Spongiest Amps?

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sixstrings

sixstrings

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What are the most spongey amps in your opinion? What's the spongiest Marshall?
 
I assume you're talking about the response of the amp. I'd say the Rectos, especially set on "Spongey" mode ;)
For Marshalls probably the JCM 2000's and JVM. They don't have that same cut that some of the older ones have.
 
Anything class A with tube rectification will dish out the sponginess in my experience.
 
rupe":29ewuck4 said:
Anything class A with tube rectification will dish out the sponginess in my experience.
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Yup...tube rectifier amps for sure...Marshall JTM 45, Vox AC30, etc
 
My Carvin x100b reissue is sort of spongy, at least, I think we're talking about the same thing. I'm not sure how much Marshall tone is in there, but it covers pretty much everything I need an el34 to cover. Cheap too.
 
A tube rectifier amp *IF* it's power section is really pushed and the front end is fairly clean. I'd also say EL84 amps before I'd say class A, personally. But the main thing is cranking the hell out of the output stage so the tube rectifier can't 'catch up' and it compresses more.

Regarding the 101B comment, I can get a lot more 'sag' out of a dual recto than the 101B ever had. Pull two power tubes, run it in 'spongy' mode which just cuts voltage, and set it for tube rectification and crank the hell out of it. I wouldn't use one like that for rhythm parts but it makes for an incredibly soulful blues and lead tone. Mitch Faber from Mesa hipped me to that in the mid-early 90s.

Pete
 
stratotone":foln9mcr said:
A tube rectifier amp *IF* it's power section is really pushed and the front end is fairly clean. I'd also say EL84 amps before I'd say class A, personally. But the main thing is cranking the hell out of the output stage so the tube rectifier can't 'catch up' and it compresses more.
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I have to somewhat disagree here about EL84s/class A. True that many EL84 amps exhibit sponginess, but a lot of those are also class A...my Boogie Studio .22+ is pretty damn tight for a 2xEL84 amp, even when cranked. My Matchless Chieftain is a class A (questionable if its true class A) 2xEL34 amp and its got a great spongy feel to it. A buddy used to have some sort of Tophat (don't remember the model...4x6V6 in class A) that I borrowed for a while and it was spongy as hell.

To support your point though, my old AC30 was probably the spongiest amp that I've ever played...but is it the tubes or the fact that its a tube rectified class A amp? Or both?
 
spongiest marshall?

would have to be modified in my opinion, i dont think ive ever played a marshall, wide open SLP or boosted, that was spongy feeling.

maybe dave can verify this, but i did play a PPMV marshall that had alot of give to it, i believe it was one of the best sounding amplifiers i ever heard. it had "it" persay.

$1600 and it would have been mine. most certainly.
 
rupe":sg328qwf said:
stratotone":sg328qwf said:
A tube rectifier amp *IF* it's power section is really pushed and the front end is fairly clean. I'd also say EL84 amps before I'd say class A, personally. But the main thing is cranking the hell out of the output stage so the tube rectifier can't 'catch up' and it compresses more.
Click to expand...
I have to somewhat disagree here about EL84s/class A. True that many EL84 amps exhibit sponginess, but a lot of those are also class A...my Boogie Studio .22+ is pretty damn tight for a 2xEL84 amp, even when cranked. My Matchless Chieftain is a class A (questionable if its true class A) 2xEL34 amp and its got a great spongy feel to it. A buddy used to have some sort of Tophat (don't remember the model...4x6V6 in class A) that I borrowed for a while and it was spongy as hell.

To support your point though, my old AC30 was probably the spongiest amp that I've ever played...but is it the tubes or the fact that its a tube rectified class A amp? Or both?
Click to expand...

I had a studio .22, cranked it at a recording date on the clean channel but with the master dimed, it was spongy as hell! Plate voltages have a lot to do with it too, on amps that have a switchable tube/solid state rectifier, unless it's cranked to hell you are hearing the results of the lower B+ voltage, not so much the rectifier being unable to cope with current demands and 'sagging'.

Pete
 
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