Oct 05, 2007 11:10 pm It is a nice clean little amp. But it can get dirty simply by turning it up. If you need distortion at low volumes you will need a pedal for that.
Otherwise it is a creamy kind of sound when played through humbuckers.
Anybody played through a Gretsch Playboy 15 watt tube amp?
Posted on Oct 05, 2007 09:43 pm
Anthony79
Member Since: Oct 04, 2007
Looking for a high-end 15-to-20 watt tube amp for practice in an apartment setting. One that could theoretically be mic'd up for gigging as well. I came across this beauty and wondered if it sounds as well as it looks. I am familiar also with the Matchless Lightning model. I don't necessarily need reverb on the amp either as I have a good FX processor with a decent reverb. Will this beauty give me a good tone or should I look for a Matchless? Any other suggestions? Thanks.
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Oct 05, 2007 11:10 pm It is a nice clean little amp. But it can get dirty simply by turning it up. If you need distortion at low volumes you will need a pedal for that.
Otherwise it is a creamy kind of sound when played through humbuckers.
Oct 05, 2007 11:46 pm OH ya, it will work just fine with a single coil. That will give you a nice tone with that. The matchless might get a little heavier with a bit less volume, but the Gretch will have a smoother tone.
Oct 06, 2007 11:40 am I understand this amp is for the purists among us, but I could still get some good metal tones if I plug a Line 6 Pod into this amp, right?
Oct 06, 2007 03:22 pm If you're looking for apartment sized overdrive from just the amp, look a lot lower. The lightning is similar to the marshall 18watt, which are very loud when turned up. Definately not apartment volume.
If you were looking for overdrive from the amp, at apartment volume, think 5 watt or lower. I think Tallchap got a low wattage amp, that he's liking.
If you're plugging a Pod into it, then yeah, you'll be fine, as long as you're in good shape tweaking the pod for the sounds you like.
I'm also thinking that you wouldn't need to mic it at a gig either. 20w fills a small club pretty well. If you keep the pod in front of it, then you'll want to volume match your patches, as using a processor in front of a cranked amp may not get quite the sound you intended.
Oct 06, 2007 08:43 pm Oh ya, if you had said you were plugging in a POD I would have said go right ahead. The cleaner the amp you start with the better it is for the POD to get its sound out right. Remember to set all 3 tone controls flat with no cut or boost.
Oct 06, 2007 09:25 pm Does it matter if the amp has an FX loop when you want to plug in a POD unit? I notice the Gretsch does not have one...
Oct 06, 2007 09:46 pm Nope, the POD can go right into the amps input channel. No need for an FX loop there.
Oct 06, 2007 09:49 pm Man, you guys are a wealth of knowledge. Can I ask one more? LOL I understand the POD will adjust to different amps and cabs automatically. What about taking a TC G-System FX processor into an amp with no FX loop? Does it have the same ability? Which would you rather have? The high end Gretsch Playboy or a tube amp with an FX loop? (for the purposes of using an FX processor) Thanks for all the help so far.
Oct 06, 2007 10:19 pm No the TC does not. You have to adjust the output signal to match the amps input.
And the POD doesn't actually do it automatically, you do have to make a couple of adjustments as well as far as its output level goes. Just make sure and turn off the AIR setting if using it with a live amp.
Oct 06, 2007 10:34 pm If you had a choice between the Gretsch, the Matchless Lightning or the Marshall 1974x, which way would ya go cost aside? I'm actually leaning towards the Marshall, because of the crunch you get with a Marshall. I don't know much about the Lightning to be honest. The Gretsch seems like a great amp for FX, but maybe a better choice would be to get a good amp with an FX loop (if we're talking about the Gretsch only).
Oct 07, 2007 04:13 pm Well, if you go with the Marshall then you probably wont need the POD. IF you plan on using the POD for your amp models then you probably will want to stay with either the Gretsch or the Matchless. Both are pretty smooth sounding amps, with the matchless able to reach a bit more grind at lower volumes. Both are 12" singles so miccing them would be easy. The Matchless would be a good in between choice to get a little of both worlds.
You simply need to decide which is going to be the best direction for what you need. I know a couple peeps that use the small tech 21 121 watt with a single 12" with the POD and love it. They can still get feedback when needed and it is an ultra clean amp when set up properly.
Oct 08, 2007 02:27 pm You know I was thumbing through an old Guitar World issue and saw a Gretsch ad that had "Hand Wired Amps coming soon" or words to that effect. Looked in the pic like the Epiphone series or the old Champ type stuff.. Now I'm intrigued.
As PJK noted (oh, he's a sharp one) I did get a low wattage amp. The Epiphone Valve Junior combo with 8" speaker (have not seen them recently, just the heads). 5w, Class-A. Very nice.
Cook the tubes for a day before you play and all is creamy. $99 at banjo-center.
I think the Gretsch is more....
I've tried it with my Digitech RP250 in front and it's diamond for those late night noodles.
Good luck.
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