Two Rock Bloomfield Drive £5300 - Is It That Good?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 4 жов 2023
- In todays video, Paul Drew from The Studio Rats is checking out the Two Rock Bloomfield Drive Guitar Amplifier.
This extreemly high end 100-watt beast is a whopping £5300 in the UK, but is it worth the money?
To download he Two Rock Bloomfield TONEX capture, click the link below.
www.thestudiorats.net/downloads/
The Studio Rats are core band members Paul Drew on guitar/production/mixing, drummer James Ivey and Dan Hawkins on bass. They collaborate with singers and musicians to produce radio-ready songs.
#tworock #tworockbloomfielddrive #tworockamplifiers
What an amp! Sounds absolutely gorgeous where every note blooms, sings and breathes beautifully
The key thing with these amps is how they feel under your fingers… most players won’t hear much difference but once you dial it in and feel how inspirational it is to play & I find i play for hours with little or no effects quite happily- plus the reverb is to die for… great demo!
Cheers for the comment Cosmic.
This ^. Has to be experienced in person.
Phenomenal, to my ears. I thought this was your best clean and edge of break-up sound ever. I wouldn't use any drive pedals with it though. They water down the beauty of the amp. Cheers!
The cleans sounded incredible but when you cranked the gain toward the end