Me wants a half-stack!

[FEARLESS9273]

Yes. Me wants a half-stack, simply because I can.

Sooooo... what should I buy? I play blues and blues-rock, like SRV, Hendrix, Clapton, B.B. King etc. - NO METAL, I can't stand it. Sometimes I like jazzy cleans, just for a change. I use Strats, Les Pauls, and I am planning on a Telecaster. I only ever really use the neck pickup and I love vintage, bluesy overdrive and clean tones.

My budget is around £630 (if we find something a little more expensive I wouldn't mind saving a little longer) and I would buy used; in fact I would prefer it, it's a great way to save hundreds of pounds. I don't suppose it would be too hard to simply build a cab... After all, it's just a box with a few speakers in it.

I do, however, seem to have a mysterious love for things that say Vox, Marshall, Orange, or Phaez on them... Weird - I have never owned an amp by any of them. Anyway, what say you peoples? Remember, the £630 includes the costs towards only towards the head; would it be cheaper to just buy a cab? I can't just go freely to a big, reputable music store any time I like - there are a few in Birmingham city centre but it can be hard for me to get to them. I can go every now and then but can't go every other day to try amps, so PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't tell me to just try a few.

[needlespauls]

I hate to say it, but half-stacks ARE so "metal". How bout just a sick 2x12 combo?

For the dough, talking half-stacks, I really like the sounds of the new Blackstar 100 series. Nice!

[onedaycloser]

I'd suggest checking your local classifieds (Craigslist or what have you). Seems like there's quite a few people (at least around here) that are dumping 4x12s and heads pretty cheap.

[JIM'S GoldTOP]

Nothing like A MARSHALL half stack... FOR METAL

[Fracture]

Charter a plane, I got a 1/2 stack for you.
Guitar sold separately.

[Liam]

Late 70's Marshall JMP amp and cab. Either a 1987 (50 watt) or 1959 (100 watt) head with a 1960 slant cab. If you bide your time you'll find what you need on ebay within your budget. Go for as early as you can in year, pre 1978 versions DO sound better, but pre '73 are getting expensive now.

Liam

[mart1964]

Check out Laney.

Laney are much more versatile than Marshalls, especially the older amps. I picked up a Laney AOR 30watt combo for about £95 from Ebay. I build an amp head box 1 piece of MDF some leatherette from the market a bit of metal grill and some black paint. It took about 3 days (cause I am crap at woodwork) and cost about £15 by the time I had added corner pieces and a handle. Now it looks great.

I got a Crate 4x12 cab for £85 and now have a fantastic sounding half stack for less than £200.

I have seen Laney valve heads going for £250 on ebay and a cab doesn't need to cost much. You could also look at Bugera though I haven't played them.

I did try the Epiphone SoCal half stack and I really liked that too. Bluesey, good clean tones, nothing too heavy. Looked great and that was about £400 new but they have stopped making them.
Epiphone Introduces So Cal 50H Head & 412SL Cabinet|Electric Guitar Review

[dcooper830]

I know it's overkill and not necessary at all. I play a lot of gigs with my Peavey Classic 30.

But I love my Marshall Half Stack!

YouTube - Gibson Les Paul Custom DSL 100 1960AV TS 808

YouTube - Gibson Les Paul Custom DSL 100 1960AV TS 808

[imsilly]

Originally Posted by FEARLESS9273

Yes. Me wants a half-stack, simply because I can.

Sooooo... what should I buy? I play blues and blues-rock, like SRV, Hendrix, Clapton, B.B. King etc. - NO METAL, I can't stand it. Sometimes I like jazzy cleans, just for a change. I use Strats, Les Pauls, and I am planning on a Telecaster. I only ever really use the neck pickup and I love vintage, bluesy overdrive and clean tones.

These two statements contradict each other.

Is this amp for home use of large gigs?

Do you need onboard reverb?

Do you need a lot of gain?

Do you want a modern or old skool sound?

Do you want your own tone or to copy someone elses?

If you had to use three words to describe the tone what would they be?

[BMS]

For your style of music, a JTM45 and a 412 is what the doctor ordered.

[FEARLESS9273]

So either a 1959 or 1987 JMP with a slanted 4x12 (although I reckon 50 watts would be, seriously, enough for me!) or a JTM45 with a 4x12 would suit my style well. By the way, thanks for telling me about Marshalls that would give me the tones I'm after; secretly, I really wanted a Marshall half-stack!)

Also, imsilly, I already answered most of your questions:

Q: Is this amp for home use of large gigs?

