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Amp for my Les Paul?


tlarson

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Hello, I am 25 years old and just trying to get into guitar... I've played around with an acoustic guitar for the past ten years or so and have gotten to know basic chords and progressions etc. on my own.

 

In February of this year, however, I decided to really learn how to play. I got myself a Gibson Les Paul Studio (alpine white with chrome hardware) and started taking lessons from an instructor in town. I've already learned a lot and am working on fret positions, triads, power chords, scales, arpeggios, picking techniques and a whole lot more than I ever knew about guitar before.

 

I'm thinking that in order to push myself a little, I might start playing on the worship team at my church... currently there is an acoustic guitar, keyboard, drums, and flute. The leader of the team told me that he'd love to have me join playing electric guitar. He knows that I just started learning it a couple of months ago, but he said that he'd be willing to let me practice with them until I was ready to play during the service.

 

My problem is that I've only got a little 5 watt tube practice amp, and am looking at getting a bit better one that I can take and play with the worship team. The size of the church sanctuary is about 50 feet wide by about 85 feet deep.

 

My guitar instructor has a "Fender Hot Rod Series Blues Junior NOS 15W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp" (the Tweed Blues Jr.) for his students to use when we come in for lessons, and I really like it. He says that he would recommend that amp for me because it has great sound isn't too big and has a great clean sound as well as nice overdrive. He told me to get a tube amp but 15 watts was probably all I would want in order to be able to turn it up some and not have to keep the dial at 1 or 2 all of the time. He did say that he doesn't really recommend the standard Blues Junior without the Jensen speaker.

 

I live in Northern Minnesota without any good music stores around where I can go to try a lot of different amps, so I'm kind of relying on opinions more than anything.

 

With all of that in mind, I was wondering if anyone else had opinions on a decent amp that would work well for what I am wanting to do with it. I read someone somewhere recommending the Blackheart BH15-112 over the Fender Tweed Blues Jr.

 

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this? (I'm one of those people who likes to get lots of input and make a decision from there.)

 

Thank you so much!

 

Tim

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i'd recommend the Blues Junior - i have the NOS version as well and really like it. Played with my Les Paul it sounds great. Of course there are a bunch of options and people certainly will have several different opinions. Do you have a budget in mind?

 

Also - check out this site for some more info on the Blues Junior:

 

http://www.billmaudio.com

 

Good luck, and get ready to have a bunch of (excellent) options thrown your way!

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Do you have a budget in mind?

 

I don't really want to go any more than the price of the NOS Blues Junior... If I have to I'd be willing to spend the $675 to get it new.

 

What are your thoughts on buying new as opposed to finding a used one on e-bay or craig's list?

 

Is this a bad idea with amps?

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You should also try the members classifieds section at the various guitar forums.

Prices may be cheaper than eBay & CL.

 

I just did a Google search for "Guitar Forum" and had a ton of results come up... are there any specific forums that would be good to look at?

 

Also, I am planning on getting tube amp... I'm just wondering what people think would work for me the best.

 

Thanks for the responses!

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I just did a Google search for "Guitar Forum" and had a ton of results come up... are there any specific forums that would be good to look at?

 

Also' date=' I am planning on getting tube amp... I'm just wondering what people think would work for me the best.

 

Thanks for the responses![/quote']

 

A small Marshall Tube Combo would also be good. LP's sound great through Marshalls.

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I just did a Google search for "Guitar Forum" and had a ton of results come up... are there any specific forums that would be good to look at?

I only frequent this one, My Les Paul & the Les Paul Forum.

 

I know you said music stores are scarce but how far is the nearest Guitar Center?

Might be worth a drive to a music store before deciding.

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I would recommend a tube amp as well. I did a lot research back in 2002 when I got my Les Paul Classic for exactly this reason.

I wound up getting a Pignose G40V. You can get them on eBay for about $200.00.

Its an awesome 40W all tube amp that sounds amazing and will fill a room or a small gig.

It can also run a 4x12 cabinet!

 

I sold mine when I got a big Marshall Amp & 4x12 Cabinet, but wound up getting another one because I really missed it!

 

X

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Just bought this for my son. An awesome amp for the price. 100 watts of pure tube power, really nice clean channel and some great effects built in. with the footswitch was 375 shipped. You can't beat that with a stick!

He plays a LP Custom and it has amazing tone. Haven't tried my 69 LP Professional yet , maybe he'll let me tonight =D>

 

http://www.jr.com/ad100vtxl-amplifier/pe/VX_AD100VTXL/

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Just bought this for my son. An awesome amp for the price. 100 watts of pure tube power' date=' really nice clean channel and some great effects built in. with the footswitch was 375 shipped. You can't beat that with a stick!

He plays a LP Custom and it has amazing tone. Haven't tried my 69 LP Professional yet , maybe he'll let me tonighto:) [/quote']

 

Maybe I missed it, but what did you buy for your son?

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tlarson,

 

Search and keep searching for a shop that has Blackstar in stock and try out the HT-5(combo or minstack). It doesn't cost you as much as a Fender tube amp and in return you get a UK tube amp, designed by 2 of Marshall's top engineers. With only 5 Watt you blow away everything what stands in your way, you can modulate your sound from grunge to british rock, ...and you have a real nice looking TUBE amp. Check this out and see for yourself:

http://www.blackstaramps.co.uk/products/ht-5/ht-5s.html

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Just bought this for my son. An awesome amp for the price. 100 watts of pure tube power' date=' really nice clean channel and some great effects built in. with the footswitch was 375 shipped. You can't beat that with a stick!

He plays a LP Custom and it has amazing tone. Haven't tried my 69 LP Professional yet , maybe he'll let me tonight =D>

 

http://www.jr.com/ad100vtxl-amplifier/pe/VX_AD100VTXL/[/quote']

 

The VOX looks like a decent amp, however, other than the fact that it has a rating of 6.7 on Harmony Central, the 100 watts of tube power scares me a little for the application that I'm looking for... like I said in my first post, I don't want to have to keep the dials down in the 1 - 2 range or risk being too loud for the on stage mix.

 

My thought is to get a low-wattage amp and mic it.

 

Search and keep searching for a shop that has Blackstar in stock and try out the HT-5(combo or minstack).

 

The Blackstar sounds interesting, but now I'm having the opposite feeling about the 5 watts on the Blackstar as I was having about the 100 watts of the VOX. 5 watts is what I'm currently practicing with... granted I'm sure my little Crate V Series V5 practice amp is nothing compared to the Blackstar.

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One of the nice features on the Vox is that you can dial down the power output without sacrificing any tone. There is a pot on the rear that cuts down the pre-amp wattage to suit any situation and still gives you full control over modeling and effects. Never saw that on a any other amp that i have played/owned. The VT50 is a good alternative too.

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A small Marshall Tube Combo would also be good. LP's sound great through Marshalls.

Just like peanut butter and jelly!!!

Some great info to be had at the Marshall Forum. Members there are very helpful in helping you find the right amp. I must warn you, they are a bit partial to Marshalls though (Go figure).

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Just like peanut butter and jelly!!!

Some great info to be had at the Marshall Forum. Members there are very helpful in helping you find the right amp. I must warn you' date=' they are a bit partial to Marshalls though (Go figure).[/quote']

 

You got it! Go Marshall or go home, baby!

 

Anyway, regarding Marshall ... yes, stop over there and poke around. You can find something w/in your budget that you'll be thrilled with. Take a look at the following site as well http://www.marshallamps.com/

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Thanks for all of the input!

 

With so many choices, I'm thinking that I may have to take a four hour drive and head down to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to actually be able to hear the differences between some of these amps.

 

If I hit up a Guitar Center, are they likely to have most of the amps that are being suggested, or does anyone know of a good place in Minnesota to go for a variety of amps to demo?

 

I do have a couple of concerns in doing this though... I am such a newbie (I've been taking lessons for a few months, but have a long way to go) that I may not be able to produce the sounds that the amp is capable of, and second I won't know what to do to test them.

 

I want something that I will be happy with as I continue to develop as a guitarist and not realize in six months that I should have gone with something else.

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I think the Blues Junior NOS would be perfect for you. I almost bought

one myself. I ended up with an Epiphone Blues Custom, which has more

power than you may need and is inconveniently heavy. :) But I LOVE it.

 

I also love the Blues Junior NOS though. I'd buy one tomorrow if my

wife would give me the money. :)

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I think the Blues Junior NOS would be perfect for you. I almost bought

one myself. I ended up with an Epiphone Blues Custom' date=' which has more

power than you may need and is inconveniently heavy. :) But I LOVE it.

 

I also love the Blues Junior NOS though. I'd buy one tomorrow if my

wife would give me the money. :)[/quote']

 

 

And I buy all my stuff at Guitar Centers in Minneapolis. There are 4 of them.

They will have the Blues Junior NOS. In fact, I just played on at the

Roseville store. They have many, many others amps too. And the Vox

AVT Valvetronix are quite good also. They are not tube (which for some

people is an advantage), and being not tube, they're much cheaper.

Personally though, I'd still buy the Blues Junior NOS.

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