My Never-Ending Gigging Amp Journey

[Count_Drugula]

First off, this is my first post here, hello to all! Some of you may know me from TOP from a different name. I apologize in advance for a long first post.

I've been on a long quest to find the right compact amp for gigging for me and the journey continues, so maybe you fine folks have some suggestions I haven't considered yet.

Here are my current amps in rotation:

• Mesa TA-30 head
• Fuchs Full House 50 head
• BluGuitar Amp 1
• Peavey Bravo 1x12
• Peavey VTM-60 head
• Splawn Quick Rod 100 head

The Splawn's are my favorite for heavy rock, classic rock, metal stuff that my band does, but I play with several other bands that lean mostly towards the non-heavy side of things (funk, surf, alt/indie, pop, blues, jazz, etc). I'm also mostly playing places with limited stage room and lower volumes so a 100w head + 4x12 are not appropriate. Lightweight and small is what I'm looking for.

I've been using the Mesa TA-30 for a few years now and the sounds are pretty good and the features are nice but I find it lacking a bit in the low mids on both channels, and a bit uninspiring. I'm starting to think I don't like Mesa dirt or EL84 amps. I just got the Fuchs and while it sounds good, the effects loop doesn't jive with my pedals so I'm not sure I can make it work.

Here's some other amps I've been through on this journey:

• Ampeg GVT-15
• Orange OR-15H
• Mesa Express 5:25
• Laney GH30R
• Marshall DSL40CR
• Rivera M60-112
• Fender DRRI
• Fender HRDX

I'm after a 2-channel amp with a good full-sounding clean channel with plenty of headroom and a great dirty channel. I'm not a fan of pedals into a clean amp, I've tried and it always sounds and feels subpar. Here's what I'm looking for:

• 30-50 tube watts, preferably not EL84.
• 2 channels: A clean that stays clean for funk and a British-style dirty channel that stays clear, not muddy, up to JCM800 levels of gain. Global master volume would be great.
• Fully buffered effects loop is a must! I use delay & reverb pedals thru the loop.
• Smallbox, lightweight head, preferably less than 23" wide and <40 lbs (needs to fit on my cabs).

This will be played though either a Splawn 2x12 with Weber M75/J75 Legacies or a Mojotone Slammins 1x12 with a Scumback J75LD. Guitars used will be all humbuckers, no single coils, and some of them have ample lows (Reverend) so the headroom needs to be able to accommodate that (something that seems tough to find). Budget will be under $2000, used. The next ones on my radar are the Fender Super Sonic or the Bogner 3534 but I don't know if that will be too aggressive on the gain channels. Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks!

 

[spawnofthesith]

First of all, Electric Wizard FTW


Have you considered a 50 watt 5153? Red channel probably way overkill for anything you need but based on your requirements I think the blue channel would excel. The clean channel is good, although having my Mesa Marks kind of ruins the clean channel on any other amp for me, nothing sounds as good as mark cleans to my ear lolol

But its definitely a good clean. And they're probably one of the best values on the used market out there. I'd be sure to get one of the newer ones that has the concentric gain/volume pots for the green/blue channels. And size and weight are just pretty much perfect and exactly in your spec range

 

[Desertdweller]

I've been on a long quest to find the right compact amp for gigging for me

Go big or go home.

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

First off, this is my first post here, hello to all! Some of you may know me from TOP from a different name. I apologize in advance for a long first post.

I've been on a long quest to find the right compact amp for gigging for me and the journey continues, so maybe you fine folks have some suggestions I haven't considered yet.

Here are my current amps in rotation:

• Mesa TA-30 head
• Fuchs Full House 50 head
• BluGuitar Amp 1
• Peavey Bravo 1x12
• Peavey VTM-60 head
• Splawn Quick Rod 100 head

The Splawn's are my favorite for heavy rock, classic rock, metal stuff that my band does, but I play with several other bands that lean mostly towards the non-heavy side of things (funk, surf, alt/indie, pop, blues, jazz, etc). I'm also mostly playing places with limited stage room and lower volumes so a 100w head + 4x12 are not appropriate. Lightweight and small is what I'm looking for

I've been using the Mesa TA-30 for a few years now and the sounds are pretty good and the features are nice but I find it lacking a bit in the low mids on both channels, and a bit uninspiring. I'm starting to think I don't like Mesa dirt or EL84 amps. I just got the Fuchs and while it sounds good, the effects loop doesn't jive with my pedals so I'm not sure I can make it work.

Here's some other amps I've been through on this journey:

• Ampeg GVT-15
• Orange OR-15H
• Mesa Express 5:25
• Laney GH30R
• Marshall DSL40CR
• Rivera M60-112
• Fender DRRI
• Fender HRDX

I'm after a 2-channel amp with a good full-sounding clean channel with plenty of headroom and a great dirty channel. I'm not a fan of pedals into a clean amp, I've tried and it always sounds and feels subpar. Here's what I'm looking for:

• 30-50 tube watts, preferably not EL84.
• 2 channels: A clean that stays clean for funk and a British-style dirty channel that stays clear, not muddy, up to JCM800 levels of gain. Global master volume would be great.
• Fully buffered effects loop is a must! I use delay & reverb pedals thru the loop.
• Smallbox, lightweight head, preferably less than 23" wide and <40 lbs (needs to fit on my cabs).

This will be played though either a Splawn 2x12 with Weber M75/J75 Legacies or a Mojotone Slammins 1x12 with a Scumback J75LD. Guitars used will be all humbuckers, no single coils, and some of them have ample lows (Reverend) so the headroom needs to be able to accommodate that (something that seems tough to find). Budget will be under $2000, used. the next one on my radar is the Bogner 3534 but I don't know if that will be too aggressive on the gain channels. Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks!

Laney GH100L/GH50L

Oops, reading comprehension is weak in me right now.....not a small box amp....but exactly in your sweet spot. And just noticed the GH30R added.....that's newer, and a little different....but sorry....ill move on.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Badlander 50 says hi.

 

[laxu]

Doesn't the BluGuitar Amp 1 fit the bill pretty perfectly already?

 

[sleewell]

rig talk enters the chat hahaha

that sounds miserable to me lol

just find an amp and stick with it. its also probably not the amp. the cab and speakers are much more important.

there is also the possibility that you dial them in about the same and are just spending money bc you have it.

 

[Desertdweller]

@Count_Drugula try the higher gain Mesa amps. The Mesa V35 may be just right for you. It’s EL84, but it’s a quad of them, and it has 6 modes across 2 channels so you’ll have every tone imaginable. It’s small enough to be rackmounted and light enough a toddler could bench press it.

 

[Count_Drugula]

First of all, Electric Wizard FTW


Have you considered a 50 watt 5153? Red channel probably way overkill for anything you need but based on your requirements I think the blue channel would excel. The clean channel is good, although having my Mesa Marks kind of ruins the clean channel on any other amp for me, nothing sounds as good as mark cleans to my ear lolol

But its definitely a good clean. And they're probably one of the best values on the used market out there. I'd be sure to get one of the newer ones that has the concentric gain/volume pots for the green/blue channels. And size and weight are just pretty much perfect and exactly in your spec range

EW is the kind of stuff I would rather play!! I have only dabbled on a 5153 for a short time and really don't remember much about it TBH. Why avoid the older ones, because no control over gain levels? Yeah the Mesa cleans are generally awesome. I played a Fillmore 50 thinking that would be the one and while the clean was amazing, the drive / hi mode did nothing for me.

Laney GH100L/GH50L

Oops, reading comprehension is weak in me right now.....not a small box amp....but exactly in your sweet spot. And just noticed the GH30R added.....that's newer, and a little different....but sorry....ill move on.

I borrowed a GH50L for a few months, great amp but loud as hell! Yeah, not exactly portable either.

Badlander 50 says hi.

On the list for sure although I'm not feeling the Mesa gain lately.

 

[Count_Drugula]

Doesn't the BluGuitar Amp 1 fit the bill pretty perfectly already?

Yes and no. It sounds very good for a solid state amp but I'm looking for a full tube amp. It's a great sounding piece of kit and super useful though. I'll be using it at next weekend's gig and I always bring it as a backup to my other amps. The clean is just ok on it but the Classic channel is my jam, great Plexi sounds at low volumes.

rig talk enters the chat hahaha

that sounds miserable to me lol

just find an amp and stick with it. its also probably not the amp. the cab and speakers are much more important.

there is also the possibility that you dial them in about the same and are just spending money bc you have it.

It's actually fun trying different amps, I enjoy it, but I am getting tired of changing setups all the time. It's definitely the amp because my setup sounds awesome with my high gainers. I definitely dial the gain in to sound like a modded Marshall so all my speakers should gel with that because they are greenback types.

@Count_Drugula try the higher gain Mesa amps. The Mesa V35 may be just right for you. It’s EL84, but it’s a quad of them, and it has 6 modes across 2 channels so you’ll have every tone imaginable. It’s small enough to be rackmounted and light enough a toddler could bench press it.

Never tried that one, doesn't it have the clean & crunch on the same channel? I had that problem with my Express, the 2 best modes were not footswitchable.

 

[spawnofthesith]

EW is the kind of stuff I would rather play!! I have only dabbled on a 5153 for a short time and really don't remember much about it TBH. Why avoid the older ones, because no control over gain levels? Yeah the Mesa cleans are generally awesome. I played a Fillmore 50 thinking that would be the one and while the clean was amazing, the drive / hi mode did nothing for me.

The clean and blue channels share eq and controls on the 50 watters, but the V2s and all the tube and stealth variations there after made the gain and volume pots concentric so you don't have to compromise so much on those two channels. At least with gain and volume leveling. Shared EQ not an issue at all imo

 

[TSJMajesty]

Lots of clean headroom on the 90 watt Mk V, then you can dial down the watts in either of the other 2 channels. Can run either EL34 or 6L6 tubes, has buffered loop, global level, less then 23", but just a bit over 40 lbs. Plenty of switchable tonal options that make it one of the most versatile amps ever made, and lots of examples under 2 grand on the used market.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Lots of clean headroom on the 90 watt Mk V, then you can dial down the watts in either of the other 2 channels. Can run either EL34 or 6L6 tubes, has buffered loop, global level, less then 23", but just a bit over 40 lbs. Plenty of switchable tonal options that make it one of the most versatile amps ever made, and lots of examples under 2 grand on the used market.

Glad someone else said it I wanted to suggest a Mark V but I'm a bit extremely biased

 

[TSJMajesty]

Glad someone else said it I wanted to suggest a Mark V but I'm a bit extremely biased

So am I. But for good reason.

 

[Byrdman]

You already have amps to get that awesome crunch. Have you thought about an A/B switch to run 2 amps? One amp for crunch and another for clean?

It's not light, but an older 100w DSL head can be picked up pretty cheap and can be run at 50w but with the MV's it's not really needed IMO. If you do the C19 mod, the red/second channel sounds almost as good as the green crunch with plenty of headroom. I would prefer one of these vs the new 40w combo. To me, they sound better.

The Marshall SV & SC Studio series are EL34 amps and are plenty loud but not 2 ch. I have a SC20H, but the SV20H Plexi amp cleans up very nicely with the guitar volume as does the SC20H I have, but not as much as the SV. Both are light and pack a punch with those EL34's.

Just throwing out other ideas for you that has not been mentioned and probably not needed with the amps you currently have.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

This thread is pure gold:

Sleewell: "dude, you're way too picky. Nobody cares about your tone nearly as much as you think they do."

