Les' Amps.

[László]

I've been playing my amps for between 8 and 3 years. The amps are the HXDA, DG30, Mesa Lone Star and Mesa Fillmore. I have installed NOS preamp tubes (and in the case of the HXDA, NOS Siemens power tubes), in every amp. The HXDA also has the sought-after 60s-70s Mullard preamp tubes and Siemens output tubes. The Mesas have RCAs in V1, and GEs in the other preamp tube sections. I stuck some cryogenically treated JJs marketed by Telefunken in the output tube section of the Lone Star.

All of these tube changes mattered quite a lot.. In fact, they mattered a surprising amount. I didn't expect NOS tubes to matter so much in the circuit board Mesas, but they certainly do/

Here's my take:

The Fillmore and HXDA do similar things, though there are some differences, particularly clean. The DG30 does what nothing else does. The Mesa Lone Star does what the others don't do (sort of a Fender Black Panel tone, with more midrange),

The HXDA and DG30 are indispensable. I couldn't do my work without them.

The Fillmore is a fabulous sounding amp. Everyone into semi-clean Fender tones with more vintage Tweed mids might want to consider one. I like the Lone Star's clean tones. There's a 'fast' attack and the amp sounds great with lots of pedals.

I still need a Matchless HC-30. Maybe the right project will come in to justify buying one?

I won't argue about my conclusions regarding NOS tubes. They matter.

 

[László]

"Les, you've said all this before. Many times."

"True, but this is the first time I've said it TODAY!"

 

[László]

I see I must respond to my own post a second time, and we all know that's the kiss of death.

"You're already dead."

"Shhh! Not a whole lot of people know that!"

 

[jxe]

no one but you can justify this many amps and that many boutique tubes is why. poor us’s.

 

[László]

no one but you can justify this many amps and that many boutique tubes is why. poor us’s.

Wait, seems like everyone here has more amps than I do!

 

[jxe]

Wait, seems like everyone here has more amps than I do!

like three or 4 people max and even those guys have to pack them away because they live in a closet full of amps.

 

[Wyzard]

My take, as one (and maybe even the apex) of the above-mentioned guilty parties - amps and speakers have mattered more to me for decades, having sorted out the instruments that I use seemingly forever ago. The guitars are mostly S-types that we built ourselves, a couple of PRS, a Hamer, and an occasional baritone.

I have a reasonable amount of space at home, a large rehearsal area on long-term lockout, and warehouse storage for what I'm not currently using. None of this is accidental or haphazard

 

[László]

My take, as one (and maybe even the apex) of the above-mentioned guilty parties - amps and speakers have mattered more to me for decades, having sorted out the instruments that I use seemingly forever ago. The guitars are mostly S-types that we built ourselves, a couple of PRS, a Hamer, and an occasional baritone.

I have a reasonable amount of space at home, a large rehearsal area on long-term lockout, and warehouse storage for what I'm not currently using. None of this is accidental or haphazard

For me there are two things that really separate guitars into categories that are as important to me as amps:

Fender type single coil guitars are in a category. Amps still matter more than guitars, but these guitars sound too thin for me, regardless of amp. This isn't a category I get involved with much except as a producer, and I claim no expertise.

Gibson or PRS humbuckers and P-90s are in a different category. These guitars most often work for me, and the right amps are more important. I'm convinced that based on experience with these, and a crapload of amps over the past 55 years, amps matter more than guitars.

I guess that's about as far as I can take it?

 

[Wyzard]

Absolutely.

I'll add in my experience, since you've deferred on S-types: finding, setting up and using the right amp (with the right pedals/fx) makes one helluva difference with single-coil equipped guitars; but discovering how to hit the right amp with the right pedal, and running it into the right speaker takes some considerable work.

Everything affects everything else ....... hmm, now where have I heard that before? Also, given that everyone's touch is different, what works for one person won't necessarily translate well/ok/at all for someone else.


In conclusion, this is not elementary stuff.

 

[RickP]

I’m one of those “3 or 4 max” people I guess. I’ve got about a dozen amps, though mine all stay plugged in and ready to go. And I’d have another dozen if I could. Amps are fun, and they have a personality. I find I play differently when I play through another amp. The sound and feel seems to prompt a direction.

