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Johnny A


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I have a 2014 Johnny A Custom that I have only had a couple of months. I love the way this thing plays and the variety of sounds I can get out of it! Does anyone have a suggestion about what amp this beast would sound best through? I play Blues and Jazz and have access to all sorts of amps. I play with a mostly clean sound with just a little bit of grind.Any suggestions?

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I have a 2014 Johnny A Custom that I have only had a couple of months. I love the way this thing plays and the variety of sounds I can get out of it! Does anyone have a suggestion about what amp this beast would sound best through? I play Blues and Jazz and have access to all sorts of amps. I play with a mostly clean sound with just a little bit of grind.Any suggestions?

 

I've seen him on YouTube using Marshall combos so maybe start there

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I've seen him on YouTube using Marshall combos so maybe start there

Steve,

Thanks for the reply and the welcome on the introduction page. I have also seen Johnny playing through the Marshalls. And I have seen videos of him playing through a couple of Twin Reverbs and even a Peavey on one video. I am not a big fan of Marshalls;just have never been able to squeeze a sound out of them that I like. Lots of people do a fabulous job with them, but not me! Strats are the same way: I'm all thumbs with one of those! And I love my Twin Reverb but, damn, I don' want to cart that monster around! So I guess I'll keep experimenting!

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@WTP...I have a 2007 JA Standard. I recently switched from a Fender Deluxe to a Mesa Boogie Express 5:50. This is a sweet amp that can go to the next level of versatility with its built in EQ. It's a 112 combo so it's easy to move around and I run it with a 212 extension cab for a fuller/warmer sound. Also I had the grill frame recovered in Fender cloth so it would match my extension cab. Gives it a bit of a different look.

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Blues and Jazz, eh? That happens to be my favorite to play.

 

I use (well, I should say USED) mostly Fenders or Fender types. The Black-faced era amps are great for both, and great also for just about any guitar. Hard to go wrong with a Deluxe Reverb, and it has just that little bit of edge played clean, and can and DOES get dirty as you turn up.

 

Of corse, Wes Montgomery used Fender amps, and was a part of that mellow tone he had. You could go with Silver-faced Fenders too, and generally what you will get is more smoothness and clean compared to the Black=faced, or perhaps another way to look at it, creaminess in trade for a little grit.

 

As far as Fender Black-faced and Silver-faced goes, I would encourage you to seek out "real" ones, as opposed to the reissues. There is nothing wrong with the reissues, but they aren't in the same league sound wise and quality wise as the real ones. The guitar you are talking about is a HIGH quality guitar, and it will absolutely benefit from as high a quality amp as you will find.

 

There are also lots of Fender tweed amps that will fit the bill too, and as far as that goes, lots of "boutique" copies that are just as good (I use Victoria).

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a 2014 Johnny A Custom that I have only had a couple of months. I love the way this thing plays and the variety of sounds I can get out of it! Does anyone have a suggestion about what amp this beast would sound best through? I play Blues and Jazz and have access to all sorts of amps. I play with a mostly clean sound with just a little bit of grind.Any suggestions?

 

 

 

When I saw Johnny he was using a couple of Marshall TSL combos. He likes the Direct Out line that he sends to the house PA.

I think he moved to a JMP1 amp, a T.C Electronics G-System for effects and switching.

Looks like a couple of Plexi's here, but nothing plugged in to them. :D

 

Johnny A. - "Gone..(Like a Sunset)" - Live from Daryl's House Club on Jan. 3, 2015

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi__5T-6HnI

 

Personally I grab one of your own amps and get you own sound. Similar yet different.

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  • 1 month later...

@WTP...I have a 2007 JA Standard. I recently switched from a Fender Deluxe to a Mesa Boogie Express 5:50. This is a sweet amp that can go to the next level of versatility with its built in EQ. It's a 112 combo so it's easy to move around and I run it with a 212 extension cab for a fuller/warmer sound. Also I had the grill frame recovered in Fender cloth so it would match my extension cab. Gives it a bit of a different look.

Thanks, Charles! Haven't been on in a while, so just now reading your post. I have had several Mesas over the years and just can't seem to get a sound I like out of them. Other people sound fabulous, not me! Everything I put in them just comes out sounding too mid-range for me! I think part of the problem for me with the Johnny A is that with the longer scale and ebony fretboard it has a lot of "snap" on the attack and I am used to a mellower sound. Still searching for my sound with this guitar!

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Blues and Jazz, eh? That happens to be my favorite to play.

 

I use (well, I should say USED) mostly Fenders or Fender types. The Black-faced era amps are great for both, and great also for just about any guitar. Hard to go wrong with a Deluxe Reverb, and it has just that little bit of edge played clean, and can and DOES get dirty as you turn up.

 

Of corse, Wes Montgomery used Fender amps, and was a part of that mellow tone he had. You could go with Silver-faced Fenders too, and generally what you will get is more smoothness and clean compared to the Black=faced, or perhaps another way to look at it, creaminess in trade for a little grit.

 

As far as Fender Black-faced and Silver-faced goes, I would encourage you to seek out "real" ones, as opposed to the reissues. There is nothing wrong with the reissues, but they aren't in the same league sound wise and quality wise as the real ones. The guitar you are talking about is a HIGH quality guitar, and it will absolutely benefit from as high a quality amp as you will find.

 

There are also lots of Fender tweed amps that will fit the bill too, and as far as that goes, lots of "boutique" copies that are just as good (I use Victoria).

Stein, thanks for the reply. Haven't been on here in a while so just now reading your post. I have a very nice collection of real blackface Fenders, but I have been so busy the last few months that I haven't had a chance to try the JA through most of them. I have tried it with my 1965 Deluxe Reverb (loaded with a JBL D-120F) and that is the closest I've come yet to perfection with this guitar. But, as you mentioned, It gets dirty pretty fast! I have a feeling that my Pro-Reverb might be just a little better, maybe more headroom and warmer with 2 -12's. Hadn't thought about the Silverface amps being a little creamier. That might be what I am looking for. I have never owned a Silverface other than my Princeton Reverb, which is still a Blackface circuit. Never owned a tweed either, though I do have a really sweet 1961 brown Super! Hopefully over the holidays I'll get a chance to try some more amps. When I find the one I'll be sure to post it!

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When I saw Johnny he was using a couple of Marshall TSL combos. He likes the Direct Out line that he sends to the house PA.

I think he moved to a JMP1 amp, a T.C Electronics G-System for effects and switching.

Looks like a couple of Plexi's here, but nothing plugged in to them. :D

 

Johnny A. - "Gone..(Like a Sunset)" - Live from Daryl's House Club on Jan. 3, 2015

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi__5T-6HnI

 

Personally I grab one of your own amps and get you own sound. Similar yet different.

Thanks,Mikeo. Haven't been on in a while so just now reading your post. Johnny sounds great here! But I'm not looking for that much amp! I own mostly Blackface(real) Fenders and a couple Mesas and a mix of other things. Haven't had much playing time the last few months, so I haven't had the chance to try all of them yet. Hoping to do so over the holidays! When I do find the one I'll be sure to post about it!

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  • 1 month later...

Hi,

I am new to the forums. I just saw your post. I have seen Johnny A live many times.(I live within 50 miles of him) Every time i saw him he was going direct witm a Jmp Marshall pre-amp and he sounded great! I would love to get a Johnny A custom to add to my collection .

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