Conference napalm::guitar

I currently own a Fender Dual-Showman head with an old cabinet that has 2 
12 inch Altec Lansings in it. I agree with the base note that Marshalls sound 
great when cranked up, but when I had evaluated them (10 years ago) they sounded
thin at low "practise" volumes. My vote would go to Mesa Boogies for best amp.

    
    
    I have to disagree with .0 on one point.  I don't think Marshalls
    are very versatile.  I had a Marshall for five years and loved it.
    And I've used them in the studio since I got rid of mine, so I
    agree they are a great sounding amp, but if you want versatility,
    then go with Mesa Boogie.  I've had my Boogie S.O.B. for a year
    and a half now and wouldn't trade it for 100 Marshalls.  As much
    as I like the Marshall sound, I'd have to give my vote for my favorite
    amp to Mesa Boogie.
    
    Ralph

    Maybe, again, its what sound you want. I feel a Strat sounds best
    (cleanest) through a Fender amp, but that's the sound *I* like.
    [A Strat should not sound like a '57 Chevy stripping its gears]
    
    Equally, I've heard a Boogie with various axes into it and was very
    impressed wit its 'versatility' - clean or dirty...
    
    p.s. nothing wrong with a little Peavey as a quiet practice amp.
    Honest. Not for live stuff though.

    		Well, I've never actually saved enough dinero 
    	to buy a full-fledged amp...you know, head plus 12 inch
    	drivers.  But I have bought a couple practice amps.  I
    	was not impressed with Gorilla amps.  Although it had
    	a "tube" screamer effect, it lost it's pow very fast.
    	I have since bought a Washburn practice amp, and for the
    	money, it's a very good little amp.  I have yet to really
    	get on the 'ol Rock Volume, but it does sound very clean
    	and it can get VERY dirty!
    
    					Phil
    

    I like marshalls, I use (mostly) a Fender studio lead (50w single
    12"). The boogie I used to reccord with at Fishtracks didn't do
    anything for me, I thought it sounded like shit, but didn't have
    alot of time to experiment with it. I believe that all of these
    are blown away by the Semour Duncan convertable, however my wallet
    has never been able to convert enough money to buy one. :-)
    
    dave (hardcore semour duncan pickup user)

    I also agree with several of the replies in this note regarding
    Mesa Boogie amps.  They are expensive, but they are worth it.  I
    have the Super 60 with reverb and eq and I wouldn't want any other
    amp.

    I use a Boogie and am very big on them.  This may seem like bullshit
    but when I first started playing with it, it was a kind of rare
    joy for me.   It's hard to describe but it just seems to do everything
    right almost automatically.
    
    My Boogie is probably on the older side as far as Boogies go) when
    they were somewhat hard to come by and I paid an enormous amount
    of money (probably 3 times the amount of my second choice) to acquire
    what with shipping, insurance and the expensive price, and on top
    of that it was almost a year from the time I ordered it and the
    time it arrived.   But as soon as I unpacked it and put it together
    it was clearly worth the trouble and the expense.
    
    	db

    
    I have a small Peavey, and I like it. I get a very nice sound and
    I think I have a lot of amp for the money.
    
    I also have an vintage (old 1964) Fender band master which I think
    is just great! I am into guitar sound, and this Fender gives me what
    I want.
    
    Marshall or Boogie and anyother may be better. It is all a matter
    of what you can like. I know some one who sold a Marshall and got
    a Music man.
    

    I wan't sure how I was going to reply to this note, but here goes,
    anyway.  I used to work for Acoustic Control in Van Nuys, Calif.
    They were never noted for their guitar amps, it seems their bass
    amps were well accepted though.  While I was there they were developing
    a whole new line of solid state and tube type guitar amps and wanted
    to make an assault on the market.  They managed to get the Pretenders
    to take a bunch of the amps in hopes of an indoresment but as the
    product was still in the R&D stages the stuff would break down a lot.
    The Pretenders ended up sending everything back and going with something
    else.  Too bad, 'cause the kinks got worked out.
    
    Well, to make a long story longer, the tube amps came out really
    nice but I don't think the market was there to accept it, especcially
    with the price tag (one model, I think, was tagged at close to $1k).
    The solid state version was really nice and the design idea was
    to get as close to a tube sound as possible.  I ended up buying
    one of the proto's (I really didn't have the budget, even with employee
    discount to afford a production model and that's another long story
    anyway).  They made me a great deal on the proto, $100, and with
    the exception of a very loud pop when it's turned on the amp is
    a real work horse.  It features twin twelve drivers, clean and dirty
    sound, a built in EQ with 100 watts.  Lately, I've been playing
    a lot of jazz and with my ES-150 the sound is really warm and creamy.
    I've never done a comparison with a real good tube amp but I think
    it would fair pretty well.  It also handles those dynmaic R-n-R
    sounds as well.
    
    =ken

    Dean Markley gets my vote, as they are pretty versatile and they
    scream if ya' want them to.  Alex Lifeson(rush) uses them, as well
    as Andy Summers (Police).
    As for bass amps, I say Trace Elliot.  Real expensive but well worth
    the money.
    
    BTW, What years did fender make the bandmaster, what is the wattage
    on it and how much are they worth? My freind has one and I's just
    wondering.

    I do not what years the badmaster were made. I do not know if they
    still are making band master. The one I have is 64 or so. In a store
    the head goes for about $140.
    

    Well, I tried a boogie for the first time in my life this weekend.
    At the boogie output (not the store name) in newport r.i.
    
    
    
    
    
    I own a marshall.
    The marshall sounds great in 3 settings. 1. clean, 2. cranked, 3.
    somewhere in between.
    
    I'm gonna get rid of my marshall and get a boogie.
    
    anybody want to buy a marshall?
    
    rik
    

    re: .12
    
    Sounds like you had a similar experience to mine.
    
    I think you'll find that they are well worth the extra money.
    
    re: .5 (Dave Bottom says the Boogie he's tried didn't impress him)
    
    Dave, it might well have been that that amp needed tubes in a bad
    way.   When the tubes in a Boogie go, the sound degrades very rapidly
    and instead of getting that "singing Boogie lead" sound, you get
    something that sounds buzzy and somewhat like a fuzz box.
    
    I always try to keep an extra pair of 6L6Cs around for this reason.
    
    	db

    I was using the boogie in kind of a crunch rhythm setting, I had
    an enormous amount of trouble getting the setting where I liked
    it......it could have been a tube problem.....I still think boogies
    are old news, try a Semour Duncan and check out the difference,
    it's measurable, I admit that a good friend of mine always gets
    a great sound out of his boogie....but for the money the duncan
    seems to be more flexible. And you can change pre-amps in the duncan
    to get the sound you want, as it is it comes with 5 different pre-amps
    that can be set up to maximise the sound....others are available
    for purchase and the future???
    
    dave who wishes he had the bucks for a duncan......

	I was thinking of buying a boogie a few years ago until I saw
what it would actually cost me.  Instead I bought a Peavey Special 130
in Daddy's Junky Music for around $300.  I have been quite pleased 
with it.  Maybe if I was still playing full time in a band I may have
a different opinion.

	I bought this to replace my Fender Super Reverb who's sound I
was getting tired of.

-gary

    re .1, .8 ...

    Wow.  I also have a 80W Fender Showman-amp and a cabinet, but with 2
    15" Altecs.  However, I usually use it with a 200W EV in a bass
    reflex cab.  It's a lot cleaner and tighter.  
    
    A friend of mine has a 50W Bandmaster with the original 2 12"s and
    the original tubes.  It sounds so sweet you wouldn't believe it.
    It's my choice for recording right now.
    
    BTW, both of the above are pre-master-volume amps.  Mine has a grey
    and black case, his has a grey front with blue fibres in it.
    
    I'm also thinking of getting a modern tube amp, or maybe just a
    pre-amp to use direct.  
    
    What about pre-amps ?  Are they as good or better than a miked amp ?

    Every amp has nice qualities to it. The Boogie is nice, Duncans
    are nice. I like a multi amp set up to get the subtle qualities
    of a couple of amps. I have a 30 Hiwatt that is good for a british
    sound and rivals a boogie for a lead tone. I have a GK that I use
    for that `soother' solid state texture, and I wat to stick a 50WT
    Marshall in there too for all that Crunchola stuff that that others
    don't do well. Eric johnson has something sililar to this.
    -WJB

    re: .17
    
    Yes, I really agree that this is the best situation to have.
    
    Not only does it give you more flexibility tone-wise, but it also
    allows you to get into stereo delay effects which really improves
    the effect.
    
    Eric Johnson also uses the multi-amp setup to do sample-and-hold
    type things (most of the "rhythm" guitar on the first tune of his
    album is just a delay on infinite repeat).
    
    Did anyone else catch his show at the Channel?  It was a great show
    (I didn't even bother to stick around for Blue Oyster Cult after
    EJ.)  I loved how he was introduced:  "I hear this guy is a
    MOTHER____ER!  Please welcome Eric Johnson!".   Boy, was he right.
    
    I usually consider it insulting and egotistical when I hear someone 
    do a Hendrix cover.   Stevie Ray Vaughn used to be the only exception
    but EJ did a great Hendrix cover.   (Frank Marino is probably the
    prime example of insulting egotistical Hendrix covers.   Roy Buchanan
    should also put his Hendrix covers on the shelf for awhile.)
    
    	db

    I have to agree with all the Marshall fans out there.  I own
    a Marshall mini stack that I purchased about a year ago.
    No other amp that Ive ever owned has ever came close to
    the Marshall sound. Ita a real screamer.  
    Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck agree too.
    
    

                <<< XYLAR::DUA0:[NOTES$LIBRARY]GUITAR.NOTE;1 >>>
        -< 'I have forgotten my guitar! I am losing my wits.' -FIGARO. >-
================================================================================
Note 20.20                   What Amp Do You Like?                      20 of 20
MTBLUE::BOTTOM_DAVID                                 10 lines   7-OCT-1986 11:09
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    re: -.1
    
    You'd better check, last I saw Townshend was using HI watts with
    sunn cabinets. Clapton was using Music Man, and Beck is using Semour
    Duncans now....not to say that they all didn't use Marshalls at
    one time,, but they are not using them now....
    
    Nothing wrong with Marshalls, I had one once.....
    
    dave
    

    WJB (and other multi-amp setup owners),
    
    How do you control your multi-amp setup?  How are they wired
    (in series?).  How do you switch between amps? etc.
    
