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Author Topic:  Small amp for lap steel???
Byron Walcher

 

From:
Ketchum, Idaho, USA
Post  Posted 21 Sep 2006 9:27 pm    
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OK don't laugh, I have a Fender Musicmaster bass amp that I had re-capped, installed really nice NOS tubes and a Weber Vintage series speaker in. It is very cool. These can be had still for around $200 on E-Bay, I'm not kidding it sounds great.
Byron
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Ken Fox


From:
Nashville GA USA
Post  Posted 22 Sep 2006 7:15 am    
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Byron, you are letting out a great secret there! Classic Fender tube amp with one gain stage and either 2 each 6V6 or two 6AQ5 power tubes plus a 12" speaker!

I bet it sounds great! This ine lots like a bargain:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Musicmast er-Bass-Amp...

[This message was edited by Ken Fox on 22 September 2006 at 08:18 AM.]

[This message was edited by b0b on 24 September 2006 at 07:03 PM.]

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Byron Walcher

 

From:
Ketchum, Idaho, USA
Post  Posted 22 Sep 2006 7:21 am    
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Hi Ken, mine has 6V6s in it, I tried several types, finally settled on the RCA Greyglass Blackplates, very sweet. I have played club gigs with this amp, 12 watts. Miced into the PA it was pretty impressive. If I put my Walker Stereo Steel preamp in front so that there's more control over the voicing it sounds as good as anything I've heard at lower volume, but is very nice by itself, vintage sounding and great for lap steel.
Byron

------------------
74 Black Emmmons 8x8 Wood Necks,71 Emmons Satin Rosewood Fatback, Fender Deluxe Eight, Georgeboard, '64 Fender Pro, 66 Showman


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Karlis Abolins


From:
(near) Seattle, WA, USA
Post  Posted 22 Sep 2006 7:51 am    
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I have to second Erv's recommendation of the Epiphone Valve jr. I have tried a number of preamp tubes and here are my favorites in order:
12AT7
12Au7
12AV7

The 12AT7 adds a little breakup at max volume. The 12AU7 sounds really sweet and gives the least breakup but provides the nicest tone (and controllable volume). The 12AV7 is between the other two. I use this as my favorite practice amp.

Karlis
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Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 22 Sep 2006 8:37 am    
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Karlis,
I'm glad you agree! It's just fun to plug into something soooooooo simple and get such a gooooooood sound!
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Eric Jaeger

 

From:
Oakland, California, USA
Post  Posted 22 Sep 2006 11:42 am    
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Gotta chime in on the Valve Junior. At $99 for the head version you can't beat it. I couldn't build a box, let alone an amplifier, for that price. It's a great starting point for fiddling around as well. I now have two :-)

-eric
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Skip Keane

 

From:
Rhode Island, USA
Post  Posted 24 Sep 2006 6:21 am    
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Hello,
Well, if you want your lap to scream and have all the sustain in the world you have to try an ampeg jet 12r. This great little amp is all tube with a wonderful reverb pushing a vintage 12" jensen speaker. Find one, try one and you'll understand why it is the perfect match. small, portable, all tube and powerful. It is just a great fit.
Oahu (killer bee) lap steel guitar
Sho Bud Professional D-10
thanks,
Skip
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Dave Sky

 

From:
Columbus, Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 24 Sep 2006 9:57 am    
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For the Epiphone head, what company makes a good cabinet for lap steel? I was thinking of a 12 inch speaker. Why would be a good place to get one?

Thanks!
Dave
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Dave Sky

 

From:
Columbus, Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 24 Sep 2006 9:59 am    
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Actually I meant to say "where" would be a good place to get a speaker cabinet. Maybe why works too.

Dave
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Karlis Abolins


From:
(near) Seattle, WA, USA
Post  Posted 24 Sep 2006 11:58 am    
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Dave, I built my own speaker cabinet with a 10" vintage sound speaker from Weber. You can find a Line6 1 x 12 cab at Sweetwater for $200. I spent more than that for parts building my own.

Karlis
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Ernest Cawby


From:
Lake City, Florida, USA, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 24 Sep 2006 3:39 pm    
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I have a Silvertone made by Marshall, Ken fox rebuilt it, and it is 2 channels, light and when I played thru this at the Fl. club Jam they all wanted to know what are you using, sounds great. Light weight.

ernie
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Mike Brown

 

From:
Meridian, Mississippi USA
Post  Posted 24 Sep 2006 7:12 pm    
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May I suggest a Peavey Classic 30 or the Delta Blues series?
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James Quackenbush

 

From:
Pomona, New York, USA
Post  Posted 25 Sep 2006 7:11 am    
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I like all the above amps for lap steel ...I have a BUNCH of the above amps, including a modded Peavey Custom 30 that sounds pretty good for lap and for guitar work .....In addition , I would include the Thomas Organ Vox tube amps ( if you can find them) in the list for smaller tube amps for lap....I would also include the Laney LC15 as a good candidate for lap steel ....Jim
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David Mason


From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
Post  Posted 25 Sep 2006 7:22 am    
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If you can luck into a 60's Kalamazoo (I'm not kidding), they were made as Gibson's budget line but they're built like tanks and sing like, um... dragons? Happy dragons?
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Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 25 Sep 2006 9:36 am    
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I picked up a Peavey extension cabinet w/12" speaker from one of our Forum brothers and it works just great.
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Steinar Gregertsen


From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 25 Sep 2006 10:13 am    
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I use a Peavey Delta Blues with a 15" speaker for both lap steel and guitar,- have nothing to complain about.

Steinar

------------------
"Play to express, not to impress"
www.gregertsen.com
Southern Moon Northern Lights

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Kevin Ruddell

 

From:
Toledo Ohio USA
Post  Posted 25 Sep 2006 3:09 pm    
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The Peavey Delta , Epiphone , or an Ampeg might be the way to go . I like both my Classic 30's but the stock speaker and tubes are really matched better to a regular electric guitar. The heavy particle board cabinet material used in the 30 is a real sound killer too . Peavey makes the head separate now , but it's not a lot cheaper than the combo . Both of my 30's are in a separate head , no more tube rattling and longer tube life . You might want to try the particular amps in a store too as both my classic 30's sound different from each other . One has a slightly lower gain and smoother response than the other one even the same tubes swapped .
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Eric West


From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 25 Sep 2006 8:53 pm    
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T W.

You might scoff, but you might try out a Line 6 112 that's come up on sale for 2 bills. GC might have one.

In fact, there are a few of them in the low end money wise that you'd probably like. From Epiphone and Vox modellers to other real tube amps.

EJL

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Øystein Røysi

 

From:
Trondheim, Norway
Post  Posted 27 Sep 2006 12:43 pm    
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Hi,
About the Epiphone Valve Junior Head...
What would you guys recommend as a good 10" / 12" ext. cab for it...? And, if it's possible to give a description, how does it sound? Is it VOX'y / Marshall'y...? I don't really know what different tubes sound like... I'm not that experienced...

Thanks for any help you can give me!

------------------
Cheers,
Øystein

  • Gold Tone Solid Spruce Weissenborn D / Low G / C+9
  • National Dynamic A6th / C6th / Leavitt
  • Fender SRV Strat
  • Ayers Acoustic
  • Koch Twintone II
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Karlis Abolins


From:
(near) Seattle, WA, USA
Post  Posted 27 Sep 2006 1:54 pm    
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The Epiphone Valve Jr. is most like the old Fender Champ. It has one control - volume.
My cab is a ported cab designed by London Power from their Cab book.

Karlis
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