What's a A Good Small-ish Amp for Rock/Overdrive Tones?

Tim Heidner · From: Groves, TX

I'm liking my Session 400 for cleans now that I put the Alumitone in my guitar, but the dirt tones are still lacking with my Zendrive 2 pedal. I'm thinking I might need a separate amp for overdrive-y tones, maybe a small Fender?

Walter Killam · From: Nebraska, USA

I got a Bugera V22 several months ago, and all my other guitar amps have been sitting in the corner since.

It dosn't do clean well, but you can dial in all sorts of grit & the price is right!
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Mostly junque with a few knick-knacks that I really can't do without!

Papa Joe Pollick · From: Swanton, Ohio

'nuff said!!!

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

you could try a Fender Blues Junior, 15 watts into a 12" Eminence.

Tim Heidner · From: Groves, TX

Al Bettis · From: Houston, Texas USA

How much volume / headroom do you need; i.e., do you need it primarily for gigging or home/rehearsal and recording? less than 20 or over 30 -50 watts?

Also what ballpark budget are you working with? You can spend from a couple hundred to several thousand.

I'll bet you get lots of suggestions once you can narrow that down.
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Emmons P/P, Session 400, sundry 6 stringed and 4 legged critters, amps old & new

Tim Heidner · From: Groves, TX

well, I don't have a gig yet, just now getting to the point where I think I may be ready. 30 watts would probably be plenty and I should probably stay around the $1,000 mark depending how much I can get if I sell off a few things...

Papa Joe Pollick · From: Swanton, Ohio

Tim Heidner · From: Groves, TX

why don't you send it down here and I'll test it out for you?

Papa Joe Pollick · From: Swanton, Ohio

OK,Ya want it for Christmas,or your birthday??? Razz

Al Bettis · From: Houston, Texas USA

Man, there's just so much out there it becomes a matter of what will float your boat, tone wise.

There's a lot of beefy stuff from Fender and Peavey between $400 -$800, the Blues Jr. (as Bo suggested, you can't go wrong), Deluxe and Devilles, etc. Roll back the treble knob and cut the hi-boost. There are newer brands I'm not really familiar with. Within a few hours of Rockport I would head to the nearest Guitar Center or music store and try some out or check Ebay in your price range and research. Head to Austin or Houston and check out Rockin Robin, Fuller's guitars or Heart O Texas Music.

That Bugera V-22 that Walter mentioned above sounds like a good choice for wattage, tone (from the you-tube demo), specs and price (<$400); dont know anything about 'em otherwise.

If you want a more tweed champ/deluxe sound, the Fender Custom Shop 57 Champ, Kendrick Practice Amp or Victoria make great sounding low voume rippin amps, but very pricey for 5-10 watts. They are very well made amps.

Vintage 47 Amps makes cool Valco repros, but you'll need to stick a clean booster in front of them. In fact, a clean boost cranked past noon will add a lot of grease to most any amp, as it hops up the guitar signal hitting the preamp stage.

If can snag a Dr. Z Monza or Mini Z in your price range those are killers.

All the above said, this is assuming your alumitone is gonna drive harder than most 6 string guitar humbuckers and you're looking for that traditional rock or blues/rock mid-range, overdriven tube distortion and crunch. The Zendrive is a great 'organic' peddle, but even it can't funk up a Session 400. You really ought to try the amp with your steel if possible.

Its all subjective. Rather than spending a bundle, it might be best to find anything that seems funky for a couple hundred bucks, stick a moderate amount of boost in front if needed, crank your steel and see what happens.

Playing a session I brought in several high end amps and the producer liked the sound of the old Peavey Bandit lying around the sudio for that track, so whatever works.

Happy tone hunting!
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Emmons P/P, Session 400, sundry 6 stringed and 4 legged critters, amps old & new

Gregg Laiben · From: Kansas City, Missouri, USA

8 watts of pure fun...my Little Walter Little Willie. Bookshelf sized amp. I use it for country E9 steel and love it. I think rockers might too.

Jeremy Steele · From: Princeton, NJ USA

Peavey Classic 30. The gain structure on the overdrive channel is great.

Al Bettis · From: Houston, Texas USA

Wow.

That L'il Walter should get it done.

Repeat after me, "Thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not covet," until the temptation goes away.
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Emmons P/P, Session 400, sundry 6 stringed and 4 legged critters, amps old & new

Rich Hlaves · From: Wildomar, California, USA

The Blues Jr is a fine little amp for the $$. Prolly the loudest 15 watts out there. I own two, a tweed NOS with the Jensen and a blonde one with the Eminence. The Jensen is better for guitar but just slightly. The master volume and phat switch are usefull tools.

You might take a look at a pre-master volume silver face Deluxe Reverb. That could fit in your budget but might be a bit loud when it starts to hair up. Both amps take pedals well.

I don't often recommend them because I don't like to work on them but the Vox AC15 might float your boat tone wise. A little less volume and a little more hair.
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On man....let the smoke out of another one.

Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

Try the Digitech Bad Monkey.
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1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Revelation preamp, Carbon Copy Delay and Hall Of Fame Reverb, Crown XLS 1002, 2- 15" Eminence Wheelhouse speakers, ShoBud Pedal, Effects Pedals. 1949 Epiphone D-8.

Tim Heidner · From: Groves, TX

Little Walter would be nice, way out of my range these days, though.

Jim Cinney · From: Tehachapi California, USA

I have a Peavey , Windsor Studio . 1-12 combo, 15-20 watts, has power soak attenuator on the back. Great sounding little amp. I play r&r & have no trouble keeping up with drums or the rest of the band. also has a line out & will run a 4x12 cab with ease.
I upgraded the tubes, am running a KT-66 power tube. It has that Marshall blues breaker sound. I paid about $400.00 new.

Frank James Pracher · From: Michigan, USA

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

I took my rig to Guitar Center and tried what they had in low power tube amps.. for the $$$ the Fender BLues Jr. was tops..

I want to try a Little Walter

Geoff Cline · From: Southwest France

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