And yes, Mick from Unforgettable Fire is AMAZING. And he's got TONS of gear! But I've seen clips of him playing NYD piano part on an iPAD! And U2 tunes on a Ukelele - with effects - and sound Edge-worthy. Amazing.
Blues Jr. is a fine amp indeed. Rachel and I bought one for her hubby (Chas) for his birthday. Chas being the guitar player in Joshua Tree [Los Angeles based u2 tribute].
I work as his tech. We bought the rarer Limited Edition Emerald Blues Jr. Use? We are using it primarly as Edge used his Blues Jr., for shimmer... and it sounds amazing.
This idea that a tube amp is sooooooooo expensive is bullshit. Blues Jr. is affordable. You might have to save and wait 'a bit' but if one is working, one can get a Blues Jr. in a short period of time. They are in the $500-$600 range depending on the exact Blues Jr. (There are a few minor variations).
Same can be said for the Vox AC15CC. $500-600 range. Then one could have a decent amp. Save a bit more and add Celestion Blues later.
All of that seems to be better than buying an amp that is cheaper and one can afford NOW... that ultimiately you will not love and will want to get rid of. Buyers remorse is not a fun nor cheap thing.
Patience is not only a virtue but can assure you get the best bang for your money and better tone.
T'is my two cents on the matter
Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]
Haha, go for it. Big amps are best (get it?) when it's the right amp. I'd never get rid of my AC30Not in a million years. It's basically my dream amp, and I have it! Saved up for a long time for it. Although it's a bit unnecessary, meaning that I don't play to huge audiences and normally I don't play it louder than a quarter way up (the master volume knob that is) but the tone is freakin' great nonetheless. Never heard anything better.
My suggestion, look into tube amps. My blues JR is small, light. but it's loud as hell and has a wicked tone. Mick has a bunch of clips with that amp as well if you want to check it out.
For example: [YouTube Video]
These amps work in other situations other than U2 as wellMy band plays mostly classic rock kind of stuff, and it sounds phenom. for that. It breaks up really nicely (well yeah, it's a tube amp!) and the natural overdrive on it when turned up is great. They're discontinued (I believe...) but you can find em' on ebay for around 300-400 bucks.
Tube amps are more expensive so it all depends on your budget. Solid State amps are GREAT as well! The lunchbox is solid state and has a wicked tone (apparently, I'll post clips when I get it). My suggestion, bring your gear to a music store and try it on different amps.
Alex