i'm in love, but i still love my wife too.

[tom]

played this past 2 weekends with the new carr hamerhead 11 watt amp. oh man! it sounds huge and is soooo dynamic, and takes pedals great, but is just the right volume. played with 2 el84's last wekend and saturday night, then switched to 6v6's sunday. the 6v6's had just the right amount more low end head room. could i finally have the perfect amp? sure feels like it. i also managed to get all my favorite pedals onto my small pedalboard. i do realize that the elusive tone is a constantly moving target, but this rig feels so flexible, i can't imagine what it won't do.

[Rhys]

so is this a proto of a hammerhead 3?

[tom]

this is a proto, but it may be the hammerhead II jr. i'm not sure what steve will call it.

[guitarzan]

played this past 2 weekends with the new carr hamerhead 11 watt amp. oh man! it sounds huge and is soooo dynamic, and takes pedals great, but is just the right volume. played with 2 el84's last wekend and saturday night, then switched to 6v6's sunday. the 6v6's had just the right amount more low end head room. could i finally have the perfect amp? sure feels like it. i also managed to get all my favorite pedals onto my small pedalboard. i do realize that the elusive tone is a constantly moving target, but this rig feels so flexible, i can't imagine what it won't do.


Tom.
I'm going to need you NOT to post like this EVER AGAIN. I've been really good about my G.A.S. and my GASaholics sponsor is holding me accountable to keeping my current gigging amp for a full year... *that's until June '06 for those of you scoring along at home.

What are you doing to me?!?

sincerely,
- a GASaholic

[tom]

very sorry, but a year's sentence? you're kidding , right?

[guitarzan]

very sorry, but a year's sentence? you're kidding , right?

well, no. You can consult Mr. Swerd on the details. But I think he's teaching me to find contentment in one amp after having gone through more than a half a dozen rigs since June '04. Once a week I get the "you still got the TopHat?" phonecall. On one hand, I'd love to keep impulsively purchasing gear to chase the elusive perfect tone- but on the other hand, it's forced me to make my hands compensate when my tone is not happening.

But I listened to the HH MkII sample on the Indoor Storm site- and now you're talking about an 11w model. It's more than an addict can endure....

[tom]

yeah, there was nothing i didn't love about the hhII except it was too loud. i was using an attenuater with it, and now i'musing the same settings as the loud one, but with no attenuater, and it's even more lively. amps really do require some time to get used to what they are capable of, i always give them a couple of months at least. both these hamerheads have just killed me right out of the chute, gotta love that. sorry for gushing, but you know how magical it is when the gear just dissappears and the music takes over...priceless.

[guitarzan]

sorry for gushing, but you know how magical it is when the gear just dissappears and the music takes over...priceless.
Not to brown-nose but I know just the feeling. I felt that after I ordered my first HDTC.

[Suriel Zayas]

is there room here for me to gush about my hammerhead mk 2 proto-type???????? sorry, but i'm speachless. 11 watts (gasping for air). "indiana, let it go" (from indiana jones).

[GaryMcT]

Not to brown-nose but I know just the feeling. I felt that after I ordered my first HDTC.

I think it happened to me when I went in to "take a look at" an Atom. Fortunately my wife understands.

I'm really dying for my DT that is on order. . what's the acceptable "mean time between bugging" of Roy for a status update? Or is it better to just try to forget about it until it shows up? :)

[guitarzan]

my rule of thumb is that you get one phonecall to get the build status. Choose its timing wisely!!

[GaryMcT]

I'll at least wait until the original goal date before calling. . not even that far along yet. :)

[Suriel Zayas]

during my wait for the atom, i developed a deeper appreciation for the htc.

[bud]

could i finally have the perfect amp? sure feels like it.

I'm glad I didn't have the time to see this during the day. I would have spent the remainder (under)estimating the potential ebay haul on liquidation of my current rig (while the previous one sits next to my desk as yet unposted).

Mr. 'zan, I find that fingers in the ears and nananananana works well for times like this.

Tom, is this review based on using your existing HHII 1X12 (I think) cab?

[tom]

it was actually using the bogner cube i leave at church that has a v30 in it. i will try the carr cab with the c rex speaker next week. it sounds so luscious that i think it would work with any cab. the v30 was not too harsh, but i think the soft top of the c rex might be nice.

[guitarzan]

Mr. 'zan, I find that fingers in the ears and nananananana works well for times like this.


:D :D :D

[olectric]

Tom---

I've never played that small of a combo...11 watts sounds like you need to be miked for club venues and such. Is that the case? Mass St. has a little slew of Carr amps, and they all gush about them, but I've never been inclined to try one out because they are so low-wattage, that I can't imagine a crystal-clear clean tone at club levels. What's your experience with this?

[Suriel Zayas]

but I've never been inclined to try one out because they are so low-wattage
o, you are right they are low wattage. but try one, try one, try one. and by the way, in addition to a guitar bring along a credit card. i really, really don't want to gush, but my hhmk2 proto-type....aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.

[tom]

i paly in a miced situation, but the 30 watt hammerhead would not have a problem keeping up with a drummer. i never used a pristene clean sound, but the full power hammerhead and the rambler both do a very nice clean tone. the hammerhead is more aggressive sounding when you wind it up.

[olectric]

Maybe I'll have to play one...but then again, since my wife controls the credit card (thank God), maybe I shouldn't...

...but then again again, two guys with Atoms are saying they've got that elusive tone that we all chase...argghhh

My Soul-o is making sad faces at me.


Suriel, you have a pm.

[Janine Doubly]

Another amp to consider is the Dr. Z Prescription ES. I know, I know, its a 40 watt top, but one thing it does exceptionally well is take pedals very well, even when its volume is around 1-2. The cool thing about it, it still gives up plenty of clean headroom if you need it, but it doesn't suffer from as much of the anemic "on one" tone as most amps do. There just isn't any break up, but it is VERY touch sensitive and dynamic. Like Tom, I run it into a Bogner Cube with a V30 in a worship environment and it sounds great. With a couple of good pedals, its the best tone I've ever had. I think it has a lot to do with the EF86 tube in its tone stack section.

[Rhys]

the full power hammerhead and the rambler both do a very nice clean tone.

i've played a rambler and really like fender cleans. how does the mkII's clean sound compare? i use a true clean tone about 15% of the time.

[bud]

Tom, did you reach an opinion on which Cab you prefer?

[tom]

they're both good, just a bit different. last week i played with the bogner cab w/v30, it was edgier and a little nasty, in a good way. i'll try the carr cab w/crex this weekend. i feel like the carr cab is a little more present and cuts better without being harsh.
the mkII clean sound doesn't have the extra high highs that the rambler has. i don't mean that as a bad thing at all. i prefer it in a band situation, and it does the gainy sounds from pedals better for me.

[korinabill]

I'm very interested in the Carr line, but I don't think there is anywhere in the DFW area that sells them. I was interested in either a Mercury or Hammerhead. I currently run through an AC15 miked in my church band. I use a tube screamer for overdrivey stuff. It always sounds good but that amp doesn't always work with something like a PRS Santana. It would be nice to have a small "something else" to rotate in and out or A-B back and forth.

[BrianH]

What ya need is a Rockie 18.
Mix that with a Bogner cube and you've got magic.

[tom]

is there a rockie 9?

[sylvanshine]

Isn't that the one where Stallone fights the Russian? Adriene!