Best choices in Tube Amps for steel

Twayn Williams · Post by **Twayn Williams** » 3 Nov 2006 6:33 pm

Drew, I really liked the sound of that Fender! Your playing ain't bad either

I really don't like the sound of the Deluxe/DeVille, but the same qualities that don't work for me with guitar (strat) might just work in the PSG's favor! I'm currently using a Vox AC30CC12 and while it sounds really good, it's a little heavier than I want to be moving up and down basement stairs to rehearsal. I think I'll hit the music store tomorrow with my steel and test it out.

Thanks for the video!

Roman Sonnleitner · Post by **Roman Sonnleitner** » 4 Nov 2006 6:10 am

Drew, great stuff, really liked that song & your playing!

Kay Das · Post by **Kay Das** » 4 Nov 2006 4:30 pm

Each of us has his favorite. I have to agree with Drew. My favorite is the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 1x12 and I have not found anything yet to beat it for lap steel, reverb at about 10 oclock, at least for my (biased) ears.

Price range okay. The problem is maintenance. It is not well designed thermally, and when I used it for gigs in Singapore on more than one non-air-conditioned occasion, the printed circuit board got so hot that the solder got soft and then resulted in cold joints, resulting in crackling noises. The local Fender dealer had to re-solder every joint on the board. I have changed the output 6L6s twice in the four years I have had it. These come in three shades of brightness. I chose the middle with a "blues" tone.

But there may be a different story here in the US....

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kay

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 5 Nov 2006 8:07 am

Fender Blues Junior, if 15 watts is enough for you.

Brad

Terry Farmer · Post by **Terry Farmer** » 5 Nov 2006 9:31 am

I really like my Fender Blues Jr.

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 5 Nov 2006 9:34 am

Well I used my new Roland Cube-60 on two gigs this weekend.

1. Friday - A bar gig. Long narrow club - seats about 125 people. Everyone seated at tables. No stage, they just move a few tables aside to create a "stage". Amp on the floor, no sound system. Played with a trio - me, a fiddler and another guitarist who doubled on harmonica. Mostly swing music.

2. Saturday - A dance in a meeting hall. Hardwood dance floor, a real stage. Amp on the floor of the stage. Line out of amp fed into the sound system. Mostly contra dance and couple dance (waltz, swing etc.).

I had both my Archtop Guitar and my Bakelite Rick fed into the single input of the 60 using an AB switch box. I had a pedal to switch between the clean (for rhythm work) and the lead channel (for lead, duh). Trio - me, same fiddler as the bar gig and a pianist.

First let me say - the bar gig was a total disaster. We had no sound system, actually we had a sound system but no power cord for it. The audience completely ignored us even though we played some pretty hot stuff. They did clap for Sleepwalk though. After the disastoruous bar gig I was ready to sell every piece of musical equipment I owned and go into used car sales. It was pretty depressing. Because of the bad night I will not even comment on the 60.

Next night at the dance the 60 performed beautifully. The clean-rhythm channel had a nice tight but fat sound and the lead channel really cut through when it was my turn to solo. I used the same EQ on the amp for both instruments and tweeked it using the tone controls on the instruments. I only had the volume up to around "2" on the amp and that was enough.

I'm keeping the amp.

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 5 Nov 2006 1:30 pm

Oh yea, the Blues Junior with this done to it:

http://home.comcast.net/~machrone/bjr/bjtone.htm

Brad

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 5 Nov 2006 7:07 pm

I also love my '90's Tweed Fender Blues Jr for lap steel with the above mods to give it as much "head-room" as possible and couldn't resist adding tilt legs.
http://home.comcast.net/~machrone/bjr/bjtone.htm

It has the exact dimensions of the early '50's Fender Deluxe and Harvard amps but with a little more watts.
Got it on eBay for about $250 before mods, after mods...Priceless

[This message was edited by Garry Vanderlinde on 05 November 2006 at 08:47 PM.]

