What Rig are you enjoying lately?

[Maguchi]

Peavey made/makes some really top notch but inexpensive bass amps too. For a bass rig I like a Peavey Max-115 And a Fender American Performer P Bass (really a P/J).

The Max 115 gots 300 watts a power, a 15" woofer and a tweeter. It's pretty portable for a bass amp at only 50 lbs., but gots a great sound and enough power for a big outdoor gig.

The Performer P Bass plays smooth and fast. It gots a Precision pickup in the middle and a Jazz pickup in the bridge for a wide varietya bass tones. Very good sound, quality workmanship, and built like a brick $h!+ house!

 

[Groundwire]

This could go under a few different categories, so I'll place it here in Miscellaneous.

What combination of guitar and amp have you been enjoying lately?

For me, it has been an early 1990s tube amp called a Peavey Bravo 112 and a Guild Detonator.

Peavey made the Bravo from 1991 to 1993 and replaced it then with the Classic 30 combo that they still make today. The Bravo 112 has two EL84 tubes and three 12AX7 tubes producing 25 watts. Unusual, in that the tubes are inside the chassis and fan cooled. I like both the "Clean" and "Crunch" channels. The stock Eminence made speaker is OK but I've found an Eminence Texas Heat speaker to make a marked difference. Spring reverb tank. No tremolo/vibrato.



Here's a photo of the innards after doing a re-cap on the electrolytic capacitors. The fan does keep things adequately cool. The fan is on the far left side in the photo. The warm air vents out below the two EL84 tubes.

I must say, Peavey makes some very fine amps and are pretty underrated I think. Last year I saw a trio and the guitar player, Jimmy James, was playing a Delta Blues. It sounded marvelous. From where I was sitting I thought it was an old tv front tweed Pro. Then after the show I walked up to look at the gear, saw it was a Peavey, and had one of those moments…

 

[tonepoet]

I must say, Peavey makes some very fine amps and are pretty underrated I think. Last year I saw a trio and the guitar player, Jimmy James, was playing a Delta Blues. It sounded marvelous. From where I was sitting I thought it was an old tv front tweed Pro. Then after the show I walked up to look at the gear, saw it was a Peavey, and had one of those moments…

Yeah, I agree Groundwire. And you see a lot of used "tv front tweed" Peaveys with their Peavey markings removed by guitarists that wanted them to look like old Fenders on stage.

I've had no experience with the Peavey Delta Blues amp, but I own or have owned other models and I have to say that, besides sounding great, they are built well and are very reliable. Most of mine are the USA made amps. Over the years, I have only had to change tubes/valves on them, with the exception of one cooling fan on a tube power amp. And those are really "wear and tear" items to be expected with use.

And in response to your comment: "I walked up to look at the gear, saw it was a Peavey, and had one of those moments… " My "Peavey Moment" was when I first plugged into a Classic 30, tried both the clean and dirty channels and was sold on Peavey, then and there, and knew I was going to be trying other Peavey amp models, as well

 

[NM156]

My latest favorite, a Grote budget guitar. Basswood body, neck maple & rosewood.

Found a picture of my setup, here with a Zoom palm studio as a preamp.
Using a BOSS Overdrive pedal has yielded the best results of late. Dunlop Wah optional.

 

[tonepoet]

My latest favorite, a Grote budget guitar.

I've experimented with a few Grote models and some of them have been surprisingly well made. And you can't beat the price point!!

I've tried the 335 clone like yours. Also a headless model, and a sort of PRS style clone and and one called a GT-450(?).

My experience is that at $300 and less, they can be very good candidates for dropping in different pickups. I have found the pickups and tuners to be the weak points. All of them have had very good factory setups out of the box.

I'll try to get some photos of them up in the thread.

 

[tonepoet]

My latest favorite, a Grote budget guitar.

