Which 15-18 watter-help me out!

[Realfi]

Hi everyone,

At the moment I'm playing my Tele through an AC30. Due to the volume restrictions of smaller venues I'm generally forced with having to run a bit more gain from pedals than I'd like. Seeing as I'm coming into some money in the next few months I'm thinking I'd like to pick up something like a 65 Amps London, A Dr Z Maz Jr or similar.

The problem I have is that I live in Perth, Western Australia which is a long, long way from a dealer of anything boutique. I'd really appreciate some comparisons/observations.

I play in an Alt-country/Americana/Alt-Rock kinda band:
www.myspace.com/thejaycobrothers (http://www.myspace.com/thejaycobrothers)

[mountain blues]

Search for the Swart AST here on the Gear Page, and take everything that has been said as true. This amp is a real gem.

In my mind, it is the ultimate Americana amp.

[Realfi]

Cheers mountain blues, I'll do some research.

www.myspace.com/thejaycobrothers (http://www.myspace.com/thejaycobrothers)

[mountain blues]

Realfi,
Here's a link to the Swart website:

http://www.swartamps.com


I would write a review for you, but it is long thing to really capture what this amp can do. Suffice it to say that you get everything from shimmering cleans to all kinds of great overdrive... great reverb and killer tremolo... huge spatial sound for a 22 watt amp... amazing touch sensitivity even when it is fully cranked... makes the bridge of a Tele or Strat sound amazing... the Swart can do it all.

The Swart Atomic Space Tone has SOUL.

[gooma]

Hey Realfi,

i`m about an hour and a half out of Perth so i feel your pain :D Check out the mojave website www.mojaveampworks.com (http://www.mojaveampworks.com) they make a 12 watt amp called the coyote, it has a power damping feature that will take it down to less than 1 watt.
Another in the wattage range is the Aiken tomcat, www.aikenamps.com (http://www.aikenamps.com) i owned an aiken intruder, an amazing amp!!!

The aikens have an international voltage selector built in, I had Victor mason @ Mojave ampworks do a 240v conversion on my mojave scorpion, didnt cost much at all.

Postage wise USPS have a 3-5 day ems global express service, runs at around US$180 to Perth from the states. If you only value/insure the amp for US$500 it will slip below the customs radar. Just another thing to consider.

You`d be hard presed to find anything nice than the above 2 amps IMO.

Good luck

Brad

[hitchcockblonde]

The Tomcat does the AC30 thing (well, in the ballpark) at smll-room volume very well. I'd also put Valvetech on the list, though it's not an EL84 amp. It gets such good round cleans and into a good overdrive that isn't too compressed sounding. I can imagine it working well in a rootsy rock setting and the price is excellent. A 112 22-watt combo won't blow the roof off either, unless ya really want it to.

[riffmeister]

TopHat Club Royale is an excellent Vox/Marshally amp.

[axpro]

My vote (as usual) goes for Dr.Z

Maz18 is a nice lower wattage voxey amp,
and I just pickued upa z-28 and whoah!!!! It's great! Fat and thick sounds abound.. (not really voxey though, but DAMN!

[cg]

I'm a big alt-country fan and I think my London 65 fits that genre very well.

With that said, I'm also a huge Dr. Z fan.

You have a tough decision to make. :)

[T.Wesley]

London 65 all the way, baby! :) It can get tones similar to your AC30 as well as covering the Marshall 18W tone - plus tremolo! Mine has a voltage selector on it, don't know if they're going to continue doing that but there's no reason they couldn't make sure it gets done for you. Check them out...

www.65amps.com

--chiba

[Silverboy]

Hey Realfi, I've become something of an 15 to to 20 watt junkie lately. First, I second what Mountain Blues said...I have a Swart AST, and it's a great sounding amp, and loud enough for small to medium size rooms, particularly if your miking. It also has reverb and trem, which is nice. And more than anything, it's got a really unique vibe, and looks terrific.

I have a 65 London also. Another terrific option. I live in Nashville, and a few alt-country and roots rock players around here use them and love them. Pat Buchanan, who's one of the busiest session guys, swears buy them, as does Gary Burnette, and Jonathan Trebing, a friend of mine who plays with Rascal Flatts loves his. I will say that the London is surprisingly loud through a 2x12, though still much more ear-friendly than an AC30. And like Chiba said, it'll put you in AC30 territory sonically, as well as Marshall 18 watt territory on the other side, and awesome tremolo.

I'm getting a Goodsell Clairmont 17 soon, should arrive next week...as well as a Gabriel Voxer. (I know, I know, I've got a problem.)

I'll try and let you know what I think of those.

Dr. Z's Carmen Ghia is pretty cool. Just a volume and tone knob, and get's pretty gritty when you crank it. Very light, and very reasonably priced. The Maz Jr. is cool too. I've owned one in the past.

I know that doesn't help, because I'm telling you they're all good, but so far my top two suggestions would be the Swart if you like for more of a reverby, swampy fender tweed thing (it almost gets marshally cranked). If you're thinking Vox, the London 65 is the way to go...and you've still got Marshall.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[Realfi]

Thanks to everyone for their help.

I'm looking to stay mostly in Vox territory, don't use reverb at all, and I do prefer 2 x 12"s for the spread rather than the narrow beam of sound from single speaker combos....might be heading towards a 65 Amps London by the sounds of it.

[Realfi]

Forgot to ask,

Anyone know the rough wait time on a London?

[filmosound]

TopHat Club Royale is an excellent Vox/Marshally amp.

+1 for a TopHat Club Royale if you're used to an AC30 but want a lower powered amp (+ the Club Royale has a master volume control).

[philipnz]

Matchless Spitfire

[Realfi]

Ah yes the Matchless and BadCat options-forgot to mention those.

Would it be fair to say that The London would have a slightly more traditional Vox timbre or is that just my perception from far away?

[Teleplayer]

TopHat Club Royale is an excellent Vox/Marshally amp.

+1

Great variety of Vox-to-Marshall tones (I've been using them to gig and record with since 1998; always sound stellar and never had a problem with one), plus you get this type of build quality both inside and out........

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/Teleplayer59/CR2x12DeepCabFront.jpg











http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/Teleplayer59/CRDeepCabChassis.jpg

[Garygtr]

Nice pics, Tele!
A big +1 on the Club Royale! :AOK

Hey! How did I get to be a "senior" member?? I just had a birthday and am a tad sensitive at the moment...

[Realfi]

It's actually my birthday today so I'm really sensitive...can I go back to junior member!!!!

[Teleplayer]

Nice pics, Tele!
A big +1 on the Club Royale! :AOK

Hey! How did I get to be a "senior" member?? I just had a birthday and am a tad sensitive at the moment...

Thanks for the comment man. Also - happy birthday. Don't know how you became a Senior member. Maybe it's due to the size of your.........gear collection??????:D

BTW - did you notice the old style Marshall Salt and Pepper grill cloth on my deep cab 2x12? Also - that's a black/white block logo from the first-ever run of those logos Brian had made 'back in the day'. That rig is one of the very few deep cab CR's made in CA before Brian and Joan left for their NC digs.

[SuperSoundMusic]

Hi everyone,

At the moment I'm playing my Tele through an AC30.


Our taste in tone is way too Similar!!!

BTW What's your price range? I know a guy selling an original 1970 20watt Marshall Lead that sounds just killer. I think he wants $2,500 for it. Plus it has the Voltage Selector so you don't have to worry about power issues. Plus it's light so shipping wouldn't cost you an arm and a leg. You would have to find a cab for it though.