amps at Anderson H.Q.

[stratoquack]

Tom/Roy,
What amps do you have in the shop to play the guitars through? If there's too many to list, which is your preference?
Bill

[sean]

I've wondered the same thing.
I dig the Dumble ODS combo that's in the '93 catalog.

[tom]

the dumble is gone, couldn't resist, it has to be played really loud.
we now have: carr hammerhead II, rambler, ac30,56 bassman, black face vibroverb, boogie subway rocket head, bogner cubes with v30 and emi crex,heartbreaker head and 2x12 cab, fishman acoustic.

[picnic]

I'd be interested in any specifics about why you choose a particular amp for sound tests. What do you match up with Hums vs single coils? Thanks.

[tom]

sound testing is one thing, weekly testing guitars is a nother. for testing new stuff we listen to familiar amps here at the shop to get things close. the real test is what it does with a band for me. which brings up an interesting point. there are lots of things i have loved sitting at the shop but not enjoyed on a gig. you really need to be honest with yourself about how you're going to use something to make the right purchase. if you're a bedroom player, nothing wrong with that, you might choose something different than someone who does a particular style of gig.
the hammerhead and little subway get the most day to day time. for weekly guitar testing i play the same stuff over, and over, and over(to rach's dismay) because it is familiar and i want to be sure that i hear what i'm expecting to hear. for new products it is a different kind of listening.

[GaryMcT]

Do you use anything other than the clean channel on the subway rocket? I'm curious because I have a subway rocket combo that sounds great for clean stuff, but pretty bad (to my ears) for dirty stuff.

[tom]

i never use the gain channel. clean channel gain at 5-7 starts to break up enough for my cleanish tone. through a 1x12 it sounds way bigger than the combo speaker.

[Stys]

GaryMcT,

I swear by my Subway Rocket and F-30. A few years back I sold a Subway w/reverb (my current Subway is a non-reverb model) and have regretted it since. Funny how players ears are so different. I mean, I did one session and the engineer insisted I bring my Subway. Another session and a different producer told me to never bring the Subway. He wanted me to go through a Dr. Z. No complaints with the 'Z' but I always seem to go back to the Subway.

[GaryMcT]

GaryMcT,

I swear by my Subway Rocket and F-30. A few years back I sold a Subway w/reverb (my current Subway is a non-reverb model) and have regretted it since. Funny how players ears are so different. I mean, I did one session and the engineer insisted I bring my Subway. Another session and a different producer told me to never bring the Subway. He wanted me to go through a Dr. Z. No complaints with the 'Z' but I always seem to go back to the Subway.

I have a reverb model. Funny thing is that I almost put it up on Ebay a while back because I was trying to use it's overdrive channel. I finally tried the clean channel and went "Whoa!" (Keanu style). The preamp tubes definitely need to be replaced. . .they are microphonic.

Do you use the clean channel only?

My "take it and go" rig has grown tendrils into my recording setup, so I'm contemplating getting a couple of pedals to put in from to this as a portable rig. Any distortion pedal recommendations that work particularly well with this amp? I have an MJM Blues Devil and an OCD to try with it.

[Stys]

For all my lead lines I use the gain channel with the mids set around 3. I found that setting the mids higher than 3 will result in too fat of a sound with too much gain. The gain is set around 6. I also found that the presence control is a sensitive knob. Set too high and you will experience the pesty tube issues. I never use the contour mode for lead lines. The normal gain channel with a TA Classic w/VA's gives me a nice Santana tone (well..??).
Although, a friend played through my Subway once and upon hearing it I hated the tone. Proves that tone is in your hands and when you find something that works for you, you stick with it.

I recently replaced the EL-84's with Sovtek's I got from everyone's best friend - Bruce. These tubes seem to break up a bit faster.

For clean tones, I use the F-30 or a Lonestar Special. Or, if I'm feeling adventurous, a Top Hat CLub Royale.

[tom]

the subway clean channel is on the dark side, at least with a 1x12. i like the barber burn unit with it for mid to pretty high gain tones. i also really like the vstack with it. it's a pretty strange pedal, but using the guitar volume it really cleans up fast.
i would say any pedal that was not too dark would work good with it.

[AndyK]

Have you checked out the Tech21 TM10? I LOVE this little combo! Great tubey gain sounds, in a tiny package. Great at low volume levels too. No channel switching, but very good tone. Everyone that hears the amp in my basement asks "you got EL84's in there, or 6V6's?". When I tell them it's all transistors and no tubes, they can't believe it. $150 on ebay!

[bruce]

All this talk about the Subway has got me hungry for a sandwich.

[dpeterson]

the dumble is gone, couldn't resist, it has to be played really loud.
we now have: carr hammerhead II, rambler, ac30,56 bassman, black face vibroverb, boogie subway rocket head, bogner cubes with v30 and emi crex,heartbreaker head and 2x12 cab, fishman acoustic.


dont forget about the pignose's used at the setup benches :)

http://www.davidpeterson.org/anderson/images/pics/DSC02507-01.jpg

dave

[billyguitar]

Recently I've become Dr Z amp-hound. Not selling any of my old Fenders yet, they're part of my retirement plan. I received my Dr Z Stang Ray amp about 2 months ago. I think this amp is the most revealing amp I've ever heard. I can't think of any other amp that can really let you hear a guitar more than this one. I'm not trying to spend your money but to really fine tune what you've created this would be the ticket. Check one out sometime, you'll hear what I mean.

[Janine Doubly]

I am with Billyguitar. I am a Z Prescription ES guy all the way. Its the perfect clean sound to add pedals to. For super touch sensitive stuff, the Cornish SS-2 (or now the SS-3) is the bees knees for me.

[stratoquack]

Just got a Maz 18 NR and Z Best 2x12. What a killer amp!
Bill

[guitarboy]

I use Dr. Z Carmen Ghia and Maz 18 Jr. 1x12 combos and they sound great.
I also use Diaz CD-30 that my Anderson's sound great through!