Clairmont Goodsell #43

[BozoTone]

5/7/05 will go down as the most incredible day in my "tone quest" history including 38 yrs. of trying to find the perfect snare drum...lol...I had decided an American Deluxe Strat (w/S-1 switching, S/S/S/ configuration) was going to fit my geetar needs...I played 27 of them in the last 4 months and found the one that incompassed what I wanted in the NECK/color/grain/RESONENCE catagories..drove to Atlanta Discount Music and bought a Clairmont Goodsell Super 17 combo (#0043)...the "17" has been on my mind for the last 2 months...here is the amazing part...I HAD 3 TO CHOOSE FROM. (#'s 42, 43, 44...all were the new, larger cabinet with Em. Private Jacks)... ADM had never had more than 2 at one time...there were 5 or 6 different players in the shop, and we played every guitar on the wall, including my Strat, thru all 3 Super 17's... general concensus had #43 (Petty???...lol) ahead by a nose for what ever reason..to me, it really stood out...can't explain why...a touch more MOJO maybe???

[KLB]

I "baby sitted" a friends Goodsell combo for a few days a couple of weeks ago while he was on vacation. I enjoyed it very much.

What are the dimensions of your #43 combo?

What is the selling price now?

Cheers,
Ken

[meterman]

Cool! I've got a head, #20, "pre-Goodsell" :rolleyes: :D

Great amp, congrats on your choice. So is that the new vertical 2x12 Richard was working on? It's more like 30w right, or still 17w?

[BozoTone]

KLB...the new cab. is 20" tall, 10"deep, 21.5" wide...not sure what changes Richard Goodsell made...it looks a bit taller and deeper...also, the bottom panel in back comes up futher to enclose more of the cab...I paid $1499 and George said there were only enough of the Hammond tranformers for about 2 more months of production (24?)
meterman...still only talk of the 2X12 cab, or a 30-36 watt head or combo...Mine is the 1X12, 17watt version

[claptonisgood]

hey Bozotone...funny about this thread...i was in Discount Music on saturday just to see what they had...i had never tried a Tonebone Hot British and they had a couple in the case used...had my strat with me so i plugged in to the Hot British...i did not like it, but, the amp was great! It was the Goodsell that was sitting on top of the Budda Superdrive...now, i had played the Goodsell a couple of months ago and thought it was good but this one just smoked (earlier in the day i had played a Badcat Club 15R and a Dr Z Maz jr, neither of which screamed "take me home!") i was scratching my head wondering why i hadn't recalled the Goodsell sounding so good...i looked in the cab and there was a Emi Private Jack...wow! is all i can say...that speaker, in the Goodsell, made a very good amp great!

[iluvstrats]

I have number 31 which is a 1 x 12. Cost was 1199.

Dimensions are

19 x 20.5 x 9.

Mine came with a greenback but I have since put in a Classic lead 80. I will probably try a different speaker soon.

Any suggestions?

[BozoTone]

clapton...how many of the Goodsells did you see?...by the time I got there (4:00) there were 3, also saw the Superdrive 30...I looked at a ToneBone HB, but George recomended the Classic, so I got it (jury still out on it..need to take it apart and see if it has the Sovtek or JJ tube...will try several other tubes)...I had played the MAZ at MidTown and it was good...did not get to try the CUB...was it a CUB II???
iluvstrats...the first time I heard the Goodsell 2 months ago, they were comming with V30's and commented to George that I would love to hear a GB in it...THEN, talked to him last Thurs. and the Private Jack is the standard issue speaker..he and Richard did a lot of "testing" and feel that the Private Jack IS the perfect match for the Super 17 combo, so maybe give it a shot...BTW, the V30 didn't suck in it, and probably would be a good with the new, bigger cab....next I want to hear an Alnico Blue or Red Fang in it.....

[meterman]

Yeah I was in ADM a couple months ago when Ritchie brought in his latest combo with the Private Jack, it really sounded huge!

iluvstrats, I'm using my head through a 2x12 with a G12H-30 and a V30 and it sounds great. I really like the G12H-30 best for a Brit style open back combo....

