Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Greetings All,
I have a Ric 360 that has hi-gains pick ups and Pyramid strings and I am looking for recommendations on a low budget amp (under $300.00)that will be give me nice clean tones at extremely low volumes. I mainly play early Beatles and Petty tunes. I am considering a 70's Silver Faced Champ or a Fender Pro Jr. Does anybody have any recommendaions?

I don't personally own one, but look for a Vox 15 to help get you some of that Beatles flavour. I own a Vox Cambridge 30 that plays well clean and at low volumes - but I can crank it up and go gigging if I want, too. I play a 360/6 and 12 through my Vox and I have no complaints.

Find any Cambridge 15 or 30 used (or new if you can find one). They are well worth their price tag. I would also recommend the Blues Jr used. It has reverb (not on C15), but the Cambridge 15 has tremolo, and I personally think it sounds great.

RKbsound -

I totally agree with your thoughts on the Cambridge Tremolo. I never really used it much as an effect before, but I am finally using it and love how professional it sounds.

I got my Cambridge 30 new for $575CAN.

Musician's Friend has the Cambridge 15 on sale for $119 US. I have one.....It's decent sounding...does the dry Vox sound OK....it can get real LOUD and has no problem getting an overdriven sound...but mine is difficult to get a perfectly clean signal out of it. It's OK but you get what you pay for. It's not as good as an all-tube amp for sure.

tech-21 trade mark 10 analogue amp simulator is a great alternative in the ss world. i sold my vox pathfinder 15 when i picked up the t-10. Its under $300, is usa built, has a lot of interesting outlets for plug ins and plays a variety of sounds, including nice clean ones (fender & a quasi vox). The reverb is spring and it can be hooked up to cabinets & pa's. its a very versatile tool. it made my pathfinder sound like a transistor radio.

i use a 360, 660 and two gretsches with it; very beatles, very sixties and room to do more.

I'm not surprised that the TM10 blows away the Cambridge 15. I bought the Cambridge 15 based on reviews on the net. It just shows that you really need to listen for yourself and not believe everything you read. The C15 is more of a toy or practice amp than anything you would use in a real band situation - even though it can real loud for a small amp. I wouldn't buy another nor even use it for low-volume recording.

I have had mixed reviews of my little C15, but recently I have had nothing but success with it. This is mostly due to the fact that aside from my JC-77, it's my only amp for now, so I've had to make it work. For home by myself, it's great. When playing with my friend, we mike everything through a PA, including a drum machine (no gagging, please!). I use a my Rt 66 to boost the C15 and a Fulldrive for some crunch when needed. This way I don't have to mess with the gain/volume knobs. While I agree that it's not a "real" amp, it does what it does very well, and for the price it cannot be beat.

Hello Sam, I play a 360/6 through my daughter's Fender Champion 30 sometimes and I'm always suprised at how good it sounds. It's definitely worth a tryout, and relatively inexpensive. Good luck and best regards.

I love my little Vox Pathfinder 15 watt with reverb. Bought it online. Sounds great! It has the "clean" sound you're looking for and its affordable. They make one that is slightly cheaper without the reverb, but it's worth the extra dough.

I also have a Pathfinder 15 (no reverb) which I'm very happy with. Furthermore, I've run my J-Station through the Pathfinder. Great little office combo.

If you ever find an old Premier 120, a Ricky sounds wonderfull through that. They go for around $200-$275 range, I estimate.