| Author | Message | ||
| jerryme
Member Username: jerryme Post Number: 76 Registered: 1-2008 |
Hello all, haven't posted in a while due to teaching and coaching demands (though I lust over the guitars all the time). I am in search of a tube guitar amplifier that is affordable. I am mostly playing my 77 Ibanez Artist electric. I have been seriously considering a two channel Carvin, but really my only requirements is that it is 100 watts. Anybody have experience w/ Carvin amps? Any other suggestions? Colin By they way, I think the "kit" guitars are some of the coolest setnecks I have ever see. Beautiful... | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 3756 Registered: 7-2004 |
Colin: I have no experience with Carvin guitar amps, but I have used a Carvin power amp and monitors for P.A. for years with no trouble. I also have a couple of Carvin guitars (DC-127 & DC-400) that are very nicely made. As for amps, what are you looking for? What's most important to you, size? weight? clean tone? distorted tone? multi-channel? What type of music will you be playing? How much money do you want to spend? Will this be a gigging amp, or a stay-at-home unit? Bill, tgo | ||
| jedisan
Member Username: jedisan Post Number: 76 Registered: 3-2008 |
One of my favorite budget combos were the tube amps made by Dean Markley. The models I have owned were the CD-40, and CD-60, 40 and 60 watts respectively, two channel with footswitching. I have seen them pop up on eBay and/or Craigslist every once in awhile, as they are no longer made. Good bang for the buck! | ||
| jerryme
Member Username: jerryme Post Number: 77 Registered: 1-2008 |
I really don't care about weight. I pretty much play dead tunes, with a good measure of 70's and 80's rock and roll. Looking for good clean and distorted tones; electric rig is t.c. electronics qtron, dd-3 digital delay, Ibanez tube screamer, volume, wah pedals. I will add a spring reverb at some point. I eventually would like to play out in bars and clubs. I guess this is a loaded question. I had a twin r everb reissue for about 3 days. Thought it sounded like crap when pushed and I got rid of it. I will be working on building a couple of 2x12 extension cabinets with EV speakers. Bill- you wouldn't have a picture of your rig with the F2B and mesa amp? | ||
| crobbins
Advanced Member Username: crobbins Post Number: 330 Registered: 6-2004 |
Here's my rig..  | ||
| 57basstra
Senior Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 883 Registered: 4-2005 |
Try a Fender Blues Junior or Fender Pro Junior. I have one of each. Great little tube amps! | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 3757 Registered: 7-2004 |
Colin: I'll try to remember to bring a camera down to the studio this week and snap a pic of the rack. These days, however, I'm playing through my brand new Pritchard Sword of Satori. I LOVE this amp! As for your situation, what guitar(s) will you be playing through it? I played a Boogie Mark III almost exclusively for more than 15 years. Then I got my first Alembic guitar and found that Alembics seem to like Fenders better than Mesas. As for your amp, what's your budget? Bill, tgo (Message edited by lbpesq on April 26, 2009) | ||
| 57basstra
Senior Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 886 Registered: 4-2005 |
Didn't remember the 100 watts. Blues or Pro Juniors do not have 100 watts. I recently was looking at a used Hot Rod Deville that went for $400, but it is 60 watts. I recently bought a Peavey Deuce with 120 Watts (The preamp on these old guys are solid state) | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 513 Registered: 3-2004 |
I had a friend with a 100 watt Carvin half stack back in college. The thing I remember most about it was that it was ungodly loud. The sounds it produced were decent, not super fantastic, but usable. It seemed to have lots of headroom, if that is a concern. | ||
| funkyjazzjunky
Senior Member Username: funkyjazzjunky Post Number: 414 Registered: 5-2007 |
I love Carvin Amps for Jazz and Blues | ||
| jerryme
Member Username: jerryme Post Number: 78 Registered: 1-2008 |
For now I will be using a 1977 Ibanez Artist, though it is beat to sh$t and is need of a fret job (the second so the neck is getting pretty thin). I am more looking for an economy rig (less than a grand), as I will upgrade after I get out of grad school. The F2b with a power amp wouldn't be too expensive if I bought em' used, and would last a long time. I was set on a Mesa Boogie, but after your post's about your alembic's liking Fender's better than the mesa's. I have a proto-type 2x12 that I built that I would be using as an extension cab. Thanks for the help fellas. Colin | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 665 Registered: 6-2002 |
