I know the best sounding amp is going to be subjective, but I have three in mind right now: Marshall, Vox, and ENGL. I like Marshall mainly 'cause it's used a lot by many artists, but I like it specifically because Hendrix and Trower. Vox I like because I like the jangly clean tones that it produces and Brian may uses it. ENGL is cool because, well it sounded versatile and I believe a fairly new guitarist Orianthi uses it. I was also thinking mesa boogie, but all I can think of is Santana which is great also. Yes the tube amps are what I'm going for. My ideal: I like something that can produce jangly cleans with good distortion for hard rock.

I

Best amp for a Strat is a Fender amp.

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Bill

Is it really? Because I like the cleans, but I can't stand the distortion. Perhaps I could use a pedal though...

I agree, Fender for Fender, but if I had to choose one out of the three you mentioned I would go with Marshall all the way.

Nobody has complained about Jimmy Hendrix using Fender/Marshall..

Here's a great quote from "The Soul of Tone" (page 142):

"A Telecaster never sounds more like a Telecaster than when it's plugged into a Fender amp. Like we say around here: Scientific proof! Your Fender guitar sounds more like itself through a Fender amp!"

Richard McDonald

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Bill

Hi Blaqdog: but honestly, we could spend the next 20 pages with everyone telling you which brand they personally support, like it's their football team.

What nobody will seriously disagree with is that you've gotta get to some music stores and try them out for yourself. I think the difference between amps is far bigger than between guitars, and what's good for someone is useless for someone else.

It don't matter a pile of dingos' kidneys what some famous players use: it's what it sounds like with your hands and ears that counts.

(...Though it so happens my Marshall Triple Super Lead produces all the sounds you mentioned and more to perfection... )

Cheers - C

For my style (contemporary worship/rock) I prefer the Vox. It's the most versatile amp I've ever owned. I am currently using the AC15C1 w/ the Top Boost channel and Greenback speaker. Very round cleans and great grit and overdrive. I can get a ton of great tones out of this one amp. It really makes my Tele shine, too.

Good luck on your search. It's an awesome journey!

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2008 American Standard w/ Hot Noiseless
2009 Hwy One Tele
2010 Vox AC15 w/Greenback and Top Boost
Fulltone Fulldrive II Mosfet
TC Nova Delay
Hardwire RV 7
EB Jr Volume Pedal
BOSS TU3 Tuner
Digidesign Eleven Rack

"a pile of dingo kidneys",now thats a visual you dont see every day.

man lots of good advice here.
one thing to look at too is the volume you plan to play when choosing.
yes the boogie is a great amp, but a waste if you cant get the volumes up where they shine.

as fender for fender, i think i agree.
theres just something about that sound, fender on fender.
my strat loves the fender blues jr. i'll be getting one
this weekend.

+1 to everything Ceri says. Everything, everywhere. This man is a genius.

I should add, however: if you're playing heaps of amps in a music shop, it pays to buttonhole the most legitimate salesman you can for a very frank discussion. Most of the good ones are experienced players and, if you can decipher any biases, are full of decent advice. Ask people what they think, but only you can make the final call.

When things are serious theres only one amp to plug into, ever. Marshall.

Dont be fooled by the simple eq, I've never met anything less than a good clean, crunch or downright filthy tone from a marshall valve amp that wasnt full of clarity and genitalia. Even (especialy) the single channel non mv amps do everything well up to early 80's sounds. It's gotta be something to do with that tight but booming bass and clear high mids. Yknow the sound that makes you want to kneel, pull your own hair out and scream RAAAWWWWK.

Other amps are great for mucking about in your kitchen.

If you click the link in my sig, the tush cover is nothing more than the clean channel of a DSL100 set to kill, and a vintage hotrod strat. Excuse the bad mastering.

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No no and no

I'll chime in only because I have some experience with lots of different amps in various forms. I currently use older Carvin X100B's (heads with 4x12 cabs). I absolutely love them, because they have two channels, with a parametric eq and an assignable, 5 band graphic eq. This allows you to dial in nearly any tone you want. The clean channel is very comparable to Fender's (which I also like VERY much), and the lead channel is very simialr to Marshall and Mesa's. The foot pedal typically has three switches, channel, effects loop/boost, and reverb. The boost function is AWESOME for cutting through with leads. For the type of music you mentioned (which is quite similar to what I play), these amps are perfect. There is a reissue available that is nearly as good (better in some aspects), but a fuzzy covered, EL34 loaded head can be had on the 'bay for a quite reasonable amount. I would recommend you try one if you can find it, or at least do some research on them; but I must agree, you have to make the choice using your ears and your guitar. Any of us can make a demo, put it up for you to listen, and you may like it, but that will not guarantee the tone you'll get with your own axe/effects/fingers.

Fender twin reverb---jmo

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2011 PRS 25th SAS
2008 Eric Clapton Custom Antigua Strat
2012 PRS Artist Package Studio Special Order

i have several custom X100B heads myself. great amps indeed.

I play my Strat through a Fender or a Marshall, depending on the sound I want at the time.