It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 3:50 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Advice on Amps
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:37 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2010 7:02 am
Posts: 34
Hey guys,

I'm looking to invest in a new amp pretty soon before I head back to college. I'm looking in the 400-800 price range, tube for sure, and I'm mostly going to use it ranging from school coffeehouse to a large church. I have the ability in most cases (except the coffeehouse) to mic up. I have a tubescreamer and a blues driver for distortion and am looking for a good amp to pair it up with my Gibson SG, my Standard Strat, and my future John Mayer Stratocaster.

I've been looking at the Blues series (Junior, Deluxe, Deville) but are there any gems I should know about or Pros and Cons of each?


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 7:20 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:42 am
Posts: 1053
Location: Minnesota, USA
Cons of the Hot Rod series of amps including the Blues are that they are not the most reliable amps. And the overdrive channel is nothing to write home about. Their problems get discussed here a lot. Horror stories of Hot Rod Deluxe and Blues Deluxe will commence in 3...2...1...

Pros are that they are cheap (especially used) and Fender has been pumping them out for a dozen or more years now so they must be doing something right. I've never owned one but have played the whole line of the Hot Rod series over the years. They're just OK. I just like vintage style amps more.

If you must have a Fender amp, for your budget and where you will be playing I suggest a used Deluxe Reverb reissue (DRRI). You already got overdrive pedals so you don't need a channel switching amp. And the reverb on this amp is tops. That amp has a classic sound that pretty much makes it a standard for small/medium gigs and such. I have owned a DRRI. Great amp, I sometimes regret selling mine.

_________________
Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:36 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
metropolis74 wrote:
If you must have a Fender amp, for your budget and where you will be playing I suggest a used Deluxe Reverb reissue (DRRI).


+1

'Nuff said.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 9:21 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
+1 Either a new or used DRRI and a pedal of your choice. Or try an Egnater. :mrgreen:

_________________
Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 9:47 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 10:53 pm
Posts: 1467
Location: deep down in Florida...
I've gone thru a few Fender tube amps, including hotrods, listen to what the others are saying, just get yourself a DRRI and you won't be disappointed.

If you have a local GC you can get 15% off a new one if you trade something in, like a pedal you don't need... I got mine for $850.

Forgot to add... you won't believe how sweet that SG will sound thru the DRRI! I have a 335 and a LP, the combination of a Gibson with the DRRI = tone heaven!


Last edited by cedarblues on Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 9:50 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
Posts: 25353
Location: Witness Protection Program
Since you've already got the dirt pedals and can mic up, I agree with
a new or used Deluxe Reverb/RI.

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:07 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 2:14 pm
Posts: 305
First, I love Fender amps but if you want a new amp and need to stay in that price range, don't rule out a Peavey Classic 30 or Carvin Vintage 16. These are U.S. made tube amps that have a real nice tone. Both are EL84 amps and are great for blues.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:31 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
It is best to view the HotRods (and Blues) amps as entry level gear, much the same way you would view a Squier guitar. I have observed that many people will save and spend the money to buy the nicest guitar they can afford but want to stay within a relatively small budget when it comes time to buy an amp. I know guys who have spent thousands of dollars to buy a Les Paul and then spend more to upgrade the pickups and buy fancy pedals and other gear until the cows come home yet never give a second thought about running this gear through a HotRod Deluxe. This is flawed thinking. You are ALWAYS far better off to save and spend the money to buy the besat amp you can afford and stick with a budget for the guitar if you need to limit spending. A $10,000 custom shop guitar will sound like a POS through a cheap amp but an inexpensive MIM will sound amazing through a good quality amp. The amp is THE most important part of your rig. (the narrow path)

That said, for the budget given, +1 DRRI

metropolis74 wrote:
Pros are that they are cheap (especially used) and Fender has been pumping them out for a dozen or more years now so they must be doing something right.


I agree and the something right they are doing that has justified making these amps for so long is the fact they are inexpensive, therefore they sell well. Hence continued production. (the broad path)

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 11:38 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:53 pm
Posts: 137
Location: The desert of SE Washington
Can't go wrong with either the Princeton RRI, or the DRRI

_________________
Telebration Cabronita
Martin Jeff Tweedy
'65 PRRI, Gibson GA-5
Epiphone Masterbilt EF-500MVS

'79 Starcaster-sold
'52 Hot Rod Tele w/ Twisted Tele in mid- sold


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:22 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
You can always make a mediocre guitar sound good through a good amp. It seldom works the other way around. Putting a MIA or CS Strat for example through a HRD series amp or a Camp 600 or xd are selling themselves short.

_________________
Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:58 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:17 pm
Posts: 1986
The drri and prri are great amps .I have a blues deluxe and it sounds like a pile of crap next to my drri.If you are looking for a practice /gigging amp these and the Egnaters are great choices and not just an entry level either.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:36 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2010 7:02 am
Posts: 34
Thanks guys for all the input! Definitely making my decision a lot easier. Now that I see the logic behind investing in a high quality amplifier, I'm increasing my budget to around 1500 (Was initially going to spend some dough upgrading guitars and all that jazz but I definitely need a GOOD AMP before I worry about my guitars). Are there any improvements that price range? Doesn't have to be Fender!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:38 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 8:32 pm
Posts: 259
Location: Cleveland, OH
+1 on DRRI. I tired a whole bunch of amps around your price range and the very best was the DRRI. The PRRI is also a great amp but I would step up to a few more watts of power on the DRRI.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 9:20 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 10:53 pm
Posts: 1467
Location: deep down in Florida...
For $1500 I'd look at Dr Z or maybe a Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special, one of the nicest amp that works great with a Strat. But to tell you the truth, the DRRI is still better sounding than all of them IMO, and I had the Lonestar, didnt need it after getting the DRRI.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 11:06 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
chung_m wrote:
Thanks guys for all the input! Definitely making my decision a lot easier. Now that I see the logic behind investing in a high quality amplifier, I'm increasing my budget to around 1500 (Was initially going to spend some dough upgrading guitars and all that jazz but I definitely need a GOOD AMP before I worry about my guitars). Are there any improvements that price range? Doesn't have to be Fender!


You haven't mentioned what kind of power output you're looking for. Your original post mentioned the Blues Junior, the Deluxe and the Deville. That means 15 watts, 40 watts and 60 watts. That's a very wide spectrum, not so much in volume (somewhat, for sure, especially between 15 & 60) but in terms of sonic character and tone that's a huge difference. $1,500 will open new doors for you compared to $400 but those doors are now many compared to few without narrowing the search parameters somewhat. It would help if we knew what your intentions are. Will you gig with this amp or is it for practice and/or recording? If you will be gigging what size venue will you play? Is it for jams only? If so what will the other jammers be using? Will the drums be miced or natural? Will your amp be miced or stage spill only? These are things you must consider when determining your power requirements. The Mesa Lone Star Special (mentioned previously) is an interesting amp with varying power outputs and a distinctive "Texas Blues" tone and could possibly be had within your budget constraints but it would have to be miced for large rooms even on full power.

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron