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What's everyone using for a "grab'n'go" amp?


gtone

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I have used 3 of these as grab & go. Far and away the easiest of these to grab and go is the Tophat.  It is also my most popular amp with other guitarists. I tend to prefer my Carmen Ghia.

Since these photos were taken, the Marshall & Z 1x12 cab have moved into the living room so I can play along with the stereo while learning new songs, and so I could demo the Henretta Monster Board in the comfort of my living room. The Z-28 4x10 now sits on the table. I gigged with the Carmen Ghia and 2x10 cabinet recently, and it's very easy to move around and set up. You do have to remove Prince and the lighting effects to get it out of the basement though.

Carmen Ghia - Prince.jpg

Tophat - Marshall.jpg

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I have two....

1. Lil Dawg D-lux 5e3 clone of a 57. Loudest 12 watts on the planet. Weber 12a125a.  Maybe a delay or an OD of some sort for variety. And my attenuator if the joint is small.

2. Mesa TA15 lunchbox head in a bag over one shoulder, a 1x12 with either an EV SRO (oof) or an Emi Red Fang....or a light 2x10 pine cab closed back with GB10s for Marshall tones.

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27 minutes ago, BruceM said:

I have used 3 of these as grab & go. Far and away the easiest of these to grab and go is the Tophat.  It is also my most popular amp with other guitarists. I tend to prefer my Carmen Ghia.

Since these photos were taken, the Marshall & Z 1x12 cab have moved into the living room so I can play along with the stereo while learning new songs, and so I could demo the Henretta Monster Board in the comfort of my living room. The Z-28 4x10 now sits on the table. I gigged with the Carmen Ghia and 2x10 cabinet recently, and it's very easy to move around and set up. You do have to remove Prince and the lighting effects to get it out of the basement though.

Carmen Ghia - Prince.jpg

Tophat - Marshall.jpg

Top Hats are nice! Which Club model is that one?

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7 hours ago, gtrdaddy said:

 

REAL SWEET AMPS GUYS. 

But, they are more like Heave 'n' Go...

:D

I don't do 'Heave 'n' Go' (or 'Grab 'n' Go', for that matter) anymore, all my current amps are heads, and I don't have anything bigger than 18 watts...though 18 watts is more than enough and plenty loud for me and for home use.  I've got a couple of VHT Standard 18 heads (the ones with the mahogany front panel), the Mojotone 18-watt Marshall Model 1974 clone head that HFC member Fractal built and I bought here on the board, and my 15-watt Mack Skyraider head.  They're all toteable if I wanted to tote, which I'd rather not.  I've got one comfortably light weight Seismic speaker cab with a Eminence GB128 speaker that won't mess up my back, but my VHT 1x12 extension cab (which matches the width of the Standard 18 head...and both are w i d e to begin with) isn't something I'd want to carry around for long.

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We played a gig this past friday with some other bands. I used the amp the club provided as we only had 5 minutes between each band. It was a Hot Rod Deluxe and it sounded much better than I expected. Smart little Fender amp.

Anyway. The other bands, much younger players, all had brought their Kempers and what have you. I have to say, standing in front of the stage watching, that profiling amps just don't sound right in small clubs. In an arena, when everything comes out of the PA they might work. But it just sounded puny and weak when the guitars only came from the PA, when the live drums came from the stage and the PA combined, and the bass too. They all had set their guitartones for sweeping arpeggios and that nu-metal rythm tone with kinda scooped mids. But it just not the same as a guitar coming from a real amp on full blast - miked, so that it comes from the PA and stage at the same time. I want my bones rattled. Those Kempers sound like castrated dogs, no oomph. I will never go down that road. It's like riding a skateboard for real down a steep road, or playing Nintento Wii, riding that interactive skateboard infront of a tv-screen.

So, I rather grab my to go amp for gigs. It's worth the hazle, always.

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1 hour ago, Disturber said:

We played a gig this past friday with some other bands. I used the amp the club provided as we only had 5 minutes between each band. It was a Hot Rod Deluxe and it sounded much better than I expected. Smart little Fender amp.

Anyway. The other bands, much younger players, all had brought their Kempers and what have you. I have to say, standing in front of the stage watching, that profiling amps just don't sound right in small clubs. In an arena, when everything comes out of the PA they might work. But it just sounded puny and weak when the guitars only came from the PA, when the live drums came from the stage and the PA combined, and the bass too. They all had set their guitartones for sweeping arpeggios and that nu-metal rythm tone with kinda scooped mids. But it just not the same as a guitar coming from a real amp on full blast - miked, so that it comes from the PA and stage at the same time. I want my bones rattled. Those Kempers sound like castrated dogs, no oomph. I will never go down that road. It's like riding a skateboard for real down a steep road, or playing Nintento Wii, riding that interactive skateboard infront of a tv-screen.

So, I rather grab my to go amp for gigs. It's worth the hazle, always.

I’ll take tubes over profiles every day!! They’re good and getting better but just not there yet!! A cranked tube amp has thrilled listeners for dang near a century!! 

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                                                                          I just use a  VHT "REDLINE" 20. Its light, powerful, and LOUD! Real spring REVERB and many other features.When I got this people were amazed at how loud this amp was................I was only running it on vol. 3.If I want more I can plug into a custom cab I have also. When I really have to have something to fill up a huge space or a out door performance I use my original Mark I "BOOGIE" or my PEARCE "G2R" BOTH of these ARE great but they ARE HEAVY.....................the PEARCE is a "TANK" but if want a HUGE sound....................this.                  AbuQI2M.jpgzPRgRPv.jpg9yd9Toy.jpgysGQpLd.jpg

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19 hours ago, gtrdaddy said:

Top Hats are nice! Which Club model is that one?

It's a Club Royale, and it's got HFC history. I purchased it many years ago from Nightwolf, and the local guys will attest that it's got his mojo all over it. This one makes it out of the basement much more often than any other amp I own for 3 reasons: it's easy to carry, it's got glorious tone, and it's the amp favored for gigging by Famous Volcanoes' pedal steel player Jimmy Johnson. We've got a show tomorrow night, and it'll probably be used by Jimmy then.

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57 minutes ago, Camstone said:

I need the excersize. 

Approximate weight of that puppy? See you have a flight case for it so that only adds to the equation...

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1 hour ago, bigolsparky said:

For Guitar: Helix

For Bass: Markbass MOMark with a 2x10 cab.

 

I'm really impressed with those Markbass amps - some are fairly compact and sound great to boot.

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I typically am going direct with most gigs, but when I play somewhere where we’re using floor wedges instead of IEM’s my trusted grab and go is a Traynor YGL-1.  Built in digital reverb, foot switch controlled +6db lead boost (and reverb on/off if you go 2 button switch), and under 40 lbs. with bonus points earned for being made in North America (Canada).  The most important aspect...it sounds darned good for its size.

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Image result for Reverend Kingsnake amp

My current gigging amp at the moment: Reverend Kingsnake 1x12 combo 20/60 watt amp with Jensen Neo 12-100 speaker. Weighs under 40lbs., portable, and a great pedal platform that's clean/loud with its 6L6 power tubes. Adjustable power switch can go from 20 watts to 60 watts, if more wattage is needed onstage. Since the picture of this amp isn't my amp, mine was built by Joe Naylor himself with his initials on the back. 

e5ywujrqz9yphpqsmx5b.jpg

PM-TNhOJu6o9nSUMFCwrLd0D7A9-pKPU8Wnd7uAR3o-uURpms1Ln_P33CXE0EMFSDpeUPcH7stpftxe7NIE6DYvtyWWzdxCNDi00wVx0nQUULg8Cd86PA5bJ-ePH0LAQEd1cii76W3UE_1xXTVlSGfYzmyyIq204dLwKMEMkB9_xqBtDNa9NWUhuv1q0Obd1m01UMdBVkyNuwzkXDgK7miEqt_OPLRPZkRWBLEeyISRENHQrjLR_SWI91XfYgRwfsK0kgrP99mi9tc6yuSaDaIIs7e-dJN3P6lqBscj9xAi4YBgVca-xVtLbd-bH7fMRb4KonA_V9JjSzWe0Qh9Gt4dS5QKhH9_oNn3_Lrk9nQI6XFaLBXERerQgjhQ_vQ0ePrIru1hIEzm_2BkYkLe0gb2xjEeyvauuuWC6UsquQHoYHBhr3ZHZ7ekMwwhTlWOn3xtuN6LiKwygP1s2BB54_PtLtdWY1Fq1yCN059IHMr_YZi9nMo8Za9rF6aLzDooJhCPgrMMEkSpiHLNLD4FuLYu3tRFPtSXsIZJVbqpLLc72Ut3MztCeaKPWARVOMNDMz-udlA3M8m52IH7qJCM7eD4YjPahrx_kETmzFaFAlnqKRFLSUcfvpQAd3Re7makBcRQlLEN4flkdU0JO0HjtR-Zx6Z8iQzWaZUARIwjIMzZVlk50tNl1pDbTRCahjvC0jnRYeHISjPnM4Gyr4-qsFZI_d2i4WDubXH6TITgV2kKu04c=w384-h512-no

The backup gigging amp: Reverend Goblin 5/15 watt 1x10 combo amp. Same thing as the Kingsnake with the exception of using 6V6 power tubes, adjustable output of 5/15 watts, amp weight is under 30lbs, Eminence Lil' Buddy speaker installed in place of the Jensen Neo 10-100 speaker which I thought sounded raspy & small. I was still frustrated with the sound of the small 1x10 combo cab so I bought a custom made Mojotone 1x12 combo cab with a Jensen Neo 12-100 16 ohm speaker from "portsider" at the Reverend Discussion Forum. I was chasing after this combo cab for awhile since I couldn't find anyone to build it for me. I'm glad that I waited it out and saved my money. The sound of the amp improved immensely with better lows & highs and the output was more noticeable with the bigger 12" speaker. I learned that I don't like the sound of the 10" speaker in the original Reverend Goblin 1x10 combo cab after gigging with it for a number of years. The Reverend Goblin in its custom made 1x12 combo cab truly is the "grab and go" of the few tube combo amps that I own. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Guitar George

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8 hours ago, Dutchman said:

.....They’re good and getting better but just not there yet!!......

Same sentiment for the past what - 30 years or so? Every year, every new technology: they're 'just not there yet'.

In a blind taste test I wouldn't be able to tell you what gear was making what sound. But when it feels right, that's the thing.

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