Samamp VAC 23 Guitar Amp Demo

[yojohnny5]

Honestly dude, this amp really sounds great... but personally I think your tone is better through the Blues Jr with Bill M mods... chimier and more "present". I stumbled on this vid looking for info on the Samamp.. I already have an (killer Winfield Thomas) EL84 based amp... but now I'm thinking about picking up a Blues Jr with Bill M's mods (especially that presence mod... WOW)

[yojohnny5]

@ Myself

I should expand on this comment a bit more.  This amp does sound really good with that strat, and quite honestly it's tough to base liking one amp over the other on a youtube vid. Anyway props on your tone all around. I really want to try one of these SamAmps but haven't been able to find a local place that carries them yet.

[SonicProvocateur]

Sam makes these wonderful amps right here in Birmingham. Such a great guy!

[gr8bluesgtr]

*UPDATE* I replaced the Jensen Alnico speaker with a Weber NeoMag 15, paper dome, doped cone. Much more pleasant midrange than the Jensen, cleaner low end and brilliant high end.

[TheBluesguitarman]

@gr8bluesgtr SRV is the best! y stop playing the best?!

BTW samamps are amazing! sam (the amp creator) lives not to far from me. i go to his personal shop that he repairs amps at hiself (highland music) here in birmingham

[UKToneKing]

I have the HRDx3 and its to loud for bedroom use, so thinking about getting PR or DR, although the DR is still loud, not as loud as the HRDx, that thing is to loud, great sounding amp though, and I think for the money its the best tube amp U can get in that price range, pr or dr silverface for me I think

[blackmorejimi]

hi! I need some help here. Im looking for my first tube amp. Im a strat man and would love to get Hendrix's with that smooth and bassy sound. Do you think I can get that using an amp loaded with 6v6 valves?? Im between the Egnater Tweaker and the Vox Night train

Nice videos!

[placeback]

I have this same amp - awesome. I spent at least 3 hrs in the store playing with all of the functionality of this amp, different guitars and compared the samamp 12", blues jr III, princeton, reverb deluxe. One of the things this video didn't have time to focus on is the clean head room. You can use the crank the master and ease the volume while using the vac settings. You can really get some warm, clean low volume bedroom settings not just by using the 3w. 

[twirlyboggs]

is that your single coils hissin or is that the amp?

[twirlyboggs]

how much does this bad boy weigh?

[chancewaak]

I don't know, I think the VIBROVERB sounds better.

[aaronready1]

if you play one...you WILL want one

[pegasomarcelo]

SEE MY AMP:

youtube.com/watch?v=YHfoON7ukS­­c

[henrychinaski26]

Of course it's loud enough.

[bunkerbuster09]

So loud enough to gig with?

[brainey8]

I've got the VAC45 and I love it... I'd like to have one of these too! excuse me I think I have GAS. Great playin' man, and this amp really helps it shine. I like my VAC45 at the 15 watt setting Best, but it is nice with a loud drummer to be able to have the 30 or 45 watt settings available. Once again great playing! B-)

[SonicProvocateur]

Glad to see people playing Sam's amps! I live here in Birmingham and go in Highlands all the time. Great amps and great bunch of guys!

[BluesyPea]

gr8bluesgtr,

great demo! How well does the Samamp do with fx pedals in front? Was thinking about using something like a Line 6 M9 in front for delay etc.

[gr8bluesgtr]

@BluesyPea This amp responds very well to pedals. On the lower power settings it's a little spongier than on the higher power settings. I cannot say for sure how good a modeling pedal will sound with it though.

[stratman45us]

awsome amp.

[telest]

Nice demo! Just read a review of this amp in VG magazine.

[jessedaman]

this might just have to be my next amp, except with maybe a ceramic speaker

[LazyRockers]

oh my, this sounds deadly!

[tatsandteles]

You have demonstrated exactly what most people do not realize-power amp drive is where the real tone is. That and that there is no substitute for touch/technique.  Extremely well done, great strat tones. I am looking into one of these, thanks to you. Happy New Year!!

[Eaglewings7465]

it sounds almost just like stecie ray's tone!

[dooseisleet]

( happy blues jr nos owner here )

i'ma say this boutique samamp with its 2 pull tone adjusters sounds terrific. really sweet tone.

[galacticox4]

i said it 5 minutes ago but i'll say it again cause you did it again. i learned something new. It's good to hear explanations about how the wattages are changing the sound.

[11FotoFlame11]

that is an absolutely outstanding tone sir. once i've picked my jaw up off the floor i'm sure i'll have some questions...

