Amp suggestions (combo, max £800)

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BintyTwanger77BintyTwanger77 Frets: 2208
edited November 2018 in Amps
Well I’ve purged almost all my gear, put around £3k back on the plastic, which has helped immensely, but not about to throw the baby out with the bath water. I’ve worked out I can just afford to keep my JM Jag (and my Timeline) or if I find a buyer for it get my Roadworn 60s Jazzmaster back, but all that aside, what I’m looking for right now is a decent amp.

At the moment I’m playing at home, so Marshall stacks are out of the question. I’m looking ideally for a 2+ channel amp with a decent drive channel and an FX loop and reverb. The ideal would be a Mesa Rectoverb 25, but even on the used market £800 doesn’t seem to cut it. I have tried out the new HRD IV and with a decent compressor (in this case the previous faithful a Fairfield Accountant) the drive channel sounds pretty good and the FX loop takes delays well. Just might be a tad too loud for home use.

This would be the ideal, but if you could recommend a good single channel amp for this budget, I’m willing to hear all suggestions. Cheers.
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Comments

  • exocetexocet Frets: 1948
    If you like the HRD then give a Roland Blues Cube Artist a go. I have both and am very happy with the Blues Cube both live and in house. The drive sound is nicer than that of the HRD and the clean channel compresses and breaks up at far more friendly levels. There is one for sale on here at the moment.
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  • carloscarlos Frets: 3426
    @exocet just plugged my amp for sale - http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/143319/roland-blues-cube-artist-12-speaker-80-watts-470
    It can go from .5 watt mode all the way up to 80 watts, has 2 channels, fx loop loop and has tremolo and reverb built in.
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  • Still to post photos, but may I take the opportunity to plug my Sonzera . . .

    http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/142866/fs-prs-sonzera-20w-combo#latest

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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31369
    I use my HRD IV at home, it has a very good volume pot taper on both channels. 

    It actually sounds really good at home volume, despite being a pretty loud amp. 
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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088
    I bought my Mini Rectifier (basically a Rectoverb head without the 'verb' bit) for £800 used at GAK a couple of years back.  I've seen them change hands on here for less.  You'd need a cab though, you don't mention if you have one.
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  • randella said:
    I bought my Mini Rectifier (basically a Rectoverb head without the 'verb' bit) for £800 used at GAK a couple of years back.  I've seen them change hands on here for less.  You'd need a cab though, you don't mention if you have one.
    Sorry, should've specified I was after a combo rather than a head. Post now amended.
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2177
    edited November 2018
    exocet said:
    If you like the HRD then give a Roland Blues Cube Artist a go. I have both and am very happy with the Blues Cube both live and in house. The drive sound is nicer than that of the HRD and the clean channel compresses and breaks up at far more friendly levels. There is one for sale on here at the moment.
    I've got an HRD IV and a Blues Cube artist.

    I use them both live with the Blues Cube on the bass player's side of the stage, whilst he has one of his bass cabs on my side of the stage. That's because our line up is just guitar, bass, drums and vocs and it gives a more even spread to the sound.


    They're both great amps.

    I prefer the clean sound of the HRD IV which just seems fuller and warmer. I also set the Blues Cube clean for live and use both amps with pedals. Having said that the Blues Cube Artist still has a pretty good clean sound.

    For the amp on it's own, I greatly prefer the break up sounds of Blues Cube Artist, although that's not the way I use it.

    If I had to choose between them, I'd go for the HRD IV with pedals.

    It's not a competition.
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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088
    randella said:
    I bought my Mini Rectifier (basically a Rectoverb head without the 'verb' bit) for £800 used at GAK a couple of years back.  I've seen them change hands on here for less.  You'd need a cab though, you don't mention if you have one.
    Sorry, should've specified I was after a combo rather than a head. Post now amended.
    Cool, no worries!  Good luck with the search. :)
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  • exocetexocet Frets: 1948
    exocet said:
    If you like the HRD then give a Roland Blues Cube Artist a go. I have both and am very happy with the Blues Cube both live and in house. The drive sound is nicer than that of the HRD and the clean channel compresses and breaks up at far more friendly levels. There is one for sale on here at the moment.
    I've got an HRD IV and a Blues Cube artist.

