Some good ideas from Sam and Darwin. P-90s and Filtertrons are favorites, though G&L seems to be moving away from using outside pickup designs and towards keeping things in house. Lollars and TV Jones pickups would be a cool edition. And the idea of a 4-way switch on the ASAT seems do-able. I don’t know that G&L could do the 24.75” scale necks or even the 24 fret necks without expensive retooling. Worth looking into though, I think.
Leo, I hate it when you show off that guitar. That Interceptor is just unbelievably beautiful and cool.
Shame on you! Sam, I like the idea of a Boogie Bill "Signature" 12-string! (That could be the only signature guitar to ever hit the market for an artist that can't play! LOL!)
And Astutzmann's idea of a BBE/G&L amp might not be too far off. They have the know-how, and I'm assuming the tooling--be interesting to see if they would be willing to finally jump into the boutique amp market. Frankly, I'm surprised that Music Man has not gone back into the amp market with some retro-based amps--upgraded with some modern features. Thoughts?
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I’ve owned a bunch of amps over the years. My first was a new Kalamazoo Model II circa 1966. My first good amp was a used BF Bandmaster rig, my sis co-signed the loan from HFC for me; that would have been back in 1967-68. Unfortunately that amp was stolen out of my car in October of 1972, I was already a working pro. After a short, bad experience with a 410 SS Gibson, I was able to take that amp back and get my SUNN Solos II, a SS 212 combo, and that amp paid the rent for more than 20 years.
I found a great deal on a Fender Super Champ in the late 1980’s that amp started me back on the road to tube amps. Another great deal got me a Peavey Rock Master—a fire-breathing 120-watt hybrid monster and a 412 cab. That amp was only $25. I got it cheap because it was dead, which turned out to be an internal 25-cent fuse. Lucky me! After a year or so, I sold it to a guy for about $400.
And then I acquired a 1965 Deluxe Reverb, a BF blonde 1964 Tremolux rig, a Marshall 4010 JCM 800 single channel 50-watt 112 combo and a Fender 75 head and matching 112 EV Force cab. Those were all good amps that I got REALLY cheap, yet something was missing from all of them.
I finally found my tone in a used Mesa Mark III Coliseum 200-watt head, another amp I got for a great deal; and then a few days later found a beat-up, road-worn, matching Mesa 412 EVM/C-90 Half-back cab. I spent a few days cleaning and repairing the Tolex and repainting the metal grill on that cab, and it looked almost new when I was done. It was like somebody flipped a switch—all of a sudden, my playing got better; people would be coming up to the stage and complimenting me on my playing and tone—which really pissed off the “lead guitarist” in my band.
I wanted a nice little tube combo to take to jams, and when a deal popped up on a Mesa DC-3 112 V-30 combo, I was lucky enough to have cash in my pocket. They were $999 new—this one was less than six months old, and grabbed it for $450. It is the most ferocious little 35-watt amp you could imagine, and with a Mesa 112 Theile cab under it, it will shame most half-stacks. The thick, compressed round tone of the 4xEL84 power amp is a big contrast to the powerful, wide-range dynamic punch of the 6x6L6s in the Mark III head.
Those two have grown to become a stable of Mesa amps, and the Fenders and Marshalls have gone away, but I kept the old SUNN. I now have two Mark III Simul-Class combos, a Mark IV EVM Combo, the Maverick 212 combo, and most recently the Mark V combo and its 112 wide-body closed back extension cab. A lot of people think the Mesa amps are too complicated, but I have never had any trouble dialing in great tones on any of my amps. The Mark V had great tones on all three channels in less than five minutes. It is capable of vast subtle shadings, of course; but I’m more of the RONCO School of amp management—I “SET IT AND FORGET IT!” That’s for playing live, but it will surely change when I attempt some recording.
In my old band, where I was doing mostly rhythm parts, I always tried to choose an amp based on the clean tone, but when I started doing more leads I wanted a great lead tone too. I’m not big on using pedals for my dirt, because to me, the solid state pedals don’t sound like tube distortion—there’s something amiss in the timing sequence of attack, compression, distortion, decay and release that is screwy with pedals. The Mesas have always given me a usable clean tone, and then there is the singing lead tone that Mesa is famous for. The Mark V not only can recreate the great lead tones of the Mark I, Mark II-C+ and the Mark IV, but the Clean channel on this amp is to die for.
Small amps can be fun, especially cranked, but I usually prefer big, bold, dynamic amps with lots of headroom. I know Will Ray likes amps with lots of headroom for his clean tones. I had a chance to talk with Mesa endorser Andy Timmons at one of his Mesa Clinics, and he told me that he always prefers the 100-watt settings on his Lonestar Classic and Stiletto amps. Most of the time around here at many of the jams, you won’t see amps much bigger than a Deluxe Reverb. While the Mark IV combo I have is the same dimensions as a Princeton Reverb, with the EVM speaker it weighs more than a Twin Reverb reissue—a shock to anybody who tries to help me with my gear. I do worry that as I get older, I won’t be able to haul these monsters around.
So today’s questions are about your amp journey.
How did your amp journey begin?
Worst amp? Best amp? Best deal? Is there one that got away, or one you wish you had back?
Boutique amp that you would most like to try? Most ridiculous?
Coolest amp or feature since sliced bread?
What is your philosophy regarding big amp versus small amp?
Tubes? Solid State? Modelling? Rack units? Midi switching?
Or have you given up amps for a Line 6 Pod, Tech 21 SansAmp, etc.; or have you gotten rid of your mics and now record directly with a program like Amp
Farm?
Is anything more than three knobs too many? Or do you seek switchable flexibility?
Is one amp enough, or does the modern player need a stable of amps for various genres and venues?
Are you happy with your current amp? Why or why not?
Don’t have to answer all the questions, just grab the ones that interest you.
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Thanks for playing. BTW, todays Lunch report was done late last night, while listening to Sergio Mendes’ (of Brazil ’66 fame) excellent 2008 Concord CD, “encanto”. I don’t speak Portuguese or Spanish, but even I know a love song when I hear it….no matter what the language.
Bill
They kept telling me it was bad tubes. 
The amp would kill a new power tube in 15 minutes. ) / Ampeg R12R / I know there are more, but those are the ones I remember.
, but the green mxr delay helped to keep us teens entertained.
I've never seen one.