Another option might be a Groove Tubes amp from the 90's. They are clear with punch and are pedal friendly (lots of input headroom). The 75/150 watt soul-o slave amp on ebay looks interesting...you still would need a pre-amp though. | ||
| jerryme
Member Username: jerryme Post Number: 81 Registered: 1-2008 |
I saw that soul-o-slave amp on ebay, didn't know anything about them. | ||
| jerryme
Member Username: jerryme Post Number: 82 Registered: 1-2008 |
At some point when the first is a little mo9re finished I will post some pictures of the extension cabs I have building. The first one is a guitar cab but I plan on doing bass cabs as well. I am really only doing this to make the scratch for an Alembic guitar. Colin | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 3758 Registered: 7-2004 |
Colin: A buddy of mine that I jam with now and then told me yesterday about a crate amp he just picked up. He got it new from Guitar Center for really cheap. He said he is amazed at the sound and he is now using it over his Fenders due to it's size and weight. Also, are you familiar with harmony-central.com? Their user reviews section is a great source of info. I ALWAYS check there before putting money down on new or used equipment. Do you really need 100 watts? Many players I know prefer less wattage. A 100 watt amp, especially a tube amp, will usually need to be cranked pretty loud to hit its sweet spot. Personally, I prefer less wattage. Invariably, if I'm in a situation where more power is needed, my amp will be miked and reinforced through the P.A., so more wattage isn't necessary. Bill, tgo | ||
| jerryme
Member Username: jerryme Post Number: 83 Registered: 1-2008 |
I do check out harmony-central, though I like talking with people on this forum b/c imho if you are shelling out tens of thousands of the best guitars and basses in the world you take a little more care about what you use. As far as the 100 watt question, maybe your correct, though I have always liked the 50/100 or 60/100 switch capability. I will look into this a little more. Colin | ||
| crobbins
Advanced Member Username: crobbins Post Number: 333 Registered: 6-2004 |
I play my Tribute through my Boogie amps all the time, no problems, sounds great.....  | ||
| tom_z
Senior Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 565 Registered: 7-2004 |
My skylark sounds fantastic through my Mesa Lonestar combo. I like to run the skylark through the Mesa and an old bandmaster head and 2x12 cab simultaneously when I have the space. The Lonestar is 2 channel (though I really only use the clean); switchable 50 watts (2 6L6s) or 100 watts (46L6s); switchable tube or SS rectifier; and a really nice sounding spring reverb. Plenty of clean headroom even with 50 watts and the tube rectifier. A really versatile amp. After a quick look at ebay, it looks like they're holding their value pretty well, but you may be able to snag a used one under 1K. Why especially are you only interested in 100 watt amps? In case you dot already know about it, another great place to do your research and generally enjoy yourself is The Gear Page. Lots of very knowledgeable folks around there too. Good luck. Peace Tom | ||
| peoplechipper
Intermediate Member Username: peoplechipper Post Number: 101 Registered: 2-2009 |
Colin, maybe you could look for an old Traynor tube amp; they show up on ebay from time to time and they are killer amps!! Americans are discovering them so the prices are going up...think Fender/Marshall hybrids with better transformers than the equivalent Fender...I have a 60's Custom Reverb and it's like a plexi Marshall with nice reverb and trem...the Custom Special is the loudest amp this side of an SVT...check'em out, eyelet board construction, cloth covered wire...all the good stuff for cheap! Tony | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 517 Registered: 3-2004 |
Do you really need 100 watts? Many players I know prefer less wattage. A 100 watt amp, especially a tube amp, will usually need to be cranked pretty loud to hit its sweet spot. I think that was the biggest complaint about that Carvin I tried was that we couldn't really let it sing the way it was supposed to in the space we had. I used to own a Soldano Reverb-O-Sonic. It was a great amp, and I loved the sound, but it was also just too damn loud for my situation (and it was only 50 watts). | ||
