Went to GC today (random amp thoughts)

[metropolis_4]

- Gibson Falcon amps aren’t bad, but kid of meh. The smaller one is super bright and thin.

- Not a single Marshall in the whole store. I’ve never seen that before. Weird.

- That little Mark V 25 combo can sound pretty good clean, but it gets super boxy on overdrive channel! Also the gain on the second channel comes on super fast!

- Mark VII combo is great… but I don’t think it sounds good enough to justify its price. I played amps costing 1/4 its price with better clean tones!

- I don’t think I can do Fender Tone Master amps… they sound fake to me after playing the tube versions.

- I really wish Fender would make blackface amps with a PPIMV…

- Silverface modern Fenders not bad, but the Princeton is kinda meh…

- Mesa Cali Tweed =

- I really wish Vox would make their amps in the format Bad Cat uses - smaller cabinets, open back, access to the speaker jacks so I could run one into a load box… that old AC30 head/cab stack I used to play is ginormous looking now

 

[The-Kid]

- Gibson Falcon amps aren’t bad, but kid of meh. The smaller one is super bright and thin.

- Not a single Marshall in the whole store. I’ve never seen that before. Weird.

- That little Mark V 25 combo can sound pretty good clean, but it gets super boxy on overdrive channel! Also the gain on the second channel comes on super fast!

- Mark VII combo is great… but I don’t think it sounds good enough to justify its price. I played amps costing 1/4 its price with better clean tones!

- I don’t think I can do Fender Tone Master amps… they sound fake to me after playing the tube versions.

- I really wish Fender would make blackface amps with a PPIMV…

- Silverface modern Fenders not bad, but the Princeton is kinda meh…

- Mesa Cali Tweed =

- I really wish Vox would make their amps in the format Bad Cat uses - smaller cabinets, open back, access to the speaker jacks so I could run one into a load box… that old AC30 head/cab stack I used to play is ginormous looking now

This or I mean Fender could make modules to support FX loop, DI out and an Attenuator for Reissues.....



With todays tech and SMD I mean it could be easily doable and not cost as much as it could or would have just 3-5 years ago.


Pretty much a Friedman PS2 or Tone King Ironman ll but made by Fender for Reissues

 

[Aelred]

- Mark VII combo is great… but I don’t think it sounds good enough to justify its price. I played amps costing 1/4 its price with better clean tones!

Thank you! I needed to read this to settle my GAS for one.

I guess the "No Marshall's in store. I have never seen this before!" thing is not just me in Obscureville, Australia.

Still, it feels weird to have no Marshall amps and no Fender guitars in a store that used to have them lining the walls a few years ago. Even here in Obscureville.

 

[Southpaw-DD]

- Mesa Cali Tweed =

Which wattage/model did you try? I've been thinking about one of those (but don't need it - I have a Fillmore 25 head).

 

[metropolis_4]

Which wattage/model did you try? I've been thinking about one of those (but don't need it - I have a Fillmore 25 head).

This one was the 4:40 combo. I’ve tried the 2:20 combo before and wasn’t as crazy about it. I think it’s mostly the cab though. I’d be curious to try the 2:20 head into a better cab.

I’d really like to find a Fillmore 25 head to try out! That one is high on my list of possible amps for me

 

[metropolis_4]

This or I mean Fender could make modules to support FX loop, DI out and an Attenuator for Reissues.....



With todays tech and SMD I mean it could be easily doable and not cost as much as it could or would have just 3-5 years ago.


Pretty much a Friedman PS2 or Tone King Ironman ll but made by Fender for Reissues

Back when Fender first introduced the Hot Rod series it was great to see them take some classic amps and give them a modern twist.

I think it’s time for them to do that again. It would be great to see Fender introduce a new modern amp line designed with features for todays players needs

 

[bikescene]

I went to a GC last month, but didn’t notice any Gibson/Mesa stuff. I may keep an eye out next time.

About Vox, I think the AC15C1 is a good compromise for its form factor. It’s about as large as a typical 1x12 extension cab and I think it gets the Vox sound. It has a speaker jack in the back that disconnects the internal speaker via a switch. I run mine with a Suhr Reactive Load at home often.

 

[Southpaw-DD]

While probably not the exact same, I feel like the Fillmore is a good approximation of a Fender w/ a master volume. I don't love the gain settings, but the clean with gain way up is really nice for a low gain foundation.

An amp that surprised me in a good way is the Revv D20. There are times when I think it sounds better than the Fillmore, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[metropolis_4]

I went to a GC last month, but didn’t notice any Gibson/Mesa stuff. I may keep an eye out next time.

About Vox, I think the AC15C1 is a good compromise for its form factor. It’s about as large as a typical 1x12 extension cab and I think it gets the Vox sound. It has a speaker jack in the back that disconnects the internal speaker via a switch. I run mine with a Suhr Reactive Load at home often.

That’s really good to know, thanks!

