This hit home. I was dx'ed with Parkinson's four years ago. Playing, especially gigs in a band, was over. I sold my Strat, Tele, LP, 5150, and Mesa Boogie to pay medical bills. It was old shit and I made a ton of money. I kept my fretless jazz bass and bassman. Lately I just practice and moving my fingers helps fight the progression of PD. Just the other day a student brought his cheap rig to class, and after the students went back to work I turned every dial to ten and started shredding. The slo mo head turn and surprise in my students faces was enough: respect. I could only play for a few minutes, but it was glorious.
We've got more amp and "no amp" choices than we've ever had. After playing for over 40 years and working in music retail for many years, I've had the good fortune of checking out a ton of gear. I've worked with thousands of guitar players (young and....."seasoned") trying to assist them with their equipment buying decisions. I've always emphasized getting the best tone with the least amount of gear - but making sure that the gear fits their playing goals. I always asked about their guitar influences, what their playing situation was and even what records (showing my age) they dug. I tried to be a tone detective. I found it interesting that many players were influenced by advertising hype rather than their own preferences. A lot of people thought the "unobtainable model" of amp, guitar or pedal would be the best because there was a year-long wait for it. And, it was amazing how many players had never just plugged a guitar straight into an amp to see what base tones were available. Many thought the main tones were going to be achieved from pedals (that might be true for some) and never boiled it down to guitar and amp. I had (and have) a simple concept that helped many players find an amp that really worked for them: here it is.....you are not just playing the guitar, you are also PLAYING THE AMP. An amp (or no amp) can influence how you play. With tube amps, do you want the amp to compress or sag or do you need something really open? Are you comfortable scrolling through menus or do you want a few knobs to turn? Are you going to record? Are you going to gig? Both? What was the biggest mistake I saw people make with regard to buying an amp? Here it is: they bought an amp inappropriate for their playing style and situation. Some players needed modeling or digital solutions and some needed a more traditional rig. I never judged anyone. I just tried to provide good info and ask good questions. Many people didn't see the value in spending more money on a low wattage or small amp even though that's all a large percentage of players needed. This is just my experience and since it was not my money, I never judged a buying decision. But, if my experience taught me anything it was.....I believe that if you spend time THINKING about your needs before buying, you'll probably own fewer amps that do more for you and you'll spend more time playing. It's good to be informed but don't let hype make your decisions for you. I hope that experience helps before you buy or sell more amps.
My loud touchy tube amp has been living in a unplugged world since I picked up a Katana. Which speaking of the Katana I feel like that would be a more minimalistic approach to (most) low powered tube practice amp for the house.
@@kenhamilton2412 I have a nephew who asked me about his first "real" amp and I told him to find a Katana 50 used. But you know what, no one seems to sell them.
five watt world all I can say is that you can’t buy something used if nobody’s willing to part with it. I personally use a Joyo zombie and a Marshall MG412. Gets plenty loud at a gig and I can use the volume knob to get the thing to push a little less air while getting a similar level of grit.
I can’t tell you how much your videos have helped curb my GAS. I admire you logical and more importantly responsible approach to gear. It’s something we all need to hear.
@@fivewattworld I love your logo. Kodos to whoever designed it! Also, my favorite videos have been the history centric ones! thank you so much for your research and your time!
Jonathan To be honest I listen with interest to these videos but end up fundamentally disagreeing that this “is something we all need to hear”. For people who want to or should: - limit their budget spent on gear; - limit the size of their collection; - have other interests or commitments which need to be given the space and resources then these videos are very smartly put together and well thought out and I’m sure they’re helpful. But bear in mind that the concept that this kind of message itself has universal import to everyone equally is in itself marketing. Not everyone has the same NEED to follow these minimalist principles for music gear. Music and guitar is my main passion. I have a good job... I’m not married... don’t have kids... own my own home... donate to charities... but I choose to own, buy and enjoy multiple guitars, amps and pedals because it’s something I enjoy - it’s the main thing I enjoy. Personally I think the message of these videos would be a better and more consistent one if it focussed more on the concept of “these are the ways you can minimise your gear if that’s what you want or need to do” rather than being quite evangelical about the idea that we all should be minimising our gear.
David Burke Don’t you think there’s a major statement with these videos about consumerism being a problem for folks, especially in American society? Generations of Americans now have been raised to believe that they “need” products that they’re missing out on.
Jonathan Yes, I agree. But having a serious hobby into which you invest a lot of your hard earned disposable income is not the same thing as a general problem with consumerism and that’s the point I’m trying to make. I just feel that the emphasis of these videos that owning or wanting lots of gear is inherently problematic for everyone is an oversimplification and type of marketing just like the consumerist message itself. I don’t believe I NEED any of the many guitars or amps I own. But owning them is not a problem in my own specific circumstances and owning them brings me a lot of pleasure. I also don’t look down on anyone else if their circumstances or decisions mean they don’t or can’t have the things I’m fortunate to be able to own. If people genuinely struggle with their GAS we should help them just like we would for any other harmful addiction or obsession, but owning and collecting (especially when you’re also a serious player and not just squirrelling away the guitars as an investment) musical gear is not inherently a problem for everyone.
And now for our Obligatory Star Trek Reference: “After a time, you may find that ‘having’ is not so pleasing a thing after all as ‘wanting.’ It is not logical, but it is often true.” - Mr. Spock (from "Amok Time")
David, you win comment of the day! HUGE original Star Trek fan as a kid. I’ve been accused (here) of having s “Vulcan like delivery”. I figured the guy meant logical. ;)
Never too many amps! Currently 60+ classic valve amps from 1950 onwards. They all sound different! There are certain food groups though, and a lot of BS. Try as many as you can and work out what you like, otherwise you are doomed to get them all........
Jonathan Duffett yes, I play through the Champ with an 8” Weber speaker, I have many amps. Three blackface Super Reverbs I have all sound different. Salt and Pepper 60’s Marshall 100 stack just is amazing and mostly inappropriate. Collection of several Deluxe and Princeton Reverbs, Bassmans, Bandmasters-all great. All tube guitar amps, (Orange, boutiques, Gibson, Vox, Keleman, Supro, Danelectro...) it’s the breakup on that tweed Champ though, something goosebumps special.
Hey Rhett. Thank you man. You’re the one that’s hipped me to the modelers in a practical way. And I had to use some of your great tones and playing. You are killin’ it on that video!
Well, take it from a guy who played out for 35 years, lugging around a Super Reverb and a Twin for many of them, or a 100 watt Traynor and two huge 4X12 Traynor cabinets, ad infinitum ... the spinal discs suffer (flatten) and in comes L4/L5 Foraminal Stenosis and you can't walk without pain ... as well as an awful case of tinnitus. Forty watt amps are all you need unless you are playing Beatles/British Invasion where you use a lot of midrange and/or low frequencies, or Jazz, where you use a lot of power soaking midrange. BTW, I have been playing a total of 57+ years, and find myself moving toward smaller amps, especially without negative feedback circuits as they seem to be less punchy and ear damaging (that's what I want, but most are too blame expensive). Still, I have two Super Reverbs (4X10/1964 and a 1X15/1966) that I love to boost the front end with a BOSS compressor, and squash the backend a bit with a THD 2ohm power attenuator, or an 8ohm Weber attenuator (I DO NOT run both at the same time!!). WHAT a sound. Crickets for days ...
I spent $1500 on a Mesa Mark IV almost 30 years ago. Never needed another amp and saved a lot of money by not having to try 40 different overdrive pedals.
Cool amp! I spent $550 on soldano astroverb almost 18 years ago. (I already had a Fender Princeton Chorus for clean because it was my first amp). Several years back I bought a Fender Blues Jr III for only $350 when Best Buy was discontinuing their music department. That's $900 well spent! A Mark IV would be cool to have though!
@@StratMatt777 I'm a fan of Soldano amps. A friend has an SLO 100 and I've used it quite a few times. Awesome amp. He's trying to push a Supro Tremoverb on me now for $500. Hell of a deal, but then I'd have to spend a few hundred looking for the right overdrive pedal. The Boogie has always given me any tones I want, but it's a heavy pain in the ass to gig with. I rarely gig anymore, so the weight isn't such a big deal now. Instead of throwing money at a new amp, I'm strongly considering a UA Ox Box to finally be able to push those tubes without shattering the windows. I think the R 1 channel could give off some awesome grit with a good attenuator.
@@smogfood The astroverb is based on the SLO's crunch channel... next time you play that SLO try out the crunch channel with the gain at 8.5 or 9 and see what you think of it. Mike Soldano told me that he designs his amps with the intent of the preamp making 100% of the tone- so they bias the power tubes at the minimum level so they distort as little as possible. For a guitar amp it's kind of an odd ("high-fi") design philosophy. I found that biasing my tubes just a bit warmer than factory eliminated any trace of gritty-ness or buzziness from my lead tone providing a completely smooth violin-like (Mesa-like?) lead tone. And it crunches great too! When I bought the amp it was a (tiny) head because that is how they made this effects loop prototype for the 1999 NAMM show, but I later paid them $300 to make me a 1x12 combo. It's pretty light, but it doesn't sound so great so I run through a 2x12 with a V30 and WGS Retro 30.
@@StratMatt777 Cool man, I'll check out the crunch next time I'm in front of that amp. It's a gain monster and sounds sublime every time I use it, despite my ham fisted playing. It's not as diverse as the Boogie, but the things it does really well, it does better than the Boogie, and it just loves Les Pauls. I'm more of a Tele guy, so the Boogie fits me better. One of the many things I love about the Boogie is that I can go with 6L6, EL34, or 6V6 without rebiasing. I really like EL34's in it for a better classic rock sound, but tend to stick with 6l6's most of the time. I finally picked up a Heritage Jazz box, so I'm going to try 6V6's soon.
We need more of this, I'm kind of over the "you need more," attitudes in the guitar world. You really don't. Losing my job in 2008 and spending years as a broke student going back to school and selling off my excess gear was one of the best things to happen to me, the limitations made my playing so much better. When I start losing my head and get into my stupid gear buying money wasting phase, my playing ability usually takes a hit in favor of just tinkering with crap I don't need.
As a bedroom player i have decent digital amp which by itself can range from warm jazzy tones to insanely driven metal leads, then I got Amplifi FX100 (basically cheaper and handier version of Helix), and then whole pedalboard because stomps and knobs are nice. And after all 80% of my playing time I do not plug my guitar to anything, because I just want to practice something and I actually hear and feel when I make mistake anyway.
With all that said, I am currently convincing my friend to start on guitar (she can sing really good and dated guy who is good on guitar, but now they parted ways) and I say that she can dump all her money into good guitar now and get good amp later, instead of buying sub-par guitar and amp at once. Actually i know several people who are happy to use PC with GuitarRig or something similar at home. At first i did it myself, but with some progress that micro delay started to piss me off.
@@ThorneyedWT Yes! To all of this! I practice more without an amp than with one because I want to hear my mistakes. And I told myself when I was starting that I didn’t need an amp and got the iRig HD 2. But like you said, the micro delay wasn’t my jam. Got a Vox Pathfinder 10 and I love it. Vox makes some amazing small combo amps, and they’re pretty so I don’t get sick of looking at them when I’m not playing.
Need? None, maybe one, at times... Want??? ALL OF THEM!!! Eric Clapton said it best before his first big auction of equipment. To paraphrase: It' a cycle of desire, acquisition, collection, reflection, disposition... After lugging around over 200 lbs of gear (amp, pedal board, 3 guitars) for some time, the Line6 Helix became quite compelling. My back couldn't stop thanking me. After putting in some time tweaking sounds, I was definitely in the ball park in terms of sound. People were happy. Between selling off redundant and unnecessary equipment and no longer needing to take as many trips to the chiropractor, my new setup has more than paid for itself many times over. Of course, that leaves more money to get more gear! (kidding...)
