# Your best guitar - amp combination



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

So after years of searching and experimenting, what has been your dream match-up to date? I think that this combination also has a lot to do with the style of music you are playing. Straight ahead rock and roll, metal, blues etc.

For the blues, the combo that seems to do it for me is the Gibson ES 345 and the Fender Super Reverb. No effects, a little reverb. For the 80's heavy metal stuff I still go back to the Rockman XP212 and the Heritage Gary Moore. Can't seem to beat that after many years of trying. Have a few Marshalls sitting around here too. There is the old saying "nothing like a Les Paul plugged into a Marshall" but I think that very much depends on the Marshall you are plugging into.


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## vasthorizon (Aug 10, 2008)

Mine would be a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Reissue (Lollar P90's or better some vintage Gibson P90's) into a Fender Super Reverb with a Boss DM-2 for a bit of slapback; no reverb

or

a Gibson ES-335 Reissue into the same setup.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

vasthorizon said:


> Mine would be a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Reissue (Lollar P90's or better some vintage Gibson P90's) into a Fender Super Reverb with a Boss DM-2 for a bit of slapback; no reverb.


Interesting on the Boss DM-2 what exactly is that adding to your tone? I am looking at adding maybe a few pedals to the set-up


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## vasthorizon (Aug 10, 2008)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Interesting on the Boss DM-2 what exactly is that adding to your tone? I am looking at adding maybe a few pedals to the set-up


I like how it thickens and warms up your tone without compromising the ability to "cut" through the mix. I am just disappointed with using reverbs. 

In my experience, they are good only when you're playing alone.

But in a band setup, it drowns you out of the mix. Using a warm analog delay solves that problem. Set it up to sound like a reverb with a bit of an echo, and you'll be surprised!


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

vasthorizon said:


> I like how it thickens and warms up your tone without compromising the ability to "cut" through the mix. I am just disappointed with using reverbs.
> 
> In my experience, they are good only when you're playing alone.
> 
> But in a band setup, it drowns you out of the mix. Using a warm analog delay solves that problem. Set it up to sound like a reverb with a bit of an echo, and you'll be surprised!


May give that a try. I normally have the reverb on the Super set at maybe 2-3 tops when using it


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Vast, I'll have to remember that tip! But I like reverb haha.

So far, the best combination I've played is a 24.75 scale mahogany + maple cap, mahogany neck humbucker equipped guitar into my Mesa Roadster - for metal, or rocking out/getting funky, or clean work. When I play an LP, if I'm into it and do a certain bend, I get a sound that I love that I didn't get with the JSX. I remember at band practice last semester, part of a new song we were working on had me doing a bend that was meant to end out of tune, and the hanging feel of the notes was awesome.


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## snacker (Jun 26, 2008)

les paul special DC into a super reverb is my number 1 - my heritage H535 into an old traynor guitarmate (bumper front) is also pretty dang nice


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

A good Strat or Tele into a Matchless C-30.


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## wintle (Mar 25, 2008)

PRS Starla into a Matchless Little Monster (not mine).

LP Jr into Marshall or Vox makes me happy, and I can afford it.

Cheers


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

Everything + Super Reverb


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## Samsquantch (Mar 5, 2009)

Suhr Modern into an ENGL Screamer combo.


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## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

My journey is far from complete, but for now I'm pretty pleased with the sound of my 
Tokai Love Rocks into the Traynor YCV50Blue in the middle.
throw an old RAT and EHX Memory Man in the mix, and we're styling!


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I have no idea. I don't have the money to buy/sell. buy/sell, buy in order to experiment. I also find selling a royal pain in the ass.


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## Phlegethon (Dec 18, 2009)

my best guitar would my my modded ibanez RG321MH with emg's . . .I can go from a traditional jazz sound to a death metal sound with a flick of my selector switch and a twist on the tone knob. it's a jack of all trades and master of them all. don't really have a go to amp per se . . .but under the presumption that I have an unlimited budget to get what I want I'd be going with a roland JC120 for the cleans and would use my SGH skorpion for my distorted tones. with that setup I could do everything I wanted to and could play around with the chorus from time to time


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## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

I have 4 guitars and 2 amps. I like this combination a lot...








Late 70s Princeton Reverb with Emi Copperhead speaker, Gadow Nashville with Alnico II/V pickups.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

A lot of Vintage Fender amps here, especially the Super Reverb. Surprising really, not that I think it's a bad amp, I think its a great amp. But interesting to see several Fenders popping early here


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## Wilfridddd (Jun 25, 2009)

Like (Love) the Traynor YCS50 w/ a Hagstrom D2H (Humbuckers) or Fender Tele or 56 Dano U3 (late 90's reissue). Awesome amp.... neat guitars. Vertsatile amp.


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## stewboy (May 2, 2010)

Just give me EBMM and a Marshall JCM800


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## KoskineN (Apr 19, 2007)

I really love my Hotrod Tele/Mesa Roadster(brit channel) duo for that nice crunchy tone!
But I also dig Eric johnson Strat directly into my newly purchased Mid '70 Fender Champ. Simple and just awesome!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Right now I'm digging most my Esquire'd CV Tele with the Seymour Duncan Billy Gibbons stacked bridge pickup into my Marshall JTM45 for all my hard rockin' needs. My Les Paul sounds great into the JTM45 too, but there's something magical about the Tele that makes me wonder why a guitar that costs 10x as much only sounds (at best) equally good. Oh well.

For cleans, my US Deluxe Strat into my YGL3 with a little bit of DMM simply can't be beat.


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## dwagar (Mar 6, 2006)

my favorite setup is Les Paul -> JCM800 -> JBLs.

but, I find channel switching handy in the real world, so I often use Les Paul -> JTM60 -> Celestions.


