Amplifiers

It looks like I missed my self-imposed Friday deadline due to another case of writer’s block.  I had already written about Marshall amplifiers, and in so doing, also addressed the issues of tube vs. solid state, distortion, and the birth of the Marshall stack.   Moreover, until recently, I was only using Marshalls.

A few basic points I’ll address which apply to all amplifiers.  Most guitarists – and bassists – can acknowledge and recognize that a large percentage of their sound comes not from their instruments but from the amps they play through.  A $2000 Gibson Les Paul Custom isn’t going to sound nearly as good through a $100 solid state amp it will through a Marshall tube combo or half stack – or any of the competing amps of comparable quality.  And an amp cranked up loud enough will make single coil pickups, ostensibly thinner and less substantial than humbuckers, still sound thick and nasty, which is why Stratocasters and Telecasters, plus Gibson’s P90s, aren’t nearly as rare among guitarists playing hard rock and heavy metal, or even doom, as you might imagine. 

Getting back to the larger topic…

Recently I picked up a Laney combo – L20T-112.   Laney is famous for being the amp brand favored by Tony Iommi, the guitarist for Black Sabbath.  It's a 20 watt, 1x12" combo with delicious distortion and remarkably strong reverb.  The Dual Reverb doesn't seem to have much at all, despite its name.

Fender Twin Reverb.   Probably Fender's most famous amplifier, with a strong, distinctive reverb sound.  Originally 85 watts, then 135 watts - which was far too loud - and so they went back to 85 watts again.  It's a tube amp with 2 12" speakers.  The list of Twin Reverb players is like a who's who of famous guitarists.   Fortunately, Fender still sells them.  The original blackface (pre-CBS) '65 reissue is $1700 new, the subsequent CBS silverface '68 reissue is $1400 new, and now there's a solid state modeling version, the Tone Master (looks exactly like the '65) for $1000, supposedly half the weight of  real tube Twin Reverb.  With one exception, all the Twin Reverbs I've seen around were Tone Masters, though the local used guitar store has a vintage '66 blackface listed for....$3000.  The '65 reissue is probably the best deal, though I'm not in the position to add any more equipment to my existing arsenal.

Mesa-Boogie.   Randall Smith founded this company in 1969, with Santana as one of his first customers.  He hot-rodded Fender amps for more gain and distortion.   Some of the cooler combos have wicker grilles.  My first exposure to Black Sabbath was indirect, through Ozzy Osbourne's live album Speak of the Devil, intended to satisfy father-in-law Don Arden's contractual demand for a live album just days after Randy Rhoads died.  Brad Gillis, the replacement guitarist, blazed through Sabbath classics like "War Pigs" with a rich, full distortion:  Mesa Boogie Mark II's.  Unfortunately, these amps are extremely expensive, even 1x12" combos go for $2000.   Were I to collect amps, I'd add a Mesa Boogie to my collection.

Hiwatt.   Tube amps, I've seen Justin Hayward (Moody Blues, Isle of Wight) and David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) playing them, and the local used guitar shop has a few, along with Mesa Boogies and a whole room just for Marshalls.  Created in England in the early 60s by David Reeves.  However, I can't say I have much familiarity with these.   The company is still in operation today.

Orange.  The favorite amps for stoner rock bands, including Matt Pike & Sleep, with Wishbone Ash being the earliest band to be prominent users.  I have a small practice amp, not even a 1x12" combo.  

Ampeg.  Bass amp manufacturer, Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones being one of the first to use them, and Al Cisneros of Sleep also being a more contemporary fan.   Not being a bassist, I can't comment too much except to say they're a popular brand.   Lemmy still preferred Marshalls.

Sunn.  An amp company which spawned the name of the droniest stoner rock band ever;  SunnO))) (Amps Left On Accidentally Record New Sunn O))) Album (thehardtimes.net)).  I can't say I have much experience with these amps.  I know Randy Holden of Blue Cheer is featured with them on the cover of his solo album Population II, switching from the Marshall stacks which were ubiquitous with him and Leigh Stephens back in the day.  

Vox.  Most famous amp is the AC30, played by the Beatles, the Stones, and Queen's Brian May.  They also make guitars and effects (e.g. wah-wah pedal); even drums.  They're now owned by Korg. 

We think of stacks as being the loudest, but a relatively small combo, with a single 12” speaker, can be extremely loud in a small, indoor location – and in a live situation, miked up to the club’s P.A. system.   Moreover, my experience has been that my tube amps, sitting in one place for years at a time, don’t need much maintenance, i.e. changing and biasing the tubes, and this minimal maintenance doesn’t rise to the level of being inconvenient – at least not to me.