For me, having fewer items in the gear arsenal helps me to bond more with each piece. This connection with a guitar or amp I've played for years is not something more gear will ever provide.
I bought an Airline/Valco with a 10" speaker in 1976 for $75. It was my only amp for most of my gigging life. It is a 5 watt amp. So, it can be done. To be honest, it could have been louder but it rocks at any volume and survived decades of gigs and jams. I also use an AER compact 60 for acoustic, or classical or jazz standards. It's small and light and clean. There is a lot to be said for a good solid state amp.
Thank you for being a voice of reason in a world that is full of advertising dressed as entrainment. I pared down to one guitar (classic vibe strat) and one amp (boss katana) a couple of years ago just before my son was born. I realised i had just turned 30 and had been playing for half my life but wasn't getting any better. I had a lot of money in pedals and other gear and I always wanted the next thing. Now I play less, with less but i am getting so much more out of it. Thanks again, you are doing great work.
you touched on some really important stuff when you said we need to wrestle with "good enough". i am a firm believer that good enough is perfect and any more than good enough is wasteful. we need balance to be creative, to be at peace with ourselves
12 of them, Including a Fender Twin, Fender Vibrolux, Fender Cyber Deluxe, Fender Blues Deluxe, Fender Princeton Chorus(my favorite for recording and RUclips videos) and a Fender Stage 100 among others! Love and play through them all!
As a beginner, dreaming of having some musicianship, I really really enjoy this channel. Not just that, but you show some real work here! You go after subjects like a journalist and dig in! Much respect
I met a guy named Bill Sanders from The Sweet Mercy Band, he gigs with several other bands as well. He owns 1 amp a Mesa Triple Crown. He swears by it and I have heard him play live often. He can get every sound he needs from clean Country twang to soaring distortion. I asked him once what distortion pedals he uses and he laughed and said, "None it's all the amp." I didn't believe him so I checked his pedal board out. 2 reverbs, chorus, flanger, talk box, wah wah, harmonizer, tuner and NO distortion or drive pedals.
Amp modeling has been an amazing game changer. I really wish I had a Helix back in the 90s it would have dramatically improved my recordings. No fuss trying to mic a cab and room and you can really build up a big sound with creative recording techniques.
After building a DIY iso box I am a firm believer in this solution. I used an old steamer trunk to house an external speaker, padded the inside with rock wool and mic'ed it up. Now I can set all my pedals for the proper input gain on the AC15 and use the amp FX in a home environment. When it's time to jam or gig I can take the amp leaving the external speak in the iso box. The AC15 actually sounds really good like this.
I'm quite happy with a modeler. The 2 amps I own now collect dust and will probably be sold. I like the fact that I can choose different amp models to match different guitars or different usage such as slide.
You make perfect sense... it has taken me decades to get to two amps and countless buys, sells, swaps and trades. Put simply I have one amp that I gig with (small pubs/clubs) and a smaller 5 watt made by the same guy for home practice use. I have three pedals, four guitars and two amps. Job done. Keep up the great work on your channel.
I'm in the same boat, 78 Marshall 50 watt JMP/71 2032 cab(4x12 greenbacks)-1936 2x12 cab for gigs-79 Deluxe Reverb! Have wrestled in the last few months on adding a 'boutique' amp! Vox style preferred so Dr Z-Divided By 13 and a 65 Amps London amp have almost joined the squad even a Headrush unit has crossed my mind! Wants vs Needs indeed!!
Chalkboard: "I will buy no more gear. I will buy no more gear. I will buy..." What an awesome channel to keep us in check. Wish I had found it sooner! Gonna checkout the online store for a mug when it's up!
@@robertwellington2616 Brokenness or brokeness? that autocorrect gets us every time. I know just what you mean. I haven't had GAS in a while but a stinking OM-28 keeps trying to come into my thoughts! HA!
guitarsrso awesome did autocorrect get me again? Dammit. I was the best speller in my elementary school and still pretty good. But between texting fast, no patience and autocorrect I look like an idiot. Let me try to respell brokenness again. Yes it came out with 2 n’s again. On its own. I’m feeling pretty confident with this one. 😉. FYI I’m buying guitar T-shirt’s lately. It’s that bad. It’s not doing the trick though. Still wanting things I don’t need. Selling pedals that are just sitting there. Yet sold a pedal and want to buy the same one again. My wife’s talking me out of it. Saying you will be sorry in the morning. Which is correct. It’s always at night when gas kicks in. Morning I’m clear headed and regret it. Then night comes again. We have serious bills and I’m buying gear. I have enough. I’ll keep telling myself....until I give in again. FYI if u can afford that Martin and you really want it I’m the last person to stop you. I say get it and enjoy it. Sorry I’m of no help. 😂 ps. My gas got really bad as I got better and utube has made it worse. We have no guitar stores. Major city btw. Online shopping makes it to easy to buy things. Just hit a button and it’s yours. But sadly, u can’t try it out and I miss the guitar store experience.
@@robertwellington2616 Ha! Oh, man, I know the feeling. For a while there I was buying like crazy, and then it slowed down a lot when I started focusing on recording. Then you get consumed with DAW's and other things (that also cost money!), ha, but usually your instruments good enough (until I learned to play bass and had to buy one!) And then I had to upgrade to a better mic recently, so there's that. So, wait, I'm still buying like mad, but just not guitars. My friend and I have a saying, "I.N.E." an acronym which stands for, "it never ends," especially with those stinking pedals! HA!
9 out of 10 live shows I go see these days are so tame, all feeling seems to have been removed, as if the musicians are so separated in the mix they might as well be playing in different rooms. The magic is gone, the energy is suppressed, and it's precisely because the players are no longer up there bull riding on equipment and in mixes they can barely control. It's become stale and boring and predictable because of this ethos of giving sound men ultimate control. Gone is the unpredictability of the live band that could either shine or bomb depending on the mood or mix. It's all overly rehearsed, because so much tech is involved.
So true..! You`re spot on with that informative comment. Clinical and sterile comes to mind. Our 4 piece band plays small to medium sized gigs..with no sound man. Most punters love our sound, but it is essential to know a bit about venue and room acoustics that can work with or against the overall sound. Sound men are essential on big gigs, but i`ve seen many ruin and pull all the life out of the sound on bar gigs etc.
Dude, great comment. And so too with the PLAYING if you ask me. it's become a cult of accomplishment rather than of catharsis, feel, and raw emotion. The feeling (whether in the musicality OR the lyrics) that the reigns have fallen from the hands of the charioteers and the Gods and angels (whether Light or Dark) are now in control has EVAPORATED. I picked up a guitar in a pawnshop at age 26 and know NO theory, scales, and barely a note or two on the fretboard.... but guess what? Every time I start playing at a Guitar Center, some highly schooled music theory trained Old Salt will always come up and compliment my playing and asked me where I learned and who my teachers were. disbelief or envy shortly follow much of the time. live music to me is all too often a kind of High Theory Circle Jerk where the guy on the board is the conductor.
I play in 2 cover bands. One as a blues/ rock and roll bass player and classic rock guitar and keyboard in the other. After many years of struggling I've narrowed it down to 2 amps. 50 watt Boss Katana for guitar, and a Hartke 2000 through a single 2/10 cab for bass and keyboard both, since I rarely play both at the same gig. Great video! Very informative, as always!!
I am in the category of working musician who plays cover tunes for a living . . most of the time. If I was playing original music or just one style of music , the gear situation would be easier. Having to sound like Billy Gibbons on one song , then Mark Knopler , then Brent Mason and then David Gilmore on the next few songs took some serious doing. My gear = 66 Fender Deluxe Reveb, Todd Sharp JOAT 20 RT ( this replaced my two 1996 Matchless C 30 in all the good ways ). and Gigrig switching system fully loaded pedal board. . . . Now using a Kemper 70% of the time and awaiting new Atomic CLR FRFR powered cab to get a little better separation and natural amps sound than just having it mixed into my regular QSC K12-2 floor monitor . I am glad I ran across this video. Moe me feel I have made good choices in my gear and my approach to achieving teh best sound I can get with my budget. I try to tell all my young guitar students to invest in a sound system just as much as a guitar rig. Hint : that magic , easy to obtain , device that was invented many many years ago that will turn a small 20 watt combo amp into a wall of Marshalls . . . it is called the Shure SM 57 microphone ! LOL !
Keith, I’ve watched, enjoyed, and especially learned, for as long as you’ve been broadcasting. There’s so many of us out there, thanks for rounding up the cattle in one corral. Keep up the extensive work and information. Peace, Rocky
2 I have 4 and at 67 I can't decide between which 3 to keep. 1 can go, Peavey 50 watt VK 112. It's a nice versatile amp that I bought for band practice. My other amps are a Fender Red Knob 100 watt The Twin that nobody likes but I've got it cooking. My other 2 amps are a Laney 50 watt VC 50 and a Laney 50 watt GH50L. I can't think small and when my wife's out of the house, I crank up to near Woodstock Level. So to answer the question, 1 British and 1 American. So I'd probably keep the Laney GH50l and trade off some of the other stuff for a used 60 watt Fender Rivera Concert amp(Head). Of which I would be willing to buy the combo and buy a head case for it. I'd have a hard time selling off the Laney 212 50 watt vc50 with matching 412 cabinet. It's a Lovely amp and everything is loaded with Celestions. Yes, I know what other people are doing and I've seen some nice 20 watt amps like the Quidley 7 Sins series. My head just isn't there.
Found your channel the other day when I saw the Telecaster history clip. I'm digging the videos. Well done and ya shoot straight. I have been subject to "need" many times in 40 years of playing guitar and bass. Keep up the great work.
I'm happy with my Fender Mustang II solid-state modelling amp. It's 40w, has a 12" speaker with 16 user-programmable presets. It sounds fine at bedroom volumes and can keep up with all but the loudest drummers if you're jamming or even playing small gigs.
I have found I can plug a zoom 3Gn or 5Gn straight into a cheap solid state amp and get a great sound with a variety of patches that sound fantastic with every kind of pedal built in. Very easy to gig this way and carry all the sounds you need. Cost of the entire rig sans guitar? $350
Keith I'm loving your channel! Glad to have found it. I think my gear philosophy has been similar to yours. I have a Vintage Princeton I was gifted from a family member, and I haven't used another amp since. My pedalboard was unchanged for 3 years until now, where I replaced some of it with an HX Stomp. (And I plan to gig with only the Stomp and my guitar on some occasions) I'll probably still indulge in some gear, but usually my purchases are to simplify something or make my life a little easier. And sometimes it's cause I want to try a spaceship sound, and I might sell it later. Thanks for the fun content.
Ahh, the Helix. Does it sound 100% dead on? No. Does it sound 95% dead on with literally EVERY pedal and amp sound any guitar player could ever need? Yes. Yes it does. All in a self contained 22lb board. My local area has very few places that have house PA. I fit an entire sound system (minus subwoofer) AND my guitar rig in a Subaru Outback. Technology is a wonderful thing. One strat, a wireless (mainly so I can go out front to adjust sound) a helix and in ears or powered speaker. I certainly don't miss the hassle of my days of hauling a Peavey Classic 50 2x12 and pedalboard. Great stuff Keith!
I cant really argue that, Chris Moody. No amount of digital wizardry will ever fully replace tubes. But modeling is getting so close. For my situation, I seriously cant haul a real tube amp. I cant fit it in the car. I play in a rock/country/pop cover band. I have to carry my own PA. For my needs, nothing can top a modeling processor. I can save literally over 1,000 presets with the Helix. And it sounds excellent, for what it is. I recently convinced my bassist to use a Darkglass B7K and leave his SVT 8x10 cab at home. As the band's soundman, I can't possibly promote this enough. Our setup is under an hour, and we can break down and leave in less than an hour. I LOVE LOVE LOVE real tube amps. But the practicality side of me wins, and I will never complain about the versatility and tone of the Helix. For my needs and money, that's the way to go.
