Talk me out of getting back into amps

Orvillain said:
I'm gonna have to be an enabler.

Doooooitttttttttttttttt!!!!
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Mark Five 35 is half the price of a JP-2C combo, and 2/3 of the weight, not totally awful. But far as i can tell, it's got a lot of options, but they're not that accessible live. It's two channels with a boost and some option switches you can't footswitch.

I want a 15W 20 lb $1200 JP-2C, simple.
Well on paper maybe, I'd want to play it.
And since it doesn't exist and never will...

And really, I've been very much enjoying my City Limits through through the Axe 3 and a pair of EVs lately, my happy place. I nitpick some stuff, but it's awesome. I'll just have to get over feeling weird next to vintage toob guys.
 
You already said that you cannot have both.

But it seems you need both

Personally I have both for my mental health, even if I play more with the axe fx, I like to power on my head and play with some pedals too. I can’t erased these years and years playing with this.
And yesterday after a session playing with my jp2c head , I go back to the head and smell the hot tubes. That smell . Reminds me so much memories.
 
Playing FM3 over FOH with a CLR as backline at live/gig level I have not any feeling like I'm missing "AITR", just killer sound readily on the fly. I'd have probably have difficulties to get that from a miced tube amp.
 
Greg Ferguson said:
I LOVE this little fella for a fast grab and go…

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/best-tube-amp-shootout-under-1000.197257/post-2449604


It doesn't do channel switching, but it's larger sibling, the Falcon Grande does. The Falcon is a loud ~12 watts with 10" speaker; I've had drummers complaining about how loud it is.



The Falcon and Falcon Grande will get into a heavily overdriven Bassman sound or clean up depending on the gain, your guitar's output and how hard you're hitting it.

If you look for one search for used models. Bartel left the company in 2017 IIRC, and the design changed a bit several years later. My Falcon is from 2010-ish.
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Will it wail without getting too loud?
 
Dave Merrill said:
Will it wail without getting too loud?
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Yes. It's comfortably loud with the attenuator at 0. Drop it to the first notch and it loses about 3dB. At either it's quite "robust". I stand about three feet in front of it and can go from clean to major distortion by rolling up the volume and hit a note and get controlled feedback, depending on which guitar I'm using.

The Ironman II attenuator that Bartel designed somewhat replaces having a master volume but the power amp is running flat out so you can get that power-amp distortion at lower volumes.
 
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There's a Carr Rambler near me, one of the amps I've been digging in the Axe. Hmmm...

But it's $3k+, and I'm keeping my Axe, so prolly not.
 
Dave Merrill said:
Mark Five 35 is half the price of a JP-2C combo, and 2/3 of the weight, not totally awful. But far as i can tell, it's got a lot of options, but they're not that accessible live. It's two channels with a boost and some option switches you can't footswitch.

I want a 15W 20 lb $1200 JP-2C, simple.
Well on paper maybe, I'd want to play it.
And since it doesn't exist and never will...

And really, I've been very much enjoying my City Limits through through the Axe 3 and a pair of EVs lately, my happy place. I nitpick some stuff, but it's awesome. I'll just have to get over feeling weird next to vintage toob guys.
Click to expand...
Currently in my home studio I have:

  • Mesa Boogie Mark V
  • Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (2018 multiwatt)
  • Marshall JVM410HJS (the Satriani one)
  • Diezel VH4
  • Diezel D-Moll
  • Diezel Hagen (loan from a friend, but he wants to sell it soon!)
  • Peavey 6505+
  • Orange Rockerverb MKIII
  • Laney VH100R

I play them all on occasion, but the ones that are most commonly played (at least this year!) are the Mark V, Recto, D-Moll, and JVM.

But I'm not planning on selling any. Modelled amps are great for recording, and quieter or even headphone jamming and songwriting. But IMHO, it doesn't replace the raw unadulterated experience of cranking a real valve amp.

I definitely think everyone should have at least one valve amp, so they can at least remember what these things are supposed to feel and sound like.
 
Orvillain said:
Currently in my home studio I have:

  • Mesa Boogie Mark V
  • Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (2018 multiwatt)
  • Marshall JVM410HJS (the Satriani one)
  • Diezel VH4
  • Diezel D-Moll
  • Diezel Hagen (loan from a friend, but he wants to sell it soon!)
  • Peavey 6505+
  • Orange Rockerverb MKIII
  • Laney VH100R

I play them all on occasion, but the ones that are most commonly played (at least this year!) are the Mark V, Recto, D-Moll, and JVM.

But I'm not planning on selling any. Modelled amps are great for recording, and quieter or even headphone jamming and songwriting. But IMHO, it doesn't replace the raw unadulterated experience of cranking a real valve amp.

