Underrated or unappreciated amp blocks

The Carr and the TX Star (clean) have been my go to clean amps for a long time. Rarely see much love for either. I guess the TX Star gets more red than the Carr. Even the Beatles loved those amps. Baby you can drive my Carr, yes I'm gonna be a Star.
 
May be the only one to say this, but the Jazz 120 with the saturation switch engaged is really cool.

Especially if you pair it up with a Vox or Friedman, then it provides some interesting texture.
 
dr bonkers said:
May be the only one to say this, but the Jazz 120 with the saturation switch engaged is really cool.

Especially if you pair it up with a Vox or Friedman, then it provides some interesting texture.
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I just tried this and got a really great alternative/rock tone (depending on how high you raise the gain on the friedman). Throw on a delay and verb, t808 boosting the friedman and the rock gods will worship you. The Jazz 120 seems to sit underneath and add some clarity to your tone, letting chords ring out nicely even with heavy distortion. Kind of reminds me of the recording trick of capturing the dry signal of the guitar + the acoustic signal, mixing them underneath the distorted mess and cleaning it up.
 
CAE3+ - Cln and Supremo Trem.

Using 3 Sigma Audio Marshall G12M-25 IR variations for both.

The CAE3+ cleans may be my favorites to date. Use to lean toward the Carr model, but no more. The CAE3+ has a 3D thing going on that just sounds great and feels great to play. Bright cap adjustment takes it from sparkling spank to warm jazz.

The Supremo Trem just has it's own thing going on that I love. I keep coming back to it for edge of breakup to medium overdrive tones. I use it for Jackson Brown, to Clapton, to Allman Bros.
 
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RossE said:
CLA3+ - Cln and Supremo Trem.

Using 3 Sigma Audio Marshall G12M-25 IR variations for both.

The CLA3+ cleans may be my favorites to date. Use to lean toward the Carr model, but no more. The CLA3+ has a 3D thing going on that just sounds great and feels great to play. Bright cap adjustment takes it from sparkling spank to warm jazz.

The Supremo Trem just has it's own thing going on that I love. I keep coming back to it for edge of breakup to medium overdrive tones. I use it for Jackson Brown, to Clapton, to Allman Bros.
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....pardon me, but what is a CLA3+? CAE, perhaps?
 
The Budda!!!!!!!!!!

I struggled with this with some prior FW releases but spent some time last weekend and figured it out. With cleaner and slightly crunchy drive levels it's jangly and cool sounding. Crank up the drive and it compresses and smooths out for an awesome lead tone.

The key, I found, is to crank up the High Cut. A bit less with the cleaner patches, but up around 5-6 for the higher gain patches.
 
Geezerjohn said:
The Carr and the TX Star (clean) have been my go to clean amps for a long time. Rarely see much love for either.
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I was using the DeluxeReverb Vib for most clean uses until I discovered the Carr. At that point, I changed the Carr's 6L6 output tubes to 6V6's, for my "like a DR, but even better" patch, and have loved it ever since.
Haven't got to the TX Star yet. I suspect I need to do that...;)
 
Since about quantum 6...all the amps are great. Triptik...fas modern...even the Uber. Since about that same time...I keep coming back to the 50 watt plexi and 800. There's just so much juice there to mess with...the bright cap and Sat switch can entertain me for days.
 
I wish the Tucana would get more love than the Triptik. The Triptik seems to get more praise so far, and its top end is more flexible with more gain on tap, more channels.. The Tucana is a one-trick pony, but what it does, it does better, both channels. For metal, it's the most VICIOUS sounding machine. So funny how it looks vs how it sounds.. Recently I lowered the tonestack freq a bit and it's perfect.
 
A lot of worthy mentions here- I'm going to throw my two cents in for the Dr. Z Route 66- with the boost switch on. Thick, chewy, gainy goodness. Love it- sounds amazing with my SG.
 
Adman103 said:
A lot of worthy mentions here- I'm going to throw my two cents in for the Dr. Z Route 66- with the boost switch on. Thick, chewy, gainy goodness. Love it- sounds amazing with my SG.
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I love the Maz38, but I used to own one so I'm pretty partial to it. It takes a TS really well and is just has a nice smooth tone.
 
RossE said:
The CAE3+ cleans may be my favorites to date. Use to lean toward the Carr model, but no more. The CAE3+ has a 3D thing going on that just sounds great and feels great to play. Bright cap adjustment takes it from sparkling spank to warm jazz.
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Same. The CAE3+ cleans are my favorite. Actually, I only like the clean channel on that preamp. Don't like the rhythm or lead tones at all.
 
speedloader said:
I wish the Tucana would get more love than the Triptik. The Triptik seems to get more praise so far, and its top end is more flexible with more gain on tap, more channels.. The Tucana is a one-trick pony, but what it does, it does better, both channels. For metal, it's the most VICIOUS sounding machine. So funny how it looks vs how it sounds.. Recently I lowered the tonestack freq a bit and it's perfect.
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Please post a preset or it didn't happen.. I am a big fan of the Tucana but I have never really gotten crazy with the gain on it..
 
wyzyguy said:
Please post a preset or it didn't happen.. I am a big fan of the Tucana but I have never really gotten crazy with the gain on it..
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This might be all due to your guitar. Both gains at 10, bass 7, mid 3, treb & presence 8, master 2.33. Then you have to balance your input signal to make it sound right. The lead channel is very responsive to the guitar, like a plexi. It's the beauty of it, if your signal is well balanced, the amp with have lots of potential sizzle and crunch as if it relied on PA distortion but without the squeals, roundness and farty low end. So whether it is the ultimate beast depends on your own pre-EQ and picking technique.

As minor advanced changes, I lower the tonestack to 610hz, set the speaker resonances for my cab, with a high freq at 825hz and hi resonance at 7.5. It opens the mids.
 
Geezerjohn said:
The Carr and the TX Star ... Baby you can drive my Carr, yes I'm gonna be a Star.
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Bingo! I mean Ringo (...yes I'm gonna be a Starr ?) anyway;
Fine amps indeed. I really have little idea what amps are appreciated or not, they all seem to have something going on with the right approach.

StickMan said:
The Budda!!!!!!!!!! .... Crank up the drive and it compresses and smooths out for an awesome lead tone. The key, I found, is to crank up the High Cut...
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Took a while to get the Budda, but its a good friend now.

The Tweed Deluxe model impresses me (as do all the vintage Fenders): Finding and setting the controls is quite different than the complex interactivity of inputs and volumes of the actual amp, but for my taste: its got much of the mojo. Once set: Its the same sort of twitchy beast, with playing dynamics and riding the volume and tone knob for tonal expression. Unlike the (probably badly in need of service) real ones I've played: it can be tailored for more headroom and volume and the input trim allows optimal matching to any guitar; yet no appreciable hum and crackle, and the overdriven breakup can be adjusted with Speaker IR choice, or made less splatty with other tweaks.

I also feel compelled to mention the Ruby Rocket Bright for its addictive lead tone.
 
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