    I'm thinking of getting a second amp and am pondering the possibilities
    of how to set it up in my rig.   I want it to function both as a
    clean amp sound (see footnote #1) and as the second amp for stereo
    delay effects.  BTW, if you haven't experiment with true stereo delay
    you should.  Stereo delay REALLY enhances the sound by making it
    seem to come from a very wide area instead coming from the box your
    amp is contained in.   
    
    	db
    
    1
      Speaking of making plugs for amp, I'm leaning towards one of the Roland
      Jazz Chorus as a second amp.   It seems to do very well as a
      clean amp.  It has a wide variety of sounds, doesn't compress
      out dynamics the way most other (non-Boogie) amps do, fairly light,
      has a neat stereo chorus effect that might be fun for certain
      things when I don't have the Boogie handy.

    
    	When it's a toy.
    
    	There are marshalls.
    	And there are marshalls.
    	some marshalls have all the right stuff to sound like marshalls
    are suppossed to sound.
    	some marshalls are a box with a speaker or 2 and some nobs and
    switches and dials and hardly ever sound like marshalls.
    	There are boogies with ALL THE RIGHT stuff that get ALL THE
    RIGHT sounds.
    	and there are boogies that are boxes with tubes and nobs and
    dials and the word "boogie" written on it. but hardly any
    of the right sounds.
    	I own an inferior marshall.
    	Last night I played inferior boogies.
    
    	If you get a marshall, DON'T GET CRAP!!!! get the best the sell.
    if you get a boogie, don't get a toy....get the best...! they make
    4 or 5 models that fit the BEST description. and they make 4 or
    5 models that fit the worst description.
    
    	if you see a boogie for under 800 and it's not used, don't
    buy it.
    	it's a toy.
    

    re: .22
    
    I agree completely.
    
    What did you play last night?  Was it the new "S.O.B." (Son of a
    Boogie)?  I've never heard those but could easily imagine they aren't
    as good as the Mark IIs.
    
    Marshall makes a wide variety of amplifiers.  Boogie really only
    makes two guitar amps, the Mark II (or perhaps they're up to III)
    and the S.O.B. (the economy Mark II).  There are many options on
    the Mark II (head only, combo, 60/100 watt switchable, reverb, EQ,
    "Simulclas", etc. but they ARE generally  consistent (the Mark IIs).
    
    If you played a Mark II that sounded inferior to others you've heard,
    it's more than likely that something is wrong with it.   Boogie
    eat tubes quickly and I've come across more than a few that needed
    new tubes but the owner didn't realize it.  Also, Boogies seem to be
    very sensitive to environment (temperature and humidity).   At this
    time of year where you get wide variations in environment I sometimes
    feel like each time I turn my Mark II on it's a different amp. It's
    the most serious complaint I have about my Boogie.
    
    Anyway, you're advice is good.  I translate to "Don't buy by name".
    Those tiny <20 watt Marshalls bear only cosmetic resemblance to
    the classic larger ones but cost a lot more because of the name.
    
    	db

    Use to own a Marshall stack but sold it cause I needed the bucks.
    Great Rock sound.  Over the years I keep coming back to black faced
    Fenders.  Presently, I own a vibrolux reverb patched to a 50 watt
    Bassman going through a Fender 2-10 bottom.  Both the Vibrolux and
    Bassman are black-face.   I rarely recommend anything else
    but the black-faced ones.  They are clearly superior to the blonds
    though there are exceptions to every rule.  Beware - look around.
     Not all black faced fenders are screamers.  I have yet to find
    a black-face Super Reverb that I would give a dime for.  I prefer
    the Bassman's, Vibrolux's, and Deluxe Reverbs.
    
    Joel

    I'll add my two cents worth.  I started playing in junior high with
    a Bandmaster.  Great amp, but no reverb.  In high school I switched
    to SuperReverb because of the grease.  In college I hacked up the
    Super to put the amp in a separate package for portability (ever
    try and put a Super into the back seat of a VW?)and built some speaker
    cabinets.  I used that rig for a number of years, substituting better
    speakers and cabinet designs as time passed.  
    
    After college, I traded the Super head for a really tasty Deluxe
    Reverb (blackface) that I still have today.  It needs a little work,
    but when in tiptop shape it can provide a great sound, especially
    with a Fender guitar.
    
    I started playing pedal steel about eight years ago and decided
    the Deluxe didn't have enough cleanliness; I picked up a used LabSeries
    L-9.  I'm pretty certain this amp is no longer made, although it
    has some neat features. It's rated at 100watts, has channel gain
    plus master, a semi-parametric midrange control, plus two treble
    controls, and a built-in compressor.  The L-9 has a single 15in
    EVM, which is the reason I bought it.  It's all solid state, so
    it has an ultra clean sound.  I wouldn't recommend it for guitar,
    but for pedal steel it's unbeatable.
    
    Finally, I have a Fender Princeton Reverb that I use as a practice
    amp.  I replaced the original 10in speaker with an ElectroVoice
    Force 10 and the difference was astounding.  Suddenly, this puny
    (18 watt) amp started to sound like the mouse that roared. 
    
    Of course, I'm still looking for the ultimate sound: I don't know
    what that sound is, but I know I'll know it when I hear it!
    
    Johnny Jupiter
    

    still got the deluxe?  If so, what year is it and are you interested
    in selling it?
    
    Joel

    re .26:  Thanks for the interest, but I wouldn't know how to act
    if there wasn't at least one black face Fender amp in my house.
    I've seen them around, though...check out the Want Advertiser. 
    
    Hey, does anyone out there have a Boogie I could come over and
    try? I'm reallly confused by all the flavors of Boogie that are
    out there and I need to sort it out, since I'm still looking for
    the ultimate tone.  I work in Shrewsbury, Mass., and live in Stow,
    Mass.  
    
    Thanks in advance,
    Johnny Jupiter
    
    
      

    re. 27
    	Johnny J.
    
    	There are (I believe) only 3 types of boogies
    
    	the real boogie
    	the sort of boogie
    	the cheap amp with a boogie label
    
    	there's a boogie distributor in newport r.i. with a number of
    variations
    including the real boogie.
    
    	on main st..open at. till 5 p.m.
    
    	rik
    

    You're welcome to try mine out.   I live in Hudson, NH.
    
    Mine is a 1980 Mark-IIB with Electro-voice speaker, reverb, and
    wood cabinet (as opposed to tolex cabinet).  My tubes are approaching
    replacement but the sound is still pretty close to what it would
    be with new tubes.  (Tubes are expensive so I tend to squeeze as
    much life out of them as I can.  I've even resorted to practicing
    with a small solid state amp instead of using the Boogie.)
    
    If you can find someone with a newer one that has the Simul-class
    option, you might be better off trying that one.  There are several
    stores in the area that claim to carry Boogie amps now, although
    they rarely seem to stock anything other than the S.O.B. model.
    
    Contact me by mail if you're interested.
    
    	Dave Blickstein
    	

    How often do you need to change tubes? I've played through my freind's
    old bandmaster (circa 65-70) and I don't think the tubes are dead
    yet. It's been played at mostly very high volumes and still gives
    a clear, unmuddy sound.  What are the signs of tubes wearing out?
              
    		regards

    Most amps have two kinds of tubes: pre-amp and power.
    
    I change my power amp tubes about every year or so.   I have yet
    to replace my pre-amp tubes (Every so often I check them by temporarily
    replacing them and comparing the sound, but so far I don't hear
    much difference).  I've had my amp (Mesa Boogie Mark IIB) for about
    6 years.
    
    When the tubes for the power amp (6L6C's on Boogies) go, they start
    to sound like fuzz boxes instead of Boogies.  At some point they
    go critical and become very buzzy sounding.
    
    	db

    When I was playing in a rock band in the early 70's, We finally
    settled on Acoustic Control (see re.9) for both our lead and bass
    amps. The only times we weren't satisfied were in very small clubs.
    In a big auditorium, the lead amps would give Marshall's a run for
    the money, and nothing would come close to the bass amp!
    
    The bass amp was a 300 watt (rms) head with two folded horn enclosures,
    each with a reverse mount Cerwin-Vega 18" woofer. I believe the
    C-V's were rated at 1200 watts!  Chicago used to use the bass amp.
    I saw them at Tampa (FLA) stadium and , believe it or not, in the
    open stadium, the Chicago bassist was rattling the bleacher seats!!
    
    
    Glad to see that the old Fenders and Marshall's are still popular!!
    
    
    Alan (I still listen to Rock 'n Roll) Nichols
    

    anyone seen the new mini stack from marshall? cute as a button.
    12 watts. very loud. sounds right. $300.
    
    Dennis

    Regarding mini-amps.
    
    I was burning out tubes for my Boogie too fast, so I decided to
    get a solid state amp and use it for practicing.  I really didn't
    look at too many amps because I always practice with a clean amp
    sound.  So all I wanted was something that would just let me hear
    what I was playing.
    
    I ended up with a Dean Markley 12 watt job.  It was $65 at Cambridge
    Music.  I never even bothered to check out the overdrive mode or
    fiddle with the tone controls until just recently.
    
    I'm actually impressed with what the amp can do.  It has some real
    nice clean sounds and a decent overdrive sound.  It can go just
    loud enough to have a clean sound and yet be heard over drums, so
    I think it would do well in a pinch as a tote-around-to-jams amp
    (next to my 100 lb Boogie, the DM feels like it could float on air).
    
    I'm now using it as the second amp for stereo effects temporarily
    until I get another amp.  It does pretty well for that too, especially
    since I drive it from the preamp out of the Boogie.  
    
    In fact, I've played a trick on a few people where I "demonstrate"
    the DM but what I'm doing is using the Boogie to shape the sound
    and just amplifying it with the DM.  My rig has enough cords coming
    and going that you couldn't possibly tell I was doing this without
    10 minutes of signal path analysis.  Anyway, I've tricked lots of
    people into thinking the DM was almost as good as a Boogie.

    	db

    I'm sort of looking for a new amp now. Currently I'm playing thru
    a Fender Twin. I LIKE it, but...
    
    1. It's heavy (really heavy)
    2. You really have to crank it before you get any sustain
    3. It's had transformer problems
    
    At Winterjam I played thru Paul Charbonneau's Peavey Bandit. I was
    very impressed. The pre, post, and saturation controls give a very
    nice distortion sound at reasonable volume. It's also somewhat smaller
    than the Twin. Nice reverb, too. I see peavey's selling for 200
    bucks in the want advertiser, or about 300 new. 
    