I have a 5W Blackstar head amp and I love it. It has a speaker emulator so I can DI it straight into a PA at a gig or my studio monitors at home. It's perfect for me. Great sound and totally compact.
I have one too, and it's great. I rarely run it at 5 watts, so 0.5 watts it is, and that can be quite loud, but I'm considerate to my neighbours. I run it through a 212 cab because I like the sound of a bigger cab. Every time I get gassing for another amp, I just look at my ht5rh and realise, if I can't run it at full power, what's the point of buying something bigger, no matter how good a deal it is. ✌️🇦🇺
Fender Twin Reverb. Tons and tons of headroom and extremely pedal friendly, thus making them work for a WIDE variety of styles, wether you're into Hank Marvin and The Shadows or extreme metal or anything imaginable in between.
@@Innerspace100 mine has orange jbl's, it's even heavier. I love the sound of Twin opened up at 7 with the vibrato on medium speed. Gold Top LP P90's, that's a ripping sound
@@comicblueswithjonygitar36 Mine has Jensen speakers in it. I use a Strat, so the JBL speakers would simply be too harsh sounding for that. I don't use it as a typical SRV set-up, though. It's a mid seventies ash bodied strat and a 2 x ECC83 valves Mesa Boogie V-twin pedal for distortion, and the amp set just loud enough to start breathing properly and give some lovley harmonic feedback when wanted (a smirge over four seems to do the trick). Very nice for seventies- esque hard rock, which is what we do in our band. The tremolo and the spring reverb are never used. I use a Boss DM-2 delay. No other effects btw. Just the guitar, those two pedals and the amp.
Thanks as always Keith. Love your videos I am selling off loads of gear at present. I no longer need, want or use it. I will get down to one amp, one guitar in the end! My Vox AC15 covers all my amp needs. I switched it form 15 watts, down to 7.5 watts at home. The volume control is great. I get to push the amp hard at low volume. Can now hear those tubes cooking at very low volume. 15 watts is more than enough for small size gigs. It's more than enough to cover anything i do! My Yamaha Revstar covers my guitar needs. I have customed her to what I want. New decent Whole lot of love pickups fitted, which the Coil splits work very well for that tele style sound. One guitar, one amp, one hundred different sounds. Wish i saw things like this when i was 16!
I have a katana 100 watt head, I use it everywhere even at home it has an attenuator to .5 Watts 50 Watts and 100. Tons and tons of built in affects. I was on the biggest fear kick forever, but I have it singled down to that amp and 2 teles. One humbucker and other single coil. I can play everything with those 3 pieces of gear.
There is one reason EVERYONE plays guitar, no matter if you do it only in the bedroom or in front of packed stadiums. It's fun and enjoyable. That's enough reason to have as many amps and guitars as you can reasonably afford. It doesnt matter what kind of music you like, if you stand in front of a Marshall stack and hammer out some AC/DC chords, it's a religious experience, and the best form of mental therapy out there!
My 5-watter is a Vibro Champ, which I typically use via a modulation or reverb pedal of some sort. Sometimes I run it into a 2x12” 8 Ohm cab via a Fryette PowerStation (handles the impedance mismatch), which is a ridiculous example of extravagance. :) My higher power home amp is a Princeton (non-reverb), which I use with a proper pedal setup. It runs clean & easy but also full sounding with the volume at 4.
You can now. Check out the clone "Demon Tube Screamer Pedal" on ebay. It sounds insane. It does both TS8 and TS9 with a built in switch. My guitar player in my band purchased them for about $28.
Refreshing to hear because it points out the issues with consumerism in the music world. Also great to hear a current survey of what’s happening with RUclips musicians and gear too!
Jazzer's answer to all this: Get a Lab Series L5 with original CTX speakers, a 1/4 guitar cable and a Gibson L5, ES-175, Ibanez Joe Pass etc. Use a regular medium or heavy guitar pick turned on it's side (the point faces your palm) and play for 4 hours a day. Done.
I'm kinda like you, I've become a minimalist. I really think about all of my purchases as I get older... I'm currently at two amps and 4 guitars and about 10 pedals. That covers everything I need in my bedroom from blues to hard rock.
But. You failed to comment on the fact that lower watt amps are typically stripped of features. Amp manufacturers still haven't caught up to modern requirements.
checkout the Yamaha thr10x (play thru the "bass" channel(clean) and use pedal(s) for distortion etc, it has great delay/reverb effects and even has a phase90 effect. It has 5 crunch channels and 3 clean, but the best sound you'll get out of it (imo) is (again) thru the "bass" channel (it took some tinkering to figure this out) it also has an interface thing where u could hook it up to your computer/download this and that etc(i could probably get a lot more out of this feature than i realize, if i had tinkered w it more) Anyway. You can get good sounds at low volumes the cleans are perfect and it can get pretty gnarly w a good distortion pedal. I had an Orange Rocker 15 and the little Yamaha is more 'bassier'. I feel the next upgrade from there is about a $1600 amp. The Yamaha was around $300. But, like he said, we live in an age of better, more accessible gear, i remember when all i had was an old cheap Crate and a Boss Metal Zone, and i learned Eruption on it, everything sounded like shit on that amp, so disappointing (: If u find a better amp than the Yamaha, for similar $ post it
A lot of the tone subtleties we all thrive on are totally lost when the other people in the band start to play! But we hear the awesomeness in our practice time, and that's worth something. Gives us confidence, too.
An absolutely excellent video. Great words of wisdom! I couldn’t agree more. I would love for you to do a video on the so-called Vintage Guitar and Amp industry. These people too, in my opinion, overhype the value of older instruments solely for the purpose of jacking up prices. How do you see it?
I believe that the current guitars are the best that have ever been built. Fenders are great, PRS, Strandberg (my current), and maybe even Gibson is turning the quality thing around (we'll see.) . But I have played old guitars that seem to have accumulated all the blues ever played on them. I chalk that up to "energy" and not age though.
I own many amps after playing for 35+ years. Tubes all the way! Until... I bought the Line 6 Helix to play around with. After a week I will never go back to a tube amp. Now all my amps and giant pedal board collect dust. So easy to gig with. Two guitars, the Helix and an XLR cable to FOH. I've had the Helix for about two years now and it gets better with every update. And all the updates are FREE for life. Adding amps and effects every time. If you haven't tried one, give it a shot. Sounds & FEELS like a real tube amp.
Blackstar is making some great amps these days. They used to be associated with hard rock and metal, then they made the low gain Artist Series. I have the Artist 15 that I really like.
@@tjnugent62 My apologies as it is the 'Artisan' 10 which was one of the anniversary editions. It has the EL34 and 12AX7 , however I changed the AX to an AT and love it!
I love my Artisan 10ae as well. 10W single-ended class A valve amp. Does changing the preamp from AX to AT give it more or less gain? I would like either a little more than the ‘clean’ delivers or a little less than the ‘boost’ delivers. I normally use it with Boost in and ride the volume on the guitar. The Artisan is my ‘little’ amplifier. I use a Hiwatt Custom 20 and a Vox AC30SS in a wet/dry arrangement as my ‘gig’ backline. I also have a Blackstar Fly in my office at work for lunch time practice. I don’t know if that counts as an ‘amp’?
@@rikmcrae , a 12AT7 has less gain than the 12 ax7, indeed, if I remember correctly, a 12AU7 has even lower gain than the 12AT7. Another good tube to try that has less gain than the 12ax7 or 7025 (both have a voltage gain of 100) but more gain than the 12AT7 or 12AU7, is a 5751 ( the voltage gain is 70). .
I've been playing a Line 6 POD 2.0 since forever. I play it through a very clean, small practice amp for filling the room or line-in to the computer for recording. Behringer makes a very nice dual 1/4" TRS-to-USB adapter cable that fits that recording model nicely. Despite the POD 2.0's age, it's got a huge number of tones available that are still a delight to explore after all these years. Fiddling with different amp and cab models always elicits some riff or chord changes to explore and enjoy. Were I to go gigging again, I'd really struggle to find an amp, I think. My 15-year-old pedal board is big, heavy and complex. And, yeah, I had a failure mid-set once that made life rather challenging. Reality check: In two or three years, the wife and I are likely to transition to living aboard a sailboat. So the collection of 8 guitars/basses and a few amps will need to be pared down to a minimalist arrangement. That little red bean of a POD 2.0 looks like it'll continue for as long as it can ...
Blue Lane Frontier : ONE cab, and IMHO It should be 1x8". I know, I know most of the 1x8 are cheap and useless toys for practice amps but you can do better. I designed a cab that not only sounds like a 1x12" but is so much better im many ways. Its lightweight (but only in comparison to a 12", 8kg are more than any other 8"cab) compact. It lacks the "icepick"-treblebeam most 12"-speakers have and the sound spreads more evenly onthe stage and in the room. Since It's not commercially reasonable for me to mass produce these cabs I will share the design for personal use. Just e-mail me.
my guitar "mentor" used to play a blues junior. first version. he got it when it came out. he plays gigs with his soul/blues band regularly and never had a problem. in fact i never heard him say that a certain type of equiptment would not work for a certain application. no pedals, not even a pick. just a strat, MAYBE a tele. but usally a strat. his "teachings" were always non gear related. he would show us licks and how to actually play the damn thing. if it was gear related though, he would explain how to get a good sound out of a "shitty" amp. it usually worked. and usually his band is the highlight of every show they play. so there is that. there are successfull musiscian doing live work for 40 years that do not care whatever gear they play. took me a couple of years after moving away from his neighbourhood to fall into that gear-circlejerk. but i am on my way out of there. btw i don't know why my comments on the "minimalist" channel are the longest text i comment on YT :D
I have one of those amps, as well. Bought it new 20 years ago. And that's my one amp. All I ever needed (I finally realised). However, I have three boss pedals. Blues Driver (BD-2) Chorus (CH-1) and a Compressor (CS-3) since they can operate on batteries, and fit in the BCB-30 pedal board. I will get a Yamaha THR10c for practice. They're pretty cool. And that's it. I'm 64, now, and I've been playing since I was 14. I still enjoy playing. The carrying bit was never fun. Now it's down to a minimum and life is good.
@@matsjonsson9492 if you are looking for a small amp check out the Roland micro cube (first Version). Imho much better then the yamaha. I have played the yamaha. The dynamics of the cube are insane. Oh and the cube goes for around 50bucks used
Vappo, there's a RUclips video with Richard Thompson playing briefly through a selection of various, somewhat unusual or uncommon amplifiers that might be provided by whoever is responsible for the backline sound and the PA system, and talking with Henry Kaiser about how he might go about getting a usable sound out of each. It's interesting and worth watching, and a good example of the real world problems faced by musicians who don't travel with their own van, truck or bus full of all their own equipment, bringing just a guitar or two. There's also a live concert video on RUclips of Sonny Landreth playing at a Blues Festival in Italy on a Strat and a Marshall stack borrowed from Robert Cray because all of his equipment was somehow misplaced while being shipped or truck to the gig. Although you can tell that Sonny has to work harder to get what he wants out of someone else's guitar and amp, it definitely still sounds like him. It sure didn't sound like Robert Cray!
@@goodun6081 man i'll check that out thanks. i like to refer to the hendrix live tv recording (sweden i think) where he plays an SG..... he sounds just the same as with the strat. i guess in the end he is playing the same songs so it sounds the same.
A Fender Bassman, a Vox AC30, a Marshall, and every thing else with tubes in it really! I have both Bassbreaker 007 combo and Bassbreaker 007 head/cab, it’s one of my favorite amps of all time. Just got a Blues Jnr and, well, there’s no turning back!
