Hi all and happy new year.
so I am looking for a new low watt amp for home playing. I’ve been through a few over recent years but looking to perhaps spend a little more for the right amp.
I have been looking at the tone king range (gremlin and falcon grande) I tried a gremlin whilst testing out a guitar pre covid and loved how it sounded - but no reverb means stuff on the floor and the inevitable spread of cables and gear associated so the falcon would be more sensible perhaps.
As I have no intention of playing in a band it is purely for home and recording I’m looking for something that can minimise the gear sprawl.
This brought me to the rift PR amps - like tremolo and that also means I should consider the Princeton 64 too right?
I like to play clean to mild crunch.
there are probably loads of questions that I should ask to narrow the field but thought I would ask the good folks of fretboard for their thoughts too.
I also like the idea of supporting uk industry so any shouts for uk makers.
thanks
c
Comments
hear anyone not be completely happy with their amp or experience with Chris.
Does your wish to 'minimise the gear sprawl' and 'stuff on the floor' extend to all pedals?
Attenuation is going to be essential if you want to avoid pedals and get all OD sounds from the amp.
Obviously the Tone King stuff would be a strong contender in that case.
If you're happy with some pedals, the regular Princeton Reissue is excellent.
I've never really seen the point of Fender's hand wired line.
Now have a Blackstar Studio 10 which does a similar job, although I upgraded the stock speaker.
Also bought two Honeyboy 5w Tweed hand built / hand wired amps which are superb, especially the 5F1 champ clone.
All the above amps I can recommend, for me the Tone King Falcon had two setting I didn't use which ultimately meant it wasn't a keeper. I prefer an amp to do one thing really well.
With pedals you can keep it fairly simple and tidy if you think it through. I use a Pedaltrain Nano with a battery pack for four pedals which means no supply wire from the mains.
I have a TK Falcon and use a Boss RV-6 when I need reverb. I can get any sound from ultra-clean to quite heavily driven without any pedals - at volumes which work at home. The attenuator works very well - only on the quietest setting does it sound too compressed - though even then it’s acceptable.
I bought a champ kit from him last year and I'm already planning the next one.
I’ve also been looking at the TK Gremlin / Falcon Grande, but I can’t get the 64 Princeton out of mind as it is just the best proportioned and best looking amp IMO and the demos of it sound great.
Carr have just announced the Super Bee which is a 10w Blackface inspired amp with attenuation down to 2w and below, looks nice but will be c. £2.5k.
Red meat and functional mushrooms.
Persistent and inconsistent guitar player.
A lefty, hence a fog of permanent frustration
Not enough guitars, pedals, and cricket bats.
USA Deluxe Strat - Martyn Booth Special - Electromatic
FX Plex - Cornell Romany
It’s a fair shout- my experience has been a little more positive on the small builders front - that’s based on acoustic guitars. The Gartones look nice too bit of a carr look to their ‘jewel’ amp.