The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm thinking of selling my big, heavy Yamaha DG-100 212 digital combo (too many choices, too much programming) but I need something to replace it . My Nashville 1000 is perfect for steel, but just barely acceptable with my Telecaster.

So, can you guys direct me toward some reasonably priced (under $1000 street) new amp models worth checking out?

(I love the sound of a JBL Fender Twin, and I have fond memories of the tone from my old Roland JC120. But I want something smaller and lighter, a 2x10 or 1x12. Around 50 Watts should be enough. Looking for clean, punchy and crisp Tele twang and luscious Strat shimmer, preferrably with nice tremolo and a decent reverb.

Where do I begin?
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´75 Emmons p/p D10 8+4, '96 Emmons Legrande II D10 8+5, Peavey Nashville 1000

That would be your DeLuxe Reverb, get a silverface, NOT a reissue.

Per, you'll really be missing the boat if you don't try a Traynor YCV-40WR guitar amp. They're a tube amp. I bought one of these earlier this summer and it is unbelievably good sounding for the size of the amp. It's rated at 40 watts but sounds more like 100 watts.
I posted about this amp here already but there was absolutely no interest. I think that's because Traynor is a Canadian manufacturer and they aren't as well known as the big U.S. companies such as Fender and Mesa Boogie. I'm not a Traynor employee or anything, I just think more people should be aware of the top notch amps they're putting out. I've never been more impressed with any piece of gear I've ever bought in the 40 years I've been playing guitar. Here's a link to a review site where a lot other people feel the same way. Oh yeah, they're also very reasonably priced. http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data/Traynor/YCV20_WR_112_Combo-1.html

My son is the tele player in the family. He has a Traynor Reverb Mate 30. It has a 10" speaker, is light, and about $130, and killer tone for what you get. He also has a '66 blackface Deluxe Reverb. He is not happy with it's tone, so it will get sold soon. He also has a new Behringer GMX 212. The best tone yet, he gave $300 for it new. He has tried my Twin Reverbs, but the Behringer is his favorite. It weighs a hair over 40 lbs, and is 120 watts. It has a 24 bit FX processor. My steel even sounds good through it. Huge bang for your buck.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by James Morehead on 21 August 2005 at 06:08 AM.]</p></FONT>

Per, before you buy anything, at least try the Peavey Delta Blues.(30 tube watts, 15 inch Blue Marvel speaker..LOUD) I have heard many guitar players say that the pickup style and configuration of the Tele. and the Delta Blues are a perfect match. Just give it a try. Oh, and the tremolo is fantastic.

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I'd rather be opinionated, than apathetic!

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Curt Langston on 21 August 2005 at 06:56 AM.]</p></FONT>

<SMALL>He also has a '66 blackface Deluxe Reverb. He is not happy with it's tone, so it will get sold soon</SMALL>

Wow, that's hard to believe. Maybe he should have the doctor take a look before he sells that jewel.

P.S. I've got a Peavey Delta Blues, I'll gladly sell.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Charles French on 21 August 2005 at 07:07 AM.]</p></FONT>

Get a used silver face Deluxe. Every night that I play I get great tone comments- "man what are you using to get that tone?"( sometimes it'd be nice to hear "you play great!") Whichever guitar , a tube screamer, a SF Deluxe. Hard to beat.
You can find one under a grand easily if you look, get it recapped and retubed, there you go!
Not to say there aren't other great amps, but unless you want really loud and clean, you can't lose with a deluxe. JP<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Jim Peters on 21 August 2005 at 07:18 AM.]</p></FONT>

I swapped out the Eminence speaker in my Silver Face Deluxe and threw in a reconed JBL D120. Had the amp volume on 10 for solos and rolled back the guitar volume for rhthym. The other band members noticed the difference and gave me some great comments on my tone, plus the great tone inspired me to play better. It was great with the Telecaster and the Stratocaster.

