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Author Topic: I still haven't bought a new amp (but you can advise me to do so, please)  (Read 2091 times)

Alex

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Hi

So I still haven't bought a new amp. I wanted to buy one before Christmas and now we're nearing the end of January. It might have to do with the fact that I was working 50+ hours a week and that I am picking up my new car on Thursday, but still buying an amp is a very serious issue not to be taken to lightheartedly. I guess you all understand.

I basically have narrowed it further down and my favorite is the Marshall JVM 205c (the 1x12" combo). My question is: can anybody give me some more feedback on it. I played and thought is was quite good but not awesome - which is why I am still indecisive. Great crunch, good metal tones, but lackluster cleans...

The other amp choices would be the Laney Lionheart 20 Watt head with a 1x12" cab (I dislike the 5 Watt combo because it lacks headroom for low notes and I keep my main guitar tuned to D standard all the time, plus I have a baritone I like to use from time to time) and the Krank Rev Jr head with a 1x12".

The Laney I couldn't try yet (unfortunately), the Krank is nice but IMO too expensive in the UK for what you're getting, plus it doesn't have a footswitch. But if anybody can give me some feedback I might reconsider.

Any input is appreciated.

(Budget 800 pounds)
Current BKPs: Miracle Man, Nailbomb, Juggernaut, VHII
Past BKPS: Holy Diver, Trilogy Suite, Sinner, Black Dog

Lew

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I know where a mint 1981 JCM800 is for £499 and mint Vintage Modern for £399, both heads if you like 8)

roland_rat

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Hi when I was considering the laney 20h i got this review from martins

I was thinking of writing a review for the forum, then saw your post, so here goes...

I bought one of these a month or so ago, along with the matching 2x12 cab, and I've now done a few gigs with it. My previous amp was a Roland JC 120. The Lionheart is my first valve amp, but moving to valves from a JC 120 isn't such a great leap as from another SS amp, as the Roland is pretty warm despite being solid state. However, the JC 120 is bloody loud, and I couldn't even have it on 1 at gigs, below which it gets a bit muffled. So I decided to look in to a smaller amp, and having always hankered after something with valves I asked advice from a guy I know.

He runs a recording studio/rehearsal room complex in which he has mostly Laneys and Marshalls. He has 40+ years of experience with amps, and is also in a band himself. He also plays a semi-acoustic, like my 335. In short - I value his opinion. He loves the Lionheart, and recommended it to me. As he had two but only used one, I bought one from him at a good price. My chain is now 335 (with BK Mules) > EH Black Finger > Mojo Hand Mule > George Dennis volume/tremolo > BOSS DD3 > Lionheart.

For me, this amp is wonderful. I don't want hi-gain, I want a nice vintage sound, warm, sparkly cleans, crispness, twang, growl and attitude when I need it. My band plays what I refer to as "indie-blues", and the Lionheart is perfect. Yesterday I just sat in front of the amp strumming a chord, and listening to the harmonics as the guitar rang on, strummed another chord and listened ... - it was lush, rich, full - and that was with the volume on 1!

Is it loud enough? Absolutely. I'm conscious of having this thing on 2 in the house because of the neighbours. (I think the closed-back cab really makes a difference.) At gigs, I can have it on around 5 or 6 and not get told off by the sound man - it's clean at that volume, but has a rich attitude about it when I pick harder: it's extremely responsive to picking weight. It also takes pedals well. Tone-wise, I have the bass on 5, mid 8, treble 7, and the tone control on 7; reverb is on 5. To my ears this gives a nice compromise between clarity and mellowness. Set the tone control at 9-10, and there's a jump in the higher frequencies.

The controls are relatively simple. I can see people feeling the tone and reverb controls don't do much, but I've found that you get more perceived reverb with the tone down below 7 than when the tone's set higher. Besides, this amp's about subtlety and taste rather than being in yer face.

I mainly use the clean channel, sometimes with the Mule to add grit, and use the drive channel when I want a loud boost. The drive channel has two controls: "drive" and "drive volume". Setting a low drive and loud drive volume will give you a Bluesbreaker type sound - a nice open, crispy output-valve distortion, but not bags of compression or sustain. More drive and a lower drive volume makes the preamp valves work harder and gives a tighter, more punchy rock sound, greater sustain. I have the drive on 7, drive volume on 3+, which sets the drive at a slightly higher volume than the clean, which is what I want.

I haven't tried it with a high drive and high drive volume, come to think of it - I might have to give that a go just to see what it's like!

To me, as someone who likes a vintage sound and wants a superb clean sound, and to be able to hear the guitar rather than the fuzz, this amp is fantastic. It's got four EL84s and three 12ax7s. Count 'em, go on. If you want a more rock sound then you might want something with more gain on tap. Not me. I now have an amp which I have had to learn to play as much as I play my guitar, and that's got to be a good thing.

Ladies like the blue tolex. Even sound men and drummers comment on my amp, and that's saying something, right?



not sure if you have seen this one

anyway hope it helps
Mules/SM,RR,YB, boss/ IT, VHII,   VHII & Mothers Milk, Abraxus, SM/aphache, sultans

hunter

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Try an Orange Rocker 30.

It doesn't have many bells and whistles, but a great great basic tone. Only downer is that it has no loop, if this is something you are craving for. That would mean a Rockerverb, and they are more expensive.

Another one to try is th Marshall 410. It sounds better than the 205 if you ask me, bigger transformers, more oomph. Pity that Ch4 is not really useable, but 1-3 are great.

One choice that would be in budget and very sweet is a Cornford Roadhouse 30 Combo. Try it. It's great!
On Andertons I have seen a 2x12 Roadhouse 50 on sale. Killer deal.
Check this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9UK79DtEU8

Tweaker's Paradise - Player's nightmare.

dave_mc

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what tones are you after?

Alex

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Arch Enemy
Airbourne
Old Guns'n'Roses
Nice sparkly cleans

Rather aggressive but also old-fashioned I'd say.

And good at low volumes.

Current BKPs: Miracle Man, Nailbomb, Juggernaut, VHII
Past BKPS: Holy Diver, Trilogy Suite, Sinner, Black Dog

dave_mc

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engl screamer and laney tt (assuming your budget is around the price of the JVM) would be worth a try too, for those. in addition to the marshall and everything else you're looking at... :)

bobthemerciful

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A Laney TT would definitely do what you require. Sounds pretty good at low volumes as well as cranked (loudest I've had mine was 6 in a big club with no backline mic'ed, everybody could hear me even right at the back). See if you can get to try one. Great cleans also.
Bob

hamfist

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Be aware that the Lionheart 20 starts breaking up very early on the clean channel (about 3-4 with humbuckers). It also has rather a saggy, vintage flavour to it's distortion, which doesn't sound sound like what you are looking for.

If you're looking for a combo in that pricerange, I would definately take a look at the Bogner Alchemist 1x12.  the Orange Rocker 30 is another good amp, although many folks don't particularly like the clean channel.
  The Engl Screamer is a pretty good amp, but does not exel at "inbetween" tones IMO. Nice cleans and good higher gain (in a more vintage style), but I found the low and mid gain crunch tones to be a bit lacking.
   Not tried a Roadhouse yet, but would like to.

Alternatively, there's a very nice handwired, dual channel head I'm selling here - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180324056415&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DSelling
« Last Edit: January 28, 2009, 07:12:02 AM by hamfist »

dave_mc

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yeah, that's true about the lionheart, orange, and engl. the orange might not get modern enough, so you'd need to make sure it does... :)