| tom_z
Senior Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 566 Registered: 7-2004 |
Exactly my thoughts Kevin. Also one of the reasons I like running two amps together. In my case, the Bandmaster is easier to overdrive and will begin to break up a bit before it gets impossibly loud. The Lonestar has plenty of clean headroom even at 50 watts (at least, for the rooms I play in). Also, my current Bandmaster configuration is fairly bright - the Lonestar a bit darker. So both amps together have a very nice depth. | ||
| jerryme
Member Username: jerryme Post Number: 86 Registered: 1-2008 |
Thanks for all of the advice folks! Colin | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 3761 Registered: 7-2004 |
Tom: How do you hook up your two-amp rig? My new Pritchard has an "amp DI" that hooks right into the input on another amp and drives it like a slave. I haven't tried it yet, but I thought it might be useful to spread the sound out on a big stage or outdoors. Bill, tgo | ||
| tom_z
Senior Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 567 Registered: 7-2004 |
I run the guitar into a Lexicon LXP-1 which is a stereo unit, then left-side out to one amp, right-side out to the other. It's crude but it sounds great. The Mesa has an effects loop where I have a TC Electronic delay, and I can put a Mu-Tron III in front of the Lexicon. Once my Further is done, I'll probably put the Mu_Tron in the loop on the guitar. | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 464 Registered: 10-2006 |
Let me chime in on the "why 100 watts" chorus. As a soundman, it is my firm opinion there is no room short of arenas & stadia where 100 watts worth of guitar is useful - & you'll be going through FOH long before you get to that size, so really not even then. The classic, iconic, Wall'O'Amp that we all know & love was, indeed, once a neccessity, but the Grateful Dead & Alembic invented the modern PA in the early 70s. Do your engineer, your bandmates, & your ears a favor; get something in the 20-50 watt range (or less) & mic it (if you can't hear yourself, tell everyone else to turn down - and if the drummer's too loud, put it in the monitors. Peter | ||
| crobbins
Advanced Member Username: crobbins Post Number: 334 Registered: 6-2004 |
I have a mid-70s Fender Proreverb(40 watts) with ToneTubby speakers that I'll let go for $500.00.....You will never find a better deal......... | ||
| jerryme
Member Username: jerryme Post Number: 88 Registered: 1-2008 |
Craig- Is it a silver or black face? Do pro-reverbs have the same master volume issues as the twins? I will have the chance this weekend to play a couple of different amps this weekend, will check back. Colin | ||
| crobbins
Advanced Member Username: crobbins Post Number: 339 Registered: 6-2004 |
Mine is a silverface, with a master volume. I heard of these issues, but whether I plug my Tribute, or my PRS, or my Les Paul into this amp it sounds good to me...   (Message edited by davehouck on April 29, 2009) | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 519 Registered: 3-2004 |
I've got one of those as well (I can never remember if it is a '74 or a '76). I love it, and have for the most part retired it. I don't think you can beat the clean chimy sound it produces. I've had to repair it once. I can't remember exactly what went bad, but it only cost me about $200. I have owned mine since 1997, and have played it pretty regularly up until a few years ago. I think I paid about $450 when I bought it then, and it still had/has the original speakers. I would like to upgrade to tone tubby's at some point, and was wondering how do you like them Craig? Do you ever plug into the 1st input of channel one, and slave a cord between the 2nd input and the 1st input of channel two? I have heard this is permissible, but have never tried. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 3765 Registered: 7-2004 |
I have an old Blackface Pro Reverb with JBL D120's that I bought from a friend in the early 80's. Great amp. I noticed that the old Pro Reverbs have now outstripped the Twins in value, something I found quite surprising as it seemed the Pro had always been looked at as the Twin's less desirable little brother. I always found the Pro to be just good as a Twin, and a little lighter to boot. I was once leaving a jam, a little inebriated, and fell down the stairs while carrying my Pro. The speaker baffle popped out, but everything else looked o.k. I popped the baffle back in, gave it a few smacks, plugged her in, and she worked just fine. They are well built amps. Bill |
