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AUDIO FORUMS >> General Discussion and Support >> Loking for suggestions for guitar/amp makers
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Message started by JazztoGo on 08/11/13 at 02:28:39

Title: Loking for suggestions for guitar/amp makers
Post by JazztoGo on 08/11/13 at 02:28:39

Hello everyone, so not sure if this is ok to ask this here and if not I am sorry and feel free to remove it.
After taking 3 years off from guitars I am wanting to get back into and having the taste of tube amps, thanks to decware, I am looking for a nice small custom tube amp maker and also some suggestions on electric guitars. My last guitar was a Tom Anderson electric and it was really great but just wanted to know what else was out there.
My music tastes are Jazz, classic rock and blues.

My budget for the combine set would be around 3,500 or so. Any input would be great. Thanks everyone

T :)

Title: Re: Loking for suggestions for guitar/amp makers
Post by Lin on 08/11/13 at 03:03:03

http://www.detailaudio.com/contents.html

Title: Re: Loking for suggestions for guitar/amp makers
Post by Donnie on 08/11/13 at 11:52:26

Keep it in the Decware family. http://lancasteramps.blogspot.com/2008/09/welcome-to-lancaster-amplification.html

Title: Re: Loking for suggestions for guitar/amp makers
Post by Lin on 08/11/13 at 12:23:26

Both links are for Dave Lancaster.

Title: Re: Loking for suggestions for guitar/amp makers
Post by Donnie on 08/11/13 at 13:58:00

A buddy of mine has a Lancaster amp and just raves about it.

Title: Re: Loking for suggestions for guitar/amp makers
Post by Lon on 08/11/13 at 14:00:08

Hey T

I would look into a Fender Jazzmaster. I love my basses and "Bass VI" type guitars best, but my Jazzmaster (a "Thinskin" '59 Reissue model) is my favorite guitar for sonic variety and the way it can play like a big bodied jazz guitar as well as do any rock and blues duty.

As for amps. . . .I've come to really no longer like the sound and capabiliteis of little guitar amps. I've fallen in love with a Fender Bassman TV amp which has a tube in the preamp and a digital amp section (mine drives a fifteen inch speaker, they mad 10, 12, 15 and dual 10 models). I was absolutely hooked on all tube guitar amps til I got this. It just blows any other amp I have out of the water (including the '58 Bassman LTD Reissue amp I have and love to death). Surprised the daylights out of me.

Title: Re: Loking for suggestions for guitar/amp makers
Post by HPDJ on 08/11/13 at 15:43:05

Ill jump in on all the suggestions and say you should definitely check out Dr. Z amps! I have about 4 (maybe 5 different) amps total and the Z is my FAV for sure. In a way, their amps are like the Decware of the guitar amp world (unless your counting the Lancaster amps some have linked to already). Very resonable prices, point to point wiring (which CAN be hit or miss with some manufactures but not them in my experience). GREAT customer service....I called them up once and spoke to Mike Zaite (Dr Z himself). Super reliable products. Awesome sounding, lots of different tones to dial in. They have a wide range of amps so check their site and their dealers cuz there could be a dealer near you. No better way than to demo one in person, though I didn't and ended up liking mines more than a handful of other amps I had demoed at various shops around NYC. You can also find them used for resonable prices.

I have a Maz 18 Jr with no reverb unit included (you can get one WITH reverb as well). I can get some more grit from the amp without the reverb, plus my pedal board has reverb (with a bunch of other effects). I like pedals BUT I also like plugging straight into my amp a lot. My amp has great clean chime that I can enhance or decrease when I want (the cut knob). With the neck pickup on my guitars I can get a really nice throaty blues tone. Nice and warm sound. It has a master volume knob which is great for me because I can get some natural amp distortion at resonable levels (I live in an apartment so this is crucial). Its also such a transparent amp that rolling tubes can yeild noticeable differences. I rolled some NOS Mullard EL84's into mines and I got a warmer tone that I liked for home, solo playing especially.

There is also something called the BRAKELITE that Dr Z sells which is an attenuator. It helps me dial in my sweet spot (on the loud side) and then turn the volume down WITHOUT any loss in the quality of my tone.

I could go on and on really......check them out for sure. There are some nice options out there as far as amps go (if your looking beyond the mass produced ones...which can be nice themselves. I have a couple as I've mentioned) but the Z does so much of what most of those amps can do (sometimes more) at a relatively great price.

As for guitars....dude, so many choices! I dable in many styles so flexibility in tone shaping is a big deal for me. I really LOVE my Gretch Duo Jet double cutaway. Its filtertron pickups are sort of in between your standard single coil and humbucker pickups as far as sound goes and I love that. I wonder what your guitars had before, pickup wise. G&L makes some great fender style guitars (company started BY Leo Fender) and they have relatively great prices. Many options of pickup configurations etc.

Honestly it might be best for you to just head to your local dealer and try a bunch of stuff. I had a BLAST years ago going to practically EVERY guitar store in NYC and just trying stuff out. This is not realistic for everyone time wise I know. But you get the point hopefully. The last thing ill say about the Dr. Z amps is that whatever guitar you plug into it, will sound like THAT guitar! I have a great vintage Ibanez Artist and it sounds brighter and a little more clear than my Gretsch. The Gretsch is smoother and "rounder" sounding. My type of Gretsch at least.

Anyway, have fun with your search! With your budget, you should have no problems finding something that will make you happy...let us know if we can help you with anymore suggestions :)

Title: Re: Loking for suggestions for guitar/amp makers
Post by JazztoGo on 08/12/13 at 22:56:35

Hey everyone, thank you so much for the great input!. I got to try out a DR Z amp, the Maz 18...wow such a nice amp and also got to try out some Swart amps that my local place had. I put in a call to Lancaster as his amps looks very interesting. Thank you everyone and as to the guitar I am going to stick with Tom Anderson as its the guitar that I always drool over heh.

I plan to keep checking out amps but I really appreciate all the great comments and input. Thank you all again

T :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Title: Re: Loking for suggestions for guitar/amp makers
Post by HPDJ on 08/13/13 at 00:37:42

Sweet! No prob man, have fun!

I don't know Tom Andeson guitars so I'm gonna look into them, thanks :)

Title: Re: Loking for suggestions for guitar/amp makers
Post by marky on 08/13/13 at 20:25:54

Go T
Not really custom but Mesa have a large range, including their `rectifiers` which sound like they should do something other amps don`t.
My Nomad 50 has some Mesa standard functions - 3 independent channels selctable from their supplied footswitch. 1,2 and lead. Also a switch on the rear which allows you to cut in or out the el34 power tubes so you can drive the amp at lower power. The 3 channels will all give you what you want in the way of clean through break up, and the lead button has that louder presence sound. There is a reverb button on the fotswitch as well. I say footswitch, it`s the size of a chunky powerstrip with amber lights for the indicators, red for lead. Aluminium, very nice. All hand built and ooze sturdy. fx loop as well, which took some setting up...like a bit of trem sometimes...riders on the.... :)