TUBE AMPS ??

Ben Jack · From: Fayettevillle, Ar. * R.I.P.

For 30 years I've always played through a trans. amp. and although I own music stores and could have tried tube amps. I never have. I now want to try a tube amp. what are some suggestions from you guys as to the best tube amp. available. Thanks for your help.

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

Standel, or for something more affordable, a Silverface Twin 135.

Joel Martin · From: California, USA

there are so many great amps out there, really just depends on what you want to spend. Fender has made lots of classic stuff through the years. The Twin Reverb is great for steels - this site is an amazing resource for all their products:

http://www.ampwares.com/ffg/

they actually still make really good, affordable amps.

Carroll Hale · From: EastTexas, USA

still playing a twin reverb....1966 version...
has been a great amp...replaced a couple of tubes...
fender builds a great amp....been offered 5x what I paid for it new in 1966........NOT FOR SALE........
will give to my sons when I leave this old earth...
ch

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Ben,I have an early 70's Fender Vibrosonic 135 watts,and a 15 inch JBL D-130 that is great.When I lived in Texas we used to hear about your store evey time we played the "Swingin' Door" in Fayetteville ,Sorry I never made it by.

_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

john buffington · From: Owasso OK - USA

My opinion only, if I were going to go to a tube amp, it would be another 60's Twin-Reverb. That is what I came off of when I went to Peavey then to Evans, now Webb and a N-112. I saw "The Big E" with Ray Price once playing through a T-R and was pulling the most awesome tone without any effects!

John Buffington

Dave Harmonson · From: Seattle, Wa

I played thru a Peavey Session 400 and the an LTD 400 for years with my old MSA with Super Sustain II Pups and never liked the sound of it thru a tube amp. About a year ago I got an almost new GFI Ultra and tried it thru a silver face Fender Vibrosonic and I love it. I've also got an Evans FET 500 that is a great steel amp, but there's something about the tube sound that really makes the high end soar. Another plus with the Fender is my Tele sounds great thru it, too and I can bring just one amp. It's definitely a heavy beast, but not much different than the Evans.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

i've always used pv's also (ltd400 nv400) and could never get comfortable on a gig with a twin......but lately at a rehearsal garage i've used a twin that is there, and at low volume, i love the gooeyness...i know a lot of recordings have been made with them.
if i owned music stores, i'd probably have tried everything available!

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

How clean you want your sound and how loud you play really determines what type of tube amp you would use. Fender is pretty much the measuring-stick for tube steel amps (along with the more rare early Standels). The 135-watt Twins are considered bottom-of-the-barrel by most 6-stringers but can be nice for clean steel IF you can turn them up a bit - run at "2" or "3" on the volume control it's tough to dial in a good tone. The same can be said for 80 (so-called 100) watt Twins - they really sparkle when cranked up but can sound weak at low volume unless you have a tech go through and make a few parts, tube and bias changes.

My favorites for clean steel (I play "clean" with a bit of distortion - a warm, round sound but no squeaky-clean) are the 40-50 watt Pro Reverb, 1x15" Vibroverb and the 22-watt Deluxe Reverb.

For the most part - with the exception of the '64 Vibroverb Custom - I'm talking about 690's/early 70's models. I'm not a great fan of the printed circuit board "reissue" or "Hot Rod" amps.

With any tube amp you have to also expect regular maintenance; tube changes, rebiasing, "tweaking", cap jobs (filter capacitors only last 20 years or so and must be replaced to prevent damage to the amp). If you are a simple "plug 'n play" player and like clean sounds I think solid-state is a better way to go; but if you like to mold your tone to fit your own style and want to create a more distinct, individualistic sound, tube amps are tremendous.

Other tube amps I've used for steel are Marshall, Holland, Vox, Soldano, Bogner, vintage Gibsons and Magnatones; there are many, many choices and some of the premier 6-string amps make far better steel amps than most players would think (the Bogner Uberschall is a $3k tube head that's favored by some metal players - my older son has one and it makes a tremendous steel amp - when adjusted correctly it's clean, warm and has tons of headroom).
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Bo Legg · Posted 29 Apr 2008 11:59 am

Ben
I've been using a fender Hot Rod Deville and its sounds great with most steels. It sounds a lot like Tom Brumly's 55 Bassman to me. I'm not implying that I sound like Tom. A Bassman is around $1500 and the Deville is around $500.

Jeremy Threlfall · From: now in Western Australia

My re-issue Fender Blues Deluxe (40W) works a treat.

Plenty, plenty loud enough.

Thats 40 Fender watts

I'd like to try a Twin Custom 15

David Doggett · Posted 29 Apr 2008 4:23 pm

Any silver-face Fender from the '60s-'70s - pick the size you need.

Jim Mitchell · From: Phily,Pennsylvania, USA

Stuart Legg · Posted 30 Apr 2008 8:41 pm

Hey Jim for some of us that would be like doing our own surgery.

Tom Moorman · From: Decatur, GA USA

I use a Peavey Vintage 212 with my MSA D-12. Works great.

Tom

Colin Mclean · From: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

I play a '78 Silverface Twin, purchased at the local Guitar Center used last year for $500. 2x12", 135w.

I love the sound of this amp for steel. Before I tried plugging it into my Hot Rod Deluxe, but that amp was too dark. I've plugged into my SF Vibrolux, but that amp is just a tad too dark for my taste as well. The Twin is great but the Deluxe is a nice bright sounding amp too if you can use 22 watts.

Andy Zynda · From: Wisconsin

1st Choice: Twin Reverb, 60's with JBL's.
2nd Choice: Twin Reverb, 70's without Master Vol.
3rd Choice: Twin Reverb, any year, any config.
4th Choice: Dual Showman Reverb, 212 Bottom.

Twins are truly awesome amplifiers.
-andy z-

Ben Jack · From: Fayettevillle, Ar. * R.I.P.

Thanks to all for your suggestions to my question. I tried a d-130 in a cab. with the hot rod dlx. amp. and didn't like the sound so I've went back to my Webb and Profex 2 and once again I'm happy for the time, Oh well ?

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

This company in Malaysia has some good kits.
The is a Fender Super clone.

http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPages/AC5F4Super/AC5F4SuperComplete.htm

This is basically a late 50's Fender Super amp.
A very nice sounding tube amp.

They have the full amp pre-built if you like.
Just get speakers and build cabinet.
I have some of their stuff in my current building project.
They have USA return office for any problem parts
and are pretty nice people to deal with.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.

Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many!

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Ben, as I mentioned earlier amp recommendations are pretty useless without a clear idea of what 1) type of music you play, and 2) what kind of guitar tone you are aiming for. Generically, "tube amp" has zero meaning except that it uses a particular technology.

The advantage to tube amps is MOST can be easily adjusted and "dialed in" to a players' style, as opposed to the normally-clean "one size fits all" sound of solid state amps, unless they are either modified or used with a range of effects.

I can always recommend good tube amps - but if you play mostly country-rock with a little "edge" to the sound a 135-watt Twin is a poor choice; OTOH if you play clean, traditional steel in a band a 35-watt Vibrolux Reverb might get buried. However, each can be a good amp for a PARTICULAR application.

What I'm saying, in simple words, is you need to define/explain what it is you play - equipment, style. volume level, venues, etc. - THEN a more precise recommendation can be made.

This is where many players get turned off by tube amps - they post a question, take a recommendation, buy an amp that doesn't fit their style (and don't understand tube amps need service and setup on a regular basis) and figure tube amps are "bad". So, a little more info would be very helpful to finding the right amp fro you.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

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