Best 30w or 50w amp?

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:16 am

65w Valvestate. Buy it now for Â£95"

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MARSHALL-VALVESTA ... 081wt_1167

argylelewis · Post by **argylelewis** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:19 am

Can't access ebay at work but that sounds promising. Thanks

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:25 am

if you are going down to Bristol this weekend check out Treble Rock in Clifton, they have a Marshall Lead 20 for Â£125 http://www.treblerock.com/amplifiers-a- ... fiers.html

Post by **Doog** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 12:40 pm

A little overpriced, but they're supposed to sound good. I'd give 'em a ring to check though, guitar shops are notorious badly about updating their websites.

argylelewis · Post by **argylelewis** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 12:45 pm

There's alot of spiel on there but I wouldn't be able to buy that without trying it first and though it sounds really stupid I'd prefer to try and snap a bargain up on Ebay without trying it than travel somewhere, waste money and maybe not even like it.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 12:46 pm

argylelewis wrote:There's alot of spiel on there but I wouldn't be able to buy that without trying it first and though it sounds really stupid I'd prefer to try and snap a bargain up on Ebay without trying it than travel somewhere, waste money and maybe not even like it.

I just thought if you were heading down to Bristol this weekend then give them a go. They are just around the corner from digital village.

Doog, I know what you mean about the website updates and like you said, always good to give them a call beforehand

argylelewis · Post by **argylelewis** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 12:54 pm

Yes that's true. I will be heading down there I think unless Ebay throws up a real bargain, I'm still looking at that laney though, I've never ever played one but they certainly look good.

argylelewis · Post by **argylelewis** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 3:43 pm

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Marshall-Master-L ... 575wt_1165

What do you think of this?

argylelewis · Post by **argylelewis** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 3:47 pm

Sorry to bombard people with links and questions but this has also just caught my eye although I'm not sure as the pictures aren't the greatest.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Old-Vox-Combo-Amp ... 500wt_1182

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 4:18 pm

I think Mike had one of those Marshalls. Maybe doog has played it or knows about it (I don't think Mike's likely to be around for a while).

As for the Vox.... Personally I'd be wary of older solid state amps. You really can't attach the same glamour to vintage solid state as vintage valve. Modern solid states are spectacularly good compared to them.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:25 pm

either one of those would be a sweet deal. that marshall looks nice, but i'd definitely try to snag that vox. looks to be in really good shape. i've only ever seen one of those combos before, and it was at a guitar/amp show in vegas, and the guy wouldn't let me play it.

very cool.

Will · Post by **Will** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:29 pm

BacchusPaul wrote:As for the Vox.... Personally I'd be wary of older solid state amps. You really can't attach the same glamour to vintage solid state as vintage valve. Modern solid states are spectacularly good compared to them.

Yes. Solid State amps from the 60s are like tube amps from the 30s - they just weren't quite there yet. The tend to be very unreliable, have lots of cross-over distortion, and the parts are mostly obsolete. For vintage solid state, I'd stick to the late 70s or 80s. I have a Yamaha G100 SS from 1978 that is noiseless, loud, and sounds great. It's like a Jazz Chorus with all the problems sorted out.

Modern Solid States are, for the most part, the best Solid States ever made, with the exception of the terrible Fender Frontmans.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:31 pm

Will wrote:For vintage solid state, I'd stick to the late 70s or 80s. I have a Yamaha G100 SS from 1978 that is noiseless, loud, and sounds great. It's like a Jazz Chorus with all the problems sorted out.

Ah, well consider me schooled then. I'd assumed that they were all pretty awful up until the nineties. Dunno why.

Will · Post by **Will** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:50 pm

BacchusPaul wrote:
Will wrote:For vintage solid state, I'd stick to the late 70s or 80s. I have a Yamaha G100 SS from 1978 that is noiseless, loud, and sounds great. It's like a Jazz Chorus with all the problems sorted out.
Ah, well consider me schooled then. I'd assumed that they were all pretty awful up until the nineties. Dunno why.

Most cheaper SSs were awful up until the nineties. Before the common availability of integrated linear amplifier chips (think that's what they're called), companies had to use pairs or quads of silicon power transistors. These, like tubes, had to be matched, but they had extremely wide tolerances and most companies did not do much testing. It wasn't until the 70s that the technology improved. Still, only the really top-shelf SS amps were competitive sound-wise with the average tube amps. The JC-120 and such were among the best, but were (are) plagued by white-noise. My Yamaha, adjusted for inflation, cost almost $1000 new. I grabbed it for $70.

Modern SSs use integrated amplifier chips, which contain lots of redundant circuitry to create more consistency. They're also cheaper (a 20W chip is about $2.50), last longer, and are easier to build around. The limiting factor with cheaper SS amps is really just the cabinet and speaker.

Post by **Doog** » Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:16 pm

BacchusPaul wrote:I think Mike had one of those Marshalls. Maybe doog has played it or knows about it (I don't think Mike's likely to be around for a while).

A friend of mine had one years back and it sounded slightly lousy, but I believe that to be just some poor "dialling in"; apparently the Lead combos are some pretty warm and pleasant sounding little boxes. The following video certainly doesn't prove that to be untrue:

[youtube][/youtube]

Lots of camera compression, but similarly warm sounds here:

[youtube][/youtube]

I'd certainly give it a consider.

argylelewis · Post by **argylelewis** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 7:28 am

I missed out on both the Vox and the lead unfortunately. There's a valvestate ending tonight though which I think I'm going to take a chance on.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:29 am

argyle, take a look at the vox pathfinders as well. They are really good SS amps for the money. A lot of people swear by them. The 15 might be powerful enough for home use. LANK

Also, if you are heading to Bristol soon, there is a new guitar shop opening up (well where Reverb was) its PMT and they might have something of interest. Not sure when it opens but posters on the windows says April

argylelewis · Post by **argylelewis** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 10:29 am

For some reason work ahs decided to block ebay so cant look at it at the moment, looked on google thougha nd they look pretty sweet. I've never actually played a Vox amp at all. If I was to get one would I still be able to get that Gallows/Forward Russia sound? I've got pedals I can use but I've always associated Vox with cleaner type sounds.

MikeG · Post by **MikeG** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 12:36 pm

+1 for the Vox Pathfinders.

I recently sold my Marshall AVT50 for Â£110.

argylelewis · Post by **argylelewis** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 12:51 pm

I really should try an amp out before I buy it but finding hard to put aside time so am looking just on Ebay. In your experience would a Vox be able to give me that Gallows/Forward Russia type sound? I play alot of other things as well but would mainly use it for that type of sound. Is a vox more or less versatile than a Marshall?