I am about to build my first cbg. It will be a three string with duel piezo pickups. First question is what is a good watt amp to give a good sound without blowing everyone out of the house? Second question should the neck touch the box lid or is it better to be below the lid so the surface vibrates better? HELP!
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Tom
Replies
I run mine thru a Kallamazoo Model 1 w/ a tube screamer.
And a Zakk Wylde Wah.lol!
Go to a pawn shop. I picked up a nice little 2nd hand Fender amp for $20 last summer. I dont know much about amps, but the thing sounds good to me.
Small Cheap amps are actually really good for CBG's. A lot a people even mod old Transistor radio's and get some really nice tones. It's actually really easy.
For actually Amps I use the following. My CBG has a Mini Humbucker, with Vol/Tone. Usually I play in Open G or Open E.
Pignose 7-100 (Import)
I got my for $60 used. I really like it, very portable and very responsive. It's like a really good Fuzz pedal with a speaker. I just turn amp volume all the way up. Then use the Vol/Tone on my CBG to get a Clean, Muddy, or Fuzz/Crunch sound. You can get a lot of tones on this little Amp. No need for pedals.
Vox Mini 5 Rhythm.
This little amp it perfect for CBG. I usually keep it on the Clean Models, maybe with a little Compression for Rock/Blues. For Country/Bluegrass again clean model with some Reverb. It also has a nice selection of Rhythm Loops and best off all it has a Mic in with Trim and effects. Very solid Practice Amp and is my Favorite for Features and Sound. You can adjust the wattage to down to .5 or something and still get the Over driven tones at a normal room volume.
Vox AD50VT
Decent All Purpose Modelling Amp, 50 Watts, but you can adjust it down, so still good for practice. Really this is my main practice amp for regular Guitar. I actually like the Pignose and Mini5 better for the CBG. I only paid $100 for it (Neighbor was going to Pawn it, I gave him $10 more). I wouldn't pay full price there are better Amps in this range. It sounds great when Dialed in, but it has a lot bad sounds as well. The presets are Rubbish.
Honeytone is also good and cheap. I owned one years back, but sadly wasn't playing a CBG at the time.
I highly recommend getting a Line 6 Pocket Pod Express (The one with just Knobs, No LED Display or Preset buttons) . I got it for $35 on Ebay, It great for extra effects and for Headphone practice. Sadly its discontinued but you should find one on Ebay or other used gear boards.
Wow! This is a great forum. Thanks to all the ideas and suggestions. A lot of food for thought. Now it's time to digest it all and start building. Thanks again to everyone and if you have anymore comments, let em fly.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Tom
Muahahahahaha! That is a suuuwwweeeet collection! Yer gonna need another coupla racks...
1) Zinky Smokey Amp. 9V battery, 2.5" speaker, $29 and change at GC. Belt-packable, LOUD! Can use as a pre-amp.
2) Pignose 7-100. As Beetlejuce says, still under $100. Musician's Friend, etc. Great for guitars and harmonicas. Good jammer. Wall wart or 6 AA batteries, has strap knobs for guitar strap for busking. Can use as a pre-amp.
3) Cactus Amp Kegblaster Beer Can Amp. $59.99 plus shipping, cactusampworks.com . Switchable clean / OD circuit; good jammer, battery good for about 3-5 hours. Based on a LM 386 circuit.
4) Roland Stereo Mobile Cube. 5 stars! My main practice amp. $169, GC, MF, Sweetwater, etc. 2 channels, dual 4" speakers, mic and guitar / keyboard, on board effects ( delay / reverb, clean / dirty / overdrive, tone), Aux In for mp3 / CDs. Shoulder strap for busking, wall wart or 6 AA batteries. This, or any of the Roland Cube series, are outstanding amps.
5) Fender Mini Tweed '57 Twin. $49.99 in a blister pack at GC, etc. Great tweed look, dual 2" speakers, clean to distorted, very portable.
6) Grey Amps black shorty CAO Cigar Box Amp. 9V and wall wart, clean and overdrive, 3.5" speaker. Custom job.
7) ZT Lunchbox. 6" speaker, 200 watts, AC power only, Aux / Line In for mp3 players, etc., reverb, gain, loves multi-effects and stompboxes. My main gigging amp. Can hold its own with a Marshall half-stack, speaker out to run a full 4x12 cab. $269-289 direct from www.zt.com
8) Fender Champ 600 re-issue. A single 12AX7 tube, one volume knob, clean to grind. Modded with a Jensen MOD 8" speaker, and changed a couple of resistors and 1 cap for 50% more headroom. Great for blues. $130-175 from GC, etc.
I also have an old Crate G20 solid state with a blown speaker, and a Crate GC Palomino V16 with three 12AX7 and two EL 84 tubes that is great for blues / rock and recording; all my gigging buds love this amp. Mid-boost button, treble, mid, bass, spring reverb, volume, gain.
You also may want to look at the new Vox with a "Power Soak" feature that Dan Sleep just picked up for around $170, and the new Fender Mustang I for around $100 or so.
Pignose...less than a 100, cant go wrong with it.
any 9 volt battery amp will be perfect for playing at home, but i im playing thru a peavey rage 108. its rated 12 watts at 4 ohms with an 8 inch speaker. i also have a piezo and it makes a lot of feedback with the gain kicked in. i think a noise gate would do real well to help combat this. once i get my hands on a mag coil pup im taking it to a friends house and we will it blast thru his 25 anniversery marshall half stack. i left a little space between my lid and neck and thats where i put my piezo. i built a cbg for my brother in law this summer and left space between the lid and neck, but i also put screws thru the lid to the neck to help take out some unwanted vibration from the lid. i think it know takes that vibration and transfers it from lid to neck to the strings that produces a sound that is almost sitarish.
go to a couple guitar stores and try the amps for yourself.
its a very personal thing
Another Roland vote.
Iv got the 30w, which features the 'Power Squeeze' button lacking on the 40w+ models. This basically means you can get full volume tone, but at very low volumes - perfect for at home.
The effects are very useable, its compact, and you can get one on Ebay for around £80
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