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These Go to 11 - The Guitar Amp Thread

dcbc

By dcbc
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Chad Fuck
Chad Fuck

This just came home with me on the way to the shop.

noharleyyet
noharleyyet

Do amps still go here . . . NAD...  

AnotherUTFan
AnotherUTFan

Fuck ya!

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BrickHorn

BrickHorn 18425

Posted
Posted

It’s loud as shit, but there’s no clean headroom at all.  So I can’t use it with my band - I occasionally need a clean tone.  

One thing I’ve learned is that you don’t need a huge amp for gigs.  I usually have my 30 Watt Peavey dialed down to 2-3.  

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Buzzrock

Buzzrock 15115

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Katana 50 is plenty of amp, probably the best money you can spend on an amp today, but the features added to 100 offer a lot of value if they are something you can/would use.

Mine spends 99% of the time on .5 watts, too.


I’m going to leave it on .5 as well, but the compelling features are the effects loop and the extra preset banks.

The effects loop may seem like an odd ask on an amp full of onboard effects, but my Ditto looper doesn’t do well in front of an amp.

And I don’t want to leave it hooked up to a computer all the time so the extra preset banks are appealing.

Or maybe I’ll just wait for the Air. So many choices...

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tbone_

tbone_ 14411

Posted
Posted

 

Haha. I've had that before. 100 watt version though.

 

It may sound like sacrilege, but I get the best marshall sound I've ever played through with this amp

 

f2e6439c93b4b2a1a63867c7e6072505.jpg

 

And this pedal

 

1686cf49f41ec9b70e1d8e4a580da3d0.jpg

 

I've got "melt your face" covered. Still searching for the right "usable" tone though.

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Deej

Deej 77671

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I’m going to leave it on .5 as well, but the compelling features are the effects loop and the extra preset banks.

The effects loop may seem like an odd ask on an amp full of onboard effects, but my Ditto looper doesn’t do well in front of an amp.

And I don’t want to leave it hooked up to a computer all the time so the extra preset banks are appealing.

Or maybe I’ll just wait for the Air. So many choices...

I don't even mess with my presets, any more. I get nice tones from that thing with the base settings. Tweak the volume and gain, drop my favorite pedals in front...great little amp. On the 50 watt setting, it will piss off most of my block.
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Grandioso

Grandioso 2592

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Check this de Lisle "Studio Collection" 5 watt amp. $550 is pretty good for a hand-wired amp. Built in attenuator, EQ, power amp in jack, choice of Tolex. Weighs 6.5 lbs. Fat Possum Records uses a shitload of de Lisles in their studio. 

Available in four voicings:

AC (Vox Top Boost) - EL84s, bass/treb/mid

JTM (Marshall) - EL84s, bass/treb/mid

Blackface (Fender) - 6V6s, bass/treb/mid

Tweed (Fender) - 6V6s, tone

mc-1-800.jpg

http://www.delisleguitar.com/shop/de-lisle-vintage-studio-collection-amplifiers/?mc_cid=ecee98a679&mc_eid=658adfefed

Moving on....I've had my eye on this badboy below for a while. $1,600.00 is a pretty fair price for an amp with these features. It's the same cost as a Dr. Z MAZ 18 Jr. head. 

The Quadralux Reverb. 12 watts, reverb, trem. But get this - you can switch between four different circuits/voicings.

1. 5E3 Fender Deluxe Tweed

2. 5F11 Fender Vibrolux Tweed

3. AA1164 Princeton Reverb

4. de Lisle Modded Princeton Reverb

quadralux-1_f84f6883477abde501929baaa251

 

 

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BoomMF

BoomMF 1401

Posted
Posted (edited)

Yeah, the Tweaker is a great amp.  Very popular too.  Lots of bang for your buck.  I just saw this review like last week! (GMTA)

 

 

Was interested after playing the 40 watter at the guitar show in Dallas last month.

Edited by BoomMF
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Buzzrock

Buzzrock 15115

Posted
Posted

b52fa1aeab781ce33418a4b8d3263f8d.heic

I need a 100W amp like a dog needs golf clubs but man this thing is fun. Good sound and good effects. The channel I’m least impressed by (at least initially) is Brown, but the crunch and lead are great and the built in effects are good.

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BoomMF

BoomMF 1401

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Posted
4 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

I need a 100W amp like a dog needs golf clubs but man this thing is fun. Good sound and good effects. The channel I’m least impressed by (at least initially) is Brown, but the crunch and lead are great and the built in effects are good.

