The best boutique guitar amp for the money? With LES PAUL STRAT and TELE!
Which is your favorite reasonably priced boutique guitar amp? For me a candidate would be the Astro Rocket from Pure Tone Amps which is their best bang for the buck. The amp uses a 2XEL84 Power section. I’m playing it with three guitars: Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty (2010), Fender Stratocaster (1973) and Squier Affinity Telecaster (2016). I’m using a 1971 Marshall Basketweave 1982A 4×12 Cabinet with Celestion G12H30 55Hz Pulsonic Greenbacks. Recorded using a 70s Unidyne IV 548 close mic and an AKG C414 BXLII room mic set to omni at 10 feet.
The Astro Rocket Compared to 3 other Pure Tone Amps
Pure Tone Amps at Vintage and Rare
https://www.vintageandrare.com/builder/Pure-Tone-Amps-7991/products
Pure Tone Amps Web site
https://puretoneamps.wordpress.com
#boutique #guitar #amp #money #LES #PAUL #STRAT #TELE
Originally posted by UCyaStghQb7_e51PgH8bUkzg at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO54TZ3EfYY
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Hand crafted in Chania !??
Where was the amp made ?
Monoprice stage right 15 watt.
Seems to be relatively raw barebones as in no bells n whistles with the exception of power smaller from 15 watts to 1. It has 3 12AX7 JJ tubes 2 EL84 JJ tubes volume ,gain,tone,bass,mid,table and spring rever that's footswitcha .
I think it sounds pretty good. Rumored to e a basterdized erosion of a Laney cub or a blues junior.
I'd be interested in your opinion of this amp.
Over there it would be called Harley Benton qt watt.
Great stuff you bring here Thankyou
Not really my tone but those transformers are huge, I'm not sure why one very expensive toroidal tranformer was used in its construction.
Anybody out there own one who can give their review?
HUUUUGE SOUND!!!!
this is perfect
????
I really like Magic Amplification by Mike Moody. He makes really great amps. They're not cheap, but I don't think cheap is an option when you're buying a handmade tube amp made from top-quality components. I recently bought one of his discontinued models, the Z1-V4 (a modified Supro circuit with a pair of 6V6's), and it's the best amp I've ever owned.
The Astro Rocket is very impressive. But I'd probably go for a Matamp (Matamp made the Orange amps of the 70's). Built to the highest hi-fi standards (which other manufacturer allows individual biasing of tubes?) using over-specced components, and each is built by hand in a small workshop in the UK. Matamps have astonishing clarity and fidelity (which can be a big disadvantage if your playing technique is sloppy). They'll build one to customer specifications, and for less money than you'd think. Well worth checking out. I'd love to hear a master guitarist like Johan put one through its paces.
Johan? I notice you play your BLACK BEAUTY CUSTOM A LOT IN THE VIDEOS. What year is it? Is that one of your fav's to play? I have 72' Black Custom. Was gonna sell it but now I am leaning not to. Got to take my for sale post down If I keep her. Anyway . Tx for the info. I like the Light blue boutique amp. Great piece. I.E. Astro Rocket
Hi johan! Why don’t you try a Bugera 1960 vs a Plexy? You’re opinion is a must…..thanks!
ONLY… ~$2k
Gorgeous clean tone right at about 1:50 min There's a lot of monsters in that small box!! Great video Johan.
Hamstead seems to be a killer to, it is also affordable, I suggest a review 🙂
great video, thanks for sharing that with us
Hallo Johan, great video…as always. IMHO there are two boutique amps for a better price and with better quality and professional service (and a more traditional look). The Cornell Plexi 7 and the Cornell Plexi 18/20. Did you ever play a Cornell amp? If not, go for it, you will love them…
Hallo Johan, great video…as always. IMHO there are two boutique amps for a better price and with better quality and professional service (and a more traditional look). The Cornell Plexi 7 and the Cornell Plexi 18/20. Did you ever play a Cornell amp? If not, go for it, you will love them…
Hi Johan, Amazing sounds! Have you tried a Cornell Plexi 7? I have a 12’’ speaker version and it is pretty amazing. It’s awesome for low volume recording because of the built in power scaling. Hand wired and at a Great price for a boutique amp.
Hi Johan ! Until the set up video can you please tell me how much release and action do you like on strats ? Becoes i think that it plays a great part in your beautiful tones. I hope is not a secret ! Thank you !
What is boutique?
Mr Segeborn!You really are going on the nerves!It doesn’t matter what amp you’re playing it sounds just freaking amazing!!!Cheers!????
Hi Johan, a great tip from you. Managed it to sound fantastic as usual. And a nice relaxing vid for a holiday with those leaves in the background…
I've owned a few boutique amps such as Carr, Tone King, Dr Z, /13, swart and 65 amps. Considering the current used price and the tone and craftmanship, I think the Dr Z wins. If you can pick up a used Carr cheap, then I'd take the Carr.
