The amp quest that never seems to end...what do I want?

imalrightjack

I've been through quite a few amps in recent years and I'm yet to arrive at a conclusion.  Maybe typing this out will prove to be self-therapy and I'll work it out! (note, having written this all out - apologies for its length and general rambling)

Since I returned to playing live electric guitar around 5 or 6 years ago, I've been through (some were concurrent, picked up cheaply and considered second amps but never kept):

Fender Blues Junior (nice but too small);
Line 6 Spider Valve MKii (I'm not sure what I was thinking...);
Egnater Renegade 65 2 x 12 (loved it but found it too big to transport around and sounded crap at home levels);
Engl Gigmaster 30 (great for high gain but never cleaned up well);
Hayden Mofo (okay but similar to the Engl)
Orange Tiny Terror (fun but not much practical need for it);
Egnater Rebel 30 Mkii (just didn't capture the magic of the Renegade - gorgeous clean, meh lead channel);
Orange Rocker 30 (awesome sound but no FX loop killed it for me);
BluGuitar AMP1 (cool Vintage channel, clean takes pedals well but the clean itself doesn't really sound great on its own and I need at least its own boost engaged to lift it to being nearly usable - it tends to get a bit lost).

There are more but they've lasted weeks in some cases (Laney LC15, Blackstar HT1R, etc.)!

My band is a blues/rock/jazz/hard to pin down kind of sound.

What I'm looking for:

• A really nice, open clean sound that takes pedals really well but also a sound that can be used on its own or with a bit of digital delay (a nice built-in reverb would be good);
• An FX loop to plug in my T-Rex Soulmate, which I believe must be serial (OD, Distortion, Delay, Reverb, Boost, Tuner - it puts only the delay/reverb in the loop, if I recall correctly);
• When playing live, I like to be able to go from the clean sound to a nice breaking up sound that isn't going into distortion realms but has some grit, then up to full-on natural feedback/saturated Santana-esque sounds;
• With the right amp, I'd happily ditch the soul mate and just get a digital delay (I'm not sure I even need that) - but I do need several gain stages;
• A nice reverb is a huge plus.

My thoughts are hovering around things like the Mesa Rectoverb?  Or should I get a nice Fender amp?  Do I think Kemper?  Part of me thinks I should have stuck with the Rebel 30 and ignored the lead channel.  Truthfully, I wish I'd kept the Renegade but my transport at the time was a Peugeot 107 and it was a nightmare (now got an Octavia with a HUGE boot).

I think I prefer head and cab for transport purposes (and I can leave a cab at my regular rehearsal spot and bring the head home/take it to other bands with my home cab).

For home use, I think I should just get a Blackstar HT1R or something again, as I can do metal or whatever I like at usable volumes (I tend to play a lot of thrash at home).
 
Given my experiences listed, perhaps its my own ineptitude with using amps that's at fault!  The moon on a stick would be desirable.

John_A

If you thought the Rocker was awesome, get a Rockerverb, all the same lovely Orange sound but with a loop.  If it was me I'd get a Helix

imalrightjack

John_A said:

If you thought the Rocker was awesome, get a Rockerverb, all the same lovely Orange sound but with a loop.  If it was me I'd get a Helix

Are you serious about the Helix? Fair comment on the Rockerverb. I now recall trying one a few years back and loved it. 

John_A

Absolutely serious. I got mine about 6 months ago and haven't used. 'Proper amp' since, best sound I've ever had

imalrightjack

John_A said:

Absolutely serious. I got mine about 6 months ago and haven't used. 'Proper amp' since, best sound I've ever had

What else do you use it with, if you can indulge my ignorance?

John_A

I have a Helix and  Yamaha DXR10 powered monitor and that's it.  All my pedals and amps are either put away or up for sale, it really has been a revelation

imalrightjack

Is it the foot pedal or a rack device?

kennedydream1980

Buy my Cornford Roadhouse Combo ;-)

imalrightjack

@kennedydream1980 It's tempting! If I didn't live in the arse end of nowhere and share transport, it'd be easy to swing by and try

John_A

You can get it as a foot pedal or rack, I've got the pedal

Beexter

Mesa Express 5:25+ would tick all your boxes. I also own a Rocker 30 and agree, it sounds great but the Mesa can cover a lot more bases. Great reverb (can operate at different levels on each of the channels), built in loop, switchable EQ options and boost, 5w, 15w and 25w modes and sounds lovely on all of them.

I've got the head versions of both the Orange and the Mesa and run them through an MJW 1x12 fitted with an Eminence Wizard. 

Rocker

It ought to be possible to fit a FX loop on most amp heads. @ICBM can advise.

professorben

The Engl Screamer is a great amp is you liked the Gain of the Gigmaster, it's got a lovely clean side and lots of gain stages. 

imalrightjack

Interesting on the Screamer @professorben - I just presumed they were mostly metal-geared amps \m/

Any more fans of the Rockerverb?

ICBM

Rocker said:

It ought to be possible to fit a FX loop on most amp heads. @ICBM can advise.

Not usefully in most cases. For an FX loop to be useful it must come after all or at least the vast majority of the amp's distortion, which means that amps which derive most of it from the power valves or phase inverter, (ie if they have a post-phase-inverter master volume) can't. Or rather, they can be fitted with a loop, but it's more or less pointless.

With very few exceptions nowadays if an amp doesn't have a loop it's because one wouldn't be worthwhile anyway - it's a relatively cheap feature for a designer to fit and has a large marketing bonus. The Orange Rocker 30 might be an exception (no PPIMV), but it's a relatively low-gain amp so it's still not really that useful. The guitarist in my band uses one, he just puts everything in front including delay... it sounds fine like that.

p90fool

Every amp has an effects loop, it's in the mixing desk. 


I'm only partly joking, every time you hear an electric guitar in meaningful circumstances it's via a mic, so post-distortion effects are always an option. 

ICBM

p90fool said:

every time you hear an electric guitar in meaningful circumstances it's via a mic, so post-distortion effects are always an option. 

Apart from small gigs where the amp isn't going through the PA, or a significant part of the room volume isn't... ie the type of gigs most of us play.

digitalscream

I suspect a Jet City Custom 22 might tick all your boxes there. Cost is about the same as a couple of decent pedals, too...

crunchman

ICBM said:

The guitarist in my band uses one, he just puts everything in front including delay... it sounds fine like that.

This.  Much simpler and sounds fine.

If you have the budget look at a Lazy J.  Great warm clean sound and takes pedals well.

The future is digital though.  The question is whether it's here now or a few years away.  Definitely try out Kemper/Helix etc.

imalrightjack

I missed out the Jet City Custom 22 from the list! I liked it but found little to love about it. The clean never felt particularly warm.

I've let an Orange Rocker 30 go recently (circumstances have changed since), which might have been a mistake. Oh, well!

The Rockerverb mkii is tempting but with 100 watts, I'd presumably need a 2 x 12 cab and I'm not sure I want something that big  

erky32

Hot Rod Deluxe ticks all the boxes? ....I've started to use one all the time, lives up to its reputation!