Author Topic: Good clean amp (Read 20255 times)

Henk · « **Reply #45 on:** January 16, 2008, 02:00:32 PM »

Reconsidering what i wrote, i dont want to be pushy Tom, i just think its a shame to buy something you arent 100% convinced about its da bomb(or whatever you prefer to call it)......

Quote from: Twinfan

Buy a clone, buy a clone, buy a clone........

So now its three of everything TF ??????? :lol:

Your gear has to break down often if you need that many as backups, so they cant be any good can they :P

_tom_ · « **Reply #46 on:** January 16, 2008, 02:06:26 PM »

Quote from: Henk

Reconsidering what i wrote, i dont want to be pushy Tom, i just think its a shame to buy something you arent 100% convinced about its da bomb(or whatever you prefer to call it)......

Quote from: Twinfan
Buy a clone, buy a clone, buy a clone........

So now its three of everything TF ??????? :lol:

Your gear has to break down often if you need that many as backups, so they cant be any good can they :P

Yeah, I really need to try out a load of stuff but its so hard when shops dont have anything good :lol: I remember playing Tims JCM800ZW at low volume at Music Live a few years ago and even at that quiet level it sounded pretty good to me.

Funny how all my threads on here seem to make me want the total opposite of what I originally asked for - started out as a low volume clean amp and now I want a JCM800 or something :lol: I also really liked the Fender Supersonic head when I heard it live a while ago, it sounded huge through the matching 4x12, even with a strat.

Either way, I wont sell the GH because it sounds great when you get to crank it, like I said just missing out a bit of that upper mid roar but thats probably me just being picky.

LazyNinja · « **Reply #47 on:** January 16, 2008, 02:17:01 PM »

I seem to remember that the postage for a complete head with case was about $150. You can pay $15 to get master vol installed.

I've been asking Nik about installing power scaling and he says he's planning to install them into his amps in the future. I'd watch this space :twisted:

EDIT: Henk, what JCM800 do you have by the way?

Henk · « **Reply #48 on:** January 16, 2008, 02:31:13 PM »

Quote from: _tom_

The pre-built Ceriatone '800 2203 clone is only about £425 + postage and any customs charges, and the 2204 £345 + postage and customs. Whats the difference between 2204 and 2203? Theres also the JTM45s, Plexis and 18ws to choose from.

The 2203 is the super lead 100w 'holy grail' jcm800, the 2204 is the 50w version. The 2205 i have has 2 channels and has reverb, its the more versatile and expensive version, ist a 50watter though, compared to a 100watt beast i think its a bit tuned down, not as high gain and a bit darker then the 100w versions IMO.

The MKII JCM/Plexis have the best tone IMO, allthough the jcm's can get close there is always the EL34 nastyness coming trough. Basically the older ones have better clean tone and the newer ones better drive IMO, at least if your more into the vintage rock kind of drive and not the slayer kind of drive the 2203 has. Then again, you will need a master volume if you want to use the amps gain at lower volumes, so that kind of limits the selection i guess, well unless you can pick one up with a master volume mod allready done to it. Saw one on ebay a month ago or so which went for about 250 pounds or so, a MKII master modded, need to run into a deal like that too........

The 18watters have great tone and great drive, but dont sound as big as their big bro's IMO. Or well, better said small tube amps just sound fundamentally different then the biG pHat ones.

The type of tone i still want to get someday is in the old bassman design range though, so if i dont end up with a plexi it will be a bassman head. Just huge headroom and allmost perfectly balanced and neutral cleans, the purists wet dream :lol: .

Twinfan · « **Reply #49 on:** January 16, 2008, 02:32:14 PM »

Quote from: _tom_

The pre-built Ceriatone '800 2203 clone is only about £425 + postage and any customs charges, and the 2204 £345 + postage and customs. Whats the difference between 2204 and 2203? Theres also the JTM45s, Plexis and 18ws to choose from.

2204 = 50w
2203 = 100w

You should have checked out my Marshall thread Tom ;)

Marshall Amp Summary

_tom_ · « **Reply #50 on:** January 16, 2008, 02:36:38 PM »

Is the 2205 what Schenker used a lot of the time? His tone is amazing on Rock Bottom on the Strangers in the Night live cd :D If you go on here then listen to the 1987 Les Paul heavy clip, that is my ideal tone http://www.proguitar.de/AudioDemo/CompareAmps/CompareAmps.html

I've heard nice tones from Bassmans (bassmen?) as well, if I remember correctly Social Distortion use them a lot and I really like their tone.

