• Registered: 2012-09-07
  • Posts: 31

Topic: New amp advice

Hey everyone,
I'm starting my search for a new amp and was hoping you all could give me some suggestions.

I'm looking for spend ~$800 new or used. I've been enjoying Joe Bonamassa's tone lately and stuff like Gary Moore, Joe Walsh and rock sounds (think Alice Cooper stuff). So anything from blues to rock, nothing really heavy. I'm looking for a combo around 15-20 watts with a MV that takes pedals (Fuzz Face) well. Other than that I don't really have any requirements. I'll try to play as many of the suggestions as I'm able to.

As far as amps I currently own, I've got a Trinity Tramp that I love but its too quiet for the weekly jams I play at and a Traynor YCV40 that i got in a trade that is way too loud and just doesn't really inspire me. I'd love an amp that sounds great at home and band/small gig volumes, but the most important thing is the sound with a band as I'm mainly using my GDEC30 for practice nowadays. Main guitar is a Les Paul Traditional 1960.

I've been researching the 3 Monkeys Sock Monkey (little out of my range though), a trinity 18w with VRM, and the H+K Statesman 20w to give you an idea of what I'm thinking. Looking forward to your suggestions.

Cheers smile

-Jake
  • From: Glasgow, Scotland
  • Registered: 2012-05-31
  • Posts: 170

Re: New amp advice

Pretty funny that i was just about to post a similar topic, as ill be (hopefully) upgrading to my first ever valve amp around my 21st birthday in less than 2 weeks, and am hopelessly out of my depth when it comes to selecting a quality bit of gear, i have no knowledge of Tubes and all this sort of stuff, so i'll wait a few days before i post my own plead for advice haha.

Best of luck Mr. Banjo, if i had the capacity to help i would wink

Me playing Joe's actual Ibanez Tubescreamer pedal - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76jk58_vl2s

frazerburns19's Website

  • From: Adelaide, South Australia
  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 1,339

Re: New amp advice

Dirtybanjo wrote:

Hey everyone,
I'm starting my search for a new amp and was hoping you all could give me some suggestions.

I'm looking for spend ~$800 new or used. I've been enjoying Joe Bonamassa's tone lately and stuff like Gary Moore, Joe Walsh and rock sounds (think Alice Cooper stuff). So anything from blues to rock, nothing really heavy. I'm looking for a combo around 15-20 watts with a MV that takes pedals (Fuzz Face) well. Other than that I don't really have any requirements. I'll try to play as many of the suggestions as I'm able to.

As far as amps I currently own, I've got a Trinity Tramp that I love but its too quiet for the weekly jams I play at and a Traynor YCV40 that i got in a trade that is way too loud and just doesn't really inspire me. I'd love an amp that sounds great at home and band/small gig volumes, but the most important thing is the sound with a band as I'm mainly using my GDEC30 for practice nowadays. Main guitar is a Les Paul Traditional 1960.

I've been researching the 3 Monkeys Sock Monkey (little out of my range though), a trinity 18w with VRM, and the H+K Statesman 20w to give you an idea of what I'm thinking. Looking forward to your suggestions.

Cheers smile

Get a DSL or Marshall Haze and run it in stereo with Traynor, will get a great tone.... But If volumes an issue, the Haze on it's own rocks!

http://www.stefanhauk.com

stefanhauk's Website

  • From: kentucky
  • Registered: 2008-03-06
  • Posts: 304

Re: New amp advice

+1 on the DSL....at that price you are looking to spend you should be able to find one and the tone of those amps will fit right in your wheelhouse based on what you say you are digging.

masque's Website

  • From: Bristol, UK
  • Registered: 2011-10-20
  • Posts: 237

Re: New amp advice

I suggest you try a Peavey Classic 30. It hasn't got a master volume but it's great for clean and blues/classic rock tones. I've not tried it with a Fuzz Face but it works well with a Maxon OD-9, Boss Blues Driver and Boss Super Overdrive pedals.

  • ken
  • ken
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  • From: Orlando, FL
  • Registered: 2007-05-28
  • Posts: 949

Re: New amp advice

Used Budda superdrive (18 or 30) go for about $800. Works best with the cheapest sovtek preamp tubes...

  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: New amp advice

RichardH wrote:

I suggest you try a Peavey Classic 30. It hasn't got a master volume but it's great for clean and blues/classic rock tones. I've not tried it with a Fuzz Face but it works well with a Maxon OD-9, Boss Blues Driver and Boss Super Overdrive pedals.

+1 on the Classic 30. Take the Peavey logo off, and everyone will think it's a tweed fender. Don't get a new one though, get a used one from the mid-1990's... their first run of these amps. You can also unplug the combo speaker and run them through a 4x12 and they sound amazing. If you wanted to boutique it up a bit, you can send it off to Fargen and have the tone caps and resistors replaced with more vintage-made style ones (a little noticeable) and/or have a Mercury Magnetics output transformer installed (would notice a difference). You'd be right under $800 with the amp (around $300) plus upgrades if you wanted them.

Since I'm recommending Peavey, I'm doubting you'll take this recommendation. The amps you mentioned in your original post lean more towards the boutique end. I personally have never played through the amps you have in question.

If $800 was my budget, I'd get a Vox AC15 and a Fender Blues Jr. and run them both.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • Registered: 2012-09-07
  • Posts: 31

Re: New amp advice

all great suggestions so far. thanks guys. has anyone had experience with the Laney Lionheart 20w?

-Jake

9 Reply by Artisan (edited by Artisan 2012-10-24 09:12:05)

  • From: Georgia
  • Registered: 2010-12-01
  • Posts: 278

Re: New amp advice

Big fan of the Orange Tiny Terror and Dual Terror, a bit pricey though when matched with an Orange 2x12 cabinet. Jet City 333 makes a good 20 watt head that kinda mimicks a Soldano, and the Egnator 20 is a good amp also, they can both be found used fairly cheap.

10 Reply by ZeyerGTR (edited by ZeyerGTR 2012-10-24 10:24:36)

  • From: Orlando, FL
  • Registered: 2010-04-15
  • Posts: 1,374

Re: New amp advice

Dirtybanjo wrote:

all great suggestions so far. thanks guys. has anyone had experience with the Laney Lionheart 20w?

I played one at a music shop a couple years ago and really loved it.  It was (and still is) high on my want list.  Great tone, lots of character, very versatile.

I'll throw in a vote for the Jet City 333 models - very good, rockin' amp for the money.

My music & music blog: https://vincedickinson.home.blog/
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ZeyerGTR's Website

11 Reply by Chrisuk (edited by Chrisuk 2012-10-24 12:20:28)

  • From: West Sussex
  • Registered: 2011-05-17
  • Posts: 307

Re: New amp advice

If you are patient you might just find a secondhand Blackstar Artisan 15 for that price.

If so you would be getting a handwired combo with a british sound and two channels you can run together like the early Marshalls...

  • From: Netherlands
  • Registered: 2012-05-14
  • Posts: 25

Re: New amp advice

Try The Hughes And Kettner! Those are superb quality for so little money. Story goes that H/K brought these amps on the market as expensive high quality boutique amplifiers.... problem was.. they didn't sell... Now they go for a lot less. It's very nice german quality. Played a 50 watt statesman head and I liked the tone a lot, quite different from what I've ever heard actually, very versatile as I remember it!