That was something that had kept me away from Vox amps for a while now.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Honestly, the Cali Tweed is the only Mesa that's interested me in recent years. It always seems to get praise.
Speaking of Vox style amps -- the older I get the more I prefer Vox cleans. I still love the Fenders (staring at my Twin Reverb -- "you know I still love you" ), but there's just something about the feel and clarity of a vox circuit that just hits home with me these days.

 

[metropolis_4]

Honestly, the Cali Tweed is the only Mesa that's interested me in recent years. It always seems to get praise.
Speaking of Vox style amps -- the older I get the more I prefer Vox cleans. I still love the Fenders (staring at my Twin Reverb -- "you know I still love you" ), but there's just something about the feel and clarity of a vox circuit that just hits home with me these days.

Vox amps have always been my thing. The first time I played an ac30 is burned into my memory and they’ve been the sound in my head ever since.

 

[paisleywookiee]

The Cali Tweed is an amazing amp.......once you try it with another speaker. Jensens are terrible, IMO. It really shines with a Creamback.

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

I really wish Fender would make blackface amps with a PPIMV…

Supersonic, bassbreaker?…both excellent amps imho.
If I’m correct they also did a deluxe version with loop and digital efx…

somehow “the public” seems to keep favoring the classics and newer models stay under the radar/die a young death.

 

[laxu]

Vox amps have always been my thing. The first time I played an ac30 is burned into my memory and they’ve been the sound in my head ever since.

Give the Victory VC35 lunchbox head a go through some Alnico Golds or Blues if you get the chance.

 

[la szum]

Vox amps have always been my thing. The first time I played an ac30 is burned into my memory and they’ve been the sound in my head ever since.

Man, I'd love to get to a Shop and have a nice sit down and play through
a bunch of amps. Sounds like a fun day to me.

 

[metropolis_4]

Supersonic, bassbreaker?…both excellent amps imho.
If I’m correct they also did a deluxe version with loop and digital efx…

Those aren’t really what I mean. The Supersonic does have a master but it’s on the burn channel, not the channel that is voiced like a blackface Deluxe.

The Bassbreaker is sort of a tweed meets Marshall thing that is its own voice.

somehow “the public” seems to keep favoring the classics and newer models stay under the radar/die a young death.

I don’t think that’s true.

Bassbreakers have been around for almost 10 years.
The Supersonic has been around for almost 20 years.
Hot Rod amps have been around for almost 30 years.

All of them are still popular. The Hot Rods have been possibly the most used amps of the past 30 years

 

[paisleywookiee]

Those aren’t really what I mean. The Supersonic does have a master but it’s on the burn channel, not the channel that is voiced like a blackface Deluxe.

The Bassbreaker is sort of a tweed meets Marshall thing that is its own voice.



I don’t think that’s true.

Bassbreakers have been around for almost 10 years.
The Supersonic has been around for almost 20 years.
Hot Rod amps have been around for almost 30 years.

All of them are still popular. The Hot Rods have been possibly the most used amps of the past 30 years

Not the mention the Bassbreaker series aren't at all the same thing as a Black Panel. Completely different sound.

 

[metropolis_4]

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Man, I'd love to get to a Shop and have a nice play sit down and play through
a bunch of amps. Sounds like a fun day to me.

I was late to the game with Marshall, but I love them now.

My first experience with a Marshall was really bad! When I was young and didn’t know better I had to play a show with an early ‘70s 100w Plexi half stack someone else had provided.

I had no idea how to use that amp and I had to use it with the volume set really low and clean. It must have had a crazy bright cap value, all I remember was it was brutally harsh - shrill, clangy… just the worst sound I’d ever heard.

That turned me off Marshall for a long time. It took a while for me to learn how to use them, but once I did it was a huge epiphany!

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

Those aren’t really what I mean. The Supersonic does have a master but it’s on the burn channel, not the channel that is voiced like a blackface Deluxe.

True, you could insert volumecontrol in the efx loop however to get the clean channel working.
But..if your aiming to get the sound of a cooking deluxe…you’re probably better off using the burn channel.

The Bassbreaker is sort of a tweed meets Marshall thing that is its own voice.

To my ears to first channel of the 15 version does the fender thing…but maybe the bigger versions don’t come the same 3 channels?..not sure.
Made some profiles of it couple years back, very versatile amp imo.

 

[mbenigni]

I was late to the game with Marshall, but I love them now.

My first experience with a Marshall was really bad! When I was young and didn’t know better I had to play a show with an early ‘70s 100w Plexi half stack someone else had provided.

I had no idea how to use that amp and I had to use it with the volume set really low and clean. It must have had a crazy bright cap value, all I remember was it was brutally harsh - shrill, clangy… just the worst sound I’d ever heard.

That turned me off Marshall for a long time. It took a while for me to learn how to use them, but once I did it was a huge epiphany!

My introduction to Marshall was exactly the same.