Guitar AMP (under £400) with excellent clean sound which takes pedals OK ???

Kinioo

Morning,

I do have a Marshall Class 5 combo - which I do love, as I am  a big fan of Marshall's overdrive you can get cranking up the amp...that good, old AC/DC sound....

However, I also recently started playing with some chaps and as we now play a lot of different 'types' of music (not only AC/DCish tunes) I use more different types of pedals to get various tones.

Noticed, that Class 5 might not be the best platform to experiment with different pedals (I keep trying), so am thinking of getting some else with better clean tone...

What I am after (FYI I mainly play PRS SE Tremonti with Oil City Humbackers...they sound amazing):

Ideally:
- full valve
- single channel (the less knobs the better);
- excellent (or very good) clean tone;
- MUST accept pedals (FX loop??);
- probably something bit more powerful than 5W (15/20/30)...
- Combo...something portable (probably 1 x 12)
- not more than £400 (obviously the less the better) 

What's on my list (not many): Fender Bassbreaker & Fender Blues Junior...

What else is worth considering out there ?

Thanks for any help,

Chris

vasselmeyer

Coincidence! I JUST posted this:
http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/116932/egnater-rebel-30-2x12-combo-340

I used this amp as a clean platform for past 3-4 years and used the other channel as a boost for lead tone. It's got a built-in attenuator  to change between 1W to 30W and you can choose EL84 or 6V6 output valves or a mix of the two.  It has an effects loop and independent reverbs for each channel.

There are Soundcloud links in the listing.

gubble

Fender HRD.

Ok it's got more than one channel (I've never used the drive channel on mine - genuinely if it didn't work I'd have no idea)

40 Watts - big and powerful for any occasion

Takes Pedals Well

It ticks every box and has a great clean sound.

Kinioo

vasselmeyer said:

Coincidence! I JUST posted this:
http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/116932/egnater-rebel-30-2x12-combo-340

I used this amp as a clean platform for past 3-4 years and used the other channel as a boost for lead tone. It's got a built-in attenuator  to change between 1W to 30W and you can choose EL84 or 6V6 output valves or a mix of the two.  It has an effects loop and independent reverbs for each channel.

There are Soundcloud links in the listing.

Thanks for this,

AM looking for something bit more portable, as this one is 2 x 12.

Thank you anyway,

C.

Kinioo

gubble said:

Fender HRD.

Ok it's got more than one channel (I've never used the drive channel on mine - genuinely if it didn't work I'd have no idea)

40 Watts - big and powerful for any occasion

Takes Pedals Well

It ticks every box and has a great clean sound.

HRD stands for Hot Rod Deluxe or Hot Road Deville ??

C

Funkfingers

gubble said:
Fender HRD(eluxe).

How about its immediate ancestor, the Fender Blues Deluxe? 

FYI, the Fender Blues and Hot Rod DeVille amplifiers are rated 60w.

thomasw88

look for a 20th anniversary or 25th annversary Hughes & Kettner amp.  (second hand)

Or one of their statesman amps second hand as well.


They're not single channel but are great, and take pedal platforms well.

gubble

Kinioo said:

gubble said:

Fender HRD.

Ok it's got more than one channel (I've never used the drive channel on mine - genuinely if it didn't work I'd have no idea)

40 Watts - big and powerful for any occasion

Takes Pedals Well

It ticks every box and has a great clean sound.

HRD stands for Hot Rod Deluxe or Hot Road Deville ??

C

Hot Rod Deluxe - sorry for the confusion.

For what it's worth I pickup up mine 18 months ago for £300. Never looked back or desired another amp.

CarpeDiem

gubble said:

Kinioo said:

gubble said:

Fender HRD.

Ok it's got more than one channel (I've never used the drive channel on mine - genuinely if it didn't work I'd have no idea)

40 Watts - big and powerful for any occasion

Takes Pedals Well

It ticks every box and has a great clean sound.

HRD stands for Hot Rod Deluxe or Hot Road Deville ??

C

Hot Rod Deluxe - sorry for the confusion.

For what it's worth I pickup up mine 18 months ago for £300. Never looked back or desired another amp.

I agree with @gubble I bought a secondhand Hot Rod Deluxe III, and also only use the clean channel. Clean sounds are good, has plenty of headroom, and takes pedals well, and has an effects loop. It's also reasonably compact, and portable.

JerkMoans

+1 for the Hot Rod Deluxe. But for the extra channel (bonus?!) it ticks all your boxes. I’m selling mine, simply because it’s too loud for my needs and I need to finance my recent Flynn GAS.

timbuk02

Laney VC15. Superb clean channel, fx loop, reverb, bonus drive channel. Very portable with its 1x10 Jensen but also has a speaker out if you happen to play somewhere that has a 4x12 etc lying idle. And you'll prob have almost half your budget left over to spend on pedals...

andy1839

My Sonus SC50 is on here for £400, maybe a bit bigger than you were after but as a (*rrp when new) *£2500 single channel pedal platform it’s gotta be on your list!

maybe. 

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/103366/fs-ft-egnater-412-200-sonus-sc50-400#latest

Sassafras

Not valve but you can't go wrong with a Peavey Bandit for all the rest.

ennspek

HRD.

JezWynd

Laney Cub. I use the 1x10 version with two 6v6. It doesn’t have an fx loop but i’ve never felt the lack as it takes pedals amazingly well via the input. The 12” version has reverb onboard. 

donbot

I'd definitely give the Ibanez TSA-15 a go. Brilliant clean tones and built in Tube screamer. Has fx loop and speaker output for a cab. Plus foot switch for the ts and boost. Oh and you can switch between 5 and 15W. Finally, it loves pedals!! Check out some vids or try one out.

There's also the Roland JC-22. 30W but not valve. That's next on my shopping list! 

hassleham

Check out the Peavey Classic 30. I downgraded to one from a Mesa Lonestar cos it sounds great and is nice and cheap! Great pedal platform and loud as hell for a 1x12.

Fuengi

Yerasov GTA15 - hand wired valve amp,  nice cleans (based on Fender Pro Jr) has tone and volume knobs only, takes pedals well without a loop, is portable as it comes and 15amp. Under £400 delivered new.  

ESBlonde

Has anyone thought to mention the HRD. Fenders best selling combo ever, you have to wonder why.

McToot

ESBlonde said:

Has anyone thought to mention the HRD. Fenders best selling combo ever, you have to wonder why.

Only half the people that have commented 

FWIW, I agree. I have the Blues Deluxe and love it. Bought over the HRD simply because I liked the tweed version I tried out. 

Ive also had a H&K Statesman (dual el84) and while I liked the clean sound, the drive didn't do it for me and I don't think it took pedals well. The Laney VC15 and 30 are good shouts too, and are cheap. 

Kinioo

Very interesting guys....
Well, it looks like I should find a good guitar/amp so I can take my guitar and few favorite pedals and try these amps...

So far we have:
- Fender HDR - which I understand is Hot Rod Deluxe* (*what is the difference between Blues Deluxe Tweed ???)
- Peavey Classic (was thinking about this before I bought my Marshall Class 5);
-  Ibanez TSA-15 - very interesting option must say;
- Laney VC15 

Thanks chaps,
Chris