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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink Need help choosing between Fender solid state or tube amp

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Hi, I need some advice from all the more experienced surf musicians.
I have been playing surf for about three years. Last summer, I did some limited busking with using a battery powered 5W Vox amp and a loop pedal. While it's OK for busking, I also do home recording and this amp sounds really tinny for music recording.
I would like to get a Fender amp that would be good for both busking and home recording. I am thinking either the Blues Jr or the solid state Champ 100. Part of me is leaning toward the Champ, as I could possibly pair it at some point with a tablet so that I can play along with pre recording backing tracks more easily. This is my first really serious amp purchase, and I would welcome any feedback or suggestions

In my opinion the champ. the Blues Jr has a warmth that I wouldn't personally want for surf (I have owned 3 different Blues Jr.s before).

However if you have a little more to spend i would get a Quiilter. Easy to busk. direct out to record on some models. Just my opinion though.

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Last edited: Feb 27, 2023 12:28:03

Hi Monosurf, I do have the Champion 100 and do like it a lot for surf. It definitely has the loudness and cleanliness that's needed. I don't know if I really love it though as sometimes I get lost between the different channels and models that are there to choose from. Also I think I'll always wonder if I shouldn't get a tube amp at one point just to have that proper tube feeling and response. Saying that we once compared it to my friends Twin Reverb Tonemaster and there really wasn't much of a difference especially considering the difference in price.

I woould recommend Quilter Superblock US both for gigs and recording. In my opinion it is also has much more of a surf tone than both mentioned amps and will cost with decent cab around $450-500.

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

New Single is out!

https://waikikimakaki.bandcamp.com/album/rhino-blues-full-contact-surf-single

Waikiki Makaki

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

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

Samurai wrote:

I woould recommend Quilter Superblock US both for gigs and recording. In my opinion it is also has much more of a surf tone than both mentioned amps and will cost with decent cab around $450-500.

While tube amps will often sound more authentic for surf (not always, lot of factors go into the sound), I agree with Samurai. I have one of these as well, and it is really versatile, and I can dial in a variety of surfy tones. The onboard reverb is more atmospheric than drippy, so you will probably need some other type of reverb.

Rev

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

Last edited: Feb 27, 2023 14:22:40

revmike wrote:

Samurai wrote:

I woould recommend Quilter Superblock US both for gigs and recording. In my opinion it is also has much more of a surf tone than both mentioned amps and will cost with decent cab around $450-500.

While tube amps will often sound more authentic for surf (not always, lot of factors go into the sound), I agree with Samurai. I have one of these as well, and it is really versatile, and I can dial in a variety of surfy tones. The onboard reverb is more atmospheric than drippy, so you will probably need some other type of reverb.

Rev

Yep, with good cab and SurfyBear it does miracles!

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

New Single is out!

https://waikikimakaki.bandcamp.com/album/rhino-blues-full-contact-surf-single

Waikiki Makaki

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

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

-

Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 16:00:07

Tqi wrote:

Samurai wrote:

Yep, with good cab and SurfyBear it does miracles!

So related note, Jerry - what are you using for reverb? I listened to a couple of your tracks and they're decently played but really dry. Honestly you'd probably be better off with a more affordable amp and putting cash toward a Surfy Bear than buying something flash like a Princeton, BJ, DR...

What do used amp prices look like near you? The Frontman 212r is an all-analogue amp with real reverb that sounds pretty great and tends to be pretty cheap on the classifieds. I'd take that and some money towards a surfy bear over a new budget amp any day.

That’s what I’m thinking, too. As much as I love my vintage fender amps, the most important part of your surf tone will be the reverb unit. Surf your money there first (surfy bear is a great option) and just get something loud and clean enough like that fender 212r or even a big crate amp. You should be able to get a cheap one of those off Craigslist, etc. Then, you can pick up any of the other amp options and already have your reverb situated.

-Eric

New music!
https://thedesolatecoast.bandcamp.com/releases
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Also:
https://theverb.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theverbseattle/

Monosurf wrote:

I would like to get a Fender amp that would be good for both busking and home recording.

I am no expert on this, but since you want an amp for both busking and recording you should keep in mind that tube amps draw a lot more power than solid state amps.

Los Apollos - cinematic surf music trio (Berlin)
"Postcards from the Scrapyard" Vol. 1, 2 & 3 NOW available on various platforms!
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If you want to busk outside, you either need something battery powered or carry some type of generator or power supply with you. You say you have a 5 Watt Vox for busking. So why do you need this other amp for busking? Do you really need a lot more power for that use?

