What amp am I looking for?

notonlybutalso

Ok so I just sold my last amp and now I need something to make noise with. I am after a 1x12 combo amp anywhere from 15 Watts and up. It needs to have an effects loop, it doesn't need more than one channel as long as that channel can get a little crunchy and has a master volume. Price wise I am looking under a grand, obviously the less the better. Any suggestions?

jellybelly

Lots of options! Any specific reason for the FX loop? Just a preference?

bertie

jellybelly said:

Lots of options! Any specific reason for the FX loop? Just a preference?

also what kind of loop (series/parallel)  and does it need to be switchable 

jellybelly

Looking as t the classifieds, the Friedman Runt 50 or the Mesa Lonestar Special would be top of my list. 

notonlybutalso

bertie said:

jellybelly said:

Lots of options! Any specific reason for the FX loop? Just a preference?

also what kind of loop (series/parallel)  and does it need to be switchable 

I like running a gritty tone but I want my time based effects in the loop. Series is fine with me I have a mix control on my obne mixer pedal.

notonlybutalso

What do we think about a Mesa DC3? I know nothing about Mesa amps and even less about older ones

ICBM

notonlybutalso said:

What do we think about a Mesa DC3? I know nothing about Mesa amps and even less about older ones

Pretty good amp but rather dated now - it sounds very dark, aggressive and '90s'. You won't get anything like a vintage-style light-power-amp-overdrive sound out of it, nor a shimmery clean tone. But if you do like dark and gritty it might be ideal.

The FX loop is dreadful too - it's a crude parallel loop that won't go to 100% wet and so causes trouble with FX units which digitise the dry signal path. I had the DC-5 and the only solution was to modify it to a series loop. (Not a big job, actually.)

notonlybutalso

ICBM said:

notonlybutalso said:

What do we think about a Mesa DC3? I know nothing about Mesa amps and even less about older ones

Pretty good amp but rather dated now - it sounds very dark, aggressive and '90s'. You won't get anything like a vintage-style light-power-amp-overdrive sound out of it, nor a shimmery clean tone. But if you do like dark and gritty it might be ideal.

The FX loop is dreadful too - it's a crude parallel loop that won't go to 100% wet and so causes trouble with FX units which digitise the dry signal path. I had the DC-5 and the only solution was to modify it to a series loop. (Not a big job, actually.)

Well nuts to that then, cheers

Rowby1

Egnater Tweaker 15

monquixote

I'm a stuck record but the DSL40 does a lot.

menamestom

Hot Rod Deluxe could be worth a look?

Relatively light and loud and sounds good.  

notonlybutalso

menamestom said:

Hot Rod Deluxe could be worth a look?

Relatively light and loud and sounds good.  

I used to have an hrd and while it was good value for the spec I found the touchy volume knob sweep to be unusable

notonlybutalso

monquixote said:

I'm a stuck record but the DSL40 does a lot.

I had never really considered Marshall but I hear good things about that one, will it do light breakup?

monquixote

notonlybutalso said:

monquixote said:

I'm a stuck record but the DSL40 does a lot.

I had never really considered Marshall but I hear good things about that one, will it do light breakup?

The clean channel and crunch will both handle lighter gain.

notonlybutalso

monquixote said:

notonlybutalso said:

monquixote said:

I'm a stuck record but the DSL40 does a lot.

I had never really considered Marshall but I hear good things about that one, will it do light breakup?

The clean channel and crunch will both handle lighter gain.

That's on the shortlist then. I am off to try a stoneham today hopefully but if that falls through that's my next stop

bertie

notonlybutalso said:

menamestom said:

Hot Rod Deluxe could be worth a look?

Relatively light and loud and sounds good.  

I used to have an hrd and while it was good value for the spec I found the touchy volume knob sweep to be unusable

that's what the old volume box in the loop "fixed"   

notonlybutalso

bertie said:

notonlybutalso said:

menamestom said:

Hot Rod Deluxe could be worth a look?

Relatively light and loud and sounds good.  

I used to have an hrd and while it was good value for the spec I found the touchy volume knob sweep to be unusable

that's what the old volume box in the loop "fixed"   

Yep that's exactly what I did. I would rather just buy an amp that worked the way I want without having to fix it though

ICBM

notonlybutalso said:

I used to have an hrd and while it was good value for the spec I found the touchy volume knob sweep to be unusable

Easily fixed for £20 with a Dr Watson Lion Tamer .

The newer versions aren’t as bad anyway, Fender changed the taper of the pot after endless complaints!

I’ve never found them a problem really, but then I don’t use one at home volumes.

EricTheWeary

Laney Lionheart? 
Effectively it's a crunchy 20w combo with a clean channel thrown in. 
People didn't like the parallel effects loop on the original UK version, I'm not sure what it's like on the later Chinese version or the new UK version. The spring reverb in the original was sacrificed for a slightly crappy digital one on the later versions. But it is an amp designed to live in that clean-crunch zone. 

notonlybutalso

EricTheWeary said:

Laney Lionheart? 
Effectively it's a crunchy 20w combo with a clean channel thrown in. 
People didn't like the parallel effects loop on the original UK version, I'm not sure what it's like on the later Chinese version or the new UK version. The spring reverb in the original was sacrificed for a slightly crappy digital one on the later versions. But it is an amp designed to live in that clean-crunch zone. 

I have always wanted the Lionheart 20 but never had a chance to try it out. It seems to fit the bill and I like an inbuilt tiltback, I hadn't heard about the loop issue mind. I tried a Peavey classic 20 a few years ago too and that seemed to be the right style but it was just ok, didn't blow me away

monquixote

notonlybutalso said:

monquixote said:

notonlybutalso said:

monquixote said:

I'm a stuck record but the DSL40 does a lot.

I had never really considered Marshall but I hear good things about that one, will it do light breakup?

The clean channel and crunch will both handle lighter gain.

That's on the shortlist then. I am off to try a stoneham today hopefully but if that falls through that's my next stop

Do you want me to do a quick phone vid of the gain sweep?

What type of guitar do you use and what kind of thing do you play?