    I use them both live with the Blues Cube on the bass player's side of the stage, whilst he has one of his bass cabs on my side of the stage. That's because our line up is just guitar, bass, drums and vocs and it gives a more even spread to the sound.


    They're both great amps.

    I prefer the clean sound of the HRD IV which just seems fuller and warmer. I also set the Blues Cube clean for live and use both amps with pedals. Having said that the Blues Cube Artist still has a pretty good clean sound.

    For the amp on it's own, I greatly prefer the break up sounds of Blues Cube Artist, although that's not the way I use it.

    If I had to choose between them, I'd go for the HRD IV with pedals.

    I'm keeping the HRD - mine is the George Benson model. i also have the extra 1 x 12 cab for larger gigs.
    I too use it clean and in the main, I have been using the Blues Cube clean as well.....I find that i have to use the low gain input on the BC else it breaks up even with Single Coil Strat pickups when the input gain is on 3.

    I have been experimenting with using the crunch channel (set just at the point of breakup) with dirt pedals....tell a lie, I'm experimenting with a Fractal FX8. This can control the channel switching on the BC.

    I will also experiment with switching the HRD using the fractal - I believe that it can be done with a "special cable".....one with a pair of diodes in it. I did manage to get a very good drive sound using a Mad Professor Simble Pre driver with the HRD set for low gain drive - I'd like to replicate that.

    I wouldn't say that my HRD is warmer than the B.C - I bought the B.C mainly because I liked the idea of a lighter amp (it is a few Kg lighter but with hindsight I don't really notice that. I also bought it because the guitarist out of Brother Strut uses one and he gets some great tones out of it. I do think that the HRD has more "clean punch" to it which comes into its own when playing without mic'ing up.

    My next experiment will use both amps using the stereo out from the FX8 into he FX returns on both....never tried that before.
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  • exocet said:
    exocet said:
    If you like the HRD then give a Roland Blues Cube Artist a go. I have both and am very happy with the Blues Cube both live and in house. The drive sound is nicer than that of the HRD and the clean channel compresses and breaks up at far more friendly levels. There is one for sale on here at the moment.
    I've got an HRD IV and a Blues Cube artist.

    I use them both live with the Blues Cube on the bass player's side of the stage, whilst he has one of his bass cabs on my side of the stage. That's because our line up is just guitar, bass, drums and vocs and it gives a more even spread to the sound.


    They're both great amps.

    I prefer the clean sound of the HRD IV which just seems fuller and warmer. I also set the Blues Cube clean for live and use both amps with pedals. Having said that the Blues Cube Artist still has a pretty good clean sound.

    For the amp on it's own, I greatly prefer the break up sounds of Blues Cube Artist, although that's not the way I use it.

    If I had to choose between them, I'd go for the HRD IV with pedals.

    I'm keeping the HRD - mine is the George Benson model. i also have the extra 1 x 12 cab for larger gigs.
    I too use it clean and in the main, I have been using the Blues Cube clean as well.....I find that i have to use the low gain input on the BC else it breaks up even with Single Coil Strat pickups when the input gain is on 3.

    I have been experimenting with using the crunch channel (set just at the point of breakup) with dirt pedals....tell a lie, I'm experimenting with a Fractal FX8. This can control the channel switching on the BC.

    I will also experiment with switching the HRD using the fractal - I believe that it can be done with a "special cable".....one with a pair of diodes in it. I did manage to get a very good drive sound using a Mad Professor Simble Pre driver with the HRD set for low gain drive - I'd like to replicate that.

    I wouldn't say that my HRD is warmer than the B.C - I bought the B.C mainly because I liked the idea of a lighter amp (it is a few Kg lighter but with hindsight I don't really notice that. I also bought it because the guitarist out of Brother Strut uses one and he gets some great tones out of it. I do think that the HRD has more "clean punch" to it which comes into its own when playing without mic'ing up.

    My next experiment will use both amps using the stereo out from the FX8 into he FX returns on both....never tried that before.
    Ooh, I have seen a used George Benson HRD at a reasonable price. How’s the drive/more drive channel (and indeed everything else) compare to the HRD IV?
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  • exocetexocet Frets: 1948
    exocet said:
    exocet said:
    If you like the HRD then give a Roland Blues Cube Artist a go. I have both and am very happy with the Blues Cube both live and in house. The drive sound is nicer than that of the HRD and the clean channel compresses and breaks up at far more friendly levels. There is one for sale on here at the moment.
    I've got an HRD IV and a Blues Cube artist.

