Stereo Amps - matching pair, or different amps?

thisisguitar · July 2023

Hello fellow Fretboarders.

For those of you who run stereo rigs, do you prefer matching amps?

And as a secondary question, do you record the amps in stereo? I'm curious as to how you find it.

JohnPerry · July 2023

I am much happier now having switched from two matching Marshall SV20C combos to one of those alongside a Vox AC10 or a Tone King Gremlin.

To me different amps that complement each other not only give you a fuller sound but enhance the stereo field too. With two matchers you'll be hearing your (stereo) fx in stereo but unless the amps are set wildly differently tonewise you're just hearing one single sound. Which is fine, just less interesting IMHO.

I haven't recorded live in stereo with a stereo set-up tbh. I wouldn't record them simultaneously anyway. But I don't know why the same principle (different amps>two identical ones) wouldn't also apply there too.

theatreanchor · July 2023

I’d say different, as that’s what I use. More fun trialling amps and seeing what sounds you can get. What one amp lacks, another might provide etc.

ICBM · July 2023

Image: https://tfb-user-images.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/3bd95e0ec2fe2db87b22a7171555291bbb1476f6ec1551fa55

Teyeplayer · July 2023

Different amps is my preference. One wet and clean, one dry and crunchy.

Recording them is easy enough and does a wonderful thing when you pan them out.

AntonHunter · July 2023

Teyeplayer said:

Different amps is my preference. One wet and clean, one dry and crunchy.
Recording them is easy enough and does a wonderful thing when you pan them out.

Yeah, I've not spent much time with stereo effects, but this "dual mono" thing sounds huge when set like this.

Teyeplayer · July 2023

AntonHunter said:

Teyeplayer said:

Different amps is my preference. One wet and clean, one dry and crunchy.
Recording them is easy enough and does a wonderful thing when you pan them out.

Yeah, I've not spent much time with stereo effects, but this "dual mono" thing sounds huge when set like this.

I believe this is the preferred technique of Keef, and if it’s good enough for the riff-master general himself then who am I to argue?

exocet · July 2023

ICBM said:

My back gave out just looking at that!

p90fool · July 2023

I've run pairs of 1987s, HRDs, JCA20s, Pro Juniors and Blues Juniors over the years but nowadays prefer to mix them up a bit, it just seems to sound bigger.

I gigged last night with an Origin 50H with 2x12 and a Bandit and it sounded massive, really filling the room without being too loud in the mix.

russpm · July 2023

I prefer different amps, you can really dial in some great tones. Like others have said you can also go wet / dry.

Dominic · July 2023

If you were lucky enough to have 2 cars you wouldn't buy two the same in the same colour.
What is important is to have 2 that can do very different things to enable the broadest tone palette .
Set them up and be sure you don't get phase cancellation

ICBM · July 2023

exocet said:

My back gave out just looking at that!

To be honest, I never actually took them out of the house at the same time

. It was just a bit of amusement to set them up in stereo in the house when I had the two of them...

They are the same model, but since they're so flexible it's entirely possible to use them either as a matching pair, or set completely differently if you prefer.

When I did actually use a stereo rig live, it was with two Fender Super Champs - just about as far away from the Trem-o-verbs as you can get in terms of size and weight! - and I had them matching, which was easier said than done since the two amps did not sound exactly the same despite being "identical".

Danny1969 · July 2023

Not really 2 amps but I run a Marshall rack rig in stereo. One set is set for fairly dry, the other has delay and reverb. The dry side is mic'ed for FOH , the other side can be adjusted for stage sound without it going up and down in everyones ears.

Years ago we ran Fender amps in stereo chorus, each using 2 x 4 x 12" cabs either side of the stage which sounded massive, but not really my taste these days.

p90fool · July 2023

Dominic said:

Set them up and be sure you don't get phase cancellation

I split mine via a Radial Bigshot ABY, which solves that problem.

Dodge · July 2023

ICBM said:

When I did actually use a stereo rig live, it was with two Fender Super Champs

And cue the excuse to post this again.

Image: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4lwyc35ircfslfuk8k9ir/PXL_20230714_155257782.jpg?rlkey=7jexl65d14f9gwj8ejkhzy9u7&raw=1

And an earlier, louder and way more expensive version.

Image: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/574qbftbztj4o0kjh0e3v/IMG_20161015_121018.jpg?rlkey=ioip6fxiefyygkiskjuf6k215&raw=1

theatreanchor · July 2023

Dodge said:

ICBM said:

When I did actually use a stereo rig live, it was with two Fender Super Champs

And cue the excuse to post this again.

And an earlier, louder and way more expensive version.

I’d like to have heard them voxes going at the same time!

Dodge · July 2023

theatreanchor said:

I’d like to have heard them voxes going at the same time!

It was awesome, but ridiculously loud (hence the attenuators!)

guitarmanessex89 · July 2023

Depends - if you’re running an amp switcher then I’d say two different amps. Two different tonal footprints. If you’re slaving one to another via the loop and a stereo pedal, then the same is fine. The former is cooler and great for big acts and the Bonamassas of the world. The latter suits the likes of me playing down the pub, not having to run multiple boards or stereo chains. A DD7 at the end of your chain, for instance is all you need. One day I’ll try it the ‘proper’ way.

thisisguitar · July 2023

Appreciate all the responses gents, thank you. For reference I am running a Marshall SV20h with 2x12 and a Tone King Falcon Grande, well as of about two nights ago anyway :-) I have a Friedman BE100 hanging around and was tempted by a another Tone King currently available on this forum. I used to run a dual-mono rig live actually, with the Friedman and a '71 Twin, a glorious sounding pairing.

thecolourbox · July 2023

ICBM said:

Least comfortable pouffe setup ever?

pt22 · July 2023

Just found this on TGP:

https://milkmansound.com/collections/amplifiers/products/the-amp-stereo

Very interesting! I love my Victory Copper pedalboard amp, but this has me thinking…

gjonesy · July 2023

I've known you long enough to you know you'll want to explore W/D/W as soon as you've answered this Q
So just cut to the chase man!
:-)

AntonHunter · July 2023

pt22 said:

Just found this on TGP:

https://milkmansound.com/collections/amplifiers/products/the-amp-stereo

Very interesting! I love my Victory Copper pedalboard amp, but this has me thinking…

Ah wow, that looks cool. I know an excellent jazz guitarist up north who swears by his Milkman The Amp, sometimes using it in stereo with his Mesa Boogie. This would be very interesting I think!

rze99 · July 2023

Always different.

I like to set one dirty and dark and the other cleaner brighter with more reverb.

Current favourite my 70s Marshall stack with DRRI

Petepassion · July 2023

I use the one amp live, but recording last year in a local studio he recommended two different amps as I didn’t want to do any overdubs/double tracking. So I used my Vox AC50 and Marshall SV20 with a pair of attenuators, similar sounding but different enough to add to the sound.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Stereo Amps - matching pair, or different amps?

Comments