Author Topic: Soliciting Opinions on Power Amp for Guitar (Read 272 times)

lbpesq · « **on:** September 01, 2007, 12:45:15 PM »

Since I picked up an F-2B for a song on craigslist, I've been kicking around the idea of a rack rig for guitar. I see the Mesa 50/50 and 2:90 show up fairly regularly on ebay and craig's, but really don't know all that much about them or instrument power amps in general. Anyone out there use a pre-amp/amp set up for guitar? Any suggestions? recommendations? interesting anecdotes? Advantages/disadvantages vs. combo amp? Any bass player who wants to put in their 2 cents is more than welcome. What should I be looking for?

Bill, tgo

dadabass2001 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 01, 2007, 01:31:43 PM »

Ummm... 200 watt MacIntoshes and Hard Trucker cabs?

Capt. Obvious

bkbass · « **Reply #2 on:** September 01, 2007, 03:49:32 PM »

so much depends on your tone.... Mac Intosh,F2B and some JBL's 1st pick. Try a Hafler Trans Nova there fairly cheap on e-bay. Carvin's 50/50 sounds decent,Peavey's 50/50 was supposedly a very well made sleeper that most guitarists shrugged off.

lbpesq · « **Reply #3 on:** September 01, 2007, 06:31:33 PM »

Perhaps I should narrow it down a little. First of all, I don't want to spend a LOT for it, certainly less than $1000 and preferably more in the $500 range. Used is fine. I'm assuming for guitar a tube power amp would be better than solid state, but this is just an assumption. Am I wrong? I'm looking for a full clean sound and something that is rack mountable and doesn't weigh more than a small foreign car. I'm also thinking stereo as the F-2B is stereo and I thought I could hook up each channel to a 2x12 cab and separate the cabs on stage. Thanks for the heads up on the Carvin and the Peavey, I'll do some research.

Keep the suggestions and info coming!

Bill, tgo

dnburgess · « **Reply #4 on:** September 01, 2007, 07:33:45 PM »

Didn't Randal bring out a valve power amp for geetarists?

lidon2001 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 01, 2007, 10:19:52 PM »

Here you go Bill:

100 Watt Stereo Marshall on Ebay for $560 Buy it now

FC Bass · « **Reply #6 on:** September 02, 2007, 02:14:22 AM »

The Mesa's will do the job, undestructible and very good sounding amps.
I use the Strategy 400 (+/- 2 x 200 watts) for bass, if you want clean @ (very) high power levels it will deliver.
Mesa's are extremely loud... I think the 50/50 will give more than enough power for guitar.
Simul 295 Stereo has 6L6 combined with EL34 power tubes (also an option for the Strategy's) and is i.e. a half size Strategy 400 (+/- 2 x 100 watts)
I've paid 800 Euro's for the Strategy 400 (about $1000) and I think the prices are a bit lower in the US, you should be able to get a 50/50 for $500 or less I guess...
Can't go wrong with a Boogie m8 ;-)

Good luck!

FC Bass · « **Reply #7 on:** September 02, 2007, 12:38:00 PM »

Btw: The Strategy weighs 27,2 kg (+/- 60 pounds)

crgaston · « **Reply #8 on:** September 03, 2007, 06:03:53 PM »

Bill, Mesa makes a 20/20 power amp that's 1 rackspace. I don't know if it's shallow enough to fit in a Gator Shallow rack, but if it is, that would be the bizness. I was looking at doing something similar with my F2B for recording purposes, but it sounds so dang good with my Series I'm leaving it in my rack.

Good luck,
Charles

lbpesq · « **Reply #9 on:** September 03, 2007, 08:05:21 PM »

Thanks to everyone for your input.

Charles, does the 20/20 really get loud enough to gig with a full band while still maintaining a relatively clean tone? I've been doing some research. The Peavey looks like a real sleeper. One thing, though, is that it is based on the EL84 power tubes. Everything I've read seems to suggest that these are more compatible with a distorted british sound. I much prefer a clean tone and I believe that is more closely associated with the 6L6 tubes. At this point I'm thinking of going with a Mesa 50/50. Any experience out there with EL84 vs. 6L6?

Bill, tgo

bsee · « **Reply #10 on:** September 03, 2007, 08:41:28 PM »

EL84 tubes power the Peavey Classic combo series. The one I own won't ever sound like a Roland JC in terms of a clean sound, but it doesn't have to completely break up either. Of course, I am a bassist and it's only a toy for me. Couldn't give you impressions at gigging levels.

A couple things I found with a quick Googling:

http://www.petrucciforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4917
http://www.vhtamp.com/faqs.html#15

Everything I read says that the EL34 / EL84 tubes are the Marshall tone and the 6L6 / 6V6 are the Fender tone. In each of these pairs the latter is a lower power version with similar character to the former.

I'm wondering now if I could get my Peavey set up to take 6V6s...

-Bob

adriaan · « **Reply #11 on:** September 04, 2007, 01:08:14 AM »

I used to have a small bass amp with 2 EL84 tubes, built on an old chassis of a school PA system, and it sounded clean as a bell at 20 watts. A friend who dabbled in amps at the time blamed it on the output transformer, which was supposed to be of the highest quality available in the 1960s.

My dad, who learned electronics in the all-tube era, said EL84s are rated at 11 watts, so you need plenty of them to get plenty of loud output. Of course ou can drive them harder, but then you lose the cleanliness, which is probably what produces the British sound.

kmh364 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 04, 2007, 07:06:25 AM »

Does it have to be a valve amp, Bill? Unless you're opposed to them, you should be able to get a small rack-mount used S/S amp like a QSC, Crown, Peavey, Yamaha, etc., for that price. With the tube pre-amp, you'll still get that ole' valve magic, just without the power tube contribution. A MOSFET s/s amp will give you some of that back. Just my $0.02.

Cheers,

Kevin

FWIW, I use a hybrid (tube pre/ss amp) Eden bass head and my rack system is hybrid as well (F-2B and QSC). It's a nice compromise...sweetness of tube(s) and the extended range and rock-solid bottom that hi-current s/s provides in spades.

bsee · « **Reply #13 on:** September 04, 2007, 09:06:50 AM »

Good point, Kevin. I would think that you'd be able to approach the sound of a 6L6 equipped power amp with solid state. The EL34 signature tone might be harder to come by, but it sounds like that might not be what Bill is looking for.

catfish_john · « **Reply #14 on:** September 04, 2007, 11:33:16 AM »

I use a groove tube trio powered by a mcintosh mc2300...at 300 watts /chanel it is probably more than you need..also very tough to retool and maintain..it also weighs 135ilbs!..on ebay, you can usually find modified fender twin reverbs which have the cabinets and speakers removed, similar to what Garcia did in the 70s and 80s when he used one as a preamp...pretty sweet and clean but not sure how easily it fits in a rack..you can often find them for $700-800.