The first amp I ever owned was a solid state Crate. Luckily things got only better after that:-). A couple of years later, I got my first tube amp, a Peavey Classic 50 2×12. Great amp, very underrated and mine served me well for years.
Fast forward a couple of years and I discovered the internet and learned A LOT on the net about amps and that kick started my craze for better tone. That craze turned me onto Engl amps and in August 2000 I bought an Engl Savage 120. It served me well for over 8 years, I always got great tone from it. I went thru a bunch of amps but I have somewhat settled these days.
Everybody should own an old Marshall, having 2 makes me a lucky bastard. Both are 50 watt version and they are plenty these days. Enough to fill a club on their own, not to much so sound-engineers will hate you. The 1973 JMP Bass has a master installed and I run that clean(ish) and then use pedals to get different tones. Really versatile amp that can growl if needed. The 1968 plexi is a different story as this one crunches like there’s no tomorrow. It is nearly impossible to keep it clean but it works well with the volume control. There are A LOT of sounds in that amp. I don’t plan on gigging with it, but it is a lot of fun playing it.
The Elmwood Modena60 made a lasting impression at the Frankfurt Musikmesse, MANY years ago. It was on my wishlist for the longest time and I was finally able to get one. A couple of months later I also bought the matching 2×12 from Elmwood and they make for one spectacular sounding package
Cab-wise, there’s something for every occasion. These days, you can’t always use a 4×12 which is too bad because mine sounds incredible. Old wood, old Greenbacks, Marshall did it right back then!!! The Bogner Cubes are the best cabs for a stereo setup and the Elmwood 2×12 is the perfect match for the head. Mix ‘n’ match!!
