How Many Amps Have You Owned, & Can You Remember Them All?

How Many Amps Have You Owned? Which Ones?

  • 1-5

    Votes: 21 23.3%
  • 6-10

    Votes: 33 36.7%
  • 11-15

    Votes: 13 14.4%
  • 15-20

    Votes: 4 4.4%
  • More Than 20

    Votes: 19 21.1%

  • Total voters
    90
The one that got away: Nineties, I took a tweed covered MusicMan 1x12 tube combo "home to try it out" and actually took it out to a show (I was in a blues band then). Such creamy blues tones! I brought it back to the store and didn't buy right away. Next time I stopped by to buy it, it was gone. :joycat:
 
Fender Squire
Peavey Triumph 60
Fender Blues Jr.
Marshall JTM50
ADA MP-1
Fender Twin
Mesa Boogie Rect-O-Verb 50
Mesa Boogie Mark V
GHS Headphone Amp
 

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70s
  • Silvertone twin 12 (my first amp I bought for $25 used and later sold for $40. Wish I still had it so I could sell it since they are collectable now. Was thought to be complete junk at the time).
  • Sunn Solarus
80s
  • Unicord something or other. Somebody broke into my apartment and stole it along with my SG Standard. Grrrr.
  • Peavey Backstage 30 - this was a great SS practice amp that I played out with mic'ed.
  • Musicman 212 65. Bought at a warehouse sale without playing through it. Wish I'd played through it first... Good solid amp but there wasn't much breakup.
90s
  • Carvin Quad X preamp, Hafler power amp, into a Carvin 12" floor monitor, during my "rack mount period" (used a Digitech RP-1 with MIDI switching and a Digitech Studio 100 for effects). Did a direct line to the PA using the cabinet voiced output on the Quad-X, so the floor monitor was just my personal monitor.
  • Line 6 Flextone 60 (original Flextone) w/ floorboard controller. Bought this when it first came out. A noisy amp.

Homemade DIY amps:
  • Sargent 40 - project amp head made from a 1959 or so Sargent Rayment Hi-Fi SR-14A mono power amp that I rescued from the trash and restored. I added a blackface style preamp to it, tube buffered effects loop, resonance and negative feedback controls... was my experimental amp. Sold to some kid that wanted a tube amp.
  • Kalamazoo Model II rebuilt from ground up and modded with a tweed Princeton style preamp, 10" Weber speaker. The sucker screamed. Sold to a harp player.
  • Little Rock - AX84 Hi Octane circuit in a small cab with a 8" Jensen. Still got this one. Very fun little amp. Going to move the amp to a custom head cabinet and build a tweed era 5F1 champ into the cabinet.
  • MusicMaster - Musicmaster Bass rescued from a flood and rebuilt from ground up and fitted in a custom cab (the flood wrecked the original cab) with a Weber PR12 type speaker. Still got this one. Going to move the amp to a custom head cabinet and build a blackface vibro champ into the cabinet.
Since early 2000s, been playing through a Line 6 PodXT Live direct to the PA. Had a monitor amp I built using a 200W plate amplifier in a 1 12" cabinet that I used for a long time then sold, then used a Behringer hotspot type monitor amp on a mic stand. Now I use headphones to hear myself. These days I play in church and they don't want amps on the stage! A while back while struggling to get a patch right on the PodXT Live I realized I've had the thing for 20 years. It's sound is really starting to show its age. The editor software for it was written for Windows XT/Windows 7! Yikes! Anyway, that realization led to finding the FM9 and deciding that's what I'd transition to and got on the FM9 waiting list. Got my invitation to order a couple of days ago, so I'm pumped.

The Fractal Audio FM9 has been ordered and is being shipped.

I also have a Mesa Widebody guitar cab with a 12" Celestion in it and a Peavey PVi4b Mixer Amp that I use for playing out. Works OK with the PodXT Live choosing the output that doesn't use speaker modeling. I hope they work OK with the FM9.

