Upgrading... New Guitar vs Amp

[hatamoto]

I'm looking to upgrade my rig. Back when I bought my Les Paul 2014 Traditional, I didn't know much about the electric world. I knew the difference between a humbucker vs single coil and Tube amps vs solid state but didn't know how to distinguish them. All I wanted was to play blues and some rock, hence choosing the LP. I reached for the closest amp next to me which happened to be a Vox Valvetronix and it sounded good so I bought it with the guitar.


Fast forward 5 years later. A few months back I was wanting to upgrade my rig and was gassing for a a single coil, but since I only have a Vox Valvetronix I figured it would be better if I upgraded my amp instead. Tell me this is the right decision?

I figured I could get away without having a single coil yet. I play mostly cleans, but I also like some breakup but not to the point of heavy metal level. So versatility is key for me. I made a post a while back on getting a new electric guitar but I changed my mind since then. I'm really trying hard to be as minimalistic as possible, but with good gear.

I just want better tones that will serve me forever. I understand my preferences might change as I evolve as a player, but I like to stick to the safe, tried, true and tested ones. The Valvetronix sounds good, but there's something about it that sounds incomplete. The best description I can say is that it sounds a bit 2 dimensional and lacks presence.

My guitar is equipped with 59 tribute humbuckers with orange drop capacitors. Honestly I have no idea what his means, but I'll put it here anyways for those who understand haha.

Which of these tube amps would you say would complement my LP well from my description? My guitar is one of the brighter LP's so I would like an amp that accentuates the brightness even more.
An amp with some kind of master volume would be great too so I can play at bedroom levels
Price is pretty important for me and I would like to keep it to the Vox and Blackstar range.
Do you have any other suggestions I should look into? I'm not that well versed in amps and can only think of Vox, Fender and the brands I list below.
From what I understand Marshall and Orange are more for distorted sounds so it might not be what I'm looking for..... or maybe not?
Also, am I correct to say that the British sound has more midrange while the American sound is more treble and bass dominant?

I'm looking at these candidates

1. Vox AC10 or 15
2. Blackstar Studio 10 6L6 (1x12)
3. Fender Blues Junior
4. Fender Bass Breaker
5. Marshall?
6. Orange?
7. Hiwatt?
8. Mesa Boogie?

[Ray175]

The Valvetronix amps are level entry modeling amps, and although they produce a wide range of sounds when I played one of these amps I found none of the sounds particularly convincing. If you are looking for clean headroom AND edge of distortion at bedroom level you may be better served by getting an amp that stays clean at all levels and investing in a couple of pedals. An eq like an mxr 6-band will let you sculpt the overall sound with boosts and/or scoops in the frequencies you want - this way you can "fill out" the midrange of a Fender, or scoop the midrange of a Vox or Marshall for example. A pedal that gives low level distortion will easily take you into break-up or distortion or serve as a clean boost. If you are playing at home 5w will be more than loud enough, if playing ou 15-20w wll be neeed.

[perttime]

Vox AC amps are known for the ability to go seriously bright. They do have tone controls for taming that, though.

Many Blackstar amps have tone controls that let you go very versatile. From mid heavy to scooped mids, for example. I believe that the Studio model that you mentioned is voiced more Fendery.

How much power do you want/need? Bedroom, small gigs, coping with an enthusiastic drummer?

[hatamoto]

Originally Posted by perttime

Vox AC amps are known for the ability to go seriously bright. They do have tone controls for taming that, though.

Many Blackstar amps have tone controls that let you go very versatile. From mid heavy to scooped mids, for example. I believe that the Studio model that you mentioned is voiced more Fendery.

How much power do you want/need? Bedroom, small gigs, coping with an enthusiastic drummer?

I live in a house so I'm not worried about annoying neighbors but I don't need an AC-30 type of amp that will shatter my windows. So mostly in the Blackstar Studio 10, to the Vox AC10 or 15 levels.

[rmp]

I have been very pleased with the Marshall DSL40 combo I picked up a few weeks ago. Sounds great with all my guitars, especially my 2 LP Standards and SGs.

Pretty versatile amp in a nice tight little package. The only complaint I have is to get the most out of the amp you need the 6 button ($150) foot switch. The provided 2 button doesn't really open up the amps channel switching / voicing features.
you can run it at half power (20 watts) or the full 40 watt.

I also picked up a Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb (Blonde) and that amp is awesome. It's a solid state version of the Deluxe, using Fenders latest modeling technology. It sounds amazing! The Blonde one is the one to go for IMHO, as they fixed the reverb quirks, and changed out the speaker as well as some other internal tweaks. I love the power attenuator. 22 watts, all they way down to 1 watt. I think the 5 watt setting is my favorite for home use.


Definitely a tone machine, weighs 22 pounds, and comes with a cover (blonde version only)

[roylor4]

I have owned dozens of tube amps over the years, over 1/2 of which were vintage. Several newer ones too. I recommend a new amp. later on, you need a Tele or a Strat

I have no experience with Hiwatt or Mesa's.

