Amps for your jam room

[renopowers]

I have question for you guys...
Say you get to set up a basement as a little jam studio, to host guitar players and musicians of all flavors. It will be set up so you just bring a guitar, plug in and play. I’d like to know, what’s your list of must have guitar amps for this room.
I’ve seen a dozen “Top 10 Amps of All Time” list and threads about budget studio set ups, but I’m going to be selfish and try to drum up interest in my specific needs. So keep in mind this is a basement. A decent sized basement, but still only a basement. I’m looking for versatility and quality sound, not so much power.

List 1 - Sky’s the limit. Everyone has this list, right. Simply the best amps you’d pick to cover whatever sounds you think are essential for this versatile jam room.
List 2 - The next best thing. Take what you covered in the first list and match it with a budget or more readily available substitute amp, that gives you the same (or close to the same) tones.

I know there will be a bunch of solid picks for the first list, but I’m really interested to see what people will think are the “next best” options.

-r

[chrisrocksusa]

Dumble

[jwri9790]

Micro Cube

[jwri9790]

Also, this is stupid

[Smacky the Frog]

Also, this is stupid

Why?

A friend of mine has a Blues Junior, Roland Cube 60, Super Champ XD and a Peavey Classic 30 in his basement for the exact purpose the poster has described.

All said and done the setup cost him about $700. There's a ton of Boss, Digitech and Ibanez pedals friends have donated. If someone wants to play through pedals he has a couple of pedalboards set up (as I like to call them "pieces o wood").

It's perfect for a bunch of us that don't have a lot of free time due to work, family and have no intentions of forming a band. You walk in, grab a beer from the fridge and plug in. Two hours later you're on your way home. Sometimes there's five of us, sometimes there's two. Friends come whenever and can bring their friends. You'd be surprised how many friends of friends that are shy when you meet them out tend to want to test their luck singing.

It's a great idea if you have enough to hang, donate cheap equipment and bring a six pack or leftovers. I've met a lot of cool people that way.

[mcknigs]

I've hosted an event in a club that has similar needs. Ideally I bring a couple low-ish wattage amps for guitarists (think Deluxe Reverb) and provide them each with a TU-2 and an overdrive pedal.

[stetyrrell]

I'd definitely hit craigslist or a Guitar Center if I was you, and see what I could pick up used.

If I was in your situation, I'd get a Peavey Classic 30, Fender Deluxe Reverb, Fender Blues Junior and possibly a Vox AC15

There's a plethora of each of them on the second hand market at the moment, and you can pick them up pretty cheap if you look hard enough.

[gregsguitars]

I have a Gibson super goldtone head and cab, a 58 Gibson GA 18 as well as a GA 19t, I loaded a Fender Dual showman chassis into a old twin reverb combo cab ,a Sears silvertone 1482, an old Kay little 5 watter and my tweed Fender Bassman. That pretty much covered all my needs although I am always interested in late 50 Gibson amps...

[iowa]

List 1: Dream list is really your dream. Buy whatever amps you love for you.
List 2: Watch Craigslist for some combo of the following. Peavey Classic 30, Fender Blues jr., Vox AC15, Roland Cube, and/or any number of inexpensive vintage Amps like Silvertone, Gibson, Ampeg, Kalamazoo, etc...
Add a couple of used Boss, MXR or the like OD pedals and you'll be set.

[digiTED]

I'm thinking quality of tone, ease of setup, and not too much power are the keys.

A Carr Mercury, a Morgan AC 20, a Carr Rambler, and a Fargen Olde 800 would cover many, many styles at punchy, basement drummer levels.

[teleblaster]

Also, this is stupid
:barf:barf

[phoenix 7]

Here's my basement jam room with my top plug-and-play amp pick: Bogner 20th Anniv. Ecstasy into Germino 4x12. I often don't bother to unpack my pedalboard and just go straight into the amp. The Bogner Shiva (on top of the XTC here) is another great plug-and-play amp. I very rarely use the 4x12 for gigs -- it stays in the basement where I can safely crank it and not bother my neighbors. (I use a more portable 2x12 for gigs.) Obviously, I don't 'need' a 100-watt amp into a 4x12 for practicing and band rehearsals. But even at lower volumes there's nothing quite like a guitar running through 4 big tubes and 4 speakers -- a very BIG sound, even if it's not very loud.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/427718_10150648151524386_676364385_8775159_2012756 661_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/427718_10150648151529386_676364385_8775160_1318356 837_n.jpg

[GCDEF]

I'd get generic stuff like Peavey Classics or Fender Hot Rods. Not great, but just about everybody ought to be able to get by on them.

