What's your best clean amp?

[Ancient Astronaught]

Model T reissue is basically a hot rodded twin, I had one and the clean channel sounds good clean but IMO does not take dirt pedals well, and the distortion channel is extremely quiet, easily half the volume of the clean channel even on 10. If you use overdrive and basic distortion it will do fine but if you like really heavy fuzz it struggles. And that hum you heard? That's the amp not the guitar.......

[excane]

These 2 monsters right here:

All original 1967 Showman and Blackstar Artisan 100

Shit fuckin RULES. It's like, the most glorious thing ever when they're going full tilt.

[excane]

The thing with vintage amps (especially Fenders) is you gotta know exactly what you're getting.

If you can't find a Showman, a Bandmaster or Bassman are AWESOME choices for clean brilliant sound that takes pedals in the best possible way.

As a rule of thumb, I would stay away from EL84 amps as most of them tend to compress a LOT with pedals.

EL84's are one of the only tubes that provides both current and voltage gain. This is why they compress so easily, so not the best choice for distortion/overdrive/fuzz.

[Ancient Astronaught]

EL84's are one of the only tubes that provides both current and voltage gain. This is why they compress so easily, so not the best choice for distortion/overdrive/fuzz.

Yeah I found this out a little too late...... All though I can say the Elements works great with el84 amps!

[DarkAxel]

But... but... i love EL84s :-(

[Ancient Astronaught]

But... but... i love EL84s :-(

As do I, best clean tones ever IMO, they just do not like being driven too hard. I'm breaking in a set of JJ's that helped out quite a bit, but slamming the front end too hard just results in that horrible blocky distortion tone with no grit

[Ghost Hip]

I own a Peavey Classic 50 410 and it serves me well. I've used overdrives and boosts in front of it since I've had it, sounds great. Takes everything I throw at it. In fact my band jammed some clean/ambient jams just yesterday while trying something new. Just my English Muff'n in front of the amp... It sounded amazing, especially once I turned up the reverb. I've played other amps but I never felt I needed to get another. The Twin is pretty fucking sweet though, I don't think it'll be too difficult to tame any tinny-ness. I'd stray from the AC 30... everytime I play those I can't help but want something more.. but I could be tweaking them wrong.

[coldbrightsunlight]

I've got a Laney VC15, kind of an AC30 sounding amp, and I LOVE the cleans, sounds great with fuzz in front of it. The one time I tried an actual ac30 it was pretty similar.

[rfurtkamp]

For what you're describing, any BF/SF eraesque Fender with big clean speakers will do. Twin, Bassman, Showman, etc. will all do what you want.

Jazz Choruses will function admirably as well; whether the 120 or the 50/55/60 (1x12, but loud as sin and clean for days).

[dubkitty]

AC30s and other EL84 amps really benefit from proper preamp tube and speaker selection. a few weeks of tube-rolling 12AX7s made my Laney 50% more musical and opened up the sound, and the difference between Voxes with Alnico Blues and Greenbacks is enormous.

[GreatAnt]

I've gotten it down to a twin and a hiwatt custom 50.

Twin sounds amazing, potential of not taking fuzz and od pedals as well as the hiwatt and is also twice and a bit cheaper.

I'm thinking of grabbing the twin to tie me over till I get a matchless chieftain.

[Abanoise]

I'd definitely go for an old Marshall JCM800 Bass Mark II. I had a Sound City L120 and a Bassman 100, also tried a Model T reissue, but nothing can beat the Superbass: a wonderful guitar/bass amp with plenty of volume, clean volume, and low end. It also takes well every pedal, fuzz, dist, od etc. you throw in it.

[GardenoftheDead]

I the only one who prefers to have a little bit of breakup at volumes that aren't shattering windows?

[rfurtkamp]

I the only one who prefers to have a little bit of breakup at volumes that aren't shattering windows?

Question was best clean amp, I assume clean is clean.

Personally, I'll keep an amp around that starts to break up earlier, but I won't ever rely on it- the problem with early breakup is that I can't assume it'll take pedals well and you can't make a dirty amp clean.

[Hybrid]

If you're looking for a clean amp, I would recommend one of the old Sunns, such as the Spectrum II, or, if you need Reverb, the Sunn Sceptre.

The Spectrum II line (Sceptre, Sonaro, and Solarus) are my favorite sounding heads by far. And, if you can find an old Sunn Cab to match, you're all set forever.

I prefer the clean over the AC30 and Twin Reverb. It's as if you put the AC30 and Twin in one amp. You lose the overly bright sound of the Twin, and the overly warm sound of the AC30.