Help me sort out my amp dilemmas

Bucket

Ok.

Some of you may recall a while back I bought a new fuzz, a Maxon Fire. I absolutely love it, but my Blackstar HT Club 40 doesn't. I've had this amp for a few years and it's fantastic, except for one thing - it has problems with fuzz pedals, none of my three seem to work quite right with it compared to other amps I've played them through. It's just the design of the amp - I think it's the input stage. There's nothing I can realistically do to the amp to change this, and fuzz pedals are an important enough part of my rig that I won't be stopping using them. This seems to necessitate getting another amp at some point.

Dilemma 1: Do I sell the Blackstar? It has a great deal of sentimental value to me, and it is a bloody good amp, but would I be better off selling it in this case?

Dilemma 2: What amp do I go for?

For a long time now, I've been dead set on one amp - the Mesa Express 5:25+. My drummer is on at me to get a head and cab rather than a combo - because in his considerable gigging experience, most venues have a guitar cab so it's easier to just bring a head. Not to mention that we often travel to gigs in the frontman's small car, carrying two guitars, a bass, his Blues Junior, our two pedalboards, bits of drumkit and four people. So the less amp I have to add to the mix, the better. Although what I should really do is get on with my driving test, so I can theoretically borrow a car from my parents and split the load a bit. Probably an idea tbh.

So if I went head and cab, it'd probably be the Express head and a 2x12 of some description for when I do need a cab. BUT - for a few weeks now, since first playing one for myself, I've been GASing hard for a Fender Deluxe Reverb. The related Supersonic 22 head seems like a great option - it has the same wonderful clean sound, plus a shit-kicking distorted channel (at least based on the PGS demo) and an effects loop - I need one. And the Fender is about half the price of the Mesa, but doesn't really feel like much of a compromise. Still sounds great, and does everything I need.

So - Express 5:25+ head or Supersonic 22 head?

Dilemma 3, which I've just thought of - would I be able to use the Blackstar as a 1x12 cab for either of these heads?

EDIT: Dilemma 4 - can I really rely on there being a decent cab, or a cab at all? Should I just buy a combo?

So there we go. Help me please!

ThePrettyDamned

Calling @ecc83.  There could be a mod that would help. 

Alternative idea: keep the amp, but have it modded so you can use it as a cab.  That way, you get your arse kicking Mesa for gigs (just take the amp) and you have the blackstar amp as backup, and you have a cab for home practise.  

 

ICBM

You could use the Blackstar as a cab, but it may not be ideal - it looks like the speaker impedance is 16 ohms, which is not right for either the Mesa or the Fender (both need 8 ohms), although it's an acceptable safe mismatch - you won't blow anything up, but you won't get the full power and tone of the amp. You *could* replace the speaker with an 8-ohm one which would still be usable with the Blackstar, but it's getting to be a bit of a faff if you're not sure you want to keep the amp.

It's probably the preamp design of the Blackstar which is the problem - it's a hybrid with the initial stages being solid-state, and these often don't like fuzz pedals. Modding it is not really possible, or advisable. So if you want to keep it, here's another idea - have you thought about running the pedals into the FX return, possibly via some other sort of preamp? OK the first stage after the loop is still solid-state, but as a purely clean amp it should work better.

If neither of these ideas really works or sounds simple and straightforward, I would probably replace the amp. Even if it was your first one and is still a decent amp, in my honest opinion there are better ones. On the other hand replacing the speaker with a better one (as well as changing it to 8 ohms) could improve the tone a lot too...

guitarfishbay

I'm not familiar with the Express, but personally I'd do a good bit of research before picking a head for 'cab share' reasons. IMO some amps seem pickier than others. I don't know how loud you play but I know you're a metal fan - personally I'd be inclined to consider more wattage than 25 watts but that doesn't necessarily mean the same rings true for your actual needs.

Bucket

@guitarfishbay I am a metal fan, but I'm not looking for a metal distortion channel - I've got my Hardwire TL-2 to do all those sounds. The Express can do really nice high-gain, but the Supersonic would do the job just as well - the distortion channel sounds excellent.

Deijavoo

I found that when I went from my SLO Clone to a Mark V that the Mesa really wasn't that fond of the fuzz sounds. Might have just been my ears and the way it was different but not better or worse. Saying that a Dual Rec is in my horizons again now, always loved it. 

Good luck with the hunt sir.

Bucket

I played a Dual Rec at a rehearsal studio a few weeks ago, and the clean channel was fine with my fuzz...

guitarfishbay

Dual Recs are awesome amps, I find fuzz works fine with them. They're not as OTT as people expect, save for the bass response and presence on modern - which is where my personal issues with alternate cabs lie. Regular 3 channels (non reborns) are going as low as £7xx these days on eBay. It might be worth considering a single in your position too, but I reckon a dual is worth the extra.

Bucket

I'm definitely not getting something with more than about 40 watts!

guitarfishbay

Saying this - if you can try out the one at the rehearsal studio again definitely do that. They aren't for everyone and some people find the response too slow and loose. It will feel a lot different to the Blackstar IME.

guitarfishbay

Bucket said:

I'm definitely not getting something with more than about 40 watts!

Ah right ok. At that wattage I'd be inclined to still consider combos. You'll get consistency of sound plus 40 watt and below combos aren't necessarily too heavy. I'm excluding old AC30s in that statement!

Bucket

guitarfishbay said:

Bucket said:

I'm definitely not getting something with more than about 40 watts!

Ah right ok. At that wattage I'd be inclined to still consider combos. You'll get consistency of sound plus 40 watt and below combos aren't necessarily too heavy. I'm excluding old AC30s in that statement!

It's more about space in the car - we usually get a lift to gigs from our frontman, who's the only one that currently owns a car, and it's only a small car - we're carrying his amp, guitar and pedalboard, bits of drum kit, my guitar and pedalboard and the bassist's guitar. Another combo just would not fit. And it'd be another thing to mic up, so we'd take longer to set up - if I could just plonk my own head on top of a supplied 4x12 or whatever, that'd be ten times easier. Hopefully that explains my reasoning!

So yes - small head, and the only two I'm really interested in are the Express 5:25+ and the Supersonic 22!

Sound-wise, I could go either way, but the Fender is half the price. The Mesa is a smaller box though, which is good.

Bidley

Bucket said:

I'm definitely not getting something with more than about 40 watts!

Why?

guitarfishbay

Bucket said:

guitarfishbay said:

Bucket said:

I'm definitely not getting something with more than about 40 watts!

Ah right ok. At that wattage I'd be inclined to still consider combos. You'll get consistency of sound plus 40 watt and below combos aren't necessarily too heavy. I'm excluding old AC30s in that statement!

It's more about space in the car - we usually get a lift to gigs from our frontman, who's the only one that currently owns a car, and it's only a small car - we're carrying his amp, guitar and pedalboard, bits of drum kit, my guitar and pedalboard and the bassist's guitar. Another combo just would not fit. And it'd be another thing to mic up, so we'd take longer to set up - if I could just plonk my own head on top of a supplied 4x12 or whatever, that'd be ten times easier. Hopefully that explains my reasoning!

So yes - small head, and the only two I'm really interested in are the Express 5:25+ and the Supersonic 22!

Sound-wise, I could go either way, but the Fender is half the price. The Mesa is a smaller box though, which is good.

Fair play - but you didn't really explain these size requirements in the OP. Personally I say go for the Mesa, if you've got your heart on it IMO it is better to buy once, cry once (about the price) and be happy with it. A good test idea would be to try both through a Marshall 1960, they're probably the most common 4x12 if that is what you're anticipating to see at gigs.

meltedbuzzbox

Bucket said:

guitarfishbay said:

Bucket said:

I'm definitely not getting something with more than about 40 watts!

Ah right ok. At that wattage I'd be inclined to still consider combos. You'll get consistency of sound plus 40 watt and below combos aren't necessarily too heavy. I'm excluding old AC30s in that statement!

It's more about space in the car - we usually get a lift to gigs from our frontman, who's the only one that currently owns a car, and it's only a small car - we're carrying his amp, guitar and pedalboard, bits of drum kit, my guitar and pedalboard and the bassist's guitar. Another combo just would not fit. And it'd be another thing to mic up, so we'd take longer to set up - if I could just plonk my own head on top of a supplied 4x12 or whatever, that'd be ten times easier. Hopefully that explains my reasoning!

So yes - small head, and the only two I'm really interested in are the Express 5:25+ and the Supersonic 22!

Sound-wise, I could go either way, but the Fender is half the price. The Mesa is a smaller box though, which is good.

if its all about saving space and making life easy why not use a POD into a PA?

That eliminates venues supplying a 4x12 which I have rarely ever experienced personally

mike257

Yeah, cab shares arranged between bands on a bill is not unusual, although the increasing prevalence of combos over stacks (in my experience) makes that less likely. Rare to see the venue provide one themselves. Certainly wouldn't let the expectation of finding one supplied for you be a part of your decision making process when picking an amp as it's far from certain.

Bucket

Ok - as I said, it's just what my drummer suggested, he's done lots of gigs around here with various bands and says that more often than not, there's a cab supplied - if this isn't the case, I'll reconsider.

And @Bidley, I just don't need that volume! My Blackstar is 40 watts and I rarely get to take it to any kind of serious volume, so I'd rather get an amp whose power I can use more of.

Bidley

All I'll say is you can't emulate the epic headroom that a 100w will give you. Even a 50w will be nice and open-sounding. Wattage isn't all about volume.

There seems to be an awful lot made of the necessity of having a small or lower-powered amp these days. The simple fact is that wattages aren't always a good rule of thumb. My Carvin is 100w and I used to have to run the master and channel volumes on 7(!) to be heard in a medium-sized club. And that was through an oversized 4x12.

Of course most 100w amps are fucking loud, but those master volume knobs are really handy, in that they go up and down 

Alls I'm saying is that you're limiting your options massively by immediately discounting everything above 40w. Also, because little amps are very much in vogue, the higher-powered amps are that bit cheaper. They're not always physically that much bigger.

Just sayin'

ThePrettyDamned

@bucket have you thought about the EVH 5153 head?  Smaller, 2 proper channels, and *that* lead channel.  Apparently the cleans on it are really nice, too

Of course, no idea what your budget is but y'never know. 

richardhomer

Running a low(ish) powered head into a (possibly) impedance-mismatched, inefficient cab - which if it's someone else's could easily be the case - is a sure fire way of running out of headroom.

I'd far rather rein-in a 'big' amp, than push a small one too far....

monquixote

Having had a Supersonic 22 it has a very nice clean channel. In Vintage mode it didn't like Fuzz boxes, but in Fat mode it loved them.

The distortion channel is decent, but it's quite compressed and I found that I could get a better sound with pedals and because the footswitch is stupid and massive I ended up leaving it at home and just using the clean channel.

I'm also concerned they are a bit fragile as I know of a few people that have had them blow up (My old one blew up on Travis). They also suffer from popping on channel change (which is a design feature).

As a result I'd probably be looking at the Deluxe Reverb in preference. 

Alternately I'd be looking at a Mesa F series or DC or a Fender HRD, or a Peavey Classic 50, or a RIvera.

When I played in London a few places had a house cab which would normally be completely fucked, but I wouldn't base your decision on it. If you buy a manageable combo you can always whack it into a 4x12 if they have one.