No shame in it here. I earned the money for them all by gigging in my off hours throughout a career. Paid my bills, raised kids, took care of home and property… and played guitar! I enjoy them, which is all the explanation that is required, though talking about them is fun too.

Get the Matchless, @LSchefman ! I don’t recall any deathbed “I just wish I hadn’t enjoyed so many amps” confessions. Life is for the living.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Just to add my 2 cents, my little Mesa works very nicely with both HB and the single coil guitar I have.

But I am a pickup wh0re and like p90’s too.

I think single coils have their own personality and definitely suit certain genres of music better than others.

 

[László]

I don’t recall any deathbed “I just wish I hadn’t enjoyed so many amps” confessions. Life is for the living.

That's kind of like the theoretical deathbed "I just wish I hadn't had so much sex" confession. It's theoretical because it hasn't happened.

 

[RickP]

That's kind of like the theoretical deathbed "I just wish I hadn't had so much sex" confession. It's theoretical because it hasn't happened.

Yes sir, and it won’t happen to you either! Lol. Ordered that amp yet?

 

[László]

Yes sir, and it won’t happen to you either! Lol. Ordered that amp yet?

Today 'more amps' and 'more sex' are equally out of the question. I messed up my back and don't even know how it happened.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Today 'more amps' and 'more sex' are equally out of the question. I messed up my back and don't even know how it happened.

Hope you recover soon Les. Be safe my friend.

 

[László]

Hope you recover soon Les. Be safe my friend.

Thanks, A.

I'll be fine, it happens occasionally and after a few days it's gone.

 

[Senor Verde]

I agree that NOS tubes can sound better, but I've bought many NOS tubes that had issues right out of the box or after just a few hours. Buying from very reputable sellers has led to them giving me a hard time or flat out saying there must be something wrong with my amp. However, putting the pre-existing new production tubes back in the amp they worked fine for many, many hours or years. I need gear that works consistently well and sounds great with new production tubes. I'm not afraid to roll tubes to get good sounds, but have a problem spending big $ for unreliable old tubes.

 

[andy474x]

I’ve gone totally NOS in the preamps of both my Sweet 16 and Custom 50, and also NOS power tubes in the Sweet 16. It’s been a mixed bag, not in any bad way, just not what I expected. The change to NOS still brought me to a good place, just along a path I didn’t expect.

What I had in my head was that NOS 12ax7 gain stage tubes would have some hard to quantify vintage magic to them, and the 12at7 utility tubes would maybe be a little more reliable bit otherwise the same as new production. My experience has been almost the opposite. The reverb driver and phase inverter 12at7's have proven to be critical in those amps. It seems to be a phenomenon specific to the PRS amps I have, the other amps don't fuss as much (but, they also don't sound as good). The gain stages, I like what the NOS tubes do, although I think I could get very close with the right new production tubes, too.

Darn things are getting hard to find, though, especially in the case of 12ax7's. I had a good thing going getting RCA 12ax7's (I like the long grey plates) at a pretty good price, but they've pretty much dried up everywhere, as have other sought after tubes like Mullards, Bugle Boy, etc. Most of what I can find now is listed as "used" or "test NOS."

Absolutely.

I'll add in my experience, since you've deferred on S-types: finding, setting up and using the right amp (with the right pedals/fx) makes one helluva difference with single-coil equipped guitars; but discovering how to hit the right amp with the right pedal, and running it into the right speaker takes some considerable work.

Everything affects everything else ....... hmm, now where have I heard that before? Also, given that everyone's touch is different, what works for one person won't necessarily translate well/ok/at all for someone else.


In conclusion, this is not elementary stuff.

No kidding. Speakers make (or break) a lot of the equation for me, thank goodness for impulse responses - the wide variety of speakers can bring an amp a long way, but it would be a nightmare to physically go through them trying to find the right one.

Today 'more amps' and 'more sex' are equally out of the question. I messed up my back and don't even know how it happened.

