Jump to content

These Go to 11 - The Guitar Amp Thread


dcbc

Recommended Posts

12 minutes ago, AnotherUTFan said:

I generated the 1st noise complaint at a cool ass spot in the Mission that just reopened as a venue after a 15 year hiatus a few months ago. Sound guy told me it wasn't too bad and to be proud of it, which of course I am. Shawn Rocker with the Rickenbacker thunder! I thinking about getting a truss rod cover that says "Rockerbacker".

Ric pics aren't showing up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, AnotherUTFan said:

I generated the 1st noise complaint at a cool ass spot in the Mission that just reopened as a venue after a 15 year hiatus a few months ago. Sound guy told me it wasn't too bad and to be proud of it, which of course I am. Shawn Rocker with the Rickenbacker thunder! I thinking about getting a truss rod cover that says "Rockerbacker".

That kind of makes you sound like a John Rocker fan. 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, sidis said:

Thanks, not sure what happened to the link. What I meant to link was a used one that was supposedly in mint condition (looked good in pix) for $1,300 plus a hundred bucks for shipping. Had some good pix for the speakers and wiring though which is why I asked you if you saw any red flags.

But I went ahead and bought it to avoid the Beaumont drive so that is why I suspect the link doesn’t work. Will be new amp day soon!

edit: @dcbc, here are the pics.

ve99cwlc9xuqswvabzij.thumb.webp.fa0b9eb2ff6d24c875595f7dde763e5f.webp

hvw4gh5f85ufqdyakjmd.thumb.webp.6328c7b7ba4484525fd66e2d359e4bbf.webp

cppemfrqknvu0uhoreo2.thumb.webp.1f564befca3c5a1ebc1983f83e9451e6.webp

ywlc3b82mdlv75oqgois.jpg.f01b7577bb1c078bf9fb20e725cd13d5.jpg

exnxbzehvhydbjfl8nbp.webp.2508ebb39f6500b2ad965a975b17d442.webp

Looks mighty good to me.  And I think Beaumont is fresh out of $800 tweed Bassman Ltd amps.  So no worries about not making the drive. ;)  Enjoy.  Some people think those Jensens are pretty shrill until they are well broken in.  The one in the boy's amp sounded pretty good.  But the guy selling said the previous owner (RIP) gigged it a good deal.  So that probably helps.  They're great amps.  You'll enjoy it. 

Edited by dcbc
  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:

I can’t believe that vintage Fender amps were going for way less than $1000 when I first joined this thread on Shaggy. Beat up DRs are listing for 3K, and good ones are 6K.

My 1973 Deluxe Reverb ran me $650 in the late 90s.  1972 Vibrolux Reverb ran me about that the year before.  1967 Bandmaster in the mid 90s set me  back $199.

Edited by dcbc
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1970 Dual Showman reverb head - $450

1970 Super Reverb - $750

Was eying a Deluxe Reverb of the same era around the same time for $900 but was too cheap to pull the trigger.

Bought my 68 Princeton for $300 in 1992 at Zoo Music on Garland Rd. It’s been my best all around amp ever since. Great for the house, ready to gig in small venues (and mic’d up if not).
  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, G650 said:

I paid 280 bucks for my Blackface Bassman

Nice.  There's no comparison, but my first amp was a 1973 Bassman 100.  I bought it from my guitar teacher for $100.  4x12 1970 Sunn cab set me back $250.

 

Only other contender is my $225 1977 Champ.  But I bought that one in 2012 or so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Chad Fuck said:


Bought my 68 Princeton for $300 in 1992 at Zoo Music on Garland Rd. It’s been my best all around amp ever since. Great for the house, ready to gig in small venues (and mic’d up if not).

Care to make 'bout a $50 profit on that one?  I don't need any more amps, but . . . .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In 1978, I bought a Super Reverb.  16 year old me thought it would be fucking AWESOME to have such a loud amp.  It was....for about a week.   That salesman should be pelted with rocks and garbage for selling that to me.   A Princeton would have been more than enough and I would likely still have it.  

