How to select an amplifier...

[Dolmetscher007]

I have a confession to make... I've played the guitar for 25+ years... yet I honestly know embarrassingly little about guitar tone and amplifiers.

I have been asked to join a very loud rock band. So I am for a new amp, and I looking to finally dig in and become more familiar with amplifiers and how to find the tone I hear in my head.

I used to own a Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100 w/ a Marshall 1936 2 x 12. Prior to that, I had only played cheap little practice amps. I bought for way less than it was worth to help out a family friend. Having never played through a "high-end" amp before, the first time I strummed a G major chord on the clean channel, it felt like I had been playing guitar through a walkie-talkie my whole life, and someone finally let me hear how good an electric guitar could sound! I owned that amp for several years, but then when I switched over to playing drums mostly and moved a few times, I ended up selling it. And to this day, it is the only "real amp" I've ever owned or even played through.

I've never played a Fender Deluxe Rev. Twin Rev. Princeton, Brownface, Tweed... Never a Vox AC30/15. No Orange anything. What I have done, however, is record over 100 songs that I've written on guitar into my MacBook Pro using Logic X Pro's digital amp models. So, now that I have to buy an actual hardware amp, I am thoroughly confused by all the ridiculous names Apple gave their fake amps to avoid trademark stuff. Also, the software has so many pre-sets, I can't tell if I select "Surf In Stereo" in the software if that is a Fender Twin Reverb that would sound that way, or if it is some kind of crazy "Twin Reverb head, through a Celesteon speaker can, with a Japanese rotovibe pedal. It's far too confusing.

I know that I want a separate head and speaker cab. But what advice would you guys give a guy that could spend as much as $3,000 on a head and says that he wants to play really loud rock music that borders on punk but is also melodic and has actual lead guitar lines. Kinda like the Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, Fugazi, Black Flag, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Soundgarden... but also with some Jimmy Page'esque leads?

[Malcolm Irving]

I would recommend a simple single-channel Marshall (or similar) head. Pay the extra to get a 'hand-wired reissue'. Avoiding printed-circuits, too many knobs on the front, multiple channel switching, digital reverb, speaker emulated outputs, effects loops, multiple power levels, etc. etc. sounds crazy, but will pay dividends in long-term reliability and 'fixability'. To get a variation of distortion level add one or two inexpensive overdrives, a reverb, and any other effects you like, as individual pedals between the guitar and the amp. Any individual pedal may fail at some point (although they seem very reliable these days) but the amp itself will not be compromised,

Just my own preference, which many others will probably disagree with.

[Justin Thomas]

I'm with Malcolm here. Bassman 100, utilitarian 2x12 or 4x12 with efficient speakers, a good overdrive or 2 & a couple other effects, done. Just leave the Master Volume on 10.

Justin

[shortcircuit]

looking to finally dig in and become more familiar with amplifiers and how to find the tone I hear in my head.

Since your the only one that can hear the tone your searching for , you can spend weeks/hours at the music store ( most frown on cranking it up long enough to get a true feel ) ,listen to other live bands , players ,you might stumble on your tone.
Can you run Logic pro into powered cabinets ?? it's tones your used to. Fractal , Line 6 Helix all make digital pedal boards , would be more like your mac, amp simulation galore, just hope they never fail. You can always have your cardboard backdrop of endless heads/cabs Do wish you the best on finding what your looking for. Keep it simple and reliable ^^^^^^
PS: Most of your tone is going to come from you

[TomCarlos]

My good friend (who teaches for a living and is a highly skilled player) reminds me that a horrifically bad guitar player can make a great amp sound crappy.

Make sure you're in tune and work on your technique. The amp is secondary. I absolutely agree with the comments above. Go for simple and reliable. Look at your song list and then figure out what "extras" you may need. Sometimes, it is a bunch effects pedals. Other times, it might be an all-in-one gizmo that can either be plugged into the "Input" jack or the "Effects Loop" of an amp.

You're doing the right thing to ask questions now!

[shortcircuit]

You're doing the right thing to ask questions now!

Also take into account : are you the one that's going to be carrying it ??

[Dolmetscher007]

I’d really like to have a Marshall 1959HW 100-watt Handwired Tube Head. But those guys are $3,500 new! Yikes!

[Malcolm Irving]

I’d really like to have a Marshall 1959HW 100-watt Handwired Tube Head. But those guys are $3,500 new! Yikes!

Argh! One of those (brand new) in the UK is £1629 (equivalent to $2169).

[Dolmetscher007]

I’ve never built an amp in my life, but I found several kits online, esp. the Mojotone British 100Watt Kit. In 100% seriousness, what are the odds I might electrocute myself if I tried to assemble one of those kits using their diagrams and I structions? They are <$800 and i would LOVE to build my own amp!!!

