Post by Michael O. on Dec 21, 2020 17:43:40 GMT -6
In addition to the usual larger Fender, Ampeg, Silvertone, etc. suspects I’ve been into small combo amps for a while, especially mid-‘50s to mid-‘60s Rickenbackers. Judging by the circuits, a lot of Mr. Fender’s early amp offerings were heavily Rickenbacker influenced, and these amps deliver what you’d expect from their Fender contemporaries...but with cool green jewel lights! Plus in-studio I prefer the typically looser/larger sound of small amps vs. the tighter/smaller sound of big amps, not to mention obviating the sometimes funky phase relations between multi speaker cabs.
refurbished and retolexed Ric e12
Ric m88 (with original tube complement and Jensen AlNiCo, maybe my single favorite amp) beside a rehoused Silvertone/Dano amp-in-case
an odd one, the Ace Tone Fighter (an apparent Champ knock off from the company that became Roland). Almost as good/bad as the amp-in-case
I echo the sentiments on a Deluxe Reverb. A silverface will get the job done. Someone else posted recommending a Kendrick black frame speaker. It's what I have in my '65. It's the only speaker I've ever used in it. It came to me with a POS GE speaker, so that's what I replaced it with. That GE looked like something that came out of a stereo. The Kendrick speaker has been in there almost 25 years. Real tight bottom end. DR's can get farty with an inadequate speaker. This particular amp is my go-to out of the 20 amps here. Gets used here in the studio plenty.
Another amp and a good value at that is the Ampeg J20, made in the 2000's era. It's basically a recreation of the brownface Deluxe. Volume, Tone, and bias-modulated tremolo. Point-to-point on a turret board. Easily modified. It's a little tone machine. Mine has an AlNiCo 12" of some description. It's fine, especially if you dig early 60's Fender meets Marshall tone. And it's eminently portable. That tremolo is deep!
Hard not to recommend a Dr Z Maz 18 NR head. Pair it with whatever cabinet/speakers you like and you can cover a lot of ground.
Wow, brilliant scores on the Silvertone cab and the Deluxe. Which Vox did you end up with?
I don't like the Bandmaster head at all I prefer the Showman, big beefy iron. I had a blackface Bandmaster that didn't stay long, but I have a silver faced Showman that's getting set back up today probably.
You might want to try to find a Silvertone 1484 or 1485 head to go with that cabinet. A lot of them are really beat up now. But 1484 was my main amp for many years. I need to track down another one.
A Bandmaster sounds a lot better with a Bassman OT. Th Bandmaster trannie is pretty anemic.
That was one of the mods I did as the transformer on mine was non-stock and hanging by 2 bolts anyway...
I've only got one amp now, Engl Retrotube + custom made Zilla 2X12.. Great sounding amp, does vintage tones well and to say it's "retro" punches harder than a 5150 when made angry.. Only issue is it's freaking loud for a 50w, I mean my memory maybe slipping but it seems worse than my previous 4X12 triple rec..
