Amp downgrading/downsizing/deawesomeing

[Eivind August]

Sooooo...

I have this 63/64 Fender Bandmaster head that I use together with a modern fender 2*12. And it's great! Those sounds, man. But! Lately I've been thinking about downgrading. I'm mostly a bedroom player, and if I land a gig I wouldn't really need something this big. Also, it's heavy as shit. Also also, I'm a student, and my economy isn't super stable. I can rationalize buying fancy pedals because of reasons, but having this big semi-blues lawyer amp... Well, I'm not sure.

Question is, what alternatives are there for cheap-ish 1*12 combos with good cleans and decent headroom? Like, enough headroom to play cleanish in calmer parts of songs with a band. I've been looking at the Ampeg GVT15 and the Fender Blooze jr., but I'm not really sure. Feels like I'm missing out on alternatives. Traynors seem cool, but are not that easy to find around here. The Vox ACs are cool, but not really the sound I'm going for.

What do you guys think? Have you ever downsized? Was it worth it? Do you regret it? Any philosophical advice?

[UglyCasanova]

I'm in the same boat. And living on the top floor of a five story building with no elevator, I'm probably never going to bother carrying my AC30 down and back up again. I love the sound of it though.

Keeping my eye on this thread, for sure.

[Tristan]

I wouldn't do it man, it's not that heavy is it?
Maybe try getting a good 1x12 cab for it or something?
I don't think you're gonna get enough money for it to be able to get a really good lower wattage amp.
The only lower wattage amps I know of that are really good and can come along with a good vintage Fender etc. etc. cost at least 1500 to 2000 euro's.

[backwardsvoyager]

^ i'm inclined to agree with Tristan. you're probably gonna have to spend a lot of money to get a light low wattage combo that can best your amp (the combos you mentioned aren't necessarily bad but they'll seem crap in comparison to a 60s bandmaster in all likelihood and your favourite pedals will probably react differently).
i would recommend downsizing your cab to a compact 1x12 (which will sound fine and be good to mic at venues). depending on where you might be playing keep in mind that a lot of people share backlines at shows and rehearsal spaces so you don't know whether you'll even need it until the time comes anyway.

[Eivind August]

Hehe, glad to see you guys rationalizing my gas. You're probably right, it's a great fucking amp. When I said downgrading, I meant it literally. Like, I know I won't find another amp that sounds this good... Erhm, when I put it like that, it seems crazy, right? Downsizing the cabinet sounds a lot more reasonable. Then again, do I really need this godlike sound? Maybe I do. Fuck.

[friendship]

What do you guys think? Have you ever downsized? Was it worth it? Do you regret it? Any philosophical advice?

I did and I wish I had done it sooner. Not only was carrying the amp around a million times easier, but I sounded better with a band. Loud is fun, but not when you never get to use it.

Small, lower wattage combos are not just for blues dad; just about the only style of music I wouldn't recommend it for is metal/doom/whatever involves overpowering loudness as an aesthetic choice.

I don't think you need to spend a lot of money, either. There are plenty of great, affordable options out there. Look into discontinued 90s Mesa combos outside the Mark series, these days they're going for really cheap, Ampeg J20, used Deluxe or even Princeton Reverb, Blues Jr like you mentioned, Peavey Classic 20/Delta Blues, et al. These are all small combos I've tried out that I've been really impressed by.

[Barracuda]

I don't think you should downgrade personally, but a solid state combo could be the way to go if you need to keep the volume down. Orange crush 60 comes to mind. They sound fantastic.

[friendship]

MORE THOUGHTZ

Don't make the economy a reason to sell it. Having an amp that you love is more valuable and justifiable than effects pedals I think. Pedals are cheaper and come and go all the time.

I think if the only reason is weight, consider buying a good dolly or getting a built-for-comfort 1x12 like backwardsvoyager or both.

[Eivind August]

You guys are the best. When I started this thread, I was about to put the head up for sale, but you guys made me remember why I got it in the first place: Because I didn't want to compromise. It is the perfect clean tone and pedal platform. Yeah, I think I'll keep it and downsize the cab to a 1*12 openback or something. Maybe I should start saving up for a cheap 1*12 combo as well, just to have a backup. A simple SS-combo would be cool, like the JC60.

[phantasmagorovich]

You guys are the best. When I started this thread, I was about to put the head up for sale, but you guys made me remember why I got it in the first place: Because I didn't want to compromise. It is the perfect clean tone and pedal platform. Yeah, I think I'll keep it and downsize the cab to a 1*12 openback or something. Maybe I should start saving up for a cheap 1*12 combo as well, just to have a backup. A simple SS-combo would be cool, like the JC60.

Never compromise on the amp and on the guitar. Buy the best you can possibly get a hold of and then hold onto it! Seriously. It just doesn't pay to compromise in that respect. You will come out forever unhappy.

[Gone Fission]

I traded my Bandmaster Reverb head when I was in high school and still regret it. I'd say hold onto it and get a cheap but cool little practice amp like a Vox Pathfinder (LEDs removed for more headroom) or Marshall Lead 12 for friendlier home use and smaller gigs.

For the big rig, you could always look for a 1x12 cab that beats your current cab on tone and portability. Or get a combo cabinet built to rehouse the head in. (There's a thread in the guitar technical subforum with one of our ILFers doing that with hid own vintage Bandmaster.) The combo will be heavier than either separate, but maybe more manageable on net.

[autopilot]

blues jr are great for bedroom, but to play with other people they lack clean headroom, if you can get a cheap traynor ycv40 is very loud, takes pedal, not so heavy and is cheaper than a hot rod

[D.o.S.]

You guys are the best. When I started this thread, I was about to put the head up for sale, but you guys made me remember why I got it in the first place: Because I didn't want to compromise. It is the perfect clean tone and pedal platform. Yeah, I think I'll keep it and downsize the cab to a 1*12 openback or something. Maybe I should start saving up for a cheap 1*12 combo as well, just to have a backup. A simple SS-combo would be cool, like the JC60.

Never compromise on the amp and on the guitar. Buy the best you can possibly get a hold of and then hold onto it! Seriously. It just doesn't pay to compromise in that respect. You will come out forever unhappy.

exactly.

[rfurtkamp]

You will not find a better amp for what you're describing and wanting, and you will compare it forever to that.

Smaller cab as mentioned and accept that clean headroom of that nature is going to be big and weigh something.

Even a Jazz Chorus isn't light or small.

[sergiomunoz74]

You could always do what I do and forgo the amp all together for DI box and hopefully in the future a cab simulator that I can use. It sounds good even without a cab simulator but it's definitely different