Newcomer... (and could use a little help...)

[Sixthview]

Well, of all the boards I have been checking out, I decided to join this one as it seems as though there are some fairly knowledgeable folks on here.  So hello all!

I have been browsing around looking for an amp (or schematic).  Basically what I am looking for is the following:

• 50 - 100 watt amp, 50 preferred as I don't need the monster volume.
• Solid State... Of course.
• Only one CLEAN channel
• Simple with a Volume, Bass, Mid, Treb control...  Other's are okay but not necessary.

And that's it...  Anyone ever hear of an amp like this?

[polo16mi]

This is what you want:

Go straight forward for a LM3886 chipamp power stage. Simple, easy, reliable, and mounted hundred of times with success. Kind of cheap too.

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/projects/13-amps/58-lm3886-amp

In the same page you can browse several preamps.

Hope help.

[mexicanyella]

I'm a ways from being ready to build my own, but in terms of buying something like you describe...what about scouring pawn shops/Craigslist for a starter bass combo in the 50 or 60 watt size? Older Crate B60s, Peavey Basics, Fender BXs?

I regret declining an offered Crate B60 once, when its owner just got tired of it and got a Hartke. Looking back, it would have been an interesting experiment to put a guitar speaker in it, and maybe even cut an opening in the back, radius the edges, re-trim the tolex to fit so it looked finished...it had simple controls like what you describe and I wish I'd have thought to crank it up with guitar and really see what it could do. Might have made an interesting one-channel guitar head, run through some guitar cabinet, too.

I once helped engineer a recording session of a sort of Rage Against The Machine-styled band whose guitar player was playing through some older Peavey keyboard combo, with the tweeter removed and its hole just acting as a reflex port. It had simple single-channel controls too, but it either had the mids split into two bands, or it had semi-parametric mids...can't remember. I do remember he was running an SG and a Danelectro Fabtone into it and he was getting some really rude, rippin' distortion. A unique sound.

Anyway, those midsize bass and keyboard amps that aren't quite big enough to cut it on a loud gig could do fine with guitar, if you could get a tone you could work with...

[Sixthview]

Thanks to both of you so far! 

@polo16mi - I've considered building on for some time, I am just a little shy about working with more power.  I have built the Noisy cricket and a few other 1/2 watters which use the LM386, so I assume this would be along those lines, just able to handle more.

@mexicanyella - Bass amps...  I have so wanted to try that at some point.  What I would end up powering is a 4x12 with Celestions 75s.  I have always worried though about hurting the speakers with a bass amp.  Thoughts?  One that I was looking at was the Fender Rumble 150.  I know it has an OD channel, but I would just never touch it like on my Marshall. 

[mexicanyella]

The amp is just an amp, although maybe with a little different center frequencies on the equalization controls and different gain structure in the preamp. If you play a guitar into it, you'll still be sending guitar frequencies to the speakers and the issue will be whether you can achieve a tone you like running your guitar through that particular amp, or whether it sounds good with whatever pedals and stuff you combine it with.

My first gigging guitar amp was a Univox 1246B tube bass head powering a Fender 4 x 12, a Peavey 2 x 10 or both. 60 watts, cranked, sometimes with an attenuator knocking a few dB off the speaker signal. No speaker damage occurred. Now, if I'd been playing a bass through the amp into the guitar speakers, maybe then...

Plug into that Rumble Bass and by all means, try out the OD channel! It might be great!

[Sixthview]

Well, recently, I have been returning to my roots of the Siamese Dream days.  Running my Muff through my 5150 just wasn't what I wanted.  I picked up a MG100FX off of Craig's List in a deal and I love the SS sound with the Muff, but I want to expand a little and try some other stuff.

Yeah, I am really leaning towards it (the rumble).  I figure once taxes post to my account I will order it from Amazon.  Worst case, I plug it in, don't like it and send it back for a refund.  And if that happens, it is up to the local music store to try to get him down on his AVT that he want's $250 for. 

[joecool85]

I agree if you decide to "roll your own" a LM3886 poweramp would be ideal.  chipamp.com is the place to get a kit.  You will want some sort of booster as a preamp and then add a 3 band tone stack.  There are lots of options for that, I'm sure someone will recommend one they have experience with.

If you decide to buy one, look for a Fender Frontman 65R.  Cheap, great clean channel and 65w of power through a 12" speaker.