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

Strat and PR.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...in the 70s i played an sg with p90s thru an ampeg v2 half stack. no pedals.

these days it would be my g&l legacy into an amp i haven't found yet.


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## zurn (Oct 21, 2009)

My strat and Vox AC30 heritage are an awsome combo. Mouth watering "chimeness", also getting great tones out of my Mustang. So basically Vox + Singles = heaven. Getting great tones out of my LP too, but the Vox seems to really love single coils.


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## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

Strat into Mesa Dual Recto (Axe FX version) is my main sound, but I use a few other amp models as well.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Absolute favourite is my Am Dlx Tele through my Princeton. Doesn't always suit the occasion so there are other combinations ....... but this is the one I see on my desert island.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## holyman (Dec 22, 2009)

Mid 90's PRS CE22 through a Bogner Shva 2X12. It sounds like what I have always heard in my head. (I am of course referring to the _guitar tones_ I hear in my head, not the voices... thats another topic)


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## Spikezone (Feb 2, 2006)

This one: 









Of course, I don't play the APX-6 through the Blue, but all the electrics sound good through it, so I can't say I REALLY have a favourite combination. I'm sure there are more guitars out there I would like to add, like a P90 equipped SG or ASAT, but for now, I can say I'm happy. I guess it's more a case of the amp letting the guitars have their own identities for me.
-Mikey


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Main rig: YCV50blue with extension cabinet, and any electric I own...but right now my favourites are the Godin Progression, Telecaster Aerodyne, Godin Richmond Belmont, Godin LG.

Backup rig: YCV20 with same guitars.

Extra rig: Traynor acoustic amp with any number of acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Gazoo (May 3, 2010)

Well if I can have anything.....

Electric
59' Gibson Les Paul Heritage Cherry Sunburst tied into a Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Blue, and running into a 1996 Matchless 15W 2x12.

Acoustic
EM100C Maton Messiah recorded by a AKG C414B condensor mic.


That'd be sweet.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Gazoo said:


> Well if I can have anything.....how about a 59' Gibson Les Paul Heritage Cherry Sunburst tied into a Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Blue, and running into a 1996 Matchless 15W 2x12.
> 
> Sweet.


Ah, but thats cheating, you have to go with something you have.


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## Gazoo (May 3, 2010)

Sorry I thought this was a "fantasy" thread and I got a little carried away I guess.

Well I really like my American Deluxe Strat with S1 switching I used to have tied into a Vox AC30TB. It sounded great, but I just couldn't keep it around. I had my hands on a PRS Hollowbody II once and I was running it to a Mesa Boogie Combo (don't recall which model) and it sounded incredible. My Sheraton II sounds pretty good running into my blues junior, but it'll sound better once the new harness and PU's are installed.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

Like hollowbody, my Traynor YGL-3 Mark III tops my list of near perfect amps. All of my guitars sound amazing through it, but I'm most fond of the bluesy clean ("cleanish?") I get with the new Transparent OD and my Lindert thru the Traynor. It's the second time I've owned a Mark III, so it must be good. I run it with a pair of K88s and a pair of Yellowjackets (el84s). Love it.


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

I alternate between my two electrics, but these days the 2007 Les Paul Standard gets more playing time. My amp is an Allen Old Flame (loosely based on the mid 60's Fender Super Reverb). I don't have much GAS for anything else these days.


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

Well, I have to chime in here.....my '64 Strat into my '67 Vibrolux Reverb is about as sweet as it gets. Classic Fender sound all the way!


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## avalancheMM (Jan 21, 2009)

Hmm... the blonde Sheraton in my avatar through my Peavey Classic 30, '68 Thinline through my Classic 50, PRS Custom 22 through mesa 5:25 Express. I can't pick a fave, but those combinations are pretty sweet to my ear.

Regards


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Pick one ... any thing in that picture sounds great


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## Bruiser74 (Jan 29, 2010)

My SRV into a Vox AC30 CRANKED was freaking unreal, but i couldnt afford the amp at the time.
My fave that I own would be my LP Traditional into a Carvin X100 re-issue and 2x12 cab, gets me in the Warren Haynes ballpark.
Actually anything into the x100b sounds great to me.


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## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

'03 PRS Custom 22 BLE > '96 Matchless Spitifire.

If the situation warrants it, I'll slap an Xotic AC+ between them, but that's only when things are going to be getting out of hand (in a good way). I've got other gear, but for straight pluggin' in and sounding like what I expect my playing to sound like, I'm covered.

All but cured my GAS too. New toys would be nice, and once a year or so I'll give serious consideration to another amp when only having 3 knobs on the Matchless makes me think I'm missing out on something - but it always just keeps hangin' around.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Well last night I used my PRS Mira into my F-30 1 x 12 combo and was really pleased with the tone. Pushed it through a Keeley Rat for distortion, just excellent on all fronts.


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## psychotik (Aug 29, 2006)

Surprisingly, clinic les paul into all original 50's tweed champ.

I don't even like Clapton.


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## urko99 (Mar 30, 2009)

A 1980 Gibson Les Paul XR-2 Into a Marshall Silver Jubilee(25-50 watt, model 2553 small box, 24 inches long) head with matching Bottom with 2 X 12 v-30's. It was Pure tonal bliss! I had this combination back in the mid to late 80's and was forced to sell the amp due to a job loss. I bought the head and bottom new for $600.00 at L&M! I still have the guitar, and recently just aquired the exact bottom. Still looking for the head. They are now going for up to $2500.00 on Fleabay! Sigh! I wish that Marshall would re-issue this Model head due to it's extreme popularity. I don't get it?


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## Gretsch6120 (Sep 20, 2006)

I have been really into using my Princeton w/12" G12H30 and my LP Custom, I have been getting some nice sounds and at a resonable volume.


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