Deciding on my only Boutique Amp

  • Thread starter Thread starter Smokiejohn
  • Start date Start date
Green72 said:
Just pickedup a Bogner Helios 50. Best gain channel I’ve ever experienced. Just perfect.
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I very much enjoyed my Helios. It sounds like the OP may want a single channel that can do clean to mean with the guitar volume pot. The Helios can do this in 70's mode but he will need a pedal for heavier gain because the amp is not switchable from 80's to 70's. Killer amp though.
 
glip22 said:
I very much enjoyed my Helios. It sounds like the OP may want a single channel that can do clean to mean with the guitar volume pot. The Helios can do this in 70's mode but he will need a pedal for heavier gain because the amp is not switchable from 80's to 70's. Killer amp though.
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Soldano SLO.
Maybe a Dirty Shirley.
Or, a tried a true JCM800.

I still say don't overlook a Budda SD80.
 
Hi Folks , Wow ….. thanks for all the kind wishes and the selection of suggestions. Genuinely appreciate you taking the time to chime in.
That’s a fair few amps to check out … which will obviously be fun .

Kind Regards , John
 
MadAsAHatter said:
Congratulations on your retirement!

Are you looking to buy off the shelf or do you want something made to order?

If you want off the shelf:
  • Mesa Mark or Recto - Couldn't go wrong with either of these. They are different beasts so you'd have to play them to find out which one you bond with better
  • Soldano SLO - not 100%, but a SLO could be comparative to a boutique 5150
  • Freidman BE100 - Modified Marshall type amp. They sound great and very few are displeased with them
  • Maybe something from Diezel? - Great German made amps, but they might not be what you're looking for as they're mostly known as high gain monsters

If you want to go made to order look at:
  • KSR Orthos or Ares - Kyle is a great stand-up guy & his amps are top notch. I have a Gemini which I have been loving since it came in. Covers lots of tones & has a shit ton of options. The Orthos is the stripped down version of a Gemini and Ares is a 1 channel version of the Orthos.
  • Peters Formula 7 - I have a pro dual channels which is still offered and is the older version of a Formula 7. James Peters is located in Canada if that makes a difference? Cool thing about these is you get a choice of channels. So while it's straight forward controls, with being able to pick the channels you want it's somewhat one-off customized too. And James would probably make tweaks or stick in an older channel model if that's what you wanted.
  • Anything from Morris - Glen mainly builds his take on several different Marshall type amps from a 15 watt class A to a high gain monster. Getting an XS-III or Sirrom is in my future. With Morris it's mainly a matter of pick your flavor.
  • Anything from Splawn - I haven't personally worked with him but from what I hear Scott is probably the best dude you'll ever work with. His amps are mostly modified Marshall types and everything I've heard from them sounds excellent. The Quickrod is always a popular choice.
  • Wizard - Wizard has its die hard followings and you'll probably get several recommendations for them. BUT they are extremely pricey, like past 5K pricey. You can sometimes find them on the used market at a better price and it's usually someone selling to fund another Wizard purchase. Most everyone that has played them will say nothing else can stack up to a Wizard & they're worth every penny.

I have to give a mention of Jeremy (RedPlated) of GroundZero and Shea (Monomyth) of MonoMyth amps. They're well known members here (and elsewhere) who have been modding amps for a while and have recently created they're own designs. But both currently have a waitlist so it would take a bit before they'd get through that.

Since this is a nice retirement gift to yourself I suggest leaning toward a made to order amp. In most cases you're able to talk directly with the builder/owner and they're happy to answer questions, go over everything and walk you through the build process. Not to say off the shelf is bad; it isn't, but there's just something that makes it feel more special when you get to talk to the builder and order directly from them. Plus support to the small shop builders.
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Cheers for this list of recommendations , thinking a made to order would be the ideal solution . Something unique 👍
 
Marshall 69 Plexi, NO Power soak/attenuator, DIME that amp, and hit it with a gain PEDAL..
put the cabinet OUTSIDE!
Let the neighbors know you saved LIVES, and now, for you, it’s time to ROCK!! Firemen ALWAYS know the cops, you’ll be fine.. :LOL:
 
Gainiac said:
Marshall 69 Plexi, NO Power soak/attenuator, DIME that amp, and hit it with a gain PEDAL..
put the cabinet OUTSIDE!
Let the neighbors know you saved LIVES, and now, for you, it’s time to ROCK!! Firemen ALWAYS know the cops, you’ll be fine.. :LOL:
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Love it 😂😂😂
 
Everyone is going to suggest a different amp to you, but the problem is only YOU will know what YOU like. Try to get hands on time with a few different amps at stores before buying if you can and make sure they have a good return policy. This is probably the safest way to pick an amp that you know you will like.
  • Take any recommendation you get with a grain of salt
  • I'd advise against doing a made-to-order amp because you won't know if you like it until it shows up at your door. It would suck to pay a bunch of money and then end up selling it a month later because the amp wasn't what you thought it would be
  • Think about your guitar heroes and what gear they use. That might be a good place to start the search.
 
^ agreed, I’d think any plexi/JMP Marshall clone would suit your purpose, don’t forget a boost pedal and some basic filter effects pedals can help create sounds you may be chasing after, for tones you may be after now or later... LESS is more in terms of gain and 13 gain stages in a boutique amp for what tones you seem to dig, might be Overkill imho. if you can try before you buy, DO so….
 
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SLO 30, pre Ukrainian war. The later ones shipping with 6L6s don't sound as good.
If you have to go boutique.
So many excellent, more affordable and available options, for rather simple requirements.
Having had many boutique amps, the only one I'd have again is Germino.
 
japetus said:
The dust adds tone
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Challenge: Create a thread at The Gear Page on that topic and in return, I will join that board and speak the truths of dust. May the farce be with you!


SmokieJohn - you got a ton a great recs in this tread and also a lot of variety. Happens a lot :lol:

Outside of playing some of these yourself, which can be hard, can you give us more? I get Roy played a lot of stuff (Vox, Fender, Marshall) and Pumpkins is what JCM800/Diezel? Do you have a budget? Do you want to use pedals? Do you want a complex amp with lots of variety? Do you want a simple amp? What else do you play/like? Do you like to work on stuff (amps) yourself or send it?
 
311splawndude said:
Challenge: Create a thread at The Gear Page on that topic and in return, I will join that board and speak the truths of dust. May the farce be with you!


SmokieJohn - you got a ton a great recs in this tread and also a lot of variety. Happens a lot :LOL:

Outside of playing some of these yourself, which can be hard, can you give us more? I get Roy played a lot of stuff (Vox, Fender, Marshall) and Pumpkins is what JCM800/Diezel? Do you have a budget? Do you want to use pedals? Do you want a complex amp with lots of variety? Do you want a simple amp? What else do you play/like? Do you like to work on stuff (amps) yourself or send it?
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Additional info ….. yeah I like to keep it simple with as few pedals as possible . Like Skid Row’s tone on Slave To The Grind , Alice In Chains Facelift tone etc . Bit of Danzig too .
Tried the Bogner Ecstasy 3534 yesterday which was impressive, covered a lot of ground with minimal fuss , Clean .. Crunch , insane gain with boosts all on one foot switch 👍
 
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