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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Amp Shopping
Amp Shopping
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PM42
21 posts
Aug 23, 2017
11:39 AM
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I am looking around for a good harp amp, but not real confident in my judgment yet. I stopped into a store with some attractive older models as well as some new stuff, and was hoping to get some feedback on their price and quality (I didn't get a chance to play them yet--I had a harp with me, but the store didn't have a mic). Here's some of the models and prices: does anything jump out as a particularly good buy for a harp amp?
Fender Champion 600 1951 $1095
Danelectro DM10 1960s $299
Alamo Mild #3 1953 $595
Fender Blues Jr. Used $295
Fender silver faced 1968 Princeton reverb $899
Fender Pro Jr. $419
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Littoral
1522 posts
Aug 23, 2017
11:47 AM
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The vintage are all cool but dependability matters if you want to play out. Then I'd suggest the Fender Blues Jr. or the Fender Pro Jr.
Then tube down and/or look at some basic harp mods. The right mic matters as much or more. The bulletini is exceptionall.
If I had it to do all over (I own 30 vintage amps) I might go with a good powered speaker and a pedal board.
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hvyj
3457 posts
Aug 23, 2017
12:16 PM
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The Blues Jr. is too high gain to be a good harp amp, even if tubed down. I sold mine to get a Princeton Reverb Reissue. Good move. Never regretted that.
The Pro JR. is an excellent harp amp. Not the style of amp I personally gravitate towards, but putting aside personal tastes, when retubed it is an objectively good sounding harp amp.
I'd take a blackface Princeton Reverb Reissue over the '68 silverface.
Last Edited by hvyj on Aug 23, 2017 12:19 PM
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1847
4387 posts
Aug 23, 2017
2:21 PM
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i sometimes leave my vintage bassman at home and use a stock blues jr.
and every time i do i laugh out loud when i think of all the times it gets dismissed as a crappy harp amp.
it sounds completely different in the mix as opposed to by it self.
having said that, i have played a few that did nothing for me at all. i think those are the one's with a celestion speaker.
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harpoon_man
212 posts
Aug 23, 2017
4:14 PM
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I have played some version of all of the above amps except for the Alamo. If you decide to go with one of the smaller amps on the list, I suggest the Danelectro DM10. I was shocked at how good this amp sounded, and the vibrato effect on the DM10 was fun and sounded cool.
Between the Blues Junior and the Pro Junior, my choice would be the Pro.
Also, there's a lot to be said for a Bassman RI, and that would seem to fit your price range based on your list.
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John M G
157 posts
Aug 24, 2017
12:06 AM
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Look at what Quilter have to offer!
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BnT
80 posts
Aug 24, 2017
10:54 AM
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Don't know where you're located, what style music you play, or the kind of settings and players you'll be around so it's hard to zero in on a right choice. But big and loud are considerations. If you only play in your room or the garage, 5-15 watts may be fine. If not...
I play traditional blues (Chicago & West Coast) so I don't care about playing loud. I've stated elsewhere on the site that I have 3 amps - a 59 Bassman RI for "big" (large venues, outdoors, and playing with loud guitarists); a Silvertone 1300 which gives you 8 watts un-distorted/12-14 output watts distorted and is good in the house, miced at a club, or in the studio - mine is the red & black one: (http://www.silvertoneworld.net/amplifiers/1300/1300.html); and a Masco 17 watt amp (the best tone).
So, I think you need to assess what, where, and who because the amps you're looking at are so different. If you play mostly at home, jams, with rock players it changes what you need. Don't buy an amp that won't accommodate your most frequent playing.
Also, there are so many possibilities with products available on the Internet (eBay, Reverb, Craigslist) you shouldn't be confined to the local bricks & mortar store. And since I bought a used "$800" 59 Bassman RI on Craigslist for $600, then changed out tubes and speakers (sold the old speakers to pay for the replacements) I know something like that can fit in the price range you're considering.
If you prefer vintage sound there are repair/build guys like Skip Simmons (skipsimmonsamps.com) you can email or call who may have well priced, cool, old amps sitting around in the warehouse that are great for harp (like a Bell, Bogen or Challenger PA, old accordian amps - Cordovox, Sonola, Maestro, etc., or even Fender products). If you can define what you need, the type venue you'd typically be in, the volume you have to contend with, and your playing level, you may still find a $300-$500 wonder amp in the pile. And yes, it can be done via phone &/or email.
Do some hunting. There are lots of "right" choices, but no choice is right if you can't be heard when you play.
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BnT
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Joe_L
2767 posts
Aug 25, 2017
12:59 PM
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BnT is 110% spot on. You need to really assess what you want to do with the amp. It doesn't make any sense to buy a Champ, if you are going to be playing at the Pontiac Superdome with a rock band. If you are going to be playing around the house, a 5W amp is surprisingly loud. You also need to consider the people that you will be playing with and their volume habits.
Fender Champion 600 1951: Thats a lot of dough for a very small, but very vintage amp. Good for the house and the studio, but not much else.
Danelectro DM10 1960s: Never seen one.
Alamo Mild #3 1953: Never seen one.
Fender Blues Jr. Used $295: This one at a very nice price point. The good news about the Blues Jr is that they hold their value meaning you'll easily unload it at $295.) Guitar players love these things. A Blues Jr can be a decent harp amp, but you really have to have your technique down. Harp players in the Internet forums will shit all over these amps, but they are not horrible. I've played through quite a few of them and they can sound fine. It really isn't loud enough to play in most bars and it is way too loud for the house.
Fender silver faced 1968 Princeton reverb $899: This might be the best of the bunch. It'll hold that value. If it is good shape, it will sound great. It will have the same problem as the Blues Jr and the Pro Jr. Too loud for the house and not really big enough to play with a loud band, but this is the most toneful of the amps that I have experience with on this list.
Fender Pro Jr. $419: If the Pro Jr is used, it is overpriced. I owned one of these for a while. I bought into the harp forum hype on these amps before I bought it. A Pro Jr can be a nice amp for harp, but it really isn't loud enough to play in most bars and it is way too loud for the house. I don't consider it to be drastically better than the Blues Jr. I swapped the speaker in mine with a Weber and swapped a 12AY7 into the preamp socket. In the used market, you can usually find these for about $100US less than a Blues Jr.
If you decide to spring for the Blues Jr or Pro Jr, I would not do any modifications to the circuit board. I would only change replaceable items like tubes or speakers, so when you decide to sell it, you can put all of the original stuff back in.
I would suggest playing through as many amps as you can. There are lots of options. Understanding your needs will help.
Last Edited by Joe_L on Aug 25, 2017 1:00 PM
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hot4blues
82 posts
Aug 26, 2017
7:29 PM
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I like the VOX tube amps. They have a good punch to them.
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shakeylee
695 posts
Aug 26, 2017
8:11 PM
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I like the Princeton,pro junior and the DM10.
I have had a DM 10 for about 35 years. Same role as a champ.
It all depends where you live and who you're playing with .
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www.shakeylee.com
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www.shakeylee.com
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