Orange has their own particular vibe, especially when using the OD channel. People either love or hate the Orange sound - not much in between. The Orange cleans sound great to me, but very non-Fendery. The overdriven tone borders on fuzz, so if that's not your thing you should look elsewhere.

Marshall's cleans are very good and underrated IMO. You can get a wide range of tones from their dirty channel, not just metal.

The Bass Breaker is a bit dark sounding of an amp IMO.

Had a Vox AC10 and returned it. It does bring out the highs well, but I found them too ice-picky and harsh for my taste.

Of those listed, I would go with the Blackstar. They are very versatile and have great cleans. You should also consider the 5 watter - it's OD channel is more versatile than the Studio 10.

The Blues Jr. is a great amp, but kind of a 1 trick pony (only IMO) but does great cleans and is an excellent pedal platform too.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by hatamoto

I'm looking to upgrade my rig...I play mostly cleans, but I also like some breakup but not to the point of heavy metal level. So versatility is key for me...

I just want better tones that will serve me forever. I understand my preferences might change as I evolve as a player, but I like to stick to the safe, tried, true and tested ones...

An amp with some kind of master volume would be great too so I can play at bedroom levels
Price is pretty important for me and I would like to keep it to the Vox and Blackstar range.
Do you have any other suggestions I should look into?

Bugera V22, hands down: for $400 this one'll take you from the bedroom to a 600-700 seat house clean as you need or dirty as you want, doesn't lose tone when you drop the volume (FYI the low-power triode mode also has a whole library of cool tones of its own, from pre-Top Boost Vox to a nice "medium-brown" crunch), and has a cool Bad-Cat-meets-Egnater visual vibe - I've been using mine as my all-around go-to for the last ten years, and if you're looking for a "forever" amp that'll do it all without draining your wallet you could do far worse:

[RoyBoy]

At first glance, it appears most of the amps on your consideration list are tube or hybrid. Assuming that's guiding your tone search, Steve's suggestion of Bugera is your most economical solution and would leave you enough left over to score a Squire or used MIM tele as well.

"mostly blues and some rock", "mostly clean with some overdrive", wanting to retain brightness for humbuckers. These things all bring black face Fender to mind for me. The all-time iconic Deluxe Reverb (reissue) covers those bases and are plentiful in the under $1k range. The newer Tonemaster iteration that another poster mentioned gets raved about by diehard tube players.

I have both a Deluxe Reverb and a Princeton Reverb because I love that sound and it's worth paying for it (for me). If you search reviews on the other amps you're considering on some of the electric forums, you'll find lots of testimonials and some good feedback on reliability.

[blue]

Depends on your budget.

I love the Bassbreaker for $600 new.

I really like the Orange Micros. tube preamp and solid state power section. If you find the model you like, which ain't easy as they have many flavors, they are super inexpensive, but you need a cab. They sell amp and cab "micro stacks" for $250, but I don't know how I feel about the quality of the cab. Zero concern about the quality of the amp itself.

Mesas are great value used. Something like my TA-15 or TA-30 if you prefer a combo is going to be around six to seven hundred for the 15 (but you need a cab), and under a grand for the 30. Gives you nice tube "simulations" of Vox, Fender, Marshall, and Boogie tones. Truly a "never need another amp".

But you might want to check out this vid and see which amp he picks! You can find a used Blues Cube artist or stage for under $700. Skip to 14:50 for the results

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by perttime

Vox AC amps are known for the ability to go seriously bright. They do have tone controls for taming that, though.

Many Blackstar amps have tone controls that let you go very versatile. From mid heavy to scooped mids, for example. I believe that the Studio model that you mentioned is voiced more Fendery.

How much power do you want/need? Bedroom, small gigs, coping with an enthusiastic drummer?

Not in my experience, the Vox amps that I've owned (2) AC15s, and an AC30, were both dark. They had a chime when pushed the right way though. One of the tricks of using an AC amp is to push the low end of the amp so the power section produces extra harmonics, IME that's where the chime happens. And, the most famous use of treble boost pedals were/are with AC30 guys like Rory Gallagher, and Brian May.

Here's my current Vox AC15HW1...

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by hatamoto

I'm looking to upgrade my rig. Back when I bought my Les Paul 2014 Traditional, I didn't know much about the electric world. I knew the difference between a humbucker vs single coil and Tube amps vs solid state but didn't know how to distinguish them. All I wanted was to play blues and some rock, hence choosing the LP. I reached for the closest amp next to me which happened to be a Vox Valvetronix and it sounded good so I bought it with the guitar.


Fast forward 5 years later. A few months back I was wanting to upgrade my rig and was gassing for a a single coil, but since I only have a Vox Valvetronix I figured it would be better if I upgraded my amp instead. Tell me this is the right decision?

