Carol Ann Amps - Thread XVII

[rawkguitarist]

There is an interesting phenomena happening with the 'boutique' amp business. A its become oversaturated.

I tell ya... dang. I've gotten to where I don't care one bit about any new amp, pedal or guitar company. *ESPECIALLY* pedals... damn. How many more overdrives, fuzz pedals and delay's does the market need? If its not a company I know and respect, I don't even click on the thread. Sorry to the great companies that are still coming out... I've just lost interest.

 

[Mikeroesoft]

I tell ya... dang. I've gotten to where I don't care one bit about any new amp, pedal or guitar company. *ESPECIALLY* pedals... damn. How many more overdrives, fuzz pedals and delay's does the market need? If its not a company I know and respect, I don't even click on the thread. Sorry to the great companies that are still coming out... I've just lost interest.

Yikes, not sure how that happened. I didn’t mean to post that part! It was something I was writing and had decided not finish the thought. But I guess I mustn’t have deleted what I had typed.

 

[DiPa]

I tell ya... dang. I've gotten to where I don't care one bit about any new amp, pedal or guitar company. *ESPECIALLY* pedals... damn. How many more overdrives, fuzz pedals and delay's does the market need? If its not a company I know and respect, I don't even click on the thread. Sorry to the great companies that are still coming out... I've just lost interest.

After accumulating and trying all types of gear/amps, You reach an end point and after that, no matter what’s introduced, it’s just another one, so at that point you look at anything niche but hardly get excited enough.

 

[Miroslav L]

I tell ya... dang. I've gotten to where I don't care one bit about any new amp, pedal or guitar company. *ESPECIALLY* pedals... damn. How many more overdrives, fuzz pedals and delay's does the market need? If its not a company I know and respect, I don't even click on the thread. Sorry to the great companies that are still coming out... I've just lost interest.

Yeah...I think I've hit a wall too...

 

[BelgPJ]

After accumulating and trying all types of gear/amps, You reach an end point and after that, no matter what’s introduced, it’s just another one, so at that point you look at anything niche but hardly get excited enough.

This - exactly

I certainly needed to go through the process to get to here. Enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, eating the kill, and the learning experience, but now it's about appreciating what I have. And not letting gear get in the way of improving my playing. Sold a lot of great gear recently, and kept the stuff I know will be with me for a while ... and my CA's are in their forever home

 

[Crash-VR]

Yeah, I’m really trying to minimize and just make what I have work. There is no better just different at this level anyway.

 

[Miroslav L]

I'm kinda stuck between two situations with gear.

On the one hand, I like having a wider selection for my studio use...especially now that I'm in the process of building out a bigger studio space. So I wanted to have a "decent" cross-section of amp styles/flavors available...not to mention other studio gear. Like I can get by with 2-3 mics, but having 2-3 dozen gives you choices and just allows for variety when desired...etc...etc.

On the other hand...I'm also going to have a couple of live rigs put together (as soon as I get the new studio project completed)...and for them, I plan to try an minimize, so I'm not having to carry too much gear.
I wanted a couple of amps that would cover wide, and be good grab-n-go rigs...requiring minimal pedals and peripherals. Of course, until I get to that point...and get back into the live thing...I don't quite know what those rigs will consist of...though I have a couple of amp already in mind.

 

[Mikeroesoft]

Yeah, I’m really trying to minimize and just make what I have work. There is no better just different at this level anyway.

I see I’ve been through a lot of amps. What, was your favourite clean/edge of break up amp that was lower wattage (20-40w) I’m kinda looking at getting a combo.

 

[Crash-VR]

I see I’ve been through a lot of amps. What, was your favourite clean/edge of break up amp that was lower wattage (20-40w) I’m kinda looking at getting a combo.

Germino Bass 35 was truly epic at the edge of breakup and worked perfectly with the Iron Man II mini attenuator. I had it in a combo. Never should have sold it. The other was a Divided by 13 EDT 13/29 combo running in the “Class A” 13 watt mode. I plan to get another one of those someday. Another fantastic clean edge amp is the BC Audio amp #7. Right now I’m running a dual amp rig with a Divided by 13 FTR as my clean/edge of breakup amp and the 10th as my gain amp.
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[saltydogg]

Germino Bass 35 was truly epic at the edge of breakup and worked perfectly with the Iron Man II mini attenuator. I had it in a combo. Never should have sold it.

