Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 26

Thread: Amplifier for Mando Strat

  1. #1
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Forest Grove, Oregon
    Posts
    2,771

    Default Amplifier for Mando Strat

    Hoping for some help here.

    I'm trying to get a little fatter, jazzier sound out of my mandostrat, which I realize may not be entirely possible. I have a little Vox mini that's not quite flexible enough for that and am hoping someone could point me to an amp that has that capability for less than $500.

    thanks
    Not all the clams are at the beach

    Arrow Manouche
    Arrow Jazzbo
    Arrow G
    Clark 2 point
    Gibson F5L
    Gibson A-4
    Ratliff CountryBoy A

  2. #2

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    If you are still using the original Fender pickup, you may want to consider starting at that end of the signal chain. There are other threads here in the forums that address the weaknesses of the pickup. Once you have a pickup that suits your ear, start looking for amps to fine tune the sound you're seeking. My choice would be a Fender amp with at least a 10" speaker. I'm running a Super Champ X2 at around $379 new from Sweetwater (NFI).

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL

  3. #3
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Forest Grove, Oregon
    Posts
    2,771

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    I have an almuse on the way, along with a new bridge. I read in one thread about smaller speakers having better response due to less inertia versus larger cones. Any history with that?

    thanks
    Not all the clams are at the beach

    Arrow Manouche
    Arrow Jazzbo
    Arrow G
    Clark 2 point
    Gibson F5L
    Gibson A-4
    Ratliff CountryBoy A

  4. #4

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    My only history is that I also have a Fender Acoustisonic but I have not run the electric mandolin through it, only an acoustic mandolin with JJB pickups and it sounds quite good. The Almuse and new bridge may change your mind about what you want to hear?? I have no idea.

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL

  5. #5
    Dave Sheets
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Buffalo NY Area
    Posts
    445

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    I would suggest taking your mandostrat down to a local music store with a range of different amplifiers, to see what sound in amplifiers you like. For me, really low powered amplifiers just don't work for clean playing, one needs 20 to 30 watts in a tube amp, or about 50 in a solid state amp. Amps really color the sound of electric instruments greatly, you really have to try them. Some amps are known for good "clean" sounds, others are meant to deliver more distortion.

    To get a "warm" sound on an electric instrument, you may need a little bit of distortion or overdrive. Not enough to be particularly noticeable as distortion, but enough to warm up the sound, a subtle thing. This "warm" sound is why a lot of people like tube amps, but the good solid state amps can do a good job at it as well (check on Roland amps for example). I like the sound of 10 inch speakers, they are a bit thin in the bass end for most guitarist, but the are very responsive on the top end. There are some really good speakers smaller than 10 inches, but they are specialty items and get pricey fast.

    It is always possible to add distortion pedals in front of a clean amp to get dirtier sounds, but you really can't do much to make an amp "cleaner", that's a function of the headroom of the amp and the clarity of the circuits. So in choosing an amp, it is better to err on the side of a good "clean" sound, and add a pedal later to get a bit of distortion.

    If your current amp has enough power, it might be worth looking at a tube preamp or a very mild distortion pedal to add to it, to warm up your sound. Cheaper than an amp.
    -Dave
    Flatiron A
    Way too many other instruments

  6. #6
    fishing with my mando darrylicshon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    atlanta
    Posts
    1,303

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    I agree take it to the closest music store hopefully there is a Guitarcentet close, they always have a good selection. First try tube amps , if you cannot find the sound try any amp left. I use a Genz Benz diablo 100 thru a 4-12 it sounds great I can get lots more good sounds from it , but I usually play metal thru it
    Ibanez 70's 524, 521, 3 511's,2 512's,513,1 514,3 80s 513's, 522
    J Bovier F5-T custom shop
    Kiso Suzuki V900,
    The Loar lm600 Cherryburst
    morgan monroe mms-5wc,ovation
    Michael Kelly Octave Mandolin
    Emandos Northfield octave tele 4, Northfield custom jem octave mandolin 5 octave strat 8
    2 Flying v 8, octave 5, Exploryer octave 8 20"
    Fender mandostrat 4,3 Epip mandobird 2,4/8, Kentucky. KM300E Eastwood mandocaster
    Gold Tone F6,Badaax doubleneck 8/6