Super Reverbs are good with Teles too but can get loud. They're 40 watts.

DZ

A Peavey Classic 30 or Classic 50 are great tube amps, too.

Also the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and earlier Blues Deluxe!
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Ken Fox on 21 August 2005 at 08:47 AM.]</p></FONT>

For under $1000, I agree, SF Deluxe Reverb is a great amp. I see them often for about $700 still. But specifically for a Telecaster, I prefer a SF Vibrolux Reverb, 2-10" speaker configuration. They're a bit more expensive, but sometimes can still be had for under $1000. I'd convert it to BF specs. Speaker choice is a matter of taste, like string or tube preference.

I personally prefer old BF/SF Fenders to the newer ones, but most of the old ones I see 'out in the field' need some work. Filter caps especially, but sometimes the bias circuit, coupling resistors/caps, reverb/tremelo circuit, etc. This could explain a bad-sounding example. But when they're right, stand back - they're hard to beat.

I play Teles too, and the posts about the Deluxe Reverb and the Peavey Classic 30 are right on. The older Fender amps can cost a bit much, though. The reissues can be made to sound as good as any boutique amp costing many times more if you just swap out the factory speaker and the factory tubes. I got a Classic 30 on eBay for $250, then put in a Weber Cali speaker and some JJTesla tubes from Eurotubes, and I've got me a sweet thing. I chose the PV over the Fender reissue because it has an effects loop.

For a Tele, get a Deluxe Reverb or Vibrolux Reverb. Fender silverface series (late 60's thru 70's) are much less expensive than pre-CBS blackface amps, with 90%+ of the mojo. Discard the stock speakers and replace with JBL, Weber, etc.

Fender Blues Deluxe. 40w 1-12". The one
I have is tweed. Made in the Custom shop a few years ago. Clean channel and a drive channel. Spring reverb. about $300 to $400 used.
I love mine.

FWIW
Ron

Or a Vibrolux Custom. Two 10s. Weighs 45 lbs. It has more bite than a Deluxe. It's my preferred amp for rhythm and fills with either humbuckers or single coils.

Charlie<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Charles Dempsey on 21 August 2005 at 08:26 PM.]</p></FONT>

Carvin Nomad. 1-12, 50 watts all tube.Real light, tweed, channel 1 is real Fendery and channel 2 is like the Vox AC-30. You can listen to it on the Carvin site.
http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?ItemNumber=NOMAD&CID=GA

Nomad™ COMBO
Reverb—both channels
• Dual channels (clean & crunch/sustain) with separate level controls
• 50 watt output
• The cabinet voiced line output jack delivers the natural “mic’d” sound direct to your mixer
• A 4, 8 or 16ý switch allows your choice of speakers
• A normalized Effects Loop is featured for foot effects as well a rack effects
• The optional FS22 foot switch is for selecting channels and reverb
• Tubes: four EL84, five 12AX7A
• Hand crafted 7-ply poplar wood cabinet (not particle board) covered in tweed
• Warranty: 1 year.

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Playing For JESUS,LC. WILLIAMS U12,SHO-BUD PRO1,CARVIN TL60,GIBSON LES PAUL CUSTOM,YAMAHA L-10A ACOUSTIC,ROLAND JW-50 KEYBOARD,G&L AND BC RICH BASS'S

If you want a Deluxe Reverb I am restoring one now. A Silverface, 1973. It was converted to a 2-10" baffle. I sold the cab and got a finger-jointed pine cab from Mojotone (Blackface cab with a real removable type baffle and aged cloth). It will get a new reverb tank, new Fender logo, aged tube chart, new 6V6GT tubes (JJ/Telsa), new filter caps (actually all new electrolytics), new blackface plate from Fender and new knobs. The speaker is a near new Fender from a Blues Junior. I cranked it up tonight prior the the cap job and it is a winner already! You can get into this one for $900.00 and have a great amp. All the preamp tubes are new as well.

