Can you help me shortlist some amps?

RandallFlagg

I live a long way East of anywhere with a good selection of amps to try out but am looking to shortlist a handful to consider. Can you help me shortlist some?

Here are my requirements:

Will be using with a Line 6 Helix for effects only with a Les Paul, Strat and Tele

1x10 or 1x12 Combo

Top mount controls preferred but not essential, must look good though!

20-40 watts range

Single channel

Gain and master volume arrangement and simple tone stack

Effects loop

Reverb is not essential

Price range: up to £2K, will go over if I have to for the right amp

Able to get warm fat cleans into a nice crunchy breakup, no need for high gain. I don't like thin fizzy blackface distortion, I want something more 'marshally'. I can use the Helix drives for this or a pedal drive, I like using a Klone to hit the front of an amp hard to help the drive tone along. Looking for Bluesy, Blues/Rock tones (Peter Green, The Who, Zep, into early punk Sex Pistols/Clash

I had a Victory V40 and liked it but it was voiced a little dark at low home volume and it isn't the prettiest amp in the world, let's face it! I sold it to get the Helix but want a valve amp back in my world.

I have been thinking about:

Victory V40 Deluxe - haven't heard many demos of this new combo from Victory but it sounds like it's been tweaked to sound more Blackface and now runs 6L6 instead of EL34 so I'm concerned about what the drive sounds like but a little brighter would be good on Voice I , but I preferred the fatter Voice II on the V40 head anyway with it's tweedy warmth.

Redplate Tweedyverb+ - love the online demos but lacks affects loop (not the end of the world)

Dr Z Maz 18 NR - Uses EL84 and sound quite bright and maybe a little thin in all demos I've heard

Tweed Deluxe clone - Lazy J20 or Flynn Deluxe - no master volume but fat Tweed tone.

Mesa Boogie Mark V 25 or 35 combo - too complicated? Drive tone a bit unwieldy? not sure. Expensive

Suhr Bella - don't know much about this one

What else have you got?

peteri

If you can do without an effects loop - I'd check out the Carr range, I have a Skylark and love it more than life itself as a pedal platform and it's very, very versatile on the drive.

The Mercury V might be up your street?

revsorg

You could talk to Denis Cornell about a Plexi 18/20 - your budget allows for some custom work to make it meet your needs.

ThePrettyDamned

Just get a jtm45/bluesbreaker.

Seriously, the Marshall Reissue is a *brilliant* amp. Get it used and you'll have easily enough change to take it to a tech for a full health check and the addition of power scaling if you wanted it. 

Then, get a Powerbrake attenuator.  If you wanted, buy a solid state rectifier as a spare. 

Then, you'll probably still have £500 change from your 2k budget. You'll get super warm cleans, absolutely classic crunch and an amp that takes pedals a treat. 

Do you desperately need an effects loop? Sounds like you won't be using it for mega gain, although you can put a loop into these I'd imagine. @ICBM?

Here is one. http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_amps_detail.asp?stock=PX170114306118006&gclid=Cj0KEQjw8tbHBRC6rLS024qYjtEBEiQA7wIDeRzmgltdhXUw0AdeEgmwb2LagblyXhEZ4B9Qv3BEQ8IaAmF-8P8HAQ

ThePrettyDamned

Edit: might need to go head+1x12, jtm's are 2x12. Sozzles. 

But there are JTM45 heads around. 

Lebarque

The Carr Impala I'm selling ticks a lot of your boxes, except effects loop:

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/100040/fs-carr-impala#latest

rico

I'm a Ceriatone fan at the moment so I would heartily recommend their fine wares...particularly the combo version of their JTM45 http://www.ceriatone.com/british-style-jtm45/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/137947485@N03/albums/72157669465741884/with/32817984585/

Around $1500 including shipping depending on carrier. You need to supply a speaker though. 

hubobulous

Suhr Bella is an excellent pedal platform.

I will be listing a Maz18NR + 1x12 soon as an aside. Thin is not an adjective I'd use for it!!

Cacofonix

Cornford Hurricane ticks all them boxes.  Also don't know about pricing but the Two Rock Studio Pro 35 is my all time best purchase.

ennspek

H&K Puretone?

John_P

Marshall jubilee.       Either a reissue mini or you could find an original one,  no reverb but that's not an issue if you're using a helix for effects.   

imalrightjack

RandallFlagg said:

must look good though!

Has to be a Kemper then

Single channel but interested in a Mark V 25?  Move along, sir.  The Victory V40 sounds much closer to a good platform.

Exorcist

fuchs blackjack 21 mkii - if it were me....

RandallFlagg

imalrightjack said:

RandallFlagg said:

must look good though!

Has to be a Kemper then

The Kemper looks like a budget DAB radio on the reduced to clear shelf at Tescos

DanR

If you like the Marshall sound but you don't want Marshall why not look at a Friedman.

DS40 combo is £2600 I have the head and it's probably my favorite JTM style amp.

I also have a Runt 50 which has a very good clean channel that takes effects well.

Both have very good effect loops and do play well at low volumes.

Alternatively could @RiftAmps ;not make you something I really like the sound of the brownie amps he makes, they sound less fizzy than blackface.

imalrightjack

RandallFlagg said:

imalrightjack said:

RandallFlagg said:

must look good though!

Has to be a Kemper then

The Kemper looks like a budget DAB radio on the reduced to clear shelf at Tescos

I was joking! They're hideous. Sound good though! 

RandallFlagg

Thanks for all the additional suggestions, much appreciated. I will carry on investigating!

stickyfiddle

Don't discount Badcat. Not top-mounted controls but otherwise they're fantastic. My Cub is at the cleaner end of the 15W Vox/Marshall thing, but the hotter models could be exactly what you're after.

I'll let you know how it does using Helix for FX as soon as mine arrives!

Lebarque

To me, the Kemper looks like it belongs in a cold war submarine. :0)

@RandallFlagg @imalrightjack ;

Sassafras

These get a lot of love on the forums:

Mike77

Hamstead artist 20? I think there's a 1x12 combo and they do clean to low to mid gain I believe.