Best Combo amp for £1,000 or less

nickb_boy

simonk said:

My Rift Princeton in the classifieds
In Exeter too...
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/92330/fs-rift-princeton-with-12-jensen#latest

This would be bang on.  Would leave you more than enough left over to pick up one of these too:
http://www.peachguitars.com/fx-pedals/hudson-electronics-broadcast-pg-24v-fs.htm

simonk

nickb_boy said:

simonk said:

My Rift Princeton in the classifieds
In Exeter too...
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/92330/fs-rift-princeton-with-12-jensen#latest

This would be bang on.  Would leave you more than enough left over to pick up one of these too:
http://www.peachguitars.com/fx-pedals/hudson-electronics-broadcast-pg-24v-fs.htm

Good call! Then there'd be a bit of subsequent change left over for a slap up meal at Mrs Miggins pie shoppe. It's all win!

StuartMac290

There are a couple of new Bad Cat combos in the Coda sale at less than a grand, they should be worth a look  

ennspek

Princeton's spring to mind.

Voxman

I'm always amazed that based on such little info, folk just jump in with their 'recommendations'.  It's like trying to recommend someone a car with no real feel for what they want it for and what they need from it - eg economical, fast, load carrying or sporty, 4WD, manual, auto, depreciation/resale considerations, will it fit your garage, sat nav etc 

All we know is its for "blues" and that "lovely cleans are essential" and budget is "up to £1,000" and that the 18/30 Bassbreaker has been looked at.  

But even that needs a bit of clarification with examples of the tone Lez is seeking - how clean is clean? Are we talking a clean with some break up, crystal clean ala certain Fenders or even JCM120, bell-chime clean ala Vox AC30?  

There is of course no 'best' - only what's right for your needs. Personally Lez, I'd like to know a lot more:

1. Are you looking to buy new or used?
2. Where and how are you going to be using the amp - home, smaller club gigs, big gigs, recording, direct, miked up through the PA?  With a band and if so what other instruments are there?
3. How loud do you need it to be (rather than 'power' which can be confusing - more watts doesn't always mean more volume)
4. Are you looking for high headroom before the tone starts to break up? 
5. Do you use external effects? If so, what (eg stomp pedals, MFX, mixture)
6. What features do you need?: Single or dual channel?  If dual, do you want independent EQ or is a shared EQ OK?  Do you need an FX loop and if so do you have a preference between series or parallel? Do you need a built in reverb?  Do you need any built in effects eg tremolo? If you do need a built in reverb, does it have to be spring or is a digital reverb OK? Do you need foot-switching facilities between channels? Do you need extras eg a 'bright boost' or 'gain boost'?
7. Is weight/size an issue? (eg for me weight's a problem nowadays for me as I have back problems) 
8. Do you have some examples you can post of the tone you're looking for?
9. What guitar(s) do you mainly use?  (that's because crystal cleans are easier with single coil teles/strats etc as opposed to h/b guitars like a LP or SG)
10. Do you always intend to run the combo on its own, or do you want flexibility to run external cabs with/without the internal speaker(s) on?  Are you looking for a 1x12 or 2x12 or something else (eg 2 x 10)?
11. Just a sense check that a combo is the right way to go or might a head plus cab be more flexible for you re cab options and (potentially) ease of carrying (some combos can be very heavy and awkward to transport?  Reason I raise this is I bought a 2x12 combo years ago but in hindsight I should have got the head and cab.  

I'm sure I've not covered everything, but hopefully answers to the above will help both you and us come up with the right type of amps for you to try.  

earwighoney

Marshall MG 15

stickyfiddle

Voxman said:

I'm always amazed that based on such little info, folk just jump in with their 'recommendations'.  It's like trying to recommend someone a car with no real feel for what they want it for and what they need from it - eg economical, fast, load carrying or sporty, 4WD, manual, auto, depreciation/resale considerations, will it fit your garage, sat nav etc 

While I see where you're going, the best car is always some sort of Golf, depending on budget, performance and boot space requirements. Or an MX5 if you don't want a roof.

meltedbuzzbox

stickyfiddle said:

Voxman said:

