the vintage tube amps have a great following and like many things from the past are made to last. Do you think there are any modern amps that will stand the test of time and be considered a workhorse 20-30 years from now. I ask because first i am in the market for a serious amp upgrade (thinking of a hotrod III or mustang IV but as usual i come up with more questions than answers when amp shopping). And second as someone that works on lots of old electronics i have great admiration for the quality of construction. Are any modern amps "built to last"?

I think Egnater's current amp offerings are already modern classics and will stand the test of time.

_________________
Check out my new FB music page!

https://www.facebook.com/TheDevilandMe.Music

Fender's higher end stuff is great. I really swear by Orange though, the Dual Terror is so #$@*&!% good.

Carr is putting out some good stuff, I like Dr. Z, Traynor, Port City.

Really I think the only amps that will age poorly are modeling amps.

But I think the best amp I've ever played through is a new one, the Bruno Pony 50.

_________________

This is an esoteric (and somewhat ambiguous) question.

By "modern amps" do you mean new amps, built with cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art manufacturing methods?

Or do you refer to those "modern amps" that are indeed new but rely upon traditional materials and construction methods?

I have every confidence that fifty years from now you'll be able to bid on a hand-wired Fender re-issue '57 Twin Amp or Deluxe Amp that's listed on Ebay. But I'm not so certain that any HR's, VM's, or FM's will last that long.

JMO

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

Yeah, that is part of my problem... i am adrift in a sea of confusion with amps. I know what i want but don't know how to get it. I love the orange amps also but know there are lots of good options. basically i need something i can play at home without breaking windows but powerful enough to practice or possibly gig with? is that even possible? i don't know. I think tube amps are awesome but worth it? i thought yes but then i have heard no. Every time i start looking at amps and trying to narrow down i just get bogged down and kinda stop looking. I am not really sure what is causing this becuase usually i do research, make a decision in my price range and go with best option. I think this is an insanely important decision and i guess the long LONG list of options out there makes my head spin. i am sure it is not as confusing as i am making it.

It depends on your gigging setup and the venues. I've played places where you have to use their amps, they all seem to love Fender Twins. But even still, you get a good amp you can always mic it.

_________________

damn right its confusing.
amps arent buil like the use to be, but we have a better selection than back then.
im liking the smaller amps these days. you can really drive the speakers and if need be, you can mic the amp.
buddy tim mentioned the egnater line. as a rebel20 owner, im gonna agree.
this amp rocks. i hear my buddy supro go on and on about these amps.
heard a couple, but wasnt for me at first. he clued me in. he said Way Cool, ya gott aspend some time with this amp. its not plug n play and you fall in love.
you gotta set down and spend about 20 minutes with it. tweaking the knobs, listening, switching guitars. hell i had another guy play while i played with the knobs even. step back listen, and go at them again. after i left GC that day, it was all i could think about for months. i finally got that thing and i too preach the good word on egnater.
the tweaker, the rebel20's lil brother is a beast too. i have a friend that gigs his and mic's it. both of these amps are bedroom safe and can gig well.

vox night train is another amp worth a looksee too. vox held nothing back with this amp.
i use to not be a vox fan at all. well times have changed. keep an eye on vox.

there are several small amps out there that pack a very big punch. i think there is a big trend in this style of amp and i believe we have only reached the begining.

im going out on a limb with this one. i like my blues jr. a tele, a blues jr, OCD, and a carbon copy is a combo thats hard to beat in my opinion. again we are talking modern here. lot of folks dont like the blues jr. they have had their problems. in some ways they could have been built better. i do believe if fender keeps thinking, the jr will make a great name for itself. the tone is a slight bit boxy yes but man, the setup i mentioned is just cool.

ok here is where the eggs fly. i have several nice amps/setups to choose from.
extreme metal to some seriously nice blues tones, i got ya covered. my rig of choice for the house, and before you bust my chops i suggest you try it.
i run my strats and tele's through a pignose and a OCD. the tone is just damn crazy period.
the volume is perfect for the house too. i just wish someone here would try this combo idea out. i mention it all the time. i promise you this, if you hear that combo, you will dream about it. you gotta hear it to believe it. i know if my home caught fire, theres no way i would forget to grab that rig. ive never heard a combo whos OD was so controlable by the guitars volume pot. you will find a whole new relationship with your very
"often over looked" tone control as well. i want to take this rig down to the local jam night and hear it mic'ed. i know clapton and paige both use to swear by this amp. bor yrs i thought it was a joke. well, i was dead wrong. now i see why they even recorded with them.

_________________
63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

The "Brotherhood of the Egnater". Great amps. Tim has a Jet City and that's a great sounding well built Soldano designed amp. Victoria amps have to stand the test of time because they have a lifetime warranty. LOL Carr, Dr Z have some great offerings too.

I agree with Arjay, the HR, VM, FM, unfortunately seem to be designed to be landfill. I doubt you'll see them 30 or 40 years down the road, unless you don't play it and put it in the closet for safe keeping or to prove a point. Even the new solid state stuff isn't built anywhere close to the robustness of the SS amps of the 70's. Sound better, just not built for the long haul. I had my Twin over 30 years, I still have a 74 Champ. The Egnater? We'll see. I've had over a year and a half of flawless performance. So far very reliable. If I have problems with it you guys will be the first to know.

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

and if i have problems with mine, supro63 will be the first to know.

_________________
63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

waycool...years ago here,Warren Haynes of Allman Brothers and Govt. Mule fame,showed up at times with a little "pignose amp" and could rock the house,he blew a friend of mine away with it,and my friend was using a Fender Twin,which always was too loud for where we played.
This was before Warren was well known and my friend had no clue who he was and how he played....but I knew.... it was a lesson my friend never has forgotten.

lol i just like the dang things. i think its an amp thats far to often over looked because of its very humble appearence. i think a lot of guys dont want to be seen using such a basic
amp, like their reputation will be ruined or something.
as the migration back towards smaller amps come in to play, the pig as always been there and never left. in my opinion i might add, the pig blows away a lot of the smaller
"in" amps like the blackheart,epi valve jr, champion600, just to name a few, and costs
under $100 for a used one. i got mine back in january ok. i play it to death. im just now changing out the batteries rebel. i wish i would have bought one 20 yrs ago instead of laughing at them. boy was i stupid back then. i thought looks was everything, and the more knobs the better. man the lessons time will teach you. thing is, you cant go back can ya bro?

_________________
63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

I bought mine in the early 70's and it's still ticking.

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

rugged little amps. i cant say that ive ever seen one that didnt work. ive seen a few that looked lik ehell, but they always sounded well. i push these little amps whenever i get the opportunity as you see. who knew so basic could be so cool?
well i guess you knew a long time ago huh supro? lol

_________________
63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

State of the art solid state and digetal electronics, are by far superior to old technoligy analog stuff. The big question is quality of the construction of componants. MIM quality is for instance lesser quality than well constructed Nipon stuff, American built in most cases cant measure up. The Chips and diodes in a match box can do more than an orange crate full of Tubes and wire, Big sound requires big, power/box/speekers,all of which can be operated by small sollid state components. only my openion.
----Danny,

I gigged with a Deluxe in the 60s. It was loud enough to fill a hall and small enough to fit in the trunk of the adverage sedan. Played through one in GC last week, wish I'd kept mine.