New Amp Day

[darwinohm]

Eric talked about his new Carvin recently. We all have our favorites and I am a clean amp guy. I have several Fenders and have always like Fenders. A couple of years ago I picked up a ValveTrain 5 watt with a Spring thing reverb cabinet, a matched set painted in flames like a custom car with a matching Gadow guitar. The amp is very sweet but due to the cosmetics I don't take it out. I also had a Bogner Alchemist about 3 years ago and returned it. It didn't have it. I have the high and low power covered so I have been looking for a 15 watt to use with my recent JBL D 130 cabinet. I have wanted a Vox AC 15 for some time and have been on the watch for one. It finally came up on CL, as have several others, but this one was as new and had the footswitch included. It was also priced where I wanted it. Turns out the owner had bought it new 2 years ago for his daughter who is now in college and she really didn't use it. It is as new but the real cream on the pudding is that he retubed it with some nice tubes as he didn't think the Chinese tubes would sound the best. He also gave me the original tubes. We did negotiate a bit on price and I have tested it out. It is extremely quiet for a tube amp and I used my Blonde Legacy with the Kinman Blues pickups to check it out. Boy is it sweet. I also used my JBL D 130 cabinet on it and that is really sweet. More stuff I really didn't need but I am happy to have it. Sam is checking it out in the photos. I should now be set with amps. Tell us about your amps. What do you prefer and why? -- Darwin

[Case24]

Congratulations! That is a very clean looking amp. Those AC15's have just the right amount of power and a great tone.

You asked about what we have and why:



This is my 1979 Fender Vibrolux Reverb. I love the Fender spring reverb and haunting tremolo. The amp has a beautiful clean tone. My ASAT classic sounds incredible through it. It is bloody loud; too loud really for home use but I will never let it go. Fender just doesn't make them like this anymore.



This is my 1973 Fender Champ. A great little amp. Perfect for practicing on and keeping the volume down but crank it up and it has a great bluesey growl. No frills on this one. It is all original including the speaker and RCA tubes. Another keeper from a bygone era.



This is my 1978 Traynor YGM-3. A 25 watt EL84 amp with a 12" Eminence The Wizard speaker. The amp circuit has been modded to produce more gain and does a good impression of an 18 watt Marshall. It has a great reverb and the best tremolo of any amp I have ever tried. It is as loud as my Vibrolux but I can turn it down and still get a great tone. Being a Canadian, the amp has a special place in my heart.



This is my Trinity Amps Tweed Deluxe that I built from a kit a few years ago. Trinity is a Canadian amp maker and kit supplier located in Toronto. They are excellent quality kits with very clear instructions. I built the cabinet myself out of pine and covered it with tweed and lacquered it. The amp is a clone of a late fifties Fender 5E3 Deluxe with a Weber 12A125A speaker. A great blues amp. The overdriven sound is to die for. Sounds great with the ASAT or my Les Paul. You can't go wrong with a 5E3 Deluxe.

Thanks for starting this thread Darwin. Always enjoy talking about amps. Even more than guitars if you can believe it!

Greg.

[Fumble fingers]

Nice Vox Darwin !! ....... I going to have to get some good pictures of my amps , I like talking about them too and just starting to really get into it ....

I need to do a shoot out between my 1976 Super Reverb and 1973 Twin reverb , I like the twin just from the fact it is lighter and easier to move around but it might not sound as good as the Super , I need to do a side by side ..... I am looking into a couple Carvin's VT50 head with Hasserl mods or X100B head to replace the fenders do to the weight , with the Carvin's I'm hoping channel 1 to be equal to or better cleans than the Fender and channel 2 will be like a Hot Rodded Marshal sound .....

for my Metal band I have a Peavey 6505 + combo 1x12 and just got a Carvin micro V3m head with Carvin 2x12 slant top ..... the Peavey does the Metal great but the cleans are terrible witch is where the Carvin V3m came into play , it does Metal great and is darn close to my Fenders on the clean channel and has better reverb than both of the Fenders ..... we do play about 5 clean songs so that's why the Peavey got replaced , that and the weight of the combo verses the head , the Micro V3m is all metal construction and still only weighs 19 pounds , feels like I'm carrying a Lunch Box to practice , the V3m is also a 3 channel amp that is very sensitive , the control knobs are numbered to 10 and every number makes a difference in sound so you can make it sound really sweet or really screw it up .... what ever it takes you can adjust it to get there ,

seems like you can't have too many amps ..... kinda like guitars ..... I just need more money , like a lot more money to get all the amps I would like to have , Mesa has a new MK V 25 amp out that looks delicious and would love to get my hands on , not to mention brands like Two Rock and Soldano , I guess we could separate them out in different category by cost , size and weight

[john o]

