What amps are your guitarists using?

[socialleper]

In my groove\nu metal-ish band one guitar player uses a Mesa triple rectifier and the other uses some kind of modded Peavey head.

 

[ahbass2500]

Guitarist uses a Supro 1695TH head (25 watt tube) with a Supro 1790C cabinet (Celestion Cream 1x12 cabinet). He currently plays a G&L ASAT Special through it. The best clean guitar tone of any amp/guitar combination I have ever heard.

 

[oldcatfish]

I'm putting together my first gig-able guitar rig, and doing some homework to learn about the various amps out there. Figured I'd do a quick survey here on TB to see what machines your guitarists are using to play too loud and hog up all the sonic space

Bonus points if you provide some context (e.g. what style of music, types of venues, etc.)

I mostly gig as a drummer nowadays. Or church gigs as a guitar player. I currently only own a Tech 21 combo amp, so it would have to be that...but I used to own both Marshall and Randall amps when I gigged as a guitar player in a classic rock band.

The Randall RG 80 is a real sleeper. Great Fender like cleans and a great Marshall-esque overdrive sound. The new ones even have a cab simulated DI (mine didn't). Sounds great with most pedals too, has an effects loop, and isn't very expensive at all. Plus very reliable--I bought it when my Marshall tube amp kept having issues. The Randall could get loud too. I regret selling it and would by another if I gigged regularly as a guitar player.

That being said, most guitar players that I gig with (that have good tone) are using Fender Deluxe Reverb or Blues Juniors, Vox AC 15, or Line 6 Spider amps. One was using a Hughes & Kettner tube amp--it sounded fantastic. But he sounds great on anything, so I am not sure if it is fair to mention that one.

 

[Manticore]

The one I play with most often uses a Kemper most of the time.

 

[Stewie]

Just buy an old Deluxe Reverb and be done with it. The guys I play with have custom built clones of fifties Fenders, or old Fenders

 

[lfmn16]

I didn’t necessarily want this to be a “tell me what amp to buy” kind of thread, more like, “what are people using out in the real world?”... but I’m open to suggestions and since you asked...

I would mostly play at home and do some recording, but I have the opportunity to take some gigs with a piano-bass-drums trio that wants to add guitar. Think Billy Joel for general tone and style. Gigs always have FOH of various quality levels, and range in size from small hotel bars to medium auditoriums to outdoor festivals (which are usually but not always backlined).

My main amp has been a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue for about 25 years. I use a Marshall half stack for one really heavy classic rock band, but I've used the Fender for Country, Rockabilly, Rock and Roll, Blues, Motown and a lot of classic rock. Most of that with no PA support in small to medium size clubs, but most of my bands don't play very loud.

I would definitely recommend checking out the Fender Tone Master amps. Solid state, but modeled on tubes. I'm a tube purist, but I've heard really good things about them and will be trying one out myself. They are significantly lighter than tube amps and in a band context I'm not sure how much of a difference there would be.

Good luck. The best thing you could do is find a music store and try out a ton of different amps.

 

[ahbass2500]

I should have mentioned in my first post, but if you are planning to travel a lot with your setup check out Quilter. Currently using their Mini 101 with 2 of the BlockDock 10TC cabinets for my home electric guitar setup. Eventually plan on upgrading the Mini 101 to one of their new ToneBlock 202 heads. It does not sound quite as good as the Supro setup mentioned earlier, but still sounds great. Two cabs and the head comes in at 32 lbs. Contrast that with the Supro setup I mentioned coming in at 65 lbs.

 

[ezstep]

Electric guitar - Supro with 10" on top of Supro 10" ext cab. Really nice, clean sound.

Acoustic guitar - GenzBenz Shen 60

 

[James_E]

I play guitar in a band, and I use a Suhr PT15 IR with 1x12 cab. I use the cab for stage volume, and use the IR out to the PA to fill in the house sound. I mainly use the amp dirt, but I have a fuzz pedal for a couple tunes. I put chorus, delay and boost in the loop.

 

[maxschrek]

Supro Thunderbolts, Fender Blues DeVille and Hi-Tone DG50 through 2x12.