    Does anybody have experience with Peavey as far as reliability goes?
    How about other solid-state amps? Any particular brand you would
    recommend trying out?
    
    thanks for your input - Dave

    
    	I've owned a Pevey Studio Pro for about three years now and
    I haven't had any problems with it. (Knock on wood) It's a very
    durable amp and I've been on alot of trips with it. It's not very
    heavy either. Like you said it plays well at a low volume and 
    doesn't break up at higher volumes and the feedback is great!!
    for the money I don't think you can buy a more reliable amp.
    
    
    Steve_my_humble_opinion

	Some people swear by them some people cringe when they see them! I
personally thought they weren't a bad amp until I had to fix one! Peavey is
different from every other amplifier company in the market in that they have
there own part number stamped on there internal part's. Which is not a problem
if you live in Meridian,Miss. It's not uncommon for a company(like DEC) to do
this as there are more stringent timing spec's for micro's etc. But this is
not the case with Peavey they are using "industry standard" parts in typical
solid state design's. Peavey seem's to want try to keep there design's and
product's as secret as possible even though they are typical solid state
designs. It is also a pain to get some of there parts after you call Meridian
to crossreference there part number to an off the shelf part number. Peavey
dealers do not have cross reference list's unless they have accumulated them
from previous phone call's. There schematic's when you can get them aren't
too bad after you learn your way around them. Mostly the stuff I've seen
that needed repair had blown transistors and bad op amp's. I personally
don't feel they are any more unreliable than anything else in there price
range,but they are a hassle to fix.(This is not always the case with there 
mixers.)
	If price is your major concern then Peavey is cheap both new and used,
but I would look at several other solid states and save some more money. I tried
Three G&K 250ml's before I found one which I liked and wasn't noisey. I've
heard that they are somewhat fragile. I've tried the new Roland JC55 and JC77
and think they sound pretty good except for there distortion sound has a fuzzy 
quality. If weight is really problem go for a solidstate or eliminate one of
your speakers might help a little. Another amp to try if you can find them used
is a Lab Series.
	If you want less volume with more distortion and sustain and you have
a twin with a stock master volume you should consider getting your master put
in between the driver stage and your power tubes instead of right after your
preamp. I made this modification to my Showman and I am totally happy with it.
	Mesa SOB's do this and call it "limiting" which gives you a great
crunch sound!
	Which transformer? there three Power Supply,impedeance matching and
the little one for reverb? I know for a fact that once CBS took over Fender
that there was a big effort to cost reduce there amp's and they started to
put cheaper transformers and other parts in
	So I would not buy a Peavey for servicability reasons in my opinion
there are better buy's. (no flame intended for those who have Peavey's)
 
						Good Luck!

						     Rick

    Not too burst anyone's bubble about Peavey, but I had a Peavey 212
    Classic (Tubes) while I was in the service (around 1978) and I HATED
    it! Had it fixed three times during warrenty period (90 days if I remember
    correctly) and it was never right. Got a repacement from them and
    it was also sent back for repair! I finally sold it and got one
    of the first G-K amps (112SC, solid state) made and have had it ever
    since! I've looked at the new peavey stuff, and it seems O.K.
    but have you seen the new little G-K...hot little amp, blows doors
    off anything in its price range!
    
    					Tom Testagrossa

    I have a backstage II Peavey (35 watts) solid state. I got it about
    two years ago and for the dinero I paid (140$ new), it has been
    good to me.
    

    The guitarist in SK's new band has a GK112SC and the thing kicks
    total As*! I'd get one in a second. I use the GK 250ML & 250RL...
    they are a little noisy, but they're on par with most amps on the
    market as far as I'm concerned. GK is nice.
    
    Crate & Randall are making nice amps these days...you might want
    to look into them Dave C. Also nice are the Mesa 20WT combo's and
    the new Hiwatt combo's, but they're big bucks.
    
    good luck
    Bj

	As I mentioned in .15, I've got a Peavey Special 130.  I've had
	it for about 4 years now without any problems at all.  Seems like
	a pretty durable little rig.

	I also used to have a Backstage II, which I later sold for more
	than I paid for it new....

	-gary

	Bart Weilberg (??), anyway, the lead guitarist for Fingerpaint
used a Peavey Bandit for everything.  It sounded great.  He thinks the
Bandit, though, was the only decent guitar amp Peavey made...everything
else had some major flaw.

	One thing about Peavey gear is that it lasts and never breaks.  I 
can't say that about anything else I've ever owned.

>	One thing about Peavey gear is that it lasts and never breaks.  I 
>can't say that about anything else I've ever owned.

   That's odd, 'cause the "party line" used to be that "Peavey stuff sounds
   great, is light, and all that, but you've got to replace it all the time."

   My personal experience has been great (Studio Pro), but I have some
   friends who've had some problems with the Special 130s, amoung others.
   
   -- Sam   

    How does Peavey handle warranty/repair situations? Is there a network
    of 'Authorized Peavey Repair-persons' or do all problems require
    that the amps be shipped to Peavey (probably at owner's expense?).
    My main music-store contact has echoed the feelings expressed somewhere
    in this notesfile that Peaveys are like spaghetti inside, and very
    difficult to diagnose/repair. I am a little afraid of that situation.
    
    -Dave

    Re: Peavey maintenance...
    
    After offering my Peavey powered mixer a half a can of Dr. Pepper
    (which it *immediately* rejected), I got a crash course in pulling
    one of these suckers apart...
    
    Aside from the frustration of getting the skins off, the unit was
    very easy to work on. Nicely laid out, modular, and built like a
    f***** tank!
    
    200 Q-tips and lots of alcohol later, it went right back together
    and booted like nothing ever happened...
    
                              
    Edd

    re .46:
    
    where did you apply the alcohol - the peavey or its owner?
    
    :-)

    Edd,
    
    That must have gone good with the Southern Comfort that the board
    drank before *I* even owned it!
    
    -Dan
    

    
    I'll bet you wimps bring your boards indoors for the winter. ;^)
    
    That sucker just won't die!!!!
                   
    
    Re: .47    Both
    
    Edd

    I agree with everyone who said its all a matter of choice.  I own
    a Peavey Road Master and think its great, 160w, 6 tubes, 4x12 flight
    cab.  This baby cranks even live performance.  I've used it for
    an outside gig 1000 plus people at Marlboro Festival last year.
     I didn't have to bring it past 3.  I'm not saying i've got the
    greatest amp in the world just that it's not a bad investment. 
    It has a great distortion and clean channels, there are two channels
    each with seperate EQs.  It also has pull THICK, BRIGHT, and SMOOTH
    which give other effects.  I pay $890 for the deal plus a cover
    for the head and the flight cab and extra warrenties.  I can say
    I Love my Peavey and glad I bought it.  I would like to try a Boogie
    myself but I think I will be with my Peavey for quite a long time
    to come.
    
    				Tim
    

    I just added a Roland JC-120 to my setup (I also have a Boogie and
    will probably ALWAYS have a Boogie).
    
    The JC-120 is terrific but it is NOT good "general purpose" guitar
    amp.  What it is good at is producing CLEAN sounds at high volumes.
    The distortion on it is not very good, but it does have an excellent
    (if somewhat "wide") true stereo-chorus builtin.
    
    Two other things about the JC-120 is that it is a true stereo (dual
    channel) amp.  If you have stereo effects they will sound terrific
    either through the JC-120, or using the JC-120 as a slave amp driven
    from another amp (a boogie for example) or as the "effects" amp
    (stereo).
    
    The other thing that made the JC-120 perfect for me was that it
    has both low and high impedance inputs on EACH channel.  I can use
    it both as a second guitar amp AND as a stereo keyboard amp.  In
    fact, with the mixer I'm planning to get, I'll be able to use my
    effects for either my keyboards and/or my guitar.
    
    If what you're looking for is an very flexible clean amp, this is
    the one.
    
    	db

Polytone's amps are about as clean as they come, but they aren't very 
flexible.  That doesn't bother me, because I'm just as happy to take "main 
out" from one amp into "instrument in" of another to get more variation to the 
sound, stereo effects, clarity on deep bass, etc.  Listen to a Polytone with 
the volume turned all the way up, and you won't hear ANY hiss.  Of course, 
other than the one I'm trying to sell, they don't have much built-in besides 
normal tone knobs and sometimes reverb and/or distortion.  But I've come to 
the conclusion that that's about all a guitar amp should do anyway.  Get 
outboard equipment to take care of the rest.  Results in less heavy equipment 
to cart around up and down stairs.  Why am I trying to sell mine?  Because I'd 
feel more comfortable with a lighter amp and extension speaker combo, with NO 
effects.  I'm buying a Mini-Brute II for roughly $300, with Polytone's new 
improved speaker design, once my Fusion amp sells.


				Mark

    Re: .52
    
    I'm not much for amps, but I bought a Polytone Minibrute II in 1975
    thereabouts, and it made my gigging life a pleasure.  I was playing
    a lot of Fender Bass, and I could show up with my bass in one hand,
    the amp in another, in one trip.  It sounded fine with a Pre-CBS
    Percision.  It never gave  me any trouble.  I also used it with
    an upright with a polytone pickup as well.

    	What about Carvin amps? The X60 and X100 series seem to be very
    versitle amps at a good price. I have been very pleased with my
    X60.
    

    I gotta agree with .37
    
    GK's are rather fragile.  I broke and fixed mine twice in three
    years.  Once output transistors, and once the input jack (circuit
    board mounted).
    
    I've played thru fenders, marshalls (most recently a 100watt
    ministack-YEch !)  Never tried a Mesa Boogie...Rare thing in South
    Carolina.
    
    Conclusion:  If you wanna be heavy metal, play a marshall stack,
    a real one, with tubes.  If bucks are an issue, buy a GK.  Mine
    kicks ass all over that $800 marshall mini (he had 4X12 celestions
    too) And I can carry mine without assistance.
    
    
    JC

	Anybody out there have any strong feelings either way about Vox
	amps?  Particularly AC-30's?   I've  toyed  with  the  idea  of
	getting a second amp, and this is one suggestion I've received.

	/penn

    Vox Ac 30's sound great!
    
    dave

    Well, I bought a ...
    
