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Guitar talk: acoustic, bass, classical, twelve string? You name it!

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Tony L said:
I have to admit I’m moving closer and closer to dropping £2k on a 6 Watt Rift. It is a ridiculous extravagance for someone who is genuinely (i.e. no false modesty here) shite at playing the guitar, but I know it would be something I’d own for the rest of my life and would bring a lot of daily enjoyment. Really easy to service too, just like proper classic hi-fi kit, so it would last forever.
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(-: .ti od, ynoT, ti oD

I have spent lots of money on guitar since starting playing again and I can honestly say I don't regret any of it. Some of this is because it allows me to do something where I can forget about my non-functioning legs for a while but mostly it's because noodling away on your own is just such an enjoyable thing. It's kind of independent of how good one is and making music for oneself is just one of life's great pleasures.

Also lots of people drop £2k on a holiday once a year. And even though I have gone somewhat bonkers the total cost of my guitar self indulgence is less than my sitting in the corner unused for 10 years CD player...

I would though want to play an amp at that price first and probably compare it with other boutique alternatives. Although one advantage of the Rift is that being UK made can make it quite cheap compared to the likes of Milkman or Benson.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/brands/milkman/milkman-half-pint-1x12-combo-in-vanilla
https://www.wunjoguitars.com/shop/benson-amps/
 
matthewr said:
I would though want to play an amp at that price first and probably compare it with other boutique alternatives. Although one advantage of the Rift is that being UK made can make it quite cheap compared to the likes of Milkman or Benson.
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The Milkman looks great/pretty much the same as the Rift, but £300+ more. The Benson look to miss the spring reverb and trem, which are a huge part of my wanting the Rift, so that rules it out. The YouTube dem upthread clarifies the Rift does everything I’d want an amp to do, and I thought the reverb and trem sounded genuinely amazing, really special. Given Andertons are the only dealer if I do it pretty much mandates it will be mail order.

PS Thinking the ‘Brown face’ spec.
 
Yes, I’d seen that. The thing that annoys me is there are no pictures of the different colour options! I’d like to see what the blonde options looked like, I’m guessing like the Milkman you linked to. I think that’s the colour I’d go for, with the 10” speaker (the alnico option seems remarkably expensive at £185, so just the ceramic) and maybe the tilt-back legs. I know I have to tilt my little MicroCube back to get a good sound out of it, not sure if I’d have to with a bigger amp like this given I tend to sit on the floor when playing.
 
It's $240 direct from WGS. https://wgsusa.com/g12a

Although I guess there is no end of choice of differently voiced speakers and it rather requires one to have an existing preference from the various classic options to be worth the money.

On the finish colours (including power light colours!) I bet he would have some if you emailed him. He also has an instagram as well which might have more pictures.
 
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matthewr said:
Although I guess there is no end of choice of differently voiced speakers and it rather requires one to have an existing preference from the various classic options to be worth the money.
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It is something I could easily switch-out later. The main choice is 10” or 12”, and I’m leaning to 10” as IIRC that is the original vintage Princeton spec. I understand the differences between ceramic and alnico when driven hard, but I’m curious if I’d hear anything at the whisper-quiet levels I’d be playing at. I can’t see myself ever playing loud enough for things not to be clean - it is very much a home noodling amp. The attraction is a larger, warmer sound than my MicroCube and that simply amazing valve-driven spring reverb and trem. I’ll still be using my Boss pedals for dirt and echo (FZ-5, BD-2, DD-7). I’m very open to advice on the speaker though, i.e. if there really is a big gain to be had I’ll spec it with alnico. Interested in people’s views on 10” vs. 12” too baring in mind my very low volume usage requirement.

PS The Hamstead is certainly nice, though I think a brown-face Princeton is my dream amp, and the Rift gets me pretty much exactly there.
 
