If I Could Only Have One Amp... 

What amp suits YOU best? I've been wanting to make this video for a while - but I had to come to the decision naturally... and after a while playing mainly one amp, I know for sure what amp suits me best! (Still love all the amps though, of course...)

It’s great seeing someone get to the end of their Amp-quest. I’m 61 and have been at this a long time. Just bought the Mesa Boogie Fillmore, in part because of having watched your review. Thanks so much for letting us hear all these cool amps. Subscribed!

My man! Been watching and enjoying since the beginning. A couple things, your videos are freaking Superior! Such great depth and you’re such a great, likable dude! Blessings and love to you, brother James🙌🙏💙👏 Super proud of you and really enjoying all your playing and tones🤝💪✔️

Rad gear collection you got there man! Thanks for charing your thoughts and ideas on your journey of tone. Cheers, Cliff

So grateful for your giveaways and videos! Thank you!

The rift sounds awesome! Love the two rock and vibroverb too... not sure I could choose!

A wonderful collection of amps there, James. Tough choice to pick just one, but the Rift is very special. Chris Fantana and Aynsley both say it takes pedals well (even if they're not completely necessary). It'd be interesting to hear a couple through it in next week's demo. Very tasty playing, especially in the final section of the video. Keep up the great work. :-)

That’s an enviable collection of amps. They all sounded beautiful to me!

Beautiful collection of amps.... They all sounded magic :)

Glad you found the one! Many choices indeed these days plus the vintage route for sure. I recently went all in on a Suhr Bella and could not be happier, plus using the Reactive load to get all the dirt from higher settings without killing my ears or neighbors, haha Cheers!

Great reviews. Thanks for sharing!!

Man what a great amp collection! It looks like you have everything you need to stay inspired killer Les Paul by the way for me I have a Tone King Imperial and a Dirty Shirley and a vintage tweed Deluxe and a few pedals and that covers 90% of the session work I do.

Awesome work man. I can see why when amps cost as much as the Bloomfield, that one could almost feel 'bad' that it isn't the top pick. But in saying that, the rift sounds mega! Bloomfield and Rift stereo rig would be amazing as well

I really appreciate the perspective. Great content. Thanks.

Great playing and as always stellar tones! To me, the Vibroverb has always been my dream amp. Not because of SRV. I can't really play that stuff either. But I've always loved the Jeff Buckley sound and as far as I know that's the amp he played. And hearing you get tones out of it, it just reminds me how much that sound inspires me to write and get lost in. Came across your channel through your playing of the Magma57 and been subscribed since :) and bought that pedal too! Keep on playing and doing great work.

All beautiful tones. I’m trying to decide on a new amp and this video added more options to complicate the decision. :)

Oh man! your studio room is something near the gear paradise!. Couldn´t decide what piece of gear I like the most.

The Aynsley Lister sounds great. I saw him playing it live at the guitar show in Birmingham a couple of years ago. Loving this channel.

All the amps sounded great! I thought for sure the Sky king, then the MVP. But the Boomfield! but from what I hear it sounds like a heavenly tone! that Riff!!! always enjoy all your vids so thanks a lot!

Great video! Love that Bloomfield Drive, been trying to decide between it and the Two-Rock SSS, this really is selling me on the Bloomfield though!

Just found your channel and digging the content. Thanks!

That Bloomfield is dreamy! I guess at this point I'd say my one keeper amp is my Friedman BE-50 deluxe. Aside from the BE and HBE channels being amazing, the Betty Buxom clean channel is so nice. Doesn't even need reverb it's so pretty.

you down play your playing! i think you have great feel! btw i thought the vibro verb was killer cant beat the old gear i hear this under water metallic thing i love it and your playing! keep rockin ill be wachin!

Great video James, and some nice playing. As you probably expect It's the Morgan for me, but the Rift & the Bloomfield sound great too and come in second and third. I had a realisation myself recently. Although I love Gibsons, the sound & look. I struggled ergonomically with my Les Paul, and as it's so pretty I was too precious with it compared to my G&L's, so I sold it and bought another Asat with a different pick up combination. G&L's just seem to be my thing, got three now.

Nice video, man, awesome. I'm thinking of buying a Morgan MVP66, the 23 just doesn't seem to have enough headroom

I really like the Marshall JTM45 - sounds badass. I tried the Sky King, and that thing was dark and muffled. Ended up getting a Fender 64 hand-wired reissue. Looking eventually to get a Morgan - those amps are terrific.

killer tone man! For me, it's definitely Magnatone that is my forever go-to amp brand.

Thanks James, it’s great to get your perspective on these! Such a great selection👏🏻 I would be curious to know if you ever had a chance to try a Hamstead amp? Would be curious to know what you think. 🙂 🙌🏻

Oh man certainly glad to find this ! Building one right now.Should be done next week.What output tubes are you favoring? I’m thinking KT66’s. What speaker? Thanks for making this video.

