Amp dilemmas - Now NAD!

PunkKitty

PunkKitty

The fates already f'ked me sideways
I admit it. I know next to nothing about amps.

I've always concentrated on guitars and basses. I'm set for bass amps, but I would like a good guitar amp. The only amps that I've tried that I really liked were a 5E3 clone, and my old Kustom Defender v50.

I'm building a 5E3. I'll get back to it after my hands heal. But I really miss the Kustom. I had to sell it when I was short on cash. It had great cleans, especially after I swapped the speaker for a Jensen. And it got really nice and dirty when I wanted it to. Now, I'm in a different place, and I can afford to save up for a decent 1x12 EL34 based amp like the Kustom.

It's nearly impossible to find another Kustom, and honestly, I don't know if I want one. But figuring out what I want is the problem.

I really don't know where to begin. Marshall, Mesa? What else should I be looking at? I'm looking at a max of $700-$1000. I've had problems with buying used amps, so I'm probably going to buy new. I'm also not opposed to building another amp.

EDIT: I like simple amps. No more than 2 channels. I hate built in effects. I got out of IT because I hate programming.
 
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Hey Mon - you looking for something for practice, or playing out? I have some great recommendations for low-watt amps, but my biggest is 15 (EL84) watts, so I don't have much to say about the 'big iron'.
 
I still have my Kustom Defender v50 that was on blowout a few years ago. It's such a great underrated amp that I'll not get rid of. The only new amp(s) that I'm considering is something in the Orange lineup. Possibly something in the Terror line. Good luck with your search.
 
I have a decent low watt EL84 amp. I'm looking for something in the 40-60 watt range. The 5E3 is about 12 watts. I want some variety that I can use at home or to play out. So I'm thinking of an EL34 amp.
 
"I know next to nothing about amps." Me either, I know even less about EL34 amps. You mentioned Marshall and Mesa, that's what comes to mind for me too, and maybe Orange makes something. Mesa: don't see anything anywhere close to your price range. Marshall: DSL40CR gets good reviews. THEY SAY it has good cleans too. I'd have to hear it myself to believe it. Just thinking somebody that buys a Marshall might be more forgiving or not care what the clean sounds like or, not even know what a good clean is. :grin: Weight 50 1/2 pounds

MF has an open box mint for $660 Brand new are $750

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/amp...rshall-dsl40cr-40w-1x12-tube-guitar-combo-amp
 
Do I really need the headaches of a tube amp? I have a little Vox MV-50 Rock. It's a very compact, and very loud, 50 watts. It uses something called NuTube technology which, as I understand it, is a true vacuum tube shrunken to fit on a circuit board. It weighs 1.5 pounds and it couldn't be easier to use. I might just keep that and be done with it for a while.
 
So I made a decision. I'm picking this up this weekend.
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PunkKitty said:
So I made a decision. I'm picking this up this weekend.
rM8fExKh.jpg
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I had one of those for about 5 minutes. I bought it off Reverb and the guy had it listed as a 1x12" combo and it was a 1x10. But those amps have a hiss almost like a fan running through it. If it didn't have that hiss, it would have been a great amp, but I couldn't live with that noise. Some people said you could get rid of the noise by swapping the preamp tubes, which I did but it was still to noisy. And this was with nothing plugged into it.
 
PunkKitty said:
I picked up the Mesa. I'm going to have a lot of fun with this amp. Mine doesn't have a hiss. Maybe you just had a bad one, Chad.
67953905_3601535406538991_7264923445878587392_n.jpg
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I think maybe you got a good one. The Mesa forums and TGP are littered with with hissing ones. It’s why they discontinued them.
 
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