I also have a couple of interfaces to play my guitars through my phone and use apps on my phone for effects and amp and cab modeling. It is amazing what you can do on your phone now, even use Garageband to record. I plug the output into a Bose Color II Bluetooth speaker. That is great for mobile use (we travel in an RV about half the year) but a pain to get out and set up. So, for Christmas I'm getting a Spark Mini to be my new mobile rig for travel and that will be a lot easier to use.

Steve
 
Crate 1x12 combo (1989ish - first amp second hand for $300)
Marshall 2x12 Tube combo (Purchased around 1992 - my first experience gigging - Can't remember the model though. I don't think it was the 900 but it may have been)
Bogner Spider Valve 2x12 (2007ish - I still have it but it needs repairs - I took good care of it but when I turned it on, after not using it for several months, the screen lit up but the text was not visible and there was no sound)
Fender Mustang III v2 (2013ish)
Fender Acoustasonic Junior (2013ish)
AxeFxIII (2018 - Line6 PowerCab 112 Plus/Headrush 1x8/2xNeumann KH120A)
Strymon Iridium (2020)
Positive Grid Spark (2020)
 
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Mesa Mark V 90W combo
looking into marrying her to get a Mark IV
+
all the amps in the FM3 (they're mine! - I can dial them however I wish, whenever I want. Muhahahahahahaah )
 
The ones I remember:
  • Marshall VS230R
  • Marshall 6100 30th Anniv
  • ADA B200s + ADA MP-2
  • Marshall 20/20 + ADA MP-1 Classic
  • Mesa 2:90 + Marshall JMP-1
  • Carvin Tube 100 + Carvin Quad X
  • Hiwatt Custom 50 2x12
  • Port City Pearl 50 + OS Wave 1x12
  • Quilter 101 Mini
  • Currently: FM3 + Seymour Duncan PS170 :cool:
 
Not much at all, in chronological order :
  • Fender Sidekick 30 first and last transistor amp 😁. Sold
  • Fender Superchamp, the Rivera one. Killer. Regrettably sold
  • Carvin Belair 2x12 selfmodded, great amp but too loud. Sold
  • Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue boosted with mercury magnetics transformers and a G12H30 speaker. Regrets I sold it
  • A PV 50/50 on which I used a bunch of preamps : Mesa twin, Mesa V-Twin rack, V-Twin floor, Piranha, Tech21 Sansamp, Mesa Studio (should never have sold that one), HK Access, Mesa Quad, Digitech 2101LE
  • And then I moved to FAS and slowly but surely sold all my analog material.
I played a few heads borrowed occasionally (London City Chinese great value for the price) and a Marshal 900 something plus a LAB5 that I hated. A Bolt 60 (Roland?), a Fender Vibrolux and some Peavy combo amp. That's about it for an occasional performing amateur musician.
 
This is all I can come up with from memory and some pic's that I still have from selling. There might be a few others that I missed but tis represents the bulk of the tube amps I have owned over the years. Out of all of these if I were to run out and re buy, I like the Lee Jackson XLS 1000, VHT Pittbull UL 120 and the Bogner ecstasy. Runner up's would be the Mojave Scorpion that amp had a great raw rock tone! and the Orange Rockerverb great all around tone.


Peavy Bandit combo
Randall RG80 combo
Laney GH100L head
Carvin MTS3200 combo
Marshall TSL100 head
Marshall JCM 800 head
Custom Audio OD100 head
Mesa Boogie Road King head
Mesa Boogie Tremoverb head
Mesa Boogie 2-90-2 power amp
Mesa Triaxis pre
Bad Cat Hot Cat 30r Combo
VHT Pittbull Ultra Lead 120 head
VHT Sig X head
Lee Jackson XLS 1000 head
Orange Rockerverb head
Splawn Nitro head
Bogner Ecstacy 101b head
Diezel Einstein head
Diezel VH4s head
VHT 2/50/2 poweramp
Egnater M4 mod
Mojave Scorpion head
 
