Less popular/known amps everyone should try once

DanTravis62 said:
So much the vintage bassman thing. I had an ab163 for a while that absolutely killed with a couple drives in front.

My favorite combo was an 808, into a lower gain MIAB (lawrence petross 68)

Absolutely beastly tones
Click to expand...
It's still a great bang for the buck vintage tone, with a good late 60s drip edge Bassman...they're going for 1K these days but you'd be hard pressed to get a better sounding amp for the money. And, with a couple good boosts you're into a 2 channel amp with a great clean boosts off.
 
I’d say a Reason SM50. Cheapest amp I’ve had that’s been a keeper. Sounds in a way how I was hoping the Oranges would’ve sounded like. Very complete growl on powerchords and very juicy midrange
 
I just wish things were like they were in 1994ish when there were actual guitar stores where you could try stuff out. Being in little old New Zealand I have zero chance of getting my hands on 90% of what has been mentioned here
 
ZEN Amps said:
A Top Hat Emplexador blew me away many years ago. Killer amp.
Click to expand...
I’ve not tried the Enplexador model, but have had quite a few other Top Hat models. I thought they were better than many non-vintage boutique amps, but next to vintage amps I had in a similar ballpark (and some not) they still to me came off comparatively lacking life or flat in their sound. The only non-vintage NMV amps that really to me have been worth while so far have been Alessandro, Gjika and Schroeder and they also all have enough of their own flavor rather than just being another Marshall, Fender or Vox type amp
 
There was a fender hi gain channel changer in the mid to late 90s and someone pointed out to me they can be had for cheap these days. If I remember correctly they sounded pretty good. The guy I saw playing one was into bush and similar bands as he thought Gavin Rossdale was the man. (he used to say things like, “deeeeewd, theeenk how crazy Gavin is, he named his band after pubic hair! He also called famous singers by their first names and would say things like, “deeewd, i reeeealy want to do a collab with Scott.”(weiland) Desperately hoping people thought he actually knew them) So he modeled his band after Bush and called themselves Ubicpay. (It was pronounced you-bick-pay, He thought this was super clever, pubic in pig Latin.) anyhow, for that kind of music it sounded pretty good. You know, the slower clean parts followed by the chorus with fat distortion? It sounded good to me at the time. I would like to hear one now. I was told they can be acquired for 800. Great price for a cool amp.
 
Lot of pretty common amps being listed IMO?

My vote is a Legend Rock n Roll 50. Hybrid amp (tube preamp/SS power).
Beastly loud amp. With the right cabinet it’s a cool amp. Good enough for Billy G , good enough for me!
 
Randall RG100ES or RG80ES. Throw a boost in front and you got yourself one of the best solid state metal amps you can find. That's the amp of choice for Kirk Windstein of Crowbar and he's got one of the heaviest tones on the planet.
 
DanTravis62 said:
So much the vintage bassman thing. I had an ab163 for a while that absolutely killed with a couple drives in front.

My favorite combo was an 808, into a lower gain MIAB (lawrence petross 68)

Absolutely beastly tones
Click to expand...
I was playing with a band when my Bogner Shiva blew a fuse.
Plugged into a 69 Bassman, turned up to about 5, and used a Tube Screamer to push it.
Sold the Shiva pretty quick after that. The Bassman tone walked all over it. Love that sound, but it's LOUD.

Man, this made me miss my old sf Bassman. Now I have GAS.
This is that sf with a Tube Screamer and SG:
https://on.soundcloud.com/mGFvM
 
Last edited:
gtrwun said:
Lot of pretty common amps being listed IMO?

My vote is a Legend Rock n Roll 50. Hybrid amp (tube preamp/SS power).
Beastly loud amp. With the right cabinet it’s a cool amp. Good enough for Billy G , good enough for me!
Click to expand...
The brand is Legend Amps? Model is Rock n Roll 50?
 
LPMojoGL said:
I was playing with a band when my Bogner Shiva blew a fuse.
Plugged into a 69 Bassman, turned up to about 5, and used a Tube Screamer to push it.
Sold the Shiva pretty quick after that. The Bassman tone walked all over it. Love that sound, but it's LOUD.

Man, this made me miss my old sf Bassman. Now I have GAS.
This is that sf with a Tube Screamer and SG:
https://on.soundcloud.com/mGFvM
Click to expand...
I mean isn’t an early JTM45 just a glorified tube rectified fender bassman?
 
mooncobra said:
How did they sound?
Click to expand...
Well, supposedly these amps were used by Billy Gibbons on the Eliminator record.
A unique sound for sure. Really strong midrange that can’t be dialed out. Hard to describe. Not a fun amp to sit and play alone, but REALLY cuts through in a band mix.
 
Anything Morris……but especially the SIRROM. I like it so much that I have two of them.
 

Attachments

  • AC2E5AD4-018E-45BA-8D91-E777EA5847CE.jpeg
    AC2E5AD4-018E-45BA-8D91-E777EA5847CE.jpeg
    3.3 MB · Views: 30
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top