. Current favorite amp is a Boss Nextone 80 which is a fantastic solid-state (not modeling like the Katana) 80-watt beauty that can be run at 1W, 40W or 80W. Normally I'd have bought the 40W version, but the 80W was a demo on huge discount :)
I really dig Fenders Tone Master Deluxe.
Funny story: My friend and I tried out some different Amps and used the Tonemaster as a chair... Only when we could not find anything fitting our needs, we tried out this (bad, because its digital) amp. two years later, it is my favorite workhorse. but of course, its nice for working and not for owning.
Edit: And I REALLY regret buying the Roland Blues Cube...
I regret selling all of the 7 or 8 all tube US Fender amps I used to own. I don't regret selling the all tube Blackstar HT5R which sounded like complete crap. And best sounding amp I tried was a Fender Vibroking stock original.
I knew it, Jon. How sweet the sound, brother ;-) And, that amp will do, I think.
The Dumble stuff doesn't need to be turned up super loud to sound great. I think my masters are
Do you like the Tone King Imperium and what do you think about amps that come with attenuation built in? Would a master nob change the tone of a fender amp?
The most expensive amp I ever bought was a Mark VII, and thankfully it did exactly what I wanted it to do and has the built-in two notes stuff so it really works well for recording too. Other than that one, I find it hard to go beyond $2k USD on any amp, and even then amps in general are tough to justify as most of the time I'm using a modeler, or Katana
I've had a few and played many. My all time favorite (I still own) is my Zinky Blue Velvet (900USD for the head). It has a tonal quality that is quite different from other amps. Other amps I've played that I liked a lot are Dr. Z, which I can only describe as bring the sound of the steel of the strings combined with the wood of the guitar - and Divided by 13, which is one of the more expressive amps I've played in terms of going from clean to overdriven with pick attack alone. To me, what you can get from the more expensive amps is some tonal uniqueness (Dr. Z and Zinky) or unique responsiveness (Zinky and Divided by 13 - the Zinky has a very organic bit of compression and feedback to the player). FWIW, I've played many other amps and found them to be rather sterile by comparison (that includes almost every Mesa and Fender I've ever played, and most Vox and Marshalls - only the older ones have anything unique going for them - Bogners are good but not that far ahead of the others). In fact, I actually prefer to gig with a modeler, because it's easier to get good tones to the audience by going direct - and you can go stereo (which I really like). It may not be quite as good as the boutique amps, but it's not thousands of dollars worse - and unless I'm A/Bing, I don't really notice.
I have owned tons of amps over the years, and also own a FR-12 that I use with a HX Stomp/Tonex. However, I've had a Two Rock Bloomfield drive for the last year or so, and I honestly can't imagine wanting to play anything else.
Ya, I made that mistake once, buying a ridiculously overpriced TwoRock. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great amp, but it’s not any better than many outstanding amps in the $2k-2,500 range. (ie, Soldano Astro, Synergy, ToneKing, Magnatone, etc). Not worth double the price for a TwoRock. The only amp over $4k that still temps me is an Amplified Nation, but I refuse to spend more than $2,500 on an amp anymore. So I’ll be fine without it. :)
I had a peavey backstage plus when I was a teenager that I used a proco rat with. I thought I needed a better sound so I sold it. 25 years later I found another at a second hand store for $10. Ordered a rat pedal dialed it in. It's the sound of my youth! Its distorted and punchy sound. I also recently bought a joyo Jackman 2 on sale. Ran it through the cab of a 90s Marshall park amp. Its decent on it's own but I ran a boss metal zone 2 with it. Wow! It's a huge sound!
My back trouble is down to lugging a Mark III Mesa Boogie and carrying a mechanical bull and it's motor by myself. Plus all of the other heavy lifting jobs which I've done which means I can't stand up for too long without moving. So as far as amps and modelers go the lighter the better.
All other things being constant I believe that to double the acoustic volume you need 10 times the power. so a 100 watter is only twice as loud as a 10 watt Speaker efficiency makes a huge difference. My Boogie Mk5 25 through my JBL E130 speakers is absolutely deafening, but that speaker is 6-8dB more efficient than most Celestions for example.
fender twin (red knob job)
mesa roadster head with mesa 2x12 cabs
kemper powered toaster (into mesa cab)
All fantastic amps, fender sounds amazing but sooooooo heavy to lug around. Mesa Roadster brilliant sound (sometimes) huge pallet of usable tones & more manageable to carry. Kemper great consistent sounding amps and effects and easy to carry about. As guitarists we are so luck to have great sounding gear at all price levels.
Morgan AC20 and Two Rock Studio Pro 35 ... both exceptional at low volume and louder. the Morgan I have is a beautiful sounding individual ...
Vai is a big fan of loose, and designed his Legacy series to have a certain looseness to them, very expressive.
What happened to the Bella? That sounded great.
The difference between a Fender clean and a Dumble clean is the feel (apart from the mids content), Dumble type amps do not have the "bouce" of the Fenders. Agree with you on paying for a brand's name.Two Rock being the case in point...
I own a Tone King Royalist MKIII 1x12" combo. Three amps in one. Awesome at 40W; awesome attenuated at -36dB (built-in). Unfortunately a touch heavy at 27Kg. Am trying to get my hands on a Carr Bel-Ray, if they ever reach Down Under.
Absolutely lovely playing. Thank you.
Favorite amps I've ever bought, 68 bassman, still have it. 82 Marshall 2203 JCM 800, kick myself all the time for ever selling it.
I was talking about this on a guitar forum not so long ago…
Hughes&Kettner Triamp is the one that is important, finally you did not need any OD/DIST pedals at all.
100W Plexi Marshall (modded, from 68) i propably should have kept, but i just did not used it much.
I have a Fender hot rod ML (Michael Landau) and it has the best clean tone I've heard from an amp and works so unbelievably well as a pedal platform
For me the best amp around!
Katana 50 EX all the way. Small . Has the volume or no volume. Has all the internal pedal options. Because it’s a 50, it has the 20 watt setting (unlike the 100). Has the line out too. Onwards and upwards!