Hey Darwin, that vox ac15 is a cool cat! You're right, everybody has their fav's, and regrets "the one that got away" (for me, that would be the magnatone...)
I've owned a bunch of amps over the years, including a Kay, a Magnatone, an ampeg V-4, ampeg G212, Lab series L-5, a silver face Fender twin, and a marshall DSL 401.
Currently i use a fender mustang 1 for practice at home. It's so cool with the fuse software - 12 amp models, 12 effects and highly programmable, 24 patches stored on board. Endless fun!
For band rehearsals, I use an old ('87) Peavey Studio Pro 60, with an eminence cannabis rex speaker. I run a digitech rp200 into this and it does it all. It has such a huge sound for such a small amp. I have gigged with it.
For gigs I use a Marshall AVT 100 hybrid combo (has a preamp valve and solid state output stage). 3 channels, clean, OD1 and OD2, classic marshall crunch, crystalline cleans and everything in between, nice foot switch for channel switching. I run an emulated out to a 200 watt carvin power amp which powers a marshall 4x12 cab, adds some bottom and spreads out the sound, espec for outdoors and big rooms. I use an alesis midiverb in the effects loop and a few boss pedals out front for color.

[dapmdave]

You guys are showcasing some nice amps!

Here's my little group of noise makers and lease breakers:


Dr Z Carmen Ghia


Fender Princeton Reverb II


Rivera Venus 3

[darwinohm]

Thanks folks.

Greg, you have some cool amps. I personally like the Fender tube amps from the 70's as they were starting to make so useful changes. I have a 76 Vibrosonic Reverb with a JBL DF 130 and I really like it. I have always been interested in Traynor bur have never owned one and what can you say about a 5E3 design other than they are great especially with the Weber.

Eric, I read your amp post recently and you have some cool Fender amps from the 70's. I have a Carvin bass and a Carvin RS1000 bass amp which I really like, especially the amp. It has power and does the job well. I like Carvin products. I can relate to the weight issues as I have moved to lighter cabinets for gigging. I have tried boutique amps but none have followed me home.

John, you have owned quite an assortment of amps. In the early years I had only owned Fender amps other than my First which was a Gibson. I didn't last long as I used it with a bass guitar. Sounds like the gig rig will do the job. Using the power amp in my opinion is a good idea. The first thng that struck me about my RS1000 was how clean and artciulate it sounded. After you have shaped your tone, the more power and headroom really give the full sound. The modeling amps are great for practice. We used a Fender Cyber Twin on our recording and it does most anything for effects.

Lets get some more amp pictures up in this thread. Here is my little Valve Train setup. -- Darwin

[darwinohm]

Dapmdave, your post showed up while I was posting. That Z Carmen Ghia is a blast. saw one on CL this week. They are so simple to use. A nice PR II and I have always wanted a Rivera amp. I was close a couple of years ago and waited too long. I have had Fender amps designed by him but would like the real thing. Ginny asked me this morning why I needed another amp ( referring to the AC15) and I was kind of at a loss of words. Sometimes a smile is the best answer. Thanks for posting your amps! -- Darwin

[Fumble fingers]

that Z is awesome !! ....

Darwin what a beautiful amp and guitar !!

[dapmdave]

Dapmdave, your post showed up while I was posting. That Z Carmen Ghia is a blast. saw one on CL this week. They are so simple to use. A nice PR II and I have always wanted a Rivera amp. I was close a couple of years ago and waited too long. I have had Fender amps designed by him but would like the real thing. Ginny asked me this morning why I needed another amp ( referring to the AC15) and I was kind of at a loss of words. Sometimes a smile is the best answer. Thanks for posting your amps! --

Darwin

Thanks!

I'd never played a Z, or really heard much of them but a local guy had one and wanted to swap for a guitar I had listed on craigslist. He brought the Z over and I played through it for about 2 minutes and told myself that this amp was definitely staying with me. The PRII was a swap for a bass I had and while I do like it I'm not sure it has long term prospects for me. The Rivera is a new acquisition and I'm lovin it. Especially the switchable power (15 or 7 watts).

[sam]

Hey Darwin,

Great news on the amp.

I've been looking at one of those at a local shop as well but the amp supply has me covered for the time being. How does the Gadow you mentioned sound through it? I remember when you got that guitar and had good reviews. My local shop has two on sale, one with p90's I really like, and both are marked WAY down. But with either a new AC 15 or guitar I'll get the same "Why do you need..." question.

Look for more reviews of yer AC 15

[Case24]

This is a great thread Darwin. Love the look of your Valvetrain.

Dave, that Carmen Ghia is a great find. Congratulations! And that PRII looks like brand new!

Keep 'em coming folks!

[darwinohm]

Sam, you got my interest up and I just checked out the Gadow through AC15. First of all the AC15 is the quietest tube amp I have owned. Maybe the tubes the original owner installed are part of the reason, I don't know. My Gadow is a 2007, by the way if you look at the used ones, the first two digits of the handwritten serial number is the year. Ryan Gadow was using boutique pickups until just before mine was built and he was then winding his own. The workmanship of his build is really nice and the guitar has a volume and tone control, both push/pull and the front (vol) splits the neck bucker and the tone splits the bridge. I think his pickups really sound good. You can get a creamy mellow tone and with splitting, especially the bridge, it can get almost ice pick. Both pickups loose a little volume when split. I did buy the guitar and the amp/reverb units as a matched set made in the Valve Train Custom Shop. Gadow made the guitar to match the amp. It is probably one of a kind and being an old 60's car guy, I liked the custom flames. All the paint is transparent so you can really see the flamed maple in both the guitar and cabinets.

