Amps That Deserve Some More Love

2112

Axe-Master
Given the veritable smorgasbord of amps on offer there's bound to be amp models that are easy to overlook, and it can be very rewarding to spend some time with some of the hidden gems in the Axe. There's plenty I missed in this video, so if you've got a favourite which you feel doesn't get as much love as it deserves let us know :)

 
I love the HiWatt models. They have a such a special character to them. I've even used them for bass presets.

How do you set them up for bass?

The Mesa Subway Blues can be quite a ripper. No one ever talks about that amp.

ItsI easy to overlook anything Mesa that isn't a Mark or a Recto. From memory the Subway sounds pretty good at stock settings. I'd love to see some more Mesa amps (Stiletto, Atlantic, Electradyne) added to the roster.

Cornfed sounds fantastic. Def. in my list of top high-gain models.

It's hard to make it sound bad IMO, great amp
 
How do you set them up for bass?

It's a little weird, but I actually daisy-chain two of them together in series. I tried to get the same result from the Jumpered version, but it's just not the same From there I put a 8x10 bass cab behind it and a 4x12 guitar cab. I do a LOT of EQing on the patch, because my bass is passive, with no on-board EQ. I have a couple drive blocks in front, one is just a FET boost that I leave on most of the time. The other is B7K that I engage in parallel for some nice extra grind.
 
Another one I haven’t heard too many people mention around here is the Bogner Strato. Hard to know if people are using these and just not talking about em. I mean really, there’s so many great amps as long as ya pair them up with the right IR, it’s kind of hard to get a bad tone.
It’s funny, I’ll go from amp to amp & swear I found the Holy Grail & play the patch for a few weeks & then get inspired by something and go on to another amp and find it again.. pretty cool, pretty incredible piece of gear.
 
Both the K60 and Bogfish Strato are in my patches. (My Limelight patch is a blend of both.)

Lately, the Z38 (and 66) are favorites for jamming for fun.
 
I love the HiWatt models. They have a such a special character to them. I've even used them for bass presets.

IMHO hiwatt is one of the best amp in the box.

But the trick with the Hiwatt is the speaker / IR. Some months ago i bought a "Fane Crescendo Speaker"(what David Gilmore used) and put it in a Jackson Amp Works cabinet. I have 3 other cabinets/speakers (2 Friedmans with g12m, and g12h and also another cab with a Alnico Gold). The minute i paired the Hiwatt model with the Fane Crescendo...i felt like i understood all the hype behind Hiwatts. And believe me, playing it through a celestion just kills that amp and takes away its mojo.

It has such a fast attack, hits you hard...so easy to cut through the mix in studio or on stage. and can do all from cleans to screaming leads.
 
Great video!

Comet 60 has been my go-to for about a year now. It's pure sex. It's got this thickness to it that took a while to get used to, but I can't live without now.
 
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