Vintage vs New amplifiers Your dream Amp?

[Plectrum72]

I like the GK sound. I love both my 400RB and my MB200. The GK Plex pedal was a nice idea, especiallly with the 800RB settings. My ideal amp would be to take the Plex preamp and combine it with a class D power amp all under one lightweight chassis with the option to rackmount or not. Haven't had an opportunity to check out any of their Legacy amps yet, but if it can replicate the 400 or 800 RB tones, I'm in.

 

[squarepeg]

I have my dream amp: GK400RB + 2x15s. It does all I need, and the speaker cabinets are unbelievably light. I'd like to try one of the new Traynor YBA100 heads, though.

 

[Silky Johnson]

I would way rather have the modern stuff available today, imo it smokes the old gear. Mesa WD800 would be mine if my current head ever stops working.

 

[HG1180]

i just want something thats makes some good noise and im good!

 

[flatwound62p]

A B15 for me please. I know the streets of the USA are paved with them and you guys don’t even bother to stop and rescue them from hard rubbish piles since you already own three of them each (well sometimes it seems that way on TB ) They’re almost non existent here in Australia. The only one I’ve ever seen is in a local recording studio which my band has a session booked with in a couple of weeks. I’ve been soooo looking forward to using The Amp. That’s now cancelled of course.
So I’ll take a B15 please.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

A little of both for me. My first choice is a vintage SVT.

The next amps on my wish list I’ve never played through before, but I’d love to.

And as you can see, I like big iron.

 

[JMarkD]

I’ve always been curious about Aguilar, but it’s the one brand on my wishlist I haven’t been able to demo. I get the impression they’re a nice balance, in between modern/clean and vintage? (One owner told me “halfway between a GK and a Rumble.”) Some of the videos (like some George Porter Jr clips) sound just killer!

Well, some love them, others not so much. They do have a sound for the most part. The DB750 is very much part of the original all tube vision that drove Aguilar in the beginning. It is much different from GK and I am not really familiar with the Rumbles. Certainly comparisons to Ampeg are appropriate, specifically the SVT.

Many feel they aren't versatile enough but you really can coax just about anything you want from them. With the DB750, the bass control has a great deal of low midrange. I find that cutting the bass engaging the Deep switch and boosting the mid control gives the bright tone that many say is impossible with this amp. Also different tubes in the V1 position really can change the over all sound of the amp.

The newer class D Aggies carry on this sonic tradition but are different. I like them very much and use them most of the time now (weight!) but for me, nothing compares to my old DB750.

 

[somegeezer]

One of those lucky enough to have my dream amp. and I fell into it basically accidentally, first try buying a "proper" amp. My second after the practice amp I started with. The GK 1001RB-II. I got it after all the love it would always get around TB at that time. I'm sure it still does get a lot of love, because it is incredible. I think the only thing I would want to change about it would be the direction of the EQ. I've had this thing forever, and I still cannot get my head around treble being first. Too much training on the low end being first everywhere else, always.

 

[REV]

I had a Marshall major for awhile and it was a great amp but way too heavy. I doubt that anyone in the audience could tell difference between the Major and my current Magellan.

 

[brianrost]

when people bring up 'vintage' amps, I've played through a lot of them already . . . . when they were new. They're just old amps from back in my young years.

That's exactly where I am. I use modern stuff and love it. Speaker technology especially is so much better today. I've done my time on stages with Fender, Sunn, Traynor and Mesa tube amps...lots of fun then but I'm not interested in going back.

As far as my dream amps, I've got them. Walter Woods head, Bergantino cabs, Acoustic Image combos. I kept two 80s A.M.P. heads and an EAW/EV cab, that's as old school as I'm willing to go.

 

[smogg]

As was mentioned early in this thread. I also played most of the "vintage" stuff before it was vintage. That's what was available that's what i used. As the tech changed I changed with it. As the music evolved and my playing style changed I continue to age. So no looking backwards through rose colored glasses for me. I'll take the modern gear thank you.

 

[bucephylus]

Having played through most of the tube amps back in the day - Fender Bassman (w/100W conversion), Sunn Model T, and various SVT’s (mainly in rehearsal spaces / back lines), and most recently the TE Hexavalve - I decided quite some years ago that I prefer good tube based preamps and clean SS power amps. But, my tone goals have always been strongly in the direction of clean power. I do like the SVT for what it does in that respect BTW. But, I can get the same slam with considerably lighter, lower maintenance SS power amps.