You are an excellent broadcaster. A true professional. It is obvious to me you are an excellent writer, and care about all aspects of how you appear. The content is excellent and well thought out. You are spot on on the substance here. Most musicians, myself included historically, overbuy because of the advertising dynamic you identified at the beginning of your video. There is nothing morally wrong with this, of course, but it’s a diversion of resources and distraction of what makes a musician good one.
Great video as always. Looking forward to see where the channel is going. It’s funny how amps and guitars are becoming like craft beers - local and regional. Not saying there’s a problem with it at all. Just saying there was a guy like FYD where I live.
I own a Bassbreaker 007. I use it for woodshedding of course but when I play a gig, I run it into a 2x12 cabinet and it roars. Another option for those looking to pair down their gear.
while 99,99% of youtube channels about guitar gear are made by people stimulating GAS (gear aquisition syndrom) you are the only one focusing on minimalism, anti-consumerism, and, indirectly: mental health. All of those channels showing people with a bunch af amps, pedals and guitars only serve to the interest of gear companies, as they create desire of buying, buying, buying... You, my friend, serves the guitarrist. Thank you.
Really appreciate the great videos! I don't gig. I just play for fun mostly by myself. I was in a conundrum lately when my first little one was born with finding a versitle setup without too much bulk that I could play at zero volume. Landed on a Helix LT. Probably complete overkill for playing through a set of studio headphones, but man is it fun to have that many tones at my feet! 🤣🎸
You are absolutely right on the need vs want. Im not a studio owner, record producer, rockstar or a virtuoso player... I am just honest with myself and understand I just want more guitars or gear. I get different urges (not needs) at different times and as such I buy and sell as much as needed while also knowing I am blessed I am able to do so.
I've had the same silverface Twin for 30 years. It's the only amp I've ever needed. I've had two hi-gain amps (Crate Stealth 50, Carvin X100B) along the way but they're just extra.
I've got the THR5 and it's the perfect desktop practice amp. Small enough to throw in a backpack with some cables and pedals and take to a small jam too. Love that little thing. I don't know about gigging with it. It gets pretty loud for it's size, but a drummer would have to be pretty quiet if you wanted to use that amp.
Great advice Keith. I can honestly say, that since buying my ValveTrain 205C, I rarely use my AC30 at home (or even my Princeton). A well built five watt amp is plenty for practicing and much easier to relocate in the house. Thank you for your guidance and wisdom.
I have 2 tiny amps (Roland Micro Cubes) i use a foot switch for pristine clean and blackface distortion. I use 1 for practice. I gig with a Roland Blues Cube Hot. We do cover other artist's tunes but using our own style. I don't need more. I use a Blues Driver for some crunch. That's it. Now that I'm 70 years old I don't need Loud. A nice light weight versatile amp. Modeling amps annoy me. Most audiences are virtually tone deaf. The reason I love the Roland Blues Cubes is the power attenuation so running "full bore" at low volume is a puece of cake. Oh yeah, as for amps using "software" is baloney. I am "Old School." The Roland Blues Cubes do sound like tube amps and do provide "valve dynamics" from a very dependable solid state platform. My opinion is to find a really good amp that you like and develop your own tone tgat suits your style. Copying others is not finding your own sound.
1) I need a small amp downstairs in the Kitchen because I play a lot at the kitchen table. It is a Spark (positive grid) and is very handy with its bluetooth connection. I can play backing tracks through my phone. 2) I need my Fischman Loudbox mini for acoustic performances (can input guitar and mic). 3) Now I use my Fischman for my Korg SV1 piano. I have an even better Acoustic Solutions 150 for vocal and guitar (4 inputs total). It is like a mixing console and great for outdoor gigs like porch parties. 5) my Hughes and Kettner Grandmeister 36 with Celestion speaker is a great all round rock/jazz/blues amp! Tube amp with lots of effects in the amp. 6) My sweetest amp is a hand built Tweed. Sounds gorgeous and has a lot of options including a speaker with a rectifier. Neil Young here we come! 7) I guess I don't "need" my Roland Jazz Chorus 40, but it's a good all round amp, takes pedals well. And can get freaking LOUD! 8) I don't really "need" my VOX Mini5 rhythm, but it it sure is handy to have the instant drums, and it has a decent speaker for some kinds of guitars. Nice compressed jazz sound for archtops. Plus, it is the only amp I have that can be run with batteries. So obviously, I do *need* most/all of those amps!
That's a heck of a tone, Eliseo. Cerberus, the three headed beast. Turns out I'm going three more what with all the modulation channels but basically three tones give the perfect blend and Fender-Vox-Marshall covers the most popular output tube flavors. Well, 6v6s should not be dismissed but this works for me. I actually have a Tony Bruno Vox with four 6V6s that I use like a Deluxe but that's another thing...
I only have two guitars an old Cort strat style electric and a Norman Acoustic .Both are solid instruments as i play modern Worship music at church with a 'Root' /folk feel. My team has pretty cheesy equipment right now. We play thru a Mackie Pa useing an iPad to run the sound and our venue holds right at 130 people. It's a work in progress. We also have an electric drum set to help keep the sound not too loud for older church members who are old 'rock heads'. Your posts give me a lot to think about and encourage me to slow down and think about what I really want for overall sound. I just subscribed and clicked the bell....looking forward.
I’m a home player. I sold my Marshall DSL 20CR and replaced it with a Boss Katana Artist 100 watt solid state amp. It does a great job of sounding like a tube amp o on the edge of break up at any volume. It has 55 built in effects from the king of effects - Boss - which is a bonus but I also enjoy experimenting with pedals. The Artist clean channel sounds great and takes pedals like a champ. It gives me a huge range of tonal possibilities at any volume level and is loud enough for playing with a band. All from a 12” combo amp. I’m very content.
Ric pick ups, despite being called 'hi gain', really aren't. I've noticed my 620 and 360 both pair well with Vox, but I need a clean boost for my Twin.
How many friends do you need? One? Several? Amps (and guitars) are akin to friends, aren't they? I tend to have 'relationships' with my gear. I can certainly appreciate the practicality espoused here, but for this gigger/producer/collector, the attraction of variety and the occasion to have some meaningful moment of discovery (whether of self or of something larger) significantly outweigh any compulsion to be practical. And, for the record: Keeping up with all the digital jumble of profiling amps and their presets would not be something I'd care to deal with onstage...or in having to set up. To each his own. I'm glad I discovered your series here. Keep up the good work.
I use a 3 watt practice amp and I run a HX Stomp to a DI in the house and it sounds wonderful. Sold a lot of my “boutique” pedals and amplifiers and my wallet, mind, and wife couldn’t be happier.
I have an original Blues Deluxe that sounds incredible, especially when I ran a borrowed Les Paul Deluxe through it! Kicked that amp into a really nice overdrive. Gracious!
I wished you were out two years ago. I sold my silver face super reverb and bought a blues deluxe reissue. Had I known, I would have selected something smaller-15 watts Fender tones. I keep my tone clean with a little overdrive and delay. I’ve been told by an amp repairman that I shouldn’t use attenuator because of heat. It would be nice if I could tame this 40 watter. I did pick up a Champion 20 for a song. Sometimes, I think that is all a person needs (with a couple of pedals) and an acoustic guitar! Thanks for channel and especially the history!
Another great video Keith. I started off on a Frontman 15R as a practice amp but then bought a Tweed Blues Junior III when I started to play small gigs. However, my son started to play about 18 months ago and after playing for a month or so on an old acoustic I had, he decided he wanted to go electric so I bought him an Epiphone SG (he was into AC/DC at the time) and a Boss Katana 50. The Katana is perfect for everything. The built-in attenuator enables you to play at low volume for bedroom practice but still allows him to be heard above the drummer in a band situation. It also has built-in effects so he can dial in the sound he wants. A real bargain at 180€!
I play guitar in a high energy rock n roll band. Mostly original material. Some will call it punk but it’s more Stones-ish. I have an old beat up Gibson SG and two Vox AD50VT amps. One at rehearsal space, one to use at the venue we’re playing at. NO pedals. That’s it and we ROCK!
You only need one amp and a friend with a gear buying obsession.
@Return of the Native gotta love our Swedish amp guru
And that I have!!!
What should I do if I'M the friend with a gear buying obsession?!
@@theoldschoolgamer6199 if you can afford it, keep going and jam with yor friends. If not, consider therapy and jam with your friends.
Exactly, you borrow gear from your friend until he forgets to ask it back 🤣
This hit home. I was dx'ed with Parkinson's four years ago. Playing, especially gigs in a band, was over. I sold my Strat, Tele, LP, 5150, and Mesa Boogie to pay medical bills. It was old shit and I made a ton of money. I kept my fretless jazz bass and bassman. Lately I just practice and moving my fingers helps fight the progression of PD. Just the other day a student brought his cheap rig to class, and after the students went back to work I turned every dial to ten and started shredding. The slo mo head turn and surprise in my students faces was enough: respect. I could only play for a few minutes, but it was glorious.
We've got more amp and "no amp" choices than we've ever had. After playing for over 40 years and working in music retail for many years, I've had the good fortune of checking out a ton of gear. I've worked with thousands of guitar players (young and....."seasoned") trying to assist them with their equipment buying decisions. I've always emphasized getting the best tone with the least amount of gear - but making sure that the gear fits their playing goals. I always asked about their guitar influences, what their playing situation was and even what records (showing my age) they dug. I tried to be a tone detective. I found it interesting that many players were influenced by advertising hype rather than their own preferences. A lot of people thought the "unobtainable model" of amp, guitar or pedal would be the best because there was a year-long wait for it. And, it was amazing how many players had never just plugged a guitar straight into an amp to see what base tones were available. Many thought the main tones were going to be achieved from pedals (that might be true for some) and never boiled it down to guitar and amp. I had (and have) a simple concept that helped many players find an amp that really worked for them: here it is.....you are not just playing the guitar, you are also PLAYING THE AMP. An amp (or no amp) can influence how you play. With tube amps, do you want the amp to compress or sag or do you need something really open? Are you comfortable scrolling through menus or do you want a few knobs to turn? Are you going to record? Are you going to gig? Both? What was the biggest mistake I saw people make with regard to buying an amp? Here it is: they bought an amp inappropriate for their playing style and situation. Some players needed modeling or digital solutions and some needed a more traditional rig. I never judged anyone. I just tried to provide good info and ask good questions. Many people didn't see the value in spending more money on a low wattage or small amp even though that's all a large percentage of players needed. This is just my experience and since it was not my money, I never judged a buying decision. But, if my experience taught me anything it was.....I believe that if you spend time THINKING about your needs before buying, you'll probably own fewer amps that do more for you and you'll spend more time playing. It's good to be informed but don't let hype make your decisions for you. I hope that experience helps before you buy or sell more amps.
I love my Boss Katana-50. As an apartment dweller, I'm sure my neighbors do too. I live in 0.5 watt world.
Aw man, now I have to make new shirts.
My loud touchy tube amp has been living in a unplugged world since I picked up a Katana.
Which speaking of the Katana I feel like that would be a more minimalistic approach to (most) low powered tube practice amp for the house.
@@kenhamilton2412 I have a nephew who asked me about his first "real" amp and I told him to find a Katana 50 used. But you know what, no one seems to sell them.
five watt world all I can say is that you can’t buy something used if nobody’s willing to part with it. I personally use a Joyo zombie and a Marshall MG412. Gets plenty loud at a gig and I can use the volume knob to get the thing to push a little less air while getting a similar level of grit.
@@fivewattworld The old ones will become collectors items.
I can’t tell you how much your videos have helped curb my GAS. I admire you logical and more importantly responsible approach to gear. It’s something we all need to hear.
Glad to hear that Jonathan. I can't tell you how much my videos help MY GAS. Seriously. It's a great reminder for me each week.