I’m definitely in the Fender camp when it comes to amps. No fan of Marshall at all, not keen on Vox etc. I just want a nice clean jazz, blues, indie, country sort of sound, anything beyond that can be done with pedals. The Boss BD-2 is great for just a little blues crunch and the FZ-5 brings Harvest-era Wire etc, so really all I need from the amp is a nice clean tone and hopefully a bit of valve compression along with that spring and trem (which is where the magic is IMO).

PS Just for clarity I always have my MicroCube set so if I use the Strat-ish Yam SC1200 and the DD-7 on its ‘analogue’ setting I can pull off a half-decent Vini Reilly impression, i.e. the amp is set that clean.
 
Tony L said:
I have to admit I’m moving closer and closer to dropping £2k on a 6 Watt Rift. It is a ridiculous extravagance for someone who is genuinely (i.e. no false modesty here) shite at playing the guitar, but I know it would be something I’d own for the rest of my life and would bring a lot of daily enjoyment. Really easy to service too, just like proper classic hi-fi kit, so it would last forever.
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I can attest to the longevity of this type of construction - my Fender Deluxe-Amp was made in Sept. 1963 and is still fine. It's never required anything other than tubes, and replacement of some tired electrolytics. Oh and I replaced the LDR "roach" in the tremolo circuit. When it does need service, it's very easy to work on.
 
I’d definitely consider the 12” speaker. I actually got Chris @ rift to make me a pine 1x12 as I have converted my PPRI to a head.

I just think a 12” works better in a guitar application, no matter what volume. Definitely comes in to its own as the wick is turned up though.
 
I’ve been googling-up speaker reviews and I’m getting the impression that the small-magnet Warehouse Veteran 10” Rift have in their options is actually a very good choice for a little home amp as it is warm for a 10” and breaks up early so will ‘crunch’ a little without high volumes. It seems to be more widely liked than the 12” small magnet (which is the other ceramic on the Rift drop-down list). There is a large magnet version of both, which are very well liked, but bring more volume and efficiency (which I don’t want/need). The 12” Black & Blue seems to be more a UK Vox-style voicing, so likely not what I’d pick at that price.

As such I’m very tempted to just choose the Veteran 10” as I really don’t need the extra efficiency, volume and headroom of a 12” (this amp will never be gigged). I’ve no idea if I’ll get even a hint of crunch/compression at the low levels I play at, but it makes sense to aim at the speaker that breaks up the earliest in the hope I will. It is also a cheap speaker so not a worry to swap-out for something else at a later stage should I ever wish (I suspect I’d just love it as-is). I also suspect this is the speaker that was in the Andertons video that made me want to buy the thing in the first place (I’ll check that before ordering).
 
I am going to have to inform you all that I have started traitorously playing drums (as well as continuing on bass)... At present I hit it in randomly variable time signatures — like the thug I am... The punk band I play in is considering doing dual drummer stuff like bow-wow-wow, so I stepped up and got a used but great condition Pearl Export kit and some nice extras...

60857389_2231597723837212_3302379832540659712_n.jpg


It’s nice to be a grown up... hitting shit ‘n all.
 
Tony L said:
I’ve no idea if I’ll get even a hint of crunch/compression at the low levels I play at, but it makes sense to aim at the speaker that breaks up the earliest in the hope I will. It is also a cheap speaker so not a worry to swap-out for something else at a later stage should I ever wish (I suspect I’d just love it as-is). I also suspect this is the speaker that was in the Andertons video that made me want to buy the thing in the first place (I’ll check that before ordering).
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Down the line you can always get a reactive load box. The £1000 ones like the ubiquitous Oxbox or the fancy new one from Roland https://www.boss.info/uk/products/waza_tube_amp_expander/ have all sorts of features aimed at recording and the like but the Torpedo Captor (mostly) just does the reactive load volume thing at a more sensible £200. I have one and it allows me to run my amp with the preamp into its sweet spot and the power amp cranked without worrying about the neighbours banging on the ceiling.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/recordi...rpedo-captor-8-ohm-compact-loadbox-and-amp-di

