Fender or Marshall Tube amps! - Page 2

Gutch · #16 08-30-2015, 08:57 AM

My $0.02... I played an Egnater Rebel 30 for a few years. Was okay, especially through the dirty channel, but it never really gave me that satisfying full bodied clean tone. Traded it for a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III.

This amp is incredible -- Wonderful when clean when playing Strat and Tele, nice and rich with a humbucker loaded guitar. For dirt, I use a Fulltone OCD pedal, and a Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster in front of the OCD when I need a little extra push. The Duncan pedal also helps out when playing the lower output pickups in my 50's Classic Tele.

If you're looking for versatility and you're playing Fender guitars, I would go with the Fender amp. YMMV...

dmbfan32 · #17 08-30-2015, 11:27 AM

Don't overlook a Vox AC15. Great versatile amp that does well with my Strat & LP. Takes a blues driver & OD well. But the clean with my strat is pretty amazing.

Sombras · #18 08-30-2015, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gutch

My $0.02... I played an Egnater Rebel 30 for a few years. Was okay, especially through the dirty channel, but it never really gave me that satisfying full bodied clean tone. Traded it for a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III.

Good post. My main amp is an Egnater Rebel 30. I feel like it gives me maybe 75% of the Fender clean that I got out my Hot Rod Blues Jr., and the dirty channel is excellent. Since I need to bounce back and forth between clean and OD channels quite a bit, I ended up selling it in favor of the Egnater. It is just more versatile.

But...NOTHING I've owned gives me the clean tone I got out of the Fender.

aknow · #19 08-30-2015, 04:05 PM

Musically, I grew up in the 1960's. Most of the musicians I listened to were playing Fender tube amps, or Marshall tube amps, and Fender or Gibson electric guitars. I think those early influences predicate what you think sounds good or great. I started playing in 1968, and got a 1964 Fender Deluxe Reverb, which I still play almost daily. I also have a 69 Fender Twin. To my ears, these amps have the best sound, but that's just me. I recently got a fantastic new amp called a Carr Skylark, based on an old Fender Harvard amp. Finally a new amp that sounds better than the old! But it's because of who I listened to and what equipment they were using as I grew up.
I suggest you try several amplifiers, there are so many choices. That endeavor should be a pleasurable one, and good luck!

MBE · #20 08-31-2015, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aknow

Musically, I grew up in the 1960's. Most of the musicians I listened to were playing Fender tube amps, or Marshall tube amps, and Fender or Gibson electric guitars. I think those early influences predicate what you think sounds good or great. I started playing in 1968, and got a 1964 Fender Deluxe Reverb, which I still play almost daily. I also have a 69 Fender Twin. To my ears, these amps have the best sound, but that's just me. I recently got a fantastic new amp called a Carr Skylark, based on an old Fender Harvard amp. Finally a new amp that sounds better than the old! But it's because of who I listened to and what equipment they were using as I grew up.
I suggest you try several amplifiers, there are so many choices. That endeavor should be a pleasurable one, and good luck!

That's a pretty funny choice for a name for a Fender-based amp, since there was a Gibson Skylark amp in the 60's! The Harvard is an often-overlook vintage Fender, though - but it was a great amp.

pfflyer55 · #21 09-01-2015, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBE

What styles do you play?

Those Marshall DSL amps can't hold a candle to Fender's cleans. They have a useable clean tone, but nothing to write home about. Those Fenders have great cleans, but can't do high gain like the Marshall amps you've mentioned. A lot of people will buy a Fender for its cleans, then add a good overdrive or distortion pedal in front of it to get those higher gain tones. It's a matter of preference.

I am currently strumming chords and a lot of bar chord rhythm runs is where I keep going. I have found that in my Fishman acoustic amp the effects are amazing sounding while playing light finger picking in open chords. I like the flanger in Effects B with Echo on effects A with the depth, and time set at the highest level. A lot of cool sounds I have never heard.
With that i think a Blues Jr and a good pedal or 3 will do the trick.
Thanks again all who have posted on this thread, great advice from everyone involved!

redir · #22 09-01-2015, 08:25 AM

I'm biased towards Fender myself. Years ago I finally settled in on a Twin so I could have loads of clean head room and use pedals to get the dirt I want. If I really crank the Twin it will start to get nasty but that can only be reserved for an isolation room. I also have a low watt Mesa with it's own over drive channel to get that good amp sound as well.

