In my last entry, I recommended that anyone who was in the market for a tube amp should read the excellent article by Randall Smith (president of Mesa Engineering) on the different tube configurations before making their decision. So, armed with that information, I started surfing the web on different kinds of tube amps. No telling, my head started spinning. When you start getting serious about getting a tube amp, the challenge in finding one is not just about understanding tube configurations and what they all do, it’s also sifting through the literally hundreds of boutique tube amps out on the market. After a couple of hours, I was admittedly pretty forlorn.
But a chance conversation led me call to Tone Mechants in Orange, CA. I’ve got to tell you, this was the most useful conversation regarding tube amps I’ve ever had! Instead of trying to sell me one of theirs, the guy recommended that I go down to my local music equipment store and get an entry-level tube amp; specifically, a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. This is a two-channel tube amp with three 12AX7’s for pre’s and 2 6L6GC power tubes, and a good starting point for anyone who’s new to tube amps. The guy’s reasoning was that there’s a lot of snake oil out on the market today with boutique tube amps, and you should take as much time as possible to find the right one for your needs. While you’re searching, you can get a starter tube amp that will get you familiar with the sound and technology of tube amplification, and you won’t break the bank in the process.
So… I went out and bought one last night at Guitar Showcase for only $589.00. 🙂 I also bought a seemingly universally recommended stomp box: An Ibanez TS-808 tube screamer overdrive, along with replacing my BOSS CE-5 Chorus and DD-3 Digital Delay boxes. This morning, I’ve VERY tired because I just couldn’t stop playing last night once I got it all set up! I’ll talk more on the details of the amp a little later, but the moral of this story is:
Watch what you research… You wallet may get a lot lighter! Ciao!
Guitar Gear 
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