Best amp for blues beginners

[Norfolk Bill]

glad to have been of help,

 

[patb]

I was in your exact position not too long ago and I started with the Mustang 1 - good size, good sound. I went away from it because I found it too "fiddly." For me I couldn't easily look at the knobs and figure out what it was simulating. I have a friend that got the Mustang 2 and loves it.

I went with a simple 5 w tube amp, a HK Tubemeister 5 head and a small Orange cab, but I don't see the HK for sale anymore online. A mistake I made with the Tubemeister is that it doesn't have built in reverb which I now know I'd prefer. I'd throw a Fender Blues Junior in the mix just because it's got simple knobs and includes a spring reverb.

Given the models near where you live, I'd 2nd the Orange Crush 20RT.

I played my SG with humbuckers through a Blues Junior and got some very undesirable sounds. No amount of tweaking helped. I think the HB's may have overwhelmed the amp. Wish I could explain it further. Anyone help ?
Pat

 

[patb]

If you are thinking of a tube amp, take the time for the "Good read on tubes" post in Gear Talk. Its simple and explains a lot. Basically, play through a Fender, then a Vox and decide which sound you want. I bought a Vox Ac15 1C with the Alnico Blue speaker, and am changing the speaker out for the Celestion GM12M Greenback. The Blue with humbuckers will make your ears bleed on any thing above the 12th fret. A year down the road I'm not sure I would have bought the Vox. The point is, try everything you can get your hands on.
I would not try to start with a tube amp. Find a used amp with the sound or close to the sound you want. Modelling amps offer the chance to experiment.

 

[Norfolk Bill]

RE ac15 dont want to teach you how to suck eggs but have you tried knocking the tone cut down ie clock wise maybe to 3 oclock, and adjust the tone controls if your using the tb channel to bass 3 oclock and treble to 10 /11 oclock. Or use the normal channel? i have one to and the best thing to do is use your ears not eyes when it coes the the eq, as they are very interactive

You could also consider the bright cap mod, they are set with a capacitor in the input stage which allows treble to be there at low volumes, a lot of folks me included have just snipped this as it does sound harsh at home volumes, when you increase the main volume this does do, but its very loud then, just a thought

 

[patb]

RE ac15 dont want to teach you how to suck eggs but have you tried knocking the tone cut down ie clock wise maybe to 3 oclock, and adjust the tone controls if your using the tb channel to bass 3 oclock and treble to 10 /11 oclock. Or use the normal channel? i have one to and the best thing to do is use your ears not eyes when it coes the the eq, as they are very interactive

You could also consider the bright cap mod, they are set with a capacitor in the input stage which allows treble to be there at low volumes, a lot of folks me included have just snipped this as it does sound harsh at home volumes, when you increase the main volume this does do, but its very loud then, just a thought

Thanks, Those are about the settings I prefer. The touchy part is avoiding a muddy bass at 12th fret or so. Oddly, when I use a slide it cuts the harsh highs. Re: the bright cap mod, I have no idea what you are referring to.
I have noticed that it all mellows and marries up at a higher volume. That's a little tough in my small practice space and I have neighbors.
Again, thanks for your response.

 

[Norfolk Bill]

If you google ac15c1 bright cap mod it will explain it better than i can but does help the "ice pick" at lowish volumes and doesnt alter any thing as you get louder, its basically removing a capaciter, from the pcb
And i think your on the right track with the greenback the blue is very nice at what it does "jangly" but might not be to your taste

 

[Peter Wynne]

Here you go , dont forget there are 30 preset tones in the editer allready you can tweak and save to your five amp presets, obviously set up the editer on your pc

Delux

G M B M T boutique 212 cab
6.2 9.2 6.5 5.9 7.5

Reverb Plate time pre level
2.7 0.1 7

Class A

G M B M T boutique 212 cab
5.6 10 5.8 5.1 4.8


echo time feedback level
340 2.1 3.4

Reverb plate time pre level
1.5 .24 6.1

US Blues

G M B M T american 112cab
10 9.3 7.7 9.3 0.8


Tape time feedback level
390 2.1 1.8



Reverb plate time pre level
2 .19 6



Brit Blues
G M B M T Britblues 212 cab
5.2 10 6.3 5 3.6

echo time feedback level
3.8 2.1 2.6

Reverb spring rev filter
4 5.6

I have missed out several programable parameters from the reverb as left them as they were , pretty obvious when you have the editer in front of you

Bloody hell spent ages putting the values under the right thing but when i save it ,all goes to pot, still workable though, G=gain etc just work left to right