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Gorilla (see avatar :) )
Marshall JCM900 Dual Reverb 50W
Carvin X100B
Marshall JCM800 2204
Dr Z Remedy
Marshall 1959 SLP
Marshall JTM1 combo
Orange Rockerverb 30
Fender '57 Custom Twin
Marshall Vintage Modern 2466
Mesa Rectoverb 25 combo
Mesa Stiletto Deuce
Mesa Royal Atlantic (2x12 combo)
Mesa Electra Dyne (23” combo and two heads)
Mesa TC50
Mesa Badlander 100

The 900, 2466, and Electra Dyne are the longest lasting (10, 7, and 5 + years, respectively). The Electra Dyne head + various cabs is my #1 setup now, with no change in sight. I keep trying other amps (and amp models) but just love the Dyne the most.
 
Samick amp that came bundled with my first electric
Crate 1x12 30w that I hated but at least I could almost be heard by a drummer
Mesa Boogie DC-3
Mesa Transatlantic TA-15 head and cab
Boss Katana Head
Yamaha head forget the model but liked the feel better than the Katana
Marshall Origin 20 1x10 combo (still own)
FM3 a year ago
FM9T last week
 
I will probably forget some but lets go...
Harmony combo .....POS
Fender side kick combo...POS I think it broke after a few months
Gorilla combo .... killer little practice amp
Peavey Bandit combo... louder but sucked
Crate ...in the original wooden crate box ...I don't know why
Crate combo ...other guys liked them and I did too for like a minute
Peavy VTM head ...first real amp w/matching cab as well ...had to re-learn how to play. Loud tube amps make your crappy playing really stand out!
at this point I went rack and power amp
Marshall SS preamp Peavey CS800 pwr amp...giged this a few years
Peavey Rockmaster preamp...didn't get along with it
Digitech GSP 2101... here I got a Peavey Classic 120 watt tube power amp - my main giging amp for a few years
Marshall tube preamp .....forget model...pre JMP-1, it sucked anyhow
Tech 21 Sansamp preamp ...sucked
Marshall JMP-1 ...here we go!!! ran this with my PV 120 watt tube power amp and new Marshall 1960B...gigging rig got better here!
Mesa Boogie DC-3 with matching 2x12 ...bought to be a backup while gigging...sucked
somewhere around here is when I realized I really like that Marshall sound
Marshall JCM 900 combo
Marshall JCM 800 2205
Marshall Silver Jubilee 2553 w/ (2) matching 2x12 cabs.......a Beast, had two full stacks for a while
Marshall 6100 LE w/matching 4x12 cab...One of the brass chassis models.....Killer amp!
Marshall SS mini stacks...had 3, red, white and black...cool little stacks
Marshall 1987X
Valvetech 25VAC ...Killer little 25 watt head made by a small builder in Indiana
Here I sold all my gear to move out of state
Vox 2x12 modeling amp...ok when it's all you got
Marshall JMP-1 Again! w/ Marshall 9200 power amp and Marshall 1960B Got it for a steal from a studio-they thought the amp was bad...took it home and replaced a 12AX7....good as new!!!
Moved back
Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100 ...I think I have owned at least 3 of the 100 watters
Epiphone Valve junior.... pretty cool, I modded it a lot!
Blackstar 5 watt head...sucked...sold it for more than I paid for it!!!
Laney AOR 30...made a great lower watt power amp
Laney 100 watt Iommi head...not really that impressive
Hughes & Kettner SS amp...sucked
Marshall Valvestate VS100....an ss amp but sounded great
Jet City copy of a Soldano lunch box head....like azzz
Egnater Renegade.....azzz tone were popular around here
Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 15 watt head...sucked
Peavey lunch box 6160 mini head....ok
EVH 50 watt head....nice
Ampeg 15 watt head...killer little 6V6 power amp
Panama 15 watt ....Mesa DR copy...just not my thing
Marshall DSL 15 head...nice but no FX loop??
Mesa Single Rectifier 50 watt head...only Mesa I have ever played that sounded decent
Marshall DSL 50 watt head....ahh the venerable DSL but just a smudge quieter
Marshall DSL 20HR ... killer DSL tone at a quiet level...what the DSL15 should have been
Marshall JCM 900 DR 50 watt w/ EL34s....much better than the 5881 versions
Vox AC30 2x12 combo...???
Rivera Pubster 15 watt head....nice and chimey......????
Fender Super Sonic 1x12 combo....kind of cool????
Fender Twin...LOUD....????
Marshall Mini Silver Jubilee 20 watt head...didn't sound as good as the originals but cool
Marshall JMP-1 1 watt head awesome little 1 watter...just no beef on the bottom
Marshall Origin 20 watt head....why don't Marshall make a real one?? Oh, they do next year!
Marshall SV20H...the mini plexi...awesome little amp...there you go Marshall!
Marshall Studio Classic 20 watt head...mini 800 .....sounds good on paper but not as good as the SV20H
Marshall 1987X.....didn't need /want really....but got a killer deal ...Thanks GC for selling it so cheap