[rarebikes88]

that thing sounds great wish it wasnt so expensive also what pick ups are in the guitar?

[romeorosetv]

did you sell your blues jr & vibroverb now that you have this?

which guitar do you like best for texas blues, stauffer legend, rocketfire, grosh, your yellow fender, or the kws one?

[gr8bluesgtr]

No, I have both. The Blues Junior gets used when the baby is asleep, the Samamp gets used when I'm shooting lessons, and the Verb gets used never because it's too freakin loud. It's like the corvette in the garage that you keep a cover on and never drive. Maybe when I gig again :-)

[romeorosetv]

I read one of your comments where you say the vibroverb is the real deal, but at much louder volumes, but the samamp gets you there at lower volumes, but you said it's lacking in the midrange compared to the vibroverb.

so if all it's missing is midrange, then can't you add midrange with your boss eq pedals or nobels odr-s?

have you tried it?

[gr8bluesgtr]

Sure thing. I think it's a common thing for people to use an EQ at all times, just to smooth out any frequency balance issues with their rig. There's also a mid boost on this amp. I think part of the midrange thing might be that the speaker is a really vintage sounding speaker, and they weren't very midrangey.

[romeorosetv]

please post more videos of this amp playing songs like you played on the blues jr demo! thanks!!! sounds good, but i wanna hear more srv texas blues coming from this amp, show us more of what it can do, thanks!

[romeorosetv]

have you tried using the samamp and the blues jr together at the same time? srv used multiple amps all at the same time, usually a super reverb and a vibroverb.

[gr8bluesgtr]

I have not.

[romeorosetv]

does this amp make any weird buzzing sounds? read somewhere some people experienced it, i'm not talking about 60 cycle hum from strats single coils but some kind of other buzzing. is it finger jointed pine & hand wired point to point?

[gr8bluesgtr]

Don't know about the cabinet, and the only buzz I've heard is the awful single buzz that single coil guitars are cursed with.

[romeorosetv]

do you need pedals with this amp to get all the tones you got from your blues Jr? How does the Nobels ODR-s and Boss Eq pedals you use sound with this amp? Does this amp make the Blues Jr obsolete now? How does this amps tone compare to the Vibroverb Custom you have, can it get all the tones of the Vibroverb?

[gr8bluesgtr]

The Nobels and Boss pedals sound good through this amp. Surprisingly enough, I actually like the sound of a TS-808 pedal through this amp, and I don't like it through the Blues Junior. The Blues Junior is not obsolete. It is simply a smaller, less expensive amp with great tone :-) The Samamp is a bigger, better amp, with a bigger price tag. Both have their respective places.

[brandoyo08]

Holy Crap!

[zwxx1]

Terrific review and amp !

[turbostangtodd]

Is this a class "A" amp? What tubes does it utilize? I wonder if it is similar to having a Deluxe Reverb (class a) with a 15" speaker when at the 23 watt setting.

I had Weber build me a 15" speaker with a 2 ohm voice coil so I could swap it into my early 1970's Super Reverb to get that Vibroverb feel going, but this will be running 45 watts which is going to be a bad thing for the neighbors.

Thanks for your videos! I have learned a lot from them in the short time I have been using them.

[gr8bluesgtr]

I'm not sure of all those specs, but it's all on the Samamp (dot) com homepage.

[turbostangtodd]

I did check their page, and that amp you got, when it is set at 23 watts, looks to be pretty similar to the Deluxe Reverb as far as the basics go. There is a lot more to it than that, but that makes me want to grab a 15" speaker and wire it to my Deluxe. I like the sound of yours, but definitely something to save up for. I'm sure you will keep us updated on how it does over time too. Good review man! Thanks for showing something many of us probably would not have known about.

[RustyShackleblart]

Have you tried the Peavey Delta Blues 115? If so, how does it compare to this?  Thanks.

[gr8bluesgtr]

I have tried it, and while I like the clean tones, the overdrive channel did not suit my tastes.

[dizzykrissi]

I also play a blues junior but this thing sounds amazing. Unfortunately I cannot find any informations about Samamp here in germany - what a pitty.

Nice review

[petertexas]

Thanks for the demo, so you can use this amp for bedroom levels and still get a nice overdriven srv tone? Looks like this is something for me.

[gr8bluesgtr]

I wouldn't say bedroom levels. It's quiet enough that you can sit beside it at 3 watts and still feel comfortable, but the rest of the house will definitely hear you.

The blues junior is able to get more overdriven tone at lower volumes. The VAC 23, even with the preamp volume all the way up, and the master low, will not have as much overdriven tone as the blues junior. However, above a certain threshold, the VAC sounds much better.