    PEAVEY Special 130 last night for $309 plus tax.
    
    Unbelievable. This amp BARKS when you hit a chord. I was
    afraid to turn it up past 2 1/2. Headroom to spare. (And
    that's the clean channel!). We'll wait and see how reliable
    it is. It does have a 1-year warranty. 
    
    -Dave

re: < Note 20.59 by CSSE::CLARK "I'm not Beethoven" >
                           -< my amp goes up to 14! >-

>    Well, I bought a ...
    
>    PEAVEY Special 130 last night for $309 plus tax.
    

	Hi Dave,

	I've had mine for 3 1/2 years now without a problem.  It is
	a SCREAMER.  It also sound real nice with my steel guitar.
	a little reverb and a touch of saturation on the lead channel
	and it sounds like David Lindley...

	-gary

    Someone gave me a Peavey once...I believe it was a 130 (or it might
    have been an MX, but regardless it was 130 watts). It was pretty
    good but what I found is as the night wears on the amps heats up
    and saturates to a point where you have to turn the pre-amp down
    and the master up. I used to start out at 3 on the master and 10
    on the distortion, and at the end of the night it would be 7-8 on
    the master and 3-4 on the distortion. I always wondered if it was
    due to its transistor/tube hybrid design in some way??
    
    Anyway, they're pretty reliable amps, so you should have no probs
    with it Dave....enjoy!
    
    WjB

    I've been looking for an amp, and based on some of the recommendations
    given here, I took a look at some of the new Mesa Boogies. At first
    I was very impressed by the sound, but after fooling around with
    several some questions have arisen in my mind about whether this
    is the "right" amp for me. I thought maybe some of the Boogie owners
    could help out. Comments from users of other lines would be welcome.
    
    First of all, I'm not looking for a monster amp. I don't plan to be
    gigging regularly, I mostly need it for rehearsing with small groups.
    It does have to be loud enough to be heard over drums, bass, etc. I
    will be playing mostly rock rhythm and lead. I'm not a screamer. I
    sometimes like a clean, warm sound on lead, sometimes a little bite and
    sustain. Price is of course an issue, but I'd rather wait until I can
    afford something expensive (if necessary) than go out and buy something
    cheap right away that I'd have to replace in the future.
    
    Sound-wise the Boogie meets my requirements. It has a nice fat, warm
    sound, and can get a wide range of dirty and sustain sounds at almost
    any volume level. I have tried the Mark III, Studio 22, and the new .50
    Caliber. The .50 Caliber just came out recently, and is basically the
    same as the Studio 22, but with 50 watts output (list on the Studio 22
    without graphic EQ is $499, .50 is $699 at Daddy's). The .50 would
    probably be sufficient power-wise for my purposes. The limitation I
    have found, however, is in switching between rhythm and lead. There is
    only one set of volume and tone controls, with a foot switch to select
    the overdrive. Since the master and volume controls have to be set up a
    certain way to get the lead sound you want, it is very difficult to
    also get an appropriate volume level for rhythm. Of course, if you
    switch the guitar between the rhythm and lead pickups at the same time
    as you switch the amp, this problem can be overcome by adjusting the
    pickup levels appropriately at the guitar. I find this to be a
    nuisance. If I am going to use a foot switch to select, I don't want to
    have to worry about switching the guitar at the same time. Furthermore,
    I have a stereo guitar, and if there were separate inputs and controls
    for rhythm and lead I could do all of the switching at the guitar.

    So I have decided that I might be better off getting an amp with
    separate channels for rhythm and lead. I like the size of the Boogie,
    but there seem to be other amps of this size which may be more
    versatile in this respect. I'm wondering now about how the Mark
    I and Mark II compare in this respect, because I could pick one
    up used for about the same price as the .50 Caliber. There are also
    other amps that have been mentioned here that might be better for
    my purpose, such as the G&K, or even a Fender with some kind of
    distortion box. 

    Any opinions are welcome (I know I'm going to get them anyway, so
    might as well be gracious).
    
    - Ram

    Ram,
    
    Your observations about the Boogie are very perceptive and entirely
    accurate.   Based on what you've said, I think my best advice is
    to trust your own judgement.  I think you have all the facts.
    
    I have a Mark IIB (circa 1979, I'm the original owner) so all my
    comments are in the context of my experience with my amp.
    
>    First of all, I'm not looking for a monster amp. I don't plan to be
>    gigging regularly, I mostly need it for rehearsing with small groups.
    
    I am a complete amateur.  The only two real gigs I've played were
    Summerjam and Winterjam (events organized through the MUSIC notesfile).
    
    My main use of the Boogie has been rehearsing with my band in my
    basement.  But in my opinion, whether you gig or not is not as
    important as whether or not YOU feel like you will get VALUE (in
    its many forms) out of owning a Boogie.  I certainly have.  My value
    is that I LOVE playing through it.  It makes ME feel good to hit
    the strings of my guitar and hear a sound I *really* like.
    
>    It does have to be loud enough to be heard over drums, bass, etc. I
>    will be playing mostly rock rhythm and lead. I'm not a screamer. I
>    sometimes like a clean, warm sound on lead, sometimes a little bite and
    sustain. 

    You've pretty much described me.  I am not a "hot" type of guitar
    player.  What I like about the Boogie is that it has a very wide
    range of sounds which INCLUDES *A* (but not *ALL*) nice unique singing
    lead tone.
    
>    Since the master and volume controls have to be set up a
>    certain way to get the lead sound you want, it is very difficult to
>    also get an appropriate volume level for rhythm. 
    
    It's clear you've really checked out Boogies.  This is INDEED a
    very big problem with Boogies in my opinion: getting the right balance
    between lead and rhythm sounds.  The Boogie may be versatile in
    that it can do a lot, but if you need to be able to get from one
    sound to another and then to a third, and then to a fourth, etc.
    you just can't do it, and it *IS* (IMO) a problem.
    
    My solution was to get a second amp which I use mostly for "clean"
    sounds (Roland JC-120).   Now I use the Boogie for crunch and lead
    type things.
    
    BTW, the newer Mark III's have a 3 position switch (LEAD/CRUNCH/RHYTHM)
    where as the older Boogies like mine had only a two positive switch
    (LEAD/RHYTHM).  I talked with one of the engineers a few years back
    and complained about the balancing problem and they said they were
    very aware of it and were working on this three position switch
    which I believe is now available, but at the time they couldn't
    or wouldn't tell me exactly how it works.
    
    Regarding price, if price is an issue do NOT get a Boogie.  It's
    very simple: They are very expensive.   I think Boogies are basically
    for people who just love 'em so much that it just doesn't matter
    what they cost.
    
    The idea of some other amp with a distortion box is quite plausible.
    I like some of the newer "buzz boxes" like the Rat, or some of the
    Scholz stuff.  The boxes have the nice feature that your volume
    can remain constant (or whatever you'd like pretty much) and so
    I'm just shy of getting one as a backup for those times when I don't
    want to setup my boogie to be more "clean" oriented than dirty.
    
    Hope this helped.  As you can tell, I'm a very big fan of Boogie
    but am rational enough to recognize that there are plenty of reasons 
    to NOT to get them.
    
    	db

 I have a few more questions about the Boogies.

 1. Do they have to be real loud to get a good distorted
    lead sound?

 2. Does the "Screaming Lead Mode" on the Mark III 
    sound the same as a .50 Caliber with full blast
    distortion?  Or, is it a sound unique to the 
    Mark III?

 3. I have had trouble hearing my "50" watt amps
    over the rest of the band during practice.  Are 
    the Boogie 50 Watt amps rated conservatively and
    therefore possibly loud enough?  (The band isn't
    all that loud, I just have garbage for amps!)

thanks 
  frank

 1. Do they have to be real loud to get a good distorted
    lead sound?

	No.  At least the ones with "limit" don't.  I've also
        used a Mark III that did not have to get very loud for
        a good lead sound.

 2. Does the "Screaming Lead Mode" on the Mark III 
    sound the same as a .50 Caliber with full blast
    distortion?  Or, is it a sound unique to the 
    Mark III?

	I haven't heard the .50 Caliber, but in general
        amps *always* sound different.  Even two of the
        same type boogies will sound different.


 3. I have had trouble hearing my "50" watt amps
    over the rest of the band during practice.  Are 
    the Boogie 50 Watt amps rated conservatively and
    therefore possibly loud enough?  (The band isn't
    all that loud, I just have garbage for amps!)

	Who knows?  Loudness is real relative.
        However, it has been my experience that
        Boogies are much louder (and more defined)
        than similarly rated amps from other manufacturers.

steve

>    1. Do they have to be real loud to get a good distorted
>    lead sound?

    One of the things I like about the Boogies is that you seem to be able
    to get a nice distortion at almost any volume level. Most other
    amps I have played have to be really cranked to get this kind of
    sound.
    
>    2. Does the "Screaming Lead Mode" on the Mark III sound the same
>    as a .50 Caliber with full blast distortion?  Or, is it a sound unique
>    to the Mark III? 

    As noted, every amp sounds somewhat different, but the character
    of the distortion on the .50 is about the same as the lead mode
    on the Mark III.

>    3. I have had trouble hearing my "50" watt amps
>    over the rest of the band during practice.  Are 
>    the Boogie 50 Watt amps rated conservatively and
>    therefore possibly loud enough?  (The band isn't
>    all that loud, I just have garbage for amps!)

    From what I have been told, the Boogies are rated at about half their
    effective power in comparison to other amps. I was told that Studio
    22's have been measured at 40 watts RMS output. As you may know, there
    are many ways of measuring "power", and power output ratings can be
    very misleading. A lot depends on the size and quality of the speaker,
    cabinet design, etc., as well. I didn't really crank up any of the
    Boogies I have played, but I feel confident from all I have been told
    and from what I have heard that the .50 would be adequate for me
    playing with a reasonable size group in small rooms. I'm not so sure
    about the Studio 22, it's really intended as a studio amp. The Mark II
    or Mark III should be big enough for medium size clubs. They also offer
    an option to provide 100 watt output on the Mark III. That should blow
    you back to the future. 
    
    Of course, you could always strangle the drummer.

    - Ram    

	Have you tried a Peavey special 130 for comparison?  I realize
	it's not quite a Boogie ('specially pricewize), but it does
	give you the seperate lead and rythm channels.  You can also
	get a good distortion sound at any volume level like you can
	with a boogie.