A: Well, with an attenuator, I can use it for both, can't I? 45, 50, or 100 watts is enough for any gig I'll be playing, and with an attenuator, I can use it for bedroom practice too.

Q: Do you need onboard reverb?

A: I would have let you know if I wanted reverb.

Q: Do you need a lot of gain?

A: "I play blues and blues-rock, like SRV, Hendrix, Clapton, B.B. King etc. - NO METAL, I can't stand it. Sometimes I like jazzy cleans, just for a change."

Q: Do you want a modern or old skool sound?

A: "I love vintage tones"

Q: Do you want your own tone or to copy someone elses?

A: "I play blues and blues-rock, like SRV, Hendrix, Clapton, B.B. King etc."
This may not directly answer your question, but it gives you an idea of the tones I want.

Q: If you had to use three words to describe the tone what would they be?

A: "I love vintage, bluesy overdrive and clean tones."

[imsilly]

Originally Posted by FEARLESS9273

So either a 1959 or 1987 JMP with a slanted 4x12 (although I reckon 50 watts would be, seriously, enough for me!) or a JTM45 with a 4x12 would suit my style well. By the way, thanks for telling me about Marshalls that would give me the tones I'm after; secretly, I really wanted a Marshall half-stack!)

Also, imsilly, I already answered most of your questions:

Q: Is this amp for home use of large gigs?

A: Well, with an attenuator, I can use it for both, can't I? 45, 50, or 100 watts is enough for any gig I'll be playing, and with an attenuator, I can use it for bedroom practice too.

Q: Do you need onboard reverb?

A: I would have let you know if I wanted reverb.

Q: Do you need a lot of gain?

A: "I play blues and blues-rock, like SRV, Hendrix, Clapton, B.B. King etc. - NO METAL, I can't stand it. Sometimes I like jazzy cleans, just for a change."

Q: Do you want a modern or old skool sound?

A: "I love vintage tones"

Q: Do you want your own tone or to copy someone elses?

A: "I play blues and blues-rock, like SRV, Hendrix, Clapton, B.B. King etc."
This may not directly answer your question, but it gives you an idea of the tones I want.

Q: If you had to use three words to describe the tone what would they be?

A: "I love vintage, bluesy overdrive and clean tones."

Sorry about the spainish inquisition treatment, but sometimes it really helps clarify things.

I reckon that 50 and 100 watt amps are great for gigging, but even with an attenuator they are way to much for at home. I saddly had to sell all my piggy back heads due to volume issues and swapped them for combos. I couldn't be happier, they aren't too quiet, just quiet enough.

It would be virtually impossible to cover SRV, Hendrix, Clapton and BB Kings tones with a single amp, but if you are willing to compremise it would definately be possible to get close.

I reckon the two amps that match your requirements best would be either a Marshall 1974x or a Fender Deluxe Reverb (I just bought an old Deluxe Reverb and it's just about the best allround amp I've owned). Not stacks, but definately great medium sized amps with useable cleans and overdrive. Also a nice wattage to allow for home and gig use if you don't have too small a house or too big a gig.

Both have half decent reissues, but the vintage ones are well worth the extra cash if you can find one. There are also cool things like Dumble clones. SRV frequently used Dumbles and Blackface Fenders. I don't think you can really go wrong with either of those roots for the kind of music you want to play.

[Liam]

BUT, he wants a 1/2 stack... and I've got to say that I've got all sorts of combos kicking around, but my rig of choice at the moment is 1987 (or a 2203 for the noisly band) and a 4 x 12. I'd quite happily use it for jazz gigs, and it does blues most beautifully too. The bottom end of a 4 x 12 can't be matched by a combo, there's a tight warmth that you only get with that style of cab. For me, whilst I love a Deluxe Reverb or a 1974, they're only a serious gigging proposition if the drummer's pretty quiet and the bass player's got a small amp.

Liam

[imsilly]

Yeah that is true, tight, projective bottom end is one thing stacks and half stacks do ridiculously well. After I got rid of my old piggyback heads I kept the cabs. I often use them with the output jacks of my combos, it's a nice option to have.

I think the major problem with choosing an amp is the gulf between studio tones and live tones from the artists we like. I tend to really like the idea of being able to get close to the great recordings I like, that probably explains my combo obsession. It's hard to get Hendrix in a studio and Hendrix at a festival from the same amp.

I still think a Dumble Clone would be something to look into, they are stacks and really do SRV really well. Kinda like a Fender combo on steriods in stack form.

[Reaperc89]

If I was in your situation, I would buy a Bugera BC30 combo, but I know you want a stack and not a combo :P. Indeed though, stacks = rock, and especially metal :P