I don't know what I want but I want it

[Jarick]

Friedman JJ Jr? You'd have to go used or stretch you budget a bit though.

• Clean channel = AC30
• Dirty channel = Friedman BE (switchable to modded HBE)
• 20 watts with a good master volume
• High quality effects loop

Lots of 2x12 cabs to choose from as well, including a vertical one.

 

[Whizzinby]

Friedman JJ Jr? You'd have to go used or stretch you budget a bit though.

• Clean channel = AC30
• Dirty channel = Friedman BE (switchable to modded HBE)
• 20 watts with a good master volume
• High quality effects loop

Lots of 2x12 cabs to choose from as well, including a vertical one.

AC30 + BE/HBE sounds fantastic. Not sure why I haven’t given the JJ’s more thought in my Friedman hunt.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Friedman JJ Jr? You'd have to go used or stretch you budget a bit though.

• Clean channel = AC30
• Dirty channel = Friedman BE (switchable to modded HBE)
• 20 watts with a good master volume
• High quality effects loop

Lots of 2x12 cabs to choose from as well, including a vertical one.

Man that sounds divine on paper

 

[la szum]

Used Used Mesa Boogie TA30 Trans Atlantic 40W Tube Guitar Amp Head

Shop for the Used Used Mesa Boogie TA30 Trans Atlantic 40W Tube Guitar Amp Head and receive free shipping on your order and the guaranteed lowest price.

www.guitarcenter.com

You already have the Creamtana loaded cab.

 

[Steinmetzify]

Friedman JJ Jr? You'd have to go used or stretch you budget a bit though.

• Clean channel = AC30
• Dirty channel = Friedman BE (switchable to modded HBE)
• 20 watts with a good master volume
• High quality effects loop

Lots of 2x12 cabs to choose from as well, including a vertical one.

Doesn’t this have a reactive load out too?

 

[Jarick]

Doesn’t this have a reactive load out too?

It does have a built in load with analog cab sim. But I’m not sure if it’s a reactive load and if the cab sim can be defeated to use IRs.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I can get along with the fact that it may all be in my head and I'm overthinking things. I played the HX into the Katana today and shook the room with my 8 string. It put a smile on my face and I thought maybe I dont need to shell out $1k+ on basicly a whole rig just to see if the grass is greener although I was THIS CLOSE to snagging IRT studio from Reverb for under $600 shipped...

Start with getting a cab since you seem to be looking at heads amp wise. If you run your Helix through the poweramp into the cab and are still dreaming of greener grass, add a head. The TA-30 IS really exactly what you're describing, and the head used is fairly reasonable.

If a Katana combo was making you smile...then a decent cab of normal size and Celestion speaker will put a huge smile on your face.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

The TA-30 combo from Walmart gave me a chuckle:
View attachment 4085

FYI, the TA-30 head is this nice tidy little package that's a little dense but still easy to manage. the combos are...portly.

 

[TJontheRoad]

FYI, the TA-30 head is this nice tidy little package that's a little dense but still easy to manage. the combos are...portly.

TA-30 combos also suffer from crappy control placement design that is at the rear of the amp and facing backwards. So if you're standing in front as you normally would, you need to lean way over the top of the amp and all those dials and switches are upside down. WTF, where they thinking? That was main reason I sold mine. Heads are also preferred for recording where you can use different IRs for the types of amp settings.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'm def thinking about a cab first now -- there's one of those carpet-lined Tubeworks 2x12 cabs with Avatar Hellatone Vintage 30s semi-local to me for under $200. I wonder if my cat would have just as much fun with it as me.

FYI, the TA-30 head is this nice tidy little package that's a little dense but still easy to manage. the combos are...portly.

TA-30 combos also suffer from crappy control placement design that is at the rear of the amp and facing backwards. So if you're standing in front as you normally would, you need to lean way over the top of the amp and all those dials and switches are upside down. WTF, where they thinking? That was main reason I sold mine. Heads are also preferred for recording where you can use different IRs for the types of amp settings.

oh, I wasn't seriously considering a combo -- it was just an amusing thought -- that Walmart is a Mesa "dealer"

 

[mbenigni]

The TA-30 combo from Walmart gave me a chuckle:
View attachment 4085

Better still: order it from Amazon and return it at Kohls. Without a box.

 

[mbenigni]

Used Used Mesa Boogie TA30 Trans Atlantic 40W Tube Guitar Amp Head

Shop for the Used Used Mesa Boogie TA30 Trans Atlantic 40W Tube Guitar Amp Head and receive free shipping on your order and the guaranteed lowest price.

www.guitarcenter.com

You already have the Creamtana loaded cab.

Not sure what's going on here (or why the link name is messed up) but $800??

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[Alex Kenivel]

I've been really happy with the MT15 and Greenback 2x12. The cab (compared to the Katana w/ Creamback I was using) has more oomph and the MT15 has been a blast to play with. I get that chunky midrange with palm mutes that I love with the Lead channel and can be tamed pretty well for some low gain vibes that along with the Clean channel is great for the funk fusion stuff I find myself attracted to. Modeled PoT from HX into the front of the clean channel and I get a beautiful set-and-forget sparkly light gain tone.

The channel switching was a little complicated to sort out and I ultimately found a MIDI solution that worked.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

My benchmark for metal tones so far had been the Badonk amp model in HX land. It has been a little while now since I've A/B compared them but the MT15 has what seems like more limited tone stack controls albeit more useful. On the Badonk the controls are easy to take too far. The gain on the Badonk can be tapered down much easier.

Just A/Bed a little now. I can gry them to sound pretty damn close which puts me in a happy place. I always said they came out with a physical Badonk amp I'd want it, now I've got a little Badonk

 

[EOengineer]

I've got a little Badonk

Don’t worry, I hear it’s all in how you use it.

 

[Iron1]

 

[mbenigni]

Not sure what's going on here (or why the link name is messed up) but $800??

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OK, you frickin' enablers. I bought the $800 TA-30 for myself. This amp has never even been on my radar, but how many opportunities do you get to buy a Mesa anything for < $1K.

Apparently it has "a little dent" on the back. No idea what that actually means. Had to pay tax and ~$35 shipping, but all I'm personally on the hook for is the shipping. If I hate the amp, I can just drive it to a local GC for a refund. Maybe I'll hit Kohl's on the way back for some socks.

 

[JT]

OK you frickin' enablers. I bought the $800 TA-30 myself. This amp has never even been on my radar, but how many opportunities to you get to buy a Mesa anything for < $1K.

Apparently it has "a little dent" on the back. No actual idea what that actually means. Had to pay tax and ~$35 shipping, but all I'm personally on the hook for is the shipping. If I hate the amp, I can just drive it to a local GC for a refund. Maybe I'll hit Kohl's on the way back for some socks.

 

[mbenigni]

Can you believe I actually bought a thing?

 

[JT]

Can you believe I actually bought a thing?

You did good! Definitely report back!