To me, unless you're planning to gig at a fairly high volume, you want the best relatively small amp you can get. Personally, I think that a vintage silverface Fender Princeton Reverb is as good as it gets for a lot of styles, including surf. In fact, with proper PA support, I gig with my '74 Princeton Reverb pretty regularly. In small clubs, I am pretty much expected to not use anything significantly bigger than that, to maintain a reasonable stage volume. It works fine as a monitor for myself and the PA takes up the slack. The drummer in my surf band is not exactly quiet. I also sometimes use an old Gibson GA-8T. I supply reverb for that amp. The Princeton Reverb's reverb is just fine, IMO.

The main disadvantage to an old-school tube amp is that it doesn't have a line out for direct recording. One can be added pretty easily by tapping the signal between the output transformer and speaker. There are lots of simple schematics online for this.

Now, if you want to be able to silently record, something like a Quilter is a very good choice. As already mentioned, the Superblock US is a good choice if you want something smaller - loudness-wise, more in the Princeton/Deluxe Reverb range. I use a Tone Block 201 (200 Watts of clean juice) for pedal steel a lot, and it's a very good loud-and-clean platform into a lightweight 1x12" cab, either for guitar or steel. It's very small and weighs 4 pounds. I've recorded direct with no speaker connected, and the results were just fine for clean guitar or pedal steel. I just went for the cheaper 201 (rather than the current 202) since the reverb on the Quilters I've tried doesn't really suit me, especially for surf. But as a solid platform, I think they're both excellent. I also have a Quilter Microblock 45 - it's pedal-sized (fits on my small pedalboard easily), kind of cool, but the tone shaping is pretty limited. There are many different Quilters. For example, the 101 Mini or 101 Reverb, which is 50 Watts - without or with reverb, respectively. One of the guitar players I work with uses one pretty regularly.

The Blues Jr. is a good modern amp. I would say it could be used if you want more breakup as you push the amp. But I also don't really consider it a particularly good surf platform. So I'd much rather have a Princeton Reverb. YMMV.

Depending on your budget, there are a ton of options out there. For example, Tim Marcus at Milkman makes a really nice portable tube preamp (The Amp), 50 Watts into 8 Ohms or 100 Watts into 4 Ohms, with both reverb and tremolo. Pretty old-school tube preamp into a Class D power amp. They can be frequently had used on the Steel Guitar Forum - originally Milkman amps were more-or-less designed for pedal steel, so the focus was on a very good clean sound. In other words, great for surf.

All to my tastes, blah blah blah.

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To everyone, thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful answers. I have decided to take the plunge on getting a Surfy Bear unit along with a less expensive amp. Thanks for being so patient with someone who is still sort of a noob when it comes to gear.

One option not mentioned (I think) is for recording we live in a golden age of inexpensive software amp plugins. If you have a Mac, Garageband is already on it and is more than adequate for your needs. The reverb plugin even does a decent drip. Entire albums are recorded with a guitar plugged into an audio interface into a computer.

Danny Snyder

Latest project - Now That's What I Call SURF
_
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

I'm back playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

I have an old Vox Viscount very early solid state and this thing has great sound I mean they vary from year to year but mine has the built in distortion and that is ok but not great ........ I would like to install a Master Volume I saw a guy that did that and overdriving the transistors is like tubes and has the same reaction .........

joebonni wrote:

I have an old Vox Viscount very early solid state and this thing has great sound I mean they vary from year to year but mine has the built in distortion and that is ok but not great ........ I would like to install a Master Volume I saw a guy that did that and overdriving the transistors is like tubes and has the same reaction .........

Sorry I meant to post a picture ........
image

Monosurf wrote:

To everyone, thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful answers. I have decided to take the plunge on getting a Surfy Bear unit along with a less expensive amp. Thanks for being so patient with someone who is still sort of a noob when it comes to gear.

You will love the Surfybear!

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 16:00:13

I've busked with a drummer and bass player using a Fender Vibro Champ XD, which is a 5W valve modelling amp.

It's capable of a huge variety of tones and I manage to get a convincing reverb out it. It's one of my favourite amps. Plenty loud enough to busk with. I used a 12V battery with an inverter which lasted about an hour (powering the solid state bass amp as well).

It also has a line out facility which is an option for recording.

Worth considering in my opinion.

http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/

Please note that a 15 watt tube amp will get you in trouble with your neighbours quickly.

I'd look into a Fender Mustang GTX50 (excellent recording options and clean amp models) and pair it with the Surfy Bear. For busking and recording, another great option is the Yamaha THR II30.

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 16:05:32

Tqi wrote:

DrippyReverbTremolo wrote:

Please note that a 15 watt tube amp will get you in trouble with your neighbours quickly.

Hey, if my next door neighbour is reading this, I still don't know how to take that time you complimented the improvement in my playing.

image

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