ilovefuzz.com

New amp day! '88 JCM 800 - 2204 - 50W

jogi wrote:New amp day! '88 JCM 800 - 2204 - 50W

jogi,, looks like your cat really likes the orange cab ...

Lucked out finding this Benson used for relatively cheap, i.e., only had to add an extra day per week into my male prostitution gig to afford it. Thought it was going to be totally worth it, given that human life has no inherent value, and this amp is pretty cool.

How does the Benson Monarch combo sound at very low volume?

It's good at low volumes, but not as good in that respect as the Vinny that I owned for a few months. The Vinny is very loud for a "1 watt" amp, but it can still be completely sublime at low volumes. Not so much the Monarch. The Monarch may claim to be 15 watts, but it's louder than a Deluxe Reverb. If you're looking for pleasing sound at low volumes, look into the Vinny. The Monarch is a total stage amp.

sylnau wrote:How does the Benson Monarch combo sound at very low volume?

Still looking for THAT amp huh?

JereFuzz wrote:

sylnau wrote:How does the Benson Monarch combo sound at very low volume?

Still looking for THAT amp huh?

If anyone's looking for a great low volume clean amp, I just picked up a Carr Rambler and it's freaking unreal at low volumes, never heard anything so good. SS/BS Mini through that gives my Orange a run for dirt tones.

peaches wrote:

JereFuzz wrote:

sylnau wrote:How does the Benson Monarch combo sound at very low volume?

Still looking for THAT amp huh?

If anyone's looking for a great low volume clean amp, I just picked up a Carr Rambler and it's freaking unreal at low volumes, never heard anything so good. SS/BS Mini through that gives my Orange a run for dirt tones.

Interesting, I keep thinking about picking up a Carr, but worried they seem too BLUES WHORE tone

Wittgenstein wrote:It's good at low volumes, but not as good in that respect as the Vinny that I owned for a few months. The Vinny is very loud for a "1 watt" amp, but it can still be completely sublime at low volumes. Not so much the Monarch. The Monarch may claim to be 15 watts, but it's louder than a Deluxe Reverb. If you're looking for pleasing sound at low volumes, look into the Vinny. The Monarch is a total stage amp.

Does the Vinny have lots of clean headroom?

sylnau wrote:

Wittgenstein wrote:It's good at low volumes, but not as good in that respect as the Vinny that I owned for a few months. The Vinny is very loud for a "1 watt" amp, but it can still be completely sublime at low volumes. Not so much the Monarch. The Monarch may claim to be 15 watts, but it's louder than a Deluxe Reverb. If you're looking for pleasing sound at low volumes, look into the Vinny. The Monarch is a total stage amp.

Does the Vinny have lots of clean headroom?

Yeah. It's probably the best recording amp I've ever come across. It starts to get edgy at about 5, and then just gets more overdriven as you go up, but without really getting much louder. The cleans at about 3 are, imo, the best cleans I've ever heard on any amp, including the Monarch. Just very rich, shimmering, and complex response.

I sold the Vinny while waiting on my Monarch to be delivered, and instantly regretted it. I expected the Monarch to just be a Vinny+, but it's actually a different animal in some ways. I can't say I completely prefer the Monarch---though the Monarch does have better overdrive and dirt tones, it's close, and I much prefer the cleans of the Vinny. I'll buy another one at some point. Even though the Vinny can't hang with a drummer, it's just incredible for recording and low volume playing (though, again, it's louder than you expect).

On the Vinny I typically played 3-5 just because I loved the cleans so much. On the Monarch I stick to 7-10 because dirt is where it really shines for me.

These two are my main ones.



And into some cab

Multicellular wrote:These two are my main ones.



And into some cab

Nice!

That quilter stacks awesome. Custom job? Tell us more.

odontophobia wrote:That quilter stacks awesome. Custom job? Tell us more.

Yes.I got the Quilter Aviator 8, really tiny. At the time, my main amp was a Deluxe Reverb RI. But it was volume overkill for lots of spots around here. I figured the Aviator would be a good back up/smaller stage amp. This was when Quilters were quite new and no one carried them locally. Demo videos seemed pretty good, but I wasnt expecting to like it as much as I did. So I eventually took the head out of the 8 and put it in this. I always preferred open back sound. The 8 was very impressive and definitely loud enouh to gig with, but the open 12 just has more typical sound. The 8 cab/speaker were a bit to hifi.

At that point it was my main amp. I find the Quilters cleans to be excellent and I like my pedal dirt for everything fine live. I have a couple tube amps in the studio where I want legit tube drive/crunch.

I got an empty pine combo cab meant for a Super Champ. Does not

The Aviator head ALMOST fits perfect in a Super Champ combo space. Super Champ is a tad wider, so if you look close in my pic, it is shimmed out left and right with some, I think 1/8th inch plywood. All stained the same so it is hard to see.

Multicellular wrote:

odontophobia wrote:That quilter stacks awesome. Custom job? Tell us more.

Yes.I got the Quilter Aviator 8, really tiny. At the time, my main amp was a Deluxe Reverb RI. But it was volume overkill for lots of spots around here. I figured the Aviator would be a good back up/smaller stage amp. This was when Quilters were quite new and no one carried them locally. Demo videos seemed pretty good, but I wasnt expecting to like it as much as I did. So I eventually took the head out of the 8 and put it in this. I always preferred open back sound. The 8 was very impressive and definitely loud enouh to gig with, but the open 12 just has more typical sound. The 8 cab/speaker were a bit to hifi.

At that point it was my main amp. I find the Quilters cleans to be excellent and I like my pedal dirt for everything fine live. I have a couple tube amps in the studio where I want legit tube drive/crunch.

I got an empty pine combo cab meant for a Super Champ. Does not

The Aviator head ALMOST fits perfect in a Super Champ combo space. Super Champ is a tad wider, so if you look close in my pic, it is shimmed out left and right with some, I think 1/8th inch plywood. All stained the same so it is hard to see.

That's awesome/impressive.

there was some discussion of the Quilter stuff in the Doom Room not long ago and it was getting pretty solid reviews. glad to hear you dig it.