What Are Your Favorite Amps To Play?

1) Archon 100: great cleans and a fantastic lead channel. Love that the gain channel can do a nice crunch all the way to a nice metal gain. Just a great all around versatile amp. A keeper.
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2) HX/DA 30W: I think enough has been said about these. Great amp. Awesome plexi tones and love being able to change the brightness and gain thru the hxda switches. A keeper.
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3) HX/DA 50W: Very similar to the 30w but a little more bottom end. Surprisingly, I am having a tough time bonding with it. Still need to try some different settings and speakers.
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4) Peavey XXX 100w: total gain monster. Removes paint from the walls. I was shocked at a great clean channel too. Good pedal platform. Great 80's and 90's tone.
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5) Peavey Rockmaster 120w: A gift from my best friend, bandmate and best man who sadly passed a few years back. Very sentimental with this one, tried to give it to his son after his passing but his son wasnt too interested so I kept it. Good old rock machine. LOUD! Got some great marshally/plexi tones. I dont play it too often.
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6) Mesa mini recto 25w: Great little amp. Good tones over both channels of 10 and 25 watts. Its got nice clean and pushed side (switch) and a vintage and modern switch for some food versatility. Its a loud little sucker. Good Mesa tones, but I am not going to say this sounds just like a recto because it doesn't, but it does the mesa tone pretty well regardless. Been using this one for the last 5 months while selling our place and moving.
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7) Fender Sidekick Reverb 35: great little fender. Solid state with spring reverb. Fun little amp with some great fender tones.
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Still looking for a Mike built Soldano, (may just pick up a new BAD one for now) and maybe a Friedman down the road.
Just purchased a new place in Arizona and waiting to close in 2 weeks. I've got a nice shop out back with A/C and plenty of room that I can set up in. Been bedroom playing for the last 6 years and looking forward to being able to crack open the volumes again.
 
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One of the best amp I ever played was the Pete Thorn Suhr Signature amp: https://www.thomann.de/gb/suhr_pt15_i_r._head.htm?glp=1 The guys at the guitar shop hated me because i was trying the same G major over and over for hours while I was tweaking this beauty.

I had for a couple of years a PRS Amp, with an Harley Benton speaker and it was really nice. ( ) Couldn't play it too much because of my elder brother and neighbourhood always complaining.

Now I own a small Marshall Origin 5c but... can't push it too much.

That's why I consider myself more as son of the amp simulators than tube amps.
I had the 6 HD500, Fractal Axe FX, a Line 6 Helix and Neural DSP.

And the amp that i'll always choose it's a Marshall. Then Friedman and Victorys amps.

I wish I could play more amps!
 
One of the best amp I ever played was the Pete Thorn Suhr Signature amp: https://www.thomann.de/gb/suhr_pt15_i_r._head.htm?glp=1 The guys at the guitar shop hated me because i was trying the same G major over and over for hours while I was tweaking this beauty.

I had for a couple of years a PRS Amp, with an Harley Benton speaker and it was really nice. ( ) Couldn't play it too much because of my elder brother and neighbourhood always complaining.

Now I own a small Marshall Origin 5c but... can't push it too much.

That's why I consider myself more as son of the amp simulators than tube amps.
I had the 6 HD500, Fractal Axe FX, a Line 6 Helix and Neural DSP.

And the amp that i'll always choose it's a Marshall. Then Friedman and Victorys amps.

I wish I could play more amps!

Great share, thanks.
 
Mine is still the Archon 100, even after trying out a few other things on the side. Plenty tight enough on its own, but not to the point of robbing some of that "massive" kind of vibe as far as driven tones are concerned. Also works great with pedals if that's how you roll.



That being said, I've also made good usage of the AmpKnob RevC based on a Dual Rectifier. Works great especially when I'm on the go and not able to carry much.
 
Peavey 6505 100 plus
Marshall DSL15H
Mesa Boogie MKV,25
Mesa Boogie DC3
And the most used amp in the house Yamaha THR10ii
Almost forgot Quilter micro block 45 back up amp on my gig board,,get some great Fender clean tones
 
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I got a Yamaha THR10! Cool little amp!
I don't play out much. Have a THD Univalve and a Quilter MP200 and an Orange Crush 60. They work ok, for the time being, for when I do play out with friend,,,every so often. Others, too,,,in various states of disrepair or disuse.
Most amps I play are the amp sims in my StudioOne,,,Neural DSP, STLAmpHub, GrindStein, and Brainworx.
 
