Two Rock Studio Pro Plus vs Carr Rambler

willrejones

So I've been on the lookout to upgrade my HRD recently. I'm looking at single channel, 20-30 watts.

So far, the Two Rock Studio Pro Plus 22w has been the one standing out to me. Particularly impressed with the Expansion feature and I've also found the EQ boost feature allows me to find a very wide range of tones. FX loop, reverb and tremolo - it's got a lot going for it to me.

Only problem is, I refrain from buying new, but I don't imagine I'm going g to find the Two Rock used very easily. Went to Coda today and tried the Carr Rambler. Very nice sound, albeit with less features. Lack of an FX loop is a turn off for me, but I've seen one used in the classifieds and it seems like a good deal to me.

What do you all think? Hold out for the Two Rock or go for the Carr? I honestly can't put much between them tonally. Both very impressive.

willrejones

Also forgot to mention, I play indie-ish rock a la Coldplay/Elbow... Touring is sort of my life so I need something solid and reliable.

Like this...

[Deleted User]

they are miles apart, you can't compare them

57Deluxe

Fender Super Reverb and a couple good pedals - all you need and will cover both those Amp's bases...

[Deleted User]

57Deluxe said:

Fender Super Reverb and a couple good pedals - all you need and will cover both those Amp's bases...

sane

Wazmeister

Carr by a country mile. Rock solid and superb support amd service from Steve Carr and his team...

JohnPerry

I have one (the TR, but without the trem) and used to have the other. They are both fabulous and rock solid for gigging. The TR is harder to dial in but glorious when you get there. The Carr is the perfect pedal platform. I always found it a little bit hi-fi for my taste, and traded it for a warmer Carr Viceroy, but it's nonetheless a terrific amp

willrejones

JohnPerry said:

I have one (the TR, but without the trem) and used to have the other. They are both fabulous and rock solid for gigging. The TR is harder to dial in but glorious when you get there. The Carr is the perfect pedal platform. I always found it a little bit hi-fi for my taste, and traded it for a warmer Carr Viceroy, but it's nonetheless a terrific amp

Part of me wishes I had checked out the Viceroy as that's more the kind of thing I was looking for.

JohnPerry

Try the Carr Sportsman 1 x 12 in Coda if you can. Like an old Princeton but with a master volume. I'd have that over a Rambler personally.

Wazmeister

As you all know by now, I'm a huge Sportsman fan. It is warmer, sweeter and simpler than the other Carrs, and the TR.

koss59

You say you want it for touring? What sort of venues? When I had the Two Rock 35 I didn't think it had much proper clean headroom in some venues. I have a friend with one who only plays pubs and his doesn't stay totally clean either.

willrejones

koss59 said:

You say you want it for touring? What sort of venues? When I had the Two Rock 35 I didn't think it had much proper clean headroom in some venues. I have a friend with one who only plays pubs and his doesn't stay totally clean either.

Ah that's interesting. I was looking at the 22w as well... I'm pretty inexperienced in dealing with headroom as there's not a lot of purely clean stuff in what I play. Most of the time I put the amp at a level I'm happy with onstage, and it's then mic'd up and sent into my in-ear monitors, so volume on stage is not really something I consider.

As for venues, anything from 500 cap clubs to 5000 cap theatres. Headroom is not the biggest issue for me - my base tone at the moment is very slightly driven, which I then add drive pedals to to have several gain stages. Which is why I'm looking at slightly lower wattage - rather than using the drive channel on the HRD, I'm trying to find that natural break up stage on which to build. The Expansion feature on the Two Rock interests me as I could use it as a boost, and the lack of an FX loop on the Rambler is frustrating as I like to run my delays and verb through it.

richardhomer

willrejones;322758" said:

Ah that's interesting. I was looking at the 22w as well... I'm pretty inexperienced in dealing with headroom as there's not a lot of purely clean stuff in what I play. Most of the time I put the amp at a level I'm happy with onstage, and it's then mic'd up and sent into my in-ear monitors, so volume on stage is not really something I consider.

I've played a 22 watt Two Rock and reckon I could shout louder than one of them....

Not only did it seem to lack headroom, it's sound lacked 'size' - if that makes sense. It sounded 'small' in a way that really surprised me, given its cost.

Albert Lee did a personal appearance at Tone World on behalf of Music Man guitars. The shop was not huge - I would estimate the audience was less than a hundred. He played along to backing tracks - so no 'live drummer' issues - using the same amp. It was mic'd through a small PA....

I have to say, I have been underwhelmed by every Two Rock I've tried.

monquixote

Great track. 

I don't know much about Carr or Two Rock, but if you want ultimate uncomplicated single channel tone then I'd recommend looking out for an H&K Puretone. 

I have one and they are a £2K amp new, but don't go for much secondhand. They have Fender cleans and are 25W, but fecking loud. They also have an attenuator and tone stack bypass so despite not having master volume you can control the breakup really well. 

JohnPerry

My TR Studio Pro 22 is glorious and sounds huge for its size. Loud too. They are tricky buggers though. It took me half an hour of tweaking when it first arrived to find the magic combination of levels for volume, master and master master. When it first turned up i hated it. Half an hour later I loved it and have done since

willrejones

JohnPerry;322908" said:

My TR Studio Pro 22 is glorious and sounds huge for its size. Loud too. They are tricky buggers though. It took me half an hour of tweaking when it first arrived to find the magic combination of levels for volume, master and master master. When it first turned up i hated it. Half an hour later I loved it and have done since

I'm slowly realising it's bloody difficult to know... This is my first foray into the boutique realm.

Any opinions on the Dr Z Maz models in comparison?

jellyroll

richardhomer said:

I've played a 22 watt Two Rock and reckon I could shout louder than one of them....

That's what I thought......then I found the second master volume control at the back.......

richardhomer

jellyroll;323122" said:

That's what I thought......then I found the second master volume control at the back.......

Not on the model I'm referring to (I can't remember exactly which one it was).

Clearly there is a degree of subjectivity when judging volume - my previous comments about Albert Lee being mic'd up when performing in a very small venue (ie a music shop) would suggest that it wasn't loud enough when playing to less than 100 people.

FWIW, given the kind of gigs the OP is playing, 50 watts is probably the minimum he should consider.

JohnPerry

willrejones said:

JohnPerry;322908" said:

My TR Studio Pro 22 is glorious and sounds huge for its size. Loud too. They are tricky buggers though. It took me half an hour of tweaking when it first arrived to find the magic combination of levels for volume, master and master master. When it first turned up i hated it. Half an hour later I loved it and have done since

I'm slowly realising it's bloody difficult to know... This is my first foray into the boutique realm.

Any opinions on the Dr Z Maz models in comparison?

also v well made but a different flavour from the others, more Vox-Marshall than Fender. Don't think Coda have any Zs (Peach do them) but they have everything else we've mentioned, right there for you to try, if Stevenage is not prohibitively far from you

koss59

The Two Rocks do go very loud once you turn the rear master past 12 but they are no longer clean past this position. I play in similar places to you most of the time and if I was to look at Two Rock again I'd get a 50 watt and I'm not a very loud player at all. The Dr.Z's are loud for their ratings but you'd still need a Maz 38 to play Totally clean. They're also a really different sound to the Two Rocks you're asking about.

willrejones

Of course, I just noticed a few Dr Z's hanging around the classifieds is all. Thanks for the feedback all.