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Post by theshea on May 14, 2024 10:40:12 GMT -6
I have a small collection of vintage amps and access to a -63 ac30. Though they are all great I actually end up mostly using my late 60’s Hiwatt dr103 thru purple back fanes. It works in so many contexts and serves as a great platform for pedals. So that would probably be my desert island amp. just listened to sound review of the hiwatt dr103 with fane speakers. played with a tele. georgous sound!!! but pricey amp … how are the newer hiwatts? is there a cheaper hiwatt version that gets that crunchy sound? i understand fane speakers are a big part of the sound. |
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Post by ragan on May 14, 2024 11:29:38 GMT -6
I played vintage Hiwatts in my band days. Man those things could rip your face off.
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Post by niklas1073 on May 14, 2024 12:23:00 GMT -6
I have a small collection of vintage amps and access to a -63 ac30. Though they are all great I actually end up mostly using my late 60’s Hiwatt dr103 thru purple back fanes. It works in so many contexts and serves as a great platform for pedals. So that would probably be my desert island amp. just listened to sound review of the hiwatt dr103 with fane speakers. played with a tele. georgous sound!!! but pricey amp … how are the newer hiwatts? is there a cheaper hiwatt version that gets that crunchy sound? i understand fane speakers are a big part of the sound. Yeah the purple back fanes are great. But when I gigged with the amp more I swapped them for eminence tonkers which could take more beating and actually sounded really great with the Hiwatt. Now when it sits mainly in studio I use the fanes again. So you can get a great tone with other speakers too, but it’s really crucial to find the right ones. The old Hiwatts, made in mr. reeves basement are a little different since quite a few of them were special orders as I understand, or there are some slight tweaks here and there. But the ones I’ve heard or played still have that distinct hiwatt mid push head room bell like punch thing going. I’ve tried some new ones too, lower wattage versions which sound great for what they are I think. Not the same thing at all but high quality amps for sure. If I was to hunt down a new Hiwatt today, I would be eager to pick up a Hi-Tone I guess. I mainly play my Firebird nowadays and that thru a tonebender into the Hiwatt is a bliss for sure. A sound I always return to whatever side tracks I take from time to time. |
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Post by smashlord on May 14, 2024 19:15:12 GMT -6
I have a small collection of vintage amps and access to a -63 ac30. Though they are all great I actually end up mostly using my late 60’s Hiwatt dr103 thru purple back fanes. It works in so many contexts and serves as a great platform for pedals. So that would probably be my desert island amp. just listened to sound review of the hiwatt dr103 with fane speakers. played with a tele. georgous sound!!! but pricey amp … how are the newer hiwatts? is there a cheaper hiwatt version that gets that crunchy sound? i understand fane speakers are a big part of the sound. The HI-TONES are quite excellent. It's the original guy's son's company that makes reproductions with turret board construction. They are not astronomically priced, either. I believe there is an 18W version, but I find 30W to be the absolute minimum if you really want the sound of the bigger rock amps like Hiwatts, older Marshalls, etc... anything less just can't push enough lowend to excite the cab before it starts to run out of headroom. |
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Post by smashlord on May 14, 2024 19:21:46 GMT -6
Does anyone have any experience with the Orange rocker terror or combo? Or even the Ampman Classic by Hughes & Kettner? I’m looking for more affordable amps I can have around in a studio setting that are also loud enough for full band rehearsals and general jams. They don’t have to be loud enough for a gig. A guitarist needs to hear themselves and a drummer needs to hear just enough to know where they are in the song and get the right vibe Thanks I have used the Orange quite a bit. It sounds good but is really dark, IMO. I think the OR15 is the best of the little amps that they make. Its surprisingly versatile and has the same preamp as the Rockerverbs. Its definitely loud enough for a jam, but can run out of headroom a bit at said jamming levels (ie. mushy lowend). |
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Post by geoff738 on May 14, 2024 20:39:05 GMT -6
As far as lower watt stuff roughly in the HiWatt camp, there is Reeves, which I have not tried and the Trinity amps one which I have. I thought it sounded great, but I wasn’t playing it side by side a vintage HiWatt stack.
Cheers,
Geoff
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Ox Han
Junior Member
Posts: 93
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Post by Ox Han on May 15, 2024 5:13:54 GMT -6
Does anyone have any experience with the Orange rocker terror or combo? Or even the Ampman Classic by Hughes & Kettner? I’m looking for more affordable amps I can have around in a studio setting that are also loud enough for full band rehearsals and general jams. They don’t have to be loud enough for a gig. A guitarist needs to hear themselves and a drummer needs to hear just enough to know where they are in the song and get the right vibe Thanks i had a tiny terror with vintage 30 celestion speaker cab. ac/dc crunch a galore! even gigged with it in front of 8.000 people. 15w! power! obviously miked for the gigs. but rehearsal didn‘t need a mic. This is what I was thinking regarding Oranges current 15w options. Thanks! |
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Ox Han
Junior Member
Posts: 93
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Post by Ox Han on May 15, 2024 5:17:42 GMT -6
Does anyone have any experience with the Orange rocker terror or combo? Or even the Ampman Classic by Hughes & Kettner? I’m looking for more affordable amps I can have around in a studio setting that are also loud enough for full band rehearsals and general jams. They don’t have to be loud enough for a gig. A guitarist needs to hear themselves and a drummer needs to hear just enough to know where they are in the song and get the right vibe Thanks I have used the Orange quite a bit. It sounds good but is really dark, IMO. I think the OR15 is the best of the little amps that they make. Its surprisingly versatile and has the same preamp as the Rockerverbs. Its definitely loud enough for a jam, but can run out of headroom a bit at said jamming levels (ie. mushy lowend). The OR15 sounds good in demos too. I think for a studio situation/ studio rehearsals 15w tube amps are just enough and the orange offerings seem to be at a good price point. Thanks! |
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Post by anders on May 20, 2024 9:00:43 GMT -6
I have added a Mid control to my 1968 Princeton Reverb, which makes it able to wade past the built-in mid scoop, and into more AC 15-like territory. It is a super simple mod, a potentiometer placed on a plate in the hole for the auxiliary outlet at the back. Just as it is, it is super versatile, or I can plug into a 4x12 or put pedals in front for even more tones.
