What is the best amp you've ever played?

equalsql

The one that blew you away in terms of tone, flexibility, build quality etc. 
Was it the clean tones or overdrive, what was the magic that the amp has/ had.
For me it was a Mesa Boogie Mark III Simul-Class in the late 1980s.
It was an utter beast which took a lot of taming, but lordy the clean tones were crystal and the overdrive just punched through everything. The build quality was awesome too. 
Look at it, it's gorgeous.

HerbieTheRadDorklift

Boogie Mark IV!

Kebabkid

Divided by 13 JRT 9/15 head into a Tone Tubby 2x12 cab with H-Bombo combo of speakers (one alnico and one ceramic)

slacker

Plexi 50watt half stack sublime

Lestratcaster

Peavey 6505+ through an Orange 4x12 with a TS9 in front. Chug city central.

jasonbone75

Lestratcaster said:

Peavey 6505+ through an Orange 4x12 with a TS9 in front. Chug city central.

Savage, visceral and fantastically fun :-)

Lestratcaster

jasonbone75 said:

Lestratcaster said:

Peavey 6505+ through an Orange 4x12 with a TS9 in front. Chug city central.

Savage, visceral and fantastically fun :-)

The post gain (i.e volume knob) needs to be on 3 though to really get those tubes cooking but every soundguy in the country told me to turn down haha.

thecolourbox

This will sound sad, but a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III. I've owned and played amps considered "better" or more fancy, but none have really done it for me as much as the old HRD. Suited my two playing styles really I think, I've not really found any other amps which have done that quite as well.

The little Supro 1605 Super Reverb (tiny little amp) I think would come close and had some features useful to me that the HRD didn't have (line out for clean and wet reverb, power amp input etc) but it cost twice as much as the HRD and wouldn't have been a fat lot of good outside the home. Likewise the Vox Lil Night Train was nice except for the lack of reverb.

I enjoyed playing through an Orange Tiny Terror once in a shop for about 5 mins trying out a guitar or pedal, but I don't think it'd be a very versatile amp so I don't think it would be a contender were I to actually have one (I don't have an amp at all at the moment)

Edit - saying I have no amp reminds me, that if my choices of Modelled Amp in various units (Digitech, Helix Native, for eg) are anything to go by, I'd probably find a Mesa MK4 to be better for me, again to cover both styles - clean and drive sounds. But as they cost more than my car did, I don't think I'll ever find out (unless somebody wants to tell me there's a Joyo copy that's amazing for about 50p haha)

digitalkettle

stratman3142

HRD IV. I've led a very sheltered life.

stickyfiddle

Ignoring practicalities like size weight and sheer volume, it’s old AC30s

Flanging_Fred

Kebabkid said:

Divided by 13 JRT 9/15 head into a Tone Tubby 2x12 cab with H-Bombo combo of speakers (one alnico and one ceramic)

I remember that; really great clean tones as far as I remember.

Kalimna

Either a 633 DriveKing combo, or homebuilt (from a Modulus kit) JTM50 into 4x12. With or without OD pedal, but also without attenuator. Absolutely breathtaking

spirit7

Bogner 20th Anniversary XTC.  Jack of all trades, master of all. 

WindmillGuitars

Mesa Lonestar Special 2x12 Combo - switchable, lots of volume, great verb and wonderful saturated tones when you want them

McToot

Probably a Bogner Shiva through a Zilla oversized 2x12: incontinence inducing goodness, both clean and driven. Alas I didn't own it.

Of my own amps I'd say my old Cornford Carrera was the the one that made me sound best (no easy task), but it had to be played at full chat. At polite volumes it was total guano.  

richardhomer

equalsql said:

The one that blew you away in terms of tone, flexibility, build quality etc. 
Was it the clean tones or overdrive, what was the magic that the amp has/ had.
For me it was a Mesa Boogie Mark III Simul-Class in the late 1980s.
It was an utter beast which took a lot of taming, but lordy the clean tones were crystal and the overdrive just punched through everything. The build quality was awesome too. 
Look at it, it's gorgeous.

I had a fully loaded MkIII (EV speaker/Simulclass power stage) exactly like that one. I agree, they were outstanding amps.

I sold mine as I’d stopped gigging and moving the thing around was problematic - they were spectacularly heavy. 

PeteC

Park 1210 Rockhead through a 4x12 - majestically trouser flapping 

theatreanchor

Fender Blonde Bassman.

Alex2678

Probably a ‘65 JTM 45 but sadly I played it through an ox box and headphones so I’ll never really know…

Moe_Zambeek

Only a few amps have truly lived up to the hype for me:
Soldano SLO100. Just awesome, too much for me in size / weight / cost though. Really needs a big cab too I feel.

Matchless DC30. Another awesome amp that has something special. I think the combos sound better than the heads and cabs, but again - too heavy, too expensive, too loud to keep around (though I do think the MV is fine…).

Audio Kitchen combo. Loved the sound and feel but it was too heavy and at 17 watts both too loud and too quiet, depending on the circumstances I found myself in. The Big Trees gets me similar sounds in a small package but lacks the volume for outside home / studio.