Hiwatt, Sound City, Matamp, Marshall or ??? for next amp?

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FuzzSonic
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Re: Hiwatt, Sound City, Matamp, Marshall or ??? for next amp

Post by FuzzSonic »

Just add my 10 pence worth.

Depending on what you're using it for - live/recording etc... I'd add a vote in for Marshall. I've got a 1959SLP and it takes pedals amazingly well and has so much head room. In fact It's mind bendingly loud. I got lucky and picked on up ages ago on Ebay for £600.
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daCod
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Re: Hiwatt, Sound City, Matamp, Marshall or ??? for next amp

Post by daCod »

sicko wrote:Also, how would a Sound City 120 compare?
most background noise of them all :tu:
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chiller_instinct
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Re: Hiwatt, Sound City, Matamp, Marshall or ??? for next amp

Post by chiller_instinct »

How about an early silverface Twin Reverb? Loads of clean headroom and volume on tap, and they love fuzz pedals given the right speaker choice.
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Sauniere
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Re: Hiwatt, Sound City, Matamp, Marshall or ??? for next amp

Post by Sauniere »

70s Ampeg V4 would be another great option. Super versatile and takes pedals extremely well. On the negative side, they are as heavy(weight) as they are loud.
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daCod
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Re: Hiwatt, Sound City, Matamp, Marshall or ??? for next amp

Post by daCod »

Sauniere wrote:70s Ampeg V4 would be another great option. Super versatile and takes pedals extremely well. On the negative side, they are as heavy(weight) as they are loud.
V4's are KILLER! completely forgot about these. the V4 was my first real tube amp.

blew a few speakers that head did :dance:
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redeyeflight
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Re: Hiwatt, Sound City, Matamp, Marshall or ??? for next amp

Post by redeyeflight »

The v2 is also a nice choice. The sunn 200s and 2000s both kick major ass and you can pick either up for less than $800 on a good day.
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devnulljp
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Re: Hiwatt, Sound City, Matamp, Marshall or ??? for next amp

Post by devnulljp »

The only Sound City amps I've ever heard were super noisy, and a mess inside too. Amp tech friend of mine also said they're a PitA to work on too. YMMV.
I'd go for an Orange/Matamp as already mentioned.
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Zacharia Matilda
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Re: Hiwatt, Sound City, Matamp, Marshall or ??? for next amp

Post by Zacharia Matilda »

Another vote for a non- master volume Fender Twin. If you find one from 68-72 for a reasonable price it might be worth checking out. But it's also heavier than hell.
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Stu
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Re: Hiwatt, Sound City, Matamp, Marshall or ??? for next amp

Post by Stu »

devnulljp wrote:The only Sound City amps I've ever heard were super noisy, and a mess inside too. Amp tech friend of mine also said they're a PitA to work on too. YMMV.
That would be the Sound City 120 MkIV: active tone controls, sloppy layout and really noisy.

The 100 watt Mk3 is closer to a Hiwatt, albeit not built to the same standard. The MkI and Mk2 were made by Hylight, but they're much less common and the MkIs are expensive because of the Hendrix & Townshend association. :squint:
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1bottlerocket
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Re: Hiwatt, Sound City, Matamp, Marshall or ??? for next amp

Post by 1bottlerocket »

If you can find an old Sound City SMF Tour Series, I would recommend that, 150 watts of earth shaking power with headroom to spare. I had one for for a short stint but it fucking blew the paint off the walls.

Right now I am using a Fender Twin and at 80 watts it really smokes for me. It takes pedals like a champ too.

As others have mentioned, Hiwatt seems to be a nice option also. I would also look at the old Ampegs or Traynor amps I think you may have to be careful with the tubes in those because they sometimes have off mainstream tubes in there.
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