What Amp Are You Playing Today?

DrewJD82 said:
The Suhr RL, from there it goes into the AxeFX.

Attenuator is next on the purchase plate…..if I can stop buyin’ frickin pedals every other day.
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I know I’m always recommending this, but a post phase inverter master volume makes that amp SO MUCH easier to work with. It’s also cheaper than pretty much any other option and is out of the circuit when all the way up. I would probably never use my 1959 if it didn’t have that feature.
 
PPIMV's really suck on 4 hoke Marshals and any amp that gets power section distortion. They also mess with the NFB and presence controls. I ended up removing them from almost every amp I have tried them in.

I would suggest the JohnH or Formal Lotus if you want an actual attenuator. They don't mess with the frequency response like almost everything else on the market.

If you want a reactive load and re-amp solution, I would consider...
  • The PS-2 or PS-100 (OK load, built in tube amp, some nice features)
  • The new Two Notes (appears to be better load, built in IcePower amp)
  • Suhr RL and separate power amp (Good load, flexible power options but not integrated in one box)
 
Chocol8 said:
PPIMV's really suck on 4 hoke Marshals and any amp that gets power section distortion. They also mess with the NFB and presence controls. I ended up removing them from almost every amp I have tried them in.

I would suggest the JohnH or Formal Lotus if you want an actual attenuator. They don't mess with the frequency response like almost everything else on the market.

If you want a reactive load and re-amp solution, I would consider...
  • The PS-2 or PS-100 (OK load, built in tube amp, some nice features)
  • The new Two Notes (appears to be better load, built in IcePower amp)
  • Suhr RL and separate power amp (Good load, flexible power options but not integrated in one box)
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To each their own. PPIV works great for me and many others, negates the need for external hardware. Obviously there are some trade offs depending on preferences and context.
 
Weeks later I'm still using the Tone King Imperial Preamp into the "Amp In" jack on my Catalyst CX 100.

The simplicity of that rig enables me to plug in and practice without any thoughts of tweaking. effects, or other distractions.

The clean tone is great for Jazz, R&B, and Funk. The gain channel excels at edge of breakup to classic Blues or Blues Rock tones.

Well done Reverb and Tremolo complete the '60s Fender package and the whole rig takes me back to when I was gigging by just plugging straight into a '65 Super Reverb.

It's the perfect rig for getting a Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, George Benson vibe and living in that space as well as Nile Rodgers to Jimmy Nolen style rhythm comping.

The fact that I've been playing through it for weeks without plugging in my FM9 or Fryette heads, both of which I absolutely love, says a lot.
 
EOengineer said:
To each their own. PPIV works great for me and many others, negates the need for external hardware. Obviously there are some trade offs depending on preferences and context.
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That's my experience as well, but I've only used PPIMVs in amps that have been built from the ground up to use them.

To me it mostly just sounds "cleaner" when you turn the PPIMV down. I think it's a fine compromise.

Every attenuator is its own compromise anyway as no loadbox will behave the same as amp -> your favorite cab. Good reactive attenuators are also hideously expensive.

My recommendation for anyone who isn't adamant about wanting poweramp distortion from an old school amp is that they would be better off just finding a master volume amp that sounds the way they like at the volumes they use.

Of the amps I've owned over the past I don't know, 5 years or more, none of them really needed an attenuator. I always made sure to buy amps that sound great on their own at the volumes I was using, even at home.
 
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laxu said:
That's my experience as well, but I've only used PPIMVs in amps that have been built from the ground up to use them, even

To me it mostly just sounds "cleaner" when you turn the PPIMV down. I think it's a fine compromise.

Every attenuator is its own compromise anyway as no loadbox will behave the same as amp -> your favorite cab. Good reactive attenuators are also hideously expensive.
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It is absolutely true that there is an impact to the negative feedback & presence circuit when used in a Superlead with the master below ~40%. That’s a good thing to point out as a consideration.

If going for absolute tonal purity, the post phase inverter master might not be the way with those amps. However, with it being a < $100 mod and completely out of the circuit when turned up it becomes a very useful escape hatch of you find yourself in an environment where you need crunch and don’t have pedals or other attenuation. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean we HAVE to use it if another option exists.

I think mine sounds great FWIW.

laxu said:
My recommendation for anyone who isn't adamant about wanting poweramp distortion from an old school amp is that they would be better off just finding a master volume amp that sounds the way they like at the volumes they use.
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This is good advice. My 1959 doesn’t get gigged much these days even with the volume control. I’ve migrated almost entirely to a 2204 as I find the 50 watts a bit more manageable and that amp is just better suited to not being dimed all the time.
 
laxu said:
My recommendation for anyone who isn't adamant about wanting poweramp distortion from an old school amp is that they would be better off just finding a master volume amp that sounds the way they like at the volumes they use.
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This is what I try to do as well! I am a simple player that isn’t looking for a ton of variety so I can get away with it easy.
 
The little amp that could… AC10

IMG_7345.jpeg
 
Deadpan said:
Has to be one of the heaviest amps made! I do mean weight :)
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I've always thought those have some special mojo for sounding nice and thick at a reasonable practice volume. I've never kept one because I could never dial in anything except that Orange sound, but so satisfying to riff through for an hour or two.
 
Tenebris said:
I've always thought those have some special mojo for sounding nice and thick at a reasonable practice volume. I've never kept one because I could never dial in anything except that Orange sound, but so satisfying to riff through for an hour or two.
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I'm just starting with this one but I was able to get a range of tones from my 50 watt.

Gonna pull that chassis and double check the bias tomorrow. It’s at factory right now and I had a feeling it's cold.
 
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