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Topic: Ampeg Gemini lovers and Budget amp suggestions for newbie... |
Yanick Roy
From: Quebec, Canada
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Posted 15 Jun 2014 4:06 pm
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Hello,
I started playing not too long ago and I love it. I got my hands on a Carter Starter (It was dirt cheap)and I'm planning on upgrading in a year or two. Meanwhile, I'm looking for suggestions for a decent budget amp, best bang for the buck. I have an old ampeg gemini at home which sounds great with a tele for country twang but I haven't tried it yet on PSG.Having said this i'd like something a little more portable with an headphone jack and also something I wouldnt worry carrying around (unlike my vintage 1965 amp)Any suggestions? In the local ads I saw a Peavey Envoy II for 90$ And a vintage roland cube for 170$ (Two amps which Ive read good things about on the forum. Good deals? Are there Better options? A pod with a twin sim? Please help me with your budget PSG experience. By the way, finding a used Nashville 112 in montreal is as easy as finding a used skidoo in Arizona!
Thanks
Thanks
Last edited by Yanick Roy on 15 Jun 2014 9:20 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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Bill Moore
From: Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 15 Jun 2014 6:55 pm
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Just my opinion, I would not go with either as a first choice. I have an older Envoy, it has a 10" speaker, sounds thin and doesn't have much power. Not too good for steel. No experience with the Roland. In that budget range, there are many older Peaveys, Bandits, Pacer, Studio Pro and so on, that have 12" speakers and a decent sound. One of those would be my preference. |
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Daniel Policarpo
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Posted 15 Jun 2014 8:59 pm
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Those Ampeg Gemini's are awesome! One of my favorite amps. I haven't heard a steel through one, though. I am really liking my Fender Mustang III. Its a modeling amp, but boy does it sound good. For Fender clean it does the trick. They go for around $329 new for the latest v.2 version, but you can get older models or used models of the I, II, III for a really good low price here in the States. I imagine they wouldn't be much different in Canada, but I've never been up to your beautiful territory, though friends of mine found the coasts majestic. |
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Yanick Roy
From: Quebec, Canada
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Posted 15 Jun 2014 9:14 pm
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Daniel Policarpo wrote: |
Those Ampeg Gemini's are awesome! One of my favorite amps. |
Man, my drunken crazy son of a bitch father in law left me this amp when my mother threw him out. This gemini is the only good thing I got from him!!!
My seymour duncann equiped japanese squier + MXR dynacomp in the gemini= Instant gratification. Especially for alt country.
keep it a secret though! Lets keep them affordable! |
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Chris Boyd
From: Leonia,N.J./Charlestown,R.I.
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Posted 16 Jun 2014 8:24 am
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I still have a bunch of the Ampeg amps from the 60's.... they're superb for guitars...the only one I really like for pedal steel is the B12XT... a 60 watt 2x12 portaflex beast ! _________________ https://www.reverbnation.com/bigredandtheresonators |
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Jack Hanson
From: San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 16 Jun 2014 10:29 am
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Chris Boyd wrote: |
I still have a bunch of the Ampeg amps from the 60's.... they're superb for guitars...the only one I really like for pedal steel is the B12XT... a 60 watt 2x12 portaflex beast ! |
I've had my circa '66 B12XT since the late '60s, and it's one of the best sounding amps I've ever had. It sounds good with whatever you run through the thing.
As a Colorado hippie in the early '70s, I got a couple RCA/phone plug adaptors and ran my Garrard turntable through it and it even sounded awesome playing my Little Walter, Muddy Waters, and Allman Bros records. (Right, Steve?)
A great amp -- a very underrated and somewhat unknown gem. It's a drag to schlep around though, probably just as heavy and definitely more cumbersome than a D-10. For that reason, it's currently in the custody of my Strat-basher son. |
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Chris Boyd
From: Leonia,N.J./Charlestown,R.I.
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Posted 16 Jun 2014 12:06 pm
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Jack... I was a Colorado pedal steel guitar touring hippy in the mid 70's !
It's true... the B12XT is a huge beast and a bit tough for an aging guy like me to haul... but perfect in a studio or music room...and the best sounding Ampeg I've ever heard...Never tried hooking it to a turntable ! Mine belonged to Rafe Van Hoy in Nashville and was completely gone through by Todd Sharp at Nashville Amps..I have a couple NOS footswitches for that amp incase someone is in need... _________________ https://www.reverbnation.com/bigredandtheresonators |
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