Lunch Report Jan 7th - Long time no post!

[Dave_P]

Hello! I haven't posted here in an age but rest assured I've still been playing my G&L's daily

Lunch today is whatever is in the cafeteria at the place I'm working today, I'm a freelance worker so I'm not often in the same place too long. This week the company I'm working for has a free cafeteria, can't argue with that. Update: Turns out it was taco Tuesday

With the new year I have reflecting on the gear I've sold and grateful for the gear I have/have newly acquired.
I've bought and sold quite a bit of gear over the years but my regrets list is pretty short:
'65 Bandmaster
'72 Princeton (non reverb)
'74 Vibrolux Reverb
G&L SC-2
and a 90's AM Std Strat (one of my first guitars)

Although I regret, to a degree, selling those things the reality is they are all intertwined. If I hadn't sold the Bandmaster I wouldn't have bought the vibrolux, and the vibrolux sale led to the Princeton and the Princeton sale led to the Carr Rambler I found for a steal a few weeks ago. If I hadn't sold that candy apple red Strat maybe I wouldn't have found the transparent red asat classic that's been my main guitar for the last 12 or so years or learned the hard lesson of when you find an instrument that just feels right in your hands do not let it go.


I am very grateful that '98 asat classic found me and it is one instrument I will never let go of. What's one piece of gear you will never part with?

The Rambler on the other hand I'm not jiving with quite yet. This one I had high expectations for, for those of you who are not familiar with it it's a 1x12 combo somewhere in the realm of Deluxe Reverb/Princeton-ish amps. Running two 6L6's @ 28 watts with a Pentode/Triode switch that lets you run it at 14 watts. On paper that sounds great, 14 watts for smaller gigs/home and 28 watts when I need it.
Now, maybe it's just this amp (it is a pretty early example) but I find it's lacking the harmonic detail I expected. The descriptions I've read were that it had the best cleans ever, very dimensional and rich. It is a very clean amp but the highs are quite brash in pentode mode and it doesn't have the sparkle that some of the other amps I mentioned had. I've swapped tubes with what I have on hand (winged "C"'s, TAD blackplates, NOS JAN 6L6wgb for power tubes, and all vintage RCA, GE, Mullard preamps) and the JAN 6L6's with a mix of premap tubes did improve it some. Plugged it through a 1x15 cab with a Weber Jensen style speaker and that was a bit better as well though 4 ohms not 8. So I doubled down and ordered a Jupiter 12LC figuring I can always put the new speaker in my 5e3 deluxe clone if I end up selling the Rambler. Now I feel like a rambler

Have you been down this road before? Trying to make something fit that maybe just doesn't work for you?


Anyway, it's great to be back! I have a couple more lunch posts saved up, more to come. Have a great lunch!

-Dave

[sam]

Hey Dave, welcome back!

Tacos are always good. Better than the cheese and crackers I had.

Lots a gear has passed through my hands and much still around. Something I won’t get rid of? Got a long list of ASAT’s and truly hard to narrow down to which ones. If pressed I would say ASAT Commemorative and Broadcaster with one or two others nipping at its heels. Acoustically have a Martin D-41 that was a bucket list guitar found on a vague internet listing in middle Tennessee mid 2000’s for best price I’d ever seen. Drove hours to get it and was amazed that it was like new and sounded perfect.

Have seen some Ramblers with great reviews, but it could have been tone deaf fanboys. I’m having too much fun with a Craigslist find - 77’ Twin Reverb loaded with 2 EVM 12L speakers so I’m in clean heaven. Kinda went down a similar tone chasing road with a Fender Blues Deluxe. It’s at a point I like it but not much playing time.

Great to see ya back posting, look forward to yer next Lunch Report!

[Dave_P]

Thanks Sam!

I can relate to your story about the Martin, I've definitely driven many hours for a good deal. I keep seeing a couple of Twin Reverbs in my area for not much money relative to other 70's era fenders. In fact I'm pretty sure one of them is listed for less than a vibro champ in the same area. Very tempting, but then I remind myself that I sold the Bandmaster and the Vibrolux because they were too loud for anything I'm doing. I bet yours with the EV's in it sounds fantastic though!

[SUaPYG]

I don't think I will be eating lunch at all today. Just a cup of black coffee. Had to struggle to button my pants after the holiday gorging!

I have one guitar I wish I had never let go of. A single pickup Gibson Melody maker, probably late 60's that I bought used in '71 and traded in on a Gretsch Dorado acoustic. Still have the Dorado but it is an unplayable piece of wall art now.

I would be hard pressed to part with any of my Fullerton G&Ls. Probably never let go of my newly acquired Taylor 914.

As far as amps go, I have a Fender Acoustisonic 150 that I bought as a project a few years ago. Just haven't found the time to tear into it. Besides, I have my eye on the new Taylor Circa 74 to fill the acoustic amp niche. Fairly certain there is one in my near future. The Acoustisonic may be finding a new home soon. Another project amp is a '71 Fender Princeton Reverb. Someday I will go through it and it will be a permanent piece of kit.

[mutts]

Lunch was just cheese and crackers followed by an apple.

Gear I would not part with: My first G&L- A Leo era Asat with a DFV. Secondly, my pre-war Martin D-18. It had belonged to my late uncle and was gifted to me by my aunt.

I had a 90s Fender Deville 4x10 that I never bonded with and learned to hate. Ice picky, stiff and loud. Tried to have some work done on it after moving it around for years but still did not like it. Basically ended up giving it away.
I have an old Mesa SOB (MKI reissue) that is similar to the Fender but a bit better. Funny how old amps seem to sound okay one day but not the next.

OP- good luck with the Carr. I bought a Friedman this fall that went back after developing a problem. Ended up with my second Dr. Z which I am happy with so far. The best American voiced amp I've ever owned but I kind of wish it had more breakup. Then again, I'm still learning the ins and outs of it.
I'm not fond of online amp buying but around here it's about the only option.

[Dave_P]

Thanks for the replies guys!

mutts: Funny you mention Friedman the other amps I'm looking at right now are a Friedman Little Sister and the Suhr Hombre. Both definitely different amps entirely from the Rambler. Also would love to check out some Dr. Z's but it's hard to find any of these amps locally to try out, the Carr was the first online amp purchase I've ever made. Which Dr. Z's do you have?

[mutts]

Thanks for the replies guys!

mutts: Funny you mention Friedman the other amps I'm looking at right now are a Friedman Little Sister and the Suhr Hombre. Both definitely different amps entirely from the Rambler. Also would love to check out some Dr. Z's but it's hard to find any of these amps locally to try out, the Carr was the first online amp purchase I've ever made. Which Dr. Z's do you have?

Hey Dave,
I actually bought the Little Sister and I did like it. I bought a demo model that devloped an issue after about six days; I suspect that is why it was returned. They offered to send a new head in it's place but I declined because I found the Little Sister a bit too similar in tone to the Z Maz18 I already own- both are EL84 power tube amps. The Little Sister has a tighter more modern feel but still tonally similar to the MAZ.The Maz has an overall better tone and versatility in my mind.

The new Z is a Z-Plus which is very loosely based on a Champ. The Z-Plus is 6V6 and is class A in both half and full power (7 and 15 watts). It does have lots of harmonic content which they say class A is known for. I'm very happy with it but having never had much luck with American voiced amps my ears are still adjusting to the clarity and punchiness. It actually does break up too but it's different than a Marshally overdrive.
Here's Z explaning the Z-Plus.


The Hombre caught my eye too- but no master volume had me concenred it would be too loud for my purposes. Loving the 7 watt mode of the Z-Plus.

Cheers, Eric