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Hi Guys,
I have come here to Amp 'hack' too! First post!
When I finally got my 335 after 32 years of waiting(!) last fall, I then realised it should have the best amp to match. BUT, this is not such an easy thing as the darkness of the 335 means you do have to be careful what you use to get that perfect tone you have in your head!
So, here are my findings to date based on my personal experience only.
I started off with my stock Session Rocket 30 ss amp which I have had since '86 and actually, it wasn't half bad (I now realise!!) as has super clean channel and you can blend in some OD to get a half decent 'Tweed edge'. But I thought 'Only Tubes will do'... so as money was tight to start with I got an Epi V Jr combo after reading all the hype - it went back straightaway - too boxy. Got the head unit instead and matched to a Celestion V30 c1x12 cab... hmmm... was unconvinced, then picked up a 59Bassman and this also was not the match made in heaven I thought it would - not without a pedal or two. Then got a Pignose G40V - Ah! Getting close now. So, the Bassman and the V jr were moved-on as the Pig did both better and is so articulate it can be brown or blue, loud or quiet. BUT I find the V30 speaker in the 1x12 ext cab a tad too dark for the 335 and prefer the Pig's 10" onboard.
Now, I have added a Cornford Roadhouse 30 and if you want hi-gain then you get it, but not what I want from my 335 - from my LP yes - they are perfect partners. It is essentially a modern equiv of a Marshall Bluesbreaker...
So, still somewhat disappointed.
Then a contact showed me some of his gear and amongst the pedals was a Proel DS10 distortion pedal that was giving super blues tones when mixed in with his rig. So I grabbed a used one off ebay and hey! Suddenly, with the Cornford (and its V30) it makes the 335 come alive! Super Texas growl at low volumes, no shrillness or mud... It is an extremely bright pedal with attitude - no fizz/fuzz and so adds needed articulation to the mix.
So I actually have 3 amps that give equal good tonal clarity but each different: The super clean Session (Moss Fet Clelstion G12 30w); The US flavored brown tones of the Pignose (3x12AX7 2x6L6 40w) and both hi gain grunt standard from the Cornford (3xEC83 2x EL34 Celestion V30 30w) and when using the Proel DS10 - Fendery DR (blue!) 'spanky' blues tones.
So, I have come to the conclusion that the guitar gives such a wide range of tones, that you have to work at understanding them all and really getting down to detail - unlike a Strat for instance, which is what it is always near as dman it.
BUT, still I want a sexy Tweed - 57 Deluxe maybe... being here in UK, am starved of all the fantastic US 5e3 'OEM' offerings like the fabulous Richter 'Tweed Deluxe'...
Hope this provides food for thought.
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