Hopefully it was doing something related to those activities in the first place.

 

[Wyzard]

I’ve gone totally NOS in the preamps of both my Sweet 16 and Custom 50, and also NOS power tubes in the Sweet 16. It’s been a mixed bag, not in any bad way, just not what I expected. The change to NOS still brought me to a good place, just along a path I didn’t expect.

What I had in my head was that NOS 12ax7 gain stage tubes would have some hard to quantify vintage magic to them, and the 12at7 utility tubes would maybe be a little more reliable bit otherwise the same as new production. My experience has been almost the opposite. The reverb driver and phase inverter 12at7's have proven to be critical in those amps. It seems to be a phenomenon specific to the PRS amps I have, the other amps don't fuss as much (but, they also don't sound as good). The gain stages, I like what the NOS tubes do, although I think I could get very close with the right new production tubes, too.

Darn things are getting hard to find, though, especially in the case of 12ax7's. I had a good thing going getting RCA 12ax7's (I like the long grey plates) at a pretty good price, but they've pretty much dried up everywhere, as have other sought after tubes like Mullards, Bugle Boy, etc. Most of what I can find now is listed as "used" or "test NOS."


No kidding. Speakers make (or break) a lot of the equation for me, thank goodness for impulse responses - the wide variety of speakers can bring an amp a long way, but it would be a nightmare to physically go through them trying to find the right one.

I have a bucket of my own small triode ANOS/working pulls from the last forty years, which I add to every now and then from mates or reputable sources with proper testing equipment. I always end up getting my amp tech to run the resulting fully-kitted-out amps on his AP test suite as well: this enables us to check out virtually everything, and while it's all working under load.

But as you indicate, it's getting harder to find them these days.

Power tubes - I had some success with the older TAD/Shug 6L6WGC/5881s (in my TR Akoya), and the newest red base tubes coming from TAD seem to be OK so far. I have the red base EL34s in one amp (Groove Tubes Dual 75) and they're not bad either - just not as good as Mullards or RFTs, sadly. Still, not bad......


As for speakers, I try them out at all volumes, as the opportunity arises. I've narrowed it down to four that I really like; and even though I've got a load of others to choose from, one or two of these four always seems to work. That's an '80s or '90s EVM12L, a Black Shadow Celestion or Eminence in or from a Mesa cab, and a Fane Crescendo.


I only rarely buy amps anymore, and it would generally be a specific type. That's to say: a D-style, a Boogie (MkII from A to C+, typically), an original Hylight-era Hiwatt, or an old Fender. I'm looking to add a couple more, probably a Suhr Hedgehog and a PRS HDRX, but that's unlikely to happen before late next year.

 

[Texas_minor_blues]

I've been playing my amps for between 8 and 3 years. The amps are the HXDA, DG30, Mesa Lone Star and Mesa Fillmore. I have installed NOS preamp tubes (and in the case of the HXDA, NOS Siemens power tubes), in every amp. The HXDA also has the sought-after 60s-70s Mullard preamp tubes and Siemens output tubes. The Mesas have RCAs in V1, and GEs in the other preamp tube sections. I stuck some cryogenically treated JJs marketed by Telefunken in the output tube section of the Lone Star.

All of these tube changes mattered quite a lot.. In fact, they mattered a surprising amount. I didn't expect NOS tubes to matter so much in the circuit board Mesas, but they certainly do/

Here's my take:

The Fillmore and HXDA do similar things, though there are some differences, particularly clean. The DG30 does what nothing else does. The Mesa Lone Star does what the others don't do (sort of a Fender Black Panel tone, with more midrange),

The HXDA and DG30 are indispensable. I couldn't do my work without them.

The Fillmore is a fabulous sounding amp. Everyone into semi-clean Fender tones with more vintage Tweed mids might want to consider one. I like the Lone Star's clean tones. There's a 'fast' attack and the amp sounds great with lots of pedals.

I still need a Matchless HC-30. Maybe the right project will come in to justify buying one?

I won't argue about my conclusions regarding NOS tubes. They matter.

The only Matchless HC-30 justification you need is that it is a Matchless