Stuff you wanted to know but were afraid to ask

This....

If what you want is a clean pedal platform to let your pedals shine then unless you're really playing low volume, you're going to need some headroom. Meaning, probably at least 12-15 watts or in the "Fender Blackface Princeton" range. (That would be an excellent choice btw).

25 watts is probably better. This part of the reason I've moved mostly to the digital modeling domain. My wife has a condition where she can be hypersensitive to loud noises and even from across the other side of the house me cranking out riffs to "Custard Pie" on my tube amp just isn't going to fly anymore.

The UAD Apollo system is simply astounding at how close it can sound and feel like a real amp. In my "MOST HUMBLE OPINION" heads and shoulders above anything else out there in the digital modeling world for studio applications (E.g., Nueral, Helix, Kemper). But even then, only certain amp models, there's some real dogs in their line up too. (I hate the Plexi model, and the 55 Tweed model) But 99% of the time I use the Fuchs Overdrive Supreme model, clean channel, which is just a great clean pedal platform.

Having said all that, here's a real unintuitive suggestion I'm going to make. There was recently a thread about Dumble amps (and a lot of dumping on them). The one thing I really like about "Dumble-style" amps is not the super saturated gain channel but rather the big bold fat clean sounds you can get. Makes sense since the original amp D made was a modified Bassman head for Robben Ford.

Most of the Dumble clones out there are stupid expensive but there is one really really cool amp that I've been eyeing. The VHT-D-Fifty.
It's a point to point hand wired clone of a Dumble-esque circuit. But I'm mainly interested in it as a clean pedal platform. Basically a dual 6L6 50 watt amp. I'd probably never use the gain side, but just the clean channel. The heads can be had for around $900, which is pretty ridiculous for PTP hand wired amp. (Note that it doesn't solve MY particular volume issue hahaha.)

Another unintuitive suggestion I'm going to make, is the Mesa Boogie Mark 5:25. I sold mine because I only ever used the clean channel. Oh but WHAT a clean channel. Like most Boogie amps, it's "option overkill", too many damn knobs, and toggles, pull this push that, which I really tired of. But the clean channel is the same circuit as the Boogie Lonestar, which is one of the best clean tones ever, especially the 6L6 version. awesome pedal platform. I really regret selling it, but they can be had used for a reasonable price.

This is the amp I currently use, Revv D20. It was designed to be an extremely neutral sounding clean pedal platform with a built in Torpedo Cab IR/Reactive Load/Digital interface. It's actually quite a killer sounding little 20 watt amp out of the box and can be further dialed in with some better tubes. My problem with it (aside from just being a fickle gear slut) is that it's a little TOO neutral sounding. I can dial in some Blackface Deluxe type sounds or some Bassman clean sounds but it never really quite gets there.

I think maybe if we work backwards on your question, starting with what your budget is, it would help narrow down what you're looking for. There are LOTS of choices out there these days at every price range.

Edit: Dang, late to the party as always....Congrats on the Blues Junior snag! There's a huge rabbit hole you can fall into with that amp, lots of useful mods available for it, dedicated forums, etc.
I used to have a Fender Prosonic when they first came out. I liked it. But in the end it was the "clean" channel I used almost exclusively - it sounded fantastic. Cranked it was better than most amp's dirty channels.

Then I had (actually still have) a Badcat Hot Cat 2x12 combo. Stupidly heavy and the dirty channel got old after a while, but again the clean channel - with just a volume knob and the global Cut knob - is glorious. Cranked or clean it's a beautiful, punchy sound which takes pedals well.
 
This....

If what you want is a clean pedal platform to let your pedals shine then unless you're really playing low volume, you're going to need some headroom. Meaning, probably at least 12-15 watts or in the "Fender Blackface Princeton" range. (That would be an excellent choice btw).

25 watts is probably better. This part of the reason I've moved mostly to the digital modeling domain. My wife has a condition where she can be hypersensitive to loud noises and even from across the other side of the house me cranking out riffs to "Custard Pie" on my tube amp just isn't going to fly anymore.

The UAD Apollo system is simply astounding at how close it can sound and feel like a real amp. In my "MOST HUMBLE OPINION" heads and shoulders above anything else out there in the digital modeling world for studio applications (E.g., Nueral, Helix, Kemper). But even then, only certain amp models, there's some real dogs in their line up too. (I hate the Plexi model, and the 55 Tweed model) But 99% of the time I use the Fuchs Overdrive Supreme model, clean channel, which is just a great clean pedal platform.

Having said all that, here's a real unintuitive suggestion I'm going to make. There was recently a thread about Dumble amps (and a lot of dumping on them). The one thing I really like about "Dumble-style" amps is not the super saturated gain channel but rather the big bold fat clean sounds you can get. Makes sense since the original amp D made was a modified Bassman head for Robben Ford.

Most of the Dumble clones out there are stupid expensive but there is one really really cool amp that I've been eyeing. The VHT-D-Fifty.
It's a point to point hand wired clone of a Dumble-esque circuit. But I'm mainly interested in it as a clean pedal platform. Basically a dual 6L6 50 watt amp. I'd probably never use the gain side, but just the clean channel. The heads can be had for around $900, which is pretty ridiculous for PTP hand wired amp. (Note that it doesn't solve MY particular volume issue hahaha.)

Another unintuitive suggestion I'm going to make, is the Mesa Boogie Mark 5:25. I sold mine because I only ever used the clean channel. Oh but WHAT a clean channel. Like most Boogie amps, it's "option overkill", too many damn knobs, and toggles, pull this push that, which I really tired of. But the clean channel is the same circuit as the Boogie Lonestar, which is one of the best clean tones ever, especially the 6L6 version. awesome pedal platform. I really regret selling it, but they can be had used for a reasonable price.

