Need Help Choosing an Amp.

BrendonK

Hello everyone, 

I've never really bought a proper amp before, even though I've constantly heard from other guitarists as to how crucial a good amp is to tone. So I'm taking the plunge and buying one.

Only issue is that I honestly have no idea what to look for as I have no general knowledge of good amps. 

My current guitar is a Yamaha Pacifica 612VII and to my untrained ears, I guess it sounds a lot like an American Standard Strat (Especially with Seymour Duncans). 

The tone I really want from the amp is one which works very well with cleaner effects such as Chorus, Reverb Etc. 

I also know that the tone of the amp is completely down to self preference. So what I ask is that you guys recommend me the best ones from the above information and then I can do some further research and pick which one I like best. Oh, my budget is around £600 maximum.

Many Thanks!

57Deluxe

youtube trawl for about  a month full time and then you will have some idea on favoured sounds/combination! Then Google for reviews of these too... Don't buy just by fashion trends.

thecolourbox

BrendonK said:

The tone I really want from the amp is one which works very well with cleaner effects such as Chorus, Reverb Etc. 

That sounds like a Roland Jazz Chorus to me. If you don't use an amp at present what do you use? And what sounds on that so you like? An idea of what you are playing through it might also help I guess

darthed1981

The other important question is do you want to gig with it, or is it just for home use..?

My biggest issue with amps as a home player is how to play quietly, and you can get decent home practise amps for £100, and you can get some valvy goodness starting at around £200 with amps like Blackstar's HT1R

BrendonK

BrendonK

darthed1981 said:

The other important question is do you want to gig with it, or is it just for home use..?

My biggest issue with amps as a home player is how to play quietly, and you can get decent home practise amps for £100, and you can get some valvy goodness starting at around £200 with amps like Blackstar's HT1R

I'm definitely more of a home player, but I do plan to record my playing. Hence why I need an amp which has a very decent sound. I'll have a look at what you've recommended though. Thanks for the reply

BrendonK

thecolourbox said:

BrendonK said:

The tone I really want from the amp is one which works very well with cleaner effects such as Chorus, Reverb Etc. 

That sounds like a Roland Jazz Chorus to me. If you don't use an amp at present what do you use? And what sounds on that so you like? An idea of what you are playing through it might also help I guess

Currently I'm using a very, very cheap Yamaha 15 watt practice amp from like, 2011. I'll have a look at the roland jazz chorus. Thanks for the reply

english_bob

I have a lot of sympathy with the view that an electric guitar and its amplifier are basically two halves of the same instrument- not only will one not work without the other, but a different amp can completely change how it sounds (and feels) to play the same guitar. 

Given that you've got a healthy budget and a fairly vague description of what you want, you're going to want to narrow it down a bit.

What player/s or recording/s do you have in mind when you think of the tone you want? It might not be practical to use the same amp (eg. if your idea of tone heaven is live recordings of 70s rock bands who used multiple 100W Marshalls turned up loud enough to make you involuntarily shit yourself), but you may well be able to find something close to the mark. Heh. Or you might find that while you love the sound of those recordings, you actually hate playing with the gear used to make them.

What style/s of music are you playing? Some amps do one thing well, others aim to cover lots of sonic territory- do you need a single sound, or do you need an amp that can cover everything from solo jazz guitar to Swedish death metal?

Do you want an amp for home rehearsal, or are you gigging/rehearsing with other musicians? Obviously, you'll need a more powerful amplifier to keep up with a drummer, and a much less powerful one to avoid disturbing your kids/pets/significant other when you're noodling in the next room while they're watching the telly. If you want an amp that does both, or if you want the particular feel of a valve amp that's working hard at volume (every guitarist really ought to play really loud through an old Marshall at some point) you might find that your options narrow considerably.

Do you have any strong preference what kind of amplifier you want? Valve, transistor or digital modelling amps all have their advantages and disadvantages- valves are often considered the "best", but often don't sound great until they're turned up loud, and also need regular valve replacement. Transistor amps are often considered the poor cousin to valve amps, but can sound very good too, and are likely to be easier to maintain. Digital modelling amps are probably the best option for getting a wide variety of tones, and for getting a satisfying sound at very low volume but with the exception of the latest (and most expensive) versions of the product, they're often not very well thought of for gigging.

