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Topic: Class A |
Todd Pertll
From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Posted 17 Oct 2002 1:35 pm |
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Has anyone had luck with some lower end Class A amps. From the limited research I have done, they seem ideal for steel. What do you guys think?
Todd |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 17 Oct 2002 5:19 pm
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"Low-end class A"? Well, there aren't a lot of them around, especially ones with enough power for steel use! I can't argue that they don't have "the tone", though, and they might be great for recording use. However, when you mike or line-out an amp like that for live work, and you're pushing really clean tones, a lot of their warmth and harmonic "character" is lost.
Of course, with a straight guitar (where you're more interested in that fat, smooth harmonic overdrive that class A gives), they seem to do a much better job through secondary amplification.
Just my 2cents, anyway. |
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Todd Pertll
From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Posted 18 Oct 2002 5:31 am
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| I guess "low end" is not the correct term. What I meant is something around the $800-$1500 range. |
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Rex Thomas
From:
Thompson's Station, TN
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Posted 18 Oct 2002 5:56 am
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| ...what Donny said. From experience; yeah, they sound great at a low volume, but you can't push 'em. |
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Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
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Posted 18 Oct 2002 5:59 am
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Talk to Gary Brandin
He gets a lot of mileage out of small, Class A tube amps. He has a Magnatone that's like 8 or maybe 15 watts that creates MAGIC with his old Rick. He's not going for the contemporary steel guitar tone, but he gets a really warm, fuzzy, awesome sound out of those li'l OLD amps.
Brandin -- you out there?????
------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 18 Oct 2002 6:21 am
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I use a THD Bivalve that lists for $1,500 so it can be had for much cheaper. It has plenty of clean headroom with the right combo of tubes. It is a class A self biasing amp. With an efficient speaker cab I have no problem pushing med sized rooms with it. The output transformer is tuned in a way that brings out the clarity of closely voiced steel guitar chords. Andy Marshall built the beast and he plays steel and spends a good deal of time with steel players. Some of the first call session players in LA and Seattle are using the BiValve these days.
Bob |
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Brandin
From:
Newport Beach CA. USA
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Posted 18 Oct 2002 7:58 am
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Here Larry!
Tubes good.
GB |
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Danny Bates
From:
Fresno, CA. USA
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Posted 19 Oct 2002 3:03 am
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I've got one of these 30 watt Class A Laney amps. Great amp for the bucks.
http://www.laney.co.uk/html/products/valve/popup/LC30.htm
After I bought it, I put in a Weber 30 watt speaker that is a copy of the Celestion "Blue" but with 30 watts of handling capacity instead of Celestion's 15 watts. It gets to one volume and then the speaker "compresses" the sound. For steel guitar, I think a 12" alnico JBL (d-120) or Peavy would be better.
Sure makes a killer guitar amp too. The tone is really vintage sounding. A lot like a Vox AC-30.
The amp is real quiet because it uses a "toroidal" transformer... in other words, it is wound different than most transformers. The transformer looks like a "donut" shape and helps cancel hum.. kind of a "humbucking" transformer. The amp is pretty lightweight too.
This amp must have a mic & run thru the p.a. system to really compete with a loud band.
I bought it a year ago for $525, now you can get them for $599... The speaker cost about $140 |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 20 Oct 2002 1:47 am
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Check out: http://www.carramps.com/carrframeset.html
The Imperial would be great for steel, you could gig with it too. I have a Rambler which is great for low to medium volume situations. I bought it (used) for standard guitar but I've used it quite a bit for both pedal and non-pedal steel. Actually, it is nothing short of amazing when it comes to the amount of headroom it has, given that it is rated at only 28 watts. The Imperial is like a Rambler with twice the power so it must have plenty of clean volume. The tone of the Rambler is the best I've ever heard from any amp large or small.
Too bad they ain't cheap! |
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Steve Feldman
From:
Central MA USA
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Posted 20 Oct 2002 6:24 am
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| $2K (MSRP) for the Rambler. Youch! |
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