Midweek Munchings

Welcome back to the Wednesday edition of the Lunch Report. Today's lunch is a grilled cheese sandwich, salt and vinegar chips, and a Diet Dr Pepper Cherry. I am using cheddar cheese because I don't have any American cheese.

G&L:
I made a recording of the Broadcast I used to own through my Swart. If I recall correctly, the only effects are the reverb on the Swart. The backing track is courtesy of Will Ray's Mojo Blues CD. I highly recommend that backing track as it has a lot of fun stuff to just jam to.

Broadcaster clip: [url]files.me.com/rickythompson/6a1r4l.mp3[/url]

General Discussion:
People mentioned their amps as well as their pedals in yesterday's threads. So, what is your "dream" amp and do you currently own it? Did you used to own and now do not? What do you currently have that is closest to that amp? What do you look for when you are buying an amp?

My dream amp is a toss up between the Matchless SC30 and the Matchless Clubman Reverb w/matching 1x12 cab. Both of those amps have a great clean sound with just enough "dialable" grit to make me happy. All my guitars just sing through those. I have owned both of those at one point and no longer do. The Swart is my current favorite amp but the tone is way different than either of those amps. It has a very nice, full, clean tone and you can drive it a "pushed" clean with the right tone setting. While price is always a consideration, I really like an amp with a nice clean tone. It's fairly simple to dirty up the tone, but if you don't have a nice clean tone to start with, you won't get it by adding effects. I like tubes, they are warm and friendly. And, I prefer either a 1x12 combo or a head with a 1x12 cab to keep it "portable".

RickT

Nice playing there, thanks for the track.


My dream amp was a Mesa Mark V, and I own it as of early this year. I too REQUIRE a good clean sound, it is imperative. As much as I like some thick gainy leads, I don't like my tone getting overly compressed either. I like the break up a lot on the clean channels on the Mark also, the tweed circuit emulation breaks up a lot earlier and is very pleasing, I like to use the tweed circuits for playing laid back stuff, like Dire Straits. I like versatility in an amp, but do not like to sacrifice good sound, so that drove me to this amp specifically. It can do it all, really really well. I like tubes, and I like heads. Combos just have more associated issues with vibration, portability is not something I think about.

I have owned my dream amp - 1955 Fender Twin. When I went mostly acoustic several years back I sold it.

But weep not for me cuz this is what I am using these days - 1968 Airline - actually an Airline-badged Supro. With Valco going under they just slapped the Airline moniker on a Surpro Sportsman. These amps have a sound unlike any other - hard to describe but you know it when you hear it. Huge bottom and tons of clean with a crisp, high-powered overdrive. The two channels are bridge-able and the reverb/trem is a far cry from the cheesy sounding kind you found in the Airline's mail order kin the Silvertones. Prefer a 1 x 15" cab with this one.

Here she be with my 1950s Oahu Tonemaster.

Boy, this is a good question. I feel like amplifier is at least half the battle for an electric guitar setup. I have happily used Fender Deluxe Reverbs for a long time. But you said something absolutely true. You can dirty it up, but cleaning it up is much harder. That is the huge short coming of the DR. There is no clean headroom.

My current experimentation is coming from playing 2 DR's in stereo. I think this really has potential kick what I am doing now up and give me more depth. Stay tuned for results! But it's isn't going to solve the clean volume thing.

So right now I am searching for my dream. I want something cleaner to augment the DR's, but not an overpowering monster like my Twin Reverb. I haven't actually played with the , but my Twin Reverb sounds tin-y until it blows the windows out of my 12x12 practice room,at which time it sounds great but I have go find the dog. I don't really play any gigs were i can use it either. Both people that attend can hear me just fine with my DR!

I plan on trying to play a lot of amplifiers next summer during my annual trip to Portland area to see the in-laws.

Thanks for posting your stuff, I really like what you are doing. Fun to hear what others are up to!

Thanks for the sound clip!

It's funny you posted an amp question because I have been poking around on-line at amps all day
Not that I can afford to buy anything at this point but just collecting data

To be honest I'm not really sure what my dream amp is, I love tubes, I like heads rather than combos, and I lean towards the fender camp (6v6, 6L6 and Jensen type speakers) but there are just so many nice sounding amps out there.
I've been looking into different amps lately, mainly because of this board, like ampegs, I also found a couple good deals on a Mesa Blue Angel (2x6v6 + 4xel84's) which really intrigues me, the ceriatone 5e3 clone is a good deal (and who doesn't need a 5e3?!). On the high end of the spectrum that SWRT sounds great! Dr.Z has some great stuff, matchless, Mesa, I could go on and on.