This is the amp I currently use, Revv D20. It was designed to be an extremely neutral sounding clean pedal platform with a built in Torpedo Cab IR/Reactive Load/Digital interface. It's actually quite a killer sounding little 20 watt amp out of the box and can be further dialed in with some better tubes. My problem with it (aside from just being a fickle gear slut) is that it's a little TOO neutral sounding. I can dial in some Blackface Deluxe type sounds or some Bassman clean sounds but it never really quite gets there.

I think maybe if we work backwards on your question, starting with what your budget is, it would help narrow down what you're looking for. There are LOTS of choices out there these days at every price range.

Edit: Dang, late to the party as always....Congrats on the Blues Junior snag! There's a huge rabbit hole you can fall into with that amp, lots of useful mods available for it, dedicated forums, etc.
I ended up getting a fender blues junior I love it!
 
btw, the Magnatone Twilighter is a groove tuber. Also, I briefly had a Mesa Boogie 15/25/35 that I would have still been using had the dealer not tried to fix the brand new amp twice and fail. It‘s a very tight amp.
 
Even after you’ve bought, played, fell in love with, modded, and eventually sold after years of recording platinum tracks through it….we’d still be recommending amps to you. It’s easier to just to roll with it. ;) :ROFLMAO:
I’ve come to learn that you can’t fight this place, once you’ve entered this forum…there is no turning back…..😈
 
btw, the Magnatone Twilighter is a groove tuber. Also, I briefly had a Mesa Boogie 15/25/35 that I would have still been using had the dealer not tried to fix the brand new amp twice and fail. It‘s a very tight amp.
Magnatone twilighter? I’m afraid to google this cause I’m afraid I’m going to love it….🤣


Update: I looked it up….why…..why did I do this to myself?
 
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btw, the Magnatone Twilighter is a groove tuber. Also, I briefly had a Mesa Boogie 15/25/35 that I would have still been using had the dealer not tried to fix the brand new amp twice and fail. It‘s a very tight amp.
Ooooo those new Magnatones are really sweet!
 
I actually shifted my ric-o-bass yesterday. It’s bound for climate-controlled storage along with the Marshall stack. I considered encasing it (not the Marshall…it’s bulletproof) in carbonite but that stuff is harder to source than a NOS SAD1024.
You’ve got me seriously looking at the 12er (like that was a challenge eh?), though I doubt I’ll by them together. I hopefully have an upcoming down payment on a home to consider!
 
I actually shifted my ric-o-bass yesterday. It’s bound for climate-controlled storage along with the Marshall stack. I considered encasing it (not the Marshall…it’s bulletproof) in carbonite but that stuff is harder to source than a NOS SAD1024.
You’ve got me seriously looking at the 12er (like that was a challenge eh?), though I doubt I’ll by them together. I hopefully have an upcoming down payment on a home to consider!
Can we see the Marshall?
 
Can we see the Marshall?
This is not long before I boxed it up last year.

HC7P9ip.jpg
 
Yep, I see that darned Voodoo PSU that crapped out about that time too! :mad:

That uke sounded great through the JVM :ROFLMAO:
 
For anyone looking at the fender BF RI amps I would strongly recommend watching the Psionic videos on Youtube on how to mod them for longer life. If you can build a pedal you can do this - it's very straightforward and will make a big difference to your amp. Possibly the biggest improvement you can make is to get the filament current off the PCB. For some reason Fender decided to connect the PT filament winding to the PCB and from there to the tubes. They went to all of the trouble of hand-wiring the filaments (quite well too) to the individual tube sockets but all of that current goes via the PCB. It's an easy thing to disconnect the wiring from the board - it attaches with clips - and solder the filament wires from the PT directly to the last tube socket.

This will save your PCB from getting cooked and your amp from failing. Changing the filter caps is easy too.
 
For anyone looking at the fender BF RI amps I would strongly recommend watching the Psionic videos on Youtube on how to mod them for longer life. If you can build a pedal you can do this - it's very straightforward and will make a big difference to your amp. Possibly the biggest improvement you can make is to get the filament current off the PCB. For some reason Fender decided to connect the PT filament winding to the PCB and from there to the tubes. They went to all of the trouble of hand-wiring the filaments (quite well too) to the individual tube sockets but all of that current goes via the PCB. It's an easy thing to disconnect the wiring from the board - it attaches with clips - and solder the filament wires from the PT directly to the last tube socket.

This will save your PCB from getting cooked and your amp from failing. Changing the filter caps is easy too.
Thanks for the tip, I have all the supplies here needed for the mod except the amp.
 
For anyone looking at the fender BF RI amps I would strongly recommend watching the Psionic videos on Youtube on how to mod them for longer life. If you can build a pedal you can do this - it's very straightforward and will make a big difference to your amp. Possibly the biggest improvement you can make is to get the filament current off the PCB. For some reason Fender decided to connect the PT filament winding to the PCB and from there to the tubes. They went to all of the trouble of hand-wiring the filaments (quite well too) to the individual tube sockets but all of that current goes via the PCB. It's an easy thing to disconnect the wiring from the board - it attaches with clips - and solder the filament wires from the PT directly to the last tube socket.

This will save your PCB from getting cooked and your amp from failing. Changing the filter caps is easy too.
I was just watching some of those YT videos yesterday. I don't even have one of those amps, so I am not sure why. But good knowledge to keep stashed for later.
 
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