Amp purge 08 - Carr advice please

[infiniteposse]

Hi all-

I've decided I own far too many amps and not a lot of them get played nearly enough.

Accordingly I've dropped a few on the chopping block, namely my 73 Silverface Deluxe, my Swart 6V6SE, my 67 SF Bassman and my Maz 18.

I recently got a Carr Mercury and I'm in love with it. I'd like something a little more robust as well though for potential gigs in louder venues. I've got a boatload of pedals, so that's no issue.

I'm struggling with this idea that I might want both the Vincent and Rambler in addition to my Mercury. I've played a Rambler and I know I love it, but there's no Vincent's around here for me to try. I do have a Z Airbrake, so I can attenuate some if needed...

Is it silly to have all 3 of these amps? Would the Mercury and Rambler take care of everything? What niche would the Vincent fill that these others wouldn't?

Any help in clarifying would be of great help.

Thanks-

 

[infiniteposse]

Anyone?

 

[Bluewail]

Carr amps are addictive. I have a Slant 6V and Rambler myself and good buddy has a Mercury and Slant 6V but has also owned a Vincent and a Rambler. For what it's worth, the one he wishes he'd never sold is the Rambler.

 

[photoguy]

I was lucky to have a Mercury and a Rambler in the house for a week or so. Ended up selling the Rambler because I thought I would prefer the lower power of the Mercury. Side by side though and with 6l6's and Kingpins in both, they sounded more alike to me than different with the edge going to the Rambler.

Anyway, I sold off the Rambler and was a little regretful of that decision as the more I lived with the Mercury, the more the Rambler sounded better in my head.

 

[infiniteposse]

Cool. Thanks guys. I just got an amazing deal on a Rambler in the Emporium, so I've got the Mercury and Rambler covered, I'm trying to figure if the Vincent would be overkill. Sometimes I get a little stuck on the idea of a little of a good things good, but even more of a good things got to be even better

Any more thoughts appreciated.

 

[M I K E D.]

vincent has the most head room of the 3 and is a bit louder...

that being said- I vary between running the winged C 6L6's and tung sol 5881's in my rambler- you should try swithching because they give very different flavors - both are excellent

the 6L6s are warmer with more 'depth'
the 5881s are punchier with a bigger mid range to my ear- sits nicely in a band mix

 

[gtrfinder]

Sometimes I get a little stuck on the idea of a little of a good things good, but even more of a good things got to be even better

Welcome to The Gear Page.
The only place on earth where 3 Tubescreamer clones, 5 BF Fender amps, a Marshall, a VOX, Telecaster, Stratocaster, Les Paul, and 335 is the beginners pack.

 

[timmers]

Hey Lee -

I'm a longtime Rambler user, & I've spent some time recently with the Vincent. For what you've already got in the stable, I think the Vincent wouldn't be much of an addition for you. I prefer the Rambler's tone in general to the Vincent; R sounds bigger, warmer, & a little less forward/pointed than the V. Flipping over to triode mode & diming the volume also gives a sweet, sweet OD sound at manageable volume. I thought the Vin dimed out seemed a little harsh.

If you've got the bread & are a Carr addict, I'd suggest adding a Hammerhead to your team - it's a different vibe than the Rambler/Vincent camp, & could give you some of those more Marshall-ish tones. If you gig, running a Rambler & a Hammerhead together would be a very usable, portable, KILLER-sounding setup.

Anyway, my .02.

T

 

[infiniteposse]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I think I'm probably going to just chill a while with the Rambler and see what I think. Vincent's aren't going any where.

I have to say selling off some amps has been entirely pleasant for me. It's nice to see new owners who'll play the crap out of them and I get to have more space in the house. It's starting feel a little cramped around here.

I might keep an eye out for a smaller vintage Gibson as they sound nothing like anything else I have in my studio and then just go on an amp and guitar fast.

Thanks again for the constructive feedback. I appreciate it very much.

 

[snoggin]

How about a slant 6 with 1 15" in it? I know someone who has one. Seriously thogh I have a slant 6 a vincent and a mercury. the vincent is a great amp and takes pedals really well. the mercury is perfect for those blues jam kinda things and has Plenty of volume on tap too .. If you are rocking out 8 watts goes a long way..