At one time I owned both a Fender Bassman first generation re-issue and a 1960 Fender concert.
Both amps sounded great in differnt ways and both got heavy usage as I was gigging a lot.
I would choose one or the other depending on if I was in a "Bassman" or "Concert" mood.
A lot of people told me they liked the sound of the Concert better.
Alas, I fell on hard times and now I am ampless so when I attend a jam session I'm usually playing through the pa.
Last night I headed out to a jam that is hosted by a differnt band every month and lo and behold the harp player was using a Meteor amp.
He's a great harp player and the tone he's getting is to die for.
When my turn finally came to play I was in amplified blues harp heaven.
This is absolutly the best amp I have ever played harp through, including a couple of original Bassmans.
There was not even a hint of feed-back and the tone was perfect to my ears. (After my set a friend told me I was sounding like a violin!) It felt like the thing was playing itself.
This is the only boutique amp I've ever tried, so I can't make any comparisons.
The whole experience has left me feeling utterly sick. Sick with desire for an expensive boutique amp... ...........
Do you know which model is was? Scooter builds great amps,so which ever model it was,I'm sure it sounded great! He's a great guy-very knowlegable and modest to say the least.
I don't know what model it was, but he told me it had one 15 inch speaker in it. (No longer am I of the opinion that no speaker bigger than 10 inches sounds good for harp.)
I've been looking, but I can't find anything online about a Meteor with one fifteen incher in it.
Meteor, HarpGear, Harp King, Sonny Jr, Wezo and Mission are the purpose-built harp amps that come to mind right off the bat. Any of these will be significantly better, straight out of the box, than any guitar amp. That isn't to say you can't make a guitar amp sound good for harp, but it will take some twiddling - sometimes a lot of it. The builders of these amps know harp and have twiddled for you. ---------- /Greg
@MN - didn't mean to slight Marble or anyone else I didn't explicitly name. I've heard good things about Marble but overall I'm far less familiar with the European harp amp manufacturers. ---------- /Greg
I own a couple of boutique harp amps. I own a Harpgear Double Trouble and a Super Sonny. I really dig those amps. I owned a Meteor Mini Meat in the 2x8 and 1x10 configuration. It was a cool amp, too.
If you've got some dough saved up, this is not a bad time to be buying used harp amps. There are some nice deals to be had.
However, after playing through a couple of 4x10 Fender Concerts over the years, I would buy one and probably play it more than most boutique harp amps. Those are some of the baddest sounding amps out there.
Side note: That htownfess really lays down some nice stuff in the "Done To Dinner" video. The weird thing is that he did that without sunglasses or a "Blues" hat.
A Meteor amp is what Jimmy Hall uses. and it sounds incredible.
They start out at $1,950 50 watts 4x6V6,3x12AY7,5AR4 rectifier one 12" and two 10" weber speakers "meat" control 25" tall x 22-1/2" wide x 8-1/2" deep tapering down to 11" deep at the bottom 50 pounds
I've played through a Meteor a couple of times. Very impressive amp. Nice, warm controllable distortion that is very responsive to technique. Not sure you can get a clean sound out of it, but the distortion is really nice. Personally, I'm not into the distortion thing, but if I was, this would be the amp I'd buy.
I've also played through Harpgear amps and a Sonny Jr. 410. These were nice amps, but nothing special IMHO. I prefer my Super Reverb Reissue over either of them. But the Meteor is a completely different animal with a unique sound of its own. Like i said, very impressive even though it's not the sound i go for.
The distortion/sustain/overdrive/(whatever you wanna call it) I've personally heard from a Meteor amp is not gnarly and raspy at all, it's mellow & sweet like sweet creamy honey butter. Almost saxaphone-like. I guess that's why the price tag is so high dollar.
I have had the pleasure of playing one of Scooters amps, one of the original 50 amp jobs. It was an outdoor venue and the amp cut through ALL the other stuff and had tone to boot. I have never played another custom amp. I believe that you will find MOST of the boutique amps are around the same price range. Maybe the Mission is a bit less expensive. If you have the cash you can't go wrong. I have heard that the customer service provided by all the mentioned builders is top notch ----------
Nice to hear folks mentioning the old Concert amps alongside of boutique amps. I have an original Meteor with 2x10 + 1x12 which I love. I also have a '60 4x10 Brownface Concert which I love. It's a pretty clean amp that will give up some serious tone and volume. I recently played a gig in a pretty large bar with just enough stage room to play them both splitting them from my AKG wireless. Mixing the 2 of them together was unbelievable. I wanted to spend the whole night out in the crowd playing wireless so I could listen. The band gets tired of that pretty quickly because they want me on stage where they can keep their eyes on me! LOL ---------- Music speaks where words fail.
htownfess sounds REAL good here. Warm and fuzzy. that type of distortion that is pleasing. Vibrato at right times. In fact I only criticize the attire ( knee-pants ? ).