Henk · « **Reply #51 on:** January 16, 2008, 02:47:20 PM »

Quote from: _tom_

I also really liked the Fender Supersonic head when I heard it live a while ago, it sounded huge through the matching 4x12, even with a strat.

Ow yeah, that one sound very nice. Ive had a Fender Dual showman redknob head and 4x12 cab from the late 80's which i sold not too long ago at a big loss

. It sounded great and i could flip it from 100w to 25w (which only made a tiny difference when i kept using the 4x12 though).

Great tone and everything, but just not for me or well i prefer my JCM, also im used to the Marshall 'hum' and the Fender 'hiss' was really putting me off too, kind of silly i know but anyway.

Fender does have a very different character tonewise though, i like it when its more of the transparent headroomy kind of tone(100 watters), but some Fenders are just plain shallow sounding IMO. The big fender heads do have a pretty nice and mellow fizzy kind of drive which is pretty usefull to break up the cleanness of it, but downright awfull to play it as a dirty amp IMO. Few exeptions though like the pro sonic and the supersonic offcourse.

_tom_ · « **Reply #52 on:** January 16, 2008, 02:51:12 PM »

Yep I had a Hot Rod deluxe and it was an allright clean amp, but the drive was horrible. I liked it at first but then once I got over that "honeymoon period" I hated it.

http://www.fender.com/products/supersonic/

Listen to "plays itself 2" and the Bassman clips on the sounds, it sounds so good :D Vibrolux sounds way too thin, probably good for Knopfler style cleans though I guess if you're into that.

Elliot · « **Reply #53 on:** January 16, 2008, 02:57:47 PM »

the Supersonic is awesome - if only I was richer and a better player I would get one pronto....

Henk · « **Reply #54 on:** January 16, 2008, 03:19:56 PM »

Quote from: _tom_

Is the 2205 what Schenker used a lot of the time? His tone is amazing on Rock Bottom on the Strangers in the Night live cd :D If you go on here then listen to the 1987 Les Paul heavy clip, that is my ideal tone http://www.proguitar.de/AudioDemo/CompareAmps/CompareAmps.html

I've heard nice tones from Bassmans (bassmen?) as well, if I remember correctly Social Distortion use them a lot and I really like their tone.

:lol:

A shopkeeper i know is always on about i need to buy his schenker custom V from the 80's, now i know why, but yes my rig has a high schenker content, allthough im not a big fan or anything....

That clip is exactly what my 'dirty' amp channel sounds like when i put it trough my greenback loaded 70's London city cab, this being more my rythm tone. You can get hundreds of tones like these though with different pedals and settings. My old marshall cab sounds better though.... :)

Im offcourse not surpriced that you picked the greenbacked Marshall sound, it just cant be beat! ever!!!!!

:lol: (im kidding offcourse)

The Bassman Baltimore clip on the supersonic sounds great, transparent, headroom, sexey!

sgmypod · « **Reply #55 on:** January 16, 2008, 03:35:01 PM »

If I had bigger house and no neighbours would get another prosonic......Ceriatone..how much fully built and where from?

Henk · « **Reply #56 on:** January 16, 2008, 04:10:39 PM »

The supersonic wont be cheaper then a clone i think, its 699 pounds at music street UK, and with a whopping 5!!!! x 12ax7 (like a jcm800) its a friggin monster.....

http://www.musicstreet.co.uk/fendersupersonic60wheadblackpepper-p-1527.html?osCsid=606d8a9850f9e2394d5fb664b0aeee50

You still need a 4x12 greenback loaded cab though :lol: (sorry, cant help myself)

Roobubba · « **Reply #57 on:** January 16, 2008, 05:36:17 PM »

Hush, Henk! You with your Greenback ways! :D

Henk · « **Reply #58 on:** January 16, 2008, 06:31:51 PM »

OKOK, ill leave it for now at least...... :P

You guys will remember what i said though, and the next time you listen to that RAW marshall tone, you know its the the greenbacks talking!

LazyNinja: sorry didnt see the edit at first but i allready answered your question, its a 2205 which is the 50w two seperate channel one with reverb.

I said earlier that the 100w jcm800's have more gain but that appears not to be true, a preamp will distort two powertubes more(and it will break up at lower volumes) than four of them. Still the 100's do have a more powerfull/cutting tone IMO.

LazyNinja · « **Reply #59 on:** January 16, 2008, 07:32:46 PM »

Yeah I noticed it in the other post anyways no worries. I have a 2210 but thinking of selling it. What year is yours? Early ones and later ones of the split channel models are quite different. Pull out V2 and if clean still works then you have an early one. If it doesn't it's one of the later ones. :)