I have a blackface bandmaster that I acquired in a trade that does the job for now. I've had my eye on a brownface/blonde Tremolux 6g9, I'd love to pick one of those up but they're generally out of my price range, best I can hope for anytime soon would be the blackface version(AA763) but the Bandmaster would have to go. I'm thinking that ceriatone 5e3 kit might be a good winter project

As a side note I just ordered some JAN Phillips 6L6wgb's for the Bandmaster to change things up and lower the headroom a bit.
Jeremy, I read that these may be a good fit for the DR to increase headroom without any modifications, just plug in and bias.

Here's a link
ebay $45/pair; http://cgi.ebay.com/NIB-Phillips-JAN-6L6WGB-Made-USA-Amplifier-Repair-/250598545384?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a58d657e8
Not matched but I took a gamble, if you're bent on matched pairs there are others ranging from $60/pair - $90/pair

info from KCA NOS Tubes: http://www.kcanostubes.com/content/nos-jan-philips-6l6wgb-singles-pairs-quartets

These work great in old Fenders requiring 5881's or 6L6's. Good substitute in 6L6GC amps where less headroom (breakup at lower volumes) is desired. Also make great replacements in Fender Deluxe's where more clean headroom is desired. Just plug into your Deluxe and re-bias, no circuit changes required.

-Dave

Another great clip, Rick. Nice tone! Do the Broadcasters have maple bodies?

Dream amp is a tough question. It's a shifting thing for me. For quite a while now my dream amp has been a JTM45 Bluesbreaker. Around 40-45W, tremolo built in, jumpable channels. Basically a Fender Bassman but with KT66 power tubes. The KT66's have a great, thick sound and I much prefer them to 6L6s. I'd like it as a head so I can match it up with my various cabinets. I really want to experiment with a 410 next. I'm going to try and get one by June next year, Ceriatone make a clone for not much money, but it's still at least 5 gigs worth of money (I try to only buy music stuff with gig money, emphasis on the 'try').

I'd love to try out a Mesa Lonestar Special, that looks like a nice amp that would suit what I do. However, price puts that beyond my reach.

I have a 5E3 that I bought from Ceriatone, and its a great little amp. I had no idea what a 5E3 was when I ordered one, I just wanted an inexpensive, low powered tube amp. Little did I know that it would suit my style perfectly!

Dream amp is a tricky one. Quick answer is a Mesa Mark V or Lonestar Special but there are so many amps out there I've never had my hands on. Some that have been highly regarded like a 68 Super Reverb, Swarts (your recommendation a few times ), AC 30's, Princetons, and Rivera would probably make the list if I heard them as well. Off to an amp search engine now!!!

Nice licks, Will Ray Mojo CD is on Santa's list now.

I'd like a 5E3 tweed Deluxe. Victoria would be nice, but I'd settle for a Mission kit.

My dream amp is probably a Fender Super that I had many years ago. A good friend loaned it to me for about a year or 2. When he finally offered to sell it I foolishly passed on it. That amp just sounded soooo good. It was a bit heavy to lug around though. My main amp for years has been a blackface vibrolux. Great amp but I still regret passing on the Super.

Jeff

I think I'd like to have (okay, try) a Carr Rambler and a Soldano Decatone. - ed

So, what is your "dream" amp and do you currently own it? ...

Tough question. First off, I am exceedingly happy with my sonically (as well as esthetically) beautiful Mesa Express 5:25 head and two 1x12" extension cabs all in bubinga with wicker cane. But is it the best? It is the best I know, but I have NOT played so many other amps out there: vintage, modern, well known brands, boutique, you name it, that the claim it is THE amp is hard to make. I know it is good, I know it is solid, I know it will last me a lifetime. And I guess that is good enough for me ...

- Jos

I also prefer a 1-12 cab and head set up and have three different heads currently.A Lonestar Classic, A Fender Cybertwin, and a Musicman RP 130.Is perfect for me.I use Mesa 1-12 3/4 back cabs(have 2 and sometimes run 2 heads in stereo).

I really thought the Mesa would be my end all beat all amp, but have since played my friend's Fender Supersonis 1 -12 combo and am n ow jonesing for one of my own.That amp was the Sheet and I now want one badly.

Jeremy, I read that these may be a good fit for the DR to increase headroom without any modifications, just plug in and bias.

Here's a link
ebay $45/pair; http://cgi.ebay.com/NIB-Phillips-JAN-6L6WGB-Made-USA-Amplifier-Repair-/250598545384?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a58d657e8
Not matched but I took a gamble, if you're bent on matched pairs there are others ranging from $60/pair - $90/pair

info from KCA NOS Tubes: http://www.kcanostubes.com/content/nos-jan-philips-6l6wgb-singles-pairs-quartets

These work great in old Fenders requiring 5881's or 6L6's. Good substitute in 6L6GC amps where less headroom (breakup at lower volumes) is desired. Also make great replacements in Fender Deluxe's where more clean headroom is desired. Just plug into your Deluxe and re-bias, no circuit changes required.

-Dave

Thanks! My brother has been on me to try this, too. You can't go wrong for $45, let's gamble!