Standel 25L15 vintage Plus

Billy Poteet · Post by **Billy Poteet** » 17 Jul 2002 6:05 am

I went and priced one. FYI it
starts at $3,400 and it has a nine month waiting list. Kind of like my Harley.

Billy P.

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Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 Jul 2002 4:35 pm

Yes...very expensive, and not really suited for steel unless you're playing blues-type stuff. Keep in mind that most of the virtues of these "botique amps" is their warm overdrive-distortion sound. Now, if you play B.B. King, they're worth every penny. But if you like really clean sounds at high levels, and lots of tonal dynamics...they'll probably disappoint you.[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 17 July 2002 at 05:40 PM.]

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 17 Jul 2002 8:26 pm

Which model did Mr.Emmons order?Surely he's not going to join those damn hippies on the Opry?

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 17 Jul 2002 9:44 pm

Oooh, Donny, not true, It is the cleanest and sweetest amp I have heard and is totally appropriate for steel guitar. No overdrive, no distortion and no reverb either. When was the last time you played a steel guitar through an amp and it didn't "need" reverb to sound good. Of course there's an insert jack where we tested it with a Demeter Real Reverb (multiple springs), or you could plug in whatever you want. These amps will set a high standard for price and tone.

Earl Erb · Post by **Earl Erb** » 18 Jul 2002 6:18 am

I had the honor of playing with Buddy last week at the Super Jam. I sat just to his left. He was playing through a Peavey 1000 and the Standel in question. He had those amps cranked and I did not hear any distortion from either amp.The Standel Buddy borrowed belongs to Mike Cass.Buddy's will arrive in a couple of weeks.I just wish they didn't cost so much.

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 18 Jul 2002 7:00 am

I understood the amp Buddy used at Bell Cove to be a 66 Custom not a 25L15.And did he use a N-1000 with it??

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 18 Jul 2002 7:23 am

Chas, I wasn't knocking the Standels, they're a wonderful amp. The low powered ones (under 30 watts) are just more suited to blues and soft jazz than they are to today's "kickass" sounds. They do have a wonderfully clean sound at low to medium volumes, and when pushed, they're great at that "soft distortion" that lead players like so much. But...with limited power, it would be hard to compete with other players at a big gig, unless they're miked through the P.A.. (Buddy's new Standel amp is reported to be 80-100 watts.)

Not only do you have to consider tone, but power as well when you're playing without the assistance of a big P.A. system. Famous players usually play in public (steel shows and jams) with a top-notch sound system. Us little guys don't usually have that luxury. We may be outdoors on a flatbed trailer, with nothing but a mike for the vocals. In a case like that, you'd feel pretty down when the other players with the "under $1,000" Fenders and Peaveys blew your $3,500+ botique amp off the stage. These amps simply aren't designed for that kind of use (abuse?). But, in a studio situation, or in a small combo in a small club, they're dynamite!

Years ago, when I started playing, a Twin Reverb was one of the most powerful amps you could buy, but they only put out 60-80 usable watts. Nowadays, 200-300 is the norm for most amps, and a Peavey 1000 would blow the old Twin away (in clean sound). You see, everything must be taken in context, and tone plays a big part in our sound...but certainly not the only part. The best tone in the world is useless if no one can hear you.

By the way, Standel makes a special speaker to go in their amps, probably realizing that their low power ratings can be overcome (to some extent) by a more efficient speaker. Their speaker is about twice as efficient as anything else made, and it's designed to handle 25-50 watts. So, it's easy to see why their 25-watt amp sounds like much more. But as the price of these speakers is almost $500 each, I'd hate the thought of replacing one cause I laid down some "Chalker-chords".

Yes, it's a great amp. But is it really "practical" for the average PSG player?

IMHO, no. I'll stand by what I said. [This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 21 July 2002 at 11:04 AM.]

Earl Erb · Post by **Earl Erb** » 18 Jul 2002 7:40 am

Bobby,your correct, the Standel Buddy borrowed from Mike Cass is a 66 Super Custom with a JBL D130 15" rated at 70 watts. The amp Buddy has ordered is the 25L15 Vintage Plus tube model rated at 100 watts... and yes he was playing through the N1000 and the Standel at the same time. Great tone.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 18 Jul 2002 8:20 am

Moved to 'Electronics'

Billy Poteet · Post by **Billy Poteet** » 18 Jul 2002 10:28 am

It wouldn't matter to me if they were 500 watts at 3400 to start there are too many other suitable amps for a lot less.

