NAD Is Coming Soon - Too Many Choices?

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soundchaser59

Reluctant Commander
New amp day is coming soon to a basement near me! But there are too many choices.

My current budget is about $1000 (preferably shipped) but if I were to wait 4 or 5 months it could go up to $1500. But I've already sold a guitar and my big amp, so I need to replace the amp soon. Research has narrowed the field of candidates to this non-exhaustive list:

Mesa (Nomad, F100, DC5, Express 5:50, Stiletto, Triple Rec)
Rivera (Clubster, Chubster, Quiana, Knucklehead)
Dr Z (Maz 18, Z38, Remedy)
Fuchs (Blackjack 21, or some Fuchs-modded Fender or Traynor)
Various vintage Fenders (silverface is what's recommended)

Experiences good and/or bad? Primarily concerned about tone, of course, but also concerned about age of components and build quality. Head or combo doesn't matter to me. No lunchboxes, no chinese wonderware, no blue night lights, EL84's are not my first choice, and single channel is not my first choice.

Any help from the bleachers?
 
I was gonna suggest a SF Fender Princeton, but it's a single channel amp... so, I'd suggest a SF Deluxe Reverb. You would get
2 channels
Reverb
Tremolo
22 watts- enough to gig with, usually
Cool vibe
Much better value (not just lower price) than a BF. You can get them for your current budget, sometimes.

Of the amps you list, I have no experience with any of them, unless you count the DR and Princeton as on your list by way of being SF Fenders.
 
Yup, those would count as being SF Fenders. I played a real Princeton once, it was great. I regret not buying it, had the money a week later and it was gone. I played a DRRI but I could not bond with it. I am sure the older SF DR's are bound to be a lot better. I've checked a few prices, they really aren't priced too high. If I play my cards right I may be able to afford two amps. And there are people making empty 1x12 cabs for some of the old Fenders. The 10 inch speaker would have to go.
 
Too bad you're far away. For 1500 I might sell my Mark V but I wouldn't want to ship it.
 
You mention that EL84 amps are not your first choice...and I don't blame you, never found an EL84 amp that I could really fall in love with...though I notice both of the Dr Z amps you list are EL84. You might want to consider the Dr Z Route 66. That amp will put hair on your chest....though it's only single channel.

Most of my amps are single channel, and I don't mind, but my Rivera Chubster 40 is dual channel, EL34 based...and man, that amp just rocks! Both of the channels are excellent tone machines, and not like some amps where one channel kicks ass, but the other is lame. It's a 112 combo, and rather compact, though the cab is very deep, so it still sounds huge.
 
That is a very tempting suggestion. There were a couple of Rivera Chubsters up for sale, but both ended up bidding slightly out of my reach. I think I may go for a Rivera Knucklehead 55 a late 90's amp (the one with no reverb). It's a head, and if I get it at the price I'm offering, then I'll have enough left for a couple of "accessories" I have been drooling over. I've read a lot about Rivera lately, plus the info I got from them via an email inquiry was very encouraging.

There was a Z Route 66 up for sale also, running on KT88's I believe? Great reviews, but the price on that one was just a bit higher than I was willing to pay at the time, and then it was gone.
 
Those are excellent offerings, and I honestly almost bid on that Chubster combo. But at the last minute I went for the Knucklehead 55. Now I have an empty 1x15 cab to fill.....
 
There was a time I almost got a Knucklehead...then some other amps came along that quenched my thirst.

I got my Chubster 40 only because I was looking for a possible gig/jam amp, and wanted small/compact but dual channel, etc...and I've used it in the studio as much as some of my studio amps.

Man...that one eBay listing where the guy wanted $770 + $30 shipping....he just dropped it to $725 + $30 shipping....!!! :eek:
I paid around $950 for my Chubster (also used)...but it was in excellent shape and also got an included padded cover...so still not a bad deal for an amp that sells about $1500 new....but $725!!!...that's a STEAL.
 
I agree, it's a heckuva deal. I still may not be done with this story...... during my amp quest, I stumbled on someone selling a Fuchs Blackjack 21. The reviews for all of Andy Fuchs gear are always stellar. And the guy was asking $650 for the BJ21. I wanted that little thing soooo bad, but after I played a few single channel non-MV amps I decided to go for the real giggers amp first, which is what the Knucklehead will be for me and my tasks.

But now I have decided that i can still get my play dough account back up to the $650 level and go try to jump on that little Fuchs amp. It might take me a few months, but I'm definitely gonna keep that guys email and hammer him to sell that Blackjack to me 6 months from now. I'd LOVE to have that little thing!
 
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