best amp

[X150]

Howdy,
I'm a newbie that recently purchased an X150. This is a wonderful guitar . My history is playing a lot of rock and blues, but lately I've been experimenting with some Travis picking and lots of experimentation with the X150 and my looper. I'm running it through an Ultrasound acoustic amp with pretty good results. My elec amp is a Crate that doesn't do it justice.... Do any of you have some thoughts on what amps work well with this guitar for clean playing?

 

[AlohaJoe]

Hello and welcome! Congratulations on the X-150, it's a fine guitar and a wise choice. I've had mine for less than a year, but it's already a favorite for jazz gigs.

I don't know if there is such a thing as a "best" amp. It depends so much on your style and what you want to hear. Amps are like guitars in that what sounds good to one player may not sound so hot to another. That said, tube amps are king IMO, although I'm fairly happy with my old Polytone for jazz but it's the wrong tool for rock or blues. I frequently use a Li'l Dawg Champster Special that is the amp love of my life. Good tube amps have a very special character and I would encourage you to start doing some research in that area; it will make you a better player. I had the opportunity a few years ago to borrow a friends mid-60s Princeton Reverb and it changed my life.

It also depends a lot on whether you are playing at home or gigging, prefer new or vintage gear and perhaps most importantly, the budget.

 

[Frosty]

Travis picking on a hollow body electric guitar... good stuff! Eddie Pennington, one of the best in the style IMHO, uses a Fender Princeton and Deluxe Reverb, and a Music Man HD130. Eddie also says he wouldn't be without the Aphex Bass Exciter in the signal chain.

Let your ears be the judge!

FWIW, I like the Aphex Bass Exciter on my Gretsch, which I play (believe it or not) through a small Vox amp. Sounds great to me!

 

[Walter Broes]

If you can get your hands on a JBL D130 15" speaker - that's what both Merle Travis and Chet Atkins used in their Standel amps.
Very efficient, almost hi-fi clean, fat sounding speakers that do the low end of a hollowbody justice.

 

[fronobulax]

Welcome x150.

As a bass player I have no opinion to offer but I will mention two factors that people often forget in the quest for the perfect sound - size and weight. When I was 20 and had a lot of friends to help and venues were within walking/carting distance 150lbs of amp and speaker was no big deal. A few years later 2x15's would fit in a compact car but only if there were no passangers. A few more years later a 1x15 was added as a replacement because that was 50lbs less to carry up a flight of stairs to a rehearsal room. Now I play acoustic or through Mrs. Fro's Princeton reverb because it hurts too much to cram the gear in a car and carry it around. The sound is not great but it is better than not playing or popping ibuprofen all the time.

If you aren't a geezer, don't worry, some day you will be one.

 

[tmoll]

For certain, the "perfect" amp is different for almost everyone, and of course, more than 1 amp to choose from at any moment is even better! I will not say it is the perfect amp, but I think an excellent choice for an archtop is the almost unknown Henriksen JazzAmp with the 12" speaker (www.jazzamp.com - I have no affiliation, just a satisfied customer). Although solid state, it has the most tube like sound I have heard for clean playing. Like most solid state amps, it is not a good selection in my opinion for distorted sound. This amp has the advantages of being small, light weight, great warm clean tone, 5 band EQ that lets you dial in the sound you want, and it is actually a bass amp as well. No reverb. Doesn't need it.
I recently bought and rebuilt a Sears Silvertone 1482 for the gritty sound, and it is great for that. I was quite amazed when I A-B'd the 2 amps (set for clean) - the tone was incredibly similar, except that the Henriksen has much more low end and a fuller sound. My X500T with its P90's sounds amazing through the Henriksen. The Starfire IV not as amazing through it, but the Starfire really comes to life on the Silvertone when slightly overdriven.
I don't think there is any one perfect amp, especially if there is any variety at all to the material you play. Buy as many different ones as you can! I find having the combination of 2 amps with contrasting characteristics like the Henriksen and the Silvertone provides great flexibility of choice. I am sure there are many other similar combinations that might represent your perfect amp.
Tom Moll

 

[jp]

Welcome to LTG X150!

