Are you using the “amp” you thought you would…ex: I started using the 5153

S

sparkle

Inspired
Are you using the “amp” you thought you would…ex: I started using the 5153

I thought I’d use the SLO or various Plexi’s for my cover band…
I was messing with seamless switching and landed on the 5153…
Green and 4 versions of the blue channel…(different gain levels and a solo)

on a side note… have you messed with the power tubes… I have a 5153 6l6 version and a el34 version.
 
I thought I'd be using the Engl or the Bogner but ended up with the Atomica High. I was surprised that one stood out as better for me because they were all so good. Although I struggled when I first got the FM3 getting it to sound the way I wanted through my rig. But with a little help, I got past that.
 
Thought I’d be on the Marshalls, and Fenders for spank and low gain. Used the Dirty Shirley pre Cygnus. Then went to the Cornford and then the Hook. Now on the AC20 which is the best yet and makes my P90’s sound like P90’s. Makes everything sound great. I’ll keep moving I’m sure, but will keep the AC20 in rotation.
 
sparkle said:
Are you using the “amp” you thought you would…ex: I started using the 5153

I thought I’d use the SLO or various Plexi’s for my cover band…
I was messing with seamless switching and landed on the 5153…
Green and 4 versions of the blue channel…(different gain levels and a solo)

on a side note… have you messed with the power tubes… I have a 5153 6l6 version and a el34 version.
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Absolutely messing with the different tubes. Virtual tube rolling is quite fun and much faster! I love it that Cliff added the different brands. I am a Marshall guy and will generally use Mullard or JJ in the preamp and Mullard, Svetlana or JJ in the power section....got it covered!
Don't forget to try hot biasing those power tubes as well.
 
Not at all. Thanks to Fractal I discovered Carol Ann and Swart amps.

My top three (in order): Tucana 3, Bogner Shiva (Shiver), and Swart Atomic Space Tone (Nuclear Tone in the amp list). I'll give the Bludojai an honorable mention.

I have not messed with the power tubes, in fact I'm still pretty much staying with the basic controls as I find it pretty easy to get great tones.
 
Out of everything, my favorite is still the 6160 Block model. I got my first 5150 back in the mid-90s and absolutely fell in love, and to this day haven't found an amp that works as well with my playing style as that circuit.
 
I think I always aimed to get the dual rectifier tone I always dreamed of when I owned one, but even then, it was always so boomy. Now that I’ve discovered all the extra like different IR’s and the tube screamers to go with it, this blows away the real one I owned since I now have access to different cas and mics and pedals. That Atomica sure is a great sound too though
 
I gravitate a lot towards the various Carol Anns, also the Supertweed and the Archon. Not what I woulda thought, or what seems to be most popular around here (big surprise -- I always seem to zig when a crowd zags). Also I remember a Komet model I was playing a lot with an OH 4x12 P12N IR. That seemed to get kinda flubby in recent updates but it seemed cool at the time and maybe I should dig it back up.
 
Amps, for the most part I stick to stuff I used before I got into modeling. Mesa, 5150 etc.

What has changed that I wasn't expecting is what speakers/IRs I gravitate towards. Used a Mesa oversized 4X12 forever so figured v30s were gonna be my jam. I still like that sound but discovered I really like (maybe even prefer) greenbacks. Never could afford to go down that rabbit hole.
 
HerrSquid said:
I gravitate a lot towards the various Carol Anns, also the Supertweed and the Archon. Not what I woulda thought, or what seems to be most popular around here (big surprise -- I always seem to zig when a crowd zags). Also I remember a Komet model I was playing a lot with an OH 4x12 P12N IR. That seemed to get kinda flubby in recent updates but it seemed cool at the time and maybe I should dig it back up.
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Take the Atomic Space Tone (Nuclear Tone) for a spin and see what you think.
 
fcs101 said:
Take the Atomic Space Tone (Nuclear Tone) for a spin and see what you think.
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I love bathing in the trem on that one, though I gotta be in the mood for clean to moderate breakup for that. As far as I know, that one doesn't get dirty enough for me to be a daily driver. Did I mention I run the Supertweed through 4x12 IRs? That's the sweet spot for me. Vulgar, I know!
 
HerrSquid said:
I love bathing in the trem on that one, though I gotta be in the mood for clean to moderate breakup for that. As far as I know, that one doesn't get dirty enough for me to be a daily driver. Did I mention I run the Supertweed through 4x12 IRs? That's the sweet spot for me. Vulgar, I know!
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Yeah, definitely doesn't get that much dirt. I turn to the Tucana for that. The trem is awesome though. If I were going to buy a combo tube amp, it'd probably be that one.
 
The Cornford MK50 is probably my favorite model in the unit and has been for a long time. At the same time I would never buy the real thing because it's big, heavy and very very loud. I've played it and it would be just unusably loud to me without hooking up to an attenuator. Easier to just enjoy the model.
 
When I got my AX8 a few years back I was using the usual Marshall 800 stuff and playing around with a few others, but @yek said in a chat how the Dirty Shirley was such a versatile amp. I tried it and totally fell for it, so adaptable.
It's still my No1 go to amp on my AXFXIII and FM3
 
I was so Plexi oriented. I studied other amps. But, never own or played them enough to appreciate them. The fractal models have been a full lifetime of education for me — in less than a year. I fully expected my favorites to be some variation of a Plexi circuit. And, I still love those amps. But, there is so much to experience in these amp models. The Cornford MK50, the FAS amps Buttery, Brown, Skull Crusher; Matchbox D30. The horizon just keeps opening. Not to mention all the new ways to modify an amp that are insanely quick and wildly mutable — for free! Not only are my favorite player amps much different than I expected, I wouldn’t be surprised, in the least, if they were completely different again in another year. I am taking notes on the favorites that are mentioned here.
 
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I guess I would choose the amps, I also find quite lovely when I had them on my workbench in for service/maintenance the most. I'm curious to hear how much FAS improved their game over the past years, since I had over 90% of their amp list on my bench during the past 8 years......I feel very honored to join the FAS community again. Heard so much good things over the past years. Cheers30265067_2016081391947783_8388947998201085952_n.jpg
 
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