How Many Amps?

fretmeister

samzadgan said:

I've always gone with the following formula:

Number of amps required = n + 1

so, i have 2 amp heads, plus a couple of smaller crappy options. Its like shoes...you could have one, but you need variety.

Yes.

I do apologise for not giving the right answer.

How many amps = not enough.

I shall self-flagellate in a moment.

John_P

Different amps depending what I'm doing - I know it a luxury and I could manage with one - so long as it has a gig volume clean sound I could add pedals...

Current gigging amps are either a a fender twin or evhiii+212 depending on the gig,
Rehearsing I use a H&K zenamp - quick grab and go set up
At home I use a thr10
and the marshall jubilee and jmp1 are ready in case I get around to doing some recording but could be a live back up if I needed them.

I don't want to have to set my gigging amps up at home and I like the option to have different style amps for different gigs.


If I "needed" a new guitar or had a surprise bill I could always get rid of some and manage but with the price a lot of 2nd hand gear is going for it's suits me to hang on to them and enjoy the options.

longi

I have two, an MJW Orion and a Blackstar HT5. However I'd like a Laney AOR Pro Tube 30, a Jet Cit JCA2212H/C and an MJW Goldstar SS. It's not about guitar for me, at's all about amps.

p90fool

I've been streamlining and am down to four, plus some practice amps.
I used to tell myself I needed those different flavours for my studio, but truthfully it's just a passion. I head straight for the amp department in guitar shops without even glancing at the guitars.

Kebabkid

H&K Tubemiester 36 head & cab  - My main amp

Roland Cube 60 - my back up, spare and an amp that still delivers for me in certain situations and isn't worth selling for the £90-100 it's now worth. I may hook it up to my main rig and have stereo fx courtesy of my TC Flashback and Zoom CDR-70

Roland Cube 120XL - my bass amp

So, 3 and Yamaha's "third amp" theory makes sense to me and I can see their thinking behind the THR range. On that score, I do have a Roland Micro Cube, which apart from home use, gets used as an acoustic preamp and reverb for gigs (goes direct to PA).

I would love a really good clean channel valve amp (25-40W), maybe something like a Carr or old Vibrolux

JohnPerry

I have six but only use four at once. Years ago I discovered I couldn't live without a stereo setup. Now I have two independent stereo setups. Absurd, but does sound fantastic

Richardj

Hmmm. 

Koch Twintone II, fantastic amp but somehow isn't doing what I want at the mo so will probably sell it, eventually.

DRRI, classic Fender tones, nuff said.

Cornford Roadhouse 30, just plug in and rock out.

H&K Tubemeister 18C, grab and go, great if I'm off for a quick jam with friends. 

Ibanez Troubadour 20 acoustic amp, always handy to have.

viz

JohnPerry said:

I have six but only use four at once. Years ago I discovered I couldn't live without a stereo setup. Now I have two independent stereo setups. Absurd, but does sound fantastic

so now you can listen in stereo in stereo?

guitarfishbay

I have a Roadster and an Ironheart, both heads.  Backup/variety reasons here.

p90fool said:

 I head straight for the amp department in guitar shops without even glancing at the guitars.

Same here.  There are still loads of amps I'd love to have but realistically I don't need them.

ourmaninthenorth

Just two, a Matchless and an Emery Microbaby & cab..

Roland

One.  A Carvin Bel Aire 2x12 combo.  I must turn it on sometime to check that it still works.  Nowadays its Axe FX and FRFR for everything.

ICBM

Actually one if my Trem-o-verbs is for sale . Just don't need two. (Although I keep being tempted to change my mind.)

I still have two other amps - a Peavey Studio Pro 110 (early 90s solid state amp) which is my most used amp, it sits next to my bench in my workshop for testing guitars and pedals, and is my grab-and-go amp for anything where carrying a 98lb, 100W 2x12" is just overdoing it - and a 1964 Centurion 5W amp which I bought just because it's the same as the first amp I ever owned. It's actually quite nice too, but unlikely to get any serious use since it's bigger than the Peavey (although lighter I think).

I also have a "multi amp" which is for acoustic guitar, vocals etc, but if we're just counting guitar amps...

And a Peavey bass amp which weighs even more than a Trem-o-verb.

Majorscale

Lazy J20 for home, Lazy J40 for rehearsals & gigs. I could do it all with the J20 but it's way more convenient keeping one wired up at home and the other setup in the studio.

I also have a Cornford Hurricane which was my one and only amp for many years but it wasn't getting much love of late...that is until about 2 weeks ago when I just plugged into it and rediscovered the rocking tones of that thing! It's so different tonally to the J20 it's a keeper!

Jalapeno

erm ... strictly in confidence you understand.  We're all friends right ?

If it wasn't for the false-backed fitted wardrobe with space under the eaves I'd be totally bollocksed


Mesa Boogie Mini Rectifier
Mesa Boogie Nomad (currently busted) *
2, 1x12 Boogie cabs for these ^^^^^
Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket combo
Fender PRRI
Dr Z Maz 18 head & 2x10
ZT Lunchbox
Crate Powerblock *
Clone Fender 5F1 combo *

and a GK MB200 bass combo

* = surplus

EDIT: Oops - forgot one at rehearsal space - a Blues Junior.

tbm

I rationalized last year, selling a few amps (Orange TH30 head + a few cabs, Blues Jr.) to get one, a hand wired AC30. On that I use the Normal channel (Vol, bright swtich and tone cut) and I'm loving the simplicity.

I've an AC4 at home, which I have gigged with actually, but otherwise I'm happy with the AC30. I'm a lot less precious about using whatever amp is available at gigs then I used to be. I'll only bring the AC30 if we're a headliner, or I absolutly need to. Was playing a gig in Brixton at the weekend and the amp I was using was one of the old Marshall Valvestate amps for the 90s. It was totally fine. 

Clarky

there's a few of us in here that have more than 100 amps...

Phil_aka_Pip

n + 1 applies to guitars, pedals, heads, cabs, combos, basses, keyboards ... just about everything. Take it as read!

DartmoorHedgehog

Clarky said:

there's a few of us in here that have more than 100 amps...

That would be rather a large current collection (badum tish)

I've got two at the mo, having just bought a "new" one.  Don't know how long that will last - I don't think I really need both.

fretmeister

Jalapeno said:

erm ... strictly in confidence you understand.  We're all friends right ?

If it wasn't for the false-backed fitted wardrobe with space under the eaves I'd be totally bollocksed


Mesa Boogie Mini Rectifier
Mesa Boogie Nomad (currently busted) *
2, 1x12 Boogie cabs for these ^^^^^
Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket combo
Fender PRRI
Dr Z Maz 18 head & 2x10
ZT Lunchbox
Crate Powerblock *
Clone Fender 5F1 combo *

and a GK MB200 bass combo

* = surplus

EDIT: Oops - forgot one at rehearsal space - a Blues Junior.

Blimey Mick!!

That's some good hiding going on!

impmann

Currently own...

Sessionette 75

1970s VamPower Baby 15

Laney Lionheart LH20H

Laney LC50MkII