A lot may depend on your playing needs. Are you plunking around at home, occasionally jamming with friends, or do you need it also for club gigs?

If you want to add a little vintage class to your setup, I think the best value out there for moderate needs are older Ampegs. Rock solid, tube amps with a great clean sound that would perfectly complement an archtop. Many have great reverb and tremelo, and there are a lot of model options from 12-25 watts. The Gemini I and II are some of my faves as well as the compact little Jet series. There is quite a bit of variation, so do a little homework. Check out youtube demos for some sample sounds.

 

[MacAoidh]

For really clean tones, Roland trannies are good, but for all-round blues, Epiphone BC30, Vox AC50, Gibson GA20RVT and Allen Brown Sugar take some beating.

 

[guitarslinger]

Asking what the best amp is is sort of like asking what's the best woman. You've got to plug it in to find out. That refers to the amp not the woman. I've had great luck with Roland Jazz Chorus 120 and Polytone if you are looking a Jazz sound. For Travis picking I prefer tube amps for the same reasons as everyone else has shared. Your needs change as the voluum increases as well. the human ear picks up sounds differently at different sound levels. Low voluum requires a boost in bass to offset the ear's inablility to to recognize that frequency. Same settings loud may just sound muddy. Playing with a band usually requires more midrange to cut through the mix. Of course most of your sound comes from you anyway. My tube amps are now a Swart AST and an old Magnatone M15. But, no matter what I play through I always seem to sound like...well, me. Best advice is to have fun and enjoy the journey. Finding a great amp is easier than finding a great woman.

 

[bieke]

cheap and still decent
solid state : Vox Pathfinder 15, with built-in tremolo and reverb, the gain channel is useless though (sound like bees in a tin can)
tubes : Epiphone Valve jr., a Fender Champ or a Blackheart Little Giant

not too expensive and great value for money are
solid state : LabSeries L5
tubes : Peavey Classic 30 or Fender Blues jr.

a bit more expensive and really nice
Vox AC15
Fender Princeton or Fender Deluxe Reverb (even the reissues) as alredy suggested, I'd like to add the Fender Vibrolux Reverb and the Fender Tremolux
Ampeg Reverberocket
Trace Elliot Velocette (no longer made, same as Gibson Goldtone)

if money is not an issue, you could go bouteek, Victoria makes great amps
or you could just go amp hunting and find a nice vintage amp, doesn't have to be that expensive but will always give trouble at some point (and a good amp techs are hard to find as well)

I think every player should have at least a couple of amps, the choice is endless, you really need to try out as many as you can and eventually, you'll find the amp that suits you best, it will be an amp that you will never sell

I settled for :
a small tube combo for home/studio/small gigs (I have a custom made small head that I use with a 1*12, 2*12 or 4*12 cabs)
a small solid state cheapo for practice, something that is reliable and I don't have to worry about if I leave it in my car during cold winternights ...
and a workhorse, an allround tube amp, I settled for a Mesa Boogie Mark I (that's the one I'll never sell, been with me for over 20 years and never let me down), still I have a Fender Twin as a backup (another classic, just too heavy to carry around)
and a couple of vintage amps, there are some real gems out there, Fenders, Supros, Silvertones, ...
I simply couldn't resist some of the bargains that I stumbled upon (a nice old 60's Farfisa a 1952 Dynacord and a 1967 Dynacord)

I never liked the modern modelling amps (Line6) or amps with built-in FX (Roland Cubes)

 

[Default]

We need an amp porn thread!