[claptonisgood]

Originally posted by BozoTone
clapton...how many of the Goodsells did you see?...by the time I got there (4:00) there were 3, also saw the Superdrive 30...I looked at a ToneBone HB, but George recomended the Classic, so I got it (jury still out on it..need to take it apart and see if it has the Sovtek or JJ tube...will try several other tubes)...I had played the MAZ at MidTown and it was good...did not get to try the CUB...was it a CUB II???

i think i was there about 1pm and there were two? on the floor and the one i played through sitting on the Budda...i am pretty sure the Badcat was the Club 15R...to my ears, very hi-fi sounding (tried with vintage output strat)...i didn't have all three amps in the same room, but the Goodsell just floored me and it had some headroom and dynamics that the other 2 18W'ers didn't...the Goodsell got me into an 18W mood and i have a Pro Jr that i modded the heck out of and built a 1X12 combo cab for...i ordered a Private Jack for it last night because of what i heard the Goodsell sound like with it (also ordered a Heyboer OT)

[cocheese]

What are these amps based on? Joe's clips sounds great. I like the smokey vibe it has. I mean it sounds nice and vintage. The clips was a Les Paul. How do they react to single coils?

[BozoTone]

cocheese...when ya listen/play the amp, it's real hard to pinpoint
a term like Marshall/Fender/Vox...Richard says it has a bit of all of 'em with his own tweaks...it being EL84 power tube based you'd think it leans toward Vox, but the front side is AX7...the MOJO is the old Hammond OT...I have only heard or played a few humbucker guitars thru it and thought it sounded great...P90's really shine, and it makes my Strat sound "rich"..."smokey" is a great term, tho not dark at the same time...hard to pinpoint .....

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Is there a website with info on these amps?

[Mike M]

I was in ADM recently and they said that he would be running low on the Hammond trannies in a very short time and would have to start using repros.

[meterman]

Originally posted by cocheese
What are these amps based on? Joe's clips sounds great. I like the smokey vibe it has. I mean it sounds nice and vintage. The clips was a Les Paul. How do they react to single coils?

I believe it started out based on a Matchless Spitfire design but then was tweaked on from there, Richard said he incorporated some of the things he's learned in probably 20 years building & repairing Hammond organs and Leslies. Sounds great with a Strat, nice and hollow cleans and some snarl when pushed. I think I prefer it with humbucker as mine at least is a bit bright....cool amp, great feel to it

[meterman]

Originally posted by CliffC
Is there a website with info on these amps?

Hey Cliff I don't know if there is a website for the amps themselves b/c Ritchie builds them in his spare time (he's a Hammond repair man). Atlanta Discount Music are who sells them but their site is under construction, the best bet is to call them at 770-457-3400 and ask for George, he's the owner and will tell you everything you want to know! If you have any specific questions I could try to answer them as well....

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Thanks again meterman. I know some of the folks there. I'll
give them a call.

[cocheese]

My main amps right now are a mongrel Plexi/Tweed Pro kind of thing and a '65 Traynor YBA-1. I also have a Germino Club 40 and Gabriel Voxer. I go for vintage tones primarily. Joe's clips just got my attention. The amp sounds very unfiltered; not really in an electronics sense, but a tone sense. It has that upper end bite to it that is so nice.

[meterman]

cohceese, what clips are you referring to? I'd like to check them out...thanks

Edit: nevermind, found it, that's some sweet playing and tone!

[meterman]

FWIW I just went and played my Super 17 after listening to Joe's clip a few times and I think he did an excellent job capturing the tone of the amp. Open, gritty, with a very immediate feel to it, not alot of gain but sags and compresses nicely when pushed and cleans up great with the volume knob and even better just by varying pick attack.

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Where do I find these clips?

[iluvstrats]

Originally posted by CliffC
Where do I find these clips?

They're on member soundclips.

I just posted another one that I just finished.

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Great playing and a beautiful tone that compliment each other.

Thanks so much for sharing that with me.

[BozoTone]

Shameless bump...tryin' to get the Goodsell threads together.....

[BozoTone]

I can update my own thread can't I?...Went down to ADM AGAIN last weekend and finally got to hear a 17 with a Heritage G12H30 and had to have one..(Have to appologize to Jim (Scumbag) 'cause it is his thread that made me want either a Heritage or a Scumback, preferably a Scumback (need to get Richard Goodsell turned onto these), but because of the lack cold hard cash, I had to "horse-trade" George out of a G12H...still think the Scumback thread of clips is the greatest comparisons of speakers ever done)...the Heritage G12H30 just SCREAMS Greenback "KKkkrraaanngg" and jumps out of this amp...Jims' clips made me realize my stock Em. Private Jack sounds just like the one they used, and just plain lacks the "woody" midrange...a "real" Greenie is what my ears want to hear ........
I am using a VooDoo Lab Sparkle Drive as a clean boost and it works great...the amp now has a '56 Mullard AX7 in V1, a '58 long plate Mullard AX7 in the PI spot and '66 GE EL84's for power.....

