vintage guitar amps vs my ignorance of em

..

Whats the PA?

Trust me it probably doesn't matter.

Have a real guitarist take you in hand and lead you through the shops. You seem to know just enough to really waste yer dough.

Whatever you do make sure you get a real guitarist, I once played with a ghost one, damn guitar kept on slipping through his etheral hands.

A 'real' guitarist? Hmmm .. I think I take exception to that.

Obviously, the reason I posted the question was to become better informed. Your answer hasn't helped me there. And as I said, money isn't much of an issue. I'm not looking for a cheap guitar amp. I'm going to hire a sweet one. And I'm not thick. I don't get ripped off.

In answer to the earlier question about PA .. it must be in among this lot I suppose:

4 x Martin W2`s Mid-highs
2 x Martin WS2`s Subs
6 x LE 400 Monitors
2 x XTA 226 control networks
7 x Crown 2400
1 x Crown 3600
1 x 24 Ch Soundcraft desk
4 x Compressors
4 x Gates
1 x SPX 990
1 x MPX 100

You might try your question at the Harmony Central message boards:
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=db7d0a23af1fcebe1803b9891f112e70&forumid=28

Also, there are reviews, including vintage equipment:
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data/00index.html

A good amp is the Peavey Delta Blues. I know what you're thinking, Peavey, right? Well I was skeptical as hell at first too. But I played through the thing and was amazed. What bite. What crunch. What high-end. It's everything you want.

It comes in either single 15" (like a bass amp, and apparently how the old Mississippi guys used to like 'em) or 2x10". Go for the single 15", it's got a low end that the others don't. Especially nice if you're playing a single coil guitar.

A friend of mine actually just bought one of those Peavey amps used for 300 bucks over the weekend and I too was very surprised at how good it sounds.

These are all incredible amps...I'm partial to the Fenders:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=031111100838209078197004852882/g=guitar/search/detail/base_id/54225

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=031111100838209078197004852882/g=guitar/search/detail/base_id/34508

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=031111100838209078197004852882/g=guitar/search/detail/base_id/34511

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=031111100838209078197004852882/g=guitar/search/detail/base_id/37180

If you're renting and $$ is no object, get a Matchless. It has that VOX chome but opens up nicely for a huge rock thing and cleans up great when you turn the volume down on your gtr.
IF that's TOO $$$ - for new, I'd say a Fender Vibrolux re-issue. Breaks up great on 4 and above(I doubt you could turn up much louder than that anwyay with out the sound man telling you to turn down).

Hell even a Fender Blues Deville would rock. Stay away from anything TOO loud as far as wattage goes unless it has a master volume. You won't be able to crank say a Twin reverb.

Add a decent distortion or overdrive in front to boost for solos or to get more crunch and you;re in good shape.

Indeed...Matchless amps sound amazing.

A Blues DeVille is a smart move, that's one of my amps. In fact here is my set -up, a 70's 50 watt Marshall combo with a master vol. I put the preamp vol. on 6 with the master at 4-5, and I use a splitter of some kind (currently a Korg effects bank) to go to a Deville on the clean channel at about vol. 5. So my chain is Guitar to splitter to amps. 2 thing to watch out for; 1. put more bass in your sound than you think you need. Don't actually get rid of all your high end but crank the bass . Thats Very Important, walk out into the room at sound check and LISTEN. I your guitar doesn't sound chunky to you then it won't to others. 2. Don't use a lot of distortion. Yes it's scary to really hear yourself but if you want to sound like Keith then you have to trust yourself and not a Big Muff. And don't be afraid to be loud. If the sound guy complains then remember that he just wants to be onstage instead of you. If the the sound guy threatens to quit then maybe turn down, buy him a shot, then turn back up.

If you weren't thick, you'd be out trying amps instead of asking a bunch of Interweb mentalists what the good ones are.

If you want to sound like Keith (and Mick Taylor, too), just get what he was using in the late 60's and early 70's: either an Ampeg V-4 or V-2. They are pretty easy to find on eBay, and for about $300 to $400, too.

Ampeg V-4's are the shit. I got mine for $150. Loud as fuck, clean at high volumes. I don't really think it sounds like the Stones, but they certainly did use em. Don't get the old V-4 cabs though. They aren't as great. I would recommend something by Hiwatt or the Peavey 5150 cab.