Guitar amp poll

  • Thread starter Thread starter strmkr
  • Start date Start date

Favorite guitar amp

  • Marshall

    Votes: 276 19.8%

  • Mesa Boogie

    Votes: 203 14.6%

  • Fender

    Votes: 301 21.6%

  • Vox

    Votes: 133 9.5%

  • Soldano

    Votes: 27 1.9%

  • Peavey

    Votes: 104 7.5%

  • Anything but a peavey

    Votes: 34 2.4%

  • other

    Votes: 316 22.7%
  • Total voters
    1,394
If they kept blowing tubes then the bias was set wrong.
Not taking up for Marshall's 'cause that's not what I use and the only one I have has given me problems fairly regularly. I don't use it much anymore because I have to have my amps work every single time. 5 or 6 gigs a week ...... I can't have an amp that'll break down. But my Marshall is a bit of a special case ( 6101 ) and I've known guys that never had problems with them.
Regardless ............ tubes blowing is a sign that the bias needs adjusting ....... not that the amp is no good.

I have always liked Traynor however .......... nice amps.
 
The reason why the tubes would burn out had very little to do with bias and every thing to do with the plate voltage, which was run at the max. The tubes were running very hot and would seriously over heat. That is what gave those old Marshalls that sound. It was just poor design. I don't know if Marshall has corrected these problems ... I don't like the way they sound, some people do. My nephew loves 'em. A lot of people that used these started using Mesa Boogie amps. I used one in a studio once and I liked it. The the other amp I used to like besides the Traynor was the old ampeg Gemini II. The problem with the Gemini II was that it didn't have enough power for concerts or large rooms, but it sounded sweet.

What ever happened to Standel?
 
Henry Mars said:
The reason why the tubes would burn out had very little to do with bias and every thing to do with the plate voltage, which was run at the max. The tubes were running very hot and would seriously over heat. That is what gave those old Marshalls that sound. It was just poor design.
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i thought when you set the bias you were setting plate voltage?
 
I searched for years to get the sound from my head out of an amplifier and failed miserably. I have owned just about every kind of amp you could imagine including some of the crazy priced booooooteeek amps. All of that changed when I talked to Ben Fargen

www.fargenamps.com

I got my first Bordeaux about three years ago and have never looked back. I now own two and I am done with amps. Thats right...completely gas free for three years. My first Bodeaux is a two channel 6l6 based amp that is hands down the sweetest sounding amp I have ever heard. Everyone who playes it reaches for their wallet and tries to buy it. It isn't for sale, and I have been offered three time what I paid for the amp. The second one is a cathode biased EL34 based amp that is more aggressive and has more gain on tap. I needed this for my current band and Ben delivered in spades again. I am debating on getting his EL84 based amp just for some different recording tones, but I really don't need it. Check him out guys, it is worth it.
 
Henry Mars said:
I never did like that Les Paul - Marshall sound because every body sounded the same playing their minor pentonic licks through a fuzzed out Marshall.
Click to expand...

pentatonic scales aren't minor or major and I think you're being more than a little bias when it comes to traynor.
 
donkeystyle said:
pentatonic scales aren't minor or major and I think you're being more than a little bias.
Click to expand...

In fact there "minor" pentonics. They have been used in rock "music" and blues for many many moons.
 
lesterpaul said:
i thought when you set the bias you were setting plate voltage?
Click to expand...
You are ballancing the plate yoltage, yes. If the amp is designed with plate votage that is too high to begin with, even when biased correctly the tubes will fail prematurely. It is kind of like taking a PWR BJT that is rated for 1 W and biasing it so that its Q current is producing .75 W. When you drive this thing with a signal it is going to over heat and fry. Tubes can take more of a beating for sure ..... but they are not indistructable.
 
you're right. for some reason i was thinking that because there are no half steps you couldn't call them major or minor.
 
I voted Vox, it's a personal things as I'm sure it is with most everyone else, but I love the tones it produces and my favorite guitarist, Brian May (Queen) uses Vox AC30's and he can get some excelent sounds from that and a treble booster.
 
I prefer all tube, PTP, handmade amps:

Favorite for marshallesque tones - Germino & Roccaforte

Favorite fenderish tones - Carr
 
I have a Marshall Superbass Mk II & an Australian made Jade Clubman 80.
The latter is switchable between guitar & bass.
I use both for both guitar & bass depending on what is needed. the Superbass is great for guitar.
I'd love to have a little vox 30 or something with a real 60's sound but money is always an issue for a non gigging home recording player.
Cheers
rayC
 
Original Matchless SC-30 with effects loop added as a factory option (before they became a standard feature). I love this amp.

Fender 1964 transitional tolex champ (tweed circuit but in black tolex -- goes to 12!)

Late 60s Ampeg B15N with stylized A logo on cab and lighted plexi logo on head - Motown thump.
 
Sound City.
I love Mesa but can't endorse some of their recent follies.
 
Well I have 2 Favs

Been Using Marshall's since the late 70s
Still use a 1982 4x12 1960a for live and recording

And

Fender Amps

Been usning them for years as well
The cleans on a Fender are outstanding
 
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