anybody tried Lazy J amps

steveh

Setzer said:

Has anybody any recommendations for a drive pedal that works well through the J20? Something with a decent amount of gain for home so I would have every sound I need from one amp?

I have a J20 and a Top Hat Emplexador which is about as good as it gets in "marshall" style amps AFAIAC. However, I only nob around at home (and actually spend 90% of the time on acoustic) so I don't really want to keep both, especially since both are expensive amps.

The J20 has astonishing cleans and is really 3D whereas the Emplex does Plexi to JCM800 fabulously; cleans are good but not J20 league - no marshall style is. So, I've been trying a Carl Martin Plexitone (blame Pete Thorn) and I have to say it does work real well with the J20.

The 20 dimed has that real old school gritty blues rock thing going on but theres a lot of flub from the cab (way less than on a typical deluxe mind you) and it's hardly Judas Priest. However, keep it cleanish and then add the Plexitone on top and you can definitely get a Marshallesque tone out of it.

Lazy J + Plexitone is not the Emplex but for my needs it's close enough, so that's the way I'm leaning.

Setzer

The Plexitone was actually one of the pedals I was considering or a Wampler Pinnacle. 

I have a Boogie so I can use that for higher gain and an original plexi but neither of them do cleans even close to the J20 so I was thinking if I could get a great drive pedal to use with the Lazy J then I would have every sound I want/need covered with the one amp which would be fantastic.

digitalkettle

steveh said:

digitalkettle said:

What did you get?

I got the bog standard J20 with attenuator; no other upgrades. Personally I'm not mad about reverb or trem but the pine box on these reverberates way more than birch ply (aka Marshalls), so there is quite a lot of "natural reverb" built in if you A/B the two.

Classic. Mine is fully-loaded and the extras are nice but I usually dial them out.

steveh

Setzer said:

 neither of them do cleans even close to the J20

So true. I wish I'd never heard the J20 since I was completely happy previously and I don't play clean much but once I had heard it there was no turning back.

Setzer said:

I was thinking if I could get a great drive pedal to use with the Lazy J then I would have every sound I want/need covered with the one amp which would be fantastic.

That is exactly what I feel having tried it; J20 + MIAB pedal = everything you need.

Let's face it, for a few quid for the pedal, it's no big deal to give it a go.

Setzer

I liked the sound of the Wampler Pinnacle so I have one of those on the way. If they are as good as everyone says I might just have my ideal setup.

57Deluxe

/\ you just showing off now! Soon you will have no friends....!

hotpickups

I'm already seeing J40's for sale since the J35 has been announced

Setzer

57Deluxe said:

/\ you just showing off now! Soon you will have no friends....!

I have spent a week with the Pinnacle through the J20 and it sounds exactly how it does in the videos!

I have spent years with lots of amps and pedals and have had some superb clean tones and some great lead sounds BUT never all in one amp and pedal setup, this is easily the best of both worlds now and to say Im happy is an understatement!

BTW the Lazy J takes pedals better than any amp I have ever tried, the best previously was possibly my original Plexi.

steveh

Setzer said:

I have spent a week with the Pinnacle through the J20 and it sounds exactly how it does in the videos

Oh dear. Now I will have to get one and put it up against the Plexitone.

therose789

I saw vintage trouble last week at the sage in gateshead. I was at a reasonable distance from the stage and i could hear the guitarists lazy j's over the top of the in house mix AND he had a screen in front of them. 

They sounded amazing! If you have the cash, go buy one! 

hotpickups

Makes you want to buy 2 of them after a VT gig doesn't it

therose789;281864" said:

I saw vintage trouble last week at the sage in gateshead. I was at a reasonable distance from the stage and i could hear the guitarists lazy j's over the top of the in house mix AND he had a screen in front of them. 

They sounded amazing! If you have the cash, go buy one! 

hotpickups

At the fear of rail roading this thread I've edited my posting to this. Sorry

Wazmeister

So,those who bought a Lazy J... Do you still own it ? Thoughts ?

hotpickups

I'd never sell mine

Wazmeister;691884" said:

So,those who bought a Lazy J... Do you still own it ? Thoughts ?

Wazmeister

@hotpickups - I was hoping you'd comment ! Is yours the J20 ? How is it at 'home' volumes ? Why is it a keeper, for you ?

hotpickups

Well it's all personal really but it's the sound I've always loved but never knew how to get. I could never get the sound I wanted through pedals and like my dirt from an amp. It's quite a deceptively versatile amp for me but you need to play with it and experiment. All the great sounds I like are there. Also it's built like a tank and will last longer than me I'm sure

As for playing it at home, I don't it's too loud for that. As mentioned I like it to overdrive so one does need to crank it for it to do that. So only used at gigs and rehearsals.

Why is it a keeper? I don't know really other than what I've mentioned above its just got something. Maybe it's simplicity I like as I hat loads of knobs on amps. I'm a plug m play kind of guy I guess. I do use modulation though which this amp loves too I would have bought another one I.e. J20H to play a long side but I couldn't afford that indulgence. However I have bought a Carr Sportsman which I could just about afford.

Not sure I've answered your question

simonk

I'm pretty sure mine's (J20) a keeper for life. It's not currently in my gigging setup, but it gives me a buzz unlike any of my other amps when I play it at home.

JonHosker

ordered a J20 last week - due late December!!!

digitalkettle

J20 and a J40 here...agree with @simonk !

Good move @JonHosker

Skipped

Have a listen to this tweed amp from across the pond.
The guy that bought it seems very happy. Not sure why the guy in the video is not smiling.
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/squawk-box/341628-nad-gil-yaron-59-burst-tweed-deluxe-speed-shop-video-demo.html


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m16GnIqHMA0&app=desktop