Recommend me an amp!

[JamesSGBrown]

So, I have a tax rebate incoming, and I'm saving up for a new amp anyway so this is a pleasant surprise.

I'm looking to spend about £800 on an amp. I'll be gigging with it but I will probably use it mainly for recording (my Laney VC30 is old but sounds great- I drag enough expensive gear to shows as it is).

Things I want-

-an amp that breaks up a lowish volumes, but only slightly. I ALWAYS have a light od on into a clean amp, generally my SD-1 set at about 9 o'clock.
-an amp that doesn't get wooly and muffled when I use fuzz pedals into a breaking-up channel. NEEDS to take pedals well.
- decent reverb. tremolo would be great
- combo. 2x12 at most but size is an issue here.

I'm looking at the 68' reissues- mainly the Deluxe Reverb and the Twin Reverb. There's a Dual Showman reverb head for sale locally for £350, I was thinking of getting that and a cab but idk.

Tell me what I want!

[Psyre]

What kind of music do you play?

I want you to get a Pro Reverb over a Twin or Deluxe because I think 10's sound sweeter than 12's for guitar. The Showman head would also be nice, but any ideas what sort of cab you would want?

For reference, I use a Super Reverb. I can imagine a better amp for what I'm going for, ultra clean and clear, but a lot of time I only run it on 2 of the 10's. I think a Pro Reverb adds a list;e creaminess that the super doesn't necessarily have.

[BassIsBad]

Were you looking specifically for a more compact combo? If so, I recommend the Budda Superdrive series. It has all the features you listed (besides built-in reverb). But it is a one channel amp, so it can be set to a low gain, slightly crunchy all-purpose setting, and your pedals can do the rest. It handles effects very well.

If you are looking for a BIG BALLS head unit, and don't mind carrying around a really heavy amp plus a cab, then I recommend the Orange Rockerverbs. They sound fucking incredible and have a really nice built-in reverb. Handles effects well, cleans up nice, etc etc...

[frigid midget]

You pretty much described my amp. Vox AC15C2. Used to have an AC30 C2X, and the the AC15 sounds good/similar enough, but it was a little cheaper and it's a little convenient in terms of power/loudness. At home I still use an attenuator though, so the power tubes can get a little hotter. The 15 watt with the two 12's is an awesome combination imo. Hard to find in any other amp, if not impossible. It gives me the best of both world, though as far as size and weight goes, it's just like an AC30.

I used to have deluxe reverb reisue, and before that a '74 twin reverb. Twin: Too loud, too clean. DRRI: Really nice sparkly cleans, but it didn't have the character/grit/whtvr of the vox. It's also sorta pricey for what you get imo, and at rehearsel volume levels it got a little too dirty, in the wrong kind of way.

I might be alone in this, but I think the AC15/30 reverb sounds nicer than that of my old twin, it's more useable than the overly springy/drippy fender reverb imo
I'm not a big tremelo user, but I guess the tremelo on those voxes is regarded to be better than decent

Not trying to talk you into buying a Vox or anything, especially not if you're dead set on spending £800 on something less...chinese

800 quid is still not quite enough for something boutique or vintage though, is it?

[tremolo3]

Typical "I want a Twin but I don't want a Twin' thread.

[JamesSGBrown]

Typical "I want a Twin but I don't want a Twin' thread.

Elaborate!

Tbh, I've always used a clean platform and amp dirt. The only reason I'd want an amp that can break up is to reduce the amount of dirt on my board...

I looked into Vox's- I heard that they can be picky with pedals though?

[Tristan]

Depends, with the Vox style amps and pedals I mean.
I really want to recommend you the current Valvetech Hayseed but I guess it might be a bit too steep on the wallet...
A Vox style amp is basically the perfect clean/crunch amp in my opinion.

[JamesSGBrown]

So I tried the 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb yesterday.

Good fun! But the reverb and trem kinda sucked. I think it broke up a but too early as well- didn't use the new 'Bassman' tone-stack channel all to much.

I'm looking into the new 68 Vibrolux- seems like the halfway point from the CDR and a Twin. But would it make sense just to go vintage? Prices, especially on Twins, seems to be pretty reasonable (around £700 for a 70s silverface).

Didn't try any Vox's yet.

[Derelict78]

If you want the amp to break up an Any kind of a reasonable volume, you don't want a twin.

[Muff_Diver]

If you want the amp to break up an Any kind of a reasonable volume, you don't want a twin.

Especially anything 70s and after. Blackface twins can have a really sweet grit to them , but don't take pedals very well in my experience. The later models, however, take pedals exceptionally well but are known for never breaking up.

If you want to stay fender, a pro reverb sounds like the way to go. A deluxe is 22 watts (too much breakup), a twin is 80-130 watts (not enough break up) so the pro reverb at 40-70 watts seems appropriate for your taste. I also highly suggest going vintage if possible. I don't care what the internet or fender says, the reissues sound nothing like the originals.

Vox might be the ticket, though. Certainly worth trying out.

[frigid midget]

Typical "I want a Twin but I don't want a Twin' thread.

I heard that they can be picky with pedals though?

Dunno, sounds good to me Different than with my Fenders, which for instance liked my rat but not my hotcake, and with the vox it's the other way around. Generally speaking I'd say that really big and brutal fuzz pedals may sound a bit too different on a vox, but that too really depends on what sorta tone you're going for.

If I were able to record a half descent sounding clip, I'd post something that would give you a boner, but I guess you're just gonna have to take my word for it

Serious though, there's plenty of established/succesful guitarists who prove an AC30 works superb with pedals, both recorded as well as live. I guess it basicly comes down to personal taste and style and what not.

[rfurtkamp]

"Breaks up early" but stays clean to handle fuzz aren't going to happen in one amp.

If you want the latter and can get a breakup sound you want with another pedal, any 6L6 Fender amp will pretty much get you there.

[KaosCill8r]

"Breaks up early" but stays clean to handle fuzz aren't going to happen in one amp.

If you want the latter and can get a breakup sound you want with another pedal, any 6L6 Fender amp will pretty much get you there.

Hotrod Deluxe is what I'm thinking there.

[rfurtkamp]

Yea, HRD is a good pedal platform, I love mine.

[TheOndrakGuy]

I can vouch for the HRD, James (and you know how much of a fan I was of my Red Knob Twin... and still am).

The dirt channel can be rather polite if you're careful with it to simulate breakup if you're playing at a lower volume than you would with the clean channel, it takes pedals well, and the reverb is solid.
It doesn't quite have the same 'punch you in the chest every time you touch a string' vibe as my Twin did, but that's to be expected since that thing was a monster.

It IS a lot friendlier on the back though... and you'll get change from £800 so you can treat yerself to more stuff.