Which amp purchase has ended up being the best?

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squank

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I'm not just asking for your favorite amp. More like this: which amp has turned out even better than you thought at first? You know, a surprise big hit? Whether it's discovering more and more tones over time, or the amp just keeps growing on you for some other reasons. Which amp purchase has really worked out better than you ever expected it would?

For me, it's my Reinhardt Storm 33. It's basically Bob's Vintage 50 with a smaller OT so it's really only getting about 33 watts. Gets great plexi tones, and saturates at lower volumes. But it's also got two switchable extra gain stages, as well as power scaling. It's like the best plexi and best hot rodded Marshall tones in a single amp. And one of the great surprises was how great it takes pedals.


So, what are the RT sleeper hits?
 
Egnater Seminar Head.

It turned out to be the best sounding power section for any of my preamps.
 
Black star ht-5. Lil guy totally made me smile considering the price point
 
Hughes and kettner switchblade. At first I thought the crunch channel was mediocre, but now it's pretty much all I use. Just an all round great amp.

I try to convince myself that it's not all that good so I can get myself another amp, but then I play out for 10 min and don't want to get rid of it. Guess I'll just have to get an amp in addition to it :-).
 
mocadlo dual lead i scored cheap from kurtstuff. my quote in his sale thread was "i'll take a chance."

it has been loaned to several of my friends here in d/fw, and they all love it. does metal well. guts seem really well built.
 
I got a Mesa F-30 combo about 5 or 6 years ago. The amp has been versitile enough to contend with whatever tone requirements I have thown at it. I have had no amp GAS since. :)

Prior to the F-30, I had never stuck with an amp for more than a couple years. I had been using silver faced fender amps (princeton, bassman 50) and pedals to get the job done. Turns out what I really wanted was a multichannel amp with separate EQ controls for each channel.
 
My Hiwatt/SLO. Basically a mix of one of the best clean amps with my favorite power section of an amp. But until I got it I really had no idea how it would sound. My gigging amp, and I haven't even thought about anything else. I seriously doubt I'll ever buy another amp.
 
Fender Brown super. Bought to try out a Fender from that era, end up loving it. Takes pedals great, great vibrato. 2 channels are different from each other, giving me to flavors. Works with a good variety of speakers. Just all around great amp and got it for a good price.
 
guitarslinger":30510c6m said:
Egnater Seminar Head.

It turned out to be the best sounding power section for any of my preamps.
Click to expand...

My bud Steve Henning had one of those. Fantastic sounding amp!
 
Splawn Quick Rod--Never expected it to rival my #1 and be my go-to EL34 amp.

Jet City JCA100H/HDM--Went head-to-head with a real SLO and no perceptible difference. Sleeper amp of the decade. Probably will never be without one and will be my go-to 6L6 amp.
 
Ceriatone 1987. Had no idea this would be the answer to my tone search.
 
Bad Cat Mini - goofy little 5w thing that ended up having killer, killer tone at any volume.
 
squank":3986puv1 said:
I'm not just asking for your favorite amp. More like this: which amp has turned out even better than you thought at first? You know, a surprise big hit? Whether it's discovering more and more tones over time, or the amp just keeps growing on you for some other reasons. Which amp purchase has really worked out better than you ever expected it would?

For me, it's my Reinhardt Storm 33. It's basically Bob's Vintage 50 with a smaller OT so it's really only getting about 33 watts. Gets great plexi tones, and saturates at lower volumes. But it's also got two switchable extra gain stages, as well as power scaling. It's like the best plexi and best hot rodded Marshall tones in a single amp. And one of the great surprises was how great it takes pedals.


So, what are the RT sleeper hits?
Click to expand...

My Mesa/Boogie MarkIV. :rock: :thumbsup:



Before I bought it, I wanted a MarkIIC+ so bad I was researching on how to build one myself. I bought a MarkIV when I came across a good opportunity to get one, since it was similar to the C+. I found that it was slightly different, but to me it was so much better than even what I expected & hoped of the IIC+. Since then I have no longer even dreamed of getting a MarkIIC+. Instead I searched for other amps that could blend & compliment my MarkIV, or make sounds that are different to it.
 
A metro 1200 series bare bones kit and a bunch of vintage parts. :rock:
 
For me, it's been my 1986 Mesa/Boogie MKIII Coliseum Simul-Class head. I'm the original owner and have gigged this amp since the beginning, and it always sings. :yes: :thumbsup:
 
Mesa Triple Rectifier.

Based on my past experiences with Rectifiers I assumed that I would hate the Triple as well. But, when I plugged into this particular Triple it sounded amazing. It has cured my high gain amp GAS. I'd gone through Soldanos, ENGL's and the like and couldn't get with any of them. The Triple is cool. I am a long time Mesa user though (MK's), so my ear leans to them. :thumbsup:
 
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