Looking for a high end amp, advise me please

[bibir]

Hi,
I have been a guitar buyer most of my life, with a DRRI as my amp. Last year I bought a Carr skylrk and it has inspired me a lot in my playing. I now realized that great guitars without a great amps is not fulfilling anymore for my tone quests.

On the note side, my alternative amp now is a beloved tweed Victoria 20112 and a JTM-1 mic'd.

This year I think I am going for an amp hunt. What do you guys think? Please advise me what amp do I need to try. It's worth to note that I like vintage sound, vintage tone, vintage music. 60s blues and rock is my teritory. My guitars were mostly vintage or vintage replicas. 335, strat, tele, LP. So please don't suggest me mesa boogie or some other high gain amps.

I have had a JTM45 that was too loud, and a vox ac30 that I hate, a vintage gibson GA15 that has too many problems, a marshall plexi 50 that is also too loud and a JVM that I think is boring, and a Matchless Little Monster that very rarely used.

I think my type of sound is Fenderish. I have considered to add a rambler to my hunt list but I am afraid it would be a redundant for the skylark.

 

[calfzilla]

See if you can find a brown/blonde Fender. That might get you your Marshall-y breakup with your Fender EQ. The 6GX circuits (6G2 is a princeton, 6G6 is a bassman, etc). Those brown/blonde Fenders also have tube bias tremolo instead of optical like the blackface (and I think one or two models actually have harmonic tremolo). Very cool amps. There are some reproductions out there, like Marsh Amps, Allen Amps, Lil Dawg, etc.. Maybe contact Nik at Ceriatone and see if he could make you a custom build if you want that tremolo, although I think he has a 6G6 style amp in his lineup (IIRC, can't remember completely off the top of my head).

 

[MrFuzzTone]

Seems you already have a lot of tone types covered with the DRRI, Skylark and Victoria.
A fancy Princeton Reverb might be nice since you like Fender. Say Louis Electric or Magic amps.
I like 5 watt amps cranked up like a Swart Tweed, Tungsten Mosaic II and Star Nova.
A few low wattage amps with master volume that sound good: 65 Amps Ventura (a sleeper), Suhr Badger 18, Swart AST MK II, Reinhardt 18
Certainly the tip of the iceberg as far as amp possibilities.
These days I really also like a good amp and guitar with really good pedals such as pricey Germanium fuzzes and delays. I even bought a Heptode phaser a few days back for the heck of it.

 

[73171]

Get a Blackface Fender Pro Reverb.

 

[C-4]

The reason you may possibly have disliked the Marshall and Vox was due to those amps not having a really good master volume circuit.

Check out the video of Lance Keltner auditioning a Metroplex. Also, wait until the NAMM Show. There will be new amps with improved master volume dials at that show, from what I hear.

A Metropoulus amp is what I am saving up for this year, and I am really excited about getting one.

 

[IM4Tone]

You already have one very nice 'high end amp' IMO, the Victoria. Others to check out: RedPlate, Allen, and the new Fender 57 Custom Tweed series. All give that vintage sound, but I'm not sure what you're after that the Victoria doesn't provide.

 

[Brien]

I might try a Silver Sonic, or D/13 SJT 10/20. Vintage Fender inspired amps w some extra girth.

 

[bibir]

You already have one very nice 'high end amp' IMO, the Victoria. Others to check out: RedPlate, Allen, and the new Fender 57 Custom Tweed series. All give that vintage sound, but I'm not sure what you're after that the Victoria doesn't provide.

This is what I need to know, do I still miss much from my tone quest? Such as, clark amp or a boutique that I should try and though it is fender ish it will be different than my skylark or tweed.

I noted the brownface or blonde fender reccomendation. What brand I should try for this? Kinda wanted to hunt in the emporium for a used one instead of ordering new..

 

[MHG]

Carr Impala!

 

[logdrum]

ToneKing? http://www.toneking.com/

 

[IM4Tone]

.............I noted the brownface or blonde fender reccomendation. What brand I should try for this?........

Go to the Allen web site and listen to the demo and to the soundclips of the Brown Sugar.

 

[bibir]

Go to the Allen web site and listen to the demo and to the soundclips of the Brown Sugar.

Wowww that is so cool.. curious to try a vibrolux type of amp also. Don't have an ide would it be different or not tonally than what I already have.

 

[Tomm Williams]

Vintage Ampegs are Fender like but still unique. Many models from the 60's can still be found cheap and in good shape. I have three different models and each sounds great.

 

[sfarnell]

Since you love your Victoria and they are known for their Fender-like tones, why not stick with Victoria. IMO they are fantastic amps and rival more expensive brands. I have a few high end Two Rocks, but I gotta say that the Victoria 35310 and 50212 are right up there with my favorites. I think that victoria also builds more of a blackface type amp too.

 

[70 Mach 1]

Been looking my self to have a custom amp made. Been talking to Allen goodsell gries louis and vintage sounds.
I was surprised that I can have one made to my specs for only a few dollars more than I can buy a mass production one for from the box stores.

Getting quotes for $1700 range.
My specs are.
1 or 2 12
18 or so watts.
External bias balance ports.
Voltage half power switch
Fat blues clean tone and reverb.

All the vendors I spoke to were open to my ideas and most came close to the way or what I wanted anyway so it was basically a tweak job for them to put into reality.

 

[TCMx3]

since I think you just want suggestions to look into; right now I'm personally interested in the Redplate Blackline and any number of ODS clones.

I love my Crystal 100. It's really, really manageable wrt volume. It can, of course, get very loud but you have soooooo much ramp and it sounds great at bedroom levels. A different sound than Carr (I have a Rambler).

IMO you kind of already have the best small amps, so I might upgrade the DRRI to a Louis or Clark or similar (maybe vintage?). I like DRs and I like tweed Deluxes, I struggle with other small amps.

 

[Bluesful]

Two Rock?

 

[SRQGuitar]

For vintage blues take a look at the Louis Electric KR12

http://www.louiselectricamps.com/guitar-amps/KR_12-amp.shtml#.WGx8SfkrLU8

 

[NumanSaintKillJoy]

For something unique and vintage-leaning, check out BC Audio. I have, for a year, been jonesing HARD for a tricked-out JMX50 with a pair of 4X12 cabs loaded with Scumback 25w H55 PVC speakers.

Bruce has-aside from the Octalplex series of which the JMX50 is a member-several non-clone designs that are really attractive , and sound great and 'vintage' but not necessarily American or British. Just, good and 'classic' and organic.

 

[blues]

Look at the Victoria Regal. You can use various power tube without the need to bias

With one 6V6 you have a five watt amp. One 5881 get you around 15 and two get you around 26 watts. Two EL34 and your at 35 watts. You can mix for instance a 5881 and an EL34

You don't have a master volume. But you have reverb and trem/vibe

It's not a tweed circuit. Some say Valco type or clean Fender type. Mark told me part of the tonestack is based on a tweed bassman.

Steady rolling Bob Margolin uses one.