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Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 18 Jul 2002 10:46 am

Sorry Earl. I reread my post.I didn't mean to treat you like a dummy.After all you where there playing beside Buddy.It just caught me off guard.There was so much said about the Standel that I assumed he only used the one amp. -----bb

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 18 Jul 2002 11:29 am

We may be outdoors on a flatbed trailer, with nothing but a mike for the vocals. In a case like that, you'd feel pretty down when the other players with the "under $1,000" Fenders and Peaveys blew your $3,500+ botique amp off the stage.The best tone in the world is useless if no one can hear you.

Can't argue with that. I was outdoors, years ago, had my Evans 'cranked', the guitar and bass were so loud, I couldn't hear myself. The audience probably thought I was a mime.

It wouldn't matter to me if they were 500 watts at 3400 to start there are too many other suitable amps for a lot less.

I've got 20+ amps around here and each one does something/sounds different from the others. I think high wattage amps and speakers that are meant to withstand a lot of abuse don't sound as good as low wattage amps and speakers and in fact that's not what they were designed to do in the first place. As long as they sound good, they've done their 'job'.

The last time I checked, Dumble amps were going for $14,000.

Joe Smith · Post by **Joe Smith** » 18 Jul 2002 12:06 pm

Well, I have two Nashville 1000s and I was using them on all my gigs untill I found this old Fender Twin Reverb. Now I'm using the Fender Twin Reverb and I'm thinking about using my old Standel 80 L 15 along with the Twin for stereo. I love the sound of a tube amp. When we are playing gigs where I need more power I'll just stick a mike in front and run it through the PA system. Those tube amps sure sound sweet.

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Playing PSG keeps you on your toes.

[This message was edited by Joe Smith on 18 July 2002 at 01:35 PM.]

Earl Erb · Post by **Earl Erb** » 18 Jul 2002 2:43 pm

Bobby, no harm done.

I did over hear someone at the Jam say,"Who's that dummy up there playing guitar with Buddy and Hal?"

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 18 Jul 2002 4:36 pm

Joe- I too, have always liked the sound of the old tube amps, better than transisters.

I had a Fender Twin Reverb, Fender showman both with JBL's and that was a great sound in those days. ...al

ebb · Post by **ebb** » 18 Jul 2002 5:08 pm

my walter woods, that tom morrell also uses dry, has those complex overtones usually associated with tubes and is only 7.5 lb

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 20 Jul 2002 8:23 am

Well, even though I'm further hijacking the Standel thread I gotta speak up for my Boogies, the original boutique amp. You wouldn't believe how great the Fessenden (with the True Tone pickup) sounds through this 100 watt EVM15L combo.

Larger pic

[This message was edited by Michael Holland on 20 July 2002 at 09:29 AM.]

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 20 Jul 2002 9:57 am

Alright, Chas !! Ya got me agin' !! Clarify
DUMBLE Amps... please !!!

Regards, Paul

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 20 Jul 2002 10:11 am

Now there you go, Michael!! From experience, if I were going botique, that's how I'd do it.
Of course, if I could afford it, I'd have the new Standel, & a Howard Dumble, & a Matchless, & a Dr. Z, & an Evans, & a Webb, etc.

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 20 Jul 2002 12:29 pm

Paul, these are in the boutique amp catagory that I think Donny was referring to earlier, Dumble, Trainwreck, HoundDog, Mystic Blues... They are "super tone overdrive" amps. Guys like Robben Ford and Eric Johnson use them. If you gotta have that sound, that's where you get it. I've seen Dumbles, but I never played through them. I could have bought one when they were $5000 and I thought that was crazy, now they're around $14k, course I didn't buy Enron either.[This message was edited by chas smith on 20 July 2002 at 01:32 PM.]

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 20 Jul 2002 12:56 pm

Alexander Dumble has been a custom amplifier maker since the 60's. His reputation is "God-Like" among many top Rock and Blues guitarists.

If you don't want to sell the trailer to buy one

, you can rent one here: http://www.ultrasoundrehearsal.com/rental.htm

If you're in NYC, you can rent their Dumbel Amp equipped rehersal studio (~$35/hr).

FWIW, I have trouble believing any amp is worth more that a new PSG.
[This message was edited by Joey Ace on 20 July 2002 at 02:07 PM.]

Greg Derksen · Post by **Greg Derksen** » 26 Jul 2002 12:27 pm

I have played a Dumble, Overdrive Special,
and while it may not be worth 14 G's, it is
special, It wouldn't be that great for pedal
steel in my opinion, its obviously the amp
for some who could get any amp they wanted.
I think this Standel is an awesome amp, my
Dad had a chance to play one , and he loved it, this coming from a original tweed owner.
Another amp that I think would be grand
would be the Tophat Ambassador, if I guy bought the head and matched it with a great
cab for steel, wonderfully made, Greg