I figured I could get away without having a single coil yet. I play mostly cleans, but I also like some breakup but not to the point of heavy metal level. So versatility is key for me. I made a post a while back on getting a new electric guitar but I changed my mind since then. I'm really trying hard to be as minimalistic as possible, but with good gear.

I just want better tones that will serve me forever. I understand my preferences might change as I evolve as a player, but I like to stick to the safe, tried, true and tested ones. The Valvetronix sounds good, but there's something about it that sounds incomplete. The best description I can say is that it sounds a bit 2 dimensional and lacks presence.

My guitar is equipped with 59 tribute humbuckers with orange drop capacitors. Honestly I have no idea what his means, but I'll put it here anyways for those who understand haha.

Which of these tube amps would you say would complement my LP well from my description? My guitar is one of the brighter LP's so I would like an amp that accentuates the brightness even more.
An amp with some kind of master volume would be great too so I can play at bedroom levels
Price is pretty important for me and I would like to keep it to the Vox and Blackstar range.
Do you have any other suggestions I should look into? I'm not that well versed in amps and can only think of Vox, Fender and the brands I list below.
From what I understand Marshall and Orange are more for distorted sounds so it might not be what I'm looking for..... or maybe not?
Also, am I correct to say that the British sound has more midrange while the American sound is more treble and bass dominant?

I'm looking at these candidates

1. Vox AC10 or 15
2. Blackstar Studio 10 6L6 (1x12)
3. Fender Blues Junior
4. Fender Bass Breaker
5. Marshall?
6. Orange?
7. Hiwatt?
8. Mesa Boogie?

Over the last few years one of the most impressing sounding amps for the money that I've heard is the Vox AC15. A few years back, I was doing a fly gig in NY, so I backlined one. It was so good sounding that I bought it and shipped it home. I'm talking about the regular production model, not the more expensive hand wired version (which I currently own). Vox listened to owners and corrected their biggest complaints with these amps. They fixed the weak sounding reverb, and they gave it a better speaker. You owe it to yourself to audition one of these in person. The only downside of these amps is that they are extremely heavy for a 15 watt amp, they are 48.5 lbs!

When I was in NY I had some recording software on my ipad so I recorded the actual amp right before the gig. The speaker wasn't even broken in yet.
I figured that I would be playing a bunch of blues songs on this gig so I recorded a little blues tune. Not the greatest of playing, but you'll get the idea...



One of the other posters said these were bright amps, I think this clip shows it's actually a little dark sounding (with my Heritage guitar anyway with Seth Lover humbucking pickups in it). I also played my Telecaster through it quite a bit and it sounded great with the single coils! Personally I wish I would have never sold mine to buy the handwired version, I found it easier to get good tones with the regular model!

[Chickee]

I am a really big fan of Fenders Super Champ amps, either combo or separate head with a cab of your choice. They are not expensive and are unbelievably versatile. A switchable two channel tube amp with effects and modeling. Tons of fun at 28lbs. I can’t recommend them enough.


And yes, I am a real user. I have two that I beat to death all the time and have had no issues whatsoever over the last three years.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Chickee

I am a really big fan of Fenders Super Champ amps, either combo or separate head with a cab of your choice. They are not expensive and are unbelievably versatile. A switchable two channel tube amp with effects and modeling. Tons of fun at 28lbs. I can’t recommend them enough.


And yes, I am a real user. I have two that I beat to death all the time and have had no issues whatsoever over the last three years.

I agree these are great little amps! I've used them on professional recording projects. I have one that I bought when they first came out, and it has a Celestion G10 speaker that really took the sound up a level for the amp models I like (the Fenders and the Marshalls).

I had client come in a few months back for a recording session at my project studio that was mostly acoustic stuff with a few electric solos. He loved my first gen Super Champ XD and he used it on two songs! In in that room I have a group of killer amps. He just liked how the Super Champ XD got some cool tones at a volume that he could work with.

[Chickee]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

I agree these are great little amps! I've used them on professional recording projects. I have one that I bought when they first came out, and it has a Celestion G10 speaker that really took the sound up a level for the amp models I like (the Fenders and the Marshalls).

I had client come in a few months back for a recording session at my project studio that was mostly acoustic stuff with a few electric solos. He loved my first gen Super Champ XD and he used it on two songs! In in that room I have a group of killer amps. He just liked how the Super Champ XD got some cool tones at a volume that he could work with.

The sonic blue one has a Celestion 10” Gold 8ohm 45watt with Genalex tubes.
The burgundy one has a Celestion 10” Greenback 8ohm 25watt with Genalex tubes. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. They are just right for my needs.

[redir]

I'd say amp before guitar. The Valvetronix will make a good little practice amp if like for example you play in a band and leave your setup in someone else's studio. You would have the Valvetronix to play at home.

If you like rock and blues you can't go wrong with any of the Fender amps you mentioned. I don't know anything about Blackstar but I always think of Marshall, Mesa and Hiwatt as being hard rock/metal amps. Of course you can do anything on any of those amps too. Vox of course is classic British rock.

You have a nice list to choose from there for sure.