• From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

wasatch wrote:

So I'm thinking I might need something closer to 15 or 20w. Our other guitarist plays a 30w Carr and it does a great job of breaking up naturally. So then I start looking at things like the Blackstar 20. But I've never really heard an OD channel on an amp that I've liked. So part of my search was to find something that breaks up naturally. Does anyone know - on JB's big 100w heads - is he using the OD channel on those, or just saturating the clean channel into overdrive?

Choosing an amp... now THESE are good problems to have  big_smile

I think you're right.  15 watts is gonna do much better than a 5 watt job.  There is a significant difference between the 2 I think..

On the rig demos of Joe's, especially the newest one, he plays the Jubilee "as is" then kicks in the tube screamer.  It's dirty to begin with.  The other amps are breaking up pretty well too, not as much as the Jubilee in tone, without the tube screamer.  I think his BCC rig, from what he states, he is getting most of the gain from the tube screamer with the DSL's on the classic crunch side.  It isn't super thick, but does break up nice.  And using the bass boost on one of them helps thicken the sound.  I may be wrong of course, but thats how I understood it.

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  • Registered: 2011-03-20
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Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

5 watts aint gonna cut it in a band mate, our other guitarist used one a few times at practice when he was between gig amps, he just disappeared into the ether.
You should really check out the new Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister, its brand new and only goes on sale next month, 18w switchable down to zero, head or combo, built in attenuator (A proper attenuator that allows silent recording) built in H&K red box DI, two channel, effects loop, footswitch.
Failing that and if you have a penchant for british gain then the tiny terror is the benchmark, 15w switchable to 7w and it'll rip your balls off with the tone you get from them, also there the dual terror, more wedge but still highly portable and 30w of sonic british mayhem.

  • Registered: 2011-05-01
  • Posts: 113

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

Follow up... so I went to GC today to try out some amps and here are my thoughts.

I grabbed an LP with Burstbucker pro's, and went over to the Egnater Tweaker. Really liked it, thought it had some cool... um... tweaks, and overall I liked the sounds I was getting. Nice difference between the voices, etc, overdrive sounded good - but still like a really good pedal if you know what I mean.

Then I went over and tried the Pro Jr. I thought - surely this will be a let down. But I cranked it up to about 9, started rolling the guitar volume up, and WOW. I mean, that thing is simple, but it sings. The natural overdrive is fantastic. Thick, soulful, sweet, and saggy. Couldn't stop playing it.

Then I thought I should try the Blues Jr (again) because it does have reverb, and a 12", and more EQ knobs. I gave it a good crank as well - but same result as the BJ NOS I played - the overdrive just had this fizzy bumble bee sound in it that I just didn't like. I tried turning it up louder, thinking it was maybe the attenuation, but it was still there. Better, but still there.

Anyway, going to take my fellow git player down Saturday for a second pair of ears - but I think I may just go home with that Pro Jr. during the Memorial Day sale. I can't believe how great it sounded.

Any other Pro Jr. fans here?

  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

wasatch wrote:

Then I went over and tried the Pro Jr. I thought - surely this will be a let down. But I cranked it up to about 9, started rolling the guitar volume up, and WOW. I mean, that thing is simple, but it sings. The natural overdrive is fantastic. Thick, soulful, sweet, and saggy. Couldn't stop playing it.

Hey it sounds like thats the one for you!  I always figured if an amp has 15 knobs or 2, I want it to sound a certain way and if it nails that tone with 2 knobs, then I'm sold.

I never thought about the Tweaker like that before either but I can see (or hear) what you mean..I have to agree with you now that you've mentioned that.  I think it's tone, while good, is a bit more on the polished side.  Still cool though. -Seth

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

Its a great little blues amp, you might consider looking for a used one and then you can mod it with a stronger transformer different speaker and so forth to really dial it in.

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  • Registered: 2011-05-01
  • Posts: 113

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

For anyone curious about the Blackstar HT-5 and the Jet City 20w mini-stack, I tried them both today alongside another Class 5, all about an hour after I tried a Pro Jr again (different stores).

Just my opinion, but the Blackstar and Jet City sound very cold, very solid-state like. Not warm at all, unlike the Class 5 and PJ which were both warm.

Still having trouble deciding between the C5 and the PJ, but leaning towards the PJ. The C5 has a better crunch, but the PJ is more smooth and a little warmer, rounder sounding. Plus it actually has some headroom, where the C5 has almost none at any respectable volume, even with guitar roll-off.

The PJ I've noticed also has a little built in fuzz to it when you get on the lower notes. Different, but I kinda like it. The Marshall had none of that. The PJ is also a little more compressed in the frequencies, which is kind of helpful actually. The C5 was more wide open - meaning you can have boomy bass and ice-pick highs in the same EQ setting.

  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

wasatch wrote:

Still having trouble deciding between the C5 and the PJ, but leaning towards the PJ. The C5 has a better crunch, but the PJ is more smooth and a little warmer, rounder sounding. Plus it actually has some headroom, where the C5 has almost none at any respectable volume, even with guitar roll-off.

I know what you mean.  It is warm until it breaks up, then it's into a different category.  I have been using my Ibanez ts808 with tone knob backed way off and drive knob about half, straight into the Class 5 with the class 5 volume at half or lower and it's Super warm.

  • Registered: 2011-04-16
  • Posts: 10

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

Check out the blues jr if your gonna go fender .It's got 1 more preamp tube plus a 12" speaker instead of a 10.It's an open mic and blues favorite around these parts.

