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A LIttle Help Picking Out an Amp


Keith7940236

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I don't think you could go smaller than a 10 inch combo. My 65 Ampeg is not very loud and puts out 18 watts RMS. They are sensitive to what speaker you run. With a C-Rex it is tough to get a better jazz tone with my 575. You don't need to turn the dial up more than 9:00. It is heavy an a pain to move around the house with lots of sharp edges that can take out a knee or shin. As I don't like to run a 47 year old amp too much, I find my Nolotone sounds similar when I shape the tone blackface-ish and add more mids. It comes with a 10 or 12 for about $1399 new and has a low volume switch, master volume, pre and post gain volumes. Paul does the top bottom and mids without a tone stack and goes blackface, silverface, ampeg to marshall when you boost it into rock territory. Very easy grab and go size. I have Swart tweed as well, I like it for Steely Dan and Eagles way more than jazz tones but they are small and easy to move.

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Another vote for the SCXD, very small and compact and great tones. The only downsides are, for me, lack of low end from the 10" speaker and no way of using headphones or mp3 etc.

 

So about two months ago I finally took the plunge and got a Cube 80XL. It has bags of bass, way more than I will ever need, and lots of clean headroom. It also has an auxiliary input and headphone output which is very handy. I connect up a Yamaha QY sequencer for play along, (the sound is excellent), and can then use headphones when necessary. As for size / weight it's bigger than the SCXD but smaller than a Blues Jnr, and because it's a Roland it will basically last forever.

 

I checked out the Cube80XL on your recommendation, tonight, and yes, it really has very nice bass/low end tones, and I think it would be a very nice amp for someone wanting to play jazz. It's plenty loud- would do small/medium sized clubs, I think, and I'd put it in a similar category with the Fender Blues Jr - in a slightly smaller, slightly lighter package - which is why I didn't get one. The BJ excels in mid-range to high-end sparkly cleans, but the cube really has that full/round/bassy sound - if that's what you're looking for.

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I checked out the Cube80XL on your recommendation, tonight, and yes, it really has very nice bass/low end tones, and I think it would be a very nice amp for someone wanting to play jazz. It's plenty loud- would do small/medium sized clubs, I think, and I'd put it in a similar category with the Fender Blues Jr - in a slightly smaller, slightly lighter package - which is why I didn't get one. The BJ excels in mid-range to high-end sparkly cleans, but the cube really has that full/round/bassy sound - if that's what you're looking for.

 

One thing I noticed about the Cube 80XL is the EQ, it has way more range than the Blues Jnr. Setting the tone controls the same on both results in way different tones. I usually set bass mid treble to about 9 o'clock or less on the Cube, with the Blues Jnr it would be 12 o'clock and invariably I end up with the bass on full and treble rolled off on the Junior.

 

check out this youtube vid by a Roland Canada guy

 

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Some helpful instructions there, Paul. I would have had everything at 12 o'clock. The only thing about doing a sound check is, nothing is fool proof, the dynamics will likely change as soon as the room is filled with people, then, everything has to be adjusted; but I think it's a good idea to use the looper for that purpose to at least get started.

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I found a nice little 1972 Fender Princeton with tremolo. I have a KBP stand alone reverb coming so I think that I'll be set!! Thanks for all of the advice!! As always, I appreciate the help.

Princeton's are great amps, I bet you will be quite please with it

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I found a nice little 1972 Fender Princeton with tremolo. I have a KBP stand alone reverb coming so I think that I'll be set!! Thanks for all of the advice!! As always, I appreciate the help.

Excellent choice. You can get nice cleans at low volume, For dirt, you might want to use a pedal or attenuator.

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Some helpful instructions there, Paul. I would have had everything at 12 o'clock. The only thing about doing a sound check is, nothing is fool proof, the dynamics will likely change as soon as the room is filled with people, then, everything has to be adjusted; but I think it's a good idea to use the looper for that purpose to at least get started.

 

I did the same when I got the 80XL, everthing set to where I would have them on the Blues Jnr and got some unusual sounds.

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You might consider a swart atom. Or any of the fender champ clones that run 6l6s.

 

Marsh makes one, as dose Victoria, lil dawg,

Mission, or you could build your own, it is quite easy.

 

this is where my head went. A 5F1 at low volume, small, simple. Eminently repairable (my ONLY knock on the PCB/tube offerings)

Pretty pricey from the Swart/Victoria's of the world....but get someone to build one perhaps.

 

Also, if you like the Ampeg, a vintage Jet may give you tones you enjoy, roughly the size of a Blues Jr and 12 watts. Also, I like the Pro Jr., and they're plentiful, but they're PCB/tube. Having been burnt in this regard, I'm probably a bit overly concerned.....

 

edit..I'm a dolt. I just read the REST of the thread and realize everything I said was already said by others, and all of is now irrelevant.

 

congrats on the Princeton!

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I found a nice little 1972 Fender Princeton with tremolo. I have a KBP stand alone reverb coming so I think that I'll be set!! Thanks for all of the advice!! As always, I appreciate the help.

 

I think that's a good choice!!

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I found a nice little 1972 Fender Princeton with tremolo. I have a KBP stand alone reverb coming so I think that I'll be set!! Thanks for all of the advice!! As always, I appreciate the help.

 

Yep! That should serve you very well. My archtops love my old Princeton...and tend to not feedback quite as much through it.

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I found a nice little 1972 Fender Princeton with tremolo. I have a KBP stand alone reverb coming so I think that I'll be set!! Thanks for all of the advice!! As always, I appreciate the help.

:thumbsup: That'll work. Those era Fender Princeton amps. are great. Congratulations!

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