Do you have any strong preference whether you buy new or used? Bear in mind that valve amplifiers haven't changed a great deal in several decades, so a brand new one isn't necessarily going to give you anything you won't get from a used one. If you're considering digital modelling amps, you're basically buying a computer, so it makes sense to buy new to get yourself the most usage from it before it becomes obsolete. And it will.

english_bob

thecolourbox said:

BrendonK said:

The tone I really want from the amp is one which works very well with cleaner effects such as Chorus, Reverb Etc. 

That sounds like a Roland Jazz Chorus to me. 

Or maybe a Fender- something like the Hot Rod Deluxe or Blues Deluxe would come in well under budget (used, anyway) and has a good clean channel.

BrendonK

english_bob said:

What player/s or recording/s do you have in mind when you think of the tone you want? 

What style/s of music are you playing? 

Do you want an amp for home rehearsal, or are you gigging/rehearsing with other musicians? 

Do you have any strong preference what kind of amplifier you want? 

Do you have any strong preference whether you buy new or used?

If I wanted to go for an overall tone that I would like from my amp, it would be anything from what Johnny Marr plays in This Charming Man by The Smiths. To give a broader answer, anything from the above song to artists such as Mac Demarco, King Krule. Mostly clean sounds with a lot of that classic, reverby sound. 

What styles? Anything clean to be honest, I guess mostly things like classic-ish rock (The Smiths for Example) to more modern indie music. I'm definitely not a heavy metal guy

I would like an amp which could hold its own during a gig, but not be too oversized. Also I practice at home with headphones so as long as it has a headphone output I'll be alright. 

I don't mind whether it's new or used, just as long as I get the best deal for the money. 

Overall, it may seem like a lot. But ultimately, I am looking for an amp which works very well with cleaner sounds and effects, could hold it's own at a gig, as well as have a high enough quality output to be able to sound good in a recording. It's not neccessary but I would prefer there to be a headphone output so I can practice quietly at home. 

Thank you so much for the reply, I look forward to hearing back from you. 

english_bob

I'd definitely start by looking at Fender amps for that clean sound with lots of reverb. The Blues Deluxe and Hot Rod Deluxe amps are absolutely everywhere for a reason- they do that Fender sound very well, don't cost a fortune and don't break down much. If you have a bit more money to spend and you want the extra indie cred you might be able to get hold of a later Silverface era (1968-1981) amp within your budget. Twin Reverbs from that era are common- they're big, heavy bastards and have often had a hard life, but with a bit of TLC and a strong back (or some casters) they're classic amps that never really go out of fashion. Too big? Sure. Have a look at Princetons or Deluxes- they're much lower wattage so will break up in to distortion a bit when they're loud, but at low volume they'll all give you that clean tone you want. As far as I know, Fender have made very few truly rubbish amps over the years, and have generally got the clean channel right even when the distortion sounds weren't anything special, so you'd struggle to go wrong with a Fender for the sounds you want.

The Roland Jazz Chorus suggestion from @thecolourbox ;is a good shout too- the JC120 is up there with the Twin Reverb in the "classic clean amp" stakes (and in the "big heavy bastard" stakes too), although Roland makes a range of smaller Jazz Chorus amps if the full-fat JC120 seems like too much amp.

Vox amps are probably worth a look too- they didn't traditionally come with onboard reverb but some of their current amps do I think. The AC30 and AC15 are the classic models.

I think you'll struggle to find giggable amps- particularly valve amps- with headphone sockets, so you might want to consider a second, cheap unit for home rehearsal. An effects unit like the Zoom G3 that contains amp simulations as well as effects might be a good investment- they're well under £100 if you buy used and can be used as a recording interface as well as a headphone practice tool and an external effects processor alongside your "real" amp. Spend your money wisely and you'll be able to get the amp and effects within your budget.

In terms of recording, I don't think any of the amps I mentioned would disgrace itself on a proper recording made by someone who knew what they were doing. But that's the trick, isn't it?