Hey everybody!
It's been a long time. I used to kick around here quite a bit when I had a band going, but when we broke up I sold off all my gear and gave it up. Of course, that couldn't last forever (I missed it too much) and I eventually got back into it. I used to play a Tokai '59 Les Paul Replica with Bare Knuckle Rebel Yells straight into a Marshall Silver Jubilee 2558 50W 1x12 Combo, sometimes kicked with a Digitech Bad Monkey set as a clean boost. Some of you will be very disappointed to hear that my current rig is entirely modelling-based, consisting of a Variax 600 running through a Vox Tonelab LE direct into the PA. Though it's definitely not flawless, I must admit that as a tone freak it's better than I thought it would be - I actually think the Tonelab is an excellent piece of equipment; not 100% there, but maybe 85-90% if you tweak it right. Unlike my old Marshall setup it's very versatile and I can practice at home without my old age pensioner neighbors threatening to have me jailed. On top of that, 85-90% of your typical non-guitar playing audience probably can't tell the difference (or even care).
Anyway, while I'm happy enough for the minute, I've realized that I don't really need something this versatile. I'd rather have one or two excellent quality tones than ten to twenty decent ones, many of which I won't bother using. So, here are the requirements for an upgraded rig:
Tone. This comes first and foremost. My favorite guitar tone could be described as pure British Classic Rock of the 60s and 70s. Think a Marshall Plexi. Think Lenny Kravitz. Something that allows you to hear the nuances of the guitar and your playing - from the pickups, to the wood, to the strength of your pick attack, and so on. Something that you can roll back your guitar volume knob and hear it clean up. Ideally, I could put a nice clean boost pedal in front and kick it a little harder for more sustain in solos or to play heavier rhythms. In an ideal world, I'd like something that offers a range of tones from useable cleans to bluesy breakup to all-out classic rock overdrive, even if this simply meant adjusting the guitar's volume knob. I don't need a bunch of knobs I'll never use, built-in reverbs and other effects, or multiple channels with independent EQs. I don't need a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none - I need something that's the best at what it does, which is the retro rock vibe. An effects loop would be a bonus, but isn't required. Although I favor the British sound of EL34s, I have heard amps that use different output tubes that I love the sound of and so I won't limit myself by that factor.
Versatility of use. I'm not talking about an amp that can cover all sorts of tonal territory. What I am talking about is an amp I can use in the studio for recording, at a gig (invariably miced up and put through a P.A.) or even at home for practice. This rules out your huge 100W monsters (even with attenuation) - even on the 25W setting, my old Marshall Jubilee was really driving my neighbors crazy. Remember that just 5W is something like a quarter as loud as 100W. Ideally I guess I'm looking for something that's under 30W. Attenuation might be an option, although in an ideal world I'd like to be able to simply plug and play and not have to worry about running a Hotplate or similar device in order to stop heads exploding. This isn't 1965 - because micing and running through the P.A. is the norm at gigs, I don't need (or want) to worry about having huge stacks so the audience can hear me. Weight and size isn't really too much of a bother, as long as it will fit in a car, but of course the smaller the better.
In terms of price, I'd be willing to consider all my options, really. Because I can get by gigging at the moment with my current setup, I'm not in any rush to buy, giving me the option of saving for something expensive if I felt it was justified/if there was something I really desired. It'd be lovely to hear that there's something cheap that will do everything I want, but it's been my experience that you get what you pay for, and I don't mind doing that.
So, you've all been a big help to me in the past, when I've wanted your advice on pickup selection for various guitars (my past two being the aforementioned Rebel Yells and before that a set of Mules). Can you please offer your advice on an amp that perfectly captures that vintage rock vibe and puts it in a relatively low-wattage, low-volume package, ideal for gigging, studio or home use? Thanks in advance to any who respond.
