Help me pick an amp

[Gmountain]

I'm looking for a Fender amp with warm and clean tones. I'm not into dirt or overdrive much, so that is not what I'm looking for. I am looking for jazz and blues tones.

I had a Blues Jr III, but I really could not bond with it. It sounded brittle to me. I've read they have changed the circuitry a little bit, but I don't know.

I currently have, and like, a Vox AC15, AC10 and AC4. I'm looking for something with a different tone.

I was thinking about a George Benson Hot Rod, but it got mixed reviews and I do't need 40 watts. I play at home mostly, or once in a while with friends.

I was thinking Blues Deluxe, but I would like to hear your suggestions. Price range is up to about $700.

[M Sarad]

http://www.firebellyamps.com/amp-menu.html

Be patient and wait six months. Save some more money.

[muscmp]

most fender amps would not be thought of as warm, but, it depends upon your interpretation of warm.

i would recommend the blues jr. as well as the reissue princeton reverbs, both 65 and 68 but those two will be higher in price. you may want to buy used or look into silverface models. these fenders should give you a completely different tone opposite your vox amps. i have the ac15 and love to pair it with any of my fenders.

the next few days until monday are your best time for any deal until xmas.

play music!

[Gmountain]

Originally Posted by muscmp

most fender amps would not be thought of as warm, but, it depends upon your interpretation of warm.

i would recommend the blues jr. as well as the reissue princeton reverbs, both 65 and 68 but those two will be higher in price. you may want to buy used or look into silverface models. these fenders should give you a completely different tone opposite your vox amps. i have the ac15 and love to pair it with any of my fenders.

the next few days until monday are your best time for any deal until xmas.

play music!

That 65 Princeton looks like the ticket. Good idea. MF is doing 15% off Fender amps today and I can use my points.

[Jaden]

You mentioned the Blues Deluxe but that’s extremely overpowered for home use. It now looks like you will be going for a Princeton which is excellent.

Just as a general heads up I just picked up the new Pro Junior IV LTD* and it is the sweetest narrow panel small combo for sparkling touch sensitive low volume home practice and whisper quiet. Another home run for Fender.

*takes no backseat to my new 000-18 for intimate couch fingerpicking

[moon]

Originally Posted by Gmountain

I currently have, and like, a Vox AC15, AC10 and AC4. I'm looking for something with a different tone.

A speaker change might deliver what you're looking for.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Gmountain

I'm looking for a Fender amp with warm and clean tones...I am looking for jazz and blues tones...

I had a Blues Jr III, but I really could not bond with it. It sounded brittle to me...

I was thinking about a George Benson Hot Rod, but it got mixed reviews and I don't need 40 watts. I play at home mostly, or once in a while with friends.

I was thinking Blues Deluxe, but I would like to hear your suggestions. Price range is up to about $700.

Originally Posted by moon

A speaker change might deliver what you're looking for.

Sounds like you're also a "big-clean tone" player as I am, and I'll offer my suggestions in that light:

• If you're bound and determined to have a Fender (and that's perfectly OK - I have a '65 Super Reverb RI and "solid-state '65 Twin" Frontman 212R for when I need serious volume or serious clean headroom) you might want to give that Blues Junior a second look. In case you're not aware, some well-chosen tubes can make a significant difference in your tone (many savvy pros tailor their sound by plugging identical-nomenclature tubes from different manufacturers in specific positions), and a speaker swap (the Eminence Cannabis Rex and Swamp Thang are two favorites among players looking for a smoother/less-edgy tone as well as more volume/headroom - definitely takes the "brittle" out) can have you wondering if it's still the same amp...
  
• You mention the HR Deluxe in two different incarnations, but claim that you don't need that kind of power; while that's quite true when you're walking the ragged edge between clean and OD (the so-called "sweet spot"), if you're doing a lot of jazz and cleaner blues styles what you want is dynamic/frequency range and headroom - the contrast between soft/loud, and enough reserve clean power not to run out of gas in the extreme low/high ends - that lend a natural color and flow to your electric playing akin to that achieved from a fine acoustic instrument. I've seen the good Mr. Benson live in a relatively intimate setting, and rest assured that he's not using the formidable on-hand power of either of his namesake amps (or the high-power Polytones that preceded them) to leave his audiences with ringing ears and a headache - and the late Les Paul used an early-70's silverface Twin for his weekly small-club gigs; I practice at home with my Super and Frontman - both at reasonable volume - on a regular basis, and if you need "big" tone in whatever setting (the early jazz and bass players understood this - today's bass players still do) amps of this type are usually the best way to go...
  
