Morgan Amps vs Carr Slant 6V

WillEdmunds

Hi all! I'm looking for a new amp head and am torn between several options! I have a Carr Rambler which is a great all-round combo for smaller gigs, but am looking for a nice Blackface style head that I can run through a bigger cab (2x12 or 4x10) for my blues rock gigs. Basically I'm looking for a BIG lush clean tone that takes pedals really well, with great reverb! I tried a Tone King Metropolitan head - clean channel was great, but didn't like the OD channel on it. I also found the design of it a bit 'clunky'. I'm thinking either a Morgan SW22R, or the SW50R, or a Carr Slant 6V. 40 watts seems like the perfect power rating - loads of headroom and punch, but not so loud that you can't turn it up for pub/club gigs. I'm not sure whether I'll like/need the 2nd channel on the Slant 6V, being more into the BF style tones. I'm also not sure whether the 22W Morgan will be too low powered for big punchy cleans, and whether the 50 watter might be too much for most pub gigs? Another option is the Morgan RCA35R head - seems like a sensible power rating, and the ability to use all those different output valves could be really handy! Has anyone had a chance to compare the various Morgans, and/or the Slant 6V?? Many thanks!

Wazmeister

Im a huge Carr fan, and the Slant has a great BF clean channel, with an 'ok' drive channel.

But looking at your requirements, into a bigger cab, Id try the Dr Z EZG. Now, this wont break up; it offers 'really clean' cleans and a huge sound. Lovely with the Dr Z 4x10 too...

The Slant will break up and give a wee bit, and might be too close tomthe Rambler in family sound and feel. The Morgan RCA35 is another good option... Sounds like a trip to Peach Guitars to me !

paulmapp8306

The Slant has a gain boost on the clean channel.  The Clean channel inc boost is THE best clean Ive heard....ever.  The OD channel was rather meh though.  It is VERY loud though.  Much louder than you think given its rating.

Id take a look at a Suhr Hedgehog as well.  Same kind of clean vibe.  It has FS boost and OD as well - all in the single channel. 

The OD, and OD+Boost has s similar tone to the Slant Gain channel, while the clean and clean plus boost is similar to the Slants clean and clean + boost.

Similar price - so you may find one flicks your switch better than the other while both being similar.

The Morgans - that Ive tried (a couple) are more Vox than Fender.  I like them, a lot - but there not really BF.

peachguitarsdotcom

The SW and RCA models are very Fendery. Not Voxy at all. The AC series, well that's another story!

phase3

Have a look at a Brunetti Singleman 50 head.   Significantly cheaper, amazing fender cleans , a sooo much better built than some of the  ...err..U.S boutique amps.

Have listen to the Tom quayle you tube vid.

Dominic

Have played the Morgans and all the Carrs extensively including the Slant 6v and Rambler side by side for days...........

The Rambler is a  softer clean -the 6v is pristine clean and superb with neck pickups but the bridge pups of Teles etc can get a bit brittle 6V WOULD  STILL WORK WELL FOR YOU..THO'.........the o/d channel is perfectly good but not ' legendary ' however it is superfluous because a couple of good pedals in front of the clean channel gives as good a dirty sound as any amp anywhere will give you - in fact the right pedal will give you as close as you get to Dumble sound and something like a Wampler plexi pedal will give you as British Rock sound as you ever need 

eastwood

Have had the rambler and an RCA35.. I preferred the latter oh so slightly as I felt it had more warmth having said that the Morgan was a head and cab config.. I loved that you could try different valves and I tried them all over a year and half that I kept it and felt that K66 's suited it well.. Its plenty loud enough as well. As for best fenders cleans I don't know about that having just picked up a lazy j40.

paulmapp8306

peachguitarsdotcom said:

The SW and RCA models are very Fendery. Not Voxy at all. The AC series, well that's another story!

I think it was the AC20 and AC40 I tried so......

