Guitar
I'm disproportionately excited about the introduction of the Vox AmPlug extension cabinet
, retailing in the U.S. for $30. There's a post about them over at Guitar Noize and I'll probably seek out one of these in my next string-buying trip to Long and McQuade, my geographically closest music store.
I bought an AC30 AmPlug headphone amp when I was still on the road and needed a way to hear my solidbody electric guitar in hotel rooms. I use it quite a bit at home now, especially when I feel like rocking out. With a good set of headphones the AmPlug sounds very nice indeed for what it is. I don't hear a lot of Pod-like digital processing going on in the AmPlug; maybe that's part of why I like it so much. It turns out that the AmPlug is completely analog, an increasingly rare thing in the world of miniature electronics these days.
I stumbled on a trick to make the AmPlug sound more like an amp in the room - I put the headphones only half-on my ears so that I can hear the acoustic sound of the guitar. It seems to give the sound a wider field of placement, something that is necessary especially for the complex tone of an AC30
, which this headphone amp imitates surprisingly well. My most memorable AC30 experience was in October 1992, when I was performing in England with Dave King's long-running jazz-funk-rock band, Rapid Transit. We rented backline and my amp was an AC30. It was my first experience playing through one and it was magical. It was unfortunately a little bit low on headroom to have a reasonably clean tone over Dave's thundering drum assault. A Twin would have done nicely there. But I never forgot the lush, clear sound of an overdriven AC30.
Maybe someday I'll own an AC30, but for now it's the AC30 AmPlug, for my ears only.
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Guitar
Gear lust on a budget: the Vox AmPlug.
, retailing in the U.S. for $30. There's a post about them over at Guitar Noize and I'll probably seek out one of these in my next string-buying trip to Long and McQuade, my geographically closest music store.I bought an AC30 AmPlug headphone amp when I was still on the road and needed a way to hear my solidbody electric guitar in hotel rooms. I use it quite a bit at home now, especially when I feel like rocking out. With a good set of headphones the AmPlug sounds very nice indeed for what it is. I don't hear a lot of Pod-like digital processing going on in the AmPlug; maybe that's part of why I like it so much. It turns out that the AmPlug is completely analog, an increasingly rare thing in the world of miniature electronics these days.
I stumbled on a trick to make the AmPlug sound more like an amp in the room - I put the headphones only half-on my ears so that I can hear the acoustic sound of the guitar. It seems to give the sound a wider field of placement, something that is necessary especially for the complex tone of an AC30
, which this headphone amp imitates surprisingly well. My most memorable AC30 experience was in October 1992, when I was performing in England with Dave King's long-running jazz-funk-rock band, Rapid Transit. We rented backline and my amp was an AC30. It was my first experience playing through one and it was magical. It was unfortunately a little bit low on headroom to have a reasonably clean tone over Dave's thundering drum assault. A Twin would have done nicely there. But I never forgot the lush, clear sound of an overdriven AC30.Maybe someday I'll own an AC30, but for now it's the AC30 AmPlug, for my ears only.
- Peavey Classic 30 Tube Amp In Covina For $280
This seller is offering a Peavey Tweed Classic 30 for the reasonable price of only $280. These are nice small amps that have all the basics without any additional nonsense. Two channels. four EL84 output tubes - similar to an AC30 but tone leans...
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Uncommon but probably great sounding tube head in SF bay area. Seller says 80 watts with four 6V6 but that sounds a little generous. More like 30-40 watts (think AC30 if tubes are in Class A not push-pull) - however there is a good chance this...
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These are nice USA made amps with a good reputation and solid Bluesy tone. this amp will go head to head with a Blues Jr. anyday and some would say it comes out on top. Note that this is a FOUR EL84 amp - making it the same output as a Vox AC30. *********************************...
- Exploring The Limits Of Gear Portability
I live in a downtown area of Toronto, and I find that quite a few of my gigs are within walking distance. I prefer to walk over taking public transit or driving; it's better for my health, better for the environment, and the walk gives me time to...
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I bought a new amp yesterday. I've been using an early Fender Pro Junior for several years, lately with a Hughes and Kettner Red Box between the speaker and the amp so that I can run a signal out to a small powered PA speaker for more headroom on...