Dream amp time

[PPPMAT]

Hi guys - been away for a while (not that anyone would notice obviously) but back again!!

I've decided its time for the 'dream amp'. I currently have my marshall vintage modern which has been pretty much for home use only until recently when I started gigging again. Long story short - another guitarist who I was playing with has an old beat up peavey classic 30 and i played that more than my own amp!

I think the short of it is that the VM has a great aggressive lead tone but its just overkill for the type of music I'm playing and way too trebly when at gig volumes.

I've been through loads of amps over the years and so thought -right- stop pi$$ing about and get what you want.............so this is what I want...

...I want a full thick distortion - smooth as well! but the most important thing is to be able to roll off the volume onto a nice crunch/breakup. AND I want good complex cleans. If you guys remember the solo Bryan Adams played to 'When you're gone' duet rubbish that he did with Mel Spice - thats the tone but maybe a bit ballsier...

The most important thing for me is to be able to control this with the volume only as im not really a pedal man.

I've done a bit of research and I'm currently thinking maybe modded jmp50. I love the jtm45's but don't think I could live with the saggy bottom  :P end

I'm hoping the 'bareknuckle' collective can help out?

Cheers

matt

[hamfist]

I'm not sure a modded jmp (2204/2203 I assume) will get you the amount of gain you are looking for.  And, again, the 2204/2203 circuits are not renowned for their "smooth, full, thick" distortion.  Yes, you can increase the gain of the circuit somewhat, and "smooth" it out somewhat, but what I think you will need is an amp with 4 gain stages (the 2204/2203's only have 3).
  I think an Orange Rockerverb 50 would be a good amp to try, for your requirements. It also has the benefit that it sounds great at both low and high volume.
  perhaps the new Bogner Alchemist (which will be avialable imminently) might well be another good amp to try, as I know it would have enough gain, and have read many excellent reviews of it.

  What is your budget BTW ?

[Twinfan]

Two amps spring to mind, as you have similar taste to me  ;)

Bogner Shiva.  Listen to some of Hunter's clips here on the forum, or search YouTube.  They always sound good to me!  Expensive new though (around £1500) , and rare as hens teeth used.  Don't know how good the cleans are?

I love the jtm45's but don't think I could live with the saggy bottom  :P end

If that's the thing you have in mind, then I'd vote for a Martamp (JT)M45.  Spec it with a Master Volume and some slight mods to tighten up the bass (it can be done easily as I've had mine 'tweaked', as has Martin's own M45).  KT-66s have a great clean tone and a smooth, full overdrive.  Very reasonably priced, point-to-point handwired and built in the hills here in the UK  ;)

For anything clean up to classic rock the M45 will be great.  Throw a Guv'nor in front of it (like I do) and it'll do heavier stuff well too  :D

[PPPMAT]

i don't really have a budget - don't want to spend any more than £1300 ish buts thats the top end really. I'm not after that 2203/4 sound as thats what the VM does but just more of it - more the JTM.

Would really like it power scaled aswell so looks like Martamp might be the way to go. I'd quite like to try the difference between a JTM45 and a JMP50 just to see which one I lean more towards.

I'll have a look at the Bogners - they do a duende aswell I think which has been said to be good for thick blues type gain

[Bird]

Just checked out the clips of the Bogner Alchemist.... Sweet  :D  Definitely worth checking out if it's at all possible.

[Spitfire]

marshalls have always been quite aggressive.. if not always massive gain.. but voiced that way.

try some orange amps, i think they are what you are looking for... or hiwatt... vox ac30 aswell.

go british!!!

or matamp, id go matamp if i had the budget you have.

[PPPMAT]

Happy to go british  :D Owned a hiwatt before - they nail the crunch but don't do thick lead tones. Never tried an AC30 though - but then it would need boosting and I would have to grow my hair long and get it permed  :lol:

[Twinfan]

Would really like it power scaled aswell so looks like Martamp might be the way to go. I'd quite like to try the difference between a JTM45 and a JMP50 just to see which one I lean more towards.

If you're near me, you can try my M45, M45/100 or plexi-like Klipp sometime?

I'll have a look at the Bogners - they do a duende aswell I think which has been said to be good for thick blues type gain

The Duende is more Fender than Marshall.  May be your thing, maybe not.  Worth trying one out though!

I've read some very poor reviews of the Alchemist amps, especially the gain channel.  I wouldn't buy one without trying it first.

[AdamB]

Have you thought about, or tried, the Mesa Rectifier range?

Thick, smooth distortion by the bucket loads!

[Twinfan]

I've just had a listen to the Bryan Adams track you mentioned, and it's quite gainy isn't it?  The JTM-style amps are cleaner than that and may not suit you best.

Possibly Martin's Roadstar 36watter (Marshall style, with EL84s) would be a better bet for you?  They're great to control from the guitar....

[rohlfo]

when I was looking all over for various amps, I quite liked the sound(s) of Rivera amps. Admitedly, it's def. a studio rather than gig amp, and is apparently difficult to find the setting you desire (due to the range) but I think they sound quite good...

[d1dsj]

I have to recommend you get a Cornford.... simply awesome amps!

[ailean]

Ok, I'm no good at matching tones to amps, but I do own an Orange RockerVerb 50 and think it's a great amp. The cleans are nice, push the volume up a bit and it gives a nice overdriven tone too. The clean channel also takes pedals well.

The gain channel goes pretty high gain, not extreme but certainly into metal areas, and all the way down to almost clean. Not super tight, but tight enough I think.

It might not be your dream amp, but worth a little effort to check out!

[hunter]

Shiva clean is always thick and hardly can go into breakup, and if you do, you get volume balancing issues with the drive channel. I would say XTC Classic, but that is VERY expensive.

After all, I would go for a Cornford, I think it will get closest to the character you're aiming at. Not a Hellcat, as they are sharp, but a MK50 I think would be killer for your aspired tones.

[Ian Price]

Just been reading some old guitarist mags. Came across a review that I must have missed previously - it was on a Mojave Coyote amp. Just looked it up and it does look and sound very nice indeed. A bit pricey though!