 

[primusfan1989]

One guy uses a Blues Jr (plays electric mandolin)
One uses an early 60s Ampeg Gemini II with a 15" pyle driver
One uses a 68-69 Fender Bandmaster through a 1x12 (not sure of speaker)

When I do guitar gigs I either use a
1972? Fender Bandmaster Reverb into a 1x15 JBL D130F
or
198? Randall Switchmaster 120 Combo with a JBL E120
(I got a thing for JBLs hehe)

 

[BassWaffle]

Can I confess that I’ve been harboring a quiet snobbish attitude toward Peavey gear ever since I had my first guitar as a teenager: a cheap Peavey Raptor that was garbage and basically fell apart? I know it’s unfounded I need to get over it, but I just haven’t.

I always find this funny (it's not an uncommon preconception) since I've always associated peavey with high quality and high weight. My first "good" bass was a T40 and my first good amp was a peavey 15" combo I forget the name of. The amp was probably as good sounding as any setup I've had.

If you know what gear of theirs to avoid, they have really nice stuff. You probably aren't going to get over your bias until you have a really positive experience with their stuff

 

[BrianVengeance]

Genre is post hardcore/metal with a twist of rock. Riffy stuff and breakdowns.

One usually plays through something Marshall - JCM 800, 900, or 2000 DSL.

The other has been using his 5150 III, but will rotate in a Bogner Ecstasy or VHT Deliverance, though more so in a previous band.

Been playing the skinny strings more myself lately, and I’ve been using a Fender Prosonic and a Jet City Amelia.

 

[filwitheneff]

I'm putting together my first gig-able guitar rig, and doing some homework to learn about the various amps out there. Figured I'd do a quick survey here on TB to see what machines your guitarists are using to play too loud and hog up all the sonic space

Bonus points if you provide some context (e.g. what style of music, types of venues, etc.)

I play in a wedding/event band. The guitarist uses a Boss GT-100 floor unit, plugged directly into the effects return of a 2nd Gen Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (bypassing the preamp of the amp).

I play guitar occasionally (not often). I use a Tech 21 RK5 V2 pedal and a wah, plugged into a 1st Gen Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I like to keep things simple.

 

[Rabidhamster]

I'm putting together my first gig-able guitar rig, and doing some homework to learn about the various amps out there. Figured I'd do a quick survey here on TB to see what machines your guitarists are using to play too loud and hog up all the sonic space

Bonus points if you provide some context (e.g. what style of music, types of venues, etc.)

Just get something simple like a Diezel vh4

 

[Slevage]

Best I’ve heard for a band that didn’t require a Marshall 1/2 stack or more was a Boogie single 12.
Open back, switchable channels.

 

[Element Zero]

Country band - One guys plays a no name amp. Looks like an Ampeg bass combo but it’s open back and tilt back. Sounds like garbage on its own but works well in the mix.

Other dude uses a Dr Z combo which sounds amazeballz when he busts out his Danelectro Baritone tuned C standard.

Our guitarist at church left for school and my wife the worship leader kinda elected me for acoustic guitar duties. I was “voluntold” lol. I’ll probably end up with a Boss Katana as we don’t need much and I’m not looking to spend much money.

 

[Thumb n Fingers]

I work in a few different situations with several guitarists, and they use all sorts of stuff. The ones that I like in a more clean tone, funk/rock setting are a Bogner Shiva, Fender Deluxe Reverb, and Fender Princeton. In a more traditional rock situation, I really like the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Marshall DSL40CR, and Vox AC30.

I screw around with guitar, but I don't play out with it ever. It's more for me to write with than anything. For myself, I love a Fender Blues Junior.

 

[Riff Ranger]

I am my guitarist, bwahaha!

~20w 1x12 Mesa DC-2 for guitar, ~200w 1x15 Mesa Buster for bass. I play metal, if you couldn’t tell. I have literally never turned the master volume on the DC-2 past 2.5—more than loud enough to keep up with my hard-hitting first grader on drums!

 

[brocket]

My band does Americana/folk rock, so a lot of acoustic guitar with a mandolin and banjo thrown into the mix. Our electric player uses a 20 watt hybrid Orange Tiny Terror into a Bugera 1x12 cab and it sounds terrific. Plenty of volume on tap for what we need (it helps to have a drummer that knows how to play quietly). He used a reverb, delay, overdrive, and a boost and gets everything from classic country picking to driving leads.