There is/was one in the Emporium recently that gives me anxiety every time I see the thread-title...lol.

 

[DiPa]

I'm kinda stuck between two situations with gear.

On the one hand, I like having a wider selection for my studio use...especially now that I'm in the process of building out a bigger studio space. So I wanted to have a "decent" cross-section of amp styles/flavors available...not to mention other studio gear. Like I can get by with 2-3 mics, but having 2-3 dozen gives you choices and just allows for variety when desired...etc...etc.

On the other hand...I'm also going to have a couple of live rigs put together (as soon as I get the new studio project completed)...and for them, I plan to try an minimize, so I'm not having to carry too much gear.
I wanted a couple of amps that would cover wide, and be good grab-n-go rigs...requiring minimal pedals and peripherals. Of course, until I get to that point...and get back into the live thing...I don't quite know what those rigs will consist of...though I have a couple of amp already in mind.

Space is absolutely the key dimension requirement, ideally infinite space. Without space, one is limited.

 

[pete12string]

There is/was one in the Emporium recently that gives me anxiety every time I see the thread-title...lol.

Me too.

 

[Miroslav L]

Germino Bass 35 was truly epic at the edge of breakup...

Not sure exactly what type of break-up each person looks for...but the Louis Electric Baby Bluesbreaker 112 combo I picked up a couple of months ago has all kinds of break-up flavors. The negative feedback control on the amp does such a wonderful job of letting you dial in the perfect amount of crunch and harmonic content...though I have to say that I instantly became addicted to completely dialing out the negative feedback. The sound is just glorious how it blooms......but you can start to add it back into the circuit, and hit that edge-of-break-up.

The other amp that I just recently picked up, the Longhorn El Vaquero, it too has three crunch options you can control with its foot pedal. It has the preamp boost, a FET boost, and an OD option. You can use one, two or all three, and any combination of two. Each one is hitting a different part of the circuit and signal chain.
There is no Master Volume, but the OD has its own Gain/Volume controls...so between the three footswitch options, plus those two knobs, you can find all kinds of crunch sweet spots.

Space is absolutely the key dimension requirement, ideally infinite space. Without space, one is limited.

If/when I get my new studio space done...I will have 3X my current studio space...so I will be able to line up all my amps along one wall, and still have room for a few more if needed.

 

[tweedphan]

If/when I get my new studio space done...I will have 3X my current studio space...so I will be able to line up all my amps along one wall, and still have room for a few more if needed.

Photos when completed would be good. Then we can all be consumed with envy.

 

[pete12string]

Sold my OD-2r. The OD channel was just not what I usually go for. Sweet tone, just not my style. However, the used 67-18C continued to amaze me. Really a mini plexi. So much so, I bought a second one, brand new, from Humbucker. The new one will stay at home with me and the used one will reside at my friend’s house where we get together to jam. Even though they are not that heavy, my lower back would complain A LOT if I needed to carry one back and forth-and since I sold the OD-2r, well, I deserved to get myself another 67-18C!

 

[saltydogg]

Pete, you dog....lol. ConGRATS! Maybe one day you'll let me feed it a power-chord!

 

[Miroslav L]

I always say...if you really like something...buy two.

 

[DiPa]

I always say...if you really like something...buy two.

I fully endorse this

 

[DiPa]

Pete, you dog....lol. ConGRATS! Maybe one day you'll let me feed it a power-chord!

Too bad he did not bond with his OD2r, but yeah grab those 18W Amps, pretty cool....

 

[saltydogg]

I always say...if you really like something...buy two.

I fully endorse this

I for one, appreciate your policies.

Too bad he did not bond with his OD2r

True, but understandable. I’ve replaced Carol Ann’s with Carol Ann’s before...

Alan builds a fine-fine amp, but each CA has a Carol-Ann flavor mixed-in, not unlike Bogner, Carr, Redplate, Friedman, Marshall, Mesa etc. and if the flavor isn’t working for us, then we must move on. It’s part of the (fun?) journey, imo. It’s a learning experience, as well.

I would have, by now, bought a new 10th Anni or Revo and I’m certain that I would have been happy with either. I also knew they would be in the Marshall *ballpark*, but when Alan suggested a custom-build, I thought Marshall, not Marshall-ballpark, built by him on the OD3 platform. It’s been nearly a year since I ordered it, I’ve been (very) patient and remain optimistic that Alan will eventually begin my build. Hopefully most of this time has been spent on R&D....