    I use them both live with the Blues Cube on the bass player's side of the stage, whilst he has one of his bass cabs on my side of the stage. That's because our line up is just guitar, bass, drums and vocs and it gives a more even spread to the sound.


    They're both great amps.

    I prefer the clean sound of the HRD IV which just seems fuller and warmer. I also set the Blues Cube clean for live and use both amps with pedals. Having said that the Blues Cube Artist still has a pretty good clean sound.

    For the amp on it's own, I greatly prefer the break up sounds of Blues Cube Artist, although that's not the way I use it.

    If I had to choose between them, I'd go for the HRD IV with pedals.

    I'm keeping the HRD - mine is the George Benson model. i also have the extra 1 x 12 cab for larger gigs.
    I too use it clean and in the main, I have been using the Blues Cube clean as well.....I find that i have to use the low gain input on the BC else it breaks up even with Single Coil Strat pickups when the input gain is on 3.

    I have been experimenting with using the crunch channel (set just at the point of breakup) with dirt pedals....tell a lie, I'm experimenting with a Fractal FX8. This can control the channel switching on the BC.

    I will also experiment with switching the HRD using the fractal - I believe that it can be done with a "special cable".....one with a pair of diodes in it. I did manage to get a very good drive sound using a Mad Professor Simble Pre driver with the HRD set for low gain drive - I'd like to replicate that.

    I wouldn't say that my HRD is warmer than the B.C - I bought the B.C mainly because I liked the idea of a lighter amp (it is a few Kg lighter but with hindsight I don't really notice that. I also bought it because the guitarist out of Brother Strut uses one and he gets some great tones out of it. I do think that the HRD has more "clean punch" to it which comes into its own when playing without mic'ing up.

    My next experiment will use both amps using the stereo out from the FX8 into he FX returns on both....never tried that before.
    Ooh, I have seen a used George Benson HRD at a reasonable price. How’s the drive/more drive channel (and indeed everything else) compare to the HRD IV?
    Afraid I've not heard a HRD IV. 

    I really like the GB version - I've only used it live with dirt pedals, my main sound is clean (with a Strat) only kicking in dirt for the odd lead line (of which I don't do many)! 

    If you play clean then I'd say you'd like the GB model - it has less gain than the standard model because it uses a 12AT7 valve in place of the more typical 12AX7.


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  • exocet said:
    exocet said:
    exocet said:
    If you like the HRD then give a Roland Blues Cube Artist a go. I have both and am very happy with the Blues Cube both live and in house. The drive sound is nicer than that of the HRD and the clean channel compresses and breaks up at far more friendly levels. There is one for sale on here at the moment.
    I've got an HRD IV and a Blues Cube artist.

    I use them both live with the Blues Cube on the bass player's side of the stage, whilst he has one of his bass cabs on my side of the stage. That's because our line up is just guitar, bass, drums and vocs and it gives a more even spread to the sound.


    They're both great amps.

    I prefer the clean sound of the HRD IV which just seems fuller and warmer. I also set the Blues Cube clean for live and use both amps with pedals. Having said that the Blues Cube Artist still has a pretty good clean sound.

    For the amp on it's own, I greatly prefer the break up sounds of Blues Cube Artist, although that's not the way I use it.

    If I had to choose between them, I'd go for the HRD IV with pedals.

    I'm keeping the HRD - mine is the George Benson model. i also have the extra 1 x 12 cab for larger gigs.
    I too use it clean and in the main, I have been using the Blues Cube clean as well.....I find that i have to use the low gain input on the BC else it breaks up even with Single Coil Strat pickups when the input gain is on 3.

    I have been experimenting with using the crunch channel (set just at the point of breakup) with dirt pedals....tell a lie, I'm experimenting with a Fractal FX8. This can control the channel switching on the BC.

    I will also experiment with switching the HRD using the fractal - I believe that it can be done with a "special cable".....one with a pair of diodes in it. I did manage to get a very good drive sound using a Mad Professor Simble Pre driver with the HRD set for low gain drive - I'd like to replicate that.