Just kidding... ( but they are kinda funky , heh ).
Wow...this makes ANY boutique amp out there a bargain.
I've played thru the Super Sonny several times, a Harp King, as well as the HG DT. I've owned a few Fenders as well, plus a made-for-me locally made boutique guitar amp(KJL)that I never could get to be just right. A guitarist I know has an ancient Bandmaster(forgot the year)that sounds incredible for harp.
My issue with the older amps is the price point and the unknown-has it been modded dangerously, or is it on its last leg, etc. I like the comfort zone of a warranty when available, too. Seriously considering a Mission Chicago if I can get it in something other than tweed. ----------
Toddlgreene wrote: "My issue with the older amps is the price point and the unknown-has it been modded dangerously, or is it on its last leg, etc. I like the comfort zone of a warranty when available, too."
Indeed, a warranty is hard to argue with, but realistically the only parts that wear out are usually tubes, filter caps & speakers, roughly in that order. A vintage amp with new tubes (just the important ones, typically 4 tubes in a Concert are unemployed by most harp players), good filter caps & new/reconed speakers will have no reliability issues that do not also affect new amps (the odd duff pot, cooked resistor). Taking an unchecked 50yr old amp on stage is asking for trouble but I know guys whose main gigging amps are older than they are, and with a little preventative maintainance once in a while, will still be giggable in 50yrs time.
Old Concerts Pros & Bandmasters were built with 100W power transormers & are bullet proof in that respect (only the high end repros meet that kind of spec today), if the Output tansformer is OK & the amp checked over, that won't wear out either (harp players aren't hard on OTs)...worst case scenario the OT can be replaced for the price of the part & 1hr's labour.
I wouldn't think twice about buying & gigging an early 60's Fender (assuming either well maintained, or allowing for a service). In the same way that I would expect a modern boutique amp to last me the rest of my years (whatever the warranty, I'd expect it to outlast mass produced PCB amps)...if you just want a cheap, short term, noise box, there are hundreds of PCB amps that'll cost you under $100/year over their working life.
In this respect, the early 60's Fenders are a cost effective & easy route to great tone & a very reliable amp.
Todd, was that bit about the Ebay 61 Concert being "a bargain" a joke, or are you the seller? ;-) It's up for twice the price they usually sell for :-0! $3.5K would get you a brand new repro made to order! Interestingly, this seller has popped up on amp forums trying to screw down "experienced" builders into doing non cost-effective builds for him at less than minimum wage...you would think he would be more cost conscious? ;-)
Last Edited by on Feb 15, 2011 7:32 AM
Really happy to hear this - my Mini-Meteor is due to arrive this week!!!
PS - I wish the mini-15 was $1250 - but it's $1650 - gonna take a lot of tip jars to pay for it~ ---------- ~Banned in Boston!
Last Edited by on Feb 15, 2011 7:20 AM
I just sold my Meteor last month, and this thread makes me miss that amp. The Meteors have volume and tone galore with no feedback problems. Sold it because 1) it's an amp that demands to be gigged and I'm just not playing out much these days (it was like having a Ferrari in my garage but never being able to take it for a drive), and 2) I was needing to raise a few bucks for other harp-related purchases.
With some of the proceeds from the Meteor, I bought a much smaller and much-discussed VHT Special 6 combo amp, which I was pretty pleased with right out of the box: VHT Special 6 Combo video clip
5F6H-Nah, If I had that, I doubt I'd sell it-I've sold enough things that I regret already.
I do gig often(and am doing so with more frequency lately)and can justify another amp-but I don't need a 45 or 50-watter that I wouldn't be able to crank-plus it's like moving furniture.
I personally witnessed three Fender amps take a dump live on stage in the middle of a song. First-Debbie Davis silverface Concert-then one of Steve Guygers blackface Concerts which was being used by Big Bill Morganfield-after that was Henry Carvahal's tweed Deluxe-these are all vintage amps,not repros. All of these players were very embarrased-but all being pros,quickly switched amps and carried on-but all of them made the rest of the band stop playing. I had a personal hand in geting Big Bill going again. My friend Pat and I spotted a big silver twin by the door upon entering the club. When the black Concert died,I quickly ran to the sound man,and asked if the silver Twin worked-he said it had just come back from the repair shop,and was in top shape. Pat and I lugge d the beast to the stage and got Bill going again. To show us his appreciation,he gave us one of Muddys personal thumb picks he used. So you see Todd-it does happen,even to the top pros. Funny thing too-all of these events occured in about one months time.