	
	-gary

	Back in the days when you bought direct and waited 4 to 6 months you
didn't have the option to try before you buy. (maybe 15 days)Be aware of the 
fact there are good boogies and dog's which may be general statement,but is a 
fact. In my own experiance we compared a Mark I to a Mark II with the MKI hav-
ing all options like reverb,EQ etc. and MK II without EQ and heard a big dif-
ference. If you buy a boogie get the options you hear that sound good. I highly
recomend the EQ as a must. Since I sold my MK I,I have played on more dogs(used)
than good ones. If you can buy new that's different.
	I have also tried lesser or cheaper Boogie's and found they were in-
adequate.It's wise to have an amp checked out by someone who knows what it is
 suppose to sound like and perform to it's original characteristics and spec's.
	Component drift in a power supply can really kill a sound in a tube amp
along with Power tube biasing which needs to be checked if you don't replace 
your tubes with a similiar performance matched tube.
	I see ad's in the want ad advertiser for used full blown Boogies and I 
wonder if people sell them because setting them up to different sounds is some-
time's frustrating. 
	I agree with the multi amp setup and I am working in that direction with
only my clean setup to work out and some custom amp switching pedals to design
and build.
						Be careful...
    
    							Rick
    

     I am  an english guitarist working in the San Francisco area, last
    christmas I visited the UK and met up with all my musician friends.
    	They recomended that I try a 'HOT' amplifier, so
    I visitd the local music shop and tried a 'SESSION' amp. I have
    owned VOX,FENDER MARSHAL,MUSIC MAN etc but this little amp is known
    as the British Boogie and it competes head on with boogie. I purchased
    the amp and brought it home to SF and have since done gigs with
    other players with boogies. Well for one third of the price it blows
    the boogie away and has all the same features. The basic model is
    75watts but if you add an extension speaker it gives 90watts. 
    	It is also a NON-TUBE amp and has converted this once TUBE-ONLY
    player. I noticed there were ads in Guitar Player recently so the
    amp is now available here. Perhaps some UK readers can fill you
    in on the history, they are made in Basingstoke .
    	

    Any additional information that you could provide on the 'SESSION'
    amp would be greatly appreciated. I'll check out Guitar Player, but
    I'd like to know more specifics of its features. As I've said,
    one of my big complaints about the Boogies is the fact that there
    is a single input pre-amp. How does the SESSION amp compare in this
    respect. Also, do you happen to know if anyone in the Boston area
    is carrying these. I suppose I could contact a distributer and find
    out. Anyone who subscribes to Guitar Player have a copy I could
    look at to get the distributer's name?
    
    - Ram

    	I've played on a couple of "Session" Amp's they do have multiple
    input's and can be seen at Cheshire Music in Keene,NH or Hampshire
    Music in Plaistow,NH

    I will find out the name of the distributor and also post the specs
    from the owners manual.
    
    			Joe 

    		Session SG75 Guitar Amp
    		Main Features:
    
    Dual foot-switchable overdrive and clean channels. (You can mix
    clean and overdrive for an in between sound)
    
    Unique, continuously variable overdrive harmonic filter. (there
    is one pre-set which gives a strat the best strat sound,you can
    also overide this and set it for any guitar)
                                               
    Super-sensitive FET pre-amp design
    
    ACCUTRONICS spring reverb unit.
    
    Celestion 12" driver unit
    
    90 watts RMS
    
    Three band valve type EQ circuit.
    
    Independent MONITOR jack with level control.
    
    Effects send and return jacks.
    
    Stereo headphone jack.
    
    Size 17.20 * 14.80 * 9.80 (inches)
    
    Weight 35Lbs.
    
    BBC TV 'Rockschool' series described it as forth in a progression
    of classic amps
    
    			1. VOX AC30 60's
    			2. MARSHALL STACK 60-70's
    			3. HH Valve sound 70's
    			4. SESSION 80's.
    
                              
    The above info is from the users manual. I would be interested in
    seing what the price is in the US.
    
    			Joe.
    
    				
    

    Well, I finally went out and bought the Seymour Duncan Convertible
    100 after looking at a lot of other stuff. In case anyone is
    interested, here's a rundown on most of the things I tried. Please
    remember that a lot of this is subjective, and what works for me
    is probably not to somebody else's taste. Nevertheless, I thought
    my experiences with this might be helpful to someone else who is
    looking.
    
    MESA-BOOGIE (Mark III, .50, Studio 22)
    	Dealer:	Daddy's Junky Music, Nashua, NH
	List:	(approx.) $1350, $695, $550
    	Power:	65W, 50W, 22W
    	Speakr:	1 - 12"
    
    	Opinion:	I was very much impressed with the Boogie sound,
    	as I have indicated in an earlier note. All three of the amps
    	had a nice tone, good distortion sound, and lots of power. For
    	me the main drawback of the Boogie was the fact that there is
    	a single set of channel controls, making it difficult to set
    	up both the lead and rhythm channels independently.

    DEAN-MARKLEY
    	Dealer:	Hampshire Music, Plaistow, NH
	List:	I didn't ask the list, I was quoted $400 on it
    	Power:	60/120W
    	Speakr:	2 - 12"

    	Opinion:	This is nice tube amp, somewhat similar to a
    	Twin Reverb. Two completely independent channels, one clean,
    	one with distortion (reverb and presence on both). Channels
    	can be switched and mixed by foot. Flexible, reasonably good
    	sound.

    GALLION-KRUEGER 250-GB
       	Dealer:	E.U. Wurlitzer, Boston, MA
	List:	I didn't ask
    	Power:	ditto
    	Speakr:	2 - 6"
	Other features:
    		Headphone output

	Opinion:	This is a great little amp if you're looking
    	for portability, studio, or practice. It has built-in distortion,
    	echo, and chorus, and a lot of power for the size. Not a really
    	"big" sound, but what can you expect out of a lunchbox? The
    	main drawback for me was that the effects levels are preset.
    	If you like the sound, great, but not for a diddler like me.

    FENDER SHOWMAN
    	Dealer:	Hampshire Music, Nashua, NH
	List:	I didn't ask
    	Power:	ditto
    	Speakr:	2 - 12"

    	Opinion:	Something like a Twin Reverb, plus distortion.
    	I didn't care that much for the sound, but I never did like
    	Fender's that much, except the old, smaller ones.

    LANEY
    	Dealer:	Hampshire Music, Nashua, NH
	List:	I didn't ask
    	Power:	ditto
    	Speakr:	1 - 12"

    	Opinion:	Didn't impress me that much, but I didn't spend
    	a whole lot of time with it. I have been told they are pretty
    	good amps. I just mentioned it here because it's probably worth
    	taking a look at if you're in the market.
    
    ROLAND JC-120
    	Dealer:	Daddy's Junky Music, Nashua, NH
	List:	I don't recall exactly, someone else could supply it
    	Power:	120W
    	Speakr:	2 - 10" (I think)
	Other features:
		2 independent pre-amp channels
    		variable chorus effect
    		distortion
    
    	Opinion:	As has been noted, a super clean sound, and
	great chorus. Lousy distortion. I would think this would be
   	a great amp for a jazz guitarist or for a keyboard. Not my
    	cup of tea.

    SESSION 30    
    	Dealer:	Hampshire Music, Plaistow, NH
	List:	I think it was around $600. The 100W is supposedly up
    		around $1000 here - not that much less than a Boogie
    	Power:	30W
    	Speakr:	1 - 12"

    	Opinion:	This is certainly a good amp, but I didn't feel
   	it was as great of a bargain as has been noted previously. I
    	wish I could have seen the 75W or 100W versions, but they were
    	not to be found in this area. The 30 does not have the features
    	described before for the 75, and was not enough amp for me.
    
    SEYMOUR DUNCAN Convertible 60, Convertible 100
       	Dealer:	Hampshire Music, Plaistow, NH
	List:	$990, $1350 (supposedly going up)
    	Power:	60W, 100W variable
    	Speakr:	1 - 12"
	Other features:
    		2 completely independent channels
    		distortion and reverb on both channels
		variable power output from 5-100 watts
    		variable speaker damping (loose to tight sound)
    		effects send/return loop
		line out to monitor

	Opinion:	Obviously I liked this, or I wouldn't have bought
    	one. I got a great deal on it from Hampshire Music. I could
    	never have paid anything near the list. They gave me a much
    	better price than Wurlitzer's or Sam Ash. In fact, the sales
    	rep came into the store while I was closing the deal and almost
    	went through the roof when he found out what they were selling
   	it for. This amp is sort of the "Great Imposter" of guitar amps.
    	With interchangable pre-amp modules you can set it up to sound
    	like just about any amp that was ever made (or create an almost
    	endless variety of new and unusual sounds). Besides the fact
    	that it just has an excellent sound. The bottom line for me
    	was that my musical tastes have evolved over the years, and
   	I see no reason that they shouldn't keep evolving. I like the
    	idea of having an amp that can evolve along with me. Instead
	of going out and buying a new amp if you want to try out a new
    	sound, you just pick up a new pre-amp module and start
	experimenting. If you're the kind of player who is never quite
    	satisfied with the sound you are getting, I recommend at least
    	taking a look at this amp. By the way, the 60W version did not
    	have the quality of sound the 100 gets, even though it may have
    	enough power for many purposes.

    I recently purchased a Peavey Special 130.  I play in a GB band that
    does everything from old standards to current hits. Because of the
    range of tunes that we play, I need to be able to switch instantly from
    a clean sound to a lead sound without having to twiddle with my
    settings.
    
    My main amp for the lat 11 years has been a Twin Reverb.  While
    I love the sound of the Twin, it took me too long to switch sounds.
     So, after looking at a bunch of amps, I picked the Peavey.  It
    is small, really versatile, and seriously loud for its compact size.
     I can use the channel switching feature to switch from a solo sound
    to a good clean setting.
    
    I like the clean sound of this amp very much.  However, the lead
    sound leaves a little to be desired.  I have given up trying to
    use the saturation control because I find it easier to let the preamp
    in my guitar overdrive the preamp section.  It doesn't sound bad,
    but it doesn't sound great either.
    
    I still have the Twin and may occasionally use it with the Peavey and
    my Morley A/B switch in a two amp setup.  The Twin has a real nice
    lead sound, especially when my guitar preamp is turned up.
      
