| Author |
Topic: Wanting to try a tube amp |
Ollin Landers
From:
Willow Springs, NC
|
Posted 29 Mar 2014 6:44 pm |
|
I'm thinking about trying a tube amp for double duty. Steel and Tele. I haven't had a tube amp since I played in rock bands in the 70's.
When I started playing music again and took up the steel in the 90's I of course went with a Peavey solid state amp. I've had solid state amps since. Now I'm wanting to try a tube amp. What would be a good lower cost tube amp to try out? I really don't want to spend more than 500.00 on something.
Can I get a good tube amp for home practice and gigs? We mic everything at gigs so I'm thinking a low watt small amp may work. I don't want to go with a newer amp with a circuit board like a reissue Twin.
Maybe if I could find an old Music Man 65 or something like that?
Any suggestions?
_________________
Zum SD-12 Black, Zum SD-12 Burly Elm Several B-Bender Tele's and a lot of other gear I can't play.
I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields |
|
|
|
Dave Hopping
From:
Aurora, Colorado
|
Posted 29 Mar 2014 7:38 pm
|
|
Ollin-
My '79 Music Man 210-65 is the best six-string amp I have ever had,but it never had much tone for steel.My 212 HD-150 is a little better for steel,but is pretty far short of my NV112. In my experience all MM amps sound different from each other,but I do think it'd be very much worth it to try one out.I can't say enough good about Music Man amps;I really think they're Leo's best amp designs.
That said,I'm thinking about a double-duty amp myself and I'd sure like to take a '90s Vibrasonic or a Twin Reverb Custom 15 out for a spin. |
|
|
|
Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
|
Posted 29 Mar 2014 11:35 pm
|
|
for about $600 you could get a used Deluxe reverb Reissue...
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
|
|
|
Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 30 Mar 2014 3:57 am
|
|
I am sold on the Valve King. They can be had cheap bought used. I have the 50 watt and 100 watt and love them both. They got me started back with tube amps. I bought both for less than $300 each.
_________________
You can observe a lot just by looking |
|
|
|
Ollin Landers
From:
Willow Springs, NC
|
Posted 30 Mar 2014 2:47 pm
|
|
Are the valve kings clean enough for steel? I have found most of the Peavey tube amps break up very quickly, not a lot of headroom.
It may be a good intro back to tube amps. If they were really any good for steel I should think more people on the forum would use them.
_________________
Zum SD-12 Black, Zum SD-12 Burly Elm Several B-Bender Tele's and a lot of other gear I can't play.
I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields |
|
|
|
Dustin Rigsby
From:
Parts Unknown, Ohio
|
Posted 30 Mar 2014 7:42 pm
|
|
| Ollin Landers wrote: |
Are the valve kings clean enough for steel? I have found most of the Peavey tube amps break up very quickly, not a lot of headroom.
It may be a good intro back to tube amps. If they were really any good for steel I should think more people on the forum would use them. |
People on the forum are set into the norms for pedal steel and are unwilling to experiment. I started to experiment with the digitech rp150 back in 2007 and I'm glad I did. It's one of the best multi f/x for PSG and quite a few guys use them now.
_________________
D.S. Rigsby |
|
|
|
W. Van Horn
From:
Houston, texas
|
Posted 30 Mar 2014 10:02 pm
|
|
I've played steel thru about 1,000,000 amps between backline and personal amps.
Ideas off the top of my head:
Stay away from the hot rod series - way too bright for steel. If you mess with the pre amp tubes you can get a hot rod deluxe to sound surprisingly good for steel, but it takes trial and error and they are not reliable in the least. At all.
Master volume fenders are still cheap and sound fine to my ears. If you are trying to get into the tube amp game for little $ I'd go with one of those or a music man.
Milkman amps are KILLER.
Keep us posted! |
|
|
|
Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 31 Mar 2014 2:38 am
|
|
Ollin,
The "clean channel" is very clean, great for steel. The guitar channel cannot be cleaned up, it is unusable for steel.
