Hi everyone! I am currently designing a guitar amplifier and thought that it would be a good idea to get some input into what kinds of things people want or expect from an instrument amplifier. And what better place to get the input of typical musicians but on the BandAMP.com forums! I have 10 points in particular that I'm interested in right now to start things off, these are...

1. The big one... Valve or Solid State?
2. Tone should sound like? eg. "warm" or "crisp" or "like a Mesa dual rectifier" etc...
3. What cool features should it have? Is an effects loop mandatory?
4. Max power!? is 100W a good standard or is it too much? (or too little m/)?
5. Reverb or not?
6. Is standard Bass/Middle/Treble tone controls sufficient? Or is some sort of more precise equalization better?
7. Should it be of rugged construction for on the road or pretty like furniture? Or maybe a fusion of both?
8. Amp head or combo box? If amp head, stand alone box or 19" rackmount?
9. How does price influence your perception of an amplifier? Do you automatically assume cheap means nasty and expensive means quality?
10. Minimalist or millions of knobs and switches to twiddle?

The reason I am asking about all of this stuff is that I want to design something that people will like, think is cool, want to have and enjoy to use.

I would also be interested in what people think is their all time favourite amp and why. Mine would have to be the Fender Twin Reverb, has a clean tone that is SUPERB!.

Any suggestions would be great.. cheers!

-Stefan

my vote(s):

100W rugged warm valve standalone head with one knob for volume and that's it... no nothing else, no effects loop... blah blah blah... just one knob for volume... ok well actually multiple knobs for volume:

two channels, clean and distorted... clean channel has one volume knob, distortion channel has a gain knob and a volume knob and then there's a master volume knob, and possibly even a wattage knob which affects the master volume knob.

*maybe* put an effects loop in there... but honestly i've never had a need or a desire for one, i just hook up my pedals inline... oh and don't f8ck around with putting reverb in your head... just get the best tone ever possible - we can buy reverb/FX units like "the pod" and whatnot if we want "big sound" like that - just make the best quality rugged amp head in existence.... concentrate on tone quality - not features.

ok there's my vote: tone quality

P.S. 100W is more than plenty for a valve amp and in fact you might be hard pressed to get a valve amp up to 100W with a minimal expense. I personally would rather pay lots of money for a good amp later than a little money for a so-so amp now... but as for your question, no i don't automatically assume that money equates to quality,  but i do usually notice the truth in the maxim: "you get what you pay for"

Cheers Entheon, by the looks of things we have fairly similar thoughts about what an amp needs, which is great because it validates my thoughts. So yeah, thanks for the reply dude!

So what are people's thoughts on amps in general? What do you love (or hate) about your amplifier? One of the things I love about one of my amps, the Marshall AVT 100, is that it has independent tone controls for clean and dirty channels. This gives quite a lot of versatility in this amp making a "just ok" sounding amp fairly decent when set up well.

-S

What do I want from a guitar amp?  That's where I started when contemplating the answer to this question.  My answer:

- Clean, warm,  punching power that delivers with NO distortion.  I actually think that 50W is enough, but if you can wind it up more then that's fine, so long as none of the amp's characteristics are lost when you turn it down some.
- The ability to "dirty" the signal so that the clean sound ends up with some distortion.
- Minimal EQ
- All wrapped up in a nice rugged box

As to the rest of it, well I suppose my requirements mean a fairly standard Main Vol, Channel Gain, Bass, Mid, and Treble setup (although I'm not so sure about the EQ!)

I don't think there's any need for reverb, and also don't personally see a need for an effects loop (as I've always done exactly what Entheon describes with the pedal).  I'm not bothered by a head or a combo, but would steer clear of a rack mount.  That said, I've always found a combo much more practical.  Also, I am not a "valve rules" nut, probably because I use amp modeling, so wouldn't be overly concerned if it were Valve or Solid State. 

Actually, I've been thinking of building a very simple power amp for myself so that I can turn it on, turn the level up (or down) and then leave it - all the sounds I want can be produced through effects.  The only reason I suggest adding distortion to it in the list above is .....what happens if the effects pedal breaks!  If I ever get around to it, I'll make a solid state 50W combo power amp with single input, an on/off switch and a volume knob!  The speakers will be a couple of Celestion Vintage 30s that I have tucked away somewhere safe!  OK, I know that I run the risk of clipping with that set-up, but I'm sure I'll manage somehow!

I don't have a real favorite amp, although my Laney GH50 head was very nice through a custom built 3x10 cab; but that's long gone.  At the time effects pedals were nothing like they are now.  I play through a Peavey Transtube Envoy at the moment - gain set as high as I can with no distortion, Bass set low, Mid set high, and Treb set low (which is about as close as I can get to using it just as a power amp!)  That suits my needs fine, but has too much on it to twiddle with for my taste.

Does cheap mean poor quality - no, it doesn't always.  But again Entheon is right, you do seem to get what you pay for!

Finally, the amp I like - a Vox AC30! And yes, I know it has all the twiddly bits on it but it's a fab sound.

I have been talking to a lot of people on this topic recently and an interesting point has come up about the output power. Everyone is going with lower power these days, 50W appears to be the standard response which is totally contrary to initial thought that perhaps 100W was standard. Anyway, this is great because although 50W is half the power of 100W it is not perceived as half the volume by the human ear by any means and it has many other benefits on a technical level also.