Mark Tomlinson · Post by **Mark Tomlinson** » 5 Nov 2006 11:19 pm

Personally, I use a modern Fender Bronco (not the truck) which is a little tube amp with 8" speaker that packs a punch. That works for most smaller, quieter gigs. I also play my Tele through this amp.

I also have a 1970-ish Fender Vibrolux Reverb (lots of mods and repairs over the years), which has a great smooth tone and plenty of amplitude.

Both amps sound great for lap steel with treble turned way-down, and bass most the way up (like 75% of max). I also have a bunch of effects also, but don't use much more than reverb and delay on the lap steel.

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Mark Tomlinson
mark@careytomlinson.org
www.careytomlinson.org

Roman Sonnleitner · Post by **Roman Sonnleitner** » 6 Nov 2006 4:10 am

Mark,
if by "modern" you mean the 1970s, your Bronco is indeed a tube amp.

The mid-1990s Fender Bronco tweed combo is a solid state amp, though...

Roman

Mark Tomlinson · Post by **Mark Tomlinson** » 6 Nov 2006 10:18 pm

Roman, you are absolutely correct - thanks for the tip. Honestly, the sales person told me it was a tube amp. I've looked online just a bit and saw references to Bronco models with tubes, so I just assumed.

So today I opened up the little bugger and that's right - no tubes. But I did see that there are 2 vented holes in the front, probably for specific bass frequencies.

Still - that is a great sounding little amp and it packs a punch. It also weighs a lot less than the Vibrolux!

Thanks for the tip Roman![This message was edited by Mark Tomlinson on 07 November 2006 at 09:47 AM.]

Roman Sonnleitner · Post by **Roman Sonnleitner** » 7 Nov 2006 1:20 am

The reason I knew was that my guitar teacher (for regular, not lap steel, guitar) used one of these modern Broncos for his students; frankly, I hated the sound I got with my Telecaster, much too trebly, but I guess it might work better with lap steel.

Stephen Dorocke · Post by **Stephen Dorocke** » 7 Nov 2006 8:49 am

Victoria. Expensive, but worth every penny. That's if you're lookin' for a tweed thang.....[This message was edited by Stephen Dorocke on 07 November 2006 at 08:58 AM.]

Jeff Strouse · Post by **Jeff Strouse** » 7 Nov 2006 3:07 pm

The music stores in town only carry new, but I think I know of a pawn shop or two that has guitars and amps. I'd get one of those small 5 watt tube if the price were right and it was easy to restore. Are there any particular favorites, or ones to stay away from? I'm sure most probably don't have reverb.

I'm still going to get a new amp (I'm going to try the ones y'all have already recommended), but it would be cool to have a little vintage tube amp. I'm sure 5 watts would be plenty for just around the house. I also like how the tube sounds at the point of distortion, as heard in the old McIntire recordings. It would be interesting to experiment with it.

Roman Sonnleitner · Post by **Roman Sonnleitner** » 8 Nov 2006 12:54 am

Well, in that case you might really take a look at the Carvin Vintage 16 I mentioned above - it is switchable from 16 W pentode to 5 W triode, and in the latter mode it sounds even fatter & warmer than a 'high' power...
BTW, even at 5 W it will be VERY loud before you get natural tube distortion.
I also have that cheapo Epi Valve Jr. 5-watter, and ther's no way I can turn that up until it overdrives in my city apartment...

Jeff Strouse · Post by **Jeff Strouse** » 14 Nov 2006 1:26 am

I finally got out today to visit one music store (Guitar Center) and looked at a few amps. I took a steel and everyone in the store thought it was cool, since they rarely see them. I tried several amps which I listed below. I wanted to get a used Roland Cube 60 they had for $249.00, but it sold before I got up there

. I at least would have liked to have tried it out.