     
    Kevin
    

                  
    RE: Traynor Amps (.53)
                          
    Well I've just bought (second hand) a Traynor 30 watt Bass-mate 
    amp and its fine. I got the amp, a 50 watt speaker, a wahface 
    wah wah pedal and a Marshall "piggy-nose" fuzz box for �40 
    ($75 +/- ).  Good deal ??
                                                            
    The amps great and suits my needs fine as I don't gig but has anybody
    got an opinions on the pedals ?? They look rather old-fashioned
    (metal and quite large) compared to the pedals of today.    
                             
    Thanks in advance,    
    -Tony                 

    
    Re: .76
    
    The Marshall fuzz pedals were supposed to be quite nice.
    
    Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues used to use one and if you like
    his tone (I do) then hang on to it.
    
    

    That sounds like a VERY good deal to me.  I'm not that familiar
    with the Traynor amps (the only one I ever heard sounded bad to
    me, but was possibly not representative), but just for the Wah &
    distortion box (used) would cost ya about that around here, not
    to mention the speaker & amp.
    
    Greg

         
    RE: Traynor amp/good deal
    
    That %�#*ing amp blew up!! I was using it when suddenly the sound
    came out really distorted (sound cool actually) but then it stoped
    all output and smoked poured out of the back.  On close examination
    the coil has blown.  Is a 10 year old amp worth repairing ??
         
    -Tony

    The coil??? Not the output transformer I hope?
    
    Transformers can be expensive, but yes 10 year old amps are worth
    repairing if they are good amps and you can get the parts...for
    a reasonable price...ie: less than the cost of a new, comparable
    amp.
    
    dbII

    Do they still make Marshall "piggy-nose" fuzz boxes ?
                           
    They sound interesting, and I do like the tone of Justin Hayward.
    The Moodies are one of my favorite groups. Although I liked them
    just a "little" better before Mike Pinder left.
    
    Anyway, I would like to try the Marshall Fuzz.
    Anybody know any more about them ?
    
    Regards,
    
    Tony

    
    Well I've got one and it looks like something out of a museam!!
    
    I haven't had a chance to use it yet as it has a loose wire and
    I've lent my soldering iron to a pal of mine but when I get it fixed
    I'll let you know what its like.
    
    -Tony

      I'm a dedicated Kitty Hawk user. I have two Kitty Hawk heads
    (a sixty watt M3, and a hundred watt M1) as well two Kitty Hawk
    speaker cabs (a 4X12 celestion slant, and a 1X12 celestion).
    This allows me to cover a wide variety of job requirements.
      These amps are more like a Boogie than a Marshall and the 
    controls are very flexible ( especially on the M1). See topic 1103
    for more info.
    

    I use an old "ORANGE" amp that I picked a while ago.I don't have
    much info on,but it is rated at 120watts and was made in London.
    Anyone any more info on it.

    Although this is a lead amp,I use it with my Fender Musicmaster bass,
    which sounds excellent.
    


    Brian (Inquisitive IRISHMAN)
    

    Hook up with the Tube Amp Book from Groove Tubes.  They are publicly
    available for around $10.  It's got schematics for tons of amps
    (including Orange) and talks about tube theory, mods etc...
    Good reading for those wannabe "tron chasers" like me.

    I played thru an old Orange amp at McDuffs once a long time ago.
    I thought it sounded like a lot like Marshall, but the color scared
    me. 
    
    ;^)

    I've heard from a lot of people that Orange amps sound very similar to
    Marshalls.  They were part of a feature in Guitar Player a few months
    back that listed what they felt were the "Top 10 best buys in used
    amps".
    
    I recently saw an Orange head in a local shop for around $250-300 (you
    know "Make me an offer").
    
    Greg

    
 Re. .85
         Thanks for the info ,I`ll get that book( if I can find it in
     " Lil` old Ireland ".

 Re. .86
         AS far as I know Guitar Player is not available in Ireland
     although I did pick up a copy in England once.

                       One more Question
                       -----------------
    
         Does anyone know if an "Orange" cab is available to go with
      my head(the amp ,not my anatomical head!)
         IT would brighten up my stage set up!!
    
      
     
         Brian 
    

    They did make cabinets covered in that orange tolex that matched the
    heads.  I don't know how easy it would be to find one now.
    
    Greg 

    
    BTW,where did Orange rate in this top ten.
    
    Brian
    

I jammed using an orange last year when I was visiting the London area...it 
a 200w with no master volume so I had to use a stomp box for distortion. But
I thought the amp sounded real good clean, very much like a marshall.

for what it's worth

dbii

    I played in a band whose gittar player borrowed an orange head and
    4 by 12 cab. Amazing icons on the various knobs -- ended up turning it
    up so loud that the sound must have completely bypassed said axeman
    (reckoned he couldn't hear it) and flattened every beer in the room.
    Very powerful setup (only 100 watt, as I recall).
    
    Richard.

    
    
      RE. .91
    
     >Amazing icons on the various knobs
    

      I have an Orange head and i was always wondering what the "Fist"
      symbol on one of knobs means.It doesn't seem to have much effect
      on the sound.
    
                          Thanks in advance
    
      Brian
    

    The fist symbol on the Orange front panel is either a presence
    or a midrange control.  The significance of the fist is that this
    knob regulates the amount of "punch".
    
    /rick

    re: .89
    
    If I remember right, the article wasn't really based on a sequence, it
    was just various amps that they felt were very good buys
    price/performance wise.  Even though it was called "Top 10" there were
    actually more then ten reviewed and there wasn't a particular "ranking"
    of them.  
    
    Greg

    I used to sell Orange amps. (NEW) in my days in music instrument
    marketing. The toughest thing to sell people on was that fact that
    an audience (and/or other band mates) wouldn't CARE about that 
    neon-orange Tolex used to give these amps. their trademark color.
    
    My technician, who never believed in "stock" amplifiers, hot-rodded
    one of these beasts (100 watt version). It sounded great, but power
    tubes lasted about half a set. 
    
    As I remeber it, these amps. were a bear to haul, because they were
    as heavy as Ampeg SVT's, and the cabinets had no casters! Roadies
    had to be shaved apes in order to carry one of these things into
    the No. Ill. clubs.
    
    Bill

    
    
    At a recent jam, I noticed that ALL of the guitar players had small,
    1-12 amps, including Peavey, Carvin, and Seymore Duncan.  It struck me
    that only a few years ago, guitarists would have come with much larger
    amps like Marshalls with 4-12 cabs, Ampeg, larger Fenders, etc.
    Actually, with the exception of the occasional Marshall, the largest
    amp I've seen in a while is in the Twin/Jazz Chorus size.
    
    I have several ideas as to why this is true:  8-)
    
      -Good Roadies are hard to come by
      -Guitar players are turning into wimps 
      -Can't fit big amp in little car
      -All clubs are now on the third floor
      -Those little suckers are LOUD
      -That's what PA's are for
    
   
    With the trend toward rack mount gear and small combo amps, I would
    expect prices on the older SVTs and V4's, Dual Showmans, Sound City,
    etc to drop.  It will probably be cheaper to buy an old amp with fresh
    tubes than it will be to buy the tubes new!
    
    Marshall would be an exception, though, because 1-12 amps don't look
    menacing enough for metal.  8-)  (Racks are cool, but they must have
    lots of lights.)
    
    Kevin

    
    	Kevin, all your reasons are correct.
    
    	When I was a guitarist, My "stack" was an Ampeg V4 with 2 V2
    	bottoms. It was loud, big and heavy. I had to take out the back
    	seat of my car so it would fit. When I switched to bass, I bought
    	an SVT. One night, I had to move it by myself. I sold it the
    	next day and bought a Randall with 1 15.
    	
    	Guy
    

	You are right. I used to play Bass using 2 Fender Dual Showman
	cabinets, one with 6 12's and the other with 4 15's. This was driven
	by a Crown Power Amp. Originally I used this for playing outdoors.
	You need that kind of set up if there is even the slightest breeze
	(the Bass frequencies get blown away!!!). However, when I switched
	to a GB band & started playing clubs & smaller areas, I found that
	it was too much of a pain to haul around the stuff. The big cabinets
	are gone & the power amp is too (sold them when I lived in L.A.)
	& now I have a Twin Reverb. This is actually much bigger than
	neccessary for 90% of where I have been playing, but on those few
	instances where the room is huge or I'm outdoors, The power &
	amount of speakers make a big difference. I'd say 50 watts with
	a single 12 is plenty to make good music, and more is usually
	not needed, or can be piped thru a P.A. system. It won't be long until
	I'm 40 & I'm happy to say that my hearing is still quite good, 
	considering the volume levels that I produced when I played in the
	late 60's and early 70's. 

	Most places will ask you to turn down rather than turn up, so try
	to keep in mind where you want to play & look to see what other
	people who play at those places are using.

								Jens

    I used to love the looks on people faces when I'd show up for a jam
    with my itty bitty GK.  Little package, big punch.
    
    jc

    Re.98  Agreed. I've got a small Acoustic (don't even remeber the
    model number) 1 - 12, and 60 watts, tube amp. I can play my Ovation
    through the clean channel for crispness, my Gibson L-5CES for big,
    fat, warmth or my ES-335 for the Chicago Blues sound. 
    
    This amp weighs 60 pounds, which is pain to carry. Recently, I've
    been playing in a band using a Fender Champ 12. 
    
    Phil

    re: .96
    
    But Kevin, you told people in the advert. for the jam that it wasn't to
    be loud.  I seem to remember something along the lines of "those who
    have to have a Marshall cranked out not to apply" or something like
    that.  8^)
    
    gh

    Well, what I said was

    |VOLUME:   If you're the type to crank your Marshall stack to 11, please
    |          skip this jam. The houses on my street are close
    |          together and I don't want to blow my neighbors completely 
    |          away.  I don't mind parting their hair a little, though. 8-)
    
    
    So, I didn't actually say not to bring a Marshall stack.  Then again,
    knowing some Marshall owners, maybe I did. 8-)
    
    Kevin
    
         

Hello,

     I am in need of some information from those people who are
better versed on what is out there in the way of amps/cabinets.

     I am a beginning guitarist (read that HACK) who currently 
plays a Fender Squier Strat w/locking trem, through a DOD american
metal distortion box, and a new Ibanez Digital Delay, into an OLD
peavey "standard" amp (if I remember right it says something like 
Peavey 220 on the back), then into one 15" Eminance (spelling?)
speaker.