@@fivewattworld I love your logo. Kodos to whoever designed it! Also, my favorite videos have been the history centric ones! thank you so much for your research and your time!
Jonathan To be honest I listen with interest to these videos but end up fundamentally disagreeing that this “is something we all need to hear”.
For people who want to or should:
- limit their budget spent on gear;
- limit the size of their collection;
- have other interests or commitments which need to be given the space and resources
then these videos are very smartly put together and well thought out and I’m sure they’re helpful.
But bear in mind that the concept that this kind of message itself has universal import to everyone equally is in itself marketing. Not everyone has the same NEED to follow these minimalist principles for music gear.
Music and guitar is my main passion. I have a good job... I’m not married... don’t have kids... own my own home... donate to charities... but I choose to own, buy and enjoy multiple guitars, amps and pedals because it’s something I enjoy - it’s the main thing I enjoy.
Personally I think the message of these videos would be a better and more consistent one if it focussed more on the concept of “these are the ways you can minimise your gear if that’s what you want or need to do” rather than being quite evangelical about the idea that we all should be minimising our gear.
David Burke Don’t you think there’s a major statement with these videos about consumerism being a problem for folks, especially in American society? Generations of Americans now have been raised to believe that they “need” products that they’re missing out on.
Jonathan Yes, I agree. But having a serious hobby into which you invest a lot of your hard earned disposable income is not the same thing as a general problem with consumerism and that’s the point I’m trying to make.
I just feel that the emphasis of these videos that owning or wanting lots of gear is inherently problematic for everyone is an oversimplification and type of marketing just like the consumerist message itself.
I don’t believe I NEED any of the many guitars or amps I own. But owning them is not a problem in my own specific circumstances and owning them brings me a lot of pleasure. I also don’t look down on anyone else if their circumstances or decisions mean they don’t or can’t have the things I’m fortunate to be able to own. If people genuinely struggle with their GAS we should help them just like we would for any other harmful addiction or obsession, but owning and collecting (especially when you’re also a serious player and not just squirrelling away the guitars as an investment) musical gear is not inherently a problem for everyone.
And now for our Obligatory Star Trek Reference:
“After a time, you may find that ‘having’ is not so pleasing a thing after all as ‘wanting.’ It is not logical, but it is often true.” - Mr. Spock (from "Amok Time")
David, you win comment of the day! HUGE original Star Trek fan as a kid. I’ve been accused (here) of having s “Vulcan like delivery”. I figured the guy meant logical. ;)
Awesome part about playing at low volumes Hypes! By the way, a lot of amps! Hahaha!!
Rick Beato I play through a ‘59 Champ
Oh, you...recognized yourself in that picture. :)
Never too many amps! Currently 60+ classic valve amps from 1950 onwards. They all sound different! There are certain food groups though, and a lot of BS. Try as many as you can and work out what you like, otherwise you are doomed to get them all........
Jonathan Duffett yes, I play through the Champ with an 8” Weber speaker, I have many amps. Three blackface Super Reverbs I have all sound different. Salt and Pepper 60’s Marshall 100 stack just is amazing and mostly inappropriate. Collection of several Deluxe and Princeton Reverbs, Bassmans, Bandmasters-all great. All tube guitar amps, (Orange, boutiques, Gibson, Vox, Keleman, Supro, Danelectro...) it’s the breakup on that tweed Champ though, something goosebumps special.
RB the legend
Great video Keith! Thanks for the shoutout, hopefully society will learn to embrace loud amps onstage again although thats not likely.
Hey Rhett. Thank you man. You’re the one that’s hipped me to the modelers in a practical way. And I had to use some of your great tones and playing. You are killin’ it on that video!
Rhett Shull small is the new big! 🤘🏻
@@charlespatrick8650 That's what she said - Never! Haha!
Well, take it from a guy who played out for 35 years, lugging around a Super Reverb and a Twin for many of them, or a 100 watt Traynor and two huge 4X12 Traynor cabinets, ad infinitum ... the spinal discs suffer (flatten) and in comes L4/L5 Foraminal Stenosis and you can't walk without pain ... as well as an awful case of tinnitus. Forty watt amps are all you need unless you are playing Beatles/British Invasion where you use a lot of midrange and/or low frequencies, or Jazz, where you use a lot of power soaking midrange. BTW, I have been playing a total of 57+ years, and find myself moving toward smaller amps, especially without negative feedback circuits as they seem to be less punchy and ear damaging (that's what I want, but most are too blame expensive). Still, I have two Super Reverbs (4X10/1964 and a 1X15/1966) that I love to boost the front end with a BOSS compressor, and squash the backend a bit with a THD 2ohm power attenuator, or an 8ohm Weber attenuator (I DO NOT run both at the same time!!). WHAT a sound. Crickets for days ...
I spent $1500 on a Mesa Mark IV almost 30 years ago. Never needed another amp and saved a lot of money by not having to try 40 different overdrive pedals.
Cool amp! I spent $550 on soldano astroverb almost 18 years ago. (I already had a Fender Princeton Chorus for clean because it was my first amp). Several years back I bought a Fender Blues Jr III for only $350 when Best Buy was discontinuing their music department. That's $900 well spent! A Mark IV would be cool to have though!
@@StratMatt777 I'm a fan of Soldano amps. A friend has an SLO 100 and I've used it quite a few times. Awesome amp. He's trying to push a Supro Tremoverb on me now for $500. Hell of a deal, but then I'd have to spend a few hundred looking for the right overdrive pedal.
The Boogie has always given me any tones I want, but it's a heavy pain in the ass to gig with. I rarely gig anymore, so the weight isn't such a big deal now. Instead of throwing money at a new amp, I'm strongly considering a UA Ox Box to finally be able to push those tubes without shattering the windows. I think the R 1 channel could give off some awesome grit with a good attenuator.
@@smogfood The astroverb is based on the SLO's crunch channel...
next time you play that SLO try out the crunch channel with the gain at 8.5 or 9 and see what you think of it.
Mike Soldano told me that he designs his amps with the intent of the preamp making 100% of the tone- so they bias the power tubes at the minimum level so they distort as little as possible.
For a guitar amp it's kind of an odd ("high-fi") design philosophy.
I found that biasing my tubes just a bit warmer than factory eliminated any trace of gritty-ness or buzziness from my lead tone providing a completely smooth violin-like (Mesa-like?) lead tone. And it crunches great too!
When I bought the amp it was a (tiny) head because that is how they made this effects loop prototype for the 1999 NAMM show, but I later paid them $300 to make me a 1x12 combo. It's pretty light, but it doesn't sound so great so I run through a 2x12 with a V30 and WGS Retro 30.
@@StratMatt777 Cool man, I'll check out the crunch next time I'm in front of that amp. It's a gain monster and sounds sublime every time I use it, despite my ham fisted playing. It's not as diverse as the Boogie, but the things it does really well, it does better than the Boogie, and it just loves Les Pauls. I'm more of a Tele guy, so the Boogie fits me better.
One of the many things I love about the Boogie is that I can go with 6L6, EL34, or 6V6 without rebiasing. I really like EL34's in it for a better classic rock sound, but tend to stick with 6l6's most of the time. I finally picked up a Heritage Jazz box, so I'm going to try 6V6's soon.
I have a Mesa filmore50 . With my meager pedal board it’s all I use. My home Amp is a fender mustang .
We need more of this, I'm kind of over the "you need more," attitudes in the guitar world. You really don't. Losing my job in 2008 and spending years as a broke student going back to school and selling off my excess gear was one of the best things to happen to me, the limitations made my playing so much better. When I start losing my head and get into my stupid gear buying money wasting phase, my playing ability usually takes a hit in favor of just tinkering with crap I don't need.
I totally relate to you. Been there myself. Now trying to get back to playing rather than tinkering.
Mr. FiveWattWorld, please blink your eyes to let us know that you're OK.
Don't be silly, of course I blink. I blink right when you do.
And dude, my names Keith, I say it right at the beginning.
I blink when you do. Classic
Lol real hard.
HA HA.....Oh man that my big LOL to carry me throught the day
tonebenderx ... < He blinked " Torture " , in Morse Code > ...
As a bedroom player i have decent digital amp which by itself can range from warm jazzy tones to insanely driven metal leads, then I got Amplifi FX100 (basically cheaper and handier version of Helix), and then whole pedalboard because stomps and knobs are nice.
And after all 80% of my playing time I do not plug my guitar to anything, because I just want to practice something and I actually hear and feel when I make mistake anyway.
With all that said, I am currently convincing my friend to start on guitar (she can sing really good and dated guy who is good on guitar, but now they parted ways) and I say that she can dump all her money into good guitar now and get good amp later, instead of buying sub-par guitar and amp at once. Actually i know several people who are happy to use PC with GuitarRig or something similar at home. At first i did it myself, but with some progress that micro delay started to piss me off.
Ты ещё и на гитаре успеваешь играть - молодец. Удачи
@@ThorneyedWT Yes! To all of this! I practice more without an amp than with one because I want to hear my mistakes. And I told myself when I was starting that I didn’t need an amp and got the iRig HD 2. But like you said, the micro delay wasn’t my jam. Got a Vox Pathfinder 10 and I love it. Vox makes some amazing small combo amps, and they’re pretty so I don’t get sick of looking at them when I’m not playing.
Need? None, maybe one, at times... Want??? ALL OF THEM!!! Eric Clapton said it best before his first big auction of equipment. To paraphrase: It' a cycle of desire, acquisition, collection, reflection, disposition...
After lugging around over 200 lbs of gear (amp, pedal board, 3 guitars) for some time, the Line6 Helix became quite compelling. My back couldn't stop thanking me. After putting in some time tweaking sounds, I was definitely in the ball park in terms of sound. People were happy. Between selling off redundant and unnecessary equipment and no longer needing to take as many trips to the chiropractor, my new setup has more than paid for itself many times over. Of course, that leaves more money to get more gear! (kidding...)
For me, having fewer items in the gear arsenal helps me to bond more with each piece. This connection with a guitar or amp I've played for years is not something more gear will ever provide.
"Be wary of the man with one gun for he will know how to use it well"
I bought an Airline/Valco with a 10" speaker in 1976 for $75. It was my only amp for most of my gigging life. It is a 5 watt amp. So, it can be done. To be honest, it could have been louder but it rocks at any volume and survived decades of gigs and jams. I also use an AER compact 60 for acoustic, or classical or jazz standards. It's small and light and clean. There is a lot to be said for a good solid state amp.
Thank you for being a voice of reason in a world that is full of advertising dressed as entrainment. I pared down to one guitar (classic vibe strat) and one amp (boss katana) a couple of years ago just before my son was born. I realised i had just turned 30 and had been playing for half my life but wasn't getting any better. I had a lot of money in pedals and other gear and I always wanted the next thing. Now I play less, with less but i am getting so much more out of it. Thanks again, you are doing great work.
you touched on some really important stuff when you said we need to wrestle with "good enough". i am a firm believer that good enough is perfect and any more than good enough is wasteful. we need balance to be creative, to be at peace with ourselves
Musicians need a group therapy.
Hi everyone! I'm Dave and I have a gear problem.
Truth in this most certainly. Makes the perspective forwarded by Keith all the more relevant and admittedly compelling.
@@michaelshields6585 Yeah, 4 years later and I am still a junkie. 😉
12 of them, Including a Fender Twin, Fender Vibrolux, Fender Cyber Deluxe, Fender Blues Deluxe, Fender Princeton Chorus(my favorite for recording and RUclips videos) and a Fender Stage 100 among others! Love and play through them all!
Not a single Marshall or sunn?
Ive watched plenty of Erics videos..good stuff
As a beginner, dreaming of having some musicianship, I really really enjoy this channel. Not just that, but you show some real work here! You go after subjects like a journalist and dig in! Much respect
Maybe the only RUclips guitar channel that doesn’t make me come away feeling dirty and used, great job sir!
