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Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 9:28 pm
by Radiohead625
So I'm thinking about trading my Wampler 65' for a 1st or 2nd addition Catalinbread DLS(not the MK2). I know they are two different animals and it might be because I've got a Vox ac15, but I'm not that in love with the Wampler. I mean its alright.

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 10:34 pm
by jrmy
Radiohead625 wrote:So I'm thinking about trading my Wampler 65' for a 1st or 2nd addition Catalinbread DLS(not the MK2). I know they are two different animals and it might be because I've got a Vox ac15, but I'm not that in love with the Wampler. I mean its alright.


What's the "but" at the end of the story! What do you wish the '65 did better? And what do you hope to get from the DLS (if it's not precisely the same thing as what you want from the '65)?

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:08 pm
by Holy Schnikes
Right, what are you after exactly? Maybe time to reassess the AC15??

I'm not sold on any amp-in-a-box pedals really, think it's wise to start with an amp tone your happy with, then add pedals that bond well with it or drive it into a better version of itself. You currently run a Vox, aren't happy with a cranked Fender pedal, now considering a 70's era Marshall pedal? That's all over the spectrum, need to figure out what you're after or get a nice high headroom clean pedal platform amp, then add different flavors of dirt to that shit. Maybe.

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:22 pm
by futuresailors
DLS is nice. Kinda liked it more than my Rat actually.
But I'm running it through a JC120, so yeah. Amp t0an.

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:50 pm
by Radiohead625
I kind of like my ac-15, but i've always wanted to build a pedal rig. I think that's my problem lol. Guess I should think about adding another amp for pedals first like a princeton reverb. I love the Catalinbread demo through the princeton.

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 1:06 am
by madmax1012
the AC-15 is a half decent pedal amp. Your only issue is whether or not it's got the headroom you need. The vox sounds awesome when pushed, but I ended up selling mine because I needed more headroom. I'm sure the catalinbread sounds great through the vox, but you owe it to yourself to try a treble booster through any vox amp.

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:00 am
by goroth
What are you running now madmax? I've always liked ac tones but not the headroom thing.

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:10 am
by Rob Fossil
I got a good deal on a used H&K Duel Statesman (1x12, 20 Watts, Poweramp 2x EL84, Preamp 2x 12AX7) a couple of months ago and had to reevaluate my dirt pedals. Had to flip my beloved Tone Reaper because it just didn't jibe with the amp. You need to experiment and find what sounds best with your core tone.

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:52 am
by madmax1012
greigoroth wrote:What are you running now madmax? I've always liked ac tones but not the headroom thing.



well, another problem with the AC is the weight. I broke my leg about a year and a half ago, and lugging that thing was really difficult. that being said, there's really no shortage of vox-styled amps out there. I'm currently running a vox pathfinder because I'm moving around a lot and don't really have the space for a bigger amp. If I end up going AC again, I've got a few personal favorites. I think Matchless amps are probably the cream of the crop, but I think they're seriously overpriced. If you're looking to keep it cheap, I'd try out the Egnater Rebel. It has the option to switch between 6l6 and EL84. Another amp that does that is the Divided by 13 JRT. I had the opportunity to buy a TopHat a few years ago for a great price, but I passed on that. It was a great amp tho. But like I said, there's no shortage of Vox inspired amps. The Morgan AC20 also looks pretty awesome too. I really like what I've heard from clips of that thing, and you can probably get one used for a decent price.

Another option is to get a amp with a ton of headroom and run an AC style pedal, which would get you you close. But there's a ton of those out lately, like the Catalinbread Galileo (if you want a treble booster too), the Menatone Top Boost in a Can, and the Xotic AC Booster all look pretty sweet and would get you close.

All that being said, my next amp is probably going to be a Fender, unless I decide to go all out and get the Divided by 13

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:25 pm
by goroth
:thumb:

Thanks dude.

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:30 pm
by madmax1012
anytime! I've also heard really good things about the Dr. Z Carmen Ghia. Saw one on craigslist a few months ago for under a thousand :thumb:

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:17 pm
by goroth
Under a thousand on Craigslist means around half a million in Sweden...

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:18 pm
by Holy Schnikes
greigoroth wrote:Under a thousand on Craigslist means around half a million in Sweden...

:lol:

Actually that's not funny, feel bad for you.

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:22 pm
by goroth
Thanks for the sympathy :)
On the plus side, the :facepalm: gear prices help keep my GAS somewhat in check.

...

somewhat.

Re: Talk me off a ledge...

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 4:49 pm
by madmax1012
that's terrible :( I'm sorry to hear that man!