Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

For a couple of years now, I've been playing my 650D in church, using a Yamaha DG-Stomp and a Tech 21 Power Engine 60. The PE60 gets plugged directly into the PA, and I very rarely get a chance to hear what it sounds like out front. As a personal monitor, it sounds great.

The DG-Stomp is a wonderful piece of gear, but I've settled to using three basic patches - clean, clean + mod effect (chorus, phaser, flanger - which I can easily change on the fly), and something a little more crunchy, when it's appropriate.

I'm getting tired of lugging all this 'stuff' around - allied with the fact that an elbow problem is causing difficulty with weight in general. So, I'm looking at a replacement. I don't need huge power - whatever I do is always going to end up through the PA. I do need the ability to quickly switch through 2 or 3 basic options - and it has to sound good with my 650.

So far, I've been led towards:

1) Vox AD30VTX
2) Roland Cube 30
3) Fender Cyber Champ

I'm leaning toward 1; 2 is a possibility; 3 I have a feeling I'll love, but I'll have to get into the MIDI thing to make it useable - and it's a lot more expensive. I'm looking for crystalline clean, good basic modulation effects, and some occasional grit. I haven't had a chance to audition any of them yet.

Oh, and for variety, I use an OLP MM4 (MusicMan Silhouette copy) and an Ibanez TM71 (semi, strung with flatwounds - a dream for $299) - so it has to work with them as well. I'm looking for crystalline clean, good basic modulation effects, and some occasional grit, for all these.

Any suggestions?

Cheers,
David

These wouldn't be good for your elbow, but Rics sound great through old tube Fenders and Voxes.

David: I would recommend that you try the Traynor YCV40WR by Yorkville. Easy on the elbow and the pocketbook, this tube amplifier sounds great with my Rickenbackers. It packs a punch and has great tonality. A great overdrive channel as well.

Yeah, hate to sound like a tube amp snob, but there really is no comparison. I've played the Roland Cube and a Cyber Twin before and they are definitely in the weak catagory in my opinion.
I've got a Fender Deluxe reverb (Rivera era) and a Mesa / Boogie Maverick and they both sound great with my Rics. Vox and Ric is a perfect combination, just get one with tubes. The new classic series are coming out soon, September I think.

the 650 and the YCV40 sound awesome together.

The YCV20 will definetly be more elbow friendly

Check them out if you can find them
http://www.yorkville.com/products.asp?type=32&cat=18

JP

Two thumbs up here for Yorkville/Traynor gear. I just bought a Yorkie for use with my 4003. Best kept secret in amplification....

The Vox AD30VTX should be good.... I love my AD60VT, and mainly use the Vox settings, both clean and chorused, and crunchy and rocky-sounding.... I think it still has a good convincing tube sound, but I haven't had many opportunities to compare to the real thing! I imagine the 30-watt amp would be quite a bit easier to carry than my 60-watt one, which is kind of heavy, but not impossible for me to move back and forth to the car....

Thanks for the responses - I'd considered the Yorkville YCV20, but it's heavier than what I have now.

I've read a number of reviews of the AD30VT (no 'X' - my mistake), and it does at least have one tube in it There's also a pretty impressive demo on the VOx website. I think I'm going to try and track one down locally and give it a whirl. I've been in the same room as someone blasting a Str*t through an AD60VT, and it was very impressive, but it's rather more money than I want to spend, not to mention the weight....

Thanks for the responses - I'd considered the Yorkville YCV20, but it's heavier than what I have now.

But well worth it David.

ampeg for bass and vht for guitar

you dont need a smaller amp.
get yourself a roadie, and the biggest, heaviest, best sounding amp possible...


Is the problem that you carry this between home and church every week? If it is, just get what ever amp you like for home, and carry the stomp back and forth... Leave the PE at church, or maybe request that an amp be purchessed for teh church. Its not uncommon for a church to buy something that is a pain to lug home.

They got pianos, why not guitar amps!

JP

Is the problem that you carry this between home and church every week? If it is, just get what ever amp you like for home, and carry the stomp back and forth...

Have you been talking to my wife? That was her idea

Casters? My rig is very light....it rolls!

Deluxe reverb. Sounds great with my Ric.

Most of these suggestions are already heavier than the current Tech 21 you already have. Why not keep the DG Stomp and get a small 8" combo for monitoring. The DG already has speaker emulation so what comes out of the main system should sound like a mic'd cab anyway. You can pick up a Rok Sak case w/shoulder strap that holds the DG Stomp & its power supply at Sam Ash for $20.
Cheers,
Bill