Mei guan xi.
Your content is well executed and arguments presented with logic and thought. I truly appreciate your channel. Thank you.
Thanks Mark!
You may find yourself
In a beautiful house
With a beautiful wife
You may ask yourself
"Well, how did I get here?"
I met a guy named Bill Sanders from The Sweet Mercy Band, he gigs with several other bands as well. He owns 1 amp a Mesa Triple Crown. He swears by it and I have heard him play live often. He can get every sound he needs from clean Country twang to soaring distortion. I asked him once what distortion pedals he uses and he laughed and said, "None it's all the amp." I didn't believe him so I checked his pedal board out. 2 reverbs, chorus, flanger, talk box, wah wah, harmonizer, tuner and NO distortion or drive pedals.
Thanks for the shout our Rob!!!! Hope to see you at a few gigs soon!!!
Amp modeling has been an amazing game changer. I really wish I had a Helix back in the 90s it would have dramatically improved my recordings. No fuss trying to mic a cab and room and you can really build up a big sound with creative recording techniques.
After building a DIY iso box I am a firm believer in this solution. I used an old steamer trunk to house an external speaker, padded the inside with rock wool and mic'ed it up. Now I can set all my pedals for the proper input gain on the AC15 and use the amp FX in a home environment. When it's time to jam or gig I can take the amp leaving the external speak in the iso box. The AC15 actually sounds really good like this.
I'm quite happy with a modeler. The 2 amps I own now collect dust and will probably be sold.
I like the fact that I can choose different amp models to match different guitars or different usage such as slide.
You make perfect sense... it has taken me decades to get to two amps and countless buys, sells, swaps and trades. Put simply I have one amp that I gig with (small pubs/clubs) and a smaller 5 watt made by the same guy for home practice use. I have three pedals, four guitars and two amps. Job done. Keep up the great work on your channel.
How many amps I want? All of them!! How many do I really need? Two. An older Marshall and a Fender Deluxe Reverb. :-)
Rivera R series amps have a Marshall ch1 and a Fender ch2. Id recommend you check one of those out... then all you'd need is that amp :)
I'm in the same boat, 78 Marshall 50 watt JMP/71 2032 cab(4x12 greenbacks)-1936 2x12 cab for gigs-79 Deluxe Reverb! Have wrestled in the last few months on adding a 'boutique' amp! Vox style preferred so Dr Z-Divided By 13 and a 65 Amps London amp have almost joined the squad even a Headrush unit has crossed my mind! Wants vs Needs indeed!!
Chalkboard: "I will buy no more gear. I will buy no more gear. I will buy..."
What an awesome channel to keep us in check. Wish I had found it sooner! Gonna checkout the online store for a mug when it's up!
i agree. Sweetwater probably doesn't
guitarsrso awesome I did go #gas crazy. You know what stopped me? Brokenness.
@@robertwellington2616 Brokenness or brokeness? that autocorrect gets us every time. I know just what you mean. I haven't had GAS in a while but a stinking OM-28 keeps trying to come into my thoughts! HA!
guitarsrso awesome did autocorrect get me again? Dammit. I was the best speller in my elementary school and still pretty good. But between texting fast, no patience and autocorrect I look like an idiot. Let me try to respell brokenness again. Yes it came out with 2 n’s again. On its own. I’m feeling pretty confident with this one. 😉. FYI I’m buying guitar T-shirt’s lately. It’s that bad. It’s not doing the trick though. Still wanting things I don’t need. Selling pedals that are just sitting there. Yet sold a pedal and want to buy the same one again. My wife’s talking me out of it. Saying you will be sorry in the morning. Which is correct. It’s always at night when gas kicks in. Morning I’m clear headed and regret it. Then night comes again. We have serious bills and I’m buying gear. I have enough. I’ll keep telling myself....until I give in again. FYI if u can afford that Martin and you really want it I’m the last person to stop you. I say get it and enjoy it. Sorry I’m of no help. 😂 ps. My gas got really bad as I got better and utube has made it worse. We have no guitar stores. Major city btw. Online shopping makes it to easy to buy things. Just hit a button and it’s yours. But sadly, u can’t try it out and I miss the guitar store experience.
@@robertwellington2616 Ha! Oh, man, I know the feeling. For a while there I was buying like crazy, and then it slowed down a lot when I started focusing on recording. Then you get consumed with DAW's and other things (that also cost money!), ha, but usually your instruments good enough (until I learned to play bass and had to buy one!) And then I had to upgrade to a better mic recently, so there's that. So, wait, I'm still buying like mad, but just not guitars. My friend and I have a saying, "I.N.E." an acronym which stands for, "it never ends," especially with those stinking pedals! HA!
9 out of 10 live shows I go see these days are so tame, all feeling seems to have been removed, as if the musicians are so separated in the mix they might as well be playing in different rooms. The magic is gone, the energy is suppressed, and it's precisely because the players are no longer up there bull riding on equipment and in mixes they can barely control. It's become stale and boring and predictable because of this ethos of giving sound men ultimate control. Gone is the unpredictability of the live band that could either shine or bomb depending on the mood or mix. It's all overly rehearsed, because so much tech is involved.
Hey Brad! Nice seeing you here.
Do you see this ever changing?
True Brad. That’s why my live rig is still a Marshall Half Stack. JCM 2000 TSL 60 and 4x12 greenback cab. Loud. AF and I like it that way😉
So true..! You`re spot on with that informative comment. Clinical and sterile comes to mind. Our 4 piece band plays small to medium sized gigs..with no sound man. Most punters love our sound, but it is essential to know a bit about venue and room acoustics that can work with or against the overall sound. Sound men are essential on big gigs, but i`ve seen many ruin and pull all the life out of the sound on bar gigs etc.
Dude, great comment. And so too with the PLAYING if you ask me. it's become a cult of accomplishment rather than of catharsis, feel, and raw emotion. The feeling (whether in the musicality OR the lyrics) that the reigns have fallen from the hands of the charioteers and the Gods and angels (whether Light or Dark) are now in control has EVAPORATED.
I picked up a guitar in a pawnshop at age 26 and know NO theory, scales, and barely a note or two on the fretboard.... but guess what? Every time I start playing at a Guitar Center, some highly schooled music theory trained Old Salt will always come up and compliment my playing and asked me where I learned and who my teachers were. disbelief or envy shortly follow much of the time.
live music to me is all too often a kind of High Theory Circle Jerk where the guy on the board is the conductor.
I play in 2 cover bands. One as a blues/ rock and roll bass player and classic rock guitar and keyboard in the other. After many years of struggling I've narrowed it down to 2 amps. 50 watt Boss Katana for guitar, and a Hartke 2000 through a single 2/10 cab for bass and keyboard both, since I rarely play both at the same gig. Great video! Very informative, as always!!
I am in the category of working musician who plays cover tunes for a living . . most of the time. If I was playing original music or just one style of music , the gear situation would be easier. Having to sound like Billy Gibbons on one song , then Mark Knopler , then Brent Mason and then David Gilmore on the next few songs took some serious doing. My gear = 66 Fender Deluxe Reveb, Todd Sharp JOAT 20 RT ( this replaced my two 1996 Matchless C 30 in all the good ways ). and Gigrig switching system fully loaded pedal board. . . . Now using a Kemper 70% of the time and awaiting new Atomic CLR FRFR powered cab to get a little better separation and natural amps sound than just having it mixed into my regular QSC K12-2 floor monitor . I am glad I ran across this video. Moe me feel I have made good choices in my gear and my approach to achieving teh best sound I can get with my budget. I try to tell all my young guitar students to invest in a sound system just as much as a guitar rig. Hint : that magic , easy to obtain , device that was invented many many years ago that will turn a small 20 watt combo amp into a wall of Marshalls . . . it is called the Shure SM 57 microphone ! LOL !
Keith, I’ve watched, enjoyed, and especially learned, for as long as you’ve been broadcasting. There’s so many of us out there, thanks for rounding up the cattle in one corral. Keep up the extensive work and information. Peace, Rocky
For the quality of video's you make you deserve more subs.
mike shock 100% spot on brother
Less talk and more playing, said nobody to these videos. Thanks for taking the time to put stuff like this together, it's great RUclips content.
Thanks for watching Joe.
2
I have 4 and at 67 I can't decide between which 3 to keep.
1 can go, Peavey 50 watt VK 112. It's a nice versatile amp that I bought for band practice.
My other amps are a Fender Red Knob 100 watt The Twin that nobody likes but I've got it cooking.
My other 2 amps are a Laney 50 watt VC 50 and a Laney 50 watt GH50L.
I can't think small and when my wife's out of the house, I crank up to near Woodstock Level.
So to answer the question,
1 British and 1 American.
So I'd probably keep the Laney GH50l and trade off some of the other stuff for a used 60 watt Fender Rivera Concert amp(Head). Of which I would be willing to buy the combo and buy a head case for it.
I'd have a hard time selling off the Laney 212 50 watt vc50 with matching 412 cabinet. It's a Lovely amp and everything is loaded with Celestions.
Yes, I know what other people are doing and I've seen some nice 20 watt amps like the Quidley 7 Sins series. My head just isn't there.
Found your channel the other day when I saw the Telecaster history clip. I'm digging the videos. Well done and ya shoot straight. I have been subject to "need" many times in 40 years of playing guitar and bass. Keep up the great work.
I have a 1977 50watt JMP. I paid 300 for it in 94. I just can’t seem to ever let it go.
Keep it.....its good
One of the best sounding amps ever made.
I'm happy with my Fender Mustang II solid-state modelling amp. It's 40w, has a 12" speaker with 16 user-programmable presets. It sounds fine at bedroom volumes and can keep up with all but the loudest drummers if you're jamming or even playing small gigs.
I have found I can plug a zoom 3Gn or 5Gn straight into a cheap solid state amp and get a great sound with a variety of patches that sound fantastic with every kind of pedal built in. Very easy to gig this way and carry all the sounds you need. Cost of the entire rig sans guitar? $350
Keith I'm loving your channel! Glad to have found it. I think my gear philosophy has been similar to yours.
I have a Vintage Princeton I was gifted from a family member, and I haven't used another amp since. My pedalboard was unchanged for 3 years until now, where I replaced some of it with an HX Stomp. (And I plan to gig with only the Stomp and my guitar on some occasions)
I'll probably still indulge in some gear, but usually my purchases are to simplify something or make my life a little easier.
And sometimes it's cause I want to try a spaceship sound, and I might sell it later.
Thanks for the fun content.
Ahh, the Helix. Does it sound 100% dead on? No. Does it sound 95% dead on with literally EVERY pedal and amp sound any guitar player could ever need? Yes. Yes it does. All in a self contained 22lb board.
My local area has very few places that have house PA. I fit an entire sound system (minus subwoofer) AND my guitar rig in a Subaru Outback. Technology is a wonderful thing. One strat, a wireless (mainly so I can go out front to adjust sound) a helix and in ears or powered speaker. I certainly don't miss the hassle of my days of hauling a Peavey Classic 50 2x12 and pedalboard. Great stuff Keith!
aaron kerr ahhh, but the smell of burning tubes...
I cant really argue that, Chris Moody. No amount of digital wizardry will ever fully replace tubes. But modeling is getting so close. For my situation, I seriously cant haul a real tube amp. I cant fit it in the car. I play in a rock/country/pop cover band. I have to carry my own PA. For my needs, nothing can top a modeling processor. I can save literally over 1,000 presets with the Helix. And it sounds excellent, for what it is. I recently convinced my bassist to use a Darkglass B7K and leave his SVT 8x10 cab at home. As the band's soundman, I can't possibly promote this enough. Our setup is under an hour, and we can break down and leave in less than an hour.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE real tube amps. But the practicality side of me wins, and I will never complain about the versatility and tone of the Helix. For my needs and money, that's the way to go.
