Help choosing first tube amp

PaulF · 10-26-2009, 06:06 PM

-Price Range - What can you afford? Under $700 USD

-Necessity - I need it for a small band that is starting to form, and most likely will not be micing it. Playing weekly in front of about 30-80 people, with a band and smallish PA system. Currently use the headphone out on my fender frontman to the PA system.

-Frequency - Played pretty much every day for practise, once a week in front of people.

-Musical Style - I guess a Hillsong type of tone.

-Current Setup - I have a cheap LTD by ESP guitar (two humbuckers), and a 60s MIJ Es-335 Clone (two single coils. This is my favourite guitar, and was dirt cheap). My amp is a cheap 30 watt fender frontman. No pedals (yet).

-Experience - Been playing the guitar roughly 3 years, and I have a friend who has a tiny terror which I find interesting.

-Personal Research - After many weeks researching, I'm tempted to buy a Frenzel AC15+epiphone valve junior cab. The epiphone cab will eventually get a speaker replacement.
Also looked at Vox AC15, Fender hot rod, but the frenzel seems like a better buy.

-Shopping - I'd be buying online (I live in a small city in mexico, and I have yet to see a tube amp here). Would be willing to buy used from eBay or some website that ships to Texas.

-Timeline - I need the amp for February, obviously earlier is better, but I'm fine with my fender frontman for now.

#####

I think I'm pretty sold on the Frenzel AC15, the thing I need most help with is a cab.
The epiphone is $130 for a birch plywood cab, that looks nice+a speaker. I had been looking at lopoline and avatar cabs, but they kinda push my budget. Although if someone tells me that the epiphone is a really really bad cab, I guess I could spring for a lopoline 1x12.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 10-26-2009, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulF

-Price Range - What can you afford? Under $700 USD

-Necessity - I need it for a small band that is starting to form, and most likely will not be micing it. Playing weekly in front of about 30-80 people, with a band and smallish PA system. Currently use the headphone out on my fender frontman to the PA system.

-Frequency - Played pretty much every day for practise, once a week in front of people.

-Musical Style - I guess a Hillsong type of tone.

-Current Setup - I have a cheap LTD by ESP guitar (two humbuckers), and a 60s MIJ Es-335 Clone (two single coils. This is my favourite guitar, and was dirt cheap). My amp is a cheap 30 watt fender frontman. No pedals (yet).

-Experience - Been playing the guitar roughly 3 years, and I have a friend who has a tiny terror which I find interesting.

-Personal Research - After many weeks researching, I'm tempted to buy a Frenzel AC15+epiphone valve junior cab. The epiphone cab will eventually get a speaker replacement.
Also looked at Vox AC15, Fender hot rod, but the frenzel seems like a better buy.

-Shopping - I'd be buying online (I live in a small city in mexico, and I have yet to see a tube amp here). Would be willing to buy used from eBay or some website that ships to Texas.

-Timeline - I need the amp for February, obviously earlier is better, but I'm fine with my fender frontman for now.

#####

I think I'm pretty sold on the Frenzel AC15, the thing I need most help with is a cab.
The epiphone is $130 for a birch plywood cab, that looks nice+a speaker. I had been looking at lopoline and avatar cabs, but they kinda push my budget. Although if someone tells me that the epiphone is a really really bad cab, I guess I could spring for a lopoline 1x12.

cabwise... have you looked at avatarspeakers.com or lopoline.com?

PaulF · 10-26-2009, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillSPrestonEsq

cabwise... have you looked at avatarspeakers.com or lopoline.com?

Is there a big reason to drop $250 for an avatar, or lopoline, when I could get the epiphone and replace the speaker for less (and have a spare speaker) for less?

bravesfan007 · 10-26-2009, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulF

Is there a big reason to drop $250 for an avatar, or lopoline, when I could get the epiphone and replace the speaker for less (and have a spare speaker) for less?

Sound quality.

PaulF · 10-26-2009, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bravesfan007

Sound quality.

Ok, cool thanks

Walkeraviator · 10-27-2009, 08:29 AM

which LTD do you play?

PaulF · 10-27-2009, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walkeraviator

which LTD do you play?

It's called an M-50.
When I bought it, i think it was like $200 new, but I paid $75 on ebay for it+the fender amp, and gig bag. My first guitar, but now I usually play my hollowbody.

LesPaulPlayer · 10-28-2009, 08:05 AM

I'm a HUGE fan of the AC15 for almost ANY worship music. Do it

Ax · 10-28-2009, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bravesfan007

Sound quality.

If he's replacing it with the same speaker, then it's a moot point.

bravesfan007 · 10-28-2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ax

If he's replacing it with the same speaker, then it's a moot point.

Not necessarily. I have never had the opportunity of playing a Valve Jr. or through a Valve Jr. cab, but I would venture to say that there is a difference in either the quality of the wood used in the cab or the air dynamics. Both of those will affect the sound quality.

Ax · 10-28-2009, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bravesfan007

Not necessarily. I have never had the opportunity of playing a Valve Jr. or through a Valve Jr. cab, but I would venture to say that there is a difference in either the quality of the wood used in the cab or the air dynamics. Both of those will affect the sound quality.

A sealed cab is a sealed cab. Differences in size may effect tone? Shape not really... I'm pretty sure that a Vjr cab uses Baltic Birch which is what most of the major cab builders use.

Walkeraviator · 10-29-2009, 08:07 AM

Well i will give you my input on teh Hot Rod since you mentioned it above. I love the clean tones... not as much as a Vox clean, but it is good... the overdrive is good for borwn sound country, blues, and light breakup on chords but that is it....dont expect Third Day tones out of it. However, its big bonus is that it takes pedals REALLY well (play Project 86 and Pillar through this amp with just a Metal Muff for distortion and love my tone). Vox AC models dont tend to do as well with pedals into the front of the amp.

The only real problem I am having right now is the eminence speaker has a very flabby low end, and this amp is naturally very bassy....so if you go Hot Rod Deluxe...get the special edition one with teh celestion speaker or be prepared to buy a new speaker. It seems that Eminence Cannibis Rex or Weber Silver Bells are teh best match for this amp...

crazymoose · 10-29-2009, 11:15 AM

^Hot Rod Deluxe is a great amp. I only got rid of mine cause I play mostly metal and hard rock so it didn't suit my style. If you get a Hot Rod Deluxe and a decent overdrive pedal (perhaps a tube screamer?) you should be able to get the sound you're looking for.

CortLegacy · 10-29-2009, 12:01 PM

I'm with crazymoose. The Hot Rod Deluxe is a beautiful amp. Can't go wrong with straight Fender clean tone and takes pedals extremely well.

I've played Vox amps before, and they've got a great clean sound as well, especially for worship, but I found that they were really picky when it came to effects, so I went back to Fender.

Ax · 10-29-2009, 12:56 PM

I'm gonna disagree with all of you on the Vox not taking pedals well. The cool thing about Vox's is that it's REALLY easy to push it into natural distortion which, IMO, is WAY BETTER than a Fender's natural distortion. Seriously, British distortion > American.

I use only a few pedals with my Vox. Those are a fuzz, a modded TS, a Trebel boost, and a wah. It takes them like any amp will take any effect.