BTW I like how we've moved seamlessly from "I might go crazy and get a £2k hand wired tube amp" to "which speaker option will I be getting?" :)
 
matthewr said:
BTW I like how we've moved seamlessly from "I might go crazy and get a £2k hand wired tube amp" to "which speaker option will I be getting?" :)
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Indeed! I’m pretty certain I’m doing this now. I earn a little more than I spend, don’t do holidays, don’t owe anyone anything, have money in the bank, and I seem to be perfectly happy with my hi-fi systems, so why not? I had thought very long and hard about a Roland Blues Cube, but I can easily afford the ‘real thing’, and I love the fact it is so simple I could almost certainly fix it myself (I fully rebuilt my own hi-fi valve amp). It will last me the rest if my life with ease and likely get used daily.

It actually makes vastly more sense than say owning a Les Paul I don’t even like much so don’t use (I do need to rationalise my guitars at some point!). I’m just annoyed there are options I need to think about otherwise I’d have pushed the button by now! If I wanted to feel like I’d spent no money at all I could just sell Fat Lester and the Jazz Bass...
 
Have you phoned/emailed the guy? Given he only just got his first dealer and presumably just sold direct until recently he is probably very contactable.
 
claire.foxx said:
I am going to have to inform you all that I have started traitorously playing drums (as well as continuing on bass)... At present I hit it in randomly variable time signatures — like the thug I am... The punk band I play in is considering doing dual drummer stuff like bow-wow-wow, so I stepped up and got a used but great condition Pearl Export kit and some nice extras...
Click to expand...

Tony L said:
Indeed! I’m pretty certain I’m doing this now. I earn a little more than I spend, don’t do holidays, don’t owe anyone anything, have money in the bank, and I seem to be perfectly happy with my hi-fi systems, so why not? I had thought very long and hard about a Roland Blues Cube, but I can easily afford the ‘real thing’, and I love the fact it is so simple I could almost certainly fix it myself (I fully rebuilt my own hi-fi valve amp). It will last me the rest if my life with ease and likely get used daily.

It actually makes vastly more sense than say owning a Les Paul I don’t even like much so don’t use (I do need to rationalise my guitars at some point!). I’m just annoyed there are options I need to think about otherwise I’d have pushed the button by now! If I wanted to feel like I’d spent no money at all I could just sell Fat Lester and the Jazz Bass...
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A very important part of online forums this - mutual help and reassurance to normalise these little bits of madness and confirm that they are in fact .. O.K./ Perfectly reasonable / Honestly mate, you'd never forgive yourself if you didn't. And soon. :)

(Don't think I've ever, ever had somebody say Wtf - are you totally, utterly barking mad or what ?? Apart from the better half, obvs..)
 
-alan- said:
A very important part of online forums this - mutual help and reassurance to normalise these little bits of madness and confirm that they are in fact .. O.K./ Perfectly reasonable / Honestly mate, you'd never forgive yourself if you didn't. And soon. :))
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Indeed. Also note I am paying Tony back for him "forcing me" to buy a £1500 guitar on which to play the same three Am pentatonic riffs I have been playing for 25 years :)
 
Tony L said:
Indeed! I’m pretty certain I’m doing this now. I earn a little more than I spend, don’t do holidays, don’t owe anyone anything, have money in the bank, and I seem to be perfectly happy with my hi-fi systems, so why not? I had thought very long and hard about a Roland Blues Cube, but I can easily afford the ‘real thing’, and I love the fact it is so simple I could almost certainly fix it myself (I fully rebuilt my own hi-fi valve amp). It will last me the rest if my life with ease and likely get used daily.

It actually makes vastly more sense than say owning a Les Paul I don’t even like much so don’t use (I do need to rationalise my guitars at some point!). I’m just annoyed there are options I need to think about otherwise I’d have pushed the button by now! If I wanted to feel like I’d spent no money at all I could just sell Fat Lester and the Jazz Bass...
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Maybe you should have a go at building one - there must be a ton of good kits out there and instructional videos...
 
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