  7. #7
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Forest Grove, Oregon
    Posts
    2,771

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    I figured it was going to take a trip to GuitarCenter, but I appreciate the guidance everyone has provided. Looking through all of the threads, they typically discuss amps for acoustic mandolins with pickups.

    thanks
    Not all the clams are at the beach

    Arrow Manouche
    Arrow Jazzbo
    Arrow G
    Clark 2 point
    Gibson F5L
    Gibson A-4
    Ratliff CountryBoy A

  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Boulder, CO & Chesterfield, MO
    Posts
    2,562

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    I use a tube preamp from Presonus that works really well to give a warm tube sound from my electric. I use it with a solid state "acoustic" amp that is really clean. If I were to buy now, I'd probably pickup the Art Tube MP. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-a...dio-mic-preamp
    I'd try that for $40 before spending big money on a new amp

  9. #9
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,096

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    Might try out some traditional vacuum tube amps, maybe put a multi band (more than 3) EQ in the signal chain..

    to tweak your low end.. re string CGDA?
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  10. #10
    Quietly Making Noise Dave Greenspoon's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Leesburg, VA
    Posts
    1,102

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    For the bucks, your answer is Boss Katana. Yes, there is deep affection and emotional commitment by many to a real tube amp. I know how that is. Even so, the tests are pretty conclusive that modeling amps are virtually indistinguishable to most human ears. The Boss folks know what they're doing with sound; they have the Roland side for speakers, and the Boss side for Fx. For your budget you could go high end and get the 100/50/.5 w head (integrated with 55 Boss effects, 15 of which you can access at any one time; leave the big pedal board at home) and still have almost enough to pick up the 50 W combo. If I had to lug one, it'd be the 25 pound Katana 50 vs the 32 pound 100. NFI
    Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
    Amps: Fishman Loudbox 100; Rivera Clubster Royale Recording Head & R212 cab; Laney Cub 10

  11. #11
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Forest Grove, Oregon
    Posts
    2,771

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    Thanks for all the suggestions. I got a used Roland Cube 60 and an Almuse pickup which is yet to be installed. Sounded fine but I expect even better with the new pickup.
    Not all the clams are at the beach

    Arrow Manouche
    Arrow Jazzbo
    Arrow G
    Clark 2 point
    Gibson F5L
    Gibson A-4
    Ratliff CountryBoy A

  12. The following members say thank you to Bill McCall for this post:


  13. #12
    Chief Moderator/Shepherd Ted Eschliman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Nebraska
    Posts
    4,382
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    Highly recommend a Fender Blues Jr. It's a good workhorse, unadulterated tube amp with a traditional spring reverb and a "FAT" switch for mid-range boost. I've run most of my emandos through that, including the brief time I owned a Mando Strat.
    Ted Eschliman

    Author, Getting Into Jazz Mandolin

  14. The following members say thank you to Ted Eschliman for this post:


  15. #13
    Registered User alexheflin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    39
    Blog Entries
    43

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    Quote Originally Posted by Ted Eschliman View Post
    Highly recommend a Fender Blues Jr. It's a good workhorse, unadulterated tube amp with a traditional spring reverb and a "FAT" switch for mid-range boost. I've run most of my emandos through that, including the brief time I owned a Mando Strat.
    I second this. They get a little dirty if you push up the volume, but that can be desirable. The reverb sounds great on them and the EQ is incredibly responsive.

    If you don't want to go the tube amp route, I recommend the fishman loudbox series. They're designed as an acoustic amp but you can get that jazzy tone out of them. I frequently use one and I believe Jason Anick uses one with his Jazzbo.

  16. #14
    Registered User zedmando's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    At home
    Posts
    816

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    Try the Orange Mini heads --they have some tone shaping that could help.
    And look for used Fenders.
    I'd also say used Hughes & Kettners--but otehr than the 5 watters you probably wouldn't get used in that price range--maybe an 18 watt head.
    Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?

