What wattage/type of tube amps are you using?

Steel guitar amplifiers, effects, etc.

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Michael Dulin
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what wattage tube amp

Post by Michael Dulin »

Has anyone tried the new Fender Deluxe VM...40 watts tube with built in delay and chorus? MD
Joe Smith
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Post by Joe Smith »

Well I may be the only one doing this, but I use an old Standel tube amp that was built in the late fifties. That is the only amp I use for gigs.I also have two Standel reissue amps that I play through here at home.
Jack Francis
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Post by Jack Francis »

I had my old "Twin" made into a head and use an assortment of speakers...but mostly I find myself using the Seymour Duncan 84/50....love the EL84's
50W of GREAT tone in a 1-12 combo that's pretty light
BUT...when I need to get NASTY. It's the "Hot Rodded Twin thru the Mesa Boogie 4-12 cab!!! :whoa:
DESERT ROSE D-10 8/5...Joe Naylor "SteelSeat"...
Gallien-Krueger MB200 amplifier through an Alessis MicroVerb w/15'Peavey cab.
TELES & STRATS...
FENDER TWIN & SEYMOUR DUNCAN 50W tube amps...1-12" 2-12" & 4-12" cabs and a FENDER MUSTANG-3
Robby Osenton
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Post by Robby Osenton »

does anyone know what amp is on this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYKVb7T1n2I


The sound I really love is how there is just a touch of overdrive to it when he starts the solo. I am afraid if I get a twin, I will never or rarely be able to get it turned up enough to get this.

Is the overdrive because he has an amp turned up, or because he plays hard and it overdrives the front end a little?
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Tim Marcus
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Post by Tim Marcus »

Robby Osenton wrote:I am afraid if I get a twin, I will never or rarely be able to get it turned up enough to get this.
install a pentode/triode switch. You'll cut the power almost in half and get a nice sweet breakup at a much lower volume.
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Ken Fox
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Post by Ken Fox »

Here is our steel amp in the studio:
(92 watts with 4x6L6GC power tubes)


http://foxvintageamps.com/linked/laughi ... scoded.mp3

Here is Larry Bell with it and a push pull Emmons (12 string).

http://foxvintageamps.com/linked/foxemmons1.mp3

For Tele I use a 14 watt 1955 Deluxe clone and a 1955 Pro clone (about 30-35 watts)
Derrell Stephens
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Post by Derrell Stephens »

Fender HR Deluxe for full tube amp ... my mods, of course ... pretty stout. If I need louder, I have a bevy of Evans amps to tap into; hybrid 500 ^ FET 500's
D
Dan Tyack
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Post by Dan Tyack »

Robby Osenton wrote:does anyone know what amp is on this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYKVb7T1n2I


The sound I really love is how there is just a touch of overdrive to it when he starts the solo. I am afraid if I get a twin, I will never or rarely be able to get it turned up enough to get this.

Is the overdrive because he has an amp turned up, or because he plays hard and it overdrives the front end a little?
I know that Tom Brumley loved Fender Bassmans (40 watts). I can't say for sure that's what he was playing there, but it sounds like it.

I love the tone, and I think the 'overdrive' is a combination of the two factors that you mention.
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Ken Fox
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Post by Ken Fox »

At 55 seconds you can see all the amps on the stage and the foreward facing controls of the amps Tom was playing. Tweed amps did not have forward facing controls.
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Dave Mudgett
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Post by Dave Mudgett »

At 0:56:
Image

Don's looks like a BF Twin Reverb. Doyle's looks more like a SF Bassman or Dual Showman - the panel looks a tad shiny for a BF, but it's hard to say for sure. Tom's is hidden somewhat, but it looks more like a BF Twin Reverb. It does appear to be lower than Don's TR - perhaps it's sitting on the floor behind the riser, or perhaps it's something smaller. Hard to tell. He used Super Reverbs later, correct? Could be a SR on the floor, I suppose.

I know many groan when I mention a Super Reverb or Vibrolux Reverb for pedal steel, but if it doesn't need to be real loud & clean, they can sound good. For gigs where the stage volume is real low, I use a SF Princeton Reverb with a JBL MI-series 10" speaker for both pedal steel and guitar, mic'd and run through the PA. Sounds great, but gets overwhelmed for PSG unless the stage volume is really kept down. Sometimes a BF Deluxe/Vibrolux/Super Reverb works fine, again not gonna have the headroom of a TR or Session 400. A SF Bandmaster Reverb is a good idea for that type of thing - strangely, they can still be found without breaking the bank and they're great for mild mods to increase the headroom.

But I wouldn't pooh pooh a Peavey Nashville 112. For PSG, I think it's a nice amp if you aren't leaning hard on the low strings at high volume.

Ken, your amp sounds outstanding in those clips - great classic tone. Is that a single 15" or 4x10"?
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Ken Fox
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Post by Ken Fox »

Those clips were the 15" SICA in the steel amp.

Thanks for the kind comments!
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