Good story, tm. Yeah, I've seen a few bite the dust midgig-including two of my own(72 Vibrolux Reverb and a Bassman RI). Improper maintenance? Maybe so, in the case of the 72, anyway. The Bassman was shoddy construction. I just factor all that in as additional cost. If I was a gifted techie like 5F6H, I'd be less apprehensive of the oldies, for sure.
BTW, there are SEVERAL boutique harp amps on Ebay right now-two Sonny amps, and at least one HarpGear(an HG1), among others. ---------- Todd Eudora and Deep Soul
Last Edited by on Feb 15, 2011 8:08 AM
@ Toddg The Super Cruncher is a different amp than the Supper Sonny. The upgrade doesn't make it closer to a SS but rather is a cruncher that has been beefed up to really cut through the mix. I was always leary of the upgrades, but they really have made a difference.
I use to have a 59 Bassman, a 60 vibrolux and a Gibson GA-40 and still have a 58 tweed Deluxe. They all have a great tone and mojo, but the reliability factor and potential crash issues at gigs as recounted above convinced me to sell the herd for a lot and buy new amps. I don't regret it at all. Already, the SS was knocked over during a gig and I picked it back up and continue to play, no fuss, no must. My SS is a great guitar amp. A few tube swaps and it is as good as a Bassman RI.
Last Edited by on Feb 15, 2011 9:55 AM
@5F6H You mentioned that most harp players don't need some of the tubes on the Concert. Are you talking about removing the AX tube except for V1 and the PI? I think that would be the first and last. Does that change tone or performance in any way? Harmful to amp in any way? Thanks! jay ---------- Music speaks where words fail.
Yes, that's right, removing V2 to V5 (or V3 & V4 if the old 5 preamp tube 6G12 type - V1 & V2 are shared between the channels in the earliest circuit) is something that some harp players do. No, there is no risk of damaging the amp at all, obviously the Vibrato channel ceases to function. Apart from V1 & the PI you can pull out one, none or all of the other 12AX7/7025 tubes in a 6G12A. V2 has a marked effect because this & V1 share a resistor in the 6G12A circuit, pulling out V2 makes the normal channel hotter, slightly more aggressive & fuzzy. Pulling the other tubes has some impact, because less current is drawn accross the preamp power supply resistors & the preamp voltage rises & makes the amp a little brighter, more forward.
So long as you leave enough tubes in for one channel to work, there's no "right/wrong", whatever sounds right to you is best. I actually like all the tubes installed & set the controls on the unused channel fully up, apart from the treble which can act like a useful high boost/extra presence. But if the amp sounds very clean in one room, you could pull V2.
I mentioned not replacing "all the tubes" in this thread, simply because if you buy an old Concert & the tubes in it are quiet & you only play the Normal channel, there's no need to buy 6 new 12AX7s, just the 2 you use will do.
That was my Meteor you played through Bluzlvr...glad you enjoyed it as much as you did. That turned out to be a pretty fun nite. Yeah, like I said, it's a single 15 that I keep on the 6L6 circuit with the two 6L6s running things. I did swap out the Weber vintage design 15 with my 1962 ceramic Jensen just because I had it - and why not. The Weber was actually a very fine speaker as well. Scott builds some might sweet amps (all point to point)and his workmanship is impeccable...not to mention that he is a hell of a great guy as well. I've got one of the "big boy" Meteors too which is great when you're playing a bigger venue and you need the power to cut through. That's the 2x10s and a 12 setup with 4 6V6s. It's a bad mammajamma let me tell you! In fact I'm usin' it tonite on a gig. I love my Meteors...and I'm glad you had such a good time playin' mine.
Can you hit me up off list to discuss the meteor - my mini-15 is coming next week and wanted to pick your brain about settings and soforth. My emails on my profile - thanks! ---------- ~Banned in Boston!
Went to a jam last night, brought my little Pro Jr along and didn't even have to set it up. There was another Meteor amp there, this one the 30 watt model. I got to play through this one a little bit more than the last time, and I gotta say, these things are TONE MONSTERS. I could have played all night if they let me. Aside from playing through a Sonny Jr about 20 years ago this is my only experience with boutique amps. I'm hooked... ---------- myspace
