What would you get for a B-rig?

[newpedals]

If I had the money for it, I will always go for a tube amp. I am obsessed with them. They have the added advantage of having EQ, overdrive and perhaps reverb knobs right on their face. No menu diving, no screens, nothing like that.

If you already have an amp emulating pedal, I think your backup rig should have a (small-ish) real tube amp. You can always mic it.

 

[maddnotez]

If money was no object the synergy with the Fortin Cali module. I haven't really played the synergy stuff but that one sounds great in the videos.

if you're on to Fryette then yeah, dude just get the tube amp.


If money is tight then the Tight Metal Pro probably.

Edit: ive been looking at those crab amps Jerevil posted for quite a while now and they seem killer. Tube amp and they're cheap.

 

[saarangnarayan]

My A rig is an Axe Fx III. I already have a B rig: FM3. I also have a C rig: Friedman IR-X with pedals through a tube poweramp and 1x12 cab. D rig is focusrite Scarlett solo and quite a few plugins (NDSP, Nembrini, Aurora DSP).

I guess my E rig would be a headphone amp of some sort.

 

[newpedals]

If money was no object the synergy with the Fortin Cali module. I haven't really played the synergy stuff but that one sounds great in the videos.

if you're on to Fryette then yeah, dude just get the tube amp.


If money is tight then the Tight Metal Pro probably.

Edit: ive been looking at those crab amps Jerevil posted for quite a while now and they seem killer. Tube amp and they're cheap.

Not affiliated in any way with these: but budget tube amp brands like Monoprice, Bugera are not bad. I had seen a Monoprice 1x8" combo with volume and tone knobs in a store some time back. The sales guy had said that pros generally swap the tubes for better ones, get the internal components "fortified". If handled carefully, the build quality is not too bad.

 

[itchyfingers]

Life is too short for a B rig!

 

[laxu]

Hotone Ampero 2 Stomp -> Fryette PS-100 -> Bluetone 4x10 tested!

The PS-100 is a Fryette for sure. If I use preamp models it can be kinda dry, and using the presence and depth knobs to add a bit more vibe to it helps. It's still not going to be anything I'd call "old school", it doesn't sag, the depth just adds more thump. It's like being punched over and over, and all you can do is determine how much it hurts by using the PS-100 controls.

Like with Fractal, I preferred running full amp models into it, because those can give it a different feel easier than just preamp models.

This setup sounded really nice to my ears and I was happy with the tones I was getting with the various amp models I tried, from Dr Z to SLO to Mark IV to Bogner XTC, some captures etc.

So for now, I think I'll roll with this, and maybe buy some suitable tube amp when the right thing for the right price shows up.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

ToneX

Just kidding. I’d honestly go for either a:

- DSL 100H or HR
- Jet City 50 or 100HDM
- Laney GH100L or VH100R

Maybe a JVM or Vintage Modern if you want to spend more.

For something that you’re only going to play a little bit a couple of times a year, I’d just get a fun caveman amp.

If you’re specifically looking for something to pair with the Powerstation, just get yourself some kind of Plexi. That’s what the PS is most useful for and it’s a lot of fun to have a Plexi tone at any volume with an FX loop. Most master volumes are pretty solid and will make the PS100 quite pointless. Going the preamp route seems a bit redundant, or like you’ll be needlessly compromising just to force the PS100 into use. I don’t think you’ll be overly happy with that, and you’ll just end up selling them down the line.

There’s loads of great Plexi options out there and they don’t have to be too expensive at all. They can be something you either buy with the intention of keeping for life, or if it’s an older one, you might make a little money back on selling it later.

 

[laxu]

ToneX

Just kidding. I’d honestly go for either a:

- DSL 100H or HR
- Jet City 50 or 100HDM
- Laney GH100L or VH100R

I used to have a JCM2000 DSL50. I liked it...but it was a one channel amp with switchable modes really because the shared EQ was so poorly balanced.

Maybe a JVM or Vintage Modern if you want to spend more.

JVM410s go for around 700-800 € (~$730-830) all the time over here. I considered one before, but I felt like my BluGuitar covered a lot of those tones.

The JVM would look a bit dumb on top of my 4x10 when the head is wider than the cab, but I'm not ruling it out if one happens to come available at the right price.

Vintage Modern could be fun, but it's a bit more rare and not dirt cheap.