Here's a photo of a Grote GT-460 I have. I want to say it was in the $225 to $250 range, at the time in 2015. A set-neck guitar that I thought I might experiment with different pickups, but I ended up liking the pickups. They are very clean humbuckers, not muddy in the lower frequencies at all. The only thing I did was to change the tuners to a set of Grover locking tuners. Smaller Les-Paul-ish body shape the weighs probably 6 to 7 pounds. The chamber that the f-hole is over is only slightly larger than the f-hole itself. Plays well, solidly built. Mahogany set-neck and body, I think, with a thin veneer of some type of burl.

 

[GAD]

Here's a photo of a Grote GT-460 I have. I want to say it was in the $225 to $250 range, at the time in 2015. A set-neck guitar that I thought I might experiment with different pickups, but I ended up liking the pickups. They are very clean humbuckers, not muddy in the lower frequencies at all. The only thing I did was to change the tuners to a set of Grover locking tuners. Smaller Les-Paul-ish body shape the weighs probably 6 to 7 pounds. The chamber that the f-hole is over is only slightly larger than the f-hole itself. Plays well, solidly built. Mahogany set-neck and body, I think, with a thin veneer of some type of burl.

That's a good-looking guitar!

 

[tonepoet]

That's a good-looking guitar!

Yeah, the Grote GT-460 is good looking, good sounding, good playing too. This was one of those "why-not?" priced guitars. Sometimes you get a pleasant surprise when you take a chance on one. I don't think they offered them for very long, as I can't find a photo of one or any info on the web.

There are these Tele-style ones called GT-150 (in photo below) with humbuckers that appear to be the same build with a tele shaped body, but I have no experience with them.

Photo from internet (not mine).


The Peavey Patriot was another one of those "why-not?" priced guitars that I was pleasantly surprised with. Although prices have been rising on those.

 

[F30]

When I'm not playing guitar I love to play my Mustang through my Rumble amp.

 

[F30]

Guitar wise Lately it's been my Esquires through the Marsh.

 

[NM156]

Here's a photo of a Grote GT-460 I have. I want to say it was in the $225 to $250 range, at the time in 2015. A set-neck guitar that I thought I might experiment with different pickups, but I ended up liking the pickups. They are very clean humbuckers, not muddy in the lower frequencies at all. The only thing I did was to change the tuners to a set of Grover locking tuners. Smaller Les-Paul-ish body shape the weighs probably 6 to 7 pounds. The chamber that the f-hole is over is only slightly larger than the f-hole itself. Plays well, solidly built. Mahogany set-neck and body, I think, with a thin veneer of some type of burl.

The set neck is another nice feature, and there don't seem to be any problems. I'm quite happy with the pickups, unlike on my SX Les Paul Custom clone that sound tinny. Trying to sound like Leslie West works really well on the Grote. The resonance and responsiveness is great.

 

[Mapleman54]

I’m totally hooked on Matamp, made in Yorkshire, with most parts including transformers also made in Yorkshire, and developed for the last 60 years but still totally handmade amps. They have a lot of flexibility (the smaller First Lady has switchable output valves of your choice) so the immense flexibility of the Nightbird, my new ‘Nightbird from scratch’, and my collection of older Guild hollowbody and archtops is catered for.
Orange is a Matamp split-off, but Matamp have remained steadfastly small, always in search of ‘that’ sound. Think Peter Green on Albatross.

 

[James Hart]

I’m totally hooked on Matamp, made in Yorkshire, with most parts including transformers also made in Yorkshire, and developed for the last 60 years but still totally handmade amps.

I love Matamp gear, an old buddy of mine from Manchester use to be an endorser of their 200 watt bass rigs. I considered them a couple years back when jumping back into a gig ready rig, ended up having one made down your way in Heybridge. Seems Matamp and Ashdown share amp guru Dave Green over the last couple decades... Hayden Minett too. I've spoke with Dave a few times over the years, the guy knows his stuff! (owned a couple other Ashdown amps when the company was first born out of Trace Elliot).

