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#1
10-25-2019, 01:55 PM
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Electric amp - jack of all trades or one trick pony?
So, do you prefer a jack of all trades or one trick pony amp? Actually, let's expand the one trick pony to be an amp that does something fantastic and a couple of other things really well. The opposite is the amp that gives the diversity that gives you something of everything.
At this point I like an amp that does something great and a couple of things really well. Thinking of my Traynor YCV50 "blue" amp (made in Canada) which nails the hard rock tone for me. Same thing with my Marshall Vintage Modern. I use an EHX Soul Food in front of both. 
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#2
10-25-2019, 02:55 PM
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I've finally moved to simple solutions. My guitar goes into an multi channel amp/PA. Its a Mackie 808 I think. I beats the heck out of lugging my SWR Strawberry Blonde or Fender Acoustisonic 150 around. One trip in with just guitar/gig back and satchel of cables, tuners, capos strings and other assorted stuff. So, I've gone from a place I thought I'd never abandon to a clean set up and go...
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Happy Sunsets Taylor 514ce (1999) Taylor K22ce - all Koa (2001) Taylor 612ce (2001) Taylor T5-C2 Koa (2007) Ovation CS28P KOAB - Koa Burst (2017) Paul Reed Smith 305 - Sunburst (2012) Paul Reed Smith Custom 22 - Autumn Sky (2013) Fender Classic Player 60s Strat - Sonic Blue (2012) Roland Juno DS76 (2020)
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#3
10-25-2019, 03:02 PM
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My amp just needs to amplify cleanly what I feed it - full range frequency response. Anything else can be handled with a preamp, pedal, etc. I prefer just going into the board out of any pedals I may use. My back is much happier that way.
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#4
10-25-2019, 03:54 PM
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The "jack of all trades" option like my Fender Mustang amp for me. (Tuner, headphone jack and multiple amp settings and effects all in the one box even if I choose not to use them all). Outside of any tube/solid state sound comparisons, it's a better (more practical) option for playing in my lounge room on my own these days.
Having said that, I've had my eyes on a Fender Blues Junior tube amp for quite a while and although I've avoided pedals until now, I'm up for using a delay pedal in particular to accompany the amp if/when I do decide.
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#5
10-25-2019, 04:10 PM
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I find if the pickups are good quality (especially indicated by a “round” or 3d texture to the bass), then an amp like the Fender Blues Junior with lots of colour/boost to the midrange (not at all scooped) puts me into fine tone, and for purposes of low volume no effects cable straight into the amp, it goes head to head with a good unamplified acoustic guitar but offers more power & equal light touch sensitivity.
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#6
10-25-2019, 04:17 PM
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One-trick-ponies don't work for me - for anything.
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#7
10-25-2019, 04:39 PM
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My favorite amp is my TopHat Club Royale. It has a Voxy with a tad of Marshall thrown in voice. A three way boost/voicing switch along with plenty of tone control make it very useful to me. I prefer to use a pedal for overdrive but I end up playing clean a lot of the time. That said, my Fender guitars (Tele/Strat) sound best through my Vibro Champ amp that has been modded with a midrange control and 1 X 12" cabinet.
Needless to say, I prefer an amp to give me a nice clean base tone (one trick pony?) and I use pedals for increased versatility.
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=================================== '07 Gibson J-45 '68 Reissue (Fuller's) '18 Martin 00-18 '18 Martin GP-28E '65 Epiphone Zenith archtop
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#8
10-25-2019, 09:06 PM
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I have a 65 Princeton Reverb Reissue. I suppose you could characterize that as a "one trick pony." OTH, a lot of guys have played through them over the years while playing a variety of types of music, rock, country, whatever. So I think it has some versatility.
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#9
10-25-2019, 09:23 PM
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I’ve had both...the most memorable, recent, and applicable to this thread...
My Egnater Tweaker 15 did a lot of things well. The variety of tonal options seemed limitless. With the voicing of Marshall, Vox, and Fender it was initially bought with different venues/setlist/styles in mind. But, I think that I felt as if I couldn’t “set it and forget it” due to the different tone offerings. So, it was sort of maddening. Kind of like when we bought a sleep number bed. We returned it after a week because all we did was fidget with the various settings (which they tell you not to do as you’ll never know what the best setting is without sleeping on one specific setting for a while). My 65 TRRI was certainly more focused on the Fender “clean” voicing, but even live it was FAR more amp then I needed. My current Lacquered Tweed BJ with Jensen speaker is a great fit for me. I like simplicity. Otherwise I find myself spending more time tweaking knobs then actually playing.
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2023 Martin GPC-11e 2023 Fender Players Tele Limited Edition - Oxblood 2022 Gibson Les Paul Standard 60’s - Unburst 2021 Fender Strat American Pro II - Black 2014 Gibson ES-335 Memphis Dot - Cherry 2013 Gibson Les Paul 50’s Tribute P90 - Tobacco 2012 Yamaha FS720 TBS Last edited by PTony; 11-03-2019 at 06:09 PM.
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#10
10-26-2019, 12:17 AM
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I really, REALLY love my '75 Deluxe Reverb... if I have the space to turn it up a bit, then just my ES-345 with a straight cord into the amp and I'm good...
Pedals do help when volume is a consideration... I'm very much enjoying the little Bluesy pedal from Tomsline... very touch sensitive and just the right amount of tube "break-up"; I'll use a TS9 for anything more than that...
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"Home is where I hang my hat, but home is so much more than that. Home is where the ones and the things I hold dear are near... And I always find my way back home." "Home" (working title) J.S, Sherman
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#12
10-26-2019, 05:00 PM
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Back around 1995 I settled in for a Fender Twin and still use the amp till this day. It's a '72 Twin 100 watts of pure clean Fender Tone. So it's a one trick pony but it takes pedals amazingly well and that was my intent. To have the amp be a foundation that I can throw anything I want at it.
Now my practice amp is a little Mesa Studio .22 and it's a very diverse little amp. From super clean class A tone right on up to a Metal crunch if I dial it in right. In the end I like a clean platform that I can dirty up with pedals.
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#14
10-26-2019, 07:19 PM
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Some great responses. I too like a more simplified solution. I used to like amps with lots of options and buttons, like the Marshall JCM2000 TSL that I gigged with a few years. All I need now is an average clean tone (I don't play much electric clean) and a great hard rock gain tone with an OD in front. Diversity can come from different guitars. Amp doesn't need a bunch of switches and knobs.
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#15
10-26-2019, 08:09 PM
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Quote:
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
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