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Post by ninworks on May 23, 2024 7:27:47 GMT -6
I guess there must be AC15s and AC15s? There was a time when all the bands I recorded seem to have reissue AC15s of some sort, and I always thought they sounded crap. Muddy and lifeless and mushy and nothing like a good AC30. But maybe there is another model I don't know about that sounds halfway decent... I love my old Vibrochamp with a weird Jensen speaker. I have found that with many different players, there are those who have an ear for how to set their amps and those who do not. It doesn't matter what amp they play through their sound is crap. Much of it has to do with their ability to adjust their technique to make whatever amp they are playing through sound good. Speaker choice makes more of a difference than amp choice IMO. I have a handwired 50th Anniversary AC15H1TV that had a Celestion Greenback in it stock and sounded very good. I recently put an Alnico Blue in it and it is a TOTALLY different amp. I like it much better than with the Greenback even though the Greenback sounded very good. |
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Post by ninworks on May 23, 2024 7:41:49 GMT -6
I have narrowed my recording amp selection down to 2 amps. A Vox AC15H1TV with an Alnico Blue and a 91 Twin Reverb Reissue with vintage Jensen C12-N speakers in it. The Vox sounds great when combined with the Twin. I have an Ox Box on the Twin and it grows some gnarly hair when the volume is set to about 7 or 8. If it's dimed it gets crazy crunchy. Especially when using a clean boost pedal in front of it. If I need anything else I use the modeler. An old Eleven Rack. It still sounds very good to me with the couple dozen or so patches I have put together and tweaked and tweaked over the last 15 years.
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Post by theshea on May 23, 2024 11:24:33 GMT -6
i‘d like to mention the fender superchamp xd. after all these years i am still surprised how well it records.
here you can hear it with my tele mij custom. its the intro guitar and the main riff after (single notes line). and i think its in the left channel throughout. it has character which i like a lot in combination with my tele. recorded close up with a violet design amethyst vintage mic through a neve 1073.
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Post by Tbone81 on May 23, 2024 12:50:17 GMT -6
Does anyone have any experience with the Orange rocker terror or combo? Or even the Ampman Classic by Hughes & Kettner? I’m looking for more affordable amps I can have around in a studio setting that are also loud enough for full band rehearsals and general jams. They don’t have to be loud enough for a gig. A guitarist needs to hear themselves and a drummer needs to hear just enough to know where they are in the song and get the right vibe Thanks I have used the Orange quite a bit. It sounds good but is really dark, IMO. I think the OR15 is the best of the little amps that they make. It’s surprisingly versatile and has the same preamp as the Rockerverbs. It’s definitely loud enough for a jam, but can run out of headroom a bit at said jamming levels (ie. mushy lowend). I second the OR15…what an outstanding little amp. A bit limited in volume and tone but a great sounding amp, and fairly inexpensive. |
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Post by christopher on Jun 28, 2024 13:15:27 GMT -6
John Lee Hooker played the warfield(iirc) about 25 years ago.. (cough).. and I’m pretty sure it was an AC15. I knew AC30 and this looked same but smaller. They didn’t really put in the mains much, if at all, at least where I was standing. Let him blast it wide open, it surrounded every part of the venue. Super 3D, his playing jumped out of the speaker. Best Amp sound I’ve ever heard, nothing like it
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Post by Bob Olhsson on Jun 29, 2024 20:52:02 GMT -6
Best I have ever encountered was a Bassman head with slightly microphonic tubes sitting on and driving a Hiwatt cabinet.
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Post by guitfiddler on Jul 9, 2024 3:54:58 GMT -6
Not sure about the greatest recording amp ever….
Currently using a Dr Z Maz 18 jr MKII combo
What amp would compliment this one for a two amp solution live?
I’m looking at a Dr Z Z Wreck JR, also really dug the Z28 MKII Jr combo
I really dig the BadCat Jet Black too
I’m heavily considering the Z wreck jr combo
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Post by gwlee7 on Jul 9, 2024 8:16:45 GMT -6
I cleaned up my old original St. Louis Music Crate Vintage Club 20 and hit all the pots with some contact spray. What an underrated awesome sounding amp. It has a master volume on it and you can get it to sing pretty good by overdriving it and still keep the volume manageable. I am probably taking it to a gig next week instead of the Vibro Champ or the Princeton Reverb. I have been using it to get some sweet Tele tones while recording it.
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Post by bikescene on Jul 9, 2024 19:22:05 GMT -6
I picked up a Vox AC15C1 last week. I've tabs on the amp, even though I thought I would end up with a more boutique version of the Vox circuit. I think both amp channels record rather well. The Normal channel works well with all of the single coil guitars that I've thrown at it. The Top Boost can be jangly or can be tamed with the Tone Cut.
I think the Greenback is pretty nice for a stock speaker on this lower cost amp. I like the amp better with my Weber Blue Dog and Silver Bell speakers, but am liking the Greenback more than I thought I would with the Vox circuit.
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