Bill - Now that we are 3 years down the road and I'm still searching for my THR 10C tone - would you care to give us an update on any of these setting that you have tweaked for the better? Or perhaps your most favored one? Also was curious if you messed about with any of the compressor settings along the way. Many thanks

 

[Telypaul]

I agree with what others are saying with Fender mustang range the 1 is small light and not expensive and is plenty loud if you need it I find the effects out of the box are a little OTT bur easily adjusted once you find the sound you’re looking for save it and you are all set it has USB connectivity so all in all its very versatile. I also run a Fender Super Champ XD that is tube driven its louder but controllable has many of the mustang features but a little more expensive, I also have a Peavey Valve King 20 (my go to amp) all tube 20 watt but can be taped to 5 or 1watt has USB connectivity no FX other than reverb and overdrive a little more expensive.

Bargain basement if you can get it where you are, Subzero they do a tube amp range that are very cheap including a blues junior copy that comes in for less than 300ukp and sound almost as good as the real thing.

 

[Crossroads]

I would recommend the Fender Mustang or something similar. Seeing as you not sure what kind of amp you really want a Mustang or similar modeling amp will give you a lot of different amps you can hear and play with.

Going forward then if you decide to upgrade or go to a different amp you'll have an idea what kind of sound you want.

Basically there's are four types the Marshall british sound there's the California High Gain sound like a Mesa Boogie, there's the Fender cleaner bluesy, sound and then there's the Vox chime ac30 sound. Good luck on your journey and have fun.

 

[Jalapeno]

There you go Pete, set your THR 10C to the Mustang setting

 

[Crossroads]

Guilty. But I'm not going to read through 6 pages of posts and the last post before me looked like he still hadn't made a decision
And the thr10c sounds much better if you swap out the tubes with the Mustang tubes. Just saying

 

[Iheartbacon]

Basically there's are four types the Marshall british sound there's the California High Gain sound like a Mesa Boogie, there's the Fender cleaner bluesy, sound and then there's the Vox chime ac30 sound. Good luck on your journey and have fun.

I would say Fender Tweed, Vox chime, Marshall, Fender BF cleans are the main 4. Boogie, Soldano etc. are derivatives.

 

[DesmoDog]

Yeah three year old post. I get it, and I'm not trying to be a jerk, but... it doesn't matter. It's a FIRST tube amp, not a last/only tube amp. I'd get a modeling amp and not worry about it being a tube amp, but that's me. Which is the point. Everyone will have an opinon, and as time goes on that opinion may change, so don't sweat it. Buy whatever floats your boat and if it's not "the one" (Spoiler alert: It won't be) try again later when you know more about what you want.

 

[Crossroads]

I would say Fender Tweed, Vox chime, Marshall, Fender BF cleans are the main 4. Boogie, Soldano etc. are derivatives.

That would be another way of looking at it. I base mine on the way I have seen the industry break them down. Both Fenders are usually considered clean or blues amps and high gain is usually it's own category as a high gain amp introduces it's own set of variables, most noticeably NOISE .

 

[Cleotis]

After wasting a lot of money, I'm a big fan of not wasting any more money. Get something good to start with. Get a man's amp. The "intheblues" guy, Shane, on YouTube seems to really like his Marshall DSL40C. That would be a good pick. Also, the Mesa 50W or 100W Triple Crown would be great. You could try one of Marshall's new SV20C amps. I'd definitely recommend a good tube amp. The DSL40C (I have the DSL40CST) sounds great clean or driven, with or without pedals, loop works well, etc.

Edit: If you wanted to all out from the get-go, how about one of those Friedman BE-100 Deluxe amps?

 

[Iheartbacon]

After wasting a lot of money, I'm a big fan of not wasting any more money. Get something good to start with. Get a man's amp. The "intheblues" guy, Shane, on YouTube seems to really like his Marshall DSL40C. That would be a good pick. Also, the Mesa 50W or 100W Triple Crown would be great. You could try one of Marshall's new SV20C amps. I'd definitely recommend a good tube amp. The DSL40C (I have the DSL40CST) sounds great clean or driven, with or without pedals, loop works well, etc.

I agree with the buy quality first approach, but having spent so much time with 50 and 100 watt tube amps, I now say go smaller. It is easier to mic a small amp than to get a 100 watt amp to both run on the edge and control the volume.

My advice for a simple blues amp would be a Fender Princeton Reverb Reissue. They sound absolutely glorious clean (especially with a C-Rex speaker) and take pedals very well for dirt tones.

 

[Jalapeno]

And the thr10c sounds much better if you swap out the tubes with the Mustang tubes.