Best Amp for Coverband Duty?

[aristotle]

I've got my favorite, but I'm curious as to what yours are.....

Some of you guys do originals where you can define your own tone, but there are probably plenty of others who need to cover a wide range.

I have no shortage of amps, and I find that the enjoyment I get out of all of them is great...but the ones that I really like playing on my own aren't necessarily the ones that work best in a cover band that requires everything from Mr. Clean to Dr. Distortion.,.,

The only hint that I'll give relative to my vote for best is that my favorite amp for coverband work is a PRS. Not revealing which just yet. I'm curious as to which you guys like though....PRS or otherwise (and full disclosure....I'm pre-disposed to Marshall amps, so for a PRS to win out is saying something...)

 

[Boogie]

It depends on the kind of cover band. For classic rock, I'm dialed in tightly with my Super Dallas. For '50s/'60s I like my Bassman, but I'm probably going to work the SuperD into the rig. It's been about 3 years since doing a modern-ish cover band job but if I did again, I'd consider an MDT or Custom 50 instead of the Boogie, this go around. The pedal selection is what makes these amps work in their respective genre so that's always an important part of my rig.

 

[aristotle]

It depends on the kind of cover band.

Ain't that the truth. In my case, we do everything from classic Rock to modern stuff (relatively speaking....) And some of it requires clean...and not the type of "clean" tone that means slightly less gain tone. I do indeed like the MDT, set cleanish, and using pedals to get beyond that it works well for gigs... and at home, there isn't much better than the MDT when I have the flexibility to set it to my tastes for a particular tone and then set it again for something different. It's not my favorite live though.

Tied for #2 is indeed a Boogie in my case (Lone Star head). Number 1 is a PRS though, and not the ones you mentioned.

Oh....and Martysnarf isn't allowed to answer....

 

[aduayer]

I can cover lots of sound with my "H" head. Basically I dial a nice clean sound and adds pedals to build what I need gain wise .

 

[Boogie]

Number 1 is a PRS though, and not the ones you mentioned.

Oh....and Martysnarf isn't allowed to answer....

Heh...Jeff nearly drove me to making another amp purchase after my Sweet 16 tire-kicking last September. He is the most diabolical, evil (in a cool-as-hell-brutha-from-another-mutha kind of way) enabler, but his Sweet 16 thru your PRS 1x12 spoiled me. That could cover a lot of territory in multiple genre, too.

 

[prscat33511]

20-30 watts
6V6, 6L6-type amp
good fresh clean sound
2-3 dirt pedals, delay & reverb
(can I mention another 3-letter brand here?)

 

[aristotle]

Heh...Jeff nearly drove me to making another amp purchase after my Sweet 16 tire-kicking last September. He is the most diabolical, evil (in a cool-as-hell-brutha-from-another-mutha kind of way) enabler, but his Sweet 16 thru your PRS 1x12 spoiled me. That could cover a lot of territory in multiple genre, too.

Yeah... Jeff had borrowed a couple of guitars and seemed to need to offer up something of his as "hostage". He had a 2-channel C he was bragging on that was modified by Doug Sewel at an Experience a year or two back. I figured that it was probably a nice amp, but wasn't particularly hot for a 2 channel amp. Didn't see any reason to refuse the hostage offer though, so I took it. And that one is my number 1 favorite gigging coverband amp now. Nice cleans, super nice lead channel that can be set for a really tight thumpy bottom end even at low volumes, the master volume works great on both sides and it really is just the right mix of simple to use and broad range of tones. I like a bunch of amps more than it to just sit and play through. Every time I try another amp at a practice or a gig, it doesn't work out as well though in the global scheme of things. Anyway, suffice it to say, Jeff never got his amp back from me...

 

[Boogie]

I see we have similar tastes...

:rock:

I totally get the 'C' thing because I came this close to grabbing one instead of the Super D. It was the discussions with Jeff and Doug and DG at Exp that clinched the decision. Enablers, all of 'em!

 

[andy474x]

The PRS 2 channel stuff is great for cover work... they really are like 2 amps in one box, a nice thing to have if you need a lot of tones but don't want to haul a lot of gear. My band plays mostly covers, and I rarely switch channels during songs, but I still love having the separate EQ's on each channel... usually I can handle all the stuff we play between the two channels, and maybe one OD pedal.

 

[Texas_minor_blues]

I have to agree with the 2 Channel H, it covers so much ground. The more I play with it the more I realize how dynamic it is. I have found some really nice Hendrix-y and SRV tones from it as well as heavier ones lie Tool and Helmet. Mixed in with the Bogner I have little issues getting what I need.