JohnPerry

The Slant's clean channel is a blackface deluxe reverb. I compared them side by side for hours when i owned both. Nothing between them. When people (like me) say it's the best clean sound ever it's because they like the old DR sound

Dominic

The Gartone in the Amps for sale thread is perfect for your Fender needs -they are superb amps

WillEdmunds

Thanks for all the info people! The consensus kind of confirms my suspicion that I don't really want a two-channel head, especially with the Slant's OD channel generally being described as a bit 'meh'. If I need Marshall-style crunch I have a Purple Plexi, but that sound's not really my bag anyway. Don't know if I want to fork out £2.5K for an amp that I only want half of! Shame Carr don't do an Impala Head - that would be the ticket (although that has 6L6s). I also had the idea of getting Rob Dix to build me a 6V6 40W-ish single channel head. Would cost about half the money, but I'm not entirely sure of what it would sound like. The build quality and all-round awesomeness of my Rambler does make me want to stick with Carr. Will check out the other amps you guys suggested though, cheers!

mcbprs

As many have srtated  above the clean channel of the Slant 6V is excellent the  mid control can take it from sparkling Blackface at lower settings to hot Tweed at higher settings  another great feature of the amp though is the fact that the pre amp channels are independant so if the  drive channel is too hot for you you can swap the first or even first two vavles ofb the drive channel to reduce the gain, valves like 5751 which smooths out the front end gain  giving even more control, I love these amps ( I have 4 different ages and configs)  a recent revelation was using a current version head (5751 in first drive channel position) with a hamstead 2x12 cab loaded with Celestion Cream back G12m 65s  sweetest tone I have heard in a long time , seriously considering Creambacks for some of my Slant combos

mcbprs

Another grest featurevof the Slant  6V is the 3 output levels 18,22 or 40w  which not only provide different volume levels but different charicters too  the natural sag of the cathode bias (think AC 15/30) the tight sound of fixed bias ( think the best deluxe reverb you have heard and then some)  or a magical combination of both but with the volume of a 59w Marshall or Two Rock - almost forgot the drive channel has a boost , panel or footswitch controlled, if you want to melt someones face ;-)

Kebabkid

Divided by 13s are also very nice

nickb_boy

I've got a Morgan RCA35 head without reverb and matching 1x12 cab.  It delivers incredible cleans and takes pretty much any pedal you can throw at it.  I usually don't like master volumes on amps but this one actually works well.  If you're after blackface style tones then this should be up on your to try list for sure.

If you get on with it then let me know as I may look to sell mine now I'm not going to be gigging for some time and have a 62 Brownface 6g2 Princeton on the way for some lower volume fun.  It could save you a fair amount of cash

*edit* just saw the original post was back in January so I'm guessing this is now sorted!!

WillEdmunds

mcbprs said:

As many have srtated  above the clean channel of the Slant 6V is excellent the  mid control can take it from sparkling Blackface at lower settings to hot Tweed at higher settings  another great feature of the amp though is the fact that the pre amp channels are independant so if the  drive channel is too hot for you you can swap the first or even first two vavles ofb the drive channel to reduce the gain, valves like 5751 which smooths out the front end gain  giving even more control, I love these amps ( I have 4 different ages and configs)  a recent revelation was using a current version head (5751 in first drive channel position) with a hamstead 2x12 cab loaded with Celestion Cream back G12m 65s  sweetest tone I have heard in a long time , seriously considering Creambacks for some of my Slant combos

I have a Slant combo now and really love it!! Only wish it was a head and cab version, but they seem to be very rare on the used market. Incredible tones though. 

As for the Creamback thing, I love those speakers and have been seriously considering putting one of the new neo ones in my Rambler combo to make it a bit lighter. I had a Tone King Metropolitan running through a Creamback cab for a while and it was amazing! I guess putting a neo Creamback in the Slant would also make it bit easier to lug about, although I do really like the Eminence in there at the moment....

WillEdmunds

nickb_boy said:

I've got a Morgan RCA35 head without reverb and matching 1x12 cab.  It delivers incredible cleans and takes pretty much any pedal you can throw at it.  I usually don't like master volumes on amps but this one actually works well.  If you're after blackface style tones then this should be up on your to try list for sure.

If you get on with it then let me know as I may look to sell mine now I'm not going to be gigging for some time and have a 62 Brownface 6g2 Princeton on the way for some lower volume fun.  It could save you a fair amount of cash

*edit* just saw the original post was back in January so I'm guessing this is now sorted!!

Thanks yeah I have the Slant combo now. Killer tones - can't fault it for the blackface thing. Sounds like a Deluxe with better headroom basically - best guitar sound I've ever had! Just wish I could find a used Slant head and cab as I'd love to hear it through a 2x12.

hubobulous

Might be worth considering the Suhr Bella too?

mcbprs

Another vote for the 6v if you find the drive channel too aggressive  make use of the fact each channel s independant and uses seperate valves pop a 5751 in the  first or first and second position makes dialing in crunch and edge of breakup tones a breeze and you still have the boost for a bit more edge ;-)