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Author Topic:  advice about amplifiers
Derrell Reagan

 

From:
Texas, USA
Post  Posted 16 Jul 2018 5:45 pm    
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I have a 1949 National Supra 8 string double neck lap steel.
I play mostly at jams and at home; what would be the best sounding amp to use?
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Paul Seager


From:
Augsburg, Germany
Post  Posted 17 Jul 2018 1:40 am    
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Hi, when you ask a question as to what is best, the responses will be more around "what I use" which isn't necessarily the same thing. It also provokes the age old answer of the best amp is what sounds best to you! So here is my answer based on my needs : I live and play in a medium size German city where parking is a pain but infrastructure is good. The next, bigger city (Munich) has the same features! So I use a DV Mark Little Jazz. Why? Pros:
    It's very compact and lightweight (I can carry it on my bicycle or to other cities using public transport);
    It sounds, IMO,very good with my steel, a 50's Rickenbacker and also with acoustic guitar - both have high output pickups;
    It has a gutsy clean sound, no overdrive and no superfluous FX - it's the sound I like;
    It is surprisingly loud and adequate for most of the gigs I play (primarily jam sessions) and this is helped by the high output pickups of my instruments.
    It is quiet enough for home use, has an auxiliary input and a headphone output
Cons:
    It has a fan to cool it which can be annoying for home use (it doesn't bother me now but it did at first);
    Reverb has (IMO) only one sweet spot.
    Instruments with weaker output pickups need a preamp/boost pedal (I use a Boss FBM1) to make the amp perform at volume

I've used a Fender Deluxe Reverb in the past, sounded beautiful, far better than the DV Mark but ... very heavy, I needed a car to carry it; far too loud for my needs (certainly for home practice); it was an old model so somewhat delicate!

So my recommendation is based on my needs, musical and logistical. There are plenty of compact, transistor amps on the market and I know many players like the Roland Cubes - I've never tried one because it has too many effects that I won't use. Hope this helps!

\ paul
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Keith Bolog

 

From:
Wisconsin, USA
Post  Posted 17 Jul 2018 4:27 am     valco &c
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The amps from that era that were made by National/Valco sound fantastic and authentic, esp since you arent trying to fill a concert hall. You dont have to drop a fortune on a vintage amp however, another small low wattage tube amp of similar design will work great. You can get some crunch or distortion from it too. For your needs, a little garage sale solid state practice amp will work.

Go Guitar Center and wring out a pile of them in one day.
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Josh Braun


From:
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Post  Posted 17 Jul 2018 4:48 am    
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I agree with Paul - "best" is really going to depend on a lot of factors, and those factors will probably be unique to your own needs.

I know I find my lap steel is more flexible/forgiving than my pedal steel with regards to amps. Keith's suggestion is spot on if you're looking for a historical sound. I always found small Fender amps really great for me. One of the best amps to match with my Gibson BR6 was a small Swart Space Tone - that sounded really good!

Anyhow, all that to say that lots of amps will sound great, and best will be relative to whatever timbre you're searching for. But I find those old console steels usually sound pretty good with most setups.
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