I'm always amazed that based on such little info, folk just jump in with their 'recommendations'.  It's like trying to recommend someone a car with no real feel for what they want it for and what they need from it - eg economical, fast, load carrying or sporty, 4WD, manual, auto, depreciation/resale considerations, will it fit your garage, sat nav etc 

While I see where you're going, the best car is always some sort of Golf, depending on budget, performance and boot space requirements. Or an MX5 if you don't want a roof.

but what if you are a man and you dont want a roof?

timmysoft

meltedbuzzbox said:

stickyfiddle said:

Voxman said:

I'm always amazed that based on such little info, folk just jump in with their 'recommendations'.  It's like trying to recommend someone a car with no real feel for what they want it for and what they need from it - eg economical, fast, load carrying or sporty, 4WD, manual, auto, depreciation/resale considerations, will it fit your garage, sat nav etc 

While I see where you're going, the best car is always some sort of Golf, depending on budget, performance and boot space requirements. Or an MX5 if you don't want a roof.

but what if you are a man and you dont want a roof?

still an MX5, just with a supercharger and a roll cage. 

Voxman

MX5 - Nice car - but how exactly are you going to get your 2x12 combo, 2 guitars, gig bag, pedal board, etc in this boot? - not to mention all of your groupies in a 2-seater! 

stickyfiddle

Voxman said:

MX5 - Nice car - but how exactly are you going to get your 2x12 combo, 2 guitars, gig bag, pedal board, etc in this boot? - not to mention all of your groupies in a 2-seater! 

Then you take the Golf!  

And if you're a man and don't want a roof you *still* buy an MX5 because you don't care about 20 year old stereotypes and literally any other option is twatty.

Skipped

I think Voxman is right.

The list could be shortened IMO. The minimum for decent advice would be:
1. What guitar are you using?
2. What budget? 
3. Where and How Loud??  (for example...."Really loud in my detached and soundproofed garage")
4. Example of a specific tone/player that you like.

Voxman

Actually, budget up to £1000 was one of the few things we did know, 

Voxman

stickyfiddle said:

Voxman said:

MX5 - Nice car - but how exactly are you going to get your 2x12 combo, 2 guitars, gig bag, pedal board, etc in this boot? - not to mention all of your groupies in a 2-seater! 

Then you take the Golf!  

And if you're a man and don't want a roof you *still* buy an MX5 because you don't care about 20 year old stereotypes and literally any other option is twatty.

In which case the amp has to be a Marshall DSL!   You probably need to watch the video in another thread for that to make sense! 

timmysoft

Voxman said:

MX5 - Nice car - but how exactly are you going to get your 2x12 combo, 2 guitars, gig bag, pedal board, etc in this boot? - not to mention all of your groupies in a 2-seater! 

you get a 112 combo, 1 guitar and a wife, actually, forget the wife, Batman managed to have two girls in his cabrio! 

I used to have one of the Ford StreetKa's it was a brilliant little car, i could actually get a 410 Blues deluxe in the boot along with a 8 pedal pedal board. Guitar on the passenger seat and it was all cosy. Plus i used to blow people away with my 160bhp+ Ford racing engine, Audi owners get very frustrated when they get murdered away from the lights by a tiny convertible!

Voxman

...I think we're getting just a wee bit side-tracked guys! 

pintspiller

A used Fender of some sort is probably what's needed here. Whats the 50w Peavey Classic like for blues?

strtdv

Fender Princeton Reverb, either '65 reissue or '68 custom depending on which you prefer. Both are excellent amps though. 

wellsyboy

miserneil said:

Lodious said:

Are any of the Bad Cat's still for sale on the forum? They are lovely and there have been some proper bargains about.

This. I was beginning to think I was sounding like a stuck record! S/H Bad Cat's are the best bang for buck you can buy (apart from the 2x12 Black Cat in the classifieds ;-) ) Amazing amps. 

ouch!

noisepolluter

I'll muddy the waters by suggesting a second hand 65 deluxe reverb reissue, and get the 'Fritz' mod done so both channels have reverb and are wired in phase so they can be easily blended. Makes an already great amp much more versatile and easy to dial in.