Haha, I like the Brown channel!

 

Congrats on the amp.  In a few years it'll be at least tier 3 on that greatest amps of all time list we had.

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Deej

Deej 77671

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Fan of the brown channel, too. I like the clean a lot, also. Lots of clean headroom, which I don't have with my myriad of low-wattage tube amps. 

I also used the auxiliary input to connect an ipod to break that speaker in faster. A day sitting outside, drinking beer and using it as my speaker system did wonders for that speaker.

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Anton Chigurh

Anton Chigurh 3332

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Posted
Fan of the brown channel, too. I like the clean a lot, also. Lots of clean headroom, which I don't have with my myriad of low-wattage tube amps. 
I also used the auxiliary input to connect an ipod to break that speaker in faster. A day sitting outside, drinking beer and using it as my speaker system did wonders for that speaker.


I need to do this.

BTW, I got the Monoprice in. The fit and finish wasn’t the best, but I really dig it. It does sound good even out of the box.

One of the screws for the speaker panel had split the wood and wasn’t holding it, so it was falling back into the cabinet. I just relocated to a new spot.

e674fecc4a61bdeae30e0fc01231ae2a.heic

I then made sure the two screws from the backside were in all the way, and checked all the other screws for tightness, and turned them just a tick more.

A few of front knobs are a little loose. I’ll either use a dab of glue or replace them.

a7311727639eeccb34753e1b4c803f2a.heic

I also picked up their chromatic tuner and mini TS clone, along with some patch cables, 9V AC adapter and multi plug cable. The pedals are both are pretty great, actually, but I am unable to compare them to the real things. The other goods seem quality, as well. Not bad for $245. It will satisfy my urge for a little while until I get a Fender or an Egnater.

6e228ac1a0f79d1a95f671c8f2d14473.heic

2f1cd52991601488ec1ab928cf307395.heic
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Buzzrock

Buzzrock 15115

Posted
Posted
Haha, I like the Brown channel!
 
Congrats on the amp.  In a few years it'll be at least tier 3 on that greatest amps of all time list we had.


I’ve had very little time with it. I expect to sort out the brown sound at some point.

But for now the clean plus overdrive, the crunch, the lead, the effects...so fun. I’ve been surprisingly smitten by the auto wah filter.
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BoomMF

BoomMF 1401

Posted
Posted (edited)

NAD

Marshall Astoria Custom head

20180612_201525.jpg?dl=0

 

The Marshall Astoria line might go down as a crown jewel of the Marshall line. I don't know exactly why it has been a failure, but I have my guesses (Pricepoint and fuckin Nick Bowcott, for example).  If you can get past the sticker shock for a 30w amp made by a company not called Friedman, and get to the amp itself, I think people will find it contains the culmination of all of Marshall's best ideas, some great new ones, all in a package that both pays tribute to Marshall's rich heritage and forges its own path. 

Apart from the media blitz when it was announced back in 2015 there has been almost nothing, not a drip, from Marshall regarding these amps.  Curious, I searched around for people who might know the history of where it came from because I'm fascinated by the entire line and there just isn't much information available online.

It seems that before Jim passed he gave the green light to Steve Dawson to create an amp of amps for gigging musicians.  Dawson, himself a gigging guitarist, was given carte blanche and he went all out. Steve was the lead designer for some of the greatest amps to come out of Marshall, including the JTM45/100, Class5 (!), Super100JH, JMP1 (!), 50th Anniversary Bluesbreaker (Holy damn, what a killer amp!), 2245THW, JMD1, and the Vintage Modern.  I mean, come the fuck on. And the Astoria makes a solid case for being his greatest achievement.

Steve designed all three Astoria amps (Custom, Dual, and Classic), but Chris George came up with the looks.  He wanted something that looked nothing like any other Marshall, but retained some stylistic cues from the past as well.  Chris was also an F1 fan, so thus the Astoria has a racing stripe.  Whatever, I think they look fantastic - even the green one. Now, I'm not a big fan of Chris's demo style, and hell, I don't even like watching his left-handed ass playing a backwards guitar because it is an affront to nature, but dude crushed the aesthetics here imo.

