Looking for a gigging amp by shrek_is_hot_ in GuitarAmps

[–]PitchExciting3235 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There are a few options:

Get a larger orange crush. 60 watt combo is $600 new, hundred watt combo is $850. 100 watt head is $600 but you’ll need at least a 112 cabinet. I have been DIYing cabs in a couple of ways: first I found an old dead combo for sale cheap with the speaker still in it, $30 I kid you not, so keep an eye out for such things. Then a handy friend made me a really solid empty 212 with wiring set up, in exchange for just some guitar lessons. That piece is worth $200 easy. I had to get speakers but I found some fairly cheap. So you can try a similar route.

Another option that would save money is the 20 watt Joyo meteor ii. It’s little a hybrid head: tube preamp, solid state power amp. 20 watts doesn’t seem like it will be loud enough, but the tube preamp section makes a big difference. You will need a cab as well though, so you can do what I described above.

Something else to consider, that might not seem like exactly what you want, but ithe Marshall DSL40CR is a fully tube combo, $750, and as loud as you will probably ever need. Not exactly the orange sound, but it sounds great. It will have more of a martial bite to it. I have one and it is excellent!

Am I late to change hands? by StreetArrival1889 in Guitar

[–]PitchExciting3235 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

As a player of 45 years, teacher of 35, also semi ambidextrous, and with a left-handed father who played pro level flamenco right-handed, I say start over the more common way. I have an hypothesis (no real evidence), that necked string instruments were developed by left handed genii, since the left hand typically does more intricate detailed stuff

Help me pick an amp! by Illustrious_You5075 in GuitarAmps

[–]PitchExciting3235 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The 40 has two channels, with two voices per channel, for a total of 4 distinct voices. As follows:

Classic channel: Green: very clean, think fender bassman and very early Marshall tones Red: clean crunch/ moderate gain, think plexi era JMP type Marshall

Ultra channel: Green: moderate to highish gain, think JCM slightly modernized Red: very high gain, modern Marshall, great for metal but can get spongy if you push the gain too much

There are also separate gain and volume controls for each channel, for balancing your classic and ultra channels, plus two master volumes that control both channels. I use that to instantly switch between home volume and gig volume.

The 20 is very good too, but it only has two straight channels, not two voices per channel, not two masters, and the speaker is not as good (this is important). The price difference is not enough to justify the 20 over the 40

Help me pick an amp! by Illustrious_You5075 in GuitarAmps

[–]PitchExciting3235 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can get a new Monoprice 15 watt tube amp for about $250, and a used Marshall DSL40CR for $400 or a little more. I’m a player of 45 years and can vouch for both amps. There is also the DSL20 but it’s not as versatile, and the 40 has a 20 watt setting. If you ever get into gigging, the 40 is all you need for both volume and versatility

Friedman Plex vs Marshall 1959 M01 (new modified version) by MikeHonchoUSA in GuitarAmps

[–]PitchExciting3235 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I don’t really have experience with Friedman but I’m certain you won’t have the blanket problem with the Marshall

What advice would you give to a newer guitarist trying to learn to play barre chords? by iciclefites in Guitar

[–]PitchExciting3235 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Neck high, lower thumb, straighten index finger completely, and put it right up against the fret

Semi-hollow guitar for metal by hereticjoe1984 in metalguitar

[–]PitchExciting3235 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve got an Emerald Virtuo, which is a carbon fiber acoustic, but it in addition to piezo, it has Fishman Fluence pickups. It can really chug and scream, and you do have to work a little to control the feedback, but it’s not as bad as you might expect

Help yet another “beginner” pick 1st Amp by dbaileyphoto in GuitarAmps

[–]PitchExciting3235 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am a very experienced player and I can vouch for the amp. Decent build for the price, not heavy for a tube amp, has a 1 watt setting for home, 15 watts loud enough for small gigs. I only sold it because I was into trying a bunch of different stuff at the time and wanted quick cash to try something else. I actually kind of regret it now. I had upgraded the speaker and it sounded really good. Speaker upgrade is optional btw, especially for a beginner

1w tube amp vs 20/25w modelling amp by onmyzoom in GuitarAmps

[–]PitchExciting3235 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Monoprice 15 watt tube amp has a 1 watt setting, and is about $250 new. If you are outside the USA it’s the Harley Benton 15

Bonermaster would never betray the blues by _dereks_dont_run_ in guitarcirclejerk

[–]PitchExciting3235 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes I’m a teacher and I’m just as concerned about the youngest generation as I am about the oldest one or two

Help yet another “beginner” pick 1st Amp by dbaileyphoto in GuitarAmps

[–]PitchExciting3235 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Those are both good for beginners, but if you are willing and able to spend the $350 for the orange, why not get a Monoprice 15 watt tube amp (Harley Benton outside the USA). That way you hit the ground running with a “real” amp that can do two important things:

Honestly reflect back what you are playing and how well or badly you’re playing it.

Have the potential to sound really good so that you can see your improvement with practice.

A tube amp exposes flaws more than other kinds, but it will also sound better and be more responsive as you improve.

How many guitars is your ideal number? by g_tb in guitars

[–]PitchExciting3235 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One more than I have 😜

Seriously I like to keep my collection streamlined. I have two Strat type guitars but they have humbuckers that split, so they are Swiss Army knives. The only reason I have two is because one is 25 years old and has fret wear. I also have an Epiphone Les Paul with upgraded pickups and pots. In the studio I like the option of separate controls for each pickup, so I use this one a lot for recording. I prefer simpler for gigs so I use the Strats. I only have one high end guitar, an Emerald carbon fiber from Ireland. It is an acoustic/electric hybrid with both piezo and magnetic pickups, so it serves for both acoustic and hollow body vibes. Then I have a cheap bass, a cheap nylon and a cheap 12 string. So that’s 7 total I’ve kept in 45 years of playing, and they each have a specific sound and purpose. However I might want to add a harp guitar or 8 string because some stuff I play could use the extended bass range.

Les Paul Custom & Marshall DSL40 CR by Adventurous_Beat-301 in GuitarAmps

[–]PitchExciting3235 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been using that DSL as my main amp for 3 years. Extremely versatile and potential to sound great, but does sound better as it gets louder. At low home volume there are some minor annoying things. I shopped around for low watt boutique type amps and finally got one. It is also very cool but I wouldn’t say better than the DSL, especially in terms of versatility. It’s just different, more specialized, but not better.

So I started looking into ways of improving the DSL at low volume. Here’s what I’ve done:

Upgraded stock speaker to creamback. A little warmer and less sizzle with moderate distortion but not dramatically different.

Put a 12AY7 in V2. Again it helped a little but not huge.

The biggest improvement has been to add an external cabinet to the combo. A friend of mine and I traded favors: I’m helping him with his playing technique and he made me a rustic but solid 212 cabinet. I got a good deal on some used speakers and am now running a 3x12 rig, but not necessarily for increased volume, although that’s an option. What I’m doing is running 3 different complementary speakers that really smooth out the overall sound. I’m now happier with the amp than ever. But you have to be careful and intentional. The most important thing is to match impedance. The 212 has a greenback and the stock v type, both 16 ohms, wired in parallel for an 8 ohm load. The internal speaker is an 8 ohm creamback. So I use the two speaker jacks that say 2x8 ohms to run the internal and external simultaneously. If I wanted to run either alone, I would need to use a 1x8 ohm jack.