I got a Yamaha THR10! Cool little amp!
I don't play out much. Have a THD Univalve and a Quilter MP200 and an Orange Crush 60. They work ok, for the time being, for when I do play out with friend,,,every so often. Others, too,,,in various states of disrepair or disuse.
Most amps I play are the amp sims in my StudioOne,,,Neural DSP, STLAmpHub, GrindStein, and Brainworx.

I have my THR set up in the kitchen,it looks like a toaster so it fits right in,,wifes words not mine
I end up getting practice time in while im getting house hold buisness done alot of times and the kitchen is the center of our house
So i bought a THR and its sounds pretty good once you get it dialed in stereo and good reverb
I have a Line6 witeless that its set up to charge in and i bluetooth that and the iphone to it and i have freedom of movement and total control of amp and effects which i think Yamaha did a goid job with on the interface and patches and best of all backing tracks and it doubles as the bluetooth speaker to just listen to music,even decent built in tuner
I stash a guitar stand in the pantry and all i have to do is grab my guitar of choice out of the studio on the way to the kitchen
Ill even run a couple 30’ Whirlwind cords out of my studio to an A&B box in the hallway and run an amp in there and switch between amps using the THR for backing tracks or have two guitars set up when my playing buddy stops over for coffee
 
That sounds pretty convenient, Red Beard. Nice when you have lots of stuff, can do much with it!
I have mine next to the bed, on a stool, though admittedly I don't use it much. I set here at the computer and do my thing,,,pretty much record all day, or try to. I've got lots of outboard gear, pretty good stuff, that sits unused, because everything 'in the box' has gotten so sophisticated, anymore. Good enough for me, anyway.
 
Here's a unexpected one. Use to play onstage through a Mesa Mark 5 25 watt. Currently I am in a condo with paper thin walls. The smallest practice amp I had was still too loud. Could not turn volume past 1. At a level of 1 the amps have no character.
Recently purchased a BOSS Katana Mini....7 watt. It is unbelievable ! Great sound that you can turn up all the way, let it do its thing and still not be too loud.
 
3) HX/DA 50W: Very similar to the 30w but a little more bottom end. Surprisingly, I am having a tough time bonding with it. Still need to try some different settings and speakers.
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They do have more bottom end, but both HXDA models improve an awful lot with NOS tubes. I found that the Russian and Chinese tubes, and even the JJs (that I think are very good tubes) didn't produce a lean enough sound like the old Mullards.

When I spoke to Doug Sewell at the PRS 30th event a few years back, he suggested trying NOS Siemens. I did, and they're perfect.
 
When I spoke to Doug Sewell at the PRS 30th event a few years back, he suggested trying NOS Siemens. I did, and they're perfect.

If by NOS Siemens you're referring to the RFTs re-labeled as "Siemens", then I'm 110 percent with you there.

Quite a few of my amps (that don't have old Mullards in) have RFTs installed. They're excellent-sounding, and have proven pretty tough over the years too.
 
They do have more bottom end, but both HXDA models improve an awful lot with NOS tubes. I found that the Russian and Chinese tubes, and even the JJs (that I think are very good tubes) didn't produce a lean enough sound like the old Mullards.

When I spoke to Doug Sewell at the PRS 30th event a few years back, he suggested trying NOS Siemens. I did, and they're perfect.
Thanks Les, I remember you had mentioned these before. I have the Siemens in the 30 and, as you said, they are perfect. I do like the winged C's in there too. I have gone back and forth with both in the 30 and 50.
For some reason I can seem to get the 50 set right or something. I think you had mentioned before, but the 50 doesn't break up as early as the 30. Add that and the fact of the small room I was in didnt help things either.
Once I get set up at my new place I am determined to get it sounding good.
Thanks for the advice which is always welcomed and helpful as usual. Thats why I love this place.
 
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