Okay, I know the real answer is 1 more than you have now. But I'm starting to be surrounded by amps and getting seduced by more, and if I lived in California, it would be a seismic hazard because I'd be stacking them on top of each other in the small house I'd have to live in.

Really, the question is, how many amps do you think you would need to satisfy all your different musical circumstances? There's low volume practice at home, and then gigging volume amps. And then there are amps to work for other genres you might enjoy playing. So what is the minimum amp complement that would satisfy all your needs?

I always had one amp in bedroom, usually the one that you may have nice sound on low volumes. For gigs amps were always provided by venues and rehearsal studios also equipped with everything, although it’s not so here in Germany as I see so if I am to gig I will probably buy something. Considering style - I have pedals for this)

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

I've only ever had one at a time. And solid state, at that. I think I'm going to get my first tube amp come tax return season...

One. Of. Each.

Each color, each year.

Will forever be searching for The One.

But at least two at a time.

I love amps. To me, they are fascinating and there are any number of variations that can be produced, with simple changes. For example, the Super Reverb has a smaller midrange capacitor and between that and the 4 10” speakers, the sound is much warmer and has more midrange than its siblings, based upon the same basic AB763 circuit. Vox have their own voice, as do Marshall and, of course, Fender. I’ve found that the Vox tone stack works well for my tastes, but I move between a Vox circuit, a ‘62 Princeton circuit and a ‘68 Custom Deluxe Reverb, which uses the same tone stack midrange cap as the Super Reverb. That seems to be a step closer to the texture of a ‘62 Showman.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

edwardsand wrote:

synchro wrote:

I love amps. To me, they are fascinating and there are any number of variations that can be produced, with simple changes. For example, the Super Reverb has a smaller midrange capacitor and between that and the 4 10” speakers, the sound is much warmer and has more midrange than its siblings, based upon the same basic AB763 circuit. Vox have their own voice, as do Marshall and, of course, Fender. I’ve found that the Vox tone stack works well for my tastes, but I move between a Vox circuit, a ‘62 Princeton circuit and a ‘68 Custom Deluxe Reverb, which uses the same tone stack midrange cap as the Super Reverb. That seems to be a step closer to the texture of a ‘62 Showman.

I know we've discussed at least one of your amps before - the Winfield based on the 6G2 circuit, and I really dig the 6G2 circuit amp I built. I also built an AB763 Deluxe Reverb (single channel, no trem), and I added a mid/raw control based on Rob Robinette's design. That mid/raw pot allows me to add a lot of warmth to the sound. I need to A/B it with the 6G2 some more, but it gives a lot more versatility to a classic amp, and I may even dare to say it gets you solidly in Fender blonde territory.

The AB763 is a great circuit, and there’s a lot you can do with it. The Deluxe Reverb doesn’t have a discrete Mids control, so you definitely gain a lot of versatility by adding one. The other thing about the Deluxe Reverb is capacitor C-10, on the second channel, which allows highs to bypass the volume control. That’s great for Bakersfield sounds, but may not be the best for trying to get Blonde sounds.

Years ago, I dropped by Rainbow Guitars to try out an RC-3 Looper, and they plugged me into an amp that looked like a Silverface Deluxe Reverb, a then new model called the ‘68 Custom Deluxe Reverb. It has reverb on both channels and the first channel, the Modified channel has a “Bassman Tone Stack”. Well, if you check, it’s also the Super Reverb tone stack. That channel gets you a bit closer to the sonic territory of a Blonde Fender. The ‘68 CDR was modified for lower clean headroom, but by piggybacking a second negative feedback resistor, lowering the NFB circuit acts as it would in an unmodified Deluxe Reverb, restoring the headroom to stock values.