  17. #15
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Forest Grove, Oregon
    Posts
    2,771

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    I did swap out the pickup for an Almuse and a Moongazer adjustable bridge. Running through the Roland Cube 60 is sweet. A nice rig.

    Thanks for the suggestions.
    Not all the clams are at the beach

    Arrow Manouche
    Arrow Jazzbo
    Arrow G
    Clark 2 point
    Gibson F5L
    Gibson A-4
    Ratliff CountryBoy A

  18. #16
    Registered User Joey Anchors's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    1,008

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    Any early Fender Tweed amp should produce a wonderful warm tone.
    Waterloo WL-M

    Blues Mando Social Group - member

  19. #17
    Registered User Pete Martin's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    3,244

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    Of you are looking for an old style fat Jazz guitar sound, i found a solid body isntrument will usually not give that. After owning several solid bodies, I settled on a semi hollow body Mann em5. Also swapped out to a Charlie Christian (Lollar) pickup and a copy of a 1940s Gibson EH185 amp.
    -----------
    Pete Martin
    www.PeteMartin.info
    Jazz and Bluegrass instruction books, videos, articles, transcriptions, improvisation, ergonomics, free recordings, private lessons

    www.WoodAndStringsBand.com
    Jazz trio

    www.AppleValleyWranglers.net
    Western Swing music

  20. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Pete Martin For This Useful Post:


  21. #18

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    the sound of an electrified solid body stringed instrument is all about the transducers (passive or active) and the circuit they feed, as referenced by your brain and fingers, then all the gear that resulting signal feeds outboard of the instrument. only at bedroom volume levels through clean amplification can some nuances of the guitar itself *may* be heard.

    i have an eastwood mandocaster arriving next week and i'll be going over the pickups and onboard circuit. it's a good bet i'll either rewind the current pickups or just build new ones to suit my sonic taste buds. the pots and jack will probably need replacement as well. the nut of a mando is critical - the plastic one will be replaced with non-bleached bone. the bridge will need looking after as well. then on to the mandatory fret work. it's good to be able to do this stuff myself.

    as to amplification, there's plenty of good but cheap solid states to choose. this is where things can get dicey and trying before buying is surely the way to go.
    Mandolins are truly *magic*!

  22. #19

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    I have a mandostrat 4 and 8, as well as an eastwood mandocaster. I recently was looking for something versatile, small and awesome sounding in an amplifier. I ended up with the yamaha THR10. It's a lunchbox sized metal bodied amp that can recreate the sound of a BUNCH of classic amplifiers. It can also be used with batteries, and has an acoustic instrument and bass guitar setting as well.

    You can plug an iDevice of your choice in, and even use the app to change presets. It sounds killer with the mandostrat. I set it to a slight crunch and add reverb and tremolo if I'm feeling "swampy". I like it so much I bought the little brother version THR5. same features in a slightly smaller form with no bass and acoustic settings.

    I also run my "pre-lawsuit" Fender fm62 through it, and it too sounds awesome.

    You can find them used on the inter webs for a decent price. Best of all, when you turn them on, the "tubes" inside warm up and glow orange through the metal slats cut out on the front!!!

  23. The following members say thank you to artguy for this post:

    lenf12 

  24. #20

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    I have been looking at these little Yamaha THR5s and THR10s a lot lately. A friend has the THR5 and it sounds amazing. The only downside is there is no dedicated line out. There is a headphone out but when you plug in to it, it cuts the signal to the speakers so that defeats its use as a monitor while feeding a signal to a PA system. Too bad as I like everything else about this amp, especially the size/weight (6 lbs.) for hauling to and from my 3rd floor walk up apartment. Guess I'm getting too old to be lugging an old Fender tube amp to our impromptu Saturday jams.

