Quote:
Originally Posted by TjthePhD
Dru,
I have no experience with the ones you mention, but I can give you my impressions on the few that I have owned.
My first boutique amp was a 65 Amps Li'l Elvis. I loved the tone but even with the volume scaling I had a hard time getting it down to true apartment volume levels with the best tone, and as I lived in an apartment at the time, that was a problem.
I had a Carr Mercury and a Carr Raleigh, along with a Tone King Falcon; none of them really fired me up, though the Mercury had very usable low volume tones. Carr has substantially changed the Mercury since. I also had a Swart Space Tone which I was never able to bond with.
I owned a Reinhardt 18 for a good while; it sounded great on both channels and was indeed usable at lower volumes, but it had a buzz somewhere that I simply could not find or fix (it wasn't an electronic buzz; something somewhere was loose). I traded it back to the dealer for a Carol-Ann OD3r which I really liked; being a head & cabinet setup it had a large footprint, but it had great tones clean and dirty even at lower volumes. Carol-Ann has among the best volume scaling I have heard. I had it for several years, but I fell out of love with the 6L6 tone, and with 6V6 tubes it just lacked something (the tubes can be switched without biasing).
What I have had now for the last couple of years is a Vintage Sound Amps 22sc ("single channel") - basically, the tremolo/reverb channel of a Deluxe Reverb with a few additions, like a mids control, a reverb dwell control, and a switch to "snip" the bright cap. It has the classic Fender cleans without the classic Fender noise, takes pedals very well, and cranked (which I can now do, living in a house without very close neighbors) it sounds awesome. I play a McCarty 594 with coil-splitting, and it sounds great with both. What is more, as handmade, point-to-point wired Fender clones go it is relatively inexpensive - but it still ain't cheap.
These are my tastes; what appeals to you will likely be different. I hope this helps nonetheless.
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Nice choices. I've had a few similarities in my former tone chase.
I also started with a 65 Amps London model. Surreal tone in a 2x10. Shimmering. I still own it and have it on consignment but it's been a while and I think I'll keep it.
I went through a vintage Fender stage. Blackface mostly. A couple of 64 Deluxe Reverbs, a Vibroverb, Pro reverb. I bought a Vintage Sounds 22 in a cherry cabinet and I still have that.
Actually th Vintage Sounds and my Mesa Boogie Mark IV seems to cover all the bases. Others I've had Supro and Matchless Lightning reverb (shoulda kept) and Dr Z and Redplate.
Pretty much down to the Mesa and Vintage Sounds. I guess that's the tonal palette that works for me. It was a fun chase even though I suck as a rocker. At least I sucked with great tone.