For preamps, I’ve settled on one 3U rack with a Demeter VTBP-201 in it, and one 3U rack with and Alembic F1X and a DS5R in it for my Series I. Then I’ve got a 2U rack with a QSC PLX1804 in it. I settled on the 1804 after going through a PLX1602, a Carvin DCM2000L, and a Crest ProLite 3.0. Those are my modular rack choices. Good ones for my purposes. Here is one deployment from back when I had the Carvin, and before I broke the single rack up into modules.:

I’ve also got a Demeter VTBP-201 with the internal Minnie 800D power section. That is a ridiculously convenient way to get everything in one easily schlepped box.

Finally, the recent Ampless thing caused me to look at smaller DI options; and I settled on the Demeter Bass400J, which BTW has a ton of slam when used as a stand alone amp.

Not really looking for much else at this point, though I am tracking power sections with the ICEPower 1200 module as they are developed, and could be interested in one of those down the road. I know this is all more than needed; but, this is what happens when one accumulates good gear over time.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

One of those lucky enough to have my dream amp. and I fell into it basically accidentally, first try buying a "proper" amp. My second after the practice amp I started with. The GK 1001RB-II. I got it after all the love it would always get around TB at that time. I'm sure it still does get a lot of love, because it is incredible. I think the only thing I would want to change about it would be the direction of the EQ. I've had this thing forever, and I still cannot get my head around treble being first. Too much training on the low end being first everywhere else, always.

Awesome amp!

 

[T-boneParish]

My dream amp is one of the original Ampeg Heritage B-15 amps from 2011 (not the Heritage amps that came out more recently).

 

[10cc]

I have my dream amp. For my tastes nothing compares to it old or new. I suppose one could call it "vintage" but this term is misused. I prefer to call it a really good older amp. As stated above, most "vintage amps" are great until they don't work anymore.

View attachment 3779309

That looks great. Clean lines and it would suggest that it sounds better than it looks.

 

[10cc]

I have my dream amp: GK400RB + 2x15s. It does all I need, and the speaker cabinets are unbelievably light. I'd like to try one of the new Traynor YBA100 heads, though.

View attachment 3779408

Damn, Lars is y’all’s drummer

 

[SimonSays32]

Since I switched to the Markbass Stu-amp 1000 I haven’t had any desire for a different bass amp as it achieves the tone I was looking for and I have a few smaller practice bass amps and an Ampeg MicroVR for different tones in the studio when necessary.

however there are at least 10 guitar amps I want for the studio at the moment, lol

 

[dmt]

Unfortunately I’ve never played one, but from what I’ve heard, I like the old Marshalls like the Marshall Major.

On a completely different note, i really dig the old SWR amps like the Redhead and the little Baby Blue II

 

[Stewie]

I really like my old cabs and more modern head, but I have my eyes open for a 3Pro because the tiny Ampeg looks funny on top. I'll keep it as a backup.

 

[Guild B301]

Unfortunately I’ve never played one, but from what I’ve heard, I like the old Marshalls like the Marshall Major.

On a completely different note, i really dig the old SWR amps like the Redhead and the little Baby Blue II

I am the person who posted this thread - and own a Marshall Major. I’ll tell you, it is used mostly for recording and babied. However they were tough, and they used to tour with all the big acts. Mick Ronson w/David Bowie, Ritchie Blackmore w/Deep Purple, Pete Townsend w/ The Who, etc.... and you notice - they were mostly all guitarists, not so many bassists. But they make great bass amps. No effects or pedals needed.
I’ll tell you the way I got mine. In the mid 80s, this exact amp was at a local shop in Austin, and was passed on by both Stevie Ray Vaughan AND Eric Johnson (both tried it) because it was JUST TOO LOUD. So the shop called me - and thought a bassist could use it, since it used to take much more power to move bass. They knew I played a Marshall 100 watt with 8x 10” cab. If you can get one as cheap as I did, - buy it! If you’ve never actually played one through a matching Marshall 8x10” cabinet, I really don’t think Anything else can sound like them. But that may not be the sound you are looking for. They are not that hard to find parts for to keep them running well, but I wouldn’t suggest touring with them - much less using them in small clubs. But I do practice with it all the time, because the 8-10’s sound really great played quietly.