[Thinline_slim]

I would have to say the following:

Deluxe Reverb type amp
Peavey Classic 30 or Delta Blues
Vox AC15c1
18w or JTM45 Marshall/clone
And of course an Orange Tiny Terror

Guy/girls can bring their pedal boards or go straight in.

BTW, this would probably be my list of amps if I were building a studio from the ground up (+/- the Peaveys).

[renopowers]

I have two types of people that hang out at my place. My buddies, who along with me mostly "hack at it". We can play the hell out of about half of Simple Man... but we drink some beers, BS and have some fun. Smacky is right on target with me and my buddies needs. However, the other group are actually musicians. Members of bands, entire bands sometimes and people who are in general a part of the local music scene here. I have them over for a radio show/pod cast kind of deal. I hate that they have to drag stuff over and set it up, especially when I'm trying to mix it into a live broadcast.

So I'm trying to get as close to a plug and play set up as I can on the budget I have (which is somewhere between minimal and I really hope that last purchase doesn't cause a divorce). As an added bonus to this quest … my friends and I end up get to hack around on some good sounding equipment.

You’re feedback has been great. I really appreciate you guys taking the time on this!

-r

Also, this is stupid
I appreciate your participation none the less jwri9790... :)

[cram]

Depends on music, but I have one such room and we have gotten by with the following just perfectly.

Jcm 2204 - my main amp anyway. 50w and it works perfectly.
Tiny Terror - my buddy brings this when he comes over. I switch routinely with his because it sounds great and because it's different, I love to feel the inspiration from the difference.
Pro JR.

Don't be afraid of smaller amps as well. We've had some that i just mic up to the mixer and lightly fill the room by spreading the sound and it's such a tamed sound. Good stuff.

[renopowers]

Phoenix, looks similar to my basement … J
What are you doing about sound up through the ceiling? The floor is tile above, so you can hear exactly where someone is as they walk. And likewise, the wife basically has to put on headphones if we’re playing downstairs. Not a huge problem until we put the kids to bed. If I wake them up… yikes.

-r

[gixxerrock]

I would pick a few basic amps like Fender, Peavey, and a few pedals. A 50W Marshal would be nice or a modelling amp. I can also make my Mesa MarkV sound awesome in any situation.

For it to be a really nice space, the most important things would be decent drum kit, PA, monitors, mixer, soundproofing, room acoustic treatment, vibe, and things dialed for a decent band in a room sound.

[renopowers]

Here's the space...
It's a mess for sure. The walls will be finished out in the next month or so. It is what it is. Better than my unheated/uncooled garage I had at my old place.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-F3dZTYZoork/T3s4LqiUbLI/AAAAAAAADf8/QY4XE5_fpJE/s720/DSC02746.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-mZVTIimvF98/T3s4JYC8GxI/AAAAAAAADf0/_3Qz88HkfG0/s720/DSC02747.JPG

[Flogger59]

You have just described my basement. Here's what I have after 30 years of skulking around music stores.
BF Showman, Deluxe, Bandmaster,Bassman.
Brown Super Amp
Yamaha T50
Supro (a big one 15", 2 x 6L6)
Gibson GA8
Mesa Studio .22 and TA15
Yamaha BBT500H

Now for the sick part, aside from the Super, for which I paid $375, and the TA15 I bought last year, none of those cost me more than $300.

[Tommy Biggs]

I'd go small, because I've known to many guitar players for too long.
Champs, 5E3s, Divided by 13.
a nice 1x15 Bass amp - not sure which one though.
I'd spend the money on a good PA and Mics.

[tlp1]

In my jam room, this has been getting much use lately..

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo111/W3QJ/DSC03184-1.jpg

The guys need to be used more, and will as soon as I get back from Oahu;

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo111/W3QJ/DSC03186.jpg

[GAT]

My rehearsal/studio has all my amps:

2 Swart STR Tweed
2 Mark Kane D style 100 watters
Dr. Z Z-Wreck
'75 Marshall JMP/'69 Marshall 4x12
Ampeg Jet

Full PA/monitors
Full DW drum set
Hammond C3 w/Leslie
Roland keyboards

Full Tascam/Logic recording setup

Plug and play!

[renopowers]

My rehearsal/studio has all my amps:

2 Swart STR Tweed
2 Mark Kane D style 100 watters
Dr. Z Z-Wreck
'75 Marshall JMP/'69 Marshall 4x12
Ampeg Jet

Full PA/monitors
Full DW drum set
Hammond C3 w/Leslie
Roland keyboards

Full Tascam/Logic recording setup

Plug and play!

Some day... some day...

-r

[renopowers]

I actually have 4 little Peavey M112 monitors. I'm already micing up amps to go to the computer, so running them through the monitors to spread the sound wound't be hard. I just need to get an amp to power them.
Thanks for the idea.

I need a volume knob for the drums. They over power everything pretty easially.