ned said:
For some reason I've got the itch for a new amp.
Sky's the limit but let's break it down this way:
Rig 1 - less than $1000
Rig 2 - $1000 - $2000
Rig 3 - Greater than $2000
Rather then say what I would do, I'll try to explain what I have already done for each of these.
Rig 1 - less than $1000 (actual price $1500)
Amp: THD Univalve
Cab: Avatar G212H semi open back cab loaded with a pair of Celestion Blues.
The thinking behind this setup is simplicity and purity of tone. No efx of any kind. Just a straight forward, single ended, one channel, class A amp that can use a variety of preamp and poweramp tubes for great sound, feeding a pair of the best guitar speakers ever made.
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Rig 2 - $1000 - $2000 (actual cost $2500)
Amp: Boogie Mark IV shorthead (for when I want to rack it)
Cabs: Two Avatar G410 sealed back cabs, each loaded with Celestion G 10 Vintage speakers.
EFX: Primarily just a Yamaha Magicstomp in the loop.
The reason for this setup is simple, straight ahead, high decibel rock and blues. Most often only one cab is necessary but if two are needed then two are used. The Magicstomp is a simple yet very powerful and programmable effect that suits my playing on this amp as I seldom use efx with this setup but when I do I want them to be high quality and QUIET. It also makes for a rather nice looking stack.
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Rig 3 - Greater than $2000 (actual cost over $7000)
Preamp: Boogie TriAxis
Poweramp: Boogie 50/50
Cabs: Two Boogie Thiele 1-12" cabs each loaded with an EVM 12L speaker.
EFX:
1. RNC 1773, stereo compressor (rack)
2. EH Small Stone phase shifter (pedal)
3. Boss DD-5, stereo delay (pedal)
4. Boss CH-1, stereo chorus (pedal)
5. Boss TR-2, tremolo (Keeley modded)(pedal)
6. Boss BF-2, flanger (pedal)
7. MXR M-108, ten band eq (pedal)
8. Yamaha UD Stomp, stereo modulation delay (big pedal)
9. Boss RV-70, stereo delay/reverb (rack)
Power:
1. Furman Power Factor Pro, power conditioner
2. Furman AR-1215 AC line voltage regulator
3. Elkin, 10 space heavy duty power strip
Switching:
1. DMC Ground Control Pro, midi controller
2. DMC GCX, midi switcher
Various:
1. Grundorf, 21 space rack ( to be upgraded soon)
2. A pair of On Stage amp stands (for the speakers)
3. Two Middle Atlantic sliding/locking drawers
4. A million miles of various sizes and types of cables.
The thinking behind this rig is decadence or as some would say G.A.S. Quite simply I wanted a do-it-all rig, and this comes very close to being just that. I'll try to explain from the beginning. The Furman Power Factor Pro power conditioner is a necessary basic in a rig like this because it's to **** expensive to chance frying it with dirty, poorly regulated power. This solved a lot of problems right away with humming buzzing etc., and it also got rid of the moldy oldy signal from the million watt radio station two blocks from my house. It also made me aware of how badly the line voltage varies even in my own house, which is why I added the Furman AR-1215. Now all the power to this rack is conditioned and regulated which is a big load off my mind. Next comes the heart of the system the TriAxis, versatile, programmable, midi controlled and it still maintains an all tube analog signal chain. The GCX switcher is in the loop of the TriAxis. The efx are all connected to the GCX switcher in the order listed which places them in the loop except for the compressor and phase shifter which are routed in front of the TriAxis input. The only other exception is the RV-70 reverb which is between the TriAxis out and the poweramp in. Although most of the efx are pedals they are all rack mounted on sliding locking shelves and connected through the GCX and switched in and out with the Ground Control Pro. The Ground Control Pro also controls the program and channel switching for the TriAxis, the GCX, the UD Stomp and the RV-70. While many of the efx are stereo, only two are currently used in stereo, the UD Stomp which is the primary effect in this setup and RV-70, all other are run mono and mainly used just to accentuate particuler parts in a song, whereas the UD Stomp and the RV-70 are used to create the overall stereo ambiance of the song. I've found that especially with delays it can become a mess real quick with to many stereo efx running at the same time, and it's much cleaner sounding to have one really good one running stereo and other temporary or incidental efx running in mono to be acted upon by the stereo unit. After the TriAxis comes the 50/50 poweramp. I wanted this amp in particular for a couple of reasons. First it uses 6L6's which are my favorite power tubes, and second the Hi/Lo power switch, which allows you to run it at 50 or 15 watts per channel. 2 X 50 watts is plenty loud for me and the lower setting allows for use at home and smaller rooms. I was very lucky to find this poweramp because it was already more then two years out of production when I found it new in a factory sealed carton at my favorite local music store. Lastly in the signal chain come the Boogie Thiele cabs. If you've never heard these before they're simply great, particularly with EVM 12L's. The sound of these cabs are greatly improved by getting them off the floor and on to some amp stands. All in all a great sounding rig, although a bit more expensive then I planned on spending. Oh and as for guitars I have several to chose from but my current favorites are:
1. 02' Heritage 535 (refitted with a matched pair of Seymour Duncans 59's)
2. 02' Les Paul Classic DC
3. 84' Fender Strat Plus
