Shoegaze/Noise Rock Amps?

[unrecoverer]

Big fan of MBV, Sonic Youth, and etc. Need to get my first proper amp and not sure where to start honestly. I know Kevin uses effectively 10000 different amps simultaneously and as for Thurston, predominately a Peavy Roadmaster I believe?

Some criteria:
- Loud (~100 watts)
- Good pedal platform
- Under 1,500GBP
- Combo
- In-built chorus would be a bonus but not fussed about in-built reverb/distortion

I'll be using exclusively Jazzmasters and obviously many pedals so it needs to be a good pedal platform. Leaning towards a JC-120 currently but am considering various Fender Reverbs. Unsure if this'll really impact anything but I play a lot of lower tunings such as GABDEG (all tuned down bar the low G) and therefore often use thicker gauges (12+). Please let me know if I've said anything silly.

Cheers.

[JSett]

Silverface Twin. Job Done. Can still be picked up here in the UK for 500-800. Get it serviced and screws some wheels on (if it doesn't already have some) and go get noisy. Not only do you get the best spring reverb out there but bonus tremolo too. Chorus is better in a pedal anyway as well. I've owned 3 or 4 from different eras and they've all been great workhorse amps that sound great as long as you like being loud. And providing your back can handle their weight (any 100w combo is going to be heavy though).

*Edit: I just looked and they seem to be £800-1000 now, but cheaper do pop up. Depending where you are theres also a nice 79 Vibrosonic (100W) in Swindon on FB marketplace.

[GreenKnee]

Yep, like Johnny said, a Twin Reverb will see you right. I'm a fan of the '65 reissue myself, but that or a silver face will do the trick nicely.

They are heavy though, I found a second hand flight case for mine and it makes it so much easier to move around on the wheels. I stack my guitar and pedalboard on top of the flight case and then wheel it to wherever it needs to be. Stairs are a killer though, need a hand getting it up them but the handles on the side of the flight case make it manageable.

I'd love to try one of the new tonemasters as they don't weigh anything, but my Twin is sweet enough to make the struggles worth it.

[higgsblossom]

Try getting a Red Knob Twin. They are essentially Twins with a lower wattage option, which is a really nice feature for smaller venues.
My wife used to own one and we still regret selling it... but: they are heavy.

[JSett]

Yep, like Johnny said, a Twin Reverb will see you right. I'm a fan of the '65 reissue myself, but that or a silver face will do the trick nicely.

The reissues are great for sure but are basically the same price, or sometimes more, than a Silverface one - and the Silverface are hand-wired and no PCB mounted tubes or pots. Easier to service too.

The last one I had had pop-in wheels which were great. The others I had a dolly I screwed together that did fine until someone tried to kickflip it and snapped it

[Zork]

If you consider a head and are in GB, I would recommend to look for an old Roost SR22 or SR100 (same amp, SR22 are earlier, SR100 are later models). Handbuilt in Southend-on-Sea in the 70s, loud as fuck, very, very close to Hiwatt DR103 with lots of personal and technical intersections with early Hiwatt, Partridge transformers and the like. I bought mine for 700€ and I'd suppose prices in the UK are similar. The company was sold in 1980 and there are a few later models built in Leeds that seem to be of poor quality, but the older ones are built like a tank and are super sturdy.
I'm using mine with a 2x12" cab and it's a great rig. Portable, reliable and with a huge sound.

[unrecoverer]

Silverface Twin. Job Done. Can still be picked up here in the UK for 500-800. Get it serviced and screws some wheels on (if it doesn't already have some) and go get noisy. Not only do you get the best spring reverb out there but bonus tremolo too. Chorus is better in a pedal anyway as well. I've owned 3 or 4 from different eras and they've all been great workhorse amps that sound great as long as you like being loud. And providing your back can handle their weight (any 100w combo is going to be heavy though).

*Edit: I just looked and they seem to be £800-1000 now, but cheaper do pop up. Depending where you are theres also a nice 79 Vibrosonic (100W) in Swindon on FB marketplace.

Had a little look, seems perfect. Weight is a plus too, can lob it to a band rehearsal instead of going to the gym!
The Red Knob (as someone later suggested) 25-watt setting looks very appealing though.... my neighbours already hate me enough.
Thanks a lot for the recommendations.

[unrecoverer]

Try getting a Red Knob Twin. They are essentially Twins with a lower wattage option, which is a really nice feature for smaller venues.
My wife used to own one and we still regret selling it... but: they are heavy.

Any reason they're so cheap? Did a little digging and heard that opinions on them are very split. Lower wattage option seems lovely though.

[cestlamort]

Silverface twins are amazing amps that’ll like outlive us all. Honest and clean. Most are only 85 watts though that’s more than loud enough. Depending on the age of your back, they could be a good choice as could any of the higher watt amps from that era (super six, quad reverb). I miss my old sf twin but my back is happier.

Also keep an eye out for the Rivera era amps (concert II, twin II) and musicman combos. (The super 60 was my least favorite amp I’ve ever owned.)

I like Roland JC amps as well, and jc120 will still pop up for around $500 while twins are now usually twice that.

Depending on your flavor, half the people I know seem to use AC30s too. Not the same clean but can be nice.

[andy_tchp]

Good suggestions above.

And if you do end up playing a smaller venue with your Silverface twin, while it doesn't have a '25 watt mode' (and they sound like a busted arse when overdriven anyway), you can use the volume control provided. It's almost like that's what it was designed for.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

H/H VS Musician = poor man's Twin. Available for anything from £25 to £Tell him he's DREAMIN£ (but generally under £200), with head only/cab of your choice or 2x12" combo options, with real spring reverb and cool green backlight.

Expect to have to pay for a full service, and you're still quids in over 9/10 second-hand Twins.

[sessylU]

H/H VS Musician = poor man's Twin. Available for anything from £25 to £Tell him he's DREAMIN£ (but generally under £200), with head only/cab of your choice or 2x12" combo options, with real spring reverb and cool green backlight.

Expect to have to pay for a full service, and you're still quids in over 9/10 second-hand Twins.

£609!

https://musicbound.co.uk/products/vinta ... %20circuit

Circuit is apparently encased in epoxy. how does that work with servicing?

[UlricvonCatalyst]

H/H VS Musician = poor man's Twin. Available for anything from £25 to £Tell him he's DREAMIN£ (but generally under £200), with head only/cab of your choice or 2x12" combo options, with real spring reverb and cool green backlight.

Expect to have to pay for a full service, and you're still quids in over 9/10 second-hand Twins.

£609!

https://musicbound.co.uk/products/vinta ... %20circuit

Circuit is apparently encased in epoxy. how does that work with servicing?

File under: Tell him he's dreamin'

[higgsblossom]

Any reason they're so cheap?

Yes. They're not "real" Twins and don't have the vintage Fender mojo. Other than that, I think they are great amps in themselves.
As posted above, you don't really need the lower wattage option, but I think it does something to the way the amp takes pedals without blowing out your bedroom windows and I had always liked that.

[clark]

This definitely has zero cool factor-

but an old Peavey solid state combo like a Bandit/ Special/ Etc. does this well, and potentially very inexpensively. They are loud, clean pedal platforms that seem about indestructible. I use a Special for gigging this type of music. Does the job well.