But over all imho a good clean amp is the way to go.

Trillian · #23 09-01-2015, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redir

I'm biased towards Fender myself. Years ago I finally settled in on a Twin so I could have loads of clean head room and use pedals to get the dirt I want. If I really crank the Twin it will start to get nasty but that can only be reserved for an isolation room. I also have a low watt Mesa with it's own over drive channel to get that good amp sound as well.

But over all imho a good clean amp is the way to go.

I've never had my Twin loud enough to break up. It's just so loud, even though it has the Jensens and the output resistor. Plus it's so. Freakin'. Heavy. If I had any brains I'd sell it and try a Deluxe Reverb.

pfflyer55 · #24 09-03-2015, 06:27 AM

Tried a VOX yesterday it was a Tube powered/solid state amp. 40 watts and it sounded very good clean, but not as good as the Blues JR. So I think it's going to be a Fender Blues JR. Is there any big issue with only 1 input jack? Should I buy a mixer to plug more than 1 instrument, Mic, and pedal?

Alex Matthews · #25 09-03-2015, 06:50 AM

I use 2 tweed deluxes: a 1958 Fender and a 2002 Victoria. My most recent discovery is the Hughes and Kettner Bluesmaster.

I play a Strat with a Tele bridge pickup.

MBE · #26 09-03-2015, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pfflyer55

Tried a VOX yesterday it was a Tube powered/solid state amp. 40 watts and it sounded very good clean, but not as good as the Blues JR. So I think it's going to be a Fender Blues JR. Is there any big issue with only 1 input jack? Should I buy a mixer to plug more than 1 instrument, Mic, and pedal?

Pedals go in-line with the guitar. Guitar-pedals-amp (unless the amp has an FX loop, which I don't believe the blues jr does). No extra input needed.

A tube guitar amp isn't meant to have a microphone plug in to it, and doesn't sound good doing so. The amp and speaker are not tuned to the frequency ranges for it. The only exception is blues harmonica, which sounds great through a tube amp with a "bullet" mic. You just don't amplify vocals with a guitar amp.

Trillian · #27 09-03-2015, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBE

Pedals go in-line with the guitar. Guitar-pedals-amp (unless the amp has an FX loop, which I don't believe the blues jr does). No extra input needed.

A tube guitar amp isn't meant to have a microphone plug in to it, and doesn't sound good doing so. The amp and speaker are not tuned to the frequency ranges for it. The only exception is blues harmonica, which sounds great through a tube amp with a "bullet" mic. You just don't amplify vocals with a guitar amp.

You'd be surprised how well a Twin Reverb does with vocals. It's an exception though, and there are much better choices for regular performance.

Gypsyblue · #28 09-03-2015, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trillian

You'd be surprised how well a Twin Reverb does with vocals. It's an exception though, and there are much better choices for regular performance.

When I saw the Paul Butterfield Band in 1967 Paul was both singing and playing harp through his Twin Reverb.

They were the best band, with the best sound, I'd ever heard up to that point in my life.

But they were also so hot they were on fire.

clintj · #29 09-03-2015, 08:28 AM

There's pics out there of Elvis singing through a tweed Bandmaster. Back then, that was the norm. It can still be done today in a pinch, but won't sound nearly as good as an acoustic amp or PA. You'd need a high-Z, unbalanced mic too.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Trillian · #30 09-03-2015, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gypsyblue

When I saw the Paul Butterfield Band in 1967 Paul was both singing and playing harp through his Twin Reverb.

They were the best band, with the best sound, I'd ever heard up to that point in my life.

But they were also so hot they were on fire.

Dang it I've ... I can scarcely bring myself to say this... I've never listened to Paul Butterfield. You Tube here I come!

I usually don't pay much attention to how 'hot' a performer is, with some exceptions... still I'm guessing they're better groomed than Jethro Tull?