New Amp

Hi, I'm kinda mad because I filled this whole thing out, and forgot to type a subject. SO....
I am looking for a new amp. Fender or another type of good quality amp. I have heard of "marshall" amps, but have never played one. I have my eyes set on something on no more than 70watts. I do not need to blow the neighbours off the planet. I really like the Fender Princeton 65. Very nice amp. What are some other brands I should consider before I make my purchase? I play mainly rock and alot of blues. Some must haves are :reverb,gain,speaker jack,and footswitch jack. I am not big on full distortion, so I do not want an amp that has "distortion" as its best selling feature. I am looking for good, quality, CLEAN and CRISP sound.

there is this revival model of an old 60´s fender amp that has no distortion or something like that at all. i think it was one of the first fender amps. they now rebuilt it 1:1 and i tested it - the tone just blew me away. but it was pretty expensive. i also cannot remember how many watts it has. but the more power the better i say - for the more headroom you have on the volume knob the better - its no good when you have to turn it way up to get a decent tone. a good amp must sound good and rich at low volumes aswell.

[Edited by Azrael on 02-06-2003 at 01:02 AM]

ha! i just found it on their website - heres the text they added:

"You asked for it! Our newest addition to the Fender Vintage Reissue Series. This faithful re-creation of the legendary Blackface Super from the 1963-1968 era is a must-have for vintage enthusiasts hankering for a 4x10 combo. The Super Reverb's versatile, stage-filling sound and medium output make it the perfect amp to crank up for unmiked club gigs, or on the concert stage. "

Hmmm... no pix, lotsa text...

My reccomendation:

If you're stuck on big amps for big sound, your pursuit of the ultimate strong, clean, tube sound can only be satisfied by finding an old Ampeg VT-22, say, pre-1977. I can tell you from personal experience that this beast will melt the first four rows of your audience before you crank it hard enough to cause power-tube distortion! :eek: A 120 Watt, 2-12 combo that commands respect. At 100 pounds, and no casters, it also tends to stretch your arms.

"... no more than 70 watts..." As some of the posts referred to below can show you, the SPL difference between 50 Watts and even 150 Watts is neglegible. You can safely toss power ratings aside, and concentrate on the quality of the sound you want.

Check out these links to other Guitar Tricks threads for some suggestons, and some discussons of a radical concept:

AMPS

Milliwatt Power Amps????

Personal Power Amps

What Amp??

Amps

Everybody with a guitar amp...read!

If I remeber right, you live in the Ottawa area. Poke your nose into some of the dusty corners of Used Sound on Preston Street. The place is home to some amazing treasures, you just have to visit frequently so you can be the guy who gets the prize, instead of arriving too late, and hearing all about 'the one that got away'. I moved to Calgary a few years ago, but there are some things I still miss, like Used Sound, and Songbird Music on Gladstone Ave.

Good Luck! :)
L.

I've heard some very good things said about Peavey Classic series... The only bad thing about them is that the head versions would need an extra fan...

O ya, I seemed to have forgotten, I am not made of money, suer I would love to have a Vintage Fender Amp. I think many people would, but I want something around 50 - 70 watts, that will not cost me both arms and legs to buy.

Get out of the house on a frequent and regular basis. I've given you the names of two Ottawa shops that often have some amazing deals. I'm sure there are more used music shops to check out. And I know there are pawnshops worth looking into.

When you get tired of pounding the pavement, log onto eBay Canada, and then check out eBay.com. Torres Engineering takes trade-ins for some of their across-the -counter sales. Get into the habit of pestering them to see what they have kicking around. I got my 1976 Ampeg VT-40 from them for $US175. It had been flood-damaged so the speakers were ruined, but the amplifier was perfect! It looked like it gooten wet when it was new, and then spent the rest of it's days in a warehouse. Even after paying $CDN100 to have it shipped up here to Calgary, it was a bargain.

If you're on a tight budget, you're not going to get what you need, for a price you're willing to pay, unless you put a lot of time into poking into dusty corners, looking for that special treasure.

Shops will often give good deals on stock that just came in, because they don't have to invest time and money in making it presentable for sale. The only way to get that kind of deal is to be there when new stuff comes in. That means you have to be there often, and let the staff know what you're looking for. You may just stroll in one day, and be greeted with "Hey man, I was just thinking of you! Take a look at this!"

Good Luck!
L.

OK, does anyone hvae an approximate price(canadian) for the Fender Princeton 65 and/or Marshall MG50(I think thats the model)?

Man, you've gotta learn how to use Google!

At the current rate of exchange, the MG50dfx at Music 123 comes in at ~$CDN525. It's a good amp. Ask sporksnork if he's still in love!

If you're not in a hurry, a budget of $525 can go a long way on some used gear. You spend your coin, or you spend your time - your choice.