Recommendation for smaller, lighter amp with clean blackface twin sound?

[sockeye]

Hi folks,

I love the sound of a clean blackface twin -- don't usually push the gain but play mostly clean and use pedals if I want distortion.

But I don't need 85+ watts, and would prefer something smaller & lighter.

Questions: Will a 1x12 necessarily sound "smaller" / more "boxy" than a 2x12?

Any recommendations for other amps, new or old, that nail the blackface Twin clean sound, but in a smaller and lighter package?

thanks in advance...

[Guitar Dave T]

I've tweaked a '93 Blues Deluxe to get very close to that sound when clean, though with OD pedals, it can go either Fender or Marshal. I do not use the amp's overdrive channel.

Think about it, a blackface Twin is 80 watts with 2x12's and 4 6L6's. The Blues Deluxe is 40 watts with 1x12 and 2 6L6's. The tweaks include a Celestion V30, cap job and a proper biasing.

[PSaulino]

Originally Posted by sockeye

Hi folks,

I love the sound of a clean blackface twin -- don't usually push the gain but play mostly clean and use pedals if I want distortion.

But I don't need 85+ watts, and would prefer something smaller & lighter.

Questions: Will a 1x12 necessarily sound "smaller" / more "boxy" than a 2x12?

Any recommendations for other amps, new or old, that nail the blackface Twin clean sound, but in a smaller and lighter package?

thanks in advance...

Winfield Thomas Elizabeth.
Ended a 10 year quest for Twin
punch in a small package.

32 pounds.

Guaranteed.
Paul

[metz420]

A Blues Junior with the ToneStack mod gets pretty close IMO. The mod is pretty easy (just solder a jumper to the two posts on the back of the mid control) and cheap to perform. The mod removes the mids from the tone stack to sound more Twin-like. BJ's are pretty boxy due to their small cabinet size and moving up to a 2x12 or at least a larger cabinet will round out the sound. Thing is, after all the mods and crap, you might as well just use the Twin and pay someone to carry it each time. Probably cheaper in the long run.

[sockeye]

Thanks, I have a NOS Blues Junior (w/ Jensen C12N) and I am getting ready to do the Tone Stack mod and probably a few of the other billm mods. Maybe that'll get me there.

Doesn't look like the Winfield Thomas Elizabeth is made anymore, but it's nice to learn of that builder. I'll have to keep my eye out for one.

[Brien]

Well, the obvious choice would be to try a smaller BF amp. Vibrolux, Deluxe, etc.. While each BF amp has it's unique vibe, they all share that great BF sound.

[gsf]

Harvey Morrill at World Music in Nashville puts a variable pot instead of a 'set position' to control the Tone Stack mids/voicing mod, so I can dial it all the way BF or add a bit back in if I need it just a little darker. How he does it, don't know. Very versatile.

[PSaulino]

Originally Posted by sockeye

Thanks, I have a NOS Blues Junior (w/ Jensen C12N) and I am getting ready to do the Tone Stack mod and probably a few of the other billm mods. Maybe that'll get me there.

Doesn't look like the Winfield Thomas Elizabeth is made anymore, but it's nice to learn of that builder. I'll have to keep my eye out for one.

Email Winnie - he is very accommodating. I'm not sure he is making the reverb version anymore.. I have both the reverb (actually incoming) and non-reverb models.

The non-reverb 1x12 is 17" wide x 19"high x 9.5" deep, weighs 35 pounds with speaker. Mine has a Warehouse ET-65 (12-65 clone), it recently pummeled a Dual Showman I had in a bake off.. I ran them through the same cab to be sure. NO COMPARISON - the Winfield killed. Sounds like a huge amp. ALso blows away the Jackson modified Concert I have, that one has an EV. Skeptics may scoff at that but it's true. I've been on the small amp quest for a few years as most gigging anymore involves small urban spaces, far away parking, staircases (sometimes multiple), etc. This is truly "it" as far as that goes, I will have 2 (stereo) and can cover virtually any gig, dual guitar bag over shoulder, pedal board in one hand, amp in the other.

Paul