Solid State amps

[rfurtkamp]

Fender 77 Champ, I think it has a faulty cap(?) somewhere that it farts with certain low frequencies.

That's probably the speaker if it's stock. They're AWFUL and have no low end support.

[tremolo3]

Agree, I can't forget the terrible sounding speaker it came with.

It's definitely not the typical speaker fart. There must be just a cold joint somewhere... I haven't looked at it yet TBH.

[waltdogg]

I am always gassing for a Science, but this is mostly when I haven't had a chance to actually plug in and crank up my current amp in a while. Micro Terror at home leaves me wanting so much more, Peavey SS amp I use for band actually rules and has never left me wanting more. Not saying I wouldn't be blown away with something nicer, but I can always get the sounds in my head and I never have a frustration with the sound I can't dial out.

The big thing I do see is that I have a Rangemaster, RRR, and Fuck on at least 90% of the time. I think with a nicer amp I could do without all 3, or at least use them sparingly instead of as my base tone.

My Micro Terror always cut out on me.

Come down to Oakland sometime, play my Hellhawk and Mother.

Peavey Bandit 75, even with a blown out driver sounded so good.

[blakestree]

My Micro Terror always cut out on me.

You're loading it at 4 ohms?

[waltdogg]

It was a 4 ohm cab, yeah.

[blakestree]

It is designed to cut out, momentarily, if pushed too hard at 4 ohms.

[waltdogg]

It did cut out on me through an 8 ohm cab that I borrowed once as well.

[blakestree]

I push an 8 ohm 25W 12 with mine and it has never cut out on me.

[waltdogg]

This was one of the very first ones in stores that I had. Just like all mass produced micro class D amps, they probably didn't get the first production run right.

[PeteeBee]

The big thing I do see is that I have a Rangemaster, RRR, and Fuck on at least 90% of the time. I think with a nicer amp I could do without all 3, or at least use them sparingly instead of as my base tone.

Come down to Oakland sometime, play my Hellhawk and Mother.

I'm going to take you up on that some time when I actually get the funds together. Buying one isn't really an if thing, it's a when

I don't mind having the pedals on so much, I just think small pedalboards are cool. It's purely an aesthetic ridiculous thing.

I've never had a mechanical issue with my micro, and it sounded way better through my 212 than the little orange 8inch cab I'm using now. It's just so nice not having a big cab in my living room... life is all compromises

[rfurtkamp]

Agree, I can't forget the terrible sounding speaker it came with.

It's definitely not the typical speaker fart. There must be just a cold joint somewhere... I haven't looked at it yet TBH.

Swap the speaker before you do anything. You're talking about how normal crappy stock speaker sounds to a T.

It's not fart, it's how they blow.

[ancientbones]

I've seen some weird HH Electronic amps that have glowing dials and stuff. Never seen one for sale and there's only a couple demos on youtube of some others. They sound pretty nice.

I sold a yamaha g100h and bought a beat up peavey vulcan in a shop a while ago. it lasted a while then the caps had to be redone and I got the LED changed out. looks so menacing and has a brutally loud clean tone.

I kind of want to find a weird little solid state practice amp. Something really trashy sounding. I have my dad's old peavey audition 20 that has some crazy trashy sounding overdrive, but I'm looking for a step up. I need to find some old 60's or 70's practice amps or something.

[ravencore]

Lab Series are my sleeper solid state amps of choice...

+1

some holdsworth-ish here use this

[bigchiefbc]

My main concern with tube amps is the maintenance. I do know how to not die and can solder without any problem, I just want to have one less thing to worry about in the future.

Not really related to what you're asking for, but I just want to say that this concern is extremely, extremely overblown. I've literally never done a single thing of maintenance for my (all-tube) amp, and I've been gigging with it for 4 years now. YMMV, but I've never understood what all the fuss is about "maintenance" for tube amps.

Well, you must have been very lucky or you buy brand new amps.

I never buy new amps or guitars, maybe that's my problem. lol
In my short experience with tube amps, the "vintage" ones are way cheaper and more easy to get (and more easy to fix... I know) than new ones, unless you pay booteek prices for a handwired.


My 68 Twin needed a re-cap job after the 1st year I bought it, I was told by the shop that they made a clean-up job a few months before... BS maybe?
Fender 77 Champ, I think it has a faulty cap(?) somewhere that it farts with certain low frequencies.
My gf's Pro Jr. had a terrible hum after the few months she bought it and I had to try different tubes and make a small re-wire job here and there.

New tubes for your amp?
Time to re-bias.

Amp is making a weird noise and makes it unusable for recording?
Call the doctor, maybe it's time to get new tubes or new caps, or both.

It's not that Solid State amps don't need maintenance, but most of the time they just work out of the box and they are less prone to go bad for no reason.

I guess just very lucky. It's a Bugera 1960, which is a straight-up clone of a Super Lead. I got it used from GC for$ 250 and it had new tubes in it, that's all I know. I literally know fuck-all about tube amps and haven't had to, because nothing has happened for 4 years

[Seance]

Lab Series are my sleeper solid state amps of choice...

+1

That's what I use. I've got a Lab L7, which has four 10" speakers.
But the L5, which has two 12" speakers, will do what you want.

I've been curious about the Aviator two 10" model. But those are
new, and do not fit your budget, and I've never played one, so I
don't know how well it would cover what my current amp does.