I’ve been through many many amps, Fender, Marshall Bluesbreaker, Vox Orange etc etc etc. I’ve settled on three Morgan Ac20 deluxe, Morgan MVP and Friedman Dirty Shirley, those thee are my keepers.

Rift sounds amazing, would be good to hear with the Bloomfield Drive as I suspect they would compliment each other well. Is it a good pedal platform too? Im considering the Cornell Romany for simlar(ish) sounds and a little less dosh? Any knowledge on here for those?

They all sounded good to me. I liked the rift amp with the reverb best and the tone king with the gold top guitar. Thanks for doing the demos, 2hrs from a music shop so never get to try gear. Just have to listen to RU-vid. It would be good to hear the king tone pedals through a few different amps, hear the sound differences.

The rift sounds killer! I would love to live in your guitar room!

Love the sound of that amp. Fantastic.

Excellent stuff, I really like your approach James. I've never tried a Rift amp, but the best amp I've ever played through/owned (and of course, this is always going to be subjective) is the Divided by 13 FTR 37. The second best is the Tone King Continental.

Can you please test drive Bartel amp? Smallwood and Roseland preface. Let’s know how it stacks up against the others I would appreciate that thank you!

Rift Application! That’s a new one for me. Might check out.

Hey James! great video as usual. I keep forgetting, what is the name of the finish on your r9? It is beautiful and always photographs well

I'd be happy just with that Dr Z maz18 nr(not that the other amps don't sound incredible) I love those things I can't wait to get one one day

I'm about to make what I believe is the most important amp purchase of my next few years. I love watching other peoples journey. Great playing as well, which ain't a bad extra.

Hey so I have a question, I'm confused between two amps mark v 25 and filmore 25 head, i play slow Blues to hard rock kind of music and anything in between so whuch one will suit me best?

You, The Rift and that Les Paul are home for you. Be at wonderful peace with that and let everything else flow onto somewhere else that should. I've been wanting a Horsebreaker for a while now so it would be most welcome here and well loved.

Fantastic tone, man.

Hey James, this was awesome… I find myself in the predicament of not being able to try b4 I buy and your top two with the addition DrZ Mas are my top three which I have to pick one and buy it… this really helped

Well done mate.

I’ve stumbled across you in the past week or so, and I have to say that I really love your videos. I’m really gassing for either the Morgan MVP23 or the Matchless HC30 Reverb at the moment. I can’t quite warrant the cost of a Two Rock with the 2x12 cab personally at this point in time…

Nice collection!

Have you tried the Morgan MVP66 ?

It’s guys like you and shows like this that I rely on. I can’t find these amps and have to watch/listen to clips to make up my mind. I’ve been intrigued by Grammatico. Also the Bloomfield Drive, though I don’t think I can justify the price and I think I want it for status…a shallow mistake, I know. I’ve been highly leaning towards this A. L. Rift amp…or a Magnatone Stereo Twilighter. Have you had any experience with the Magnatone?

Nice Playing ! What pickups do you have in the strat playing the fender Vibroverb ?

James man, what was the singlecut w P90s? sounded majestic through the sky

Hard to go wrong with any of those, but the Rift probably sits in a mix really nicely!

I just startet my amp journey with a Vox AC15, love it so far

The Rift sounds killer with that Les Paul. Have you played the two rock traditional clean? If so how’s it compare to the others.

Great video!

I'm trying to decide between mesa boogie California tweed, Morgan mvp23, magnatone varsity reverb, and Dr Z cure 112 as a home amp that will take my pedals. Magnatone has best clean tones.. love the California tweed intuitive-ness.

Have you tried the Mesa Cali Tweed? I’ve owned for about 4 months now and from day 1 purchase it has just filled that void for me. After all these years it’s very nice to feel satisfied after each and every session and I couldn’t recommend it enough. Really like your videos, Enjoy mate 👍

What a collection!

You're in love! You've found your Desert Island Amp, kick back in a hammock and have another sip of pina colada! Good luck with the subs, I've got my eye on that pedal ;)

great videos

Tempted by the Aynsley Lister but I'm feeling like it'd be overkill for playing at home. I'm looking at the Matchless C15 and the Morgan AC20 currently. Also, that wait time on the Rift amp is pretty daunting!

Your videos are awesome, James! I appreciate your insights and I sure would love to win the Horsebreaker

Your choice sounds great.

Sounds wonderful, James! Have you tried Carr amps? I'd love for you to get your hands on a Carr Mercury V or Skylark or even the Sportsman. They are smaller wattage but mighty and loud amps. I've had 2 x Two Rock Classic Reverb Sigs, I've got a TC on the way, but there's just something so wonderful about Carr amps. My favourite amps. Worth trying!