Marshall AVT 50 - It is a hybrid: single tube pre-amp, solid state power amp. Monster distortion, surprisingly good clean. No tremolo effect, though.
http://www.marshallamps.com/product.asp?productCode=AVT50

I'm with James on the Behringer amp. (I was just about to post a comment praising this brand when I read James' post.) I just got a practice version with 1 10" Jensen stock speaker....it is really good. 100 effects built-in, with great selection of tones. I can only imagine what the 2-10 and 2-12 versions are like. Mine cost $100...... equivalent to a night out and a cab home. They're really cheap. My tele sounds great through it, and my steel sounds even better. Sad to say, but I think I like the sound of this amp better than my Music Man 112 and Session 400!! I'm going to try the 2-12 soon, and may start using these amps live. The reverbs alone are worth the money. I also tried the 1-10 with a 15" extension speaker (my Session 400) and it was just dandy.

They've got a vibe about them, and I recommend them to anyone looking for a great tube tone on a transistor budget.

Thanks, guys – that's a lot of useful info. Now I think I know how to narrow my search!

well ok..you asked..so I'm gonna chime in too...

The former mentioned Fender amps are excellent, Silver face RI's Blackface etc..Deluxe, Vibrolux, Supers.. all of them..great amps..

BUT..

they are NOT flexible amps. they are good amps but they do not do what todays amps do..

No Gain, no overdrive..that sort of stuff...

For A small very excellent amp with a kick butt tone to fit ALL Tele players..

I would opt for a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, 40 watts..or Peavey Classic 30..or as mentioned above Peavey Delta Blues..

These are all tube amps..

Now if you wanna rock the house..
Peavey Classic 50's ( 50w) or a Fender Hot Rod Deville...(60w)

Great tone..at low volume or blistering volume...

Now if you happen to have $1800 that you don't mind parting with go get a Goodsell 33 or a Dr. Z Mazeratti 38...you will have landed on a whole new planet..

just my take..
t<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 22 August 2005 at 03:56 PM.]</p></FONT>

Check out the Vox Valvtronix models. They have the
best reviews of small compact amps out today. I have
a AD30VT witch is a 30 watt with a 10" speaker .. Its
actualy great for steel as well in a low volume rehearsal situation. For my Tele this little amp kicks
any avarage bar gig with no problem .. they have a 50 watt version with a 12" as well.

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Mullen S12 Almost Mooney
71 Tele, Regal 45
Sho Bud S10 NP
Line 6 Flextone 3 + JBL D130, Acoustic 165 100 W all tube EV 12, Nash 112, digitech 2101 FX

Find a used Dr Z. Like this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/Dr-Z-Maz-38-Senior-w-Reverb-2X12s-with-Titan-case_W0QQitemZ7344259526QQcategoryZ10171QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Last weekend I went to club here in town and jammed with the band and the lead guitarist was playing through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and I was very impressed. My American Tele B Bender was smokin' through his rig. I was temted to sell my Flextone II Plus for about a minute.

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Tele-Bender-Blaster-Caster
Line 6 Amps
www.jimwalkeronline.com

You can't go wrong with a nice Deluxe Reverb. For clean, Silverface is your choice.

I've heard great things about the latest Crate amp called the V30 Palimino (yes, CRATE, shudder...). They make a 50 watt version also. Some folks are comparing them to Matchless and old Voxes. I personally have not heard one.

If you can solder and follow directions, the Allen Accomplice Kit, which is based on the Deluxe Reverb, would be a fabulous amp for you. Check it out here:
http://www.allenamps.com/accomplice.html

I built the Allen Old Flame about five years ago and it has been a roadworthy and excellent sounding amp for me ever since. Point to point wiring, phenomenal Fender tone. If it ever needs to have some parts changed, I know how to do it.

I can;t speak highly enough of these products--rugged and well designed. Such an amp should last you a lifetime. Just another thing to consider in your quest.