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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2019 8:43:45 GMT
Im trying to find a solid state amp that gives me that immediate snap and has a full body sonically speaking. It has to be good for pedals so clean channel is a must but that channel is not to sound lifeless as is case with Katana 50. Im looking at 2nd hand and can see Hughes & Kettner ATTAX amps which have 2 channels I think. There is a Fender Frontman 65R. There are a few Marshall Valvestate also. There are also a few Mustang V2 series but these are moddeling/digital so would rather go for old fashion solid state. I really like my Harley Benton CG15 but it sounds good on very low volumes otherwise it gets too hissy. Would like an amp that can go loud but retains that good dynamics and full sonic body. What am I looking for? DefJef mentioned Laney and Crate amps?
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Post by Vincent on Mar 6, 2019 10:41:23 GMT
Long time ago I used to have a Hughes & Kettner ATTAX 40. Yes two channels. The clean channel is very Fendery. Forget about the second dirty channel. Just a bucket of fizz. It has reverb too. 90% sure it is a spring type. Difficult to remember all the finer details but I loved the amp just for the clean channel. I was never a big pedal user but it worked okay with them as I remember. Has send and return if you want. Used mostly at home but did some small gigs with it because it was not too heavy and at times it was difficult to keep it clean at high volume so the 100 watt version would be more suitable in this case I suppose. Hughes & Kettner amps at the time had a poor reputation here but anyone who tried mine was mostly impressed. I had other amps at the time and I only bought it because it was so cheap (used) to be honest but it really did grow on me. I still see these amps for sale quite often. Fifty euros for the 40watt model is quite commonly asked for. With the 100watt version being a little more of course. They had a blue suede type covering that can look really messy when not groomed regularly We had a Marshall Valvestate one time too but I remember so little about it. Just been to look at some pictures on the Internet to see if that would help but no
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2019 13:34:20 GMT
I have played SS amps and they would always leave me wanting. Can't stand the dullness of notes that just jump into my face. This Harley Benton CG15 has the immediate response but it has certain organic-ness to its tone. When I drive it with my Lunar Drive and Gears Compressor I get into the Bassman territory.
Should I be looking for small speaker amps or even swap the stock for an Alnico Jensen???
Ok, so, 10" SS amp that's not so hissy. Would be good if it had power supply with ground connection rather than the usual EU 2 pins for smaller amps.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2019 15:20:59 GMT
Yes I did ... once!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2019 15:32:59 GMT
Suggesting moddelers seems you are not getting my idea Im not after just ANY SS amp and certainly not those with digital stuff being in the way of the signal. Im after an analog SS amp that has some sort of "interesting" circuit (probably in the preamp section). I wish I could open and understand whats in the HB CG15 amp as that would narrow my search. Do SS amp have Op-amp in preamp? Or can they also have that VOX thing with negative feedback or whats it called? Im certainly staying away from Moddelers as they will sound more Hi-fi and life-less than a simple analog SS cicruit that has to sweat a bit to get the tone out.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2019 16:26:18 GMT
Speaking of moddeling amps there are two Fender II V2 amps for little money! On vids they sound too thin almost Katana like. I guess will keep my eye on the 2nd hand market for a while and see what pops up but would be nice to know what Im after.
Hohner Marlin 50R seems like an amp that has that "tone" Im after but one can not be sure unless I can test it. I need as little hiss as possible on "lower" volumes for recording. Dont mind some hiss once the amp is cranked in band situation as that gets lost in the mix.
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Post by blindwilly3fingers on Mar 6, 2019 16:54:48 GMT
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DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Mar 6, 2019 17:06:43 GMT
Couple of thoughts. How are your ears atuned to Orange amps? A Crush might be a good choice as the eq section seems to be a bit more responsive than many amps I've tried in that bracket. OR, thinking outside the box, have you thought of a bass practice amp since you like the Bassman? I like trying guitars into wrong amps. My tele into a Peavey keyboard amp with a 15" speaker sounded epic but the amp's to massive for regular use so it sits in my office under a desk. I quite like bass practice amps because they seem more robust (chunkier cabinets and grilles), simple and more resistant to buzzes and rattles. They also have speakers that are designed to try to help the low end even though they are smaller than ideal for bass players. Bound to be closed back though, I'd seriously check out some second hand ones. They'll be pretty cheap too and won't be fussing about having gain channels, dodgy reverb and all that nonsense. I think JAC has a Fender Rumble don't you jac?
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1,773 posts
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Post by MartinB on Mar 6, 2019 17:18:45 GMT
DefJef raises a good point, my amp before my blues jr. was a bass amp, it was great, an ex girlfriend kept it, along with my bass guitar and an electric.
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Post by blindwilly3fingers on Mar 6, 2019 17:43:45 GMT
DefJef raises a good point, my amp before my blues jr. was a bass amp, it was great, an ex girlfriend kept it, along with my bass guitar and an electric. Reminds me of the hurricane gag, sorry MartinB no offence meant. Question: What have a hurricane and a woman got in common? Answer: They are both wet and windy when they come! And when they've gone, they've took your house and all your possessions with them! 😋
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1,773 posts
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Post by MartinB on Mar 6, 2019 17:46:51 GMT
None taken.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2019 20:53:02 GMT
I had the 10 and 20 watts version and they certainlly sound different to the CG models. They must have a different circuit. These HB series are based on the "tube emulating" and I dont really think Im after that. I need a SS amp that doesnt emulate but rather has a certain full bodied EQ and has very good definiton which results in a very "organic" tone , but still very immediate like SS should be. If they had a CG-40 or CG-65 I would go for it
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