 

[X150]

Wow! You guys are great. I need to begin the quest hauling my X150 to the guitar shop and trying some things out. A vintage Fender Princeton sounds sweet. Way back when (me the old geezer), I had an old tube Fender Super Reverb with a 15" JBL in it. Right now, that would probably be perfect, but I'm about 35 years late figuring that out. :|

Oh well, life is good. The pursuit of great tone is a fun thing. :mrgreen:

 

[Default]

Pm dkl if you want to check out his Ampeg j-12-d.
No reverb, but the tremolo is fab and Ampegs are sweet amps. Has a 7591 output tubes which are a nice tube with more headroom than a 6v6.

 

[AlohaJoe]

I tried the new Princeton Reverb Reissue with my X150 recently and it sounded wonderful. Not PTP wired like the old ones, but a great amp if you don't mind the price and light weight enough for my old feet.

 

[Walter Broes]

or you could just go amp hunting and find a nice vintage amp, doesn't have to be that expensive but will always give trouble at some point (and a good amp techs are hard to find as well)

I have to respectfully disagree with that - none of the vintage amps I've had has ever given me serious trouble, and every modern pcb based amp I've ever had turned out to be unreliable.

 

[capnjuan]

... or you could just go amp hunting and find a nice vintage amp, doesn't have to be that expensive but will always give trouble at some point ...

Hi bieke; I respectfully take exception to your comment. I don't think there are any reliable Mean Time To Failure or Incident Rate statistics for vintage v. modern amps. In fact, the large number of +/- 50 year old amps that are in good condition speaks for itself with respect to their service life, the regard in which they've been held by their owners, the care they get, and their incomparable tone.

A burned $.25 resistor on a modern printed circuit board (put there by a Malaysian teenager making $1.00/hr) can mean replacing the entire printed circuit board ... assuming the model is still in production. If it isn't, then what's left is a used speaker cabinet. If anyone wants an amp to beat to death, they ought to get any of the new Fender Re-Issues / Peaveys / Crates with warranties and enjoy themselves (while asking themselves why the warranties are time-limited). That way, if it craps out after it's been dimed for 3 hours, they can get someone to pay for the mess. For my part, I'd rather see someone buy one of these and abuse it instead of wrecking a good condition mid-60's Supro anyway.

... and a good amp techs are hard to find as well...

They are usually found by asking around ... and most are in the Yellow Pages. I guess I think you're a little too quick to kick vintage gear to the curb. If tone is the primary criteria, an older amp is the way. If being able to throw it down the stairs is a factor, make it a Crate. CJ

 

[mad dog]

I agree with Walter and Cap on the vintage amp thing. Never had a vintage amp fail me yet. BF Fenders, for example, seem largely bulletproof. IF (and that's an important if) the amp has been properly maintained, not butchered in some way or abused.

For the clean sound you're after ... I'm partial lately to 15" speaker amps. Anything tweed pro like, Ampeg Gemini II - VI also. The Gemini I with a 12" is another can't miss tone favorite that way.

 

[capnjuan]

For the clean sound you're after ... I'm partial lately to 15" speaker amps ... Ampeg Gemini II ....

Hi Michael; speaking of Ampegs, this Gemini II in VGC just sold on eBay for $599; spot-on the money for a really fine amp. CJ

 

[Walter Broes]

If tone is the primary criteria, an older amp is the way.

In my own experience with blackface and silverface Fenders, and close friends with 50 Watt Marshalls and Hiwatts - it's not even just the tone that's superior, but every single aspect of the amp, reliability and "repairability" if needed being very important ones for me.

The '68 Super Reverb I played for 15 years until it got stolen, a hundred shows a year minimum, plus rehearsals, and a LOT of bumpy miles in a Ford van, has never ever given me trouble, except blowing a fuse once in a bar with weird wall voltage, and one potentiometer that died. (and was cheaply and easily replaced, of course)

 

[jp]

Have to side with the gang above too, otherwise I wouldn't have recommended a vintage amp. I also feel that depending on where you live good amp techs are becoming more common. With the wealth of literature and information around nowadays, I've found more capable techs around than ever before. :wink: