Why you shouldn't sell an amp....

Do
Not
Get
Rid
Of
The
"C".

They are different amps with some overlap but they are indeed different.
 
I've been lucky enough to be able to buy and try a lot of amps/cabs and then sell them off if they didn't please me. Even then, I still wish I could try MORE. So many amps...
 
Let's see, if I didn't sell/trade in amps I'd still have these plus my PRS amps, all owned from new:

1966 Ampeg Reverberocket II (two; I used one for combo organ and one for guitar, or sometimes stacked both for organ).
'67 Fender BF Bassman head and cab. My #1 for a long time.
Early Mesa Tremoverb combo.
Mesa Subway Rocket combo.
Mesa Blue Angel Head and Cab
Mesa Maverick combo.
Mesa Bass 400 + and Road Ready 4x10 with tweeter cab.
Mesa Mark V head and Mesa Recto cab.
Mesa Formula Preamp
Mesa Stiletto head.
Egnater TOL 50 combo.
Bogner Metropolis head and matching Shiva cab.
Bad Cat Hot Cat 30 and Bogner Oversized 2x12 cab.
Two Rock Onyx and Two Rock cab.
Two Rock Onyx Sig Prototype
Two Rock Onyx Sig
Two Rock Custom Reverb Sig
Two Rock Custom Reverb Sig v.2
There's one other Two Rock I had for a while and for the life of me I can't remember the model.
Roccaforte Rockie head (well, my son has this one and it's a great AC30 tone with a little bit of 18 watt Marshall blended in depending on how you set it).

There are a few amps in addition to the above that I had for a 24 hour approval period and returned to the store. Some were really nice amps, but not for me.

Now, do I wish I still had all of them? No. There would be a ridiculous amount of overlap and some I just don't think about any more at all. I would not be interested in returning to most of them. However, I kinda wish I still had a select few to play now and then. Here are the ones I'd like to have back:

Tremoverb, Mark V, and Bass 400+; Hot Cat 30; Two Rock Onyx Sig; Roccaforte Rockie (technically still mine but on more or less permanent loan). So six out of 21 former amps.

And of course, I'd also keep my DG30 and the HXDA 30 that's on the way. So, no more than 8 amps, even if I kept everything I really loved. 8 amps is a lot of amps, for me. I had 6 at one time, and it wasn't too bad. The nice thing about amps is that they hardly need any maintenance, and don't take up too much room unless you are Aristotle, who evidently needs a warehouse for his collection of amps. ;)

However, once everything settles down and I have my PRS amps on hand including the 30 Watt HXDA, I may revisit the amp thing. I still have a strong pull for an AC30 style amp.

Stick all of those in a Kemper.
 
Stick all of those in a Kemper.

Can't do it. I'm a devoted Tubist.

The first commandment of Tubism is, "I am the Tube, your Valve O' Glass. Thou shalt have no silicon-based amps."

If I bought a Kemper, I'd go straight to Tubist Hell. And you know what that is.

Hint: a Peavey Bandit is involved, for eternity. :eek:

Plus, the day I bought it, they'd come out with the Kemper II. And they'd advertise it as, "You thought the Kemper was great? Well, the II is so much better that it makes the original Kemper sound like cardboard."

Think of how bummed I'd be, forced to spend eternity with a Peavey Bandit, because I sinned against Tubism for basically last year's latest-greatest. You know it, I know it, and the American People know it. There will be a Kemper II, and it will make the Kemper I just another "old computer."

I'll suffer through replacing tubes and keeping my glass stash alive. ;)
 
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I can't say I totally agree or totally disagree with the above. But, I think grabbing a Kemper and a week of profiling Aristotle 's (the OP) amp collection would be very appealing.
 
Plus, the day I bought it, they'd come out with the Kemper II. And they'd advertise it as, "You thought the Kemper was great? Well, the II is so much better that it makes the original Kemper sound like cardboard."

Think of how bummed I'd be, forced to spend eternity with a Peavey Bandit, because I sinned against Tubism for basically last year's latest-greatest. You know it, I know it, and the American People know it. There will be a Kemper II, and it will make the Kemper I just another "old computer."
;)

Kemper II "UPDATE."
 
Oh, ye of too much faith! There will be a new hardware version, as there must be with all things that compute.

And I say unto ye verily, that they will announce it one day after I break down and buy a Kemper I!

And I will roast and toast in the bowels of Tubist Hell evermore.

Well, I may roast in the bowels of Hell anyway, but not for buying an amp modeler. ;)
 
I've pretty much settled on the Archon as my primary live amp. Great cleans, soaring lead tones. For gigging, I've pretty much settled on the multi-channel format and as much as I love the DGT and MDT and HX/DA, it's just nice if you play a variety of material to have at least 2 channels. More is better, but in practice, I really just settle on one lead tone from the amp, and get the rest with pedals on the clean channel. Even with the Roadster or JVM410 or 6100, I only ever use 2 channels plus pedals....