  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

TommyZ wrote:

Check out the blues jr if your gonna go fender .It's got 1 more preamp tube plus a 12" speaker instead of a 10.It's an open mic and blues favorite around these parts.

He said he already tried a blues junior twice and didn't like them.

  • From: Ridgeland, MS
  • Registered: 2009-08-12
  • Posts: 1,248

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

Get a Tweed Deluxe or one of the clones (Victoria, Clark). Maybe the best value is a Hot Rod III Deluxe if you want more versatility (power) for various room sizes.

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

Don't know how the pots are on other name brand amps but the Fender pots in the blues Jr are super cheap and weak.  I'm scared to mod mine now because I heard just putting the knobs on the shaft could damage the backs of the pot because they are not encased in metal covers!  I'd get a Ceriatone because they are cheap with high quality parts.  I'm really shocked anybody could get away with a blues jr on the road, just seems if you bump the knobs at all they could break.  Not sure if Hot Rod Deluxes and things are the same way or not but I'd look for something that wouldn't fall apart from a years worth of work.

AD3THREE's Website

  • Registered: 2011-05-01
  • Posts: 113

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKBC7rc_BYA

This guy - in my opinion - gets really close to Joe's tone. And the more I listen to this, I think what *I* hear out of Joe's tone is more that sweet smooth Dumble sound, than the Marshall crunch. So I'd love to have a Ceriatone - I just don't know if I can swing it right now.

Then I look at what Joe says about his home rig (Marshall 30th & Fender Princeton) and since he says he gets close to his live tone, I wonder if going the Fender route gets you closer than the Marshall. That, also considering that Dumble was built from the Fender platform to start with.

I wish I could find a PRRI to A/B with the Pro Jr. I've heard it's loads better. (It's also loads more $$$).

  • From: Canterbury
  • Registered: 2010-05-27
  • Posts: 310

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

wasatch wrote:

Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKBC7rc_BYA

This guy - in my opinion - gets really close to Joe's tone. And the more I listen to this, I think what *I* hear out of Joe's tone is more that sweet smooth Dumble sound, than the Marshall crunch. So I'd love to have a Ceriatone - I just don't know if I can swing it right now.

Then I look at what Joe says about his home rig (Marshall 30th & Fender Princeton) and since he says he gets close to his live tone, I wonder if going the Fender route gets you closer than the Marshall. That, also considering that Dumble was built from the Fender platform to start with.

I wish I could find a PRRI to A/B with the Pro Jr. I've heard it's loads better. (It's also loads more $$$).

stratpaulguy86 is a member of this forum....maybe you could ask him for amp suggestions.

  • From: Ridgeland, MS
  • Registered: 2009-08-12
  • Posts: 1,248

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

I think that the beauty of a Fender type amp is the cleans they get. For home use, if you can dial in a nice, juicy clean tone then some pedals can usually get you real close to where you want to be. Of course, it's hard to beat the tones that come from a cranked up Marshall type amp.

  • From: Ohio
  • Registered: 2007-09-10
  • Posts: 957

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

I jammed on a Fender super-sonic 22 this week, that amp rips. It's fenders answer to the high gain amps. It's all tube and the clean channels are vibrolux and bassman voiced. The burn channel gives some nice creamy overdrive. I plan on getting one in the near future.



Logan

Block inlay Gibson ES-335, 50th anniversary American Strat, '61 RI White SG, '62 RI Relic Strat, Replica Korina Flying V, Gold Tone Paul Beard Resonator,  '58 Les Paul RI, American Highway 1 Fender Strat, Breedlove Acoustic, Stonetree Joe Bonamassa Custom, HIWATT Lead 100R, Reeves Custom 30.
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Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

Logo33 wrote:

I jammed on a Fender super-sonic 22 this week, that amp rips. It's fenders answer to the high gain amps. It's all tube and the clean channels are vibrolux and bassman voiced. The burn channel gives some nice creamy overdrive. I plan on getting one in the near future.



Logan

I had a SS head for a short while, I had to get rid of it in short order but I'm sorry I did, it was a most impressive piece of kit, loads of gain but still with that "Fendery-ness" about it.

  • Registered: 2007-11-04
  • Posts: 404

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

So I have to say that in the smaller amp arena  I've had a difficult time finding amps that I really like.  I LOVED a few amps.  My Vox AC15hw is amazing.  That amp is loud and sounds really good at all volumes.  I really like my Vibrolux also.  It was a fender I could afford and I've been happy with it. Not the best fender by any means but it is 40 watts... Loud and thumps like a good fender should.

I really love the Carr amps.  The Rambler is one of the best amps Period.  Across the board.
I played a Zinky Amp that was 20 watts I think... It was really really nice. Great overdrive. 

I started looking for smaller amps that wouldnt break my back hauling to gigs.  My AC30/Twin rig was getting too heavy.  I am loving my AC15/Vibrolux rig.  It honestly sounds better and is plenty loud.  With the right overdrives I am getting a nice variety of tones.

  • Registered: 2011-04-01
  • Posts: 216

Re: Need a smaller (lighter) amp... Class 5?

wasatch wrote:

Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKBC7rc_BYA

This guy - in my opinion - gets really close to Joe's tone. And the more I listen to this, I think what *I* hear out of Joe's tone is more that sweet smooth Dumble sound, than the Marshall crunch. So I'd love to have a Ceriatone - I just don't know if I can swing it right now.

).

I'm certainly not hearing Robben Ford's Dumble tone in that poor guys video! A friend of mine here in the UK has a real Dumble OD Special and they are pretty unique. Other amps get close, but this guys set up is way out.