Advice On Amps And Effects Playing Live

[handsoffmatt]

... and some Mesa Stuff,

the mesas sound awesome almost invariably.. on their own.
I've seen/heard (well, I guess the point is that I didn't 'hear') a lot of great sounding mesas get totally lost in a band (covers) mix. I think there's been a number of threads that touch (at some stage) on this and IIRC it was to do with the tube types? may be mistaken.. somebody will no doubt correct me.
point is, the marshalls do cut through much better than the mesas live...

Hey hey....careful not to tar all MESA's with the Recto brush.

If anybody acusses my MESA Lone Star Special of not cutting through a mix - they are downright crazy! It's a GREAT gigging amp - probably the best I've ever owned actually. Certainly more suited to a covers gig then any Marshall I've ever had.

[RobRoyMcCoy]

I use a TC Electronics G-System and as well as being a superb effects unit, with dedicated swithchable loops and power supply for pedals if you want, it can control your amp so that you can switch channels or add boost or whatever other switching your amp can do.

The great thing about this is you can be playing through you clean channel with no effects, and then with a single switch you can engage the dirty channel on the amp, switch in its boost function, add delay and auto-wah (for instance) and back again.

The custom amp that we built for Dangermouse can be driven this way. My THD Flexi-50 worked this way also. Any amp that uses earth-based switching (most of them) can be controlled this way.

[Hot_Grits]

I played in a band with a guy who bought a Bogner combo that was a sort of Twin Reverb style thing, with a crunch channel too. Was a SERIOUSLY LOUD amp. And heavy too, especially in its flight case

I was using a silver face twin reverb, and it sounded nicer to me. Sort of 'softer', or less aggressive

I tried a Bogner briefly at Mojo once, and wasn't that blown away by it, but I didn't spend that much time with it. Sounds like I should have given it more time. I don't know what model it was.

That'll probably be the shiva 6l6. As much as I loved Mojosound they certainly didn't make a lot of effort to get to know the shiva they had and demo it with any expertise, not that there's much to figure out. They were kind of like that with any amp capable of decent volume. I always used to joke with them that no-one in Welly turns their volume past two.

I used a 6l6 Shiva for about five tracks on an upcoming record and it's a killer amp, especially with a tele. In many respects I like the overdrive channel more than any of the bogners, XTC included. It's sort of an even sounding 6l6 overdrive, not fizzy and scooped like a recto or mid humped like the marks. It's a great choice if you want versatility but lean toward brighter fender tones. Overall I think the EL34 model has nicer cleans, and the overdrive channel is more Marshall oriented, which is what a lot of players out there seem to want.

Thehenderson: was the bogner a 2x12 with the controls at the back a-la a hot rod deluxe? if so that's an older Shiva that's been floating around the traps. I've been told that there's something not quite right with that amp.

In the end the Shiva 34 is the best amp I can think of that I've played for tone v versatility. But bear in mind I don't play top40 for a living or use channel switching amps. But I know that if I was shut in a room and forced to choose between a sf twin, a c50, a drri and a shiva and price was not an issue I know what I'd walk out with. Your mileage may vary.

[The Scarecrow]

Thehenderson: was the bogner a 2x12 with the controls at the back a-la a hot rod deluxe? if so that's an older Shiva that's been floating around the traps. I've been told that there's something not quite right with that amp.

Not that Shiva combo that's been on TM several times in the last few months per chance?

[Hot_Grits]

Thehenderson: was the bogner a 2x12 with the controls at the back a-la a hot rod deluxe? if so that's an older Shiva that's been floating around the traps. I've been told that there's something not quite right with that amp.

Not that Shiva combo that's been on TM several times in the last few months per chance?

That's the one.

[The Scarecrow]

Thehenderson: was the bogner a 2x12 with the controls at the back a-la a hot rod deluxe? if so that's an older Shiva that's been floating around the traps. I've been told that there's something not quite right with that amp.

Not that Shiva combo that's been on TM several times in the last few months per chance?

That's the one.

Hmmm... funnily enough I asked the seller about that amp, and how a stepdown transformer affected it and the indication was that there was no problem with it...

[mr_sooty]

But I know that if I was shut in a room and forced to choose between a sf twin, a c50, a drri and a shiva and price was not an issue I know what I'd walk out with. Your mileage may vary.

What if you had to choose out of {a C50 AND a DRRI} or just the Shiva?

[thehenderson]

Yeah it was a 2 12 Bogner with the controls on the top. And it had a big stepdown transformer, and it was in a flightcase. My friend sold it a year back but it's been back up again? He paid 2,500 for it, but I dunno it wasn't that nice. Maybe there was something wrong with it. I much preferred the gain channel on it to the clean, but it was a seriously loud amp

So that's a shiva huh? What a small world I remember thinking how nicely it was put together. And how seriously heavy it was

[Hot_Grits]

But I know that if I was shut in a room and forced to choose between a sf twin, a c50, a drri and a shiva and price was not an issue I know what I'd walk out with. Your mileage may vary.

