nice tube amp for hollowbody electric

[LI_Slim]

I recently acquired a Heritage H575, which is a hollowbody electric. The pickups were upgraded to Lollar Imperial Humbuckers. I'll be playing mostly blues, rock and modern folk stuff on it, sometimes fingerstyle, sometimes with a rhythm section. I mostly want a warm clean sound but I also want some versatility. Yes, I know I should go play some, but first a little research. I'm interested in the Fender Reissue Blues DeVille 410 and the Peavey Classic 50/410 (they each go for about a thousand bucks). Four 10s make more sense to me than two 12s, and tube makes more sense to me than solid state, but I am not married to these ideas.

What do you think?

 

[miroslav]

What is it for...recording, live band gigs or mostly home/hobby playing...which also brings up the question of how much power do you think you really need?

What is your planned budget?

 

[Bob F.]

I've often played similar styles of music with my Heritage 535 through a mid-1980's Fender Concert 1x12 combo, which has always been a favorite amp of mine. Works for me, anyway! I think you'll do well with the Blues DeVille, but it's all subjective opinion, of course. If you can, try it first before you buy!

 

[LI_Slim]

It needs to be able to handle live band gigs in rooms that hold a hundred or so people; or smaller, and perhaps also for recording. And at home. As you can see by the examples I've chosen I'd like to keep it in the thousand dollars range.

What is it for...recording, live band gigs or mostly home/hobby playing...which also brings up the question of how much power do you think you really need?

What is your planned budget?

 

[Lt. Bob]

It needs to be able to handle live band gigs in rooms that hold a hundred or so people; or smaller, and perhaps also for recording. And at home. As you can see by the examples I've chosen I'd like to keep it in the thousand dollars range.

I love 4x10's myself.
I have a Hot Rod deVille with 4 - 10's ..... I like it quite a bit although I'm selling it as I have too many amps.
It'll definitely handle any gigging situation.

So will the Peavey but a friend has the Classic 50 with a single 12 ..... I prefer the sound of my Fender but I prefer both of my Mesa's to either of them.

 

[miroslav]

It needs to be able to handle live band gigs in rooms that hold a hundred or so people; or smaller, and perhaps also for recording. And at home. As you can see by the examples I've chosen I'd like to keep it in the thousand dollars range.

Check out Rivera.

I have a Chubster 40 that kicks ass. Two distinct tone channels, can do clean to crunch, has a big amp sound due to its deep cab, but it's still compact enough for easy, one-hand carrying...and it records really well too.


Used ones can be had for under $1000.

 

[Track Rat]

I can second the Rivera. I have a Pubster and it can definately hold its own in a club.

 

[LI_Slim]

Thanks guys. The Riveras do look interesting. I've been concerned that a single speaker will not produce a full enough sound -- is that concern misplaced?

Lt. Bob - which Mesas???

 

[miroslav]

Thanks guys. The Riveras do look interesting. I've been concerned that a single speaker will not produce a full enough sound -- is that concern misplaced??

Well yeah...a 412 cab will move more air than a 112...but I've never had a concern about it AFA getting a "full sound", at least not for recording...and for gigs, if you want to move more air, bring a 112 extension, put your 112 combo on top of it...rock away.
It's a lot easier to carry two 112 cabs, they look and sound better one on top of the other than a side-by-side 212...IMO.
If it's a small gig...bring just the 112 combo...

 

[Lt. Bob]

Thanks guys. The Riveras do look interesting. I've been concerned that a single speaker will not produce a full enough sound -- is that concern misplaced?

Lt. Bob - which Mesas???

I have a Blue Angel and a Mark V.
I also have a Marshall 6101, the deVille, an Ampeg V-2, VT-22, VT-40 and Reverbrocket and an Orange Tiny Terror.

Ya' know ..... a friend just bought that Blackstar 40 watter. That's a nice amp with 2 channels and you can get one for 7 bills. They also make a 60 watter that has 3 channels.
My friends' sounds so good I might have bought that instead of the Mark V and saved a grand.

 

[c7sus]

Another for Rivera. I don't know about the Chubster/Pubster, but the Quianna 55112 has a half-power switch that will allow it to break up at lower volume than at full power. The biggest drawback as a gigging amp is it weighs 55 pounds. They make a 2-12 version too that weighs in at 70lbs. Built like a tank. No problem being heard in any venue with either of those amps at any tone they can produce.

Really nice 6-spring reverb, will do the clean Fender tones til the cows come home, and takes pedals really well too.

On the "crunch" channel it will do feedback just by rolling up the volume pot on the guitar. The clean channel is glassy smooth as can be.

Used probably right around $1000. I paid $1250 for mine when the economy was much better than it is now.

