Noob alert...

[Gtrshop]

Hey there...first post (well actually 2nd, but who's counting) for another MusicElectronics noob. Been playing circuits and bars, special events and the like for over 3 decades now. Gear has ranged from Hiwatt stacks (DR103's) to Marshall Valvestate combo and a couple cool old Harmony tube amps to my current POD XTL rig. Guitars are mostly Les Pauls with a Strat in there for the obligatory "strat-type" tones. Also use a Mellowbar lap slide for the odd tune. Suffering from a major case of G.A.S. at the moment looking for a 70's or 80's Dean Z...at something less than the museum price they seem to be getting. I do my own guitar mods and repairs, and have built effects from scratch. This winter I may build myself a tube amp just to say I have. Would be nice to have glowing tubes behind me again

A computer tech by day, classic rocker after the bell... I've worked in music retail, consulted and configured DAW's, had my own project/demo studio. Currently playing lead guitar and keys in 2 classic rock bands.

Nice to meet you all!

Cheers, Steve

[Chuck H]

When your ready to build we're here.

If you give us an idea what you need from the amp, or if you already have a specific model in mind, it's pretty easy. And it's usually best to get answers for some basic Q's with a Google search or by searching this forum and it's archives before posting. Many of the most common questions you may ask have already been discussed here ad nausium. If you run into any trouble we can usually help.

Nice introduction and welcome.

Oh, and sorry about the POD. Fine for stage if you need the versitility but not really exciting at home or practice, right?

Looking at your brief bio I'm guessing two amps on an AB rig. A 5E3 Deluxe clone and perhaps a JCM800 type build would cover your sets, eh? All optimized and idealized with the best advice on the planet IMHO. I love this place. You will too.

Chuck

[Gtrshop]

Thanks Chuck...

I've only started to investigate an amp - and I only consider doing so since I have the fundamental skills and equipment to do so (I was a board level repair geek for Sharp many moons ago).

I grew up on Hiwatt but always (at least at the time) had to go outboard for enough drive. I never found "My Sound" with it though. So, I'm opening up my mind a ears for the right one. A solid clean power stage, and a versatile tone stack, some channel or preamp switching. That would be my starting point, ideally with an FX loop (that might narrow my choices).

I'm at a crossroads though as to how large of an amp to look for. I know a 50 or even 100 watt would be insanely loud...too loud for small stages and I'd never get to the sweet spot. On the other hand I have a bassist with an 800 watt G/K rig and he leans on it. I'm using a small 40 watt Marshall combo right now and that hardly ever gets worked past 3 for outdoor shows.

I have even considered a hybrid type setup where I could use the L6 gear as front end for the flexibility and a tube power amp for the db factor. The POD is a tool much like a Vise Grip wrench. Does the job quite well and serves a number of tasks - but can round off the corners frequently.

An A/B rig would more than likely do the deal, yes. In the virtual world I've crafted my clean tone off a VOX AC30, and my primary rhythm is something like a Variac'ed Plexi...so you're not far off. There is a 3rd patch I use occasionally that is pretty heavy and scooped. As long as I can satisfy the demands of my current projects - and that is always a factor too - I can start walking toward the light

S~