What if you had to choose out of {a C50 AND a DRRI} or just the Shiva?

For me, just the Shiva. I'd prefer to go for one really great sound (the EL34 shiva's clean or the 6l6's dirty) than two amps that don't do it for me.

The Duende is Reinhold's attempt at a deluxe-ish amp and it's fantastic. I've liked the DRris I've played but I love the duende, especially as it's a more flexible amp with better reverb and trem.

C50s, well I prefer not to think about them. Used them as provided backline over the years and they don't do much for me at all.

[thehenderson]

Yeah same with the c50. It's like the mince pie of amps. Sure it's tasty when you're drunk, but you wouldn't list it as a favourite food

[mr_sooty]

So how much will the little 112 Shiva set you back? It sure sounds phenomenal in the tone clips.

Edit: Never mind, I see that it's $4150 on Custom Audio Boutiques site. Man, that's an expensive little bugger. More than I paid for both my amps combined. Maybe one day, not this decade though.

[Hot_Grits]

So how much will the little 112 Shiva set you back? It sure sounds phenomenal in the tone clips.

Edit: Never mind, I see that it's $4150 on Custom Audio Boutiques site. Man, that's an expensive little bugger. More than I paid for both my amps combined. Maybe one day, not this decade though.

Yeah not cheap. I wonder how close the retail price of the DRri plus the tradeflea sale value of the C50 combined would have got you to the price of a Shiva? -prob not far off. Mind you, you were looking for a smaller amp at the time and the Shiva is decidedly not that, despite sounding good at lower stage volumes. Casters are a very good idea. The DRri money plus c50 cash probably would have got you a Duende but then you would not have a high wattage amp/spare amp sitting around if you need it.

In the end, the Shiva isn't some cure-all-be-all-end-all thing. It's just a very nice amp that I think would suit top 40 players with healthy gear budgets wanting fender and marshall at reasonable and unreasonable volumes in one very well built box. I thoroughly recommend anyone in that boat tries one, and ideally they should try a bunch of other stuff. While I do recommend that anyone working a lot gets a certain build quality (one reason I'm never negative about Mesa) who knows what magical combination of sounds, features, price, brand recognition, boutiquity, non-boutiquity and fashion appeal or lack thereof will be the right thing for any given player. Amp choosing is a voodoo art, made stranger by the internet.

[mr_sooty]

Yeah not cheap. I wonder how close the retail price of the DRri plus the tradeflea sale value of the C50 combined would have got you to the price of a Shiva? -prob not far off.

Well I paid $1849 for the DRRI and probably wouldn't get much more than a grand for my old Classic 50, so that's only $2849, still $1300 off.

Mind you, you were looking for a smaller amp at the time and the Shiva is decidedly not that.

The 1x12 can't be that big can it? What's the wattage?

Edit: found out for myself again. A 68lb 1x12? Crikey, that's 8lbs heavier than my C50 410! Alot of wattage in those things too huh. I'm actually really happy with my amps, but I guess we always have our ears open for that next step up of tonal nirvana.

[Hot_Grits]

Yeah not cheap. I wonder how close the retail price of the DRri plus the tradeflea sale value of the C50 combined would have got you to the price of a Shiva? -prob not far off.

Well I paid $1849 for the DRRI and probably wouldn't get much more than a grand for my old Classic 50, so that's only $2849, still $1300 off.

Mind you, you were looking for a smaller amp at the time and the Shiva is decidedly not that.

The 1x12 can't be that big can it? What's the wattage?

Edit: found out for myself again. A 68lb 1x12? Crikey, that's 8lbs heavier than my C50 410! Alot of wattage in those things too huh. I'm actually really happy with my amps, but I guess we always have our ears open for that next step up of tonal nirvana.

That seems like a good price for a DRri. I was expecting more in the 23-2600 range.

I've heard the 6l6 Shiva in 1x12 format and it sounds significantly bigger than any 1x12 amp I've ever heard. but part of that sound is a certain lack of compromise on cabinet build. She ain't light.

[mr_sooty]

Well I paid $1849 for the DRRI and probably wouldn't get much more than a grand for my old Classic 50, so that's only $2849, still $1300 off.

That seems like a good price for a DRri. I was expecting more in the 23-2600 range.

Yeah, one of the reasons I got it, seems like good value. Music Warehouse had their one marked at $2399, but that's way over the retail, which I believe was $1999 but has just gone up to $2199. $1849 on 12 months interest free was a good buy I thought, new in the box, fresh off the boat.

That's the number one reason I'd choose a DRRI over a Bogner right there, cos I'm not made of money. Weight is another. If I was richer and I had a full-time roadie, I'd definitely give the Shiva another look.