Interesting point Jiminuk about keeping everything simple with the ability to go ultra clean if need be. Personally I think that is the way to go seeing that so many people including myself are making good use of amp modelling DSP effect units such as the Line-6 POD and the Behringer V-AMP. It almost defeats the purpose of even designing an all tube amp in the first place, however, nostalgia is a powerful thing and you can't deny that tubes have a certain charm to them AND, everyone still loves them!

Slightly OT but I just have to say the latest DSP units are bloody good value and I'll probably eventually make an ultra clean sleek rack mountable solid-state stereo power amp specifically to go with DSP rack units.  But for now, its tubes all the way.

I've got a lot to contemplate, cheers!

Personally i like valve amplifiers and i think 50watts is enough and as entheon said its much nicer to have a really good basic sound and then if you want distortion, you put a pedal in to it.
   I think the effect loop is really important but that is just because i use it alot, you get a little bit different sound from it (atleast on my amp).
  That warm sound is the best i think, a warm clean sound. then as i said you can out different pedals into it and get other more crunchy sound.
  you could have some reverb on one of the channels, if you have two. its good to be able to attract as many people as possible. And some really do play with reverb.....
  Its always good with a big eq, you can have like a 5-eq on each channel and then you could change your sound just a little bit or really much!
  Its hard when you want to decide how to dress your amp   . its better to make some rugged construction, as you said, because does anyone want a really kind of furniture amp, you should dress it yourself :P
Amp head!
Ofcourse the price is important but around 800- 1000 you get really good amp these days. so maybe something cheaper at the start just to make people buy your stuff ?
  Actually you use the knobs when you taking out the sound you want, then you leave them right? so in my opinion one master, volume for both channels( if you have two channels), eq, maybe that gain thing :P but you can still have many more because when you have your sound, you use it and then you usually dont thouch the amp, just the pedals. Well you is me in this case... good luck with it!

keep it simple and make it veratile 100 watts is plenty
oh and my fav amp was an old peavey classic with 4 10s in the cab 50 watts in back
oh yeah of course im a tube guy

My first question is if you have any electronics background at all, especially in valve tube design.

Second, what is your primary goal for the amp? Are you going to gig with it, record with it, or just play around the house with it?

The first question is very important because there is quite a bit to a modern amp, especially if you go the solid state route with DSP technology.

The second question is an important question, because the answer could save you a bundle. If you gig in small to medium venues, a 50W head with a single or split cab is more than plenty (especially since it can be mic'd).

If you play in larger venues, then 100W head might be what you need.

If you record, you don't need much of an amp. Some of the best rock recordings in the 70s and 80s were from a Fender Champ at 5W.

If you play at home for either just practice, or home recording, then a 5 to 15W will suffice. The trick is to make sure you have at least a 12" speaker. It is the speaker area radiation that determines loudness, and not the power rating of the amp.


1. The big one... Valve or Solid State? Depends. I have all three for various purposes: SS, All Tube, and a hybrid with a valve preamp, and a solid state power section.

2. Tone should sound like? eg. "warm" or "crisp" or "like a Mesa dual rectifier" etc... Again, it depends on what your preferences are. Personally, I think a three band EQ section is a good thing.

3. What cool features should it have? Is an effects loop mandatory? I prefer a basic amp with an effects loop built into it. If you have a home studio, or don't have room for a lot of pedals on the bandstand, then rack mount makes everything easier.

4. Max power!? is 100W a good standard or is it too much? (or too little m/)? See above.

5. Reverb or not? Reverb is good for general playing. It isn't great for recording, though. No biggie, though, because you can simply add reverb in the mix. Some prefer the natural reverb of the building, while others like a lot more than that (especially surf rockers).

6. Is standard Bass/Middle/Treble tone controls sufficient? Or is some sort of more precise equalization better? depends, but those are really all you need. for more precise EQ, you can always get a rack mount, or a 10-band EQ pedal.

7. Should it be of rugged construction for on the road or pretty like furniture? Or maybe a fusion of both? Never skimp on ruggedness. I prefer my amps to be built like tanks rather than looks. I am personally into functionality over cosmetics.

8. Amp head or combo box? If amp head, stand alone box or 19" rack mount? Again, it depends on where you play predominantly. Rack mount saves room. A combo does too, and is great for small to medium venues. However, for larger places, a head with cabinets will get more sound projection.

9. How does price influence your perception of an amplifier? Do you automatically assume cheap means nasty and expensive means quality? Price is a big consideration. Mainly because the Marshalls and Fenders are all over-priced for what they offer. Custom amps can be spendy as well, but most of them are top quality and hand made.

10. Minimalist or millions of knobs and switches to twiddle? For me, as few as possible. When I need to change the setting on something quickly, the last thing I want is to waste time finding the right knobs. For a simple clean channel, I use just the volume knob.  For the Drive channel, I use a volume, hi/lo gain switch, and EQ. The master volume and reverb is shared by both channels.

One thing to consider when designing an amp is the voltage circuits: biasing and feedback loops. Also, another big decision is the rectifier. A tube rectifier is spendy, and can give you headaches. A solid state rectifier is more economic and easier to filter.

Of all the amps I have used in my life, I can point to a few that I really liked: Peavey Mace, Fender Champ, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, and the Roland Cube30. The latter is great for recording. It is a modeling amp, and it has basic built in effects.