[BozoTone]

Hey Richard.....saw the ToneQuest report when Will brought it in last Sat. ....very good...4 pages, huh.......
WHAT IS A SCUMBACK?!?!?....lol...read the threads and LISTEN TO THE CLIPS....breifly...Scumbag (Jim) has worked in conjuntion with Ted Weber to develope, and produce, probably the best sounding Greenbacks ever...he had a few and purchaced a few great, pre-Rola G12M's and G12H's and spent about 6 months recreating them...to my ears they are dead on, and less expensive than the Heritages...THIS would be a great option, or stock speaker in any of the Goodsells.........BTW, the PJ is an excellent value................

[1-Take-Wonder]

someone asked about a website...

http://www.superseventeen.com/home.html

He had a prototype 6v6 model at ADM a while back, appropriately labeled with duct tape "#1" that I think is based on a blackface deluxe. Anyone know What that one's called? anyone played it?

[FUSER]

Will head versions of the 17 be available in the future?

[Dave Orban]

Originally posted by Super17
It's called the 22 Delux (no "e" just in case) and it's influenced by the early Princeton and the tweed Deluxe, but unlike the Fenders it is cathode-biased (like the Super 17) and does not employ a feedback loop. The tone stack is Princeton (bass, treble) and, unlike the 17, utilizes both halves of the 12ax7 in the pre. Phase inverter is a Mullard 12at7.

I am currently working on 3 of them for George's inventory, the first of which is already sold. The duct tape in back is because I don't have "22" ID plates made yet...

There is also a 44 Magnum version with 4 6v6s....

Reverb...!

Some of us need reverb...!

[DodsonLP]

I agree with the reverb remark! I would love to have a head version of the 17 with reverb. I wonder if Richard would do a special order Super 17 with reverb.

[rastaman]

Originally posted by Super17
Digital is bad and wrong.



I like your sig!

[pfrischmann]

I know I'll get shot for thus BUT.........I have Super 17 #22. and I would never put reverb in this amp as it would just cloud up all those sweet overtones.

I have put a holy grail pedal in front of it and it sounded pretty damn good but I still prefer it without.

[meterman]

Originally posted by pfrischmann
I know I'll get shot for thus BUT.........I have Super 17 #22. and I would never put reverb in this amp as it would just cloud up all those sweet overtones.

I have put a holy grail pedal in front of it and it sounded pretty damn good but I still prefer it without.

I had head #20 and I agree, I never missed reverb because the tone was so rich and complex as is. I used a bit of delay in front sometimes if I needed more "space"......I used to love 'verb when I played my '71 Super Reverb but since switching over to TopHats haven't missed it much....

[1-Take-Wonder]

...anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Delux 22s...

so I test drove the Clairmont with a V30 at ADM today. I have a question for you owners.

What settings do you use on the amp for clean sounds? What gtr sounds best for clean? The overdrive/gain sound was killer on power chords but I couldn't get it to translate more complex jazz/extended/passing-type chords too well at lower volumes. I was using an ASAT Classic. I tried lower volumes on the amp, the guitar, different combinations of volume and gain...no love.:confused:

I have a bias against 84's and clean sounds so it could just be my ears. I've never really liked clean tones from any 84-equipped amp other than an AC30.

Any thoughts?

[DodsonLP]

Originally posted by Super17
...a 17 head that is... not one with reverb. I can't do a 17/22 w/ reverb because the organ transformer doesn't supply enough filament current to light up the 2 extra tubes that would required

Thanks for that info Richard. I intend to get to ADM soon to test drive and most likely purchase a Super 17 head. I have just received a Custom Shop Fargen Mini-verb (mini-plex with reverb) and it sounds marvelous! I am using it as my low volume Church amp. I thought I would use a Super 17 in conjunction with the Mini-verb for an A/B clean and dirty tone. I have several reverb pedals to add to the Super 17 if I must, but I have always liked "just a touch" of Reverb in my tone and I like to have it in the amp rather than having to add a pedal.

[DodsonLP]

Paid a visit to Atlanta Discount Music yesterday and tried out a Super 17 head. Amazing amp! Richard happened to be at the store and he personally gave me the tour of the amp. That was an extra plus! If you have not tried this amp, quickly find one and try it! It is amazing! It has quite a personality of it's own. I was amazed at the tones from clean to dirty it can do it all. The best way I can describe the tone is FULL and LUSH. George at ADM came in and gave me a deal that allowed me to take it home. These are great guys... back to the amp. I played a p-90 guitar through a VHT 2x12 cabinet. I was quickly able to get clean tones with a very full sound. This amp does the edge of break-up tone well too. To my surprise it did a great AC/DC tone as well. If I were making an amp with only three control pots I would use the same set up as the Super 17. Volume, tone and gain. Did I mention that this thing is small and light too. I love this amp! I will try it with pedals later and give a report. Thanks Richard and George!