HX Stomp, Bose L1 and go !
I have a 5W Blackstar head amp and I love it. It has a speaker emulator so I can DI it straight into a PA at a gig or my studio monitors at home. It's perfect for me. Great sound and totally compact.
I have one too, and it's great. I rarely run it at 5 watts, so 0.5 watts it is, and that can be quite loud, but I'm considerate to my neighbours. I run it through a 212 cab because I like the sound of a bigger cab. Every time I get gassing for another amp, I just look at my ht5rh and realise, if I can't run it at full power, what's the point of buying something bigger, no matter how good a deal it is. ✌️🇦🇺
Fender Twin Reverb. Tons and tons of headroom and extremely pedal friendly, thus making them work for a WIDE variety of styles, wether you're into Hank Marvin and The Shadows or extreme metal or anything imaginable in between.
I can't lift it in and out of car anymore
@@comicblueswithjonygitar36 Yes, it does weigh a few kilos, the ol' Twin Reverb.
@@Innerspace100 mine has orange jbl's, it's even heavier. I love the sound of Twin opened up at 7 with the vibrato on medium speed. Gold Top LP P90's, that's a ripping sound
@@comicblueswithjonygitar36 Mine has Jensen speakers in it. I use a Strat, so the JBL speakers would simply be too harsh sounding for that. I don't use it as a typical SRV set-up, though. It's a mid seventies ash bodied strat and a 2 x ECC83 valves Mesa Boogie V-twin pedal for distortion, and the amp set just loud enough to start breathing properly and give some lovley harmonic feedback when wanted (a smirge over four seems to do the trick). Very nice for seventies- esque hard rock, which is what we do in our band. The tremolo and the spring reverb are never used. I use a Boss DM-2 delay. No other effects btw. Just the guitar, those two pedals and the amp.
Thanks as always Keith. Love your videos I am selling off loads of gear at present. I no longer need, want or use it. I will get down to one amp, one guitar in the end! My Vox AC15 covers all my amp needs. I switched it form 15 watts, down to 7.5 watts at home. The volume control is great. I get to push the amp hard at low volume. Can now hear those tubes cooking at very low volume. 15 watts is more than enough for small size gigs. It's more than enough to cover anything i do! My Yamaha Revstar covers my guitar needs. I have customed her to what I want. New decent Whole lot of love pickups fitted, which the Coil splits work very well for that tele style sound. One guitar, one amp, one hundred different sounds. Wish i saw things like this when i was 16!
Excellent! Thanks for sharing this solution.
one small pratice amp and one cool badass tube amp.
i would say, if you play live, 2 amps... and use one of them to practice.
@Jeff Payne which one do you use to practice at home?
I have a katana 100 watt head, I use it everywhere even at home it has an attenuator to .5 Watts 50 Watts and 100. Tons and tons of built in affects. I was on the biggest fear kick forever, but I have it singled down to that amp and 2 teles. One humbucker and other single coil. I can play everything with those 3 pieces of gear.
One Badass Amp. One favourite guitar. :) I have a rivera 55 12 No fender deluxe for me
Another great video. “……the real issue is getting your chops together…”. Amen. Amps, like cars, reflect their owners. I’m happy being a 71’ Cuda.
There is one reason EVERYONE plays guitar, no matter if you do it only in the bedroom or in front of packed stadiums. It's fun and enjoyable. That's enough reason to have as many amps and guitars as you can reasonably afford. It doesnt matter what kind of music you like, if you stand in front of a Marshall stack and hammer out some AC/DC chords, it's a religious experience, and the best form of mental therapy out there!
My 5-watter is a Vibro Champ, which I typically use via a modulation or reverb pedal of some sort. Sometimes I run it into a 2x12” 8 Ohm cab via a Fryette PowerStation (handles the impedance mismatch), which is a ridiculous example of extravagance. :) My higher power home amp is a Princeton (non-reverb), which I use with a proper pedal setup. It runs clean & easy but also full sounding with the volume at 4.
I wish I would have needed ten TS 808 s back in the day when they were $39.bucks
wish I had 39$ then
with the pnp or npn vintage transistors ?
$25.00 used then & l bought 3.
You can now. Check out the clone "Demon Tube Screamer Pedal" on ebay. It sounds insane. It does both TS8 and TS9 with a built in switch. My guitar player in my band purchased them for about $28.
Refreshing to hear because it points out the issues with consumerism in the music world. Also great to hear a current survey of what’s happening with RUclips musicians and gear too!
Jazzer's answer to all this: Get a Lab Series L5 with original CTX speakers, a 1/4 guitar cable and a Gibson L5, ES-175, Ibanez Joe Pass etc. Use a regular medium or heavy guitar pick turned on it's side (the point faces your palm) and play for 4 hours a day. Done.
I basically can't buy pedals. Whenever I think about a new pedal, a voice in my head says "Kenny Burrell never needed X."
I'm kinda like you, I've become a minimalist. I really think about all of my purchases as I get older...
I'm currently at two amps and 4 guitars and about 10 pedals. That covers everything I need in my bedroom from blues to hard rock.
But.
You failed to comment on the fact that lower watt amps are typically stripped of features.
Amp manufacturers still haven't caught up to modern requirements.
checkout the Yamaha thr10x (play thru the "bass" channel(clean) and use pedal(s) for distortion etc, it has great delay/reverb effects and even has a phase90 effect.
It has 5 crunch channels and 3 clean, but the best sound you'll get out of it (imo) is (again) thru the "bass" channel (it took some tinkering to figure this out) it also has an interface thing where u could hook it up to your computer/download this and that etc(i could probably get a lot more out of this feature than i realize, if i had tinkered w it more) Anyway. You can get good sounds at low volumes the cleans are perfect and it can get pretty gnarly w a good distortion pedal. I had an Orange Rocker 15 and the little Yamaha is more 'bassier'. I feel the next upgrade from there is about a $1600 amp. The Yamaha was around $300. But, like he said, we live in an age of better, more accessible gear, i remember when all i had was an old cheap Crate and a Boss Metal Zone, and i learned Eruption on it, everything sounded like shit on that amp, so disappointing (:
If u find a better amp than the Yamaha, for similar $ post it
@@C_mao
Tried one, was unimpressed
Instead I'm using a peavey vkii 50w with a eq pedal in the loop to act as master volume.
I love my origin 20. Very versatile, with clean lows and great overdriven louds. And the three level attenuation is awesome
Jhs makes a $45 attenuator. So you could use your bigger 20 watt or bigger and get that tone you want
A lot of the tone subtleties we all thrive on are totally lost when the other people in the band start to play! But we hear the awesomeness in our practice time, and that's worth something. Gives us confidence, too.
I like the questions you bring up... makes one really consider what the goal is (gear or playing ?).
If i am gassing, I pick up the guitar and start playing C dorian.
I've had a Marshall 15 watt combo for over 15 years now and that little amp will rock the pictures off the walls in my studio! Great video. Cheers
An absolutely excellent video. Great words of wisdom! I couldn’t agree more. I would love for you to do a video on the so-called Vintage Guitar and Amp industry. These people too, in my opinion, overhype the value of older instruments solely for the purpose of jacking up prices. How do you see it?
I believe that the current guitars are the best that have ever been built. Fenders are great, PRS, Strandberg (my current), and maybe even Gibson is turning the quality thing around (we'll see.) . But I have played old guitars that seem to have accumulated all the blues ever played on them. I chalk that up to "energy" and not age though.
@@fivewattworld Right on! I feel exactly the same way. A good guitar is a good guitar regardless of whether it's old or new.
I own many amps after playing for 35+ years. Tubes all the way! Until... I bought the Line 6 Helix to play around with. After a week I will never go back to a tube amp. Now all my amps and giant pedal board collect dust. So easy to gig with. Two guitars, the Helix and an XLR cable to FOH. I've had the Helix for about two years now and it gets better with every update. And all the updates are FREE for life. Adding amps and effects every time. If you haven't tried one, give it a shot. Sounds & FEELS like a real tube amp.
As always, superb content! Love my Artist 10 from Blackstar.
Blackstar is making some great amps these days. They used to be associated with hard rock and metal, then they made the low gain Artist Series. I have the Artist 15 that I really like.
@@tjnugent62 My apologies as it is the 'Artisan' 10 which was one of the anniversary editions. It has the EL34 and 12AX7 , however I changed the AX to an AT and love it!
I love my Artisan 10ae as well. 10W single-ended class A valve amp. Does changing the preamp from AX to AT give it more or less gain? I would like either a little more than the ‘clean’ delivers or a little less than the ‘boost’ delivers. I normally use it with Boost in and ride the volume on the guitar.
The Artisan is my ‘little’ amplifier.
I use a Hiwatt Custom 20 and a Vox AC30SS in a wet/dry arrangement as my ‘gig’ backline.
I also have a Blackstar Fly in my office at work for lunch time practice. I don’t know if that counts as an ‘amp’?
@@rikmcrae , a 12AT7 has less gain than the 12 ax7, indeed, if I remember correctly, a 12AU7 has even lower gain than the 12AT7. Another good tube to try that has less gain than the 12ax7 or 7025 (both have a voltage gain of 100) but more gain than the 12AT7 or 12AU7, is a 5751 ( the voltage gain is 70). .
I've been playing a Line 6 POD 2.0 since forever. I play it through a very clean, small practice amp for filling the room or line-in to the computer for recording. Behringer makes a very nice dual 1/4" TRS-to-USB adapter cable that fits that recording model nicely. Despite the POD 2.0's age, it's got a huge number of tones available that are still a delight to explore after all these years. Fiddling with different amp and cab models always elicits some riff or chord changes to explore and enjoy. Were I to go gigging again, I'd really struggle to find an amp, I think. My 15-year-old pedal board is big, heavy and complex. And, yeah, I had a failure mid-set once that made life rather challenging. Reality check: In two or three years, the wife and I are likely to transition to living aboard a sailboat. So the collection of 8 guitars/basses and a few amps will need to be pared down to a minimalist arrangement. That little red bean of a POD 2.0 looks like it'll continue for as long as it can ...
Video idea: how many/big speakers do we need in our cabs?
Blue Lane Frontier : ONE cab, and IMHO It should be 1x8". I know, I know most of the 1x8 are cheap and useless toys for practice amps but you can do better. I designed a cab that not only sounds like a 1x12" but is so much better im many ways. Its lightweight (but only in comparison to a 12", 8kg are more than any other 8"cab) compact. It lacks the "icepick"-treblebeam most 12"-speakers have and the sound spreads more evenly onthe stage and in the room.
Since It's not commercially reasonable for me to mass produce these cabs I will share the design for personal use. Just e-mail me.
I like this. Good to see so many options and possibilities.
my guitar "mentor" used to play a blues junior. first version. he got it when it came out. he plays gigs with his soul/blues band regularly and never had a problem.
in fact i never heard him say that a certain type of equiptment would not work for a certain application. no pedals, not even a pick. just a strat, MAYBE a tele. but usally a strat. his "teachings" were always non gear related. he would show us licks and how to actually play the damn thing. if it was gear related though, he would explain how to get a good sound out of a "shitty" amp. it usually worked.
and usually his band is the highlight of every show they play. so there is that. there are successfull musiscian doing live work for 40 years that do not care whatever gear they play.
took me a couple of years after moving away from his neighbourhood to fall into that gear-circlejerk. but i am on my way out of there.
btw i don't know why my comments on the "minimalist" channel are the longest text i comment on YT :D
I have one of those amps, as well. Bought it new 20 years ago. And that's my one amp.
All I ever needed (I finally realised). However, I have three boss pedals.
Blues Driver (BD-2) Chorus (CH-1) and a Compressor (CS-3) since they can operate on batteries,
and fit in the BCB-30 pedal board.
I will get a Yamaha THR10c for practice. They're pretty cool.