Hi Johan! Great amp vid again! Thanks for that.
I was wondering if you are planning to test the Greg from Koch amps soon please? Not a budget amp but one that's certainly on my list …. Thanks!!
Thought this Astro Rocket is meant to be a Vox-y style amp?
Bogner Atma
Johan, Johan, Johan…..
That amp isn't cheap! Ceriatone makes handwired boutique quality amps that are damn good and loud too.
Wow a toroidal transformer. You rarely see those in guitar amps. Sounds great.
Great to see a guitar mix …LP is always tops for me, Tele was cool …bid surprise was the amp sits well with the strat…super range of amps from Pure Tone
Will another bridge pickup sound good in the place of the neck pickup on a guitar? I've been willing to try this out but I've been thinking about it too much, like if it would sound good in the middle position (of my Les Paul, where the 2 pickups are used). Nice video btw
I have a Dr. Z mini z for practice… 600 bucks. I can get some good sounds out of it.
I'm kind of liking the Tone King Gremlin. $1300 US new out the door.
Rikstone is fantastic. Risto makes anything you wish – I got a modded Bandmaster with two channels and TrainWreck from him.
Koch Jupiter 45 is good value for money
Nice sounds during my breakfast.Thanks!.. Just.. .Hmmm tasty on all guitars…guess they cost a fortune…and I heard that " boutique term" often..what does it exactly describe..thought those are combos, vintage look, hand wired maybe no semicons may be vinyl or leather vintage look..great speakers… and ridiculously expensive…now you are showing heads..( forgive my stupid question…let it put me like this I want a amp or a combo which sticks out sound wise at maybe 1 grant or a little plus, boutique or not doesn't matter..bed room is a must..id rahter play my Blackstar and buy an R8 for the buck
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Love the sound of the reverb here. Is it just the room? Or did you add anything in post production?
Sound at 2:14 works for me. Pure tone, huh? Glad my wife’s on vacation …..let’s go hunting !!!!
I dig those cleans with the tele
Check out Morris amps based out of Ontario, Canada. His GCM-008 & Perplexed models especially. Highly underrated boutique Marshall style amps, all hand wired and sound as good if not better than some more well known boutique amps I’ve owned.
good tones but damn that thing is weird without any cover
Fantastic amp demo Johan. The clean tones on that little amp are to die for. Just beautiful and vibrant. Likewise the overdrive tones are lush and rich with that nice dynamic compression when you hit the strings hard. Definitely NOT an amp I'd use for modern metal genres, but for everything else, it indeed sounds just perfect. I especially liked how it sounded with the Strat and Tele. That being said…the finest rig I've ever played through was not a boutique amp (but still expensive). It was a Mesa-Boogie Triaxis preamp into a Mesa Boogie stereo 2 fifty power amp. I could do everything from crystalline clean tones to blues to rich classic rock and all the way to full blown death metal tones all with incredible richness and dynamic tones. It was just the most beautiful tones and feel of any rig (solid state or tube) that I've ever played through. Sadly I had to let it go as I was shipping it for a friend in Brazil. But it was nice to be able to taste such sweetness if even for a few weeks. I use a lot of digital "amp simulator" software while recording and while I can get similar tones and its easier to record with, none of them duplicate that feel you get from a beautiful tube amp system where it feels like it's ALIVE and always changing in tone to your picking and and singing as you bend notes. FEEL to me is a big part of why I love tube amps. That is something that doesn't come across in audio recordings or videos as its something that a guitarist must feel first-hand regarding how the amp reacts to his or her playing.
But nevertheless here is one recording I made of one of the lead settings using the Mk-IV circuit on the Triaxis. Note how it groans and sings on string bends… I just love that. http://www.thelostbrothers.com/LeadDistortionMesaBoogieTriaxis.mp3
Hey Johan! I just wanted to say that I love your videos; especially the amp demos. Your guitar playing has such a pure, energetic feel to it that just really brings out the best qualities in any guitar or amplifier that you plug into. Keep doing what your doing man, everything sounds fantastic!
Wow that is nice! I loved there other amp also. Great playing as always.
Wow!
Tone King Falcon!
Not necessarily boutique, as they were somewhat common in the 70s. But for US Canadians if you can find a Garnet or Traynor (while pete Traynor was making them) they are amazing amps for relatively cheap.
@4:33 Sweet seven seconds. Nice amp. Gibson rules the universe.
An amp from Crete …and it doesn't come with some sort of bull's head?!
I'm disappointed ; (
Wonderful sounds you're charming out of it and your nice guitars!
I'm not usually a Strat fan but man does it ever sound great here!