I've decided to move from Blackface style amps to Plexi style amps. I tried a Re-Issue Bluesbreaker the other day and loved it - but it's actually cheaper for me to get a hand-wired Germino. I play Rock Country and Blues and am looking for that great Marshall breakup. I play a Tele so getting the right breakup and headroom is essential. I want to be able to use my volume knob to go from gritty, spanky slight overdrive to pretty full on sustain, without getting into shred territory. I've been looking at the Club 40, Classic 45, and Lead 55. Which of these will get me the classic Bluesbreaker style sound with a decent amount of breakup. I am a gigging musician so I will be able to open it up, but I don't need any ear bleed!! Cheers in advance Dave
The 45 is the ultimate Bluesbreaker! If you liked the re-issue you played, hold onto your socks...there gonna get blown off by the Germino! Like a teenage boy's first night at the chicken ranc.... FWIW, I think they are great country and country-rock amps. For extra country headroom, you might want the Hi-Vo version, or for earlier gain on-set go for the Low-Vo (ask Greg). Give a thought too to the speakers that go with the 45, to match the tone your going for - Scumback will steer you right, partner.
yeah, if its specifically bluesbreaker you want you GOTTA go with classic 45! one thing i have come to learn over the last year or so is just how many different variations of just plexi (let alone marshall) there are...i tended to think of them as close but subtle differences and figured i could get one and that would be the end of it... but they are very different amps that greg makes and it would be hard for me not to have at least 2 of those circuits
I own a C45 and C40, I would go with the C40. The C45 is really good for blues, but the C40 will be tighter and give more punch. I like my C45 better BTW.
Depending on where you are located, it can be tough (impossible for me), but I would recommend, as the others did, trying out the Club 40 and Classic 45. The Lead 55LV is also great, but if you play single coils a lot, you *might* not like it as much.
The Club 40 seems to be ideal for what you're looking for insofar as your description. Alot of rock & rock/country guys dig 'em
Thanks for the responses guys! Just how different are these two amps? I know the c45 is 40w and the c40 is 50w - is there a huge volume difference? I'd like it to breakup early, and the tube/SS rectifier on the c40 is appealing as in some festival shows my current tube rectified amp can sag too much.. Are they worlds apart in tone and feel? Which is dirtier at lower volumes? Cheers guys!
I've got a Club 40 and two inefficient speakers (Heritage Greenies) AND use a Dr. Z AirBrake to tame the sound. It's a very loud amp. . .Very well defined and focused sound and does equally well with humbucker and single coil guitars.
I've owned the Club 40 and Lead 55; if you seek a Bluesbreaker though the Classic 45 is Greg's version of a Bluesbreaker. Exceptional amps.
The c45 is definitely going to be a friendlier volume. But Greg doesn't make no duds. The c45'is a bluesbreaker and whips ass.
Greg added the tube/SS rectifier switch on my C45. The differences are in feel and sag, but the tone is remarkably consistant between both settings. As for which is dirtier at lower volumes - Greg offers them both in different Volt variations to tailor the headroom to your liking/needs, but I have not had the pleasure of playing a C40 yet, and get the impression they have different headroom charicteristics. I think you could easly listen to a clip and tell they sound different from each other.