    I wouldn't say that my HRD is warmer than the B.C - I bought the B.C mainly because I liked the idea of a lighter amp (it is a few Kg lighter but with hindsight I don't really notice that. I also bought it because the guitarist out of Brother Strut uses one and he gets some great tones out of it. I do think that the HRD has more "clean punch" to it which comes into its own when playing without mic'ing up.

    My next experiment will use both amps using the stereo out from the FX8 into he FX returns on both....never tried that before.
    Ooh, I have seen a used George Benson HRD at a reasonable price. How’s the drive/more drive channel (and indeed everything else) compare to the HRD IV?
    Afraid I've not heard a HRD IV. 

    I really like the GB version - I've only used it live with dirt pedals, my main sound is clean (with a Strat) only kicking in dirt for the odd lead line (of which I don't do many)! 

    If you play clean then I'd say you'd like the GB model - it has less gain than the standard model because it uses a 12AT7 valve in place of the more typical 12AX7.


    I found that a good compressor like a Fairfield really brought out the best in the clean and dirt channels on the IV.
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  • exocetexocet Frets: 1948
    exocet said:
    exocet said:
    exocet said:
    If you like the HRD then give a Roland Blues Cube Artist a go. I have both and am very happy with the Blues Cube both live and in house. The drive sound is nicer than that of the HRD and the clean channel compresses and breaks up at far more friendly levels. There is one for sale on here at the moment.
    I've got an HRD IV and a Blues Cube artist.

    I use them both live with the Blues Cube on the bass player's side of the stage, whilst he has one of his bass cabs on my side of the stage. That's because our line up is just guitar, bass, drums and vocs and it gives a more even spread to the sound.


    They're both great amps.

    I prefer the clean sound of the HRD IV which just seems fuller and warmer. I also set the Blues Cube clean for live and use both amps with pedals. Having said that the Blues Cube Artist still has a pretty good clean sound.

    For the amp on it's own, I greatly prefer the break up sounds of Blues Cube Artist, although that's not the way I use it.

    If I had to choose between them, I'd go for the HRD IV with pedals.

    I'm keeping the HRD - mine is the George Benson model. i also have the extra 1 x 12 cab for larger gigs.
    I too use it clean and in the main, I have been using the Blues Cube clean as well.....I find that i have to use the low gain input on the BC else it breaks up even with Single Coil Strat pickups when the input gain is on 3.

    I have been experimenting with using the crunch channel (set just at the point of breakup) with dirt pedals....tell a lie, I'm experimenting with a Fractal FX8. This can control the channel switching on the BC.

    I will also experiment with switching the HRD using the fractal - I believe that it can be done with a "special cable".....one with a pair of diodes in it. I did manage to get a very good drive sound using a Mad Professor Simble Pre driver with the HRD set for low gain drive - I'd like to replicate that.

    I wouldn't say that my HRD is warmer than the B.C - I bought the B.C mainly because I liked the idea of a lighter amp (it is a few Kg lighter but with hindsight I don't really notice that. I also bought it because the guitarist out of Brother Strut uses one and he gets some great tones out of it. I do think that the HRD has more "clean punch" to it which comes into its own when playing without mic'ing up.

    My next experiment will use both amps using the stereo out from the FX8 into he FX returns on both....never tried that before.
    Ooh, I have seen a used George Benson HRD at a reasonable price. How’s the drive/more drive channel (and indeed everything else) compare to the HRD IV?
    Afraid I've not heard a HRD IV. 

    I really like the GB version - I've only used it live with dirt pedals, my main sound is clean (with a Strat) only kicking in dirt for the odd lead line (of which I don't do many)! 

    If you play clean then I'd say you'd like the GB model - it has less gain than the standard model because it uses a 12AT7 valve in place of the more typical 12AX7.


    I found that a good compressor like a Fairfield really brought out the best in the clean and dirt channels on the IV.
    I use a Wampler Ego Comp - I agree that this works well for both clean and dirty sounds - in my case with Strat S/C guitar.
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  • kt66kt66 Frets: 315
    used Boogie Studio 22? 

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  • Mesa Boogie Stiletto Ace 50 Combo £795. No reverb though, best Marshall ever!!
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  • kt66 said:
    used Boogie Studio 22? 

    ^This, but get the 22+ version, that or a Mesa DC5 and you will still have ~£300 left! :)
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  • Does Jet City do combos?
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  • I did see those ads, don’t think they’d courier to London, sadly. At least it shows I could get a used combo for around £800.
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