I picked up the Dual combo awhile ago and it's been the amp that has been the most inspirational when I want to jam or when I want to sound better than I am.  Its tone runs the gamut from smooth Marshall clean to biting distortion but with all that wonderful articulation you get when you plug into an up-level boutique (looking at you Friedman Dirty Shirley, BE-50 Deluxe, et al.). Wonderful tone for days. Since then I've been looking for a deal on a Custom version because, while I really dig the Dual, I wanted a grown-up version of an amp that does that overdriven snarl that Marshall is known for. Finding an Astoria in the wild is hella hard, but while at the Sam Ash in L.A. I finally got to jam on a Custom and have been lusting ever since. As luck and patience would have it, this one is a B-stock that came up for a price that's tantamount to highway robbery. I was forced to buy it. Forced!

I might never buy another amp that's not cathode biased again.  If I want to try something other than the KT66's it ships with, like EL34s (which it was originally designed for), you just plug and play.  No biasing. That's just the shit. Another little bit that I enjoy is that the effects loop is tube driven, and when it's empty and engaged it acts as another volume, so you have a volume boost at the press of a footswitch. (Of course, disengaged it's completely out of the tonal path)

My only critique of the line is that the Classic, designed to be a pedal platform, has NO effect loop.  That's a head scratcher to me. I'm still keeping my eye out for a deal on that one, too, regardless. The Astoria Classic might be considered as Marshall's first and only "blues amp."

The Astoria line was officially cancelled this month and will probably be remembered as a failure. Hopefully time will allow the line a better perspective. Crown jewel, I tell you!

Edited by BoomMF
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BoomMF

BoomMF 1401

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Posted

Side note: I THINK the only other amp I have that is cathode biased is the Class5. Obviously that the Class5 likes to go bonkers and melt the paint in the room has nothing to do with the biasing, which should mellow it out some, no?

 

 

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Equinox

Equinox 95

Posted
Posted (edited)
10 hours ago, BoomMF said:

NAD

Marshall Astoria Custom head

20180612_201525.jpg?dl=0

 

The Marshall Astoria line might go down as a crown jewel of the Marshall line. I don't know exactly why it has been a failure, but I have my guesses (Pricepoint and fuckin Nick Bowcott, for example). 

Explain the Nick Bowcott remark.

Edited by Equinox
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Grandioso

Grandioso 2592

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Posted

Excellent write up BMF! I prefer lower wattage amps, even when playing with a full band. It’s easier to push them into my favorite zone- slight break up just before overdrive. A 30 watt Marshall would be right up my alley.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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DougO

DougO 5261

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Posted
19 hours ago, BoomMF said:

NAD

Marshall Astoria Custom head

20180612_201525.jpg?dl=0

 

The Marshall Astoria line might go down as a crown jewel of the Marshall line. I don't know exactly why it has been a failure, but I have my guesses (Pricepoint and fuckin Nick Bowcott, for example).  If you can get past the sticker shock for a 30w amp made by a company not called Friedman, and get to the amp itself, I think people will find it contains the culmination of all of Marshall's best ideas, some great new ones, all in a package that both pays tribute to Marshall's rich heritage and forges its own path. 

Apart from the media blitz when it was announced back in 2015 there has been almost nothing, not a drip, from Marshall regarding these amps.  Curious, I searched around for people who might know the history of where it came from because I'm fascinated by the entire line and there just isn't much information available online.

It seems that before Jim passed he gave the green light to Steve Dawson to create an amp of amps for gigging musicians.  Dawson, himself a gigging guitarist, was given carte blanche and he went all out. Steve was the lead designer for some of the greatest amps to come out of Marshall, including the JTM45/100, Class5 (!), Super100JH, JMP1 (!), 50th Anniversary Bluesbreaker (Holy damn, what a killer amp!), 2245THW, JMD1, and the Vintage Modern.  I mean, come the fuck on. And the Astoria makes a solid case for being his greatest achievement.

Steve designed all three Astoria amps (Custom, Dual, and Classic), but Chris George came up with the looks.  He wanted something that looked nothing like any other Marshall, but retained some stylistic cues from the past as well.  Chris was also an F1 fan, so thus the Astoria has a racing stripe.  Whatever, I think they look fantastic - even the green one. Now, I'm not a big fan of Chris's demo style, and hell, I don't even like watching his left-handed ass playing a backwards guitar because it is an affront to nature, but dude crushed the aesthetics here imo.

