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What kind of vintage amp should I get?


jwood

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Dear Forum,

I am going to be honest with you and tell you that I don't know how to play the guitar. But I do have a few nice guitars that are signed by artists. 1984 Cracked Dayglo SS1 (Billy Idol/Steve Stevens), Wool covered 1983 Dean Baby Z (Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, Dusty Hill) ect...

I work in the concert industry, yada yada..

I would like to be able to plug them into an amp so that I can see what they sould like, or actually have sound come out so that I can tune them.

I know I can get a new or used amp off of Ebay or Craigslist for chump change. And on the other side of the spectrum, I could pay a few thousand for a cool vintage Amp on ebay. But I don't want to do either of these.

Is there an in between vintage amp that is in the sub $500 range, that is still respectable, but not a $4000 collectors item? More like a $500 sleaper collectors item? I really like older stuff. I like the way it looks and feels, and would rather have something old, than something new. The same way a lot of people would rather have a 1957 corvette than a 2005 corvette.

I figure I will get it off of ebay. What do you recommend?

What would Steve Stevens, or Tom Petty have used back in the day?

Thanks

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Is there an in between vintage amp that is in the sub $500 range, that is still respectable, but not a $4000 collectors item?

Alamo amps are nice old tube amps that should be in your price range. No bells or whistles but they sound good.

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Music Mans. Good enough for a lot of big names back in the day and they still hold their own, both performance and value-wise. Some folks sneer at the SS preamps, but those are the folks that never actually wound one up. Decent combos can be had for $300 -$700, depending on the model. Go for the 65 or 130 watters with model names that are just, say, Sixty Five 112 or One Thirty 210, etc. In the heads, the 65 and 130 watt ones without reverb are bass heads, generally, while the reverbed ones are voiced for guitar. There are a couple of good chassis numbers, my fave is the 2275 (followed by the wattage, i.e.: 2275-65 or 2275-130).

The ones with the tube phase inverter are more highly sought after. I've had several of both types and actually prefer the one with the SS inverter, but it's subtle. In any event, lots of EL-34 or 6CA7 goodness and nobody's gonna laugh at you.

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Depends on the kind of tone you want. There are some boutique-type versions of classic low wattage Fender and Marshall designs, so you get the tone of the vintage gear without (necessarily) the price.

For instance, I have a THD Type O, which is a 50-watt handwired combo version of the Marshall Plexi. I got it from a guy on this forum for under a grand.

There are also reissue models. I have a Fender Bassman '59 tweed reissue. In fact, if you want it, it's yours.

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All of the above are good. I'd go for a Music Man, as they're sturdy and hold value well. I've heard old tube Traynors are good as well.

As for me, I play mostly Fender Blackface amps, Bassman heads particularly. I recommend 'em, but I got mine well over 10 years ago, when finding one for well under $500 wasn't unusual. I can't say that now, plus you need a speaker cab for them, too. Maybe a used Fender tube amp of recent make or a RI might be something you can use as well, if you're looking strictly at tubes.

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Not sure where you are located, but my friend has a Blackface Bassman and 2x12 cab that's very original for sale. I thin he's looking for $650.00 for the pair. He also has a Blond Bandmaster that's been modded by Jeff Krumm of Savage Amps to run EL34's with some other tricks thrown in as well for around $500.00 head and cab.

I've got a 64 Bandmaster that I'd part with as well, but unless you're local these would be $$ to ship.

Any of these types of amps (piggybacks look sooo cool) would suit your purposes and you should be able to find them fairly easily .

Good luck

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Honestly I wouldn't get a vintage amp to learn on - a beginner couldn't get the nuances out of the amp. I'd get a digital amp or some kind of POD set-up (I used to run mine through good computer speakers - it sounded surprisingly good at bedroom volumes. Yes, digital does actually sound good.)

The main advantage to digital is that gives you a very wide variety of vintage amp models so that you can find your own tone. It's like having a mini amp shop at your fingers. After playing through a digital box for a year or so you'll probably find yourself gravitating towards certain sounds - you might begin to realize that yes, I am a Fender kinda guy, or I really like that mid-range Marshally sound, etc. Then you can go shopping for a vintage amp and actually hear the nuances between the different models.

Also, a vintage amps are generally loud. Face it - if you're a beginner, loud is not a good thing. Period. Digital allows you to get your tone at any volume.

I think I read some interview where Carlos Santana said that 5-10% of tone comes from one's equipment. So we should all start practicing!

P.S. Digital is cheap right now! You can get a good used POD for $150-350. Add a pair of decent pc speakers and you're under budget.

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i would look for a vintage tweed fender champ.

for home use a marshall lead 12 is a great little amp. i recently bought one for about usd 50,--.

this little amp sounds really great - is from the early 80s and cost nothing.

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The Bassman reissue that HamerHokie mentions would be good. The 59 Bassman really is a great amp, but the originals are extremely expensive. A reissue gives you the look of something old with parts that are not likely to go bad from age. A '59 Bassman would give you some early ZZ Top tones, but not the Eliminator era. The reissues are well above the $500 range.

If you want an amp consistent with the Steve Stevens get a Marshall JCM 800 half stack and you are in the 80's. A Marshall combo from the era would work. It may be more than your price range, but it would be right for the guitar.

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Dear Forum,

I read an interview by Steve Stevens that said that he used a 71 metalface Marshall amp while recording the Rebel Yell album.

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issu...d_His_Gear.aspx

I looked on ebay and have not seen any for sale when searching for Metal face. But there is a steady stream of vintage and modern Marshall amps. Am I searching for the wrong name?

I heard they cost less than Plexi's. What do you think I will have to pay for a "71 Metal Face"?

Thanks

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Dear Forum,

I read an interview by Steve Stevens that said that he used a 71 metalface Marshall amp while recording the Rebel Yell album.

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issu...d_His_Gear.aspx

I looked on ebay and have not seen any for sale when searching for Metal face. But there is a steady stream of vintage and modern Marshall amps. Am I searching for the wrong name?

I heard they cost less than Plexi's. What do you think I will have to pay for a "71 Metal Face"?

Thanks

In good original condition...$1500-2200. Price varies , if it has replacement parts it will be worth less to "collectors". "Metal" or "Ali" face Marshalls are from 1970 on to 1981 or so, also known by the "JMP" designation on the front panel. In 1982 they became the "JCM 800" series.

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J Wood,

Some really good suggestions here, it would be a hard choice.

I would forget the Alamo Amps. They are pieces of crap and I have several different models to confirm this! Mirriorimij should not be allowed on the board. :unsure: Just boat anchors, all vintage Alamo amps should be shipped to Casa de Hamerica for proper disposal. Especially, the Embassy models with the kitchen door handle models. The Rev Billy G used some in the early days and what does he know about Tone?

The same goes for Hard Hearted Bill. Damn, old tweed Gibson GA's are worthless especially original, unmolested examples. I especially recommend staying away from the GA-20T. Just worthless, all GA-20T Tweeds should be shipped to Casa de Hamerica. Hell, I'll even be nice and pick up the shipping costs.

AVOID THOSE AMPS AT ALL COSTS.

On the Music Man. I personally have never played through one but several people I respect have either owned one or played through them.

Good luck on your search!

Hamerica

(Note - The first two full paragraphs are parodies. Hamerica has great respect for Mirriorimji and HHB's recommendations.)

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"What kind of vintage amp should I get?"

A new one

I second that, mostly; I'd get one either new or made within the last 5 years. Vintage amps are cool, but they potentially have all kinds of issues. That last thing you want is for it to crap out while your guests are playing.

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