 

[Bob F.]

I can attest to the Rivera's as well! Not to mention that my Fender Concert is Rivera designed, too!

 

[LI_Slim]

Maybe it does make sense to use (i.e. buy) a separate extension cab also.

So you Riviera fans, what kinda guitar(s) and what kinda stuff do you play through it?

 

[miroslav]

Maybe it does make sense to use (i.e. buy) a separate extension cab also.

So you Riviera fans, what kinda guitar(s) and what kinda stuff do you play through it?

Extension cab - Avatar Speakers (the 112 Vintage cabs are great).

I play mostly humbucker guitars...and they sound great through my Rivera Chubster 40.

 

[Lt. Bob]

The biggest drawback as a gigging amp is it weighs 55 pounds.

I went thru that calculation when I bought my Mark V because it weighs 65lbs. I actually had several people here at HR warn me about the horror of moving 65lbs.


I finally decided, "Fuck me if I can't pick up 65lbs!"

I refuse to be the old whiny guy that needs someone to carry his groceries to the car.
I have little problem hauling the 65lbs and I'm 60 years old.
I consider it part of exercise.

 

[c7sus]

I'm all for cute teenage girls carrying my groceries to the car!

I wish I could convince them to come home with me and pack them in the house.

The girls, that is. I can handle groceries w/o breaking a sweat.

 

[c7sus]

Maybe it does make sense to use (i.e. buy) a separate extension cab also.

So you Riviera fans, what kinda guitar(s) and what kinda stuff do you play through it?

A CS-356 with flatwound 10's and an SG with Dimarzio SD's.

Grateful Dead, Ryan Adams, awful jazz, Moog Voyager, and myriad pedals.

Go play a couple. You'll wanna whip out the CC in no time.

 

[miroslav]

I went thru that calculation when I bought my Mark V because it weighs 65lbs. I actually had several people here at HR warn me about the horror of moving 65lbs.


I finally decided, "Fuck me if I can't pick up 65lbs!"

I refuse to be the old whiny guy that needs someone to carry his groceries to the car.
I have little problem hauling the 65lbs and I'm 60 years old.
I consider it part of exercise.

I paid my dues lugging around a 60lb Traynor head and a 70lb Traynor 412 cab....plus, since I split duties between guitar and keys, a "portable" Yamaha organ, Hammond electric piano, a small Moog synth, the wooden homemade "rig" that allowed me to stack all three so that their keyboards were one above the other in a nice "waterfall" layer....not to mention the keyboard amp/speaker...and then of course, the 3-way PA system, of which I owned half, which included 18" bass reflex cabs (why is it that when you own a piece of PA gear, it's always YOUR responsibility to haul it??? ).


I've got two bad disks in my lower back, and a blown out right hip from years of skiing...so I ain't looking to "muscle" any 65 lb combos if I don't have to anymore.
Hauling a single large, heavy, over-sized combo from the car to the stage ain't going to be much exercise anyway...just a perfect opportunity to bang up the combo, your knees, and pull out your back.
I had a 212 Avatar vintage cab that I bought on a silly whim a couple of years ago...I thought it could be part of a live band guitar rig. Once that puppy arrived and I picked it up to move it...it went into a corner of my studio, where it sat for two years, and I finally sold it a week ago on eBay....thank god!
I still have the 112 Avatar.

 

[Lt. Bob]

Hauling a single large, heavy, over-sized combo from the car to the stage ain't going to be much exercise anyway...just a perfect opportunity to bang up the combo, your knees, and pull out your back.

well obviously if you have a bad disc, of course, that's a different thing and requires that you take care. But lots of people don't carry stuff because they're too lazy.

Plus, you guys never heard of dollys?

I don't carry anything from the car to the stage.
I have a Rock & Roll dolly and it all goes on that. The only time I carry it is from the house to the truck and back at the end of the gig.

People talk about putting casters on amps ...... that's dumb. Put it on a dolly with nice big tires.

And lifting weights is lifting weights.
I gig usually 4 or 5 nights a week ..... everything has to be carried from the house to the truck, lifted outta the truck and set on the dolly ..... rolled to where it goes and set up ..... torn down and rolled to the truck and then unloaded from the truck and carried to the house. No way that doesn't amount to any exercise and I suspect it's why, at 60, I get around just fine and don't have to get the pool place to carry my chlorine to the car.

 

[Track Rat]

Maybe it does make sense to use (i.e. buy) a separate extension cab also.

So you Riviera fans, what kinda guitar(s) and what kinda stuff do you play through it?

I'm playing a Strat and a 335 (both with 10's). Style wise, Blues, R&B, Funk, Rock.