JD. Appreciate the response. I've been shopping boutique amps for years now, and the money just hasn't been there. This would be an amp I played with to get better tone. I did the same with a Blues Jr (I've seen the numerous threads where people claim it can't be a harp amp), swapped the tubes, put in a 12" Weber AlNiCo, and it sounds great. The folks who don't like it typically can't cup a microphone correctly :)
Anywho, I've never heard of AIMS and I've never fiddled with a combo amp (and never thought I would), but this one has me intrigued for a 10th of the price of a boutique amp.
I think with the AIMs you'll get big volume, not big tone. The 105 refers to 105 watts of clean power. Most blues players prefer low watt amps that break up easily. Ask Adam. That being said, Rod Piazza manages sound good with 2 - 6X10 100 watt amps. I suspect the AIMS might be a good choice for bass or as a PA.
Last Edited by on Dec 16, 2012 8:50 AM
My quest for tone started with a Blues Jr. I bought it because my harp dealer sold them and told me that was the amp of choice. I had it about 3 years, rarely played it outside of the house. Took it to a jam at a fest one year where all five harp players had Blues Jrs. None sounded good to me. Came home with a mission to find the right amp for me. I read what I could find online (internet was in it's infancy then) The only good treatise I found was by Gary Onafrio, but I couldn't afford a Sonny Jr., so I decided to look for interesting amps at good prices and research by acquisition. I bought a lot of amps. I bought everything from heads with full stacks, to hand built Bassman clones to simple Harmonys and Kays. The Kalamazoo I bought from Greg was the best sounding amp for harp of the bunch. My Alamo model 3 was pretty good too. Both were low watt amps that were loud enough and sounded decent mic'ed. Eventually I figured out that if I sold the piles of amps collecting in my garage I could buy a Sonny Jr., so I did. Of course it didn't end there, gear fever still hit whenever I found a good deal on a well designed harp amp or interesting vintage. I have bought and sold a lot amps. Currently down to 6. Intend to trim it to 3, (small medium and large) but I know the search for the Holy Grail doesn't end when you find it. BTW: don't forget the mic in the equation. Also consider your own tone, the tone of your harps and the room you'll be playing in. A word of warning: Avoid the volume wars. I have heard too many mediocre players at earsplitting volume and over the top reverb. They sill sounded terrible.
Last Edited by on Dec 16, 2012 9:08 AM
Yes, but keep in mind, much of it is subjective, My current stable includes 2 Kendrick Champ clones, modern amps with great vintage tube tone. 2 Gibson GA-20's (Yes, I have a habit of buying amps I like in sets) 20 watt amps with good vintage tone, nice lows (12 inch speakers) but a little too clean for some players. A Univox 2X10 combo (Don't ignore the off-brands) with nice basss tone and vintage Jensens. And the Holy Grail, a Danelectro Commando with 8X8 speakers. The Commando is very versatile and sounds terrific. My advise is to check out Gregs' Kalamazoos, the Harpgear amps and any clean pre-60's Gibson GA. Be alert to bargains too, both of my Kendricks are pricey, but I found killer deals on them. BTW: If you can, play through the AIM, you might just find a sleeper.
Last Edited by on Dec 16, 2012 9:21 AM
Thanks. Just looking for something bigger that I can tweak to crunch when I need it to crunch. I still think that how the harp and mic are cupped have about as much to do with tone as the amp itself.
I almost purchased a Mission amp a couple months ago, but had some last-minute expenses that made that less possible. This AIMS is only 400bucks, which makes it much more desirable.…then again, sometimes you get what you pay for.
JD. I have a B3 in my house (I actually got tired of dragging it to jams/gigs, which is what got me playing harp in the first place years ago...now i find myself dragging BOTH)...and 6550 in my leslie as well that I can break up.
I think that for a 400-dollar amp, I can tweak this one enough to get what I want...sort of what I did with my Jr....only louder.
Obviously, I'm not an electrical engineer by ANY means.
Last Edited by on Dec 16, 2012 1:33 PM
Tested it out at home before heading to work. Sounds OK for not having anything done to it. As for my playing, it is what it is...not trying to impress anyone here.
If you like the amp, a good deal is hard to pass up. But count the cost. Replacing tubes is relatively cheap, but is it self biassing? or will you need a tech. If the speakers are the big magnet ceramics, it may be too stiff and sterile for harp. Replacing 6 - 10" speakers won't be cheap. Let us know what you decide to do.
rbeets. it's not self-biasing, but even 4 weber speakers (we'll say 400 bucks), and a little work will put it roughly 1000 under most the boutique amps I've been finding.
We'll see. I think it'll be a 'unique' harp amp, at the least.
JD. Appreciate it! I've been singing much longer than I've been playing harp or organ.
I'm not sure what I'll do yet to the AIMS. I'll get hold of a couple 8" Webers and see what that does. I already blew a fuse today, which has me a little worried, but it was after pulling out and putting back in the 6550s...so we'll see.