 

[Mapleman54]

Yeah I live near to Essex and Dave was really helpful when I had an Ashdown ‘Essex Blonde’!
Jeff wonderful, and my GT20 just got a couple of months ago is the last one they’ll make as the transformer guy has retired!
Great to share. Even here Matamp are a bit rare! Thanks!

 

[James Hart]

Unfortunately Matamp is assumed to be an Orange copy because Orange has always been about marketing and sales. That GT20 is a thing of beauty, I love the style (another reason I picked the CTM-200r over the 100 or 300 watt versions).

I might have an oiled birch rack to match my cabinets built for it... I added feet and top handles to it myself that are easily removed.

My transformers were wound at Demeter, is that who they use or is it a direct employee?






[edit] my Maternal Grandmother and family came over here during the Depression (she was a toddler) from Nottingham, my closest family that I am in touch with are in Stoke-on-Trent [/edit]

 

[tonepoet]

That's a good-looking guitar!

This is a headless version made by Grote with a quilted maple veneer top. Maple bolt-on neck. "KD" bridge.

I bought it because it has the same pickups as the brown burl veneer guitar I posted above, which I like. But, if you notice how far they mounted the bridge pickup from the bridge, you end up getting that Fender-ish "in-between" tone when you select both pickups, like you are selecting the neck and middle pickups on a Strat. It's a matter of individual taste, but the "in-between" sound never quite did it for me. With the brown burl veneer guitar I get a nice clear rhythm guitar tone when I select both pickups, not the "in-between" sound.

I'm also not crazy about tuning strings down at the bridge with a little crank that is part of the bridge.

On the plus side, the scoop they put in the lower bout makes it quite comfortable to sit in a chair or on the couch playing it unplugged. When I get around to "thinning the herd", this will be one that goes.

 

[Maguchi]

Been playing lap steel and slide guitar lately with a Peavey Powerslide and a Peavey Nashville 112 steel guitar amp.

 

[Mapleman54]

Unfortunately Matamp is assumed to be an Orange copy because Orange has always been about marketing and sales. That GT20 is a thing of beauty, I love the style (another reason I picked the CTM-200r over the 100 or 300 watt versions).

I might have an oiled birch rack to match my cabinets built for it... I added feet and top handles to it myself that are easily removed.

My transformers were wound at Demeter, is that who they use or is it a direct employee?






[edit] my Maternal Grandmother and family came over here during the Depression (she was a toddler) from Nottingham, my closest family that I am in touch with are in Stoke-on-Trent [/edit]

Hi James, ties that bind! My Grandparents all moved to Canada after everyone was killed in WW1. I came back to study, and have loved it since. My wife is from the north and had family members in the Sherwood Forresters regiment in WW1… amazing how these ties stay with us!!
Don’t know who was doing the transformers… Jeff is close to the chest but he may tell me. Beautiful work on yours! Thanks. Tim

Unfortunately Matamp is assumed to be an Orange copy because Orange has always been about marketing and sales. That GT20 is a thing of beauty, I love the style (another reason I picked the CTM-200r over the 100 or 300 watt versions).

I might have an oiled birch rack to match my cabinets built for it... I added feet and top handles to it myself that are easily removed.

My transformers were wound at Demeter, is that who they use or is it a direct employee?






[edit] my Maternal Grandmother and family came over here during the Depression (she was a toddler) from Nottingham, my closest family that I am in touch with are in Stoke-on-Trent [/edit]

 

[Mapleman54]

I should add that Jeff has designed a lighter-weight cab that sounds great. With the GT20 I have a 1x15 Celestion (I live near Ipswich, so local speakers!) which really works with the clean amp

 

[tonepoet]

Been playing lap steel and slide guitar lately with a Peavey Powerslide and a Peavey Nashville 112 steel guitar amp.

Cool. I've heard those are fun to play.