Can’t argue with the amps you featured, but maybe with the opening comment that speakers, components and valves are better made than in the past. The only way that some makers can provide an all-valve amp without the boutique price is to take their British/US design and have it made in China. You only have to look at the mod kits and threads available to see there’s room for improvement. I used to buy old stuff (not the Holy Grails, I don’t have that sort of money) that just needed a spit and polish. I don’t mind a PCB, if it’s well designed, but hate to see some cheap pot built right onto it.

I’m afraid I’ve never even tried the ’59RI as I am not talented enough to play more than 5 strings. I have had access to a silverface Bassman head and I would very much like one, if the price were sensible, for bass. I know people with ops I respect and, even though they’re a bit “nothing beats my original, pre-Cambrian era, vintage blah blah”, the ’59RI is considered a good try. It’s a great circuit that might be a bit too clean for some players. As you’d expect; the well-known story being that Jim Marshall copied it but substituted the 6L6s for easier-to-get EL34s and inadvertently introduced the more raggedy crunch so beloved.

I have clones of the 5F1 Champ and 5E3 Deluxe amps and like them both but, if only allowed one amp, would go the British route. The best value option is still a 70s WEM Dominator and refusing to bid over £150.

Thanks – I thought that might be the case because I couldn’t find it anywhere either.

Been doing a lot of research on blues amps – will have a buyer’s guide out soon in the main news area of this site – https://www.guitarsite.com/news/

BTW – what do you think of the Fender ’59 Bassman reissue ( http://www.fender.com/en-US/products/search.php/?partno=2171000010 ) as a blues amp for lead guitar? I’ve heard people saying good things about it, but I’ve never played through one either with bass or a real guitar 🙂

PS – if you recall from my distant posts – I have admitted to being a bass player for several years in a band

PPS – I got over it, mainly play nylon 6 strings these days :nana:

Any shop links I dug up turned 404. Like the valve jr, it has an interesting spec but needed tweaking to get right (according to the fora). Profit margins might have required volume sales, which this one never got.

A read around suggests it was discontinued about 2009.

Does anyone know if you can still buy the Blues Custom 30 new, or are they only available second hand?