A little over a week ago Steve and I put the Valve Train through the paces. He has a Tele with custom wound Brad Paisley pickups in it. The are hot. The Valve Train is 5 watts through a 8" Weber and it barks for a 5 watt. It does overdrive very sweetly, but not a lot, with those pickups and the reverb unit is to kill for. A very adjustable reverb and the whole setup is very clean and articulate. We did run it through my JBL D 130 cabinet and that was as good and clean as it gets for me.

Cory, the owner of AGB picked this set up in 2007/2008 and thought it would sell immediately. It did not as in my opinion it was grossly overpriced. It had a lot of customers looking at it. So it was a good price when I bought it a couple of years ago but could one ever recover the cost of this rig? Hard to say. Check the used Gadows out as they can probably be had a a great price and they are a good build. As far as I know Ryan has stood behind his product. -- Darwin

[Fumble fingers]

so that flamed guitar is a Gadow ??..... and they made it to match your cab ??....... man that's awesome !!..... don't blame you for not taking either out of the house

[darwinohm]

Yes Eric, it is a Gadow. I don't know who had what built but the guitar and amp/reverb cabinet were a set. They match perfectly and I love them. It reminded me of the flamed cars when I was young. Whoever did the painting knew what they were doing. Here is a closeup of the guitar top. -- Darwin

[Fumble fingers]

that is sweet ..... is that the truss rod adjustment screw by the neck pick up ??..... I like the old school flames too

[darwinohm]

That is the truss rod adjustment. It is like my Parker and Musicman adjustment. Easiest of all to adjust. -- Darwin

[dapmdave]

Wow. That amp and guitar! Sweet!

[john o]

here are some pix of the hardware, as we are a "visual" group, sorry for the lousy photography.
here's the mustang 1. connects to my laptop via usb cord for precise editing. best $99 i ever spent.



here's the old peavey. the guys in my band call it "the beast". these things are like chevy impalas, they never die.



here's the new cannabis rex speaker which sounds great. hopefully will be legal soon...



here's the marshall avt 100 combo, frontal. the alesis processor and carvin power amp sit in a mini rack up top.

[Fumble fingers]

nice rig .... what do you do with the processor and power amp ??

[john o]

nice rig .... what do you do with the processor and power amp ??

i use the alesis in the effects loop for digital delay and a little flange or chorus, depending on the song. i don't use reverb when i play out, but it has a gazillion nice effects
the carvin powers a 4x12 cab that the avt sits on. bigger sound for bigger gigs. i don't bring the big cab for smaller venues, it's too damb heavy!

[blargfromouterspace]

Glad you finally got one, Darwin, they're a great little amp. And surprisingly heavy!

My newest amp, a Fender Princeton '65 reissue, sounds excellent but hasn't proven very reliable. After only 3 months use, I've had to take it in for repair as it stopped making any sound at all - that was about a month ago and I still haven't got it back

[darwinohm]

Thanks everyone for the pictures. They are always fun to look at.

Jamie. the AC 15 is about 49 lbs, surprisingly heavy for an amp that size. How are you doing on the bass playing? Do you use the LB 100 a lot? Good to hear from you. -- Darwin

[jwebsmall]

Darwin that Gadow and Value Train stack are steaming!

[blargfromouterspace]

[quote="darwinohm" How are you doing on the bass playing? Do you use the LB 100 a lot? Good to hear from you. -- Darwin[/quote]
My gig as a bass player came to an end in June, when I stepped into the lead guitar role in the band. I really miss playing bass in a band situation, it requires a very different mindset and I found it very enjoyable. I still have the LB100, its a killer instrument, but doesn't get much use at the moment.

[darwinohm]

Jweb, thanks for the comment!

Jamie, I am also a guitar player but much prefer bass in the band. It is fun. Just keep playin' . -- Darwin

I had an opportunity to talk to Ryan Gadow on a bridge question yesterday and I asked him how this Gadow/ ValveTrain set came about. He said that he painted the ValveTrain amp and Spring Thing Reverb in his shop along with the guitar. Now I know for sure and I am pleased to own this set. Ryan is very engaging and answers his own phone so he is easy to reach.--Darwin

[supereiv]

Nice AC15 Darwin, I tried one a couple of years ago but didn't bond with it.
My amp of choice (and only amp) is my Matchless Chieftain 2x10. It is all I could wish in an amp : dynamic, not too heavy nor too loud, a GOOD master volume, and the greatest sound I've ever heard, it sits especially well in the mix, even within a crowded band with brass section and all.

It loves MFD and so do I indeed !
I just swaped the tubes but realised the fuse is blown too, so I have to wait untill tomorrow to buy a new fuse, awful !!!

[jwebsmall]

Darwin,

did you ask Ryan Gadow when his new website is going to go up?

John

[darwinohm]

John, I did not. He does have a lot of pictures on his facebook page and I think people are updating facebook more than websites. I have found a lot of websites that are outdated but find their facebook is up to date. I am not a facebook fan but that is life I guess. -- Darwin