Crate GT 112 SL 1X12 50w $199.99
Crate Palimino V16 15 W $399.99 (tube)
Fender Frontman 25R $139.00
Peavy Valve King $429.99
Line 6 Spider 2 30 $159.99
Peavey Transtube Blazer 158 15w $60 (used)
Vox DA15 $159.99

I really didn't care much for the Line 6, Fender Frontman, Peavey Blazer, or Vox DA15.

The Crate Palamino was okay, however, there was a slight ringing when I hit a certain string...sounded like something was loose inside...I don't know what this was, but I didn't hear it on the other amps. This one was noticably better than the lower priced solid state, but still didn't reach out and grab me. Then I tried the Peavey Valve King. Nice! My favorite of the lot. But I'd like to try some of the others in that category before I spend the money.

The last one I tried was the Crate GT 112. Of lower priced solid states I tried, this was the best. But I would need to play with it more before deciding to buy it or not.

I'm going to try another music store later today. The problem is that they are all spread out (and Jacksonville is the largest city "area"-wise in the U.S.)!

[This message was edited by Jeff Strouse on 14 November 2006 at 01:29 AM.]

Øystein Røysi · Post by **Øystein Røysi** » 14 Nov 2006 2:58 am

Jeff,
Have you heard about Matamp in the UK? www.matamp.co.uk
They build amps in different sizes and price classes, and you can customize to your heart's content. I'm GASing for a Minimat head at the moment...

They're supposed to have some quite dedicated fans in the US, so you might be able to find out more about them, if you're lucky.

They are tube amps, however, but they seem extremely well put together, so I don't think you'll have much trouble with maintenance.

Good luck in your search!

------------------
Cheers,
Øystein

Ayers Acoustic
Gold Tone Solid Spruce Weissenborn
National Dynamic
Fender SRV Strat
Koch Twintone II

Mike Ruffin · Post by **Mike Ruffin** » 14 Nov 2006 4:21 pm

Jeff

If you like the Peavey, check with Bobbe Seymore. He has real good pricing on Peavey amps.

Larry Jones · Post by **Larry Jones** » 14 Nov 2006 6:18 pm

i ues a fender twin custom 15" with my stringmasters it don't get any better than that. i was using a hot rod deluxe that sounded real good too but nothing like the twin. i use for western swing and hawaiian. good luck sometimes it takes awhile to find your voice.for me ive settled on a session 500 and the twin 15' because i like a big sound without getting to loud. being under powered is the worse thing. having that headroom makes alot of difference .

Jeff Strouse · Post by **Jeff Strouse** » 14 Nov 2006 6:25 pm

Went to a different store today...I played the Fender Blues Jr $399.99...very nice! I think I liked it even better than the Valve King, (which I tried first as a reference point from yesterday...this particular unit had a buzz in the reverb channel...no good). But that Blues, Jr. sounded the sweetest of all the lower priced tubes I've tried. So if I go tube, I think it will be the Blues Jr...

As far as "practice" amps go, I tried the Marshall MG15-CDR, and an Ibanez Tone Blaster 25R. I was quite impressed with the sound of either for a practice type amp. Practice amps sure have come a long way. If I went in this amp class, I'd probably get either the Ibanez Tone Blaster 25R ($149.00) or the Crate GT-112.

I'm still ISO a Roland Cube 60, Nashville 112, and Carvin Vintage 16 to try before I make a decision...still have a couple of more stores to go to. (Rick, if I can't find them here, I may take you up on your offer and come down South to try your Nashville 112!)

[This message was edited by Jeff Strouse on 14 November 2006 at 06:40 PM.]

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 14 Nov 2006 7:00 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200045543020&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010

Laquered Tweed

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 14 Nov 2006 7:04 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200045543020&ssPage Name=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010

No speaker.

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 14 Nov 2006 8:02 pm

You could put a JBL in it or any speaker better than the one that came with it.

Jeff, I don't know how far from Boca Raton you are but Dave at String Theory Instrument Repair can help you out I bet. He made my Blues Jr into a dynamite lap steel amp.

[This message was edited by Garry Vanderlinde on 14 November 2006 at 08:25 PM.]