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I'm with you. I could even run my laptop directly into my Mackie 1x10 speakers...it's mainly convenience and portability. I have a thing about being able to walk into a jazz gig with nothing buy my guitar and a combo amp. :) It's ver liberating. The more gear I have to setup for a gig like that, the more disgruntled I get over time. / K ----- Original Message ----- From: "mark sottilaro" <zerocrossing2001@yahoo.com> To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com> Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 7:47 PM Subject: Re: guitar amps >I think we've been over this before, but since you > seem to be happy with many of the modelers around (as > am I) why not just get a nice keyboard amp or powered > PA speaker and use the amp modeler of your choice? > This gives amazing flexibility IMO. Sounds good for > bass, acoustic and you can even route keyboard sounds > though it. Get a modeler that's an all in one floor > unit, as I'm sure you'll need stuff on the ground > anyway. > > I found the Mackie 650s to be a little cold sounding > but had great bottom. A bit of time with an EQ was > all they needed though. Why have the bells and > whistles in the amp? > > Mark > > --- Krispen Hartung <khartung@cableone.net> wrote: > >> The polytones are indeed nice (just don't use the >> gain on them, as that >> produces what could likely be the most nasty >> sounding distortion on the >> planet earth)...however, having used many models of >> Polytones in my guitar >> playing history, I find that they are a generally a >> one-dimensional amp. >> Most guys I know using them are using good sized >> archtop guitars, which is >> what I did. The polytones are designed to have a >> very flat frequency >> response and re-produce the beautiful, and unique >> sound of a big bodied >> archtop. This is also why they are a popular amp >> for accordion players. But >> for someone who wants to play modern jazz - a mix of >> traditional clean tones >> with other flavors of dirtied up tones, like Mike >> Stearn, Scofield, etc - I >> don't believe the Polytone is a good choice. It's >> not that sort of amp. I >> keep falling back to the newer DSP amps, like the >> Roland Cube 60, Fender >> FM65, Vox, and so on. I keep seeing these amps pop >> up in jazz guitar >> discussion forums over, and over again. One just >> found out that one of my >> favorite jazz guitarists, Lorne Lofsky (an >> mind-blowing modern jazz >> guitarist that teaches and lives in the Toronto >> area), is also using the >> Fender FM65. These amps have the ability to produce >> a very clean tone (like >> a JC-120), but also a vintage amp or tube amp that >> will get dirty when you >> push it. I never believed it until I use them, but >> amps like the Cube 60 >> even have the ability to produce that "spongy" feel >> of tube amps. I think >> it's just amazing what they've done with them...so, >> for the versatile jazz >> guitarist who has to switch from traditional jazz, >> to smooth jazz, to modern >> jazz, to fusion on the fly depending on the gig, >> these DSP amps are the >> cat's meow. >> >> I find "harshness" to be a feature of EQ, not an >> amp. I've never played an >> amp that I couldn't get a smooth tone out of by >> adjusting the EQ...roll off >> the presence or highs, boost the mids, and turn the >> tone down on the guitar >> a bit....all age old tricks of jazz guitar players >> to "silkify" their tones. >> Although I've heard some tube purists say that solid >> state amps in general >> are harsh...but I think this is an unqualified claim >> as well. Once you tweak >> a solid state amp right, it will NOT sound >> harsh..."harshness" is not the >> right term, in my opition..rather, it's that >> "sponginess" I mentioned, the >> fact that tube amps breaks up when you push them, >> that they change >> throughout the duration of a performance as they >> heat up (which annoys the >> shit out of me), etc. I think harshness is an easy >> characteristic to >> change, but these more organic features of tube amps >> are more difficult to >> emulate...but the new DSP amps are getting really >> good at it...enough so for >> that I really prefer the DSP amps now, because they >> run cool, don't require >> tube maintenance, and they are light. It's the best >> of all worlds. I don't >> know who a Roland could be regarded as harsh...turn >> the treble and presence >> to 0...the last thing it will be is >> harsh...incredibly undefined, but not >> harsh. >> >> Speaking of Polytone, you ever played a 104? The >> George Benson model? I used >> to one one...weight a tone, but it was a LOUD >> sob....very clean, 2X12 amp. I >> used to own a Lab Series L5 too...very intriguing >> amps, with built in >> compression and some filtering EQ. I used to run a >> L5 one one site, and a >> Polytone 104 on the other for big jazz gigs, where I >> had to compete with an >> 18 piece jazz group or loud drummer. >> >> K- >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "samba -" <sambacomet@hotmail.com> >> To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com> >> Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 5:55 PM >> Subject: guitar amps >> >> >> > Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com >> > >> > I think for small portable the polytone is very >> tatsty. I find the roland >> > stuff has a sort of harsh edge,where the polytone >> is sweet.No bells and >> > whisltes though.I got one for under 100 and have >> seen 2-3 for 50 that >> > needed repair.It'/s usually switch or power supply >> problems,or maybe a >> > cap. >> > >> > >> > _________________________________________________________________ >> > All-in-one security and maintenance for your PC. >> Get a free 90-day trial! >> > >> > >http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwlo0050000002msn/direct/01/?href=http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwlo0050000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://www.windowsonecare.com/?sc_cid=msn_hotmail >> > >> > >> >> >> > > > > > >____________________________________________________________________________________ > Yahoo! Music Unlimited > Access over 1 million songs. > http://music.yahoo.com/unlimited > >