With the Archon, I've thought about getting rid of some of my other amps. One of those is the 2 channel C.... I hadn't even turned it on in over a year. With the snow-days around these parts though, I had a little spare time. And since I had been experimenting with midi control of pedals in the loop, I thought that I'd try things out with the "C".

The C, with the P22 is just amazing. Thank goodness I didn't get rid of this thing. It doesn't kick you in the gut like the Archon, but it is more....old-school.... on the lead side, which is nice as an alternative. It's sort of like a Marshall Vintage Modern if you could switch live between HDR and LDR without blowing your eardrums out.

Next gig is with the "C". The Archon is still king, but variety is the spice of life.... And if you like an amp today, you'll like it tomorrow even if some new sexy thing turns your head...
Just sold my 'C' for an Archon, lol
 
In my justification stage of the acquisition process, I'm careful to identify what Les mentioned: overlap. If I keep the right combination of amps on hand, I can do almost anything, play anywhere. If the rig is intuitive enough, I can adapt to any situation. So I have vintage, modern, and "classic".
 
In my justification stage of the acquisition process, I'm careful to identify what Les mentioned: overlap. If I keep the right combination of amps on hand, I can do almost anything, play anywhere. If the rig is intuitive enough, I can adapt to any situation. So I have vintage, modern, and "classic".

Me, too. 718 amps In a 10 lb. package. It's called a Kemper.
 
Me, too. 718 amps In a 10 lb. package. It's called a Kemper.

I like the 10 pounds concept! I think you mentioned that you also carry a small power amp when you play through the Kemper, and while it's another thing to have to deal with, it's very light weight if memory serves.

Of the 718 amps, which ones are your favorites? I'm curious about how many of the profiles you regularly play (as opposed to simply try out and skip over next time). I have synthesizers I only use for ten basic sounds, even when they're capable of an infinite number, because they're simply favorite sounds that I tweak and modify as needed. I can get pretty lazy about that at times.

I'm so satisfied with the sounds I'm getting from the HXDA and DG30 that I rarely use the Mesa, though it's sticking around because there are times I need a Mesa-style sound for a project. In any case, I'm pretty much a two amp fella.
 
I plug straight into GarageBand sometimes for quick headphone practice. But my tube amp sounds so much better, and it doesn't mud over my mistakes. It forces me to listen better and pay closer attention to my rhythm technique. And unlike the latest Line 6 or Kemper, it won't become obsolete in six months and completely incompatible with everything that might deign to connect to it within a few short years.
 
I tend to sell amps to get new amps. I don't miss most of the amps I used to have, mainly because I usually spent more on the guitar and got just enough amp to get me by. I miss my Vox AC4HW1 a little but I can get pretty similar tones from my Eggie with a LOT more headroom. I am totally gassing for an Archon 25. I love the Eggie's clean and light crunch tones, but I often have to apply multiple stomps to get the dirty tones I like. The dirty channel on the Archon demos I've watched sounds just freaking amazing. I'd love to slap a broken-in Eminence Legend into one of those and see what happens.
 
From what I've come to understand with amps & guitars, sometimes some real gems are made that aren't appreciated until they're out of production.
I've got a PRS SE Singlecut trem I bought for a song about a month ago; great guitar, just lacks the stoptail/wrapover bridge & extra vol/tone you get on the 245, as well as being 1/2" longer.
It's a great guitar, just underrated.

Likewise when I was younger & more impulsive I bought a Crate G60XL to go with my then Gibson SG.
The Gibson was stolen years ago, but I've still got the Crate, which I realise now was one of the last ones made in the UK with a 12" Celestion speaker in it.

I only bought the thing because I couldn't afford a Marshall or Fender, & thought it looked big & powerful enough.
I now realise it's actually as good or better than an equivalent Marshall or Fender, & I've never had a day's trouble from it.
It really shakes the windows when I plug in, & is great when I want a bit more power & depth than I can get from a practice amp (my Fender Frontman 15G).

I expect PRS amps are much like my Crate amp; underappreciated, undervalued, & will inevitably like the Gibson Les Paul, become sought after gear by aficionados in days to come.
 
I've been really struggling with keeping my Bad Cat amp lately. I like it, I've had it longer than any other amp I've owned(14-15 years maybe?). I just don't play it anymore. Almost ever. It may be because, at home, I can't play it at the volume that it thrives at. I've considered getting an unleash or fryette to help with that(and also give me an FX option) but not sure I want to go thru the trouble or spend more $ to make it better suited to me playing at home with it. I feel like I'm holding on to it for nostalgia and that it's one of the early Sampson designed models. I know I wouldn't get much money for it(it's well worn from lots of gigs). I just feel like it's useless to me sitting here. My rig set up doesn't allow me to swap amps in and out because of the channel switching and midi control over how I'm set up.
 
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