I definitely think everyone should have at least one valve amp, so they can at least remember what these things are supposed to feel and sound like.
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Have you tried the engl fireball 100?
One of the last high gain amps not expensive with a very great clean , great dist and … a noise gate !
 
My name is mud said:
Have you tried the engl fireball 100?
One of the last high gain amps not expensive with a very great clean , great dist and … a noise gate !
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I haven't I'm afraid. I have a bit of a prejudice against ENGL - probably completely unfounded - after trying a Screamer 50 about 17 years ago and not liking it!

In retrospect, I bet it is actually sick AF !
o_O
 
Dave Merrill said:
There's a Carr Rambler near me, one of the amps I've been digging in the Axe. Hmmm...

But it's $3k+, and I'm keeping my Axe, so prolly not.
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These days are special : you can have very cheap gear that sounds very good, and tube amps are more and more expensive . All the famous brands like fender Gibson mesa etc have a huge price increase this last decade like 20%?
A jp2c is now listed 5000 euros when it was 3500 the day they release it. 😵
 
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My name is mud said:
These days are special : you can have very cheap gear that sounds very good, and tube amps are more and more expensive . All the famous brands like fender Gibson mesa etc have a huge price drop this last decade like 20%?
A jp2c is now listed 5000 euros when it was 3500 the day they release it. 😵
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Is that what you meant to say?
Or huge price INCREASE?
 
Keep the Fractal like you said you were. Get the real tube head and run the Fractal in 4cm with your real head. Have a patch set up for all pre and post effects to your real head. Then have another patch with the Fractal amp sim keeping all pre and post effects the same. You will quickly find out that the real amp and the Fractal Amp sim of the same amp say the BE100 will be spot on with very minor tweaking. This arrangement allows you with a patch change to have the flexibility to go real tube amp or amp sim which obviously will use the power amp section of the head you buy. No cord changes, just a simple patch change to quickly A/B back and forth. One day you will find the real amp sounds better and then the next you will find the Fractal amp sim sounds better based on your ears that day. I currently have a Kemper, Tonex and EVH Stealth 50 all tied into my AXE 3 at once with the effects loops and gives me endless tonal possibilities at a simple patch change.
 
Alainarose said:
Keep the Fractal like you said you were. Get the real tube head and run the Fractal in 4cm with your real head. Have a patch set up for all pre and post effects to your real head. Then have another patch with the Fractal amp sim keeping all pre and post effects the same. You will quickly find out that the real amp and the Fractal Amp sim of the same amp say the BE100 will be spot on with very minor tweaking. This arrangement allows you with a patch change to have the flexibility to go real tube amp or amp sim which obviously will use the power amp section of the head you buy. No cord changes, just a simple patch change to quickly A/B back and forth. One day you will find the real amp sounds better and then the next you will find the Fractal amp sim sounds better based on your ears that day. I currently have a Kemper, Tonex and EVH Stealth 50 all tied into my AXE 3 at once with the effects loops and gives me endless tonal possibilities at a simple patch change.
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If it's options I'm after, I have enough in the Axe, thank you very much.

It's more a humans thing. I used to jam a lot with guys who had, and valued, vintage guitars and amps. This newfangled digital nonsense doesn't cut it for folks who listen to BB King and Taj Mahal.

My Axe world is separate from that. Probably. However, last time i got together with folks from that era of me, i brought a Helix, and it was fine, but that wasn't the most serious set of those guys.

I'd just feel most comfortable there with an all (mostly?) analog rig.
 
My name is mud said:
You already said that you cannot have both.

But it seems you need both

Personally I have both for my mental health, even if I play more with the axe fx, I like to power on my head and play with some pedals too. I can’t erased these years and years playing with this.
And yesterday after a session playing with my jp2c head , I go back to the head and smell the hot tubes. That smell . Reminds me so much memories.
Click to expand...
I too do this with my JP2C, brotherrr!
 
Orvillain said:
Currently in my home studio I have:

  • Mesa Boogie Mark V
  • Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (2018 multiwatt)
  • Marshall JVM410HJS (the Satriani one)
  • Diezel VH4
  • Diezel D-Moll
  • Diezel Hagen (loan from a friend, but he wants to sell it soon!)
  • Peavey 6505+
  • Orange Rockerverb MKIII
  • Laney VH100R

I play them all on occasion, but the ones that are most commonly played (at least this year!) are the Mark V, Recto, D-Moll, and JVM.

But I'm not planning on selling any. Modelled amps are great for recording, and quieter or even headphone jamming and songwriting. But IMHO, it doesn't replace the raw unadulterated experience of cranking a real valve amp.

I definitely think everyone should have at least one valve amp, so they can at least remember what these things are supposed to feel and sound like.
Click to expand...
How’s that JS amp?
 
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