Country Clean Amp

Georgie

I am using a fender mustang IV at the moment because I didn't know what I wanted tone wise so bought a digital.

Now I know I want a valve amp that will give me a clean country twang.

Any ideas?? I am thinking Supersonic 22, Fender deluxe 65 or the 68 reissue.

I am not wanting anything too big that a 'girl' can't carry but I want it for gigging eventually.

JDE

How "clean" are we talking? If you don't need it squeaky clean, the Deluxe Reverb is *the* country amp, IMO. It will grit up at gigging levels, but hey, thats what microphones are for. If the Deluxe is too big/too clean, look at a Princeton. If the Deluxe is too small/dirty, i'd actually look at a Pro Reverb.


I am sure a lot of "wisdom" online will point you in the direction of a Twin and tell you to "toughen up" for the load in/out, but I think Twins are much too heavy and much, much too loud. I also think the modern ones lack character compared to the Deluxe, and especially the Princeton.

Chuffola

Princeton would give you plenty of twang. Check out some Jim Campilongo YouTube vids. Not heavy either.  

Suppose it depends what your budget is.

Chuffola

D'oh. Beat me to it!

Georgie

I think the Princeton will be too small. When I smash the piggy I am looking at £1000!

JDE

It's not a race! The Princeton Reissue is actually my fave amp from Fender's current lineup. I have a vague "moneybox" that I occaisionally chuck a fiver in to save for a DRRI or similar, because i'm worried the Princeton's not big enough. Not dipped into it yet, though. I think most amps are too loud, if i'm being honest. Depends on your style of music though, obviously.  

And Campy is one of my favourite players

monquixote

Anything Fender

Deluxe reverb or pro reverb or hrd if you need more welly

I wouldn't bother with a Supersonic as you don't need the gain.

Could also look at a peavey classic 50

koss59

AC-30 or 15 is great for country cleans, gives a bit more feel without need of a compressor too. AC-30's are heavy though

Georgie

I would ideally want the 2nd channel to be overdriven but not dirty so I can utilise both rather than having to rely too heavily on pedals.

JDE

Hmm, that changes a few things. Supersonic would be good for that. However, if you went for a trad single channel Fender and got a dual overdrive pedal, you'd also be done - one amp, one OD. And you wouldn't need to worry about stuff like an FX loop (assuming you use delay).

If you're after a totally great clean channel and a totally great OD channel, then the aforementioned Peavey is a good place to start. I would also broaden the search to used Mesa amps and used Riveras.

ICBM

Hotrod Deluxe if you want an overdrive channel too.

Or if you can find one, a 1980s 'Rivera series' Deluxe Reverb II.

noisepolluter

Another Deluxe Reverb recommendation here. 

To be honest, for a crunch sound I find OD pedals much easier to work with than preamp gain. 

ThePrettyDamned

The new hot rom deluxe is good, and the peavey classic 50 is.... Well, a classic. Slightly less twang, but it can definitely do country. Spanks well for funk, too, and the od channel is quite nice.

p90fool

You only need one good channel in a country amp, just use your guitar volume for dirt/clean



I know that's a little facetious, these amps sound fantastic with an ordinary overdrive pedal too, I use a Bad Monkey with mine and it's totally natural-sounding.

richardhomer

A used Mesa Lonestar Special. Great Fender-like cleans and a wide range of edge-of-break-up tones.

Each channel can be assigned 5/15/30 watt output - so it's possible to set the clean channel for maximum headroom and the break-up sounds to have a softer, more compressed feel.

Reverb is better than any Fender I've ever heard, if that matters to you.

They seem to be widely available for under £1000. A bargain at that price, compared to the cost of things like PRRIs, etc.

57Deluxe

Bassman 59 LTD

spacecadet

For country it would usually be Fender as the obvious choice but the Budda Superdrives seem to be the amp of choice for the Nashville guys. They are very very very good and you can pick them up used for good money.

IvisonGuitars

The Blackface Deluxe was/is pretty much a mainstay in Nashville studios, it's the classic sound - especially with a Tele. If budget isn't an option - although bizarrely Bad Cat's can currently be had for a steal on here and eBay - , a lot of the 'new' country guys favour Matchless or Bad Cat.

Kebabkid

I put up a recent post about Fender Deluxe Reverbs and their clean headroom. They certainly have one of the best clean sounds I've ever heard and as people have said, you can mic it up if you want that clean sound without it breaking up. Alternatively, if you've got the dosh, the Rambler 1x12 that's for sale in the classifieds will give you superb Blackface cleans and enough headroom for gigs whilst keeping the package small and light.

Skipped

Silverface twin with JBLs was a very popular amp (and still is)
Try to imagine how great they must have sounded for guys to put up with the 90lbs weight and speakers blowing just because you looked at them in the wrong way.....

Ossyrocks

The earlier non master Twins have THE definitive clean tone and they aren't that heavy to move around either, despite what everyone says about them. I have two, a 1970 and a 1965, the most luscious, warm and spanky tone out there. If you can get them with the original Oxford 12T6 speakers  (not 12L6, those were rubbish!) then you're onto a winner.