I sold the Super in 82 for what I paid for it.    I've mentioned this before but a friend was just getting in to guitar about 20 years ago.  He orders a Strat and he asks about amps.  Dude is a complete beginner at the time.  I told him, "Whenever they suggest an amp, ask to look at the two smaller amps than the one they suggest and pick one of them...preferably the small of the two.   They suggested a DR.  He comes home with Hot Rod Deville.  He lived in a condo.  He complained it was too loud for his condo.  I told him it would too loud for any place he would ever play and to go back and get a Princeton or a Champ.  He comes home with a DR.  

 

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, hullabelew said:

In 1978, I bought a Super Reverb.  16 year old me thought it would be fucking AWESOME to have such a loud amp.  It was....for about a week.   That salesman should be pelted with rocks and garbage for selling that to me.   A Princeton would have been more than enough and I would likely still have it.  

I sold the Super in 82 for what I paid for it.    I've mentioned this before but a friend was just getting in to guitar about 20 years ago.  He orders a Strat and he asks about amps.  Dude is a complete beginner at the time.  I told him, "Whenever they suggest an amp, ask to look at the two smaller amps than the one they suggest and pick one of them...preferably the small of the two.   They suggested a DR.  He comes home with Hot Rod Deville.  He lived in a condo.  He complained it was too loud for his condo.  I told him it would too loud for any place he would ever play and to go back and get a Princeton or a Champ.  He comes home with a DR.  

 

The nice thing about bigger amps for home use is that you usually get plenty of clean headroom, if that's your thing. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Deej said:

The nice thing about bigger amps for home use is that you usually get plenty of clean headroom, if that's your thing. 

16 yr old Hulla put the amp in his bedroom and ran a long-ass cable into the back yard.  Cranked that fucker, climbed through the window, closed it, and stood in the back yard and ROCKED the 400 block of W. Bloodworth and the government apartments on N. Ave G to Howard Street.   The sound of rattling windows was better than any pedal ever.   

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 yr old Hulla put the amp in his bedroom and ran a long-ass cable into the back yard.  Cranked that fucker, climbed through the window, closed it, and stood in the back yard and ROCKED the 400 block of W. Bloodworth and the government apartments on N. Ave G to Howard Street.   The sound of rattling windows was better than any pedal ever.   

Used to do this with a 100 watt Marshall. Glorious.
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to stand in front of the Bassman 100 with the channels bridged and every knob but the master volume turned up to 10.  Master probably never got above 3.  Before I sold it, I put the master on 10 (with the channel volume on 5) and quickly realized how much a beating that amp could have been to stand in front of.  Nonetheless, I have fond memories of the drummer in my high school band yelling at me to turn down.  There's a difference between standing next to a 4x12 @ 100watts and sitting across the room at a drum kit, ear level with the speakers. :)

Edited by dcbc
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In all seriousness, even a couple of years ago, you could get the silverface Princeton N/R amps for $700ish.  Now, someone wants $1,700 for this ratted up Princeton with 47 year old electrolytics in it?  Don't get me wrong.  I love Mike Campbell, but suffice it to say, I think my amp buying days are over (as soon as he said it, he knew it wasn't true).

 

https://reverb.com/item/57622772-1976-fender-princeton-guitar-amplifier-non-reverb

Edited by dcbc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, dcbc said:

In all seriousness, even a couple of years ago, you could get the silverface Princeton N/R amps for $700ish.  Now, someone wants $1,700 for this ratted up Princeton with 47 year old electrolytics in it?  Don't get me wrong.  I love Mike Campbell, but suffice it to say, I think my amp buying days are over (as soon as he said it, he knew it wasn't true).

 

https://reverb.com/item/57622772-1976-fender-princeton-guitar-amplifier-non-reverb

That's fucking insane

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, dcbc said:

In all seriousness, even a couple of years ago, you could get the silverface Princeton N/R amps for $700ish.  Now, someone wants $1,700 for this ratted up Princeton with 47 year old electrolytics in it?  Don't get me wrong.  I love Mike Campbell, but suffice it to say, I think my amp buying days are over (as soon as he said it, he knew it wasn't true).