• With a budget of $700, if you're willing to think a little bit outside the box you can customize a Bugera V22 - a two-channel 1x12" combo in the Deluxe Reverb/Super-Sonic 22 size and power range, with a Vox AC15-style tube complement (3x12AX7/2xEL84) - to your specific tonal needs with the aforementioned tube/speaker swaps. I went this route in early 2010 when I placed the '64 Ampeg Rocket (top-panel/no 'verb) I've owned since sixth grade into semi-retirement, and never looked back; I've got mine set up as a tone-clone of those "Key Club" Ampeg Gemini II/B-12XT amps that graced the top NYC studios in the mid/late-60's (Soviet-era mil-spec tubes/Eminence Swamp Thang speaker) - covers a 600-700 seat house with no problem, clean as you need or dirty as you want. If you're a Vox fan, the real fun happens when you kick in the mid-boost and triode switch and power down to 15 watts: some nice pre-Top Boost-style tones in the clean channel, a bluesy "medium-brown" crunch in OD, "NME '65" Beatles mojo (clean channel) if you go with the Swamp Thang speaker - and when you switch back into full-power (22W) pentode mode you're in "big tube" (6L6/7027) blackface Fender/blue-check Ampeg territory. A lot going on for under $400 (well under with the Black Friday sales) - with a net total investment of ~$600 you can come away with all the amp you'll ever need, and with the current Infinium self-biasing/self-monitoring circuitry a tube swap is a plug-&-play proposition (normally $100 for a bias job from a local tech in my neck of the woods)...

Should you decide to go the latter route feel free to PM me for specifics...

[roylor4]

Vox MV50 head and a cabinet. You already have the Vox vibe handled, but the MV50 heads are different critters. The AC head will not give you new tones, but the Clean of Rock heads will. The Rock is very much like a tweed Fender in response and cleans up very well w/a volume knob (I hate the online sound samples, they are all "gain dimed" and don't represent how good or responsive this amp is with the gain at 1/4 - 1/3 and the volume where you want. Great tones. Very "Fendery".

The AC Clean head is totally clean up to about 80-85% volume, then grows a bit of hair. Use an OD as needed. Don't be fooled by their size, they ARE tube amps and the wattage is similar to what an old-school tube amp produces. I have owned Blues Deluxes, Bassmans down to real 57' Champ, so i know of what I speak.

The Clean head will get you to Deluxe Reverb volume and is a perfect pedal platform. Unconventional, I know, but these heads are the real deal. I'm sold on 'em.

[Gmountain]

OK, so now I am looking at the BJ Humboldt Hot Rod. Anyone have experience with that?

[RoyBoy]

A Blues Junior is still going to be EL 84 tubes in a small box. When I owned one, I couldn't get good tone out of it unless I turned it up louder than was usable. Princeton Reverb Reissues are 6V6 and a blackface tone stack, special editions are available with 12" speakers from MF and SW. I have one of these and also a Deluxe Reverb Reissue which has the most incredible clean tones. At 22 watts it's probably more power than you need but sounds richly luxurious when you get it up past 2 1/2 (IMO)

[aknow]

With your budget, find a late 1960's or early 1970's Silverface Fender Twin.

[Gmountain]

I went with the Hot Rod. It has some sort of Eminence hemp speaker, and plywood cabinet, so it's a little bit of an upgrade. MF had them discounted yesterday, so I figured I'd give it a try for a month or so and see if I like it.

[The Old Anglo]

I have a Fender Champion 100W that I use for Both Acoustic and Electric. Coupla tweaks and it`s Great!!!.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Gmountain

I went with the Hot Rod. It has some sort of Eminence hemp speaker, and plywood cabinet, so it's a little bit of an upgrade. MF had them discounted yesterday, so I figured I'd give it a try for a month or so and see if I like it.

Speaker's probably a proprietary variation of the Cannabis Rex I recommended above - if so, be prepared to devote a lot of break-in time (IME 50-75 hours, at something more than "bedroom volume," until they start coming into their own) before making a final decision; I also understand the current Humboldt model had a tone circuit mod to boost treble response (the CR has a smoother, less peaky high end than typical speakers - one of the reasons for my recommendation), which can be unforgiving with the wrong guitar - keep both of these in mind when you audition your new purchase...

Here's a review you might find of interest - and while everyone perceives sound differently I think you'll find agreement on several of the key points:

https://tonereport.com/reviews/fender-humboldt-hot-rod

In the meantime use it well, often, and LOUD...