I picked up the Dual combo awhile ago and it's been the amp that has been the most inspirational when I want to jam or when I want to sound better than I am.  Its tone runs the gamut from smooth Marshall clean to biting distortion but with all that wonderful articulation you get when you plug into an up-level boutique (looking at you Friedman Dirty Shirley, BE-50 Deluxe, et al.). Wonderful tone for days. Since then I've been looking for a deal on a Custom version because, while I really dig the Dual, I wanted a grown-up version of an amp that does that overdriven snarl that Marshall is known for. Finding an Astoria in the wild is hella hard, but while at the Sam Ash in L.A. I finally got to jam on a Custom and have been lusting ever since. As luck and patience would have it, this one is a B-stock that came up for a price that's tantamount to highway robbery. I was forced to buy it. Forced!

I might never buy another amp that's not cathode biased again.  If I want to try something other than the KT66's it ships with, like EL34s (which it was originally designed for), you just plug and play.  No biasing. That's just the shit. Another little bit that I enjoy is that the effects loop is tube driven, and when it's empty and engaged it acts as another volume, so you have a volume boost at the press of a footswitch. (Of course, disengaged it's completely out of the tonal path)

My only critique of the line is that the Classic, designed to be a pedal platform, has NO effect loop.  That's a head scratcher to me. I'm still keeping my eye out for a deal on that one, too, regardless. The Astoria Classic might be considered as Marshall's first and only "blues amp."

The Astoria line was officially cancelled this month and will probably be remembered as a failure. Hopefully time will allow the line a better perspective. Crown jewel, I tell you!

 

 

I'm guessing it wasn't popular largely because it looks more like a bowling shirt than a classic Marshall amp. Consumers gonna consumer.

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BoomMF

BoomMF 1401

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, DougO said:

 

 

I'm guessing it wasn't popular largely because it looks more like a bowling shirt than a classic Marshall amp. Consumers gonna consumer.

Perhaps.  I wonder how the line would have done with this livery instead:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_sV-c5eeXU

I'd be curious to see the numbers Marshall sold of the CME Limited Edition in black and the Custom Limited Edition head in black they did for a quick minute.

11 hours ago, Equinox said:

Explain the Nick Bowcott remark.

At NAMM 2015 Marshall chose Nick Bowcott to debut the amp and do the interview circuit. I like his Marshall history books, really, they're great, but he's not a guy I would have chosen if I wanted to make a splash with a splashy amp. I think that he had at least something to do with the mediocre reception. (Oh, and also an unwashed lefty.)

 

Edited by BoomMF
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Buzzrock

Buzzrock 15115

Posted
Posted

I'm really digging the Katana. I'm surprised at the drive/blues tones it can create considering it's solid state. It can be a little overwhelming with the tone studio and all of the super-granular tweaking you can do, so I've just kept it simple and I've been pleased. I may like the crunch sound better than my Bassbreaker.

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Equinox

Equinox 95

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Posted

I dug up an old Tube Works 1x12 cabinet in my garage, and I've been plugging my little Laney Cub 10 into it at the office. But it needed a grill of some sort-

35328854_10217196245443313_4874611795890

 

Quick fix

34863350_10217196254003527_5385730041034

 

The material came from a cheap throw pillow from teh Walmarts, and it barely fit. I'll do something better at a later time.

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DougO

DougO 5261

Posted
Posted
On 6/15/2018 at 1:06 PM, Equinox said:

I dug up an old Tube Works 1x12 cabinet in my garage, and I've been plugging my little Laney Cub 10 into it at the office. But it needed a grill of some sort-

35328854_10217196245443313_4874611795890

 

Quick fix

34863350_10217196254003527_5385730041034

 

The material came from a cheap throw pillow from teh Walmarts, and it barely fit. I'll do something better at a later time.

Now we're going to need a Guitar Player Needlepoint Pron thread.

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Equinox

Equinox 95

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Posted
33 minutes ago, DougO said:

Now we're going to need a Guitar Player Needlepoint Pron thread.

Might be a moot point now. It appears during the Great Rainstorm of Midland Texas June 16th, 2018 our roof leaked on it and some other stuff. So I may just buy a new 1x12 cabinet now.

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DougO

DougO 5261

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, Equinox said:

Might be a moot point now. It appears during the Great Rainstorm of Midland Texas June 16th, 2018 our roof leaked on it and some other stuff. So I may just buy a new 1x12 cabinet now.

That sucks. And I can't even buy a decent rain here. It keeps missing us, pasture severely needs it.

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BoomMF

BoomMF 1401

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

"Pete used a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV and Lee a Milkman Dairy Air into a Victory 2x12 cabinet."

Pete Honoré, the dude on the right, makes just about anything wail, but he's particularly on with that Tele and HRD. Amazing tone.

Edited by BoomMF
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