And that's it.
I'm 64, now, and I've been playing since I was 14.
I still enjoy playing. The carrying bit was never fun.
Now it's down to a minimum and life is good.
@@matsjonsson9492 if you are looking for a small amp check out the Roland micro cube (first Version). Imho much better then the yamaha. I have played the yamaha. The dynamics of the cube are insane.
Oh and the cube goes for around 50bucks used
@
I'll take a listen to it.
I've also got my eyes (and ears) on the Vox Adio air GT.
But, thanks for the tip and keep on rockin' in the free world.
Vappo, there's a RUclips video with Richard Thompson playing briefly through a selection of various, somewhat unusual or uncommon amplifiers that might be provided by whoever is responsible for the backline sound and the PA system, and talking with Henry Kaiser about how he might go about getting a usable sound out of each. It's interesting and worth watching, and a good example of the real world problems faced by musicians who don't travel with their own van, truck or bus full of all their own equipment, bringing just a guitar or two.
There's also a live concert video on RUclips of Sonny Landreth playing at a Blues Festival in Italy on a Strat and a Marshall stack borrowed from Robert Cray because all of his equipment was somehow misplaced while being shipped or truck to the gig. Although you can tell that Sonny has to work harder to get what he wants out of someone else's guitar and amp, it definitely still sounds like him. It sure didn't sound like Robert Cray!
@@goodun6081 man i'll check that out thanks.
i like to refer to the hendrix live tv recording (sweden i think) where he plays an SG..... he sounds just the same as with the strat. i guess in the end he is playing the same songs so it sounds the same.
A Fender Bassman, a Vox AC30, a Marshall, and every thing else with tubes in it really! I have both Bassbreaker 007 combo and Bassbreaker 007 head/cab, it’s one of my favorite amps of all time. Just got a Blues Jnr and, well, there’s no turning back!
One more apparently even though my little SS Marshall lead 12 does 90% of the work.
You are an excellent broadcaster. A true professional. It is obvious to me you are an excellent writer, and care about all aspects of how you appear. The content is excellent and well thought out. You are spot on on the substance here. Most musicians, myself included historically, overbuy because of the advertising dynamic you identified at the beginning of your video. There is nothing morally wrong with this, of course, but it’s a diversion of resources and distraction of what makes a musician good one.
At least two (or a stereo amp), if you like stereo chorus.
Great video as always. Looking forward to see where the channel is going.
It’s funny how amps and guitars are becoming like craft beers - local and regional. Not saying there’s a problem with it at all. Just saying there was a guy like FYD where I live.
if it's going on the main system the Fender Super Champ is hard to beat
I own a Bassbreaker 007. I use it for woodshedding of course but when I play a gig, I run it into a 2x12 cabinet and it roars. Another option for those looking to pair down their gear.
while 99,99% of youtube channels about guitar gear are made by people stimulating GAS (gear aquisition syndrom) you are the only one focusing on minimalism, anti-consumerism, and, indirectly: mental health. All of those channels showing people with a bunch af amps, pedals and guitars only serve to the interest of gear companies, as they create desire of buying, buying, buying... You, my friend, serves the guitarrist. Thank you.
Thanks, and “I hope so.”
Really appreciate the great videos! I don't gig. I just play for fun mostly by myself. I was in a conundrum lately when my first little one was born with finding a versitle setup without too much bulk that I could play at zero volume. Landed on a Helix LT. Probably complete overkill for playing through a set of studio headphones, but man is it fun to have that many tones at my feet! 🤣🎸
Vibro Champ at my feet :0)
I think the champ is all I need now.
@@wagzzzz yes, a few things seemed to have slipped away over the years 😞
You are absolutely right on the need vs want.
Im not a studio owner, record producer, rockstar or a virtuoso player... I am just honest with myself and understand I just want more guitars or gear. I get different urges (not needs) at different times and as such I buy and sell as much as needed while also knowing I am blessed I am able to do so.
I thought I needed 20 amps, then I bought a super reverb and realized I only needed one.
I've had the same silverface Twin for 30 years. It's the only amp I've ever needed. I've had two hi-gain amps (Crate Stealth 50, Carvin X100B) along the way but they're just extra.
I have Yamaha THR10C and oh my this thing sings. And if you want to gig with it, just mic it :)
I've got the THR5 and it's the perfect desktop practice amp. Small enough to throw in a backpack with some cables and pedals and take to a small jam too. Love that little thing.
I don't know about gigging with it. It gets pretty loud for it's size, but a drummer would have to be pretty quiet if you wanted to use that amp.
That's why he said you should mic it. You know. Mic into PA and turn up the volume.
I have one too. I love it!
Yamaha thr10x here (this amp sounds best on the bass channel w pedals for distortion) imo
Great advice Keith. I can honestly say, that since buying my ValveTrain 205C, I rarely use my AC30 at home (or even my Princeton). A well built five watt amp is plenty for practicing and much easier to relocate in the house. Thank you for your guidance and wisdom.
Thanks Dan!
I have 2 tiny amps (Roland Micro Cubes) i use a foot switch for pristine clean and blackface distortion. I use 1 for practice. I gig with a Roland Blues Cube Hot. We do cover other artist's tunes but using our own style. I don't need more. I use a Blues Driver for some crunch. That's it. Now that I'm 70 years old I don't need Loud. A nice light weight versatile amp. Modeling amps annoy me. Most audiences are virtually tone deaf. The reason I love the Roland Blues Cubes is the power attenuation so running "full bore" at low volume is a puece of cake. Oh yeah, as for amps using "software" is baloney. I am "Old School." The Roland Blues Cubes do sound like tube amps and do provide "valve dynamics" from a very dependable solid state platform. My opinion is to find a really good amp that you like and develop your own tone tgat suits your style. Copying others is not finding your own sound.
1) I need a small amp downstairs in the Kitchen because I play a lot at the kitchen table. It is a Spark (positive grid) and is very handy with its bluetooth connection. I can play backing tracks through my phone. 2) I need my Fischman Loudbox mini for acoustic performances (can input guitar and mic). 3) Now I use my Fischman for my Korg SV1 piano. I have an even better Acoustic Solutions 150 for vocal and guitar (4 inputs total). It is like a mixing console and great for outdoor gigs like porch parties. 5) my Hughes and Kettner Grandmeister 36 with Celestion speaker is a great all round rock/jazz/blues amp! Tube amp with lots of effects in the amp. 6) My sweetest amp is a hand built Tweed. Sounds gorgeous and has a lot of options including a speaker with a rectifier. Neil Young here we come! 7) I guess I don't "need" my Roland Jazz Chorus 40, but it's a good all round amp, takes pedals well. And can get freaking LOUD! 8) I don't really "need" my VOX Mini5 rhythm, but it it sure is handy to have the instant drums, and it has a decent speaker for some kinds of guitars. Nice compressed jazz sound for archtops. Plus, it is the only amp I have that can be run with batteries. So obviously, I do *need* most/all of those amps!
You need two amps a Vox AC 30 and a Marshall JCM 800, anyone who says different is just wrong! LOL I'm kidding of course but those are my two picks.
Pulse2AM i would have those 2 and a Fender 65’ Twin Reverb all day!! That’s all you need!
Excellent choices.
That's a heck of a tone, Eliseo. Cerberus, the three headed beast. Turns out I'm going three more what with all the modulation channels but basically three tones give the perfect blend and Fender-Vox-Marshall covers the most popular output tube flavors. Well, 6v6s should not be dismissed but this works for me. I actually have a Tony Bruno Vox with four 6V6s that I use like a Deluxe but that's another thing...
I only have two guitars an old Cort strat style electric and a Norman Acoustic .Both are solid instruments as i play modern Worship music at church with a 'Root' /folk feel. My team has pretty cheesy equipment right now. We play thru a Mackie Pa useing an iPad to run the sound and our venue holds right at 130 people. It's a work in progress. We also have an electric drum set to help keep the sound not too loud for older church members who are old 'rock heads'. Your posts give me a lot to think about and encourage me to slow down and think about what I really want for overall sound. I just subscribed and clicked the bell....looking forward.
I’m a home player. I sold my Marshall DSL 20CR and replaced it with a Boss Katana Artist 100 watt solid state amp. It does a great job of sounding like a tube amp o on the edge of break up at any volume. It has 55 built in effects from the king of effects - Boss - which is a bonus but I also enjoy experimenting with pedals. The Artist clean channel sounds great and takes pedals like a champ. It gives me a huge range of tonal possibilities at any volume level and is loud enough for playing with a band. All from a 12” combo amp. I’m very content.
When I was gigging regularly, my favorite amp was a Fender Excelsior. My at-home amp is now a Swart Atomic Space Tone.
Do I need a Twin? No, but I want one because it sounds so good.
I will sell you mine😉
@@AuntAlnico4 Will you carry it for me?
@@clarencevickrot3531 it's got skateboard wheels so you can ride it to the gig🤣😉
I'm 47 years old, I have never once worried about needing to carry my Twin. Of course I am lucky to have good health. @@clarencevickrot3531
Ric pick ups, despite being called 'hi gain', really aren't. I've noticed my 620 and 360 both pair well with Vox, but I need a clean boost for my Twin.
How many friends do you need? One? Several? Amps (and guitars) are akin to friends, aren't they? I tend to have 'relationships' with my gear. I can certainly appreciate the practicality espoused here, but for this gigger/producer/collector, the attraction of variety and the occasion to have some meaningful moment of discovery (whether of self or of something larger) significantly outweigh any compulsion to be practical.
And, for the record: Keeping up with all the digital jumble of profiling amps and their presets would not be something I'd care to deal with onstage...or in having to set up. To each his own.
I'm glad I discovered your series here. Keep up the good work.
I have my VOX AC15,that’s all.
I use a 3 watt practice amp and I run a HX Stomp to a DI in the house and it sounds wonderful. Sold a lot of my “boutique” pedals and amplifiers and my wallet, mind, and wife couldn’t be happier.
One amp covers it all for me. Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III 40w.
I have an original Blues Deluxe that sounds incredible, especially when I ran a borrowed Les Paul Deluxe through it! Kicked that amp into a really nice overdrive. Gracious!
I use the Deluxe Hot Rod/ Les Paul w/hot bridge pickup, no fuzz box required straight sound is best.
I wished you were out two years ago. I sold my silver face super reverb and bought a blues deluxe reissue. Had I known, I would have selected something smaller-15 watts Fender tones. I keep my tone clean with a little overdrive and delay.
I’ve been told by an amp repairman that I shouldn’t use attenuator because of heat. It would be nice if I could tame this 40 watter.
I did pick up a Champion 20 for a song. Sometimes, I think that is all a person needs (with a couple of pedals) and an acoustic guitar!
Thanks for channel and especially the history!
ANSWER: As many as I can afford, and have space to store. Next question...
Another great video Keith. I started off on a Frontman 15R as a practice amp but then bought a Tweed Blues Junior III when I started to play small gigs. However, my son started to play about 18 months ago and after playing for a month or so on an old acoustic I had, he decided he wanted to go electric so I bought him an Epiphone SG (he was into AC/DC at the time) and a Boss Katana 50. The Katana is perfect for everything. The built-in attenuator enables you to play at low volume for bedroom practice but still allows him to be heard above the drummer in a band situation. It also has built-in effects so he can dial in the sound he wants. A real bargain at 180€!
They are pretty amazing. Thanks for watching the video Joe.
The end game question is "What does my wife do with all this crap when i die?"
Hopefully, she doesn't sell it for what you told her you paid for it.
I play guitar in a high energy rock n roll band. Mostly original material. Some will call it punk but it’s more Stones-ish. I have an old beat up Gibson SG and two Vox AD50VT amps. One at rehearsal space, one to use at the venue we’re playing at. NO pedals. That’s it and we ROCK!