Amps?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kidkage
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kidkage

kidkage

Bored of Canada
I live in a town with no music store. I have to drive for hours to find one, so most of my gear is purchased online. I've always wondered about the unknowns in the amp world. I know about the more standard amps that can be found online: marshalls, mesas, orange, peavey, etc. I was wondering if you guys could tell me about lesser known amps that are good. Price doesnt really matter on this one, Im just itching to know about some more gear companies :drunk:
 
Mmmmm....I don't know about "lesser known"...but here's a bunch of amp companies that aren't big assembly line producers.

Swart
Fargen
Dr Z
Bad Cat
Top Hat
Tungsten
Carr
Savage
Louis Electric
Juke
Victoria
Kendrick
Reinhardt
Germino
Mojave
Roccaforte
THD
Tone King
 
Sunn.

Go on your local Craigslist and look for Sunn amps. Those are some good amps.
 
Don't forget Carvin and Splawn. Both of those companies make some of the sweetest sounding hard rock amps on the planet.
 
Cool. I'm checking out everything recommended. Yeah, I probably shouldve mentioned Im looking for rock/metal amps just in case anyone didnt know what to recommend :p

//Thanks
 
ocnor said:
Don't forget Carvin and Splawn. Both of those companies make some of the sweetest sounding hard rock amps on the planet.
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I've heard that Splawn makes AMAZING cabs, this true?
 
Phaez.

Also known as "ontariomaximus". A Canadian builder of somewhat customized amps. I've got one of his "daisycutter" amps with 2x6l6 powersection and couldn't be a happier camper. The youtubeclips depict a rockish hi-gain amp, but I've thrown four blackmetalgigs with the 30watt beast in big clubs.
I've had the amp for maybe a year soon, and just yesterday threw a gig and REALLY liked the amp. Even against the Mesas that the headliner was using.:spank:

Matamp
Green
Hiwatt
also have thick sounds.
 
You mention Peavey in the OP, but the company has made some rather obscure, but very good amps over the years. Bravo, for instance- all tubes, el84's, great little amp. IMO, if it's got PEAVEY on the front and tubes out back (sorta the amp version of a mullet), you almost can't go wrong.
 
Jouni said:
Phaez.

Also known as "ontariomaximus". A Canadian builder of somewhat customized amps. I've got one of his "daisycutter" amps with 2x6l6 powersection and couldn't be a happier camper. The youtubeclips depict a rockish hi-gain amp, but I've thrown four blackmetalgigs with the 30watt beast in big clubs.
I've had the amp for maybe a year soon, and just yesterday threw a gig and REALLY liked the amp. Even against the Mesas that the headliner was using.:spank:

Matamp
Green
Hiwatt
also have thick sounds.
Click to expand...

Sweet, I'll check those out:

http://destroyallguitars.com/phaez

Is the 36W Daisycutter/Rocket the one youre talking about?

Thanks
 
stevieb said:
You mention Peavey in the OP, but the company has made some rather obscure, but very good amps over the years. Bravo, for instance- all tubes, el84's, great little amp. IMO, if it's got PEAVEY on the front and tubes out back (sorta the amp version of a mullet), you almost can't go wrong.
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks. Ive been trying to find names of older peavey models to look for.
 
I'm in a similar situation. I live in a very rural area and can't try any amps.

My recommendation is to scour the forums specifically HCAF (very young crowd but some amp info), The Gear Page and Rig-Talk.

Soon you'll know all the major amp makers.

Here's amps I own if you care to PM me with questions

Blackstar - HT 5
Mesa - Mark III
Mesa - Dual Rectifier 3 Ch
Krank - Rev Jr Pro
Krank - Rev1
Bray - JTM45 (Marshall JTM 45 Clone)
Marshall - 77 JMP 100W 2203
Elmwood - Modena M90
Peavey - 5150
Fender - 64 Bandmaster
Fender - 67 Princeton Reverb
Fender - 67 Champ
Carvin - Legacy
Soldano - SLO
Mako - Dorado
 
There are 2 schools of "lesser knowns".

1. Boutique (very very high dollar but fabulous amps)
2. Overseas (usually cheaper in cost-quality varies)

No need to mention boutiqes.
The overseas brands can be good or bad. I have a Johnson Laredo 25 watt tube amp. About as loud as an expensive 5 watter.
Doesn't sound that great just plugged in, but put some pedals in front of it, aan I get some KILLER tones! Was about $300 new.
 
One cost effective thing that I've done too, was getting a good CLEAN amp, and then trying out pedals/preamps... more expensive in the long run, but you get to disperse the costs and try out more different sounds..
 
Jouni said:
One cost effective thing that I've done too, was getting a good CLEAN amp, and then trying out pedals/preamps... more expensive in the long run, but you get to disperse the costs and try out more different sounds..
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In other words, GET A SUNN.
 
kidkage said:
Oh man, that reminds me, I found a Sunn BetaLead on eBay with a buy it now @ 350. I went to get it 1 hour later... it was gone :(
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Yeah, you gotta JUMP on that stuff. All of the Sunn gear i have right now has been shipped from out of state to me because that stuff goes pretty fast locally.
 
Here's another boutique amp for you...
http://www.portcityamps.com/

They make real nice amps. I'd gladly swap my Princeton Reverb for their Port City Twelve. That's an extremely nice rig. The Pearl is, too.
 
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