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL

  25. #21
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Iowa City, Iowa
    Posts
    37

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    A couple of posters have recommended the Fender Blues Jr. as a mandolin amp. This is a pretty good choice and I like the way my four string Mando Strat sounds played through one. As the volume increases, however, I begin to notice a bit of "hair" when using this amp. The Swiss Army Knife of amplifiers, for me anyway, is the Deluxe Reverb. It has plenty of headroom at 22 watts, and a traditional sound that's hard to beat. Cost and weight are drawbacks that may take this one out of consideration.

    Seldom mentioned are vintage Gibson tube amps from the 1960's. Electric guitarists often pass these by because they don't break up very much when you crank the volume. Rock'n'rollers usually like break-up so they can sound more like Stevie Ray Vaughn, but that may not be ideal for mandolin. I bought my Gibson RVT-ga15 for $250 with a blown speaker. With a new Weber 10" speaker and a couple of capacitors, I love this amp for clean sounds. I think there in one on ebay now for $500 or best offer. Sometimes you can find one for considerably less.

    The Almuse pickup with adjustable pole pieces and an Andrew Germain bridge go a long way toward making the Mando Strat a functional piece of gear. A nice, clean little Gibson amp is a good match for most situations. Lots of these amps are in bedroom closets all over the country.

    A quick edit--The Blues Jr. is sort of like an Easy Bake Oven. The bias is not adjustable and the tubes run hot. The tube sockets in mine melted and had to be replaced with ceramic sockets. Some caps melted as well. Just a heads up on this amp.

  26. #22
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Stow, MA
    Posts
    110

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    I tried the Blues Jr and was pretty disappointed by it's lack of clean head room. I tried a Deluxe Reverb and while I loved the tone I agree it is too big! and the smaller Fender vintage and reissue amps are suffer form the lack of headroom issue too... So I talked to Jim at Lil' Dawg amps about making me a Wonderdog (his Deluxe Reverb/SuperReverb hybrid) that fits in a Princeton Reverb size cab even with a 12" speaker. With some bias tweaks and the right pre-amp tubes it is produces a sweet clean tone with lots of headroom, a mid tone control and a really great reverb. And it is only 30 lbs with a Weber Alnico speaker. Very happy with this amp.
    Last edited by guidoStow; Jul-13-2017 at 6:35pm.
    Craig Mandola
    Mann SEM-5

  27. #23
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    S.W. Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,500

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    I like 8" speakers for warmth and if you want a warmer cleaner sound change all the preamp tubes to 12AY7's. You will have to turn the amp up but the sound is much warmer and harder to drive into distortion with the lower gain structure.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  28. #24
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Baraga, MI
    Posts
    13

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    I have had good luck running both of my solid body 8 strings through a tube pre and a Fishman Loudbox. When I play larger clubs and can use higher volume levels then I use my trusty 30W tube Fender and plug straight in. For rock gigs I use the same setups but insert my pedalboard into the signal chain. The suggestions, by others, to get to a guitar store is the way to go. Leaning on friends to come over and jam through their gear is another option. Unless you are desperate for an amp right away then don't rush into a decision. It's better to buy one decent amp than to buy four and sell three. (We've all been there.) Best wishes.

  29. #25

    Default Re: Amplifier for Mando Strat

    Roland cube

    I have a cube 80. Its wonderful/ has a roland jazz chorus voiced amp, as well as a second channel with severa; great models, including a deluxe, twin, ac30, and acoustic. Good effects, easy to use, carry, lots of headroom. Oh, and im a big tube amp devote', and the roland sounds very natural. Has become my fav for my mando, and, to carry. Not using my five others much now.

    I cannot say how great the jazz corus channel sounds. Use it for my
    L5c too. Plenty of headroom is you need big sound clean.

    And, very affordable. Very tweakable, ie jazz, rock, brown fender, marshall, rectifier, gain, delay, chorus, flange, chorus, looper, tuner (pita design tho). Eq is great, and, essential.

    And as dave states, depending on your pick up, you may like a good DI. I wouldnt imagine this the case with a pole piece electric guitar style pick up, which i assume your fender has.

    Those fishman amps are highly rated, but a good deal more $$$.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •