I've found my live sound (warning, cheap tranny content)

svejk

My band has a big gig next week, and we were very rusty after time off gigging to make an album. So, we booked some rehearsal space where we could make a racket. On a whim, I dusted off my ancient Peavey Bandit from 1987(!). In a dual amp setup with a handwired 5e3 clone, it sounded phenomenal. Totally unexpected that an unloved transistor amp from the 80's could sound so good. I get all that lovely valve crunchiness with a really solid clean thump underneath  - the most perfect garage rock / trashy indie sound. I've been through some expensive options, and an amp that I'd struggle to get £75 for has provided the answer. Best thing is, I already had it! Sorry for the gushing. I'm ok now.

Anyone else found something unlikely or humble that has way exceeded expectations? It's good to remember that cheap stuff sometimes works really well

IanSavage

I used to do much the same thing, doubling up a Peavey Classic 20 with a Laney 30W bass amp (overdrive on the valve amp, any modulation effects on the bass amp) and yep, sounded massive. I've got a Fender 'Studio Lead' 50W SS combo incoming, I'll be intrigued what that's like...

svejk

I've heard of a lot of people using a bass amp in a two amp setup. Is it not a bit muddy? I've never tried it, as I have quite an - ahem - abrasive style with a fair bit of top end....

Danny1969

One of our bass amps blew up at the studio and that day we had a band show up who needed to use it. Looking around our rental stock I fished out a powered studio master desk and plonked that on top of an ampeg cab. The bass player plugged into the line input and it sounded great and it's still in use like that now as the bass players who use the studio seem to like it.

IanSavage

svejk said:

I've heard of a lot of people using a bass amp in a two amp setup. Is it not a bit muddy? I've never tried it, as I have quite an - ahem - abrasive style with a fair bit of top end....

Wasn't at all when I did it, and Kurt Cobain / Brian Setzer / Josh Homme would all disagree on the muddiness of guitar through bass amps...

Danny1969

Strat through a trace Elliot bass amp sounds great I used that combination s couple of weeks ago

A lot of the stoner rock guys like to use ampeg bass cabs for guitar here at the studio too

xSkarloey

Peavey Bandit- the Robert Quine amp.

Seal of quality IMO.

svejk

IanSavage said:

svejk said:

I've heard of a lot of people using a bass amp in a two amp setup. Is it not a bit muddy? I've never tried it, as I have quite an - ahem - abrasive style with a fair bit of top end....

Wasn't at all when I did it, and Kurt Cobain / Brian Setzer / Josh Homme would all disagree on the muddiness of guitar through bass amps...

I am schooled - I've been missing out!

ICBM

Skarloey said:

Peavey Bandit- the Robert Quine amp.

Seal of quality IMO.

I think he put an EV speaker in his.

It weighs and costs more than the amp!

bigjon

I use a 1992 Laney World Series 120R as my main gigging amp and have done ever since I bought it new. Tried a valve amp but it was unreliable, and I generate my sustain from a CS3 compressor.

bandmaster188

I was expecting one of these http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee512/bandmaster188/imagejpg1_zps78b1c327.jpg

midlifecrisis

I have a bandit at my rehearsal shed, but on a whim I did an outside gig with it last weekend.  really enjoyed it until it crapped out during the 2nd set.. happily fixed at home with contact cleaner on the send/return jacks seemd to have cured it.. but I love the sound, almost as much as my laney vc30 but it has a great raw feel to it.  feel the urge to start buying up loads of bandits.

ThePrettyDamned

midlifecrisis;358868" said:

I have a bandit at my rehearsal shed, but on a whim I did an outside gig with it last weekend.  really enjoyed it until it crapped out during the 2nd set.. happily fixed at home with contact cleaner on the send/return jacks seemd to have cured it.. but I love the sound, almost as much as my laney vc30 but it has a great raw feel to it.  feel the urge to start buying up loads of bandits.

Look for the Peavey revolution. Same amp, but better switching capabilities so you get access to 3 channels, which is neat, plus still keeping the footswitchable effects loop.

midlifecrisis

ThePrettyDamned said:

midlifecrisis;358868" said:

I have a bandit at my rehearsal shed, but on a whim I did an outside gig with it last weekend.  really enjoyed it until it crapped out during the 2nd set.. happily fixed at home with contact cleaner on the send/return jacks seemd to have cured it.. but I love the sound, almost as much as my laney vc30 but it has a great raw feel to it.  feel the urge to start buying up loads of bandits.

No, too complicated for me, I don't even understand the switching options on my bandit. I seem to have it on the drive chanel most of the time, just a little distorted and boost with a tubescreamer when required for solos, mmm nice.

Look for the Peavey revolution. Same amp, but better switching capabilities so you get access to 3 channels, which is neat, plus still keeping the footswitchable effects loop.

midlifecrisis

No, too complicated for me, I don't even understand the switching options on my bandit. I seem to have it on the drive chanel most of the time, just a little distorted and boost with a tubescreamer when required for solos, mmm nice. (I put this paragraph in the wrong bit, that's why I cant be trusted with complicated amps )

ThePrettyDamned

midlifecrisis said:

No, too complicated for me, I don't even understand the switching options on my bandit. I seem to have it on the drive chanel most of the time, just a little distorted and boost with a tubescreamer when required for solos, mmm nice. (I put this paragraph in the wrong bit, that's why I cant be trusted with complicated amps )

Haha mine is very easy - Clean and not so clean.  

The revolution is clean, not so clean and filth. It basically engages the push button gain boost for channel three, so it's only really useful for solos or really sludgy stuff.  

I've actually recently started using the clean channel on mine (always used it the same way as you before) and it's still a great sounding amp. 

midlifecrisis

my ideal amp would have, a volumr, a gain, a tone control and a reverb, never needed anything more.

I use to have a marshall jvm210 , had two channel each with three levels of gain, master volume and master master volume, too many knobs.  for me the fewer knobs the better, plus the knob holding the guitar

svejk

I too am a one knob man. The Bandit confuses things with EQ, but I will set it somewhere and never change it.

It's how I justify having so many guitars. What fun would it be if I could just get different sounds by changing my amp settings?

I also have a fair few pedals. They are either left always on, or always off. I should probably get rid of the ones that are always off...

tbm

My mate runs a '64 AC15 Twin in a dual amp setup with a late 80s bandit. Sounds totally great.

SquireJapan

bigjon said:

I use a 1992 Laney World Series 120R as my main gigging amp and have done ever since I bought it new. Tried a valve amp but it was unreliable, and I generate my sustain from a CS3 compressor.

^

|

 ---- See my avatar. Based on all the good words that came up in the last thread, I think we should start a fan club. I run mine with a good "always on" compressor up front, that gives the amp a little bit of give/sag and makes the cleans sound even better. To be fair though, the compressor (Diamond - used about £100) is worth more than the amp (£20).

ICBM

lol

A World Series is worth more than £20. The speaker is worth that .

I actually think they're arguably Laney's best amp - better-made than either the Linebacker (slightly) or the Tube Fusion (a lot), and far more reliable than the valve ones. If there was one in the shop I'd probably price it as high as a whole £99 .