So, I think that is at least 50 not counting multiples of some and I probably forgot some

Fractal Axe Fx III Mk II
Sold most but still have:
Marshall JMP-1 Preamp
Marshall 1987X
Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 50
Marshall DSL 20HR
Marshall 1960AX
Bogner 4x12 w/GBs
Bogner 2x12 w/CBs
 
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Kustom Solo 16R combo - not bad for first amp at all. Did not own any real mics back then so I miced it up with a headset. Not sure if I sold the amp or gave it away.
Marshall MG100DFX combo - was so excited to have my first Marshall. And a 100 watter, wow! Ended up hating it and still do. The effects were particulary horrible. I remember trying every possible setting in band practice or even in the middle of live shows, and just could not find anything pleasable. Sold to a friend or maybe traded for a pack of beer, can’t remember.
(First Fractal, Axe FX II)
Marshall JCM 800 2203 (horizontal input) - sold in 2021 because of covid, not regretting selling it though.
Marshall JMP 2203 (80’s JCM version) - bought at the end of last year, have turned it on maybe 4 or 5 times. Sounds great.

What I currently have is bolded.
 
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Well, shoot…
A 4x10 Fender Hot Rod Deville
Two original 6g6b Bassman amps
One 6g6b Bassman clone
A Traynor YGL-3a
A Swart STR
A Dr. Z Remedy
A Swart SST-30
A Swart Stereo Master 20
A Swart ST Stereo
A Carol Ann Tucana 3
A Carol Ann Satin

Still have the CAs, and the two larger Swarts.
 
Amps I no longer own
Marshall 100 watt head 4 input 80's got in trade and quickly traded/sold it in the late 80's
Jim Kelly FACS head Didn't like separate head/cab. What a great sounding amp and best spring reverb! :(
Fender Vibroking
Mesa Boogie Mk2B combo
MB Mk2C combo
MB Rectifier(Dual ???) 2-12 combo
2-BF Super Reverb
SF Vibrolux Reverb
2 Peavey Bandits 1983 ish
Vox AC30 later 60's version with Goodman speakers

Still own
3-BF Twin reverb
BF Super Reverb
BF Pro Reverb
SF Pro Reverb 70 watt version
BF Champ
Brown Concert
Brown Pro
Brown Bandmaster 3-10 combo
Brown Princeton aftermarket 1-12 cabinet
52ish Tweed Pro with custom black painted tweed! :)
Marshall JMP 2-12 50W combo
Gibson GA20T 57? brown top tweed bottom
Gibson GA-5
Matchless DC30 2-12 combo Sampson era
Matchless Spitfire 1-12
Magnatone 480
 
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Amps I no longer own
Roland DAC 15D
Mesa Boogie Studio .22+
Mesa Boogie Mk IV
Fender Hot Rod Deville 2x12
DIY "Fender" 5E3 clone
DIY "Dumble" Overdrive Special clone


Amps I still own
Fender 1966 Bandmaster
Fender Vibro King Custom (with P10R speakers and 6v6 reverb driver)
DIY Matchless HC30 Clone (with original Westlabs Transformers)
DIY Deacy Amp (A Clone of Brian May's studio transistor amp made by John Deacon)
 
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