[nosaj]

I have a confession to make... I've played the guitar for 25+ years... yet I honestly know embarrassingly little about guitar tone and amplifiers.

I have been asked to join a very loud rock band. So I am for a new amp, and I looking to finally dig in and become more familiar with amplifiers and how to find the tone I hear in my head.

I used to own a Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100 w/ a Marshall 1936 2 x 12. Prior to that, I had only played cheap little practice amps. I bought for way less than it was worth to help out a family friend. Having never played through a "high-end" amp before, the first time I strummed a G major chord on the clean channel, it felt like I had been playing guitar through a walkie-talkie my whole life, and someone finally let me hear how good an electric guitar could sound! I owned that amp for several years, but then when I switched over to playing drums mostly and moved a few times, I ended up selling it. And to this day, it is the only "real amp" I've ever owned or even played through.

I've never played a Fender Deluxe Rev. Twin Rev. Princeton, Brownface, Tweed... Never a Vox AC30/15. No Orange anything. What I have done, however, is record over 100 songs that I've written on guitar into my MacBook Pro using Logic X Pro's digital amp models. So, now that I have to buy an actual hardware amp, I am thoroughly confused by all the ridiculous names Apple gave their fake amps to avoid trademark stuff. Also, the software has so many pre-sets, I can't tell if I select "Surf In Stereo" in the software if that is a Fender Twin Reverb that would sound that way, or if it is some kind of crazy "Twin Reverb head, through a Celesteon speaker can, with a Japanese rotovibe pedal. It's far too confusing.

I know that I want a separate head and speaker cab. But what advice would you guys give a guy that could spend as much as $3,000 on a head and says that he wants to play really loud rock music that borders on punk but is also melodic and has actual lead guitar lines. Kinda like the Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, Fugazi, Black Flag, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Soundgarden... but also with some Jimmy Page'esque leads?

Black Flag Signature tone was a solid state Peavey, imagine Fugazi something similar. Best bet is to GO to a music store and spend the day trying out amps. Don't buy something you don't try first. Only you will know what you really like.

nosaj

[nosaj]

I’ve never built an amp in my life, but I found several kits online, esp. the Mojotone British 100Watt Kit. In 100% seriousness, what are the odds I might electrocute myself if I tried to assemble one of those kits using their diagrams and I structions? They are <$800 and i would LOVE to build my own amp!!!

Will the band wait till you get done building it or move on to another player?

nosaj

[Justin Thomas]

If you have a potential $3000 budget...

I would think that a fair bit of interaction with the sellers of the kit & getting to know your local amp tech would get you a long way there. It's not "usual" to build a 100W Matshall as a first project, but it's also not an overly complex channel-switcher uber-gain amp, either. If you buy from a reputable kit dealer, the instructions will be fairly clear & some bugs will have been worked out.

As far as safety, read R.G. Keen's geofex page about tube amp debugging; there's quite a sizeable section on safety, & you won't get any stupid suggestions like "short the caps to ground with a screwdriver..."

I think with some prep work, an investment in a decent soldering station, a nice multimeter, and a sprinkling of guts j determination, you could do it. We all started somewhere; I started here, actually...

Take your time, know your safety, & don't take any shortcuts. Tgat said, as nosaj asked above, will the rest of the band wait for you?

Justin

[Bloomfield]

If you do decide to build one, you could always rent amps in the meantime. That way you could try different options in your own space.

[Leo_Gnardo]

It's not "usual" to build a 100W Marshall as a first project

I'd like to reinforce the idea that you will need an adequate tool kit. Not just screwdrivers, pliers & dikes & soldering iron etc but knowledge tools that come only through experience. You can read all you want, but there's no teacher like experience. Best to start simple, very simple. Build a Champ, or a tweed Deluxe. And see if this sort of thing is really for you. BTW zillions of hit recording tracks have been done with a Champ. And Deluxe also - all those ZZ Top solos for pete's sake, Billy G would never complain that's too small & limited an amp. Oh my no, tone for days! Bring it on!

Also, as recommended have a good local tech that can help you out if you get stuck. Heck, if you decide getting burnt by your soldering iron and all the other setbacks aren't your thing, you might decide it's a good idea after all to have that tech build - and shakedown and troubleshoot - your kit for you. Still a helluva savings compared to spending $3500 for the amp you lust after. Should leave enough loot to buy a competent speaker cab, and have plenty of change left besides.

Not too far from you there's Mojo in NC. Besides all sorts of amp & guitar parts, they sell a variety of amp kits, including very well made cabinets. By far not the cheapest but always remember and never forget, you get what you pay for, cheap IS cheap.

[glebert]

I say there's nothing punk about a $3000 amp. Around here most guys would be too worried about it being stolen after a show to be able to relax and enjoy themselves. I would get a Valveking 100 or something, at least for now, and rock out and chase the magic tone as a parallel track.