If you’re specifically looking for something to pair with the Powerstation, just get yourself some kind of Plexi. That’s what the PS is most useful for and it’s a lot of fun to have a Plexi tone at any volume with an FX loop. Most master volumes are pretty solid and will make the PS100 quite pointless. Going the preamp route seems a bit redundant, or like you’ll be needlessly compromising just to force the PS100 into use. I don’t think you’ll be overly happy with that, and you’ll just end up selling them down the line.

There’s loads of great Plexi options out there and they don’t have to be too expensive at all. They can be something you either buy with the intention of keeping for life, or if it’s an older one, you might make a little money back on selling it later.

The problem is that the BluGuitar is just too damn good at anything Marshall style. I don't feel it's missing anything for those type of tones, which is why it's my "A rig". I plugged it in right after messing with the PS-100, and it gets damn loud, punchy but just sounds/feels more "vintage" where it's not as tight and aggressive, exactly like I prefer a nice Marshall style amp to be.

That's why I've been looking for something that is different enough. I consider Friedman, Bogner, even Orange and ENGL to be kinda in the Marshall-ish family, so not too interested in them.

I actually just sent a message to someone who was selling a Mesa Mark IV for 1000 €. Unsurprisingly he had already gotten a bunch of other people asking about it in only like 30 minutes since he made the ad, because that's a deal of a lifetime for it over here.

Even the Fractal FM3 I was considering is now gone. Maybe for the best as I definitely feel like a tube amp would be more fun, and the Hotone sounds good enough.

 

[la szum]

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I used to have a JCM2000 DSL50. I liked it...but it was a one channel amp with switchable modes really because the shared EQ was so poorly balanced.

Are you gigging? For home/studio use I’ve never had an issue with that. I think it’s workable enough for gigging too, just find where the red channel sounds best and match the green to that (as the green is more forgiving).

Vintage Modern could be fun, but it's a bit more rare and not dirt cheap.

This one is even more of a single channel amp than the DSL. If DSL is modded plexi and 800 style tones, VM is JTM45 with a higher gain mode. But don’t expect to switch between the modes without changing all the settings. It’s a good one for the PS100 though.

The problem is that the BluGuitar is just too damn good at anything Marshall style. I don't feel it's missing anything for those type of tones, which is why it's my "A rig". I plugged it in right after messing with the PS-100, and it gets damn loud, punchy but just sounds/feels more "vintage" where it's not as tight and aggressive, exactly like I prefer a nice Marshall style amp to be.

I think part of the appeal of going the Plexi route is it’s just a cooler thing to own. Modellers and your BluGuitar might sound just as good but I honestly don’t think the sound alone is really much of a motivation for owning a Plexi. But if you’re well covered for Marshall tones, maybe something like a Trainwreck clone would be cool.

I actually just sent a message to someone who was selling a Mesa Mark IV for 1000 €. Unsurprisingly he had already gotten a bunch of other people asking about it in only like 30 minutes since he made the ad, because that's a deal of a lifetime for it over here.

Mark series amps are awesome but you don’t need a PS100 in any way with one. Just adding more in the way with no real benefit IMO. If it’s an amp you dream of, I’d say save up and get the one you want and consider it a “life amp” rather than something for minimal use with a PS100.

Similarly I’d say a Fractal device is probably overkill - you can find a JMP-1 or E530 or something, or a ToneX pedal or Helix. But it’s boring to use a modeller, and isn’t really taking advantage of the PS100, especially when you aren’t overly fond of it as a poweramp to begin with.

 

[laxu]

Are you gigging? For home/studio use I’ve never had an issue with that. I think it’s workable enough for gigging too, just find where the red channel sounds best and match the green to that (as the green is more forgiving).

Back then I was. I used it more like a JCM800 with a boost because you had to compromise on the channels otherwise. The JCM2000 DSL50 was honestly a poorly designed amp in many ways. No idea if the newer ones are better.

This one is even more of a single channel amp than the DSL. If DSL is modded plexi and 800 style tones, VM is JTM45 with a higher gain mode. But don’t expect to switch between the modes without changing all the settings. It’s a good one for the PS100 though.

Yeah I don't mind one channel at all, I mind amps designed for multiple channels that then don't work well for that.

I think part of the appeal of going the Plexi route is it’s just a cooler thing to own. Modellers and your BluGuitar might sound just as good but I honestly don’t think the sound alone is really much of a motivation for owning a Plexi. But if you’re well covered for Marshall tones, maybe something like a Trainwreck clone would be cool.

Trainwreck would be fun. Not many that style amps floating around though.

Mark series amps are awesome but you don’t need a PS100 in any way with one. Just adding more in the way with no real benefit IMO. If it’s an amp you dream of, I’d say save up and get the one you want and consider it a “life amp” rather than something for minimal use with a PS100.

