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Which vintage amps if you could only have 3

zacknorton

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
785
selmer zodiac, Magnatone M10a and a Harmony h420 (supro thunderbolt with bass and tone).
 
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Messages
78
A lot of us have had many amps over the years. Many classic. Are they all what they’re cracked up to be? And even though they’re classic are they practical in 2025 for the average player? Which vintage amps would you pick in the small to medium category.
To make it more interesting let’s exclude the obvious tweed champs and deluxes and deluxe and Princeton reverbs. Curious to see everyone’s choices. Thanks
50w Marshall 1/2 stack
 
Last edited:

brandtkronholm

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
2,867
You are all wrong.
The ONLY amp you'll ever need is a Mesa Boogie MK IIb,c or III - 1x12 combo.
It has EVERY sound in it.
Even better if you get the simulclass 75/15 watt version - 15 watts for tiny rooms and 75 watts if you need the dead to hear you.

Here's a picture of my 1986/7 MK III being inappropriately used with a pointless attenuator.
Also present is a Rotosphere (MK I) and a 1995 R9 with PAFs (neck = from a 1962 SG; bridge = from a 1959 ES335, both donor instruments are destroyed beyond fixing.)
Please forgive me for the attenuator...I was just experimenting. Attenuators are largely silly.

IMG_0394.jpeg

Ok, I'll play -- my three amps:
1) Blackface Super Reverb (got it)
2) JTM 45 / 4x12 (got an old Blockhead clone and Marshall B 4x12 from 1970.)
3) Mesa Boogie MK III 1x12 combo (got it - see above.)
 

bluesroom

Active member
Joined
Jul 17, 2001
Messages
451
lol the reason I don’t include them is because every time I go to buy something I come back with a champ or deluxe from a different era. ( with the exception of a brown deluxe. I sold the one I had and regret it.-although it had a replaced output transformer.

You can't exclude Tweed Champs and Deluxes.

5F6A Bassman
5E8A Low Power Twin
5F1 Champ

Oh. Wait. I built my own clones of each of those (also a Trainwreck Express clone), so I have no need for vintage amps.

View attachment 28915
 

corpse

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2007
Messages
5,063
That's get out your checkbook stuff right there. Whew!
I had a noticeable volume drop in my 1987 Silver Anni last week- more like the presence was completely going south. Thank goodness it was only a preamp tube (finally had to delve into my impressive stash of old glass- a Telefunken 12AX7 went in there- I don't own any Mullards). That's the one thing about high value amps- upkeep from regular use can be costly.
 

bluesky636

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
825
Bluesroom: Fix your post. I did not say the following and I don’t know what you did to attribute it to me. I don't even see anything like it posted in this thread.

"lol the reason I don’t include them is because every time I go to buy something I come back with a champ or deluxe from a different era. ( with the exception of a brown deluxe. I sold the one I had and regret it.-although it had a replaced output transformer."
 
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