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Post subject: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 8:27 am
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Location: Ireland
Around next March, I'm going to be looking for a new all-tube combo amp. I have certain ideas of what I want out of an amp. Also it has to sound good with the Guitars I own. I have a Gibson ES-335, Classic series 50s Fender Stratocaster, Fender AVRI 52 Telecaster and I hope to buy the new 2012 Gibson Les Paul Standard with this amp.

I will mostly be using this at home but there is the possibility of an old band getting back together so It may be used for small/medium venue gigs. I will be using my own pedal-board with it which includes an Ibanez TS9 Tube screamer, a Big Muff as well as a Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster (for my single coil Guitars). I also has a Marshall Jackhammer Pedal which may be alternated with the Big Muff to give me extra space on the pedal board.

The amp has to be:
Not more than 40 watts and not less than 15 watts
Have on-board reverb
2 channels (foot-switchable)
Good sparkling clean channel
decent dirty channel
Under €1000

Amps I am currently reviewing include the Fender Hotrod, Blues Junior and Blackstar HT-20. I really want an amp that will not have to be modded later on. I have always wanted a Fender Tube Amp but I have some misgivings on how the Gibson Guitars may sound through it.

I would really appreciate some suggestions.

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2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster
2013 Fender Pure Vintage 65 Stratocaster
2003 Gibson ES-355
2015 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
2002 Gretsch Duo Jet
1980 Rickenbacker 360/12 Fireglo
2014 Martin 000X1AE
2014 Fender Blues Junior III


Last edited by torresfan on Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:38 am
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Location: Tombstone Territory
Your operational parameters are easy to fulfill:

Deluxe Reverb!

No question.

HTH

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:53 am
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Agreed DRRI is a great choice!!

ginop


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:21 am
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I forgot to mention that it has to be no more than €1000.

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2013 Fender Pure Vintage 65 Stratocaster
2003 Gibson ES-355
2015 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
2002 Gretsch Duo Jet
1980 Rickenbacker 360/12 Fireglo
2014 Martin 000X1AE
2014 Fender Blues Junior III


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 12:55 pm
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I'm not familiar w/ prices in Ireland, but in the event the DRRI exceeds budget (it also fails to meet your 2 channel foot-switchable criteria) and looking at the three amps you've listed....

I own a Blues Jr., a Blackstar HT20H, and a Blues Deluxe Reissue (from which the Hot Rod was developed). The BJ is only one channel and not "sparkling clean"; the Blackstar HT's drive channel is overly "high gain" for my preference, so that leaves the BDRI (I think the drive channel on the Hot Rod sounds fizzy to me).

The BDRI is quite clean, though not quite that of other Fenders, sounds good w/ humbuckers, and takes pedals well. I would think it would meet your criteria and satisfy you. Only a trial/test drive would tell.

Probably beyond budget, but a Fender Super Sonic 22 might fit the bill. I also have one of these and the clean channel is built on the DRRI platform plus it has a good drive channel with a wide range of gain (from Blues OD on up to hard rock).

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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 1:26 pm
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+3 on the DRRI.

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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 2:38 pm
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BDRI seems like a logical choice, since you're running od/distortion pedals. That's what I do. But the od of the BDRI is not bad. Much more usable than the Hot Rod Deluxe/Deville. I had a Deville 4X10, never used the drive/more drive channels. But the BRDI drive channel sounds really good for humbuckers.

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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:56 pm
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+me on the DRRI. I play a Strat and Epi LP Jr through mine and it loves my Visual Sound Route 66 and Jekyll and Hyde. It is probably the most versatile amp I have ever owned and it's the loudest 22 tube watts I've ever heard!

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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 8:15 pm
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DRRIs cost $1000 in the US, so I would guess they would be higher over the big waters. My Les Paul sounds great through a Fulltone Fulldrive II Mosfet into my Blues Deluxe Re-issue. The clean is good, but not as good as a DRRI. My BDRI cost me $648 new. Good luck. :D

40 watts, reverb, 2 footswitchable channels/reverb on/off.


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 8:22 am
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+5 on the Deluxe Reverb :)

You don't need 40 Watts, the DRRI is plenty loud and sounds way better than any Hot Rod amp IMO. I owned a Blues Deluxe for years, bought new in 95... even made the mistake of buying a DeVille 410 once. I now own 3 DRs and no Hot Rods :mrgreen:

Channel switching can easily be done with this

Image

http://www.tonebone.com/re-bigshot-aby.htm


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 9:17 am
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Had a look at the Fender Supersonic 22 watt combo today. Didn't get to try it out but the spec looks good as it's clean channell is modelled on the Deluxe Reverb but also has a good beefy dirty channell as well. 22 watts would suit me fine too. It's €200 over my budget but it could be the front runner. More homework needs to be done on YouTube.

_________________
2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster
2013 Fender Pure Vintage 65 Stratocaster
2003 Gibson ES-355
2015 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
2002 Gretsch Duo Jet
1980 Rickenbacker 360/12 Fireglo
2014 Martin 000X1AE
2014 Fender Blues Junior III


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 9:41 am
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cedarblues wrote:
+5 on the Deluxe Reverb :)

You don't need 40 Watts, the DRRI is plenty loud and sounds way better than any Hot Rod amp IMO. I owned a Blues Deluxe for years, bought new in 95... even made the mistake of buying a DeVille 410 once. I now own 3 DRs and no Hot Rods :mrgreen:

Channel switching can easily be done with this

Image

http://www.tonebone.com/re-bigshot-aby.htm



I do that. :P

Image

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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:56 am
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torresfan wrote:
Had a look at the Fender Supersonic 22 watt combo today. Didn't get to try it out but the spec looks good as it's clean channell is modelled on the Deluxe Reverb but also has a good beefy dirty channell as well. 22 watts would suit me fine too. It's €200 over my budget but it could be the front runner. More homework needs to be done on YouTube.

Some quality demos on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsQQyohTDaI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhlUOsOfUb8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQcVYgu2UOo
And the slightly modified SS22 (only differences are: different speaker-Celestion V30, and cosmetics):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDWZe4213kw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2le24dC ... ure=relmfu

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The quintessential sound of 60/70's R&R:
Fender Tube Amps
Gibson Guitars


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 3:37 pm
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IM4Tone wrote:
torresfan wrote:
Had a look at the Fender Supersonic 22 watt combo today. Didn't get to try it out but the spec looks good as it's clean channell is modelled on the Deluxe Reverb but also has a good beefy dirty channell as well. 22 watts would suit me fine too. It's €200 over my budget but it could be the front runner. More homework needs to be done on YouTube.

Some quality demos on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsQQyohTDaI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhlUOsOfUb8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQcVYgu2UOo
And the slightly modified SS22 (only differences are: different speaker-Celestion V30, and cosmetics):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDWZe4213kw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2le24dC ... ure=relmfu


Oh yes!

This is looking like the amp I needed. :)

_________________
2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster
2013 Fender Pure Vintage 65 Stratocaster
2003 Gibson ES-355
2015 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
2002 Gretsch Duo Jet
1980 Rickenbacker 360/12 Fireglo
2014 Martin 000X1AE
2014 Fender Blues Junior III


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Post subject: Re: Looking for a New Amp
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 11:34 pm
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Next step- give it a thorough test run at your local music store before you spring.

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The quintessential sound of 60/70's R&R:
Fender Tube Amps
Gibson Guitars


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