Hello and amp Q's

[<Randy.Lilleston@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 > From David Austin Nix <uunet!m.cc.utah.edu!David.Nix>
 > Hello folks,
 >         I'm new to the board, been playing "seriously"
 > for about a year and have a rabid inclination to buy an amp.
 > Distortion,chorus, reverb, and a decent sound are desired for
 > under $300.  Any suggestions?

 Sure. First, you probably won't use a chorus very much, so I
don't think you'll really need that.
 Look for an "off-brand" tube amp, try it out and see if it
serves your needs. For example, I saw an old Traynor tube
amp the other day with 4-10" speakers and 40 watts for only
$235.
 Stick to lower-power amps if you want a naturally distorted
sound. Remember: Just because there's no distortion or "pre"
volume control on the amp, doesn't mean it won't sound
distorted when you play through it.
Lower-power amps allow you to crank 'em up and obtain the
distorted edge through the *post* amp, not the *pre* amp.
Advantage: I don't think they feed back as easily. If you
need more volume, mic the amp and run the signal through
the PA.
 Look for amps with 10" speakers. Bigger speakers are harder
to distort; smaller speakers sound a little tinny and can
be blown easily.
 I'd stay away from transistor amps (even though I use one
right now, which I'm trying to sell). They really are rather
harsh-sounding, and I have found they are virtually
impossible to mic on stage through a big PA in a club
(although I also think some of this problem is caused by
inexperienced sound men trying to mic a harp amp). That
harshness seems to create such a variance in signals that
it drives sound guys crazy when they try to mic my amp.