The Tremor is pretty similar to a 6G2, and sounds great for Surf. If I was going to record a perfect Surf sound, that’s the amp I’d use. The 6G2 circuit is functionally very similar to a Tweed Vibrolux. The signal path is slightly different, between the two, but the circuits function pretty much the same.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

revmike wrote:

As mentioned, realistically just one, for me. It would be my Vibrasonic. I also have another big stage amp (Garnet Rev II), that I use on occasion, as well as a handful of small recording amps, and a Quilter SB US. The variety of amps are really great for finding different sounds for recording, or practicing. Different amps inspire different ways.

Rev

Vibrasonic is a great choice. All but forgotten, but a wonderful design.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

synchro wrote:

revmike wrote:

As mentioned, realistically just one, for me. It would be my Vibrasonic. I also have another big stage amp (Garnet Rev II), that I use on occasion, as well as a handful of small recording amps, and a Quilter SB US. The variety of amps are really great for finding different sounds for recording, or practicing. Different amps inspire different ways.

Rev

Vibrasonic is a great choice. All but forgotten, but a wonderful design.

Agreed

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

As for me, I'd love to have One Amp to Rule Them All. But that's hard to find unless you find a modeling/emulating amp that sounds great and suits all your needs (I'd be willing to try a Boss Nextone, which has potential).

Otherwise, I need a couple of amps for practicing at home and schlepping to go play with friends - I say a couple because I like having different sounds available and different levels of headroom/breakup. I need a good loud amp in case I manage to ever get a band together again so that I'd play actual live gigs.

That being said, I've got like 10. Of those: 2 are in need of repair and don't get played, 3 are stuck in a corner or distant location and never played, and 1 is a cheap practice amp that I'm going to sell.

The remaining four get played more often. One is the 6G2 Princeton-based amp I mentioned above, which I built and it has a vintage Oxford 12T6 speaker. I love the tone of this amp and its tremolo. It doesn't get very loud, just gets compressed the more you turn it up. Not really suited for gigs, but this one is a keeper. Another is an amp I built with the AA764 Champ circuit, plus some mods to make it more versatile. It's louder than the 6G2, but I don't play it too much. Third amp is a cheap early 1960s MIJ amp, similar to a tweed Princeton circuit. It's maybe 2-5 watts, and produces great distortion when turned up - great for trashy garage and bluesy stuff, but kind of a 1-hit wonder.

The amp I use most is another one I built, based on the AB763 Deluxe Reverb (also mentioned above). It's a single channel (normal channel is not necessary) with reverb, but no tremolo. It's really loud - I never crank it past 4, and even then, things are rattling. I added a mid-raw control, which does more than give you a mids control - in the lower range, it serves as a standard mid control, but going higher, it is gradually removing the high and low controls out of the circuit, and full on it is basically bypassing the tone stack (that's the raw part of the control). This gives it a lot more versatility. I can get the classic black panel AB763 sound, and then go into the sonic territory of the brown and tweed amps. I need to play with that more.

Overall, the AB763 amp comes closest to the one amp to rule them all, but not quite there. I still play the other three, so four seems to be about the number of amps I actually need. Plus one more.

Currently? 6, or 3 heads and 3 combos.

'65 Hilgen Basso Grande head - first amp I ever owned and re-bought this and had it worked on. Has an early Ampeg feel with the 7591 tubes. Angry on guitar!
Dr. Z MAZ 18 Jr - EL84 VOX flavor with PPIMV
65 Tremolux with 2x10 cab - this one mostly stays home
74 Princeton - Small home practice amp for super clean at low volume.
77 Vibrolux Reverb - main gigging amp now - great for shows with no monitors and the open back lets the drummer hear me.
81 Princeton Reverb - usually bring with the Dr. Z to run in stereo or have the 6V6/EL84 mix...

'65 Fender Tremolux, '74 Princeton; 77 Vibrolux Reverb; '81 Princeton Reverb
'65-66 Hilgen Basso Grande
Dr. Z MAZ 18 Jr. + 1x12 Cab
Various Telecasters and noise-making pedals
Farfisa Compact Duo