     What I need to know, is where to start upgrading my setup.
should I get rid of the speaker, the amp, or trash both and get 
a new small amp/speaker combo?  I am on a budget, since I am
going to school at this time, and don't have a lot of cash to 
spend on a hobby.

     If anyone has any advice on this feel free to send me E-mail
at CRVAX1::WIENCEK or post it here.

Thanks,
 Brian

P.S. If anyone has good used stuff I may be interested in that.

    RE: .103
    
    Start upgrading when you've outgrown your current setup.  Is your amp
    not working , or do you not like the tone?  Is it not powerful enough?
    My advice is to keep having fun, keep practicing, and buy what you can
    afford and what YOU want.  I've seen TOO many beginners (and non-
    beginners) buy thousands of $'s worth of equipment because some noter
    or magazine article convinced them that what they were playing wasn't
    cool or modern. I've been blues jamming alot lately and am now in new
    group that will be working very soon.  We're doing a pretty simple
    classic rock format, and I'm using an "old" Peavey combo amp (Pacer)
    and various stomp boxes with an American Strat.  I LOVE my tone.  It
    works for me and the group.  Just be careful about getting caught up in
    the "you just GOTTA have the latest stuff" trap!
    
    Have fun!
    
    Steve

    Has anyone tried the new Seymour Duncan 84-40 amp?
    
    It is 40 watts, with 4 EL-84s in the power section.
    Effects loop, 2 footswitchable channels, gain boosts,
    bright switch, and reverb. Choice of one 12" speaker,
    or two 10" speakers.
    
    Sounds like SD has finally made a "low end" amp. But
    what does it sound like??
    
    -Tom

    I haven't tried it myself, but my local music store has one.  My friend
    that works there was very impressed with it.  I don't know how much
    they cost.
    
    He had a used Mesa Boogie .22 and he said the S-D blew it away.  Said
    it was nice having the Boogie there so people could hear how good the
    S-D really is.  I know this guy pretty well and he doesn't give me
    "salesman speak", he tells me honestly what he thinks of a product (and
    he's told me he hated some of the things he sells, even recommended I
    go somewhere else to get one item).  I respect his opinion, it's
    usually pretty similar to mine.
    
    Maybe I'll try it out one of these days, but I don't need another amp. 
    
    Greg
                                   

    
    
    I've been using a Peavey Special 130 for a couple of years now.  It is
    a good sounding amp, not a great sounding amp, but it fit my needs when
    I bought it.
    
    In any event, after running it through its 1-12 speaker for so long, I
    just bought a 4-10 cab to give it extra low/mid punch.   Whoa!  Major
    improvement in tone happening here.  In comparison to the 4-10s, the
    1-12 seems too bright, harsh even.  That PV speaker isn't even working
    hard at the volume we play at.  Its ability to stay clean at high
    volume reminds me of an EV.  
    
    The 4-10s have a much warmer tone and a great mid-range punch.  Yes,
    its a Marshall cab. 8-)
    
    It's my guess that in a gig situation, that mid-range punch sound is
    more likely to get lost in the mix.  We don't mike our amps, and I
    don't think that the 4-10s will cut through like the 1-12 did.  So, I'm
    going to run both and see what happens.
    
    So, now I'm back to lugging a speaker cabinet around, too.  At least I
    can leave the 4-10s at home if I want to.  For a Marshall cab, it's
    pretty light!  MUCH lighter than the Marshall 4-12 cab I had years
    ago.
    
    
    Kevin
    
      

RE < Note 20.107 by DECWIN::KMCDONOUGH "Set Kids/Nosick" >

	I just picked up a used Peavey Special 130 at lunch today.  I had tried 
out a Peavey Studio Pro 50 over the weekend and liked it a lot, but I brought it
back in favor of something with dual channels.

	When I brought the Studio Pro back (it was used, too) I tried out the
newer Peavey Studio Pro 112.  There was something about the distortion that 
didn't appeal to me.  It was different from the older version.  I can't really 
describe it but I just didn't like it as much.  Peavey calls the old distortion 
Saturation (TM), and the new type SuperStat (PP).  On the newer kind they also 
have two voicing knobs: Bottom and Edge.  I liked what "bottom" did to the 
sound - it reminded me of camparing a solid state overdrive pedal to a RealTube 
overdrive pedal.  There's just more "width" or "depth to it.  Still, overall I
chose to go with the older version of Peavey's distortion.  It reminded me a
lot of the sound a guitarist I used to work with got (he may have even had a
Peavey Bandit, now that I think of it).

	So what is this "bottom" knob?  A low midrange boost?

	Dan

    re .-1
    
    good choice. BTW, that was a Special 130 you demo'd the LP copy
    through.
    
    -Dave

RE < Note 20.109 by GOOROO::CLARK "say goodbye to Madame George" >

	Oh yeah, that's right!  I had a choice between a Bandit 65 and the 
Special 130, but the price difference for the two (they were the same age)
was only $15.  So, I went with the power (more than I think I'll ever need, 
though).

	Dan

    Believe it or not, I have an old Kustom, 200 watt, 2 15" Jensens amp
    that I bought in the early sixties. It even still has the soft sparkly
    torquoise cushions and can blast you away. I don't use it for anything
    more than my own entertainment, but is certainly a conversation
    piece.
    
    
    Bert

    
    Well...  I've tried just about everything out there including the new
    Marshall DR, and some Boogie's with the exception of a Dumble, a
    Soldano and maybe a few others I don't know about, but I end up with
    the same amp I've had for years. 
    
    
    	
    	A Peavey MX! 
    
    	What can I tell ya? It works, I get the tones I want (when I want
        them)...   what else is there to it?
    
    				Rock on,
    					Fred

    I applaud you, Fred!  That's what it's all about.  If your ears like
    something, and it meets your needs and playing style, then it's right
    for you.
    
    Greg

    
    
    
    
    	Yeah, me too, well said House Unit!  I was messing around with a
    Special 112 this week at a store and I was amazed at:
    
    1. How cool and bluesy this little 160 watt amp sounds.. no kidding
    it's tiny for that kind of power.
    
    2. How in expensive it was compared to all the other amps in the store.
    
    	Wish they made a rig just like that, but without all the distortion
    channel stuff and marked it down a hundred bucks.. Hmmm.. maybe I'll
    call them... [;^)   I can hear it now... "Go back to your rockin' chair
    ole fella...."

    I REALLY like Fred's amp too (Peavey MX).
    
    Fred and I are in the same band and being that I only play guitar
    on a few tunes I frequently don't bother bringing my own amp - I just
    use Fred's setup and really love the tone.
    
    Although I think that it may be more than just the amp.  I get the
    impression Fred that some of your effects add gain or something because
    if you remember the time that I suddenly had to go "direct" (one
    of the cords in the effects got kicked out in the middle of a song)
    it didn't sound quite as good.
    
    I have an old ADM-1024 delay that I use almost strictly as a preamp
    boost to the Boogie.  It just "sings" a bit more when I run it through
    the ADM, even w/o the delay mixed in.
    
    	db

    Ok, I'll chime in,
    
    Fred's P-word sounds great.  Of course, Fred is a dynamite player,
    which helps a lot, but gotta give credit where it's due!

    Just have my Mesa Boogie Mark III Simulcast or some rack gear--ADA MP1
    with an Alesis Midiverb III...and lets not forget the Ashley power
    amp...

    Hey - anyone who uses an ADA can't be all bad eh ??
    :)

    I had a subversive thought the other day; it's kind of a question...
    
    You know how audio amps have specs that you can look at to help form
    conclusions about the performance of the amp.  Such as:
    	RMS power at rated output levels
    	frequency response at rated power levels
    	total harmonic disortion, etc., etc.
    	
    How come guitar amps don't trade in specs like audio amps?
    
    I mean, I still think you have to audition an amp, but wouldn't it be
    helpful to have specs to go along with "it's what the Yardbirds used",
    or "guaranteed killer tone", or "peels plaster off walls", or "this one
    goes all the way to 12"?  ;7)
    
    I think if the frequency response of popular guitar amps were published,
    a lot of people would be surprised.  Then again, it's the
    IMPERFECTIONS, especially tube characteristics, that give an amp its
    signature sound, so maybe specs woldn't mean that much.....
    
    or maybe there's a way to assign an engineering figure-of-merit to
    various types of tonality?
    
    \Gary, who obviously needs to do less thinking   ;7)

    Gary
    
    You said it yourself:
    
    Then again, it's the
    IMPERFECTIONS, especially tube characteristics, that give an amp
    its signature sound, so maybe specs woldn't mean that much....
    
    Besides, all those damn specs that they give for audio equipment are
    designed to satisfy the nerd interest quotient in potentail
    customers. In terms of practicality, you just can't hear the difference
    between similar items. For example, typically a 35 watt amp won't sound any
    different than a 50 watter. (propellor heads and other MIT wannabes save 
    your breath - "typically" is the operative word here). 
    
    "sakman" 
    
    

      I can't speak for other amp manufacturers, but PEAVEY supplies it's
    specs within the owners manual. They've been doing this for quite
    a while. Now, if ____(insert your favorite music store here)____
    doesn't place the specs, or even a sign "ask salesman for spec info"
    then it's not the amp manufacturer's fault. Being realistic for a 
    moment (if you don't mind indulging me for a minute), how many buyers
    are actually going to ask for the specs anyway? 80%? 40%? 5%? I guess
    if more people asked for this kind of information, you'd probably see
    the specs placed on top of the amps, but most go into a store, try one
    out and then buy it or not. Specs? Who cares as long as it sounds good
    may be 99.9% of the attitude. I look for the specs, but I'll tell ya,
    if it's got the tone I want, the power to give me some clean
    headroom, the price is within my budget AND it works (without smoke) when 
    I flip the switch then I'd buy it! Specs are secondary to me in this
    case. 
    
    No flame intended because it's a good question and there are amps out
    there with impressive specs and tone to boot just not too many dealers
    who think it's important to show the consumer, and too many tube amps that 
    hold that spec for only a time...  then all bets are off (especially in 
    HIGH GAIN tube amps).
    
    Maybe I'm right? 
    Maybe I'm wrong, but remember this is just my opinion, but then...
    
    who knew?  ;^)
    
    				Rock on,
    	    				 Fred

    If they published the specs on a lot of tube amps they might sell fewer
    of them.  Typical SS audio amps have THD of, say, .01 or something; I
    seem to remember my Ampeg B-25 being somewhere between 1 and 5.  On the
    rectum scale.
    