 

https://reverb.com/item/57622772-1976-fender-princeton-guitar-amplifier-non-reverb

Guitar center has three used ones, a 1971 for $1239, a 1970 for $1499. and a 1969 for $1259.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is that good? Doesn’t seem good…

There are major arguments going on the webs right now. They saying they are done make one tube amps now.

Now the younger crowd is saying solid state is as good as tubes and the older guys are losing it. I’m a tube guy till I die
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Austin peeps, where is the go-to amp repair shop these days?  My guy Alan Durham bolted to New Mexico, along with half of our music community.

Specifics:  VOX Tony Bruno combo sounds like ass, and it's not just me.  Feels like a power tube or power supply issue.  I want someone who knows what they're doing with a tube amp.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Paul Wesley said:

Bill at Austin vintage has always done me right

Thanks, Alan Durham got back to me with the same recommendation.  However, he also said that amp doesn't have bias adjustment so I should pop in some new power tubes and see if that does the trick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Thanks, Alan Durham got back to me with the same recommendation.  However, he also said that amp doesn't have bias adjustment so I should pop in some new power tubes and see if that does the trick.

 

My first thought was to recommend just trying some new tubes and see what happens. I was curious about the comment to do it since the amp doesn't have bias adjustment though, but a Google search says that amp is cathode bias so makes sense now.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, sidis said:

IMG_4048.thumb.jpeg.40d4c881072e05e20b880f5a2c0799f6.jpeg

so uhhh, yeah. this thing…

@dcbc or @G650, any tips on playing with master vol past 1 without splitting the foundation of my house into a million pieces and shattering everyone in austin’s windows?

 

Well, I play mine between 5 and 7 so I may not be the best person to ask. But you can check out attenuators!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@sidis, if there is a cable between the amp and the speaker, like you would have between a head and external cab, you could insert an attenuator in there as @G650 suggested to let you crank it and saturate all the tubes but keep volume low.  Back when I was recording with real amps, the universal audio ox box was a decent attenuator with a lot of great capabilities for recording.  I ultimately went back to modeling with the AxeFX3, but not because real amps + ox box sucked, but more because I was spending too much on amps.

Have also heard good things about the Suhr reactive load IR box, and it is significantly cheaper, but without as high level an interface for recording.  Like you are working at a lower level with impulse responses with this, but it sounds great in various vids I've seen and was recommended alongside the ox box.

I gravitated towards those because recording was important to me, as I know it is to you.  Both will allow you to crank the amp, but lower the output to the speaker to keep volume down to non-dangerous levels. But you are getting set up to mic cabs and such, so if you are going that route, you might be able to get a straight attenuator with none of the recording features of these at a cheaper price than both.

Edited by Goredho
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Goredho said:

I was spending too much on amps.

Unpossible.

 

 

Weber makes speaker cable leads, you just insert it between the speaker out and the speakers. Can use it with any conventional attenuator.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, sidis said:

IMG_4048.thumb.jpeg.40d4c881072e05e20b880f5a2c0799f6.jpeg

so uhhh, yeah. this thing…

@dcbc or @G650, any tips on playing with master vol past 1 without splitting the foundation of my house into a million pieces and shattering everyone in austin’s windows?

it_might_get_loud_t.jpg?k=8a0b8f1ef7

 

Attenuator probably is your best bet.   You can also run it on 12 if you leave either the power cord or guitar cable unplugged. 

 

I can play mine on 3 and not shake the room, but they are big, loud, 3-D sounding amps, and the LTD (as I mentioned above) is among the louder ones for whatever reason.  You can try running the tone knobs lower . . . maybe?  Plug into the #2 input on whatever channel you're using?  I just play mine loud, honestly.

 

Here's a video of it at what I consider a very reasonable volume.  It really isn't loud at all.  But it starts to wake up at 4. :)  Last trick.  Crank the amp, roll back the guitar volume.

 

Normal channel.  V-3, T-6, B-3, M-12, P12

 

 

Edited by dcbc
  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...