Laxu: "surely the Blu is utter perfection?!?"

Spawn: "5153 solves all problems"

Jive: "Badlander solves all problems"

Dessert: "You just haven't tried the RIGHT Mesa with el84s"

TSJ: "You just haven't tried the RIGHT Mesa"

Byrdman-standing-in-for-90%-of-the-place: "You say a head and 4x12 is too much. Have you considered TWO heads and 4x12s?!?"

Now I'm in here being an asshole...

We just need Stone to come in and remind us how much he loves his Fractal and we should juuuuuuuuust about have the entire forum all wrapped up neatly in one thread?

 

[CorrosiveMatter]

I love Stones Fractal!

-helping

 

[TSJMajesty]

This thread is pure gold:

Sleewell: "dude, you're way too picky. Nobody cares about your tone nearly as much as you think they do."

Laxu: "surely the Blu is utter perfection?!?"

Spawn: "5153 solves all problems"

Jive: "Badlander solves all problems"

Dessert: "You just haven't tried the RIGHT Mesa with el84s"

TSJ: "You just haven't tried the RIGHT Mesa"

Byrdman-standing-in-for-90%-of-the-place: "You say a head and 4x12 is too much. Have you considered TWO heads and 4x12s?!?"

Now I'm in here being an asshole...

We just need Stone to come in and remind us how much he loves his Fractal and we should juuuuuuuuust about have the entire forum all wrapped up neatly in one thread?

That's about 70% of the threads here.

OOH OOH.... Do one on guitars!!

 

[laxu]

Yes and no. It sounds very good for a solid state amp but I'm looking for a full tube amp. It's a great sounding piece of kit and super useful though. I'll be using it at next weekend's gig and I always bring it as a backup to my other amps. The clean is just ok on it but the Classic channel is my jam, great Plexi sounds at low volumes.

Try the clean channel with the volume turned higher and boost enabled. Adjust the tiny side tone control based on preference for the cab you use.

I think it can have stellar cleans if you throw some reverb at it and the boost enabled sounds better to me.

 

[Count_Drugula]

Lots of clean headroom on the 90 watt Mk V, then you can dial down the watts in either of the other 2 channels. Can run either EL34 or 6L6 tubes, has buffered loop, global level, less then 23", but just a bit over 40 lbs. Plenty of switchable tonal options that make it one of the most versatile amps ever made, and lots of examples under 2 grand on the used market.

I love the MkV I played, so many great sounds, but not the best gigging amp with all of those controls. I need simple for live work!

This thread is pure gold:

Sleewell: "dude, you're way too picky. Nobody cares about your tone nearly as much as you think they do."

Laxu: "surely the Blu is utter perfection?!?"

Spawn: "5153 solves all problems"

Jive: "Badlander solves all problems"

Dessert: "You just haven't tried the RIGHT Mesa with el84s"

TSJ: "You just haven't tried the RIGHT Mesa"

Byrdman-standing-in-for-90%-of-the-place: "You say a head and 4x12 is too much. Have you considered TWO heads and 4x12s?!?"

Now I'm in here being an asshole...

We just need Stone to come in and remind us how much he loves his Fractal and we should juuuuuuuuust about have the entire forum all wrapped up neatly in one thread?

Ah forums! It's fine, I've come to expect it by now and I do admit to being particular but yeah, some of these suggestions are all over the place. I should reiterate that I'm not looking for a high gain amp, I have those covered already.

Try the clean channel with the volume turned higher and boost enabled. Adjust the tiny side tone control based on preference for the cab you use.

I think it can have stellar cleans if you throw some reverb at it and the boost enabled sounds better to me.

I've tried every possible way you can adjust these amps, I'm a serial tweaker. I do use the clean with the boost on and reverb / delay, it's serviceable but not outstanding to my ears, not like a great tube amp.