TUBE AMPS ??

Ben Jack · Post by **Ben Jack** » 29 Apr 2008 9:24 am

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 · Post by **chas smith** » 29 Apr 2008 9:36 am

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

Joel Martin · Post by **Joel Martin** » 29 Apr 2008 9:40 am

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 · Post by **Carroll Hale** » 29 Apr 2008 9:59 am

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 · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 29 Apr 2008 10:02 am

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.

john buffington · Post by **john buffington** » 29 Apr 2008 10:03 am

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 · Post by **Dave Harmonson** » 29 Apr 2008 10:41 am

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 · Post by **chris ivey** » 29 Apr 2008 11:25 am

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 · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 29 Apr 2008 11:44 am

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).

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 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 · Post by **Jeremy Threlfall** » 29 Apr 2008 2:57 pm

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 · Post by **David Doggett** » 29 Apr 2008 4:23 pm

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

Jim Mitchell · Post by **Jim Mitchell** » 30 Apr 2008 9:10 am

Ben Jack wrote: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.

Do what I did build one yourself lets see

Transformers Power $175.00 Output $80.00
Tubes $120.00
Chissis $45.00
The electronic stuff about $50.00
Speakers $125.00
Build you oun cabinet with TOLEX about $100.00

175+80+120+45+50+125+100=$695 AND A LOT OF TIME AND HOPE IT WORKS

But if It does you can fix it yourself

How I built mine

http://www.geocities.com/insp/SUPRO6420.html

I do think Tube Amps sound the best a richer sound

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 30 Apr 2008 8:41 pm

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

Tom Moorman · Post by **Tom Moorman** » 1 May 2008 6:48 am

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

Tom

Colin Mclean · Post by **Colin Mclean** » 5 May 2008 5:55 pm

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 · Post by **Andy Zynda** » 6 May 2008 5:35 am

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 · Post by **Ben Jack** » 6 May 2008 11:22 am

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 · Post by **David L. Donald** » 6 May 2008 5:38 pm

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

http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPage ... mplete.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.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 6 May 2008 6:33 pm

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.

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TUBE AMPS ??

TUBE AMPS ??

Re: TUBE AMPS ??

Tube Amp

HOT ROD DLX. WITH D-130