1x12 combo 'all rounder' amp - what's your favourite and why?

Paul_C

I'd settle for my Katana, not because it's perfect but because it's good enough for me.

Worrying about which set of valves or does it need biasing is not something I can be arsed with any more - "can I carry it up stairs on my own" and "does it work" * are far more important.



* I realise they've not been out long, but if they're as robust as my old Cube 30 Bass workshop amp then I'll be happy.

Even if five years from now it explodes in a ball of flame then it's cheap enough to buy another one without feeling I was robbed.

ICBM

fandango said:

@crunchman - Ah, but WGS rate the 10" veteran at only 20 watts. I thought the perceived wisdom was that a speaker should have the 'capacity' to be able to handle 2-1/2 to 3 times the stated output of the amp.

It depends on the speaker manufacturer - some (eg Celestion) are far more conservative with the ratings than others (eg Fane).

With a Celestion, 1 to 1.5 times the amp rating is fine. With almost anything else, 1.5 to 2 is safer. With things like old Goodmans and Fanes, more than 2 is best.

In the Princeton, a 15W Celestion Alnico Blue is perfectly OK - Vox put two of them in an AC30 and they very rarely blow unless someone puts bass through it or something. (Quite common in the old days!)

crunchman

fandango said:

crunchman said:

RandallFlagg said:

5/25 vs Rectoverb 25?

anyone have a view, I like warmer, fatter cleans?

Lazy J 20 has warm fat cleans.  With a Blue you can get cleans at reasonable level.  Use boost/overdrive to tip it over the edge.

For the OP talking about "glassy cleans" with a Strat then Princeton Reverb or Deluxe Reverb and drive from pedals.  The 68 Custom Princeton Reverb sounds a lot better with a WGS Veteran than with the stock speaker.

If you do need more volume then a Hot Rod Deluxe with a better speaker.  I had a Weber 12F150 in my old one and it sounded superb.  I only sold it because I just don't need that much volume.

@crunchman - Ah, but WGS rate the 10" veteran at only 20 watts. I thought the perceived wisdom was that a speaker should have the 'capacity' to be able to handle 2-1/2 to 3 times the stated output of the amp. In the 68 CPR, since the amp is 12 watts, a minimum of 30 watts (as per the OEM Celestion Ten-30) would surely be required. So, if were staying with WGS, I might be looking at the G10C, Retro 10 or an ET10.

But there's also Celestion G10 Greenback and the G10 Vintage, as well as the Eminence Lil' Buddy, Legend, RF10C. I'd love Fane to make a 10" speaker, and/or Celestion to make a 10" Neo Creamback.

Sorry for going off topic.

@fandango - a 20W speaker in a 12W amp should be ok.

I see plenty of amps that don't have a ratio anywhere near 2.5 times.  I had a 22W Fargen several years ago that came with a Celestion Greenback (rated at 25W).  Fender have supplied limited edition Hot Rod Deluxes (40W) with a VIntage 30 (rated at 60W) in the past.  I'm pretty sure there was a version with a Jensen P12N (rated at 50W) as well.  The 2 and half times rating is probably being a bit conservative.

It does depend on the speaker.  Some are more conservatively rated than others.  Celestion are very robust - especially the Blue.  Jesse Hoff uses a Blue rated at 15W in a 20W amp.  The Vox AC30 used two of them as well so in theory was right on the limit.  I have heard of people putting a Blue in a 22W Deluxe Reverb although that might be pushing it a bit far.  The Blackface style preamp tends to be more scooped with less mids and more bass than a tweed or Vox style circuit.

Edit: Just saw @ICBM's comment.  A 20W speaker in a Princeton does put it in the 1.5 - 2 times range that he suggested.