I've been going through old threads here for days, and now that I've gathered up information on this, I'm ready to ask a question.
My situation is this: I'm borrowing a friend's Deluxe Reverb, and he's been kind enough to lend it to me for the second weekend in a row. Nevertheless, I need a new amp, and quick. I have to get it within 10 days, and I have $1000 to spend on it. The tone I want is not specifically a Jerry tone, but it's the same basic idea. I want the ringing highs and relatively clean tube sound specifically.
I was looking at Ebay and Craigslist, and found that I could pick up a Silverface Twin for $800 or under. There's even one on Ebay that is working except for the reverb (and it looks beat up and retolexed) for $500-something. If I got one of those, modded it to Blackface, and then replaced the speakers later on down the line, I think that'd come out around $1000. My concern with that, though, is that even the 22w Deluxe I've been using for rehearsals has bordered on being too loud, and I haven't turned it up past 5, so the Twin would probably be way too loud. That's why I've got some reservations about it going the Twin route; if I never turn the volume up past 3, will I even get the ring out of the aluminum domed speakers (Webers or Commonwealths or some other JBL-like speaker), or will it just be a total waste of size?
My other thought was that I could pick up a used Hot Rod Deluxe or Blues Deluxe and put a Neomag and some quality preamp tubes in it, but I'm not sure if I'll still experience the early breakup that those amps have (is that just the stock speaker, or is it the circuit as well?), and even if I don't, the components in the modern Fenders aren't as high quality as the vintage ones. Printed circuit boards may have an effect on this; I don't know.
If I had money or time to save up for it, I'd love an SMS Classic with a power amp and 1x12, but I don't.
Ideally, I'd like a smallish combo that's appropriate for rehearsals and small clubs, but not as small as a Princeton, that is pretty clean throughout the range of its volume, and that gives me that bell-like ringing tone. Any thoughts or suggestions on amps, speakers, or components will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, all.
My situation is this: I'm borrowing a friend's Deluxe Reverb, and he's been kind enough to lend it to me for the second weekend in a row. Nevertheless, I need a new amp, and quick. I have to get it within 10 days, and I have $1000 to spend on it. The tone I want is not specifically a Jerry tone, but it's the same basic idea. I want the ringing highs and relatively clean tube sound specifically.
I was looking at Ebay and Craigslist, and found that I could pick up a Silverface Twin for $800 or under. There's even one on Ebay that is working except for the reverb (and it looks beat up and retolexed) for $500-something. If I got one of those, modded it to Blackface, and then replaced the speakers later on down the line, I think that'd come out around $1000. My concern with that, though, is that even the 22w Deluxe I've been using for rehearsals has bordered on being too loud, and I haven't turned it up past 5, so the Twin would probably be way too loud. That's why I've got some reservations about it going the Twin route; if I never turn the volume up past 3, will I even get the ring out of the aluminum domed speakers (Webers or Commonwealths or some other JBL-like speaker), or will it just be a total waste of size?
My other thought was that I could pick up a used Hot Rod Deluxe or Blues Deluxe and put a Neomag and some quality preamp tubes in it, but I'm not sure if I'll still experience the early breakup that those amps have (is that just the stock speaker, or is it the circuit as well?), and even if I don't, the components in the modern Fenders aren't as high quality as the vintage ones. Printed circuit boards may have an effect on this; I don't know.
If I had money or time to save up for it, I'd love an SMS Classic with a power amp and 1x12, but I don't.
Ideally, I'd like a smallish combo that's appropriate for rehearsals and small clubs, but not as small as a Princeton, that is pretty clean throughout the range of its volume, and that gives me that bell-like ringing tone. Any thoughts or suggestions on amps, speakers, or components will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, all.