[Ryan Freeland]

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Epi Valve Jr, Mesa Dual Rec 3/4 stack, Mesa Lonestar 212, Ampeg (something.. a tube amp).

Here's what I thought about them:

Fender HRDLX: This one was very noisy. Hissy. And was pretty loud for a 1x12. As the gain knob was moved higher, the hiss became unbearable. Didn't really like it.

Epi Valve Jr: Cool little thing! I played the combo. I dimed the one and only control and got some cool vintage overdrive. Not loud at all though. BSPE: that amp is not loud enough for an attenuator in my opinon.

Mesa Dual Rec: METAL!!! \m/ Love that thick metal rectifier tone. Just loved it. It was a 3/4 stack (a 4x12 and 2x12) and I had the volume running about 4. Yummmmmmy.

Mesa Lonestar: Cool amp. Great for non-metal tones.

Ampeg: Nice tone, but feedbacks very easily.

[asiammyself]

I went with ryan today it really rocked! But anyways the ampeg anyway to me was rather impressive except the feedback I wonder would that have anything to do with tubes, grounding etc? The Epi valve jr isnt bad.......but you have to remember its only 100 so its true you get what you pay for.....and this is one is worth the price you just need to remember you cant compare it to any other tube amps its aiming for another crowd. The Mesa dual rec......I must admit that is a great amp now I see why most bands use them. Just im not spending that much on an amp until im a rockstar... Ok thats enough from me...

[Ryan Freeland]

Originally Posted by asiammyself

I went with ryan today it really rocked! But anyways the ampeg anyway to me was rather impressive except the feedback I wonder would that have anything to do with tubes, grounding etc? The Epi valve jr isnt bad.......but you have to remember its only 100 so its true you get what you pay for.....and this is one is worth the price you just need to remember you cant compare it to any other tube amps its aiming for another crowd. The Mesa dual rec......I must admit that is a great amp now I see why most bands use them. Just im not spending that much on an amp until im a rockstar... Ok thats enough from me...

Yeah! And we played acoustics and asorted electrics. And a banjo. But there was basically no one at GC, so we didn't have many problems of "overcrowding".

[thomaspg70]

that's wierd you guys know each other....

[Rainer.]

Originally Posted by Building429_Boy

Fender HRDLX: This one was very noisy. Hissy. And was pretty loud for a 1x12. As the gain knob was moved higher, the hiss became unbearable. Didn't really like it.

Definitely a dud amp. Probably because people abuse the floor models. I've played HRDlx's, my main complaint against them is that they simply have weak drive channels. There's not much gain, and the tone is rather fuzzy. Decent, I suppose, though, if ypu're into lower gain tones.

Epi Valve Jr: Cool little thing! I played the combo. I dimed the one and only control and got some cool vintage overdrive. Not loud at all though. BSPE: that amp is not loud enough for an attenuator in my opinon.

Try playing it in a small room.

Mesa Dual Rec: METAL!!! \m/ Love that thick metal rectifier tone. Just loved it. It was a 3/4 stack (a 4x12 and 2x12) and I had the volume running about 4. Yummmmmmy.

Right, well as it is a staple of nu metal, you'll probably be able to get a familiar tone fast.

Mesa Lonestar: Cool amp. Great for non-metal tones.

I think with the right tweaking it can do metal. I believe I've played metal on the Lonestars many a time (perhaps the first thing I do with any amps is see how metal I can make it... ). And those amps can be tweaked like none other!

Ampeg: Nice tone, but feedbacks very easily.

Like microphonically? Maybe it was what you were playing, not the amp. Or perhaps proximity.

[Rainer.]

Originally Posted by asiammyself

The Epi valve jr isnt bad.......but you have to remember its only 100 so its true you get what you pay for.....

You get lot more thatn you pay for with that, IMO. Remember mmost other amps in that $100 range are just cheap practice amps. You're getting an all tube amp that can be sold inexpensively because of it's production overseas and it's intrinsically simple design.

[thesteve]

Originally Posted by Rainer.

Like microphonically? Maybe it was what you were playing, not the amp. Or perhaps proximity.

indeed...

what guitar(s) were you using these amps through?

I remember playing through a Marshall TSL 2x12 model with a Gibson LP Studio. It was a feedback machine. Of course this was probably partially because the speakers and the pickups were at the same height

[Rainer.]

The Gibby LP Studios also have notoriously hot pickups.

[Ryan Freeland]

Originally Posted by thesteve

indeed...

what guitar(s) were you using these amps through?

I remember playing through a Marshall TSL 2x12 model with a Gibson LP Studio. It was a feedback machine. Of course this was probably partially because the speakers and the pickups were at the same height

Ah, forgot. We also played a Marshall TSL 2x12.

Let's see. We must have tried 15 guitars. Gibson SG, Shecter C-1 Exotic, The freaky looking new Yamaha guitar, Strats, Teles, and a few other Schecters.

I'm thinking the tubes must have been bad on the HRDlx since it has been there for a looooong time if I remember correctly. And I think the Ampeg had bad tubes too.

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by Building429_Boy

Epi Valve Jr: Cool little thing! I played the combo. I dimed the one and only control and got some cool vintage overdrive. Not loud at all though. BSPE: that amp is not loud enough for an attenuator in my opinon.

My wife and apartment neighbors think it is. And what my wife thinks matters a heck of a lot more than what you think about it. I also would like to keep my hearing thoroughly intact. I agree it isn't bad if you have a decent sized room in a seperate dwelling, but playing that in an upstairs bedroom in an apartment... It is quite loud and travels through the walls quite well. (How long did you play it? It has a rather strange charachteristic)

[Ryan Freeland]

Originally Posted by BillSPrestonEsq

My wife and apartment neighbors think it is. And what my wife thinks matters a heck of a lot more than what you think about it. I also would like to keep my hearing thoroughly intact. I agree it isn't bad if you have a decent sized room in a seperate dwelling, but playing that in an upstairs bedroom in an apartment... It is quite loud and travels through the walls quite well. (How long did you play it? It has a rather strange charachteristic)

I dunno, 10 minutes or so. I started with it on totally clean, about 3 on the volume. Then I wanted to hear it distort so I turned it up all the way. This was the combo. I wish they had a head plugged into a 4x12 or something.

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by Building429_Boy

I dunno, 10 minutes or so. I started with it on totally clean, about 3 on the volume. Then I wanted to hear it distort so I turned it up all the way. This was the combo. I wish they had a head plugged into a 4x12 or something.

after about 10 minutes of being on the distortion changes a bit. You can read about it elsewhere. It sounds even better after a while.

[thesteve]

Originally Posted by BillSPrestonEsq

after about 10 minutes of being on the distortion changes a bit. You can read about it elsewhere. It sounds even better after a while.

sounds like a tube heating characteristic. i remember noticing it in my HRDlx over time.

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by thesteve

sounds like a tube heating characteristic. i remember noticing it in my HRDlx over time.

it is. I have been playing mine a lot recently. I find a little stripped down amp with no effects helps my technique.

[Ryan Freeland]

Originally Posted by BillSPrestonEsq

after about 10 minutes of being on the distortion changes a bit. You can read about it elsewhere. It sounds even better after a while.

That's cool. I'll let 'er warm up for a bit next time I go.