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I could probably solve about 99% of my amp needs and wants with a nice Princeton but what would be the fun in that. So here's the latest twist in my endless journey...
It's a SansAmp Para Driver as the preamp going to a JHS reverb pedal which in turn goes to a Hotone Loudster power amp. All that fronts a small (and very funky) open back 1x12 cab. The whole thing has a very Silver Face/Black Face kind of sound but with a lot more control over the brightness and the mid range dip. I'll probably add a delay at some point (and it definitely needs to be organized in some fashion) but it's now basically functional and gives me something like a warmer version of an old Princeton that I can dial in for virtually unlimited amounts of clean headroom. (Now whether I can find anywhere to use this rig might be a different issue).
A few random comments:
Full points to Hotone for the Loudster. It's simple, very guitar specific, lots of power, drop dead quiet, no fan, and doesn't seem to color the sound at all. The amp only weighs 590 grams (about 1.4 lbs) but It runs off an external power supply which adds both to the weight, the size, and the inconvenience. On the other hand, I suspect it's why they are able to do 75 watts with no fan.
The cab is ridiculously funky and made from old barn boards. It's very small and light weight for a 1x12 cab. It's loaded with an Eminence Tonespotter, which I really like and it does the basic Fender thing really well.
The Para Diver is a conceptual marvel and I never would have thought of it if I hadn't read about it here. The midrange shift is remarkably powerful and basically re-voices the entire sound of the rig from a mid heavy, very solid state sound to a very scooped Fender Blackface sound. It's getting to be an old design and it's not quite as quiet as I'd like. I'll probably keep looking for something else to fill the preamp function but but for now, the ability to shape the tone so specifically without having to get into menus and submenus will probably keep me using it for quite a while.
The JHS Reverb is exactly as advertised: a clean traditional reverb pedal that gets a lot of different sounds (most of which I will never use) out a very simple control setup. I think I like it but I'm still messing with the controls a bit.
And finally, I had forgotten how much having all these components turns a rig like this into a game of Tetris, especially with everything being different sizes and layouts. I'm sure I'll figure out something but right now it feels like chaos and an invitation for the dog to misbehave.
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It's a SansAmp Para Driver as the preamp going to a JHS reverb pedal which in turn goes to a Hotone Loudster power amp. All that fronts a small (and very funky) open back 1x12 cab. The whole thing has a very Silver Face/Black Face kind of sound but with a lot more control over the brightness and the mid range dip. I'll probably add a delay at some point (and it definitely needs to be organized in some fashion) but it's now basically functional and gives me something like a warmer version of an old Princeton that I can dial in for virtually unlimited amounts of clean headroom. (Now whether I can find anywhere to use this rig might be a different issue).
A few random comments:
Full points to Hotone for the Loudster. It's simple, very guitar specific, lots of power, drop dead quiet, no fan, and doesn't seem to color the sound at all. The amp only weighs 590 grams (about 1.4 lbs) but It runs off an external power supply which adds both to the weight, the size, and the inconvenience. On the other hand, I suspect it's why they are able to do 75 watts with no fan.
The cab is ridiculously funky and made from old barn boards. It's very small and light weight for a 1x12 cab. It's loaded with an Eminence Tonespotter, which I really like and it does the basic Fender thing really well.
The Para Diver is a conceptual marvel and I never would have thought of it if I hadn't read about it here. The midrange shift is remarkably powerful and basically re-voices the entire sound of the rig from a mid heavy, very solid state sound to a very scooped Fender Blackface sound. It's getting to be an old design and it's not quite as quiet as I'd like. I'll probably keep looking for something else to fill the preamp function but but for now, the ability to shape the tone so specifically without having to get into menus and submenus will probably keep me using it for quite a while.
The JHS Reverb is exactly as advertised: a clean traditional reverb pedal that gets a lot of different sounds (most of which I will never use) out a very simple control setup. I think I like it but I'm still messing with the controls a bit.
And finally, I had forgotten how much having all these components turns a rig like this into a game of Tetris, especially with everything being different sizes and layouts. I'm sure I'll figure out something but right now it feels like chaos and an invitation for the dog to misbehave.