James if you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living? Because you have a dream list of gear and it took me years to be able to purchase my R9.....

That Bloomfield drive. Why do I have a feeling one day that's where you'll land?

Love that gold LP

Very enjoyable video.

What is that gold top at the beginning? That’s even sweeter than the amps!

Seems like a sweet amp!

Great video

I think you need to try a Bartel! Great video!

Hi James. You’re often self deprecating when talking about your guitar playing talents….. I just want to say that you’re better than you think you are. Your dynamics are spot on. Your ability to play the strings incredibly gently, with nuance is very professional. And then you bite us with your stinging attack. Very professional and thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. 👍

Brilliant…Just Brilliant.

I love the Bloomfield drive!

Only having one amp would be pretty lame. :) But I get the message... sick collection man.

That was a shocker for amp. I thought it was going to be the Two Rock Classic Reverb for sure.

Great story telling video..

Cool vid…. But given your style I’m really surprised you don’t have a Matchless HC30. I think that’s one that would be a serious contender for your perfect amp. I’ve got a Two-Rock CRS which is amazing (does it all hands down), and a Hamstead Artist 20 which is lovely. But the HC30 is something else entirely.

I currently have a 100w CRS and waiting on my 100w Bloomfield order. Both will sit on top of a TwoRock 2x12 running through a MesaBoogie HeadTrack switcher and Fryette PS100. I am expecting this will be my (kinda) one stack to rule them all 😊 BTW I have been a BIG fan of ToneKing Ironman ii attenuators for some years. Last month I finally tried a Fryette PS2…. OMG! Hands down the most transparent of attenuators. I expect I will sell my Ironman units. Despite the one amp space saving ideal, I adore a wall of sound and at a relatively low volume of 85-90db you can get beautifully immersed in well contrasted amps. So I love mixing in Friedman BE-50 with Plexi channel mod, Matchless HC30, BadCat HotCat, ToneKing Imperial ii and SkyKing (which sounds particularly nice with an extension cabinet). Running several amps with more of a tweed sound dialled gives me a very rich sounding dirt. Whereas I usually prefer clean and edge of break up times on individual amps. Simply running multiple tweed style really sweetens up the tone. I say you should try mixing and matching your amps spaced out around your studio for fun to see what tones you can get lost in. Totally impractical for live use but it can be a dream like personal indulgence to get lost in at home. To make it easier I just use wireless transmitters like the Xvive to run many amps at the same time at home. Sooo much fun 🙂

To me is impossible to choose... All are great... Each for its own thing...each for its own guitar... each for its own song!

Nice conclusion but a hard choice you had to make there James, erm but does that mean you might be selling the morgan? you should do the same about your guitars although the 59 looks like it's the winner, but it would still be nice to see and hear your thoughts on your guitars.😀

The Sky King sure sounded sweet.

yes, want the horse breaker!

What percentage of someone’s overall guitar budget should be allocated for an amp?

I’ve said I’ve found “the one” before and I’m now on my third wife lol. Seriously though, I think my number one amp is the Mesa Boogie Mark Vii. I’ve played it a the Music Store a few times and I’m completely in love with it. I’ve already ordered mine and I can’t wait till it’s here for me to confirm how I feel about it.

Nice tones!!! that rift is a thing, wow. Hey, new subscriber here for the giveway :)

Cool show ... 😎 That pedal would look good on my floor 😁 Tfrm 🇮🇪 😎

if you dont mind me asking, how do you afford all this gear???

That Vibroverb....... OMG

$4K for that Ainsley amp! Plus the two rocks the JTM the Dr Z. You have dropped some $ on this amp quest. I bet it has been fun though. I can’t keep that many around at those prices. I would have to sell one to buy another. And then you can’t compare them directly then you miss the old amp and buy it again, only to sell it again later. I am on this journey with you. It’s fun.

Thanks for giving a great demo of amps, I think you should do one on a Carr Mercury V, I think you might just fall in love with a killer grab and go amp.

This is a grail amp for sure. The reverb is comparable to my 66 super reverb.

Hey.. try a milkman creamer… would be a great match with your style …

I've recently been on a similar journey. Looking back on it, it has been expensive. Necessary, though. I feel that I've grown as a player. Interestingly, I'm both more conscious of what I'm looking for and more relaxed about dealing with nuances each guitar/amp provide. Good on you for bravely navigating this. You sound great!

At 20:32 are you strait into that amp with no pedals??? It’s breathtaking.

Two rock!

Not in love with your Fillmore any more?

yeah... not hearing much difference between the "clean" channel and overdrive on the bloomfield tworock. a lot of players would say that that that dirty sound is a clean sound LOL!. everyone just likes what they like :)

I’m sure your Lister amp sounds great but I just can’t hear passed the crazy amount of reverb , sorry mate .