I don't really have a dream amp or anything. I know everything will be a compromise in its own way.

Similarly I’d say a Fractal device is probably overkill - you can find a JMP-1 or E530 or something, or a ToneX pedal or Helix. But it’s boring to use a modeller, and isn’t really taking advantage of the PS100, especially when you aren’t overly fond of it as a poweramp to begin with.

I think the PS-100 actually sounds pretty awesome as a poweramp, but I'm not sure if it would be the best thing to pair with a preamp over a poweramp designed more as a guitar poweramp.

But it is basically free for me atm since it was busted, insurance paid for it and now it works again somehow, so why not use it. It did really well with the Hotone, I'll try to record a few tones over the weekend.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Trainwreck would be fun. Not many that style amps floating around

Maybe that Finnish builder Bluetone knock one up perhaps?


It sort of sounds like the issue is you don’t actually want any particular piece of gear bad enough, so things either seem redundant or too expensive. Lots of these options seem a bit compromised or pointless to me, which is why I think it’s best to get something cheap and fun or expensive and long term. Maybe selling the PS100 and putting the extra money towards a Mark is a better way to go?

FWIW I quite like the fryette poweramp, seems like a regular ass poweramp to me. I usually run the depth+presence settings as I would a 5150 or Friedman etc and it all feels and responds like I’d expect. But for building a rig with, I think I’d rather have a full fat Bogner Uberschall than a synergy preamp and random ass poweramp (as an example).

 

[laxu]

Maybe that Finnish builder Bluetone knock one up perhaps?

They do actually make a Trainwreck model. Never played that one tho.

It sort of sounds like the issue is you don’t actually want any particular piece of gear bad enough, so things either seem redundant or too expensive. Lots of these options seem a bit compromised or pointless to me, which is why I think it’s best to get something cheap and fun or expensive and long term. Maybe selling the PS100 and putting the extra money towards a Mark is a better way to go?

I agree, which is why I've been entertaining modelers, whatever the used market might offer etc.

FWIW I quite like the fryette poweramp, seems like a regular ass poweramp to me. I usually run the depth+presence settings as I would a 5150 or Friedman etc and it all feels and responds like I’d expect. But for building a rig with, I think I’d rather have a full fat Bogner Uberschall than a synergy preamp and random ass poweramp (as an example).

I tend to just prefer amps with a bit more give to them, but it's certainly no dealbreaker and the Fryette does feel decidedly different from the BluGuitar or typical Marshall style amps. Feel is part of why some years ago I picked the Bogner Goldfinger 45 SL over the Friedman BE for example.

 

[LCW]

Here are my A and B rigs

 

[deadpool_25]

Here are my A and B rigs

View attachment 38375

As long as A = left and B = right in a stereo pair, I'll allow it.

 

[Stone]

B rig for me would be something cheap incase my Fractal would need servicing
I dunno id try something different like ToneX one since its under $250.00

 

[Eagle]

Powered Kemper. Cheap and very versatile,simple, lightweight.

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

My experience with B rigs, in a sense of those being cheaper / lighter: I never use them at all cause my willingness to compromise on sound is very limited..I end up taking the “A” rig.

I went for an approach where I take less/more, smaller/bigger, instead of A/B rigs:

On the floor:
The board of my “A rig”: The core is as small as possible (QC), to which I can add satelite boards (expression pedals, extra switches, small board with analog drives/preamps). This way I never have to take a “lesser device”, only decide to take only the core, or the extras also.

I do own a Kemper player also, the “supersmall option”, which is compromise in switching options, not so much in sound cause I use captures of the same amps. I got it under the pretense I would use something even smaller then the QC live…I don’t..QC is small enough…I only use it on the couch.

Amps:
I own a 15w, a 22 w, a 30w and a 100w. I use preamps from my board, all into the returns of these amps, so the choice is driven by “appropriate size” for the occasion, all have decent powersection and speaker)
9/10 it’s the 15w + 22 in a stereo setup.

The 30w/100w I might use in 4cm..not sure yet if that brings me anything compared to the use of captures of it, maybe in the future that becomes “A”, for now it’s mostly the headroom requirements that drive what I use.

 

[Orvillain]

Here are my A and B rigs

View attachment 38375

Corrrr... that is chub city!

 

[laxu]

If someone finds this thread, I ended up buying the Mark V 90 when a combo at a lower price than listed in OP popped up. Got a decent deal on it, and it has worked really well.