skilesp's forum posts 2

The character of an amp, in terms of sound, is defined by a number of things, from circuitry to the wood of the cabinet.

I mean:

Is the cabinet's back open, closed, or partially closed? Is it birch or pine?

Does the amp have a tube rectifier, or a solid state rectifier? Or does it have both?

A number of things contribute to the sound of the amp and what makes it sound good or bad is up to the taste of each individual. There are no absolutes.

If you are talking about what the average guitar player can easily change about an amp to effect its sound, the first would be speakers. After speakers, if you have a valve amp, then it would be tubes. And among tubes, your PI and V1 tubes would make the biggest difference, although changing any tube will create a noticeable difference.

As for the Deluxe Reverb and pedals, I would say that it depends on the channel, because of its bright cap. They take pedals well, but its bright cap makes it not take pedals as well as some other Fenders like say a Princeton Reverb or Super Reverb. And that's why some players cut their bright caps, but cutting that, I caution, will also make the amp lose a ton of its character.

But you could have a Deluxe Reverb and change its speaker to a Greenback/Private Jack, to get a note of Vox to your sound. Actually, they sell a Navy Blue 65 Deluxe Reverb, stock, with a Celestion G12 Blue in it. And that would save you from the problem of trying to fit a Celestion speaker to a Fender amp, which, otherwise, isn't a straight forward alteration. Also, the Blonde, and Fudge Brownie, Deluxe Reverbs would give you a bit more growl than standard, at lower volumes, like a Celstion, because of the Alnico Jensens that come in those variations. But maybe that's not a good thing to you.

Talking about what we like or dislike about sound is kind of hard. So, generally (without speaking abstractly about sound), if I'm shopping for an amp, I start with these basic personal preferences:

1.) It has to be all tube, including that it has to have a tube rectifier.

2.) If it is made in a place that doesn't really have native musical styles with strong electric guitar traditions, then it had better be inexpensive as hell. But generally, I try to find one made somewhere with a rich history of guitar music. I'll pay through the nose for that.

3.) Attenuation and/or an effects loop would be pluses, but the lack of either or both is not a dealbreaker.

4.) I also like one that is good at low volumes, but is still an option for gigging.

As for online videos, the recording and/or player could suck. So, it kind of depends.

The Strat's sound is more about classic rock and blues. It's worth noting also, that classic rock and blues are pretty much the same, or are the same in all but attitude in many cases.

You can also play classic rock and blues on a Tele, because the Tele is an all-time great classic rock and blues guitar. But with a Tele, you can also play country, a little jazz, plus punk rock, alternative and all of its derivatives.