I am buying a new amp and cab, I need advice!

[JJretroTONEGOD]

My budget is £500-1000.

I am looking for:

an amp head, low watt, nothing over 20 watt. It has to have a nice breakup and be able to do clean through to classic rock and everything in between.

the BEST 1x12 cab, for use in any style, but mostly rock, built to last harcore gigging.

Ideally I'd like to know what your experiences are and what you'd recommend if you had that kind of money to play with.

regards,

Ben.

[Gizmo]

Blackstar Artisan 15, £799 15W combo.

very gd amp for the range of sounds you describe and top marks in magazine reviews. worth a check

[hamfist]

My budget is £500-1000.

I am looking for:

an amp head, low watt, nothing over 20 watt. It has to have a nice breakup and be able to do clean through to classic rock and everything in between.

the BEST 1x12 cab, for use in any style, but mostly rock, built to last harcore gigging.

Ideally I'd like to know what your experiences are and what you'd recommend if you had that kind of money to play with.

regards,

Ben.

I would seriously be looking at a Vox AC15 or 30 Heritage head plus cab . Use the EF86 channel (you'll need a good EF86  -£25 from Watford valves), with a half decent TS-9 type OD and you'll be set.
  Of the mainstream amps available in the UK at that price range and wattage, it is the best ! I've owned and tried almost all of the competition and, for what you want, it is the winner. It is a seriously classy amp.
  Otherwise, look at Ceriatone. They cannot be beaten for value for money at the budget end of the boutique spectrum.  I'm awaiting a handwired 50W plexi head for about £600 (including all import duties). They also do Matchless clones (and will do a 15W version of the DC-30 if you ask), and Marshall 18W clones - easily the best for your money at the sub-£1000 price range.
 As for cabs, speak to Martin at Martamp for the cheapest, but highest quality, cabs you can buy in the UK at the moment.
  My question would be - why a 1x12, when a 2x12 is still very portable and not that much more expensive ?

[Twinfan]

Head - Blackstar Artisan 15 or Artisan 30
1x12 - Orange or Martamp or Matamp
2x12 - Orange or Martamp ot Matamp or THD or Bogner

I think the Blackstar Artisan 15 combo may be perfect for you.

[hamfist]

Head - Blackstar Artisan 15 or Artisan 30
1x12 - Orange or Martamp or Matamp
2x12 - Orange or Martamp ot Matamp or THD or Bogner

I think the Blackstar Artisan 15 combo may be perfect for you.

ummmmm, Blackstar do not do, as yet, a head version of their 15W and 30W amps. I will say that the 30W combo I tried was excellent - BUT still not approaching the tonal qualities of my AC30HH and Martamp 2x12. For £1000 (or only a few pence over) you could buy an AC30HH head, a 16ohm hotplate (used) and a 1x12 Martamp/Matamp cab, loaded with a quality speaker of your choice.  That really would be the dog's bollox for what you want. Would also give you the choice to be able to gig at pretty much any venue with the rig.

Forgot to mention that the Vox Ac15/30 heritage amps are NMV. That means you will need a Hotplate too !

[Twinfan]

The heads are on their way Alan - they were launched at Musikmesse.

I would also say that the Blackstar is better for the broader "classic rock" tones than a Vox  :)

[martinw]

I'd agree. I wouldn't pick a Vox for classic rock sounds, although an EF86 does do great cleans.

The Blackstar stuff is very good and amazing value.

Check out my website. My Roadstar 18 is £520, and I can do a bomb proof 18mm birch ply 1x12 for £250.
I'm also selling my prototype V6-20 for £550....the best mini Marshall you'll ever hear!  

[Twinfan]

Martin's stuff does sound superb, but then I'm a bit biased  ;)

How much do you value your cleans?  What type of clean do you need?  That may have a big influence on your final decision  :)

[Gizmo]

any idea how much the Blackstar heads will cost?

[hamfist]

The heads are on their way Alan - they were launched at Musikmesse.

I would also say that the Blackstar is better for the broader "classic rock" tones than a Vox  :)

 Cool, I would have seriously considered a head, if they had been available when I was shopping. Not on their website yet, which fooled me. I get the impression that they are not hugely web-savvy yet. Their website in general is pretty poor if you ask me.

BTW, you may not have made your comment about the Blackstar amps and the Vox if you've played the EF86 channel of an AC30 Heritage into a decent "rock" cabinet - it's a bit of a monster for low to mid gain rock !  I would seriously take it over the Blackstar 30 combo anyday.

 The cleans on the EF86 side are cr@p though IMO - that's what the Top Boost side is for !

[Twinfan]

BTW, you may not have made your comment about the Blackstar amps and the Vox if you've played the EF86 channel of an AC30 Heritage into a decent "rock" cabinet - it's a bit of a monster for low to mid gain rock !  I would seriously take it over the Blackstar 30 combo anyday.

Horses for courses I think matey!  I've played the EF86 channel of a Ceriatone DC30 through my 2x12 and I liked the low gain (re. Indie) tone, but not when it was wound up.  It seemed to lose all of it's 'magic'.

any idea how much the Blackstar heads will cost?

I think they're going to be around £799 ish?  The 15 will be slightly cheaper than the 30.

[hamfist]

Horses for courses I think matey!  I've played the EF86 channel of a Ceriatone DC30 through my 2x12 and I liked the low gain (re. Indie) tone, but not when it was wound up.  It seemed to lose all of it's 'magic'.

Yup, the Ceriatone DC30 should be very pretty comparable. As you say though, there definately is a point on the gain dial, above which it just doesn't give the goods. Agreed that low gain is it's forte. I will also say that a good NOS EF86 is a real must if you want the best out of the amp though. All current production ones seem very poor tonally and VERY prone to microphonics.

  BTW, £799 would be a very good price for the 30 head. Very tempting. However, I'd be surprised if it was quite that cheap.

[Twinfan]

I'll have to check when I get home - I thought I read the prices?  Maybe they haven't been released yet.

[JJretroTONEGOD]

Martin's stuff does sound superb, but then I'm a bit biased  ;)

How much do you value your cleans?  What type of clean do you need?  That may have a big influence on your final decision  :)

I actually prefer for clean sounds to have a tiny amount of breakup, not that botherd about headroom, it just has to sound fat! and warm.

thanks for all the advice, I heard from Hunter that the Mongotone cabs are amazing too in another post, how will they compare to the other's you have told me about?

[JJretroTONEGOD]

[/quote]

  My question would be - why a 1x12, when a 2x12 is still very portable and not that much more expensive ?[/quote]

this because when you have even a 4x12, you tend to only mic up one speaker anyway, unless you want a sterio sound, which I don't. Unless a 2x12 actually sounds much better than a 1x12, I think the smaller cab will give me a big enough sound as long as it's micked, don't you?