What's a good amp for a 325

emswife · Post by **emswife** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:24 am

Crate GT1200H with a Ric 325c58

I am shopping for amps that I can use with my Ric... this is my first major purchase of an electric guitar and amp, so I need some advice.

Is a Crate GT1200H with 5 speakers and 120W a good choice for this guitar? I know everyone would say "buy a Vox if you want to truly replicate the sound" but lots of others guitarists played Rics besides Lennon.

If you have a better suggestion, please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:31 am

120 Watts is a lot of power! I use 40 for clubs, 60 if I want to kill people.

lshaia · Post by **lshaia** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:57 am

The Crate is a solid state amp, I believe. It's been my experience that tube "watts" are much louder than SS "watts". My guitar amp is a 120 watt tube amp; to get any overdrive it had to be turned up to 747 volume. I ended up taking two power tubes out and switching it to triode, it still makes my ears ring. I would think that 40 or 50 tube watts is plenty for almost anything, and tubes sound better IMO.

jps · Post by **jps** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 1:30 pm

Any small Mesa/Boogie 1-12 combo would kill and be quite versatile soundwise.

Mine:

emswife · Post by **emswife** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 1:56 pm

Good answers all... that is the kind of feedback I need.

Thanks, all!

emswife · Post by **emswife** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 1:16 am

As I said, sometimes I am an idiot... I was looking at this head/stack combo while at work ( I work deep nights in a very busy Emergency Department) and I guess my eyes were out of focus.

Crate GT1200H/G412SL Half-Stack Package is the head and a cabinet with 5 channels (not speakers), 4 speakers and is on sale at GC for $499. So the price is right...

But I have also been taking the Valvtronix advice seriously... I guess the best thing is to haul my little fanny up there with said Ric and play through them to see what they sound like, eh?

spencer · Post by **spencer** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 4:39 am

I've been longing for an AC30 for quite awhile, but I play mine through a Mesa Boogie Maverick 2X12 and I must say, great sounding rig.
The Maverick is capable of lots of sounds, however I feel the dirty channel is a bit too dirty for my tastes. I actually called Mesa Boogie a couple of weeks ago and asked if I could have the clean channel 'cloned' - the guy told me not unless I wanted to rebuild the amp from the ground up!
The AC30CC (custom classic) will be out around christmas, so I may score one then. I'm interested in this particular model because it has a master volume, which means you can get overdriven sounds at living room volume, no attenuator needed.

chris_scruggs · Post by **chris_scruggs** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 8:26 pm

Patrick,

Yes, alot of people have played Rickenbackers besides Lennon, but how many of them played 1958 325's? Yes, other amps would do fine, but a Vox with ANY model Rickenbacker is simply a trademark sound. It's like a Tele through a Twin, a Les Paul through a Marshall, and a P Bass through an Ampeg. It's just the other half of that sound you heard in your head, that made you want the guitar in the first place.

If you are trying to keep it cheap, try the Valvetronix. Also try the Ampeg SJ-12T, and the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Both of these can be had for around $500, and are good sounding tube amps.

emswife · Post by **emswife** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 9:53 pm

Thanks to all of you for the suggestions. I will keep all of them in mind as the run-up to Christmas comes around.

BTW, does anyone know what amps Jim (Roger) McGuinn and Tom Petty played their Ricks through? I know the McGuinn was a 370v12 and I am not sure what Tom Petty uses...

Thanks again. This is a great forum.

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 3:50 am

According to an article in October 04' Acoustic Guitar. McGuinn currently runs his 370-12RM thruogh a Line 6 POD and into the board. I'm not sure what Petty runs his through or Mike Campbell either.

admin · Post by **admin** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 4:29 am

Chris Scrugs wrote

Also try the Ampeg SJ-12T, and the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Both of these can be had for around $500, and are good sounding tube amps.

I agree the the Hot Rod Deluxe is a nice sounding tube amplifier for the money but beware.

The input jacks on these amplifiers are plastic, in part, which loosen quite quickly if you use the amplifier on a frequent basis. These jacks interface directly with a circuit board and will eventually short out. The fix is not all that easy and is prone to fail again.

I can't understand why Fender would use this design. Also, if you have a little time on your hands, take the amp apart and you will be shocked. It is like looking inside your PC. Circuit board heaven.

I would argue that a used point to point Fender tube amp can be had for not much more money and it is built to give you the vintage sound for the rest of your lifetime. My two cents.

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 7:18 am

The last time I saw Roger McGuinn live, he was playing his 360/12 through a Roland Jazz Chorus 120 which has 2 twelves in it. That was a few years ago, and it sounded incredible!

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 9:59 pm

I believe Tom Petty and Mike Campbell often use AC30's. I have a Korg reissue AC30 myself and it is a very versatile and great sounding amp. If you want to play smaller gigs though, it can be too loud. That is where an attenuator comes in. I recommend the Weber MASS if you go that route.

Another option would be a Fender. There is the blackface sound, the tweed sound, and modern intreprations of each. I would suggest to try out a lot of amps and see what you like, and don't take no for an answer when you try to play the amp loud and the store people get annoyed.

lawton · Post by **lawton** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:10 pm

Hey. I'll second the Vox (AC15, AC30) and add that my 325C58 sounds absolutely killer through my '64 Gibson GA19RVT (Falcon). The GA19 Falcon is something like Gibson's effort along the lines of the Fender Deluxe (dual 6V6 output tubes, 15-20w 1x12). Pop a Greenback (Celestion G12M) in and you've got a really nice low wattage tonal companion for your 325. Put some flatwounds on the guitar and voila! Early Lennon tone out of your guitar (John played through a Tweed Deluxe a bit in the early days, as well as through his AC15).

lostwire · Post by **lostwire** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 12:52 pm

Would anyone know if the AC30 CC is still slated for a "Christmas" release?