|
Post by tonepolice on Sept 28, 2007 17:38:28 GMT -7
I was getting ready to order a Metro Amp JTM45 kit when a friend suggested the RT66.What's the tonal differences between the two?I'm looking for a JTM45 style amp with tighter bass.Does the RT66 have as much gain as the JTM45 and are they around they same volume?
|
|
|
Post by taswegian on Sept 28, 2007 18:02:12 GMT -7
I hate to give definitive answers to these kind of questions, there is so many variables but I have played one Jtm45 and would say that my Rt66 probably has more gain than the 45 I played. Couldn't really say with volume but I'd say they'd be very close. The 45 probably had more headroom but I'm sure I could get that kinda headroom out of my 66 with a re-bias, They are similiar in some ways but the 66 is very much it's own thing.
|
|
|
Post by zdogma on Sept 28, 2007 19:01:04 GMT -7
I hate to give definitive answers to these kind of questions, there is so many variables but I have played one Jtm45 and would say that my Rt66 probably has more gain than the 45 I played. Couldn't really say with volume but I'd say they'd be very close. The 45 probably had more headroom but I'm sure I could get that kinda headroom out of my 66 with a re-bias, They are similiar in some ways but the 66 is very much it's own thing. That's a pretty good summary. I played mine head to head with a really good JTM 45 clone made by a fellow in Toronto, volumes are similar, headroom also quite similar (but it goes down quite a bit if you crank up the tone controls with the route 66, you can choose). Bass response is a lot tighter in the route 66, especially with the Z best, it is quieter, and it is much more pedal friendly.
|
|
|
Post by John on Sept 29, 2007 4:56:20 GMT -7
Tonepolice...
If you're even thinking of getting an amp in the JTM45 category....
The Route 66 is an awesome amp. Very dynamic and percussive. Not just in volume, but with distortion. Backing off the volume knob on the guitar cleans things up very well. The tone controls are deceiving. Up to noon, they are tone controls, after that, they are tone controls AND gain controls for that frequency.
I personally think it's rather loud, but I use an airbrake. And like Zdogma said, it takes pedals very well because it has an EF86 preamp instead of a 12AX7.
|
|
|
Post by (8^D) on Sept 29, 2007 9:25:03 GMT -7
A few years back, I was shopping for a JTM-45. Tried a TON around TX (Dallas/Austin/Houston/etc) - new/old Marshalls, clones, heads, combos, etc. Someone suggested the Route 66 - similar tone but different take on the JTM-45 design. Found one at Charley's in Dallas and spent the next 2 hours playing around with it. Blew me away from the get-go. Knew I found what I was looking for but tried a few 'clones'. Bought a Route 66 later that week.
It has a more audiophile character thanks to the EF86 - more articulate (like a pillow was lifted off a JTM45). It did have more gain potential - and tighter gain, not as farty. Bass is piano-like, very tight/clean and punchy. Super thick tones. Loves every guitar I've thrown at it (Strat/Tele/P90 LP Special/Les Paul/PRS McCarty & Standard 22/and on and on).
The tone controls work as normal to 12:00 and then start adding gain - it's a deceptively simple amp with a ton of tone tweaking ability.
Loves pedals too!
I will say - every week after I bought my R66 and put it on tour, I had either a sound company or another guitarist try to buy it off me. I heard repeatedly that it was the 'perfect' guitar tone. I was quite taken aback by the attention/interest. And,the attention wasn't because of me - the only thing that changed in the signal path was adding that amp to the equation.
It's a good'n!
|
|