    Dave

    Is higher THD good or bad?  ;^)   Also, the speakers and enclosure have
    a tremendous amount to do with and amp's sound.  Nevertheless, it might
    be interesting to map out a guitar amp's frequency response as a system
    (including speakers & cab) in a chamber like the way speakers are
    tested.  I'd be curious.
    
    							Marc

    great responses... yeah, what I was really commenting on was the
    difference in MARKETING between audio specmanship and music amp
    hypesmanship... not making any value judgments on either
    
    it just dawned on me that the amp biz basically NEVER refers to specs,
    but the audio folks --- and not just the nerds --- live and die by 'em
    \Gary

    
    
    I can see it now...Consumer Reports reviews Guitar Amplifiers!
    
    Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier - "we can not honestly recommend this
    amplifier for home use.  While extremely durable (it survived our Snell
    motorcycle helmet test without a scratch), we feel that the aluminum
    armor plate would fit in well with very few home decor schemes. 
    Additionally, the amplifier is very heavy (approx 75 lb or 34 kg) which
    means that two people are required to safely move it.  120 VAC, 5A fuse"
    
    Fender Twin Reverb - "Unfortunately, we must warn our readers to avoid
    this amplifier, also.  While the exterior of this product is more
    eye-pleasing, and is easily wiped clean with a damp cloth, the extreme
    weight of this device poses a severe health hazard.  In our slalom
    test, the amplifier would have tipped over had we not equipped our test
    unit with outrigger casters. 120 VAC, 5A fuse"
    
    Sears Feces 2000 - "We highly recommend this unit!  It provides
    excellent value for the dollar, with the same kind of professional
    covering employed on the Fender unit.  Additionally, the light weight
    construction makes the unit extremely portable and safe.  120 VAC, .5A
    fuse"
    

    RE: -.1
    
    Sounds like the recent GP reviews ;^)
    
    Jim

    FWIW - Any audio engineer can make specs sound nice...  It's what you 
    DON'T read that'll get ya.  NO offence Fred, but PV supplies specs
    alright - CS800's are something like 400watts into four ohm load, both
    channels driven (blah, blah).  What they don't tell you is that it's
    a 1Khz tone, full blast for about a nano-second.
    
    Check out Crowns specs sometime.  WOW !  They have PAGES of charts and
    graphs telling you exactly how they came up with their spec sheet.
    It's bad as hell.  Now, if I only knew what half of it meant !  :)
    
    jc

    One of the biggest problems with specs on guitar amps...(if anyone
    still cares)... is that the "subjective/psychoacoustic impressions" of
    what sounds "good" are difficult to quantize, & anyone who takes the
    time to do it isn't likely to share their results with would be
    competitors.
    Mesa of course has done considerable research in this area, & they
    insulate themselves well from "public" curiosity about such things by
    judicious use of a wall of "bozos" who know every euphamism for "sounds
    good to me", but can barely get out of their own way when it comes to
    how the circuit gets that sound.
    I can tell you that as far as "distortion" is concerned, the IM
    (intermodulation) figure is much more important to guitar players than
    THD. Basically, IM sounds like sh*t & some forms of harmonic distortion
    sound great ("warm", "crunchy", etc.)
    You can "test" for excessive IM by playing a full chord or even a
    couple of low notes & a couple of high ones together & listening for
    "tones" that are in the output but *not* in the input. 
    Anyway it's not theoretically impossible to come up with a set of
    measurable, quantizeable parameters that would tell a spec reader what
    to expect sound wise from a guitar amp, but don't hold your breath !
    
    Paul
    

    re: -1
    
    

    Does anyone have comments regarding Ashly amplifiers?  I'm considering
    picking up a 2000C FET.  It has 300W/Channel into 8 ohms and is a 3
    rack space unit.  The dealer says the shipping weight is 65 pounds, but
    I'm sure the actual unit weighs a bit less.
    
    I will be using it to drive 2 TOA 380SE's, which are 15" 3-ways that
    are rated for 350W, in stereo (I'm a keyboard player and I dig those
    stereo sounds).  The cost for this unit is $500 new, and it seems like 
    a pretty good deal.
    
    Will
    
    PS - I'm also wondering about the Crown Power Base amps.  I've seen them
         going for about $375-$400 in the Want Advertiser, but they are only
         200W/Channel (Power Base 1, I think).  The amp I am currently using is 
         my Adcom GFA-555 which is rated at 200W/Channel and it tends to clip 
         whenever we play out.  I'm not sure if it's the cap's in the Adcom that
         are going bad, or if 200W isn't enough power.
    
    PPS - Come by and check us out tonight if you want.  The band's name is
    	  "Mighty Colors" and we're playing at Martha's Exchange in
          beautiful downtown Nashua, NH.  We play Grateful Dead, Little
          Feat, Allman Bros, Beatles (kind of lamely), the Band, etc.
    	  Standard disclaimers such as "Don't worry, I'm not planning on
    	  quitting my day job" apply.
    

>    Does anyone have comments regarding Ashly amplifiers?  
>    I will be using it to drive 2 TOA 380SE's 

This is very close to my band's PA setup - we use a pair of TOA 380-SD's for 
out house system; we bi-amp it, using an Ashley amp (in mono) for the bottom 
end and a PV amp for the high end. 

I don't know which model Ashley we have (FET500?), I forget. I do know it's not 
a new one.... maybe 5-7 years old (picked it up used for $300 or so). I don't
really have much to say about it, other than it works fine for our application. 
There was a slight problem with the fuse in the back popping off every now and 
then, but we keep it on with tape (I believe this was caused by the previous 
owner, not necessarily the amp's/manufacturer's fault). I remember doing some
reading up about Ashley amps at the time we bought it, and it was recommended
by several people as being a very good, solid amp.

alan

    I'm no expert, but Ashley amps are top-shelf!
    They have a lot of power in a consistent package, and 
    generally just wail!  Roger Bolte had a small Ashley (200wpc?)
    that literally blew the doors off his 600wpc Carvers...
    
    jc

    
      Well, I finally got what I wanted in an amp...   great tone, reverb
    and *tremolo* "to die for", in a "compact" package. If it's not loud 
    enough I'll just ask the drummer to quiet down alittle! ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^)
    Obviously, my priority changed from looking for MEGA headroom to 
    "HEY! QUIET DOWN...  YOUZ GUYS ARE TOO DA*N LOUD!!!".
     
    ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^) ;^)
    
    After checking around for months (as most of you know) and playing ALOT
    of different amps (some w/o balz, or TOO LOUD, or too HEAVY) I revisited 
    the...
    
    
    
    
    
        brownface Fender VibroVerb! 40 watts of pure surfer tone!  YES!  
    
    
    		      Thank you Andy it is a great amp!
    
    
    
    		 Fred (with clear ears and in "PipeLine Heaven")

        Enjoy, Fred - great seeing you again!
        
        Andy
        

	Congrats on the new amp. I'm proud of you for buying a Fender
    instead of a Peavey. A friend of mine owns 2 Fender Vibralux reverbs
    (which are essentially the same basic amp as the vibroverb) and he
    loves em. Nice and compact with tone for dayz. It's the logical step
    up from the Deluxe reverb which is my main amp these dayz. Eventually,
    I'd like to get a Vibraverb to add to the arsenal. The Deluxe Reverb
    get's a little thin when mixed with drums and bass. 

	There are a bumper crop of Fender-clones out there, and a lot of em
    have great tone, but to me a Fender tube amp (especially the reissue 
    models) are the best investment you can make, period! 

	Enjoy!
	Mark

    

    Years ago, yes years..
    A group called the Silencers were on stage in a theatre using the VOX30
    lead and bass amps, and were really doing a good job.. when the bass
    amp blew a fuse or something... 
    the bass was also plugged into the I think it was called Vox AC30 and 
    it just kept going without loss of sound...
    I really think those old Vox's could handle a load? The T60 and 100
    were also great amps of their time..
    I feel all depends on the acoustics of the surroundings or open air
    to get the sound out of the amps... am I right?
    Marshals sound great in a large hall or outdoors.. but I think the
    sound gets different indoors where Fenders take over..
    ron
    

    Agreed, Ronald. The number of vinatage AC30s around today (many in mint
    condition) is witness to their hardiness/reliability. I've got a '65
    AC30, and it's my most prized possession.
    
    Certainly, there are more versatile amps around today, but personally I
    don't think you can beat the AC30 for sheer warmth. 
    
    Dom

    The oldest versions of these amps had very small vents on top and
    they tended to overheat. Newer AC30's have better ventilation and
    they will hopefully be a lot more reliable. I've never heard an
    AC30 that didn't sound great. It's one of the best sounding amps
    for guitar ever made.
    
    Mark

    I dropped my '65 down a flight of stairs and it came out sounding
    better than ever!

    
      VOX ! 
    
        (still adamant about my AC30, after many great amps preceeding it!)

    	Yes, this took place around '67... so it must have been one of the
    good ones...
    sad we carn't find them around where I am, carn't brag to the kids..
    we find Rolands, PV's, EV's, Marshals, but no AC30's...
    
    Guess, I grew up listening to Hank crank out a good "brillance" sound..
    when we were "Young Ones!!"... I'm feeling blue with envy...
    

hey, I dunno about yous guys, I really dig these 
All Tube retro lookin amps their comin out with 
these days..

Nice tone, cool looking,....  

I got a Crate VC30, and a Marshall JTM60.. (yea, I
go for the toys in life and I WANT spares!)

Anyway, Peavey, Fender, Marshal, Laney, and Crate 
are all coming out with these retro looking amps..
light colored tolex with tweed grill cloths...

very cool...

And as an added special flashback bonus, the Peavey
Classic series offer TREMELO in some of em,.  Woa,,,

Of course I've sacrificed some reliability for tone, but
maybe the tubes are better then they were when I traded
out my old VT22...

/pelkster..

    Well, I'm hoping that the Crate is gonna be reliable...  Why wouldn't
    it??
    
    :-)

I had a discussion with my bud Dave Tuesday night..

Dave manages (but used to own) a store that deals
with Crates..

His comments started out from a discussion on the Crate
Blue Voodoo..  His claim was they had a tendancy to fall
apart (the B.V.) .. But he said the Vintage Clubs were 
fine..  

Mines been around for a while, and seems to be a workhorse..

/r