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Post subject: Choosing a new amp. Help appreciated :)
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:44 pm
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Hi all, I'm new here, this is my first post and I'm in a bit of a pickle :s

It's time for me to get a new amp, and I really can't decide what to get. I want to be playing clean 95% of the time, and while I don't mind a bit of break up, I don't want things to get too crunchy. I will be using the amp for rehearsals and for gigging soon, which will be mic'd sometimes, sometimes not.

I have played a DRRI and really loved the tone, but I'm uncertain if it will stay clean enough for the volumes I need. I don't want to get a Twin purely because they weigh too much. I have owned a HRD and a BD and really wasn't too fond of them.

The Custom Vibrolux Reverb seems good to me too, but I have read that they break up very early. Would a Bassman LTD be good for me?

Any suggestions/help from anyone will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks :)


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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:52 pm
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The 5F6-A Bassman re-issue is no lightweight either (about the same as a Super Reverb or a Twin).

The DRRI is a sweet amp and it really takes a pedal or two to attain some serious compression and breakup. It's a great platform to build a tone with.

The CVR is also nice but many players (including myself) do not fancy the Jensen re-issue P10Rs. The amp has great potential but a better speaker choice would be a pair of Weber 10A150's.

HTH

Arjay

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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 7:03 pm
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Thanks for fast the reply. So a DRRI will have enough headroom to stay clean(ish) to hang in a drums, bass and guitar 3 piece band (without being mic'd)? Cool.

I have read so much contrasting info around the internet about this amp, it really has me muddled. I need to go back to the shop and really crank it and see how much break up it gives and when. Once again, thanks.


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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 9:06 pm
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Welcome to the forum, Will ! If you are covering rhythm and lead chores in a 3-piece band, I would suggest something with more than one speaker. Although the Deluxe is a great amp, it can come up a little short for clean strong rhythm work. IMO The Super Reverb or Bassman will get the job done. But I guess it depends on how loud your bandmates are playing and what bases you have to cover. Art

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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:51 pm
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+1, Art.

I didn't realize this situation involved a 3-piece band.

A combo with multiple speakers would definitely fare better than a single-driver amp. The SR or the CVR would be the better choice in that regard. And a more powerful platform (40 watts vs 22 watts) would produce a cleaner tone at typical club volumes than the DRRI.

Arjay

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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 5:39 am
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Would a Bassman LTD have more headroom than a DRRI? I know it's twice as many watts but I was under the impression that tweed amps break up fairly early.

I think that a SR might be a little too heavy for me. I did actually own a Bassman that was from the mid 90's for a while, and I loved the sound, and it wasn't TOO heavy to lug around. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to play with it in a band situation so I never got to crank it.

The guys aren't too loud that I play with, and it's all quite laid back music... I think the Bassman I used to own would have been able to handle it. I'm going to try out an LTD as soon as I can.

I have also read that the CVR breaks up at around the same volume as the DRRI, is this true?

Again. thanks for your help guys, it's been, uh, helpful :)


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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:06 am
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You like clean I would look into a good solid state amp. I don,t have any to recommend because I like tube breakup.


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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 9:10 am
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You may want to look into a Frontman 212R. It should have plenty of wattage(100), features two 12" speakers, but weighs less than a Twin. It's gotten the best reviews of the solid state Fenders, and sounded pretty good when I played through one. I just didn't want that big an amp. I went with a G-DEC 3 Thirty, which I love!

Have fun! :)
Bob


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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:45 am
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DRRI with the right 15" speaker has tons of clean headroom! In a small to medium sized bar I can hardly turn it up passed 5 or 6 and with single coil I need a tube screamer to get a little drive going... not only does it keep up with loud drummers I'm told it's too loud sometimes but I don't mind :D with humbuckers it's a different story, but a little adjustment with volume knob takes care of that. Just last nite someone played thru my amp with a 60s 335, vol at 5, it was loud and surprisingly stayed very clean.

The best part is that the amp is still light compared to a SR or Bassman...


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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:58 am
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cedarblues wrote:
DRRI with the right 15" speaker has tons of clean headroom! In a small to medium sized bar I can hardly turn it up passed 5 or 6 and with single coil I need a tube screamer to get a little drive going... not only does it keep up with loud drummers I'm told it's too loud sometimes but I don't mind :D with humbuckers it's a different story, but a little adjustment with volume knob takes care of that. Just last nite someone played thru my amp with a 60s 335, vol at 5, it was loud and surprisingly stayed very clean.

The best part is that the amp is still light compared to a SR or Bassman...


Indeed.

My Spankmaster Reverb tips the scales at precisely 53 lbs......about 12-14 lbs lighter than a SR.

Arjay

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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:06 pm
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Thanks guys, some really good suggestions coming out here. I have played a frontman 212 at a rehearsal room before, and while it sounded ok, it didn't have that extra something that a nice tube amp gives you, warmth I suppose.

Would a DRRI with a 15inch speaker stay cleaner, louder than a Bassman LTD? I don't mind a bit of breakup, and infact there are other situations that I would welcome some nice tube break up. But it seems to me it's between a Bassman and a DRRI with a 15 inch speaker installed.

Will.


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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:17 pm
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I would consider the 59 bassman out of the bunch.Depending on the tubes you use ,you can get descent cleans(not blackface cleans) and it weighs 53 lbs compared to the sr and twin at around 65.But I like the idea of a drri with a 15 inch.


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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:27 pm
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Will117 wrote:
Would a DRRI with a 15inch speaker stay cleaner, louder than a Bassman LTD? I don't mind a bit of breakup, and infact there are other situations that I would welcome some nice tube break up. But it seems to me it's between a Bassman and a DRRI with a 15 inch speaker installed.


Probably not. Ultimately, the contest is decided by the type of platforms involved, ie: 22 watts through a single voice coil vs 45 watts through four voice coils. As they say, "quantity is its own quality".

Likewise, a DRRI with a 15 (aka the "Spankmaster Reverb") is something you will either build yourself or assemble from custom-made components -- you'll never see one at your local GC.

Image

HTH

Arjay

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"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


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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 2:56 pm
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I know I might be opening a can of worms here... But would a Blues Deville be as unreliable as my Hotrod Deluxe was?

Will.


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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:17 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Indeed.

My Spankmaster Reverb tips the scales at precisely 53 lbs......about 12-14 lbs lighter than a SR.

Arjay

I bet mine is lighter :) that JBL adds a couple of lbs!


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