I personally do not care what other folks do or do not use, you can miss a lot of opportunities by worrying what other folks use.
Experiment! You might be pleasantly surprised.
_________________
You can observe a lot just by looking
Last edited by Bill Duncan on 31 Mar 2014 2:03 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Alvin Douglas
From:
Prince Edward Island
|
Posted 31 Mar 2014 6:39 am
|
|
I have a Fender Blues Jr with the Jensen speaker that I use for my tele. Tried it on my PSG. It was poor. Bought a used NV112. Horrible on the guitar but outstanding on PSG. If I was looking for a double duty amp I think I would try the Roland 80XL. It's getting great reviews for PSG and can model the tube sound. Good luck with your search. Hope this helps you.
Alvin
_________________
Fender American Deluxe Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul Standard, Quilter MicroPro 8. |
|
|
|
Jim Peter
From:
Mendon,Mich USA
|
Posted 31 Mar 2014 8:13 am
|
|
| I have a Valve King 112 which I use for steel guitar when I don't want to haul my rack system around. For a small 50 watt tube amp it sounds great and the clean channel gets pretty loud before it starts to break up. |
|
|
|
Ollin Landers
From:
Willow Springs, NC
|
Posted 31 Mar 2014 9:10 am
|
|
Well.......
That's why I asked.
I will be on the lookout for a used VK112. For that little bit of investment it would make experimenting with a tube amp and the VK in particular a good idea.
I'm not doing away with my Cube 80XL's though. They are just too light and very versatile. But I thought I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn't at least try a tube amp with steel.
_________________
Zum SD-12 Black, Zum SD-12 Burly Elm Several B-Bender Tele's and a lot of other gear I can't play.
I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields |
|
|
|
Michael Dulin
From:
Indiana, USA
|
Posted 8 Apr 2014 7:12 am tube amps
|
|
| I use a Deluxe reissue (stock) for gigs and a Super Champ XD (ragin' Cajun speaker upgrade) for small jams and practice. I play them 'barefoot' no effects, just guitar...vp...amp. Both are great tone machines. I could never get a good tone for my liking from a pv or any other ss amp. The exception being my fet500 but I still prefer the Fenders. The Super Champ can probably be found for around $300+-used. The DR maybe $650. I think many players are discovering tube amps again. They have tone on their own without all the effects pedals, batteries,extra cords and adjustments you have to deal with. Good luck.MD |
|
|
|
Bill Moran
From:
Virginia, USA
|
|
|
|
Tom Gorr
From:
Three Hills, Alberta
|
Posted 8 Apr 2014 9:08 pm
|
|
Here's a related question:
A lot of tone is in the speaker voicing. If I were doing double duty guitar and steel, I'd want a 12" speaker and probably about 50W max or something with selectable power rating (eg. Mesa Lonestar Classic)...
Which 12" speaker would be considered optimal for tele's and steels? |
|
|
|
Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
|
|
|
|
Tom Gorr
From:
Three Hills, Alberta
|
Posted 9 Apr 2014 7:30 pm
|
|
| Thanks for the advice, Brad...I know how particularly skilled you are on the subject of tone, and so I will take your recommendation to the bank! (to get a loan of course...gold isn't cheap) |
|
|
|
Daryl Thisdelle
From:
New Brunswick, Canada
|
Posted 19 Apr 2014 3:08 pm Tubes
|
|
I run a Walker SS system. I like it because its modular and lite. Easy to carry around. It is made special for the steel guitar and gives you a really nice complete really big sound, so many others gives that midrange sound, there's more to midrange in sound to my ears. Plus the Walker SS has power to cut through any mix...It is more than $500.00 but then its the same old story, you get what ya pay for.
Daryl
_________________
Williams 700 Keyless SD 12 String Universal Lacguer Body Wood Neck Alumitone Pick Up GD Walker Stereo Steel Amp Preamp Combo With 2x15 inch JBL Speakers In Tuned Cabinets, Hilton Digital Sustain Pedal, Telonics Volume Pedal. Steel Seat With Back Rest And Swivel And Adjustable Legs. George L Cables. BJS Bar. Nookies Thumb Pick National Finger Picks. Jagwires Petterson Strobo Plus HD Tuner |
|
|
|
Gerry Simon
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 20 Apr 2014 12:04 am
|
|
Tho I would love to afford a Milkman or a Lil Walter tube amp, I found a good compromise with a Dr. Z 50 watt tube amp, the EZG 50. Not good for every one but great for me and made in the USA. Kinda like a Fender Blackface only better parts and NEW!! Remember, even in big concert situations, you only need enough volume to hear yourself clearly and should try for the tone that suits your situation; let the PA and sound guys worry about the rest and hope for the best!  Gerry |
|
|
|
Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
|
Posted 20 Apr 2014 5:49 am
|
|
| An early silver face Twin Reverb with JBL speakers. |
|
|
|
Ollin Landers
From:
Willow Springs, NC
|
Posted 20 Apr 2014 6:50 am
|
|
With all the research and searching around I think I'm going to stick with my 2 Roland Cube 80XL's for now.
The tone is more than acceptable. I've gotten a few compliments on how good they sound for PSG. I find I use the JC 120 for PSG and the BlackFace setting for Tele.
I can't seem to find a tube amp with the power to weight ratio I need. I have a very bad back with several herniated disk. I had surgery for 3 disk in my neck last year and I need to have the same for my back soon.
Looks like tube amps are going to be out of the question.
_________________
Zum SD-12 Black, Zum SD-12 Burly Elm Several B-Bender Tele's and a lot of other gear I can't play.
I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields |
|
|
|
Gary Reed
|
Posted 20 Apr 2014 7:28 am
|
|
Bill,
Could you post a picture of your Valve King 100 with the cab?
Would you also post a closeup picture of the 100 tone settings on the amp with the jack plugged in?
What kind of speaker do you have with the 100?
How does the 100 sound with that speaker at bedroom/ in home volume.
I know this allot to request.
Thanks |
|
|
|
Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 20 Apr 2014 9:30 am
|
|
Gary,
Yes I will. I will try to post it tomorrow.
As for the speaker, up until yesterday I had a 15" Altec 418b in it. But I bought a new 15" Black Widow sound reinforcement speaker in 8 ohm and have it in there now. I have not taken it out to play yet, but at home it sounds good, just a little brighter. However it is new and has not loosened up yet. The Altec is smoother and not as bright. Right now I like the Altec better, but I will give the Black Widow a chance to loosen up.
I have a 20' x 20' room in a building adjacent to the house I use as a studio and it sounds good there, but I do tend to get loud. The other guys I play with actually like the 100 better than the 50. But the 100 has an enclosed speaker, and the 50 at present is stock. I had the 50 in an enclosed cabinet with 2 12" EV's but put it back to stock for using it out, (it is much smaller and lighter), when I don't need the 100.
_________________
You can observe a lot just by looking |
|
|
|
Gary Reed
|
|
|
|
Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
|
Posted 21 Apr 2014 3:32 am
|
|
Ollin, if you have a goodly supply of dollars to throw around, you could do that Milkman Hybrid. Tube preamp but a class D power amp, so no heavy output transformer.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
|
|
|
Ollin Landers
From:
Willow Springs, NC
|
Posted 21 Apr 2014 7:37 am
|
|
Lane,
The Milkman Hybrid would probably be it if I can afford it.
I'm waiting to see what the final cost is going to be.
_________________
Zum SD-12 Black, Zum SD-12 Burly Elm Several B-Bender Tele's and a lot of other gear I can't play.
I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields |
|
|
|