[leftystrat62]

Too bad we couldn't have see you play at the same time because ironacally this was some of THE best I've ever heard you play. Great job, cheers

[bryandunnblues]

Nice amp AY- that thing would soud like a bat out of He.. with a TS -9 or any OD in front of it

[RockoShaw]

your videos are pretty good, keep it up dude

[tbdalva]

or silverface deluxe reverb?

[SShuler24]

Did you order this online, or did you find it in a store like Guitar Center? I must own this amp, the tone is PERFECT.

[SShuler24]

Oh and as a note, I checked out the site and know you can order one there, I was just wondering if they are sold in any stores so I could play test it before purchase. Thanks.

[JerkyTreat]

Boutique Guitar Exchange in Atlanta, GA carries Samaps. Not sure where you live Shuler, but I believe the guy that builds them drives them up from Birmingham.

[gr8bluesgtr]

I saw it at the Nashville Amp Expo in August. I believe they do have some stores that they sell in, but are a fairly small company.

[Robbiedbee]

Hmm, I wonder how easy it would be to get one of those in the UK. I'd kill for one of those.

[jjulch]

This is an awesome amp. I'd take this amp over any Fender amp... Love the tweed covering.... Thanks for the review... How about a lesson on that shadow song you opened this review with?

[Andypandy525]

It actually uses light bulbs to switch between the wattage. Lovely tone!

[mofemobile]

is it me or does it look a bit like a blues junior..?

[graham65]

Very nice... Which speaker did you go with?

[gr8bluesgtr]

Jensen P15N Alnico

[lukikrestuki69]

INCREDIBLE TONE MAN !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Strat0Blues]

LEGEND! Great amp to review.

[plasticaholic]

WOW !

[dbikeguy]

thank you so much! ive been waiting! hahha

[garydupuis]

That's an amazing amp! How much did that run you?

[gr8bluesgtr]

With a Jensen P15N Alnico speaker it is sold for $1400.

[spontaneouspraise]

Sweet new amp man. I bet you sat down and messed with it for hous like a kid a christmas.

[gr8bluesgtr]

:-)

[snoopjmcd]

How loud is the amp at 3 W (say with master up, volume at 12 oclock, and pulls not engaged)?

[gr8bluesgtr]

Almost loud enough to be uncomfortable, but not quite.

[beefyoriginal]

Awesome amp! Thanks for the demo. Now I want one...

[libertyfalls]

Jesus this amp sounds good!!!!

[sinned8888]

yes, very nice amp!! that v.a.c. knob is a good thing. but i think you have the sound in your fingers anyways : )) great playing and thanks for all the useful stuff! one of the best guitar geek channel on youtube right here.

[popomczowzow]

Wonderful amp. Is there anywhere that you can try one out?

[ughthisisgay123]

Anthony, since i know you like SRV i think you will be surprised by listening to CHRIS DUARTE.........

please do yourself a favor and look....him up.....!!!!!

[popomczowzow]

Chris Duarte is fantastic, but he sounds a LOT like SRV. He's not very original, but he's one hell of a player. Not that fantastic of a musician, he's more of just a sick guitarist.

[gr8bluesgtr]

I've been Listening to Texas Sugar Strat Magic for over 10 years. Love it.

[ughthisisgay123]

haha i should have guessed :D

I actually went to his show last night in Atlanta it was a 21 and over club so i emailed him to ask him if there is anything he could do to help me get in as i am 16 and he said he'll walk me in during sound check and if someone says something i'll be his second cousin for the night haha frankly he didn't have to as my

[ughthisisgay123]

parents decided to drag along but my point is chris is a really nice guy and truly great player i have most of the concert recorded and will share it soon take care

[Stratomacaster]

Hey Anthony, great demo. That run you did between 4:15 and 4:25 was KILLER. I'd love to learn that one for a finisher. Care to put out a video on that one?

[guns1rose]

hey man great quality video?

I hope you dont mind me asking what format of HD your video is in before you upload it....

Thanks,

Tyler

[weirdotis]

Very cool amp! Sounds versatile too.

[chesshirecat2]

Nice. Very nice. By the way, I was curious. What ever happened to the king of blues contest? I'd be surprised if you still aren't in the running.

[gr8bluesgtr]

I posted a video two weeks ago documenting my failure :-)

[Testacabeza]

Check the previous videos he posted exactly on that.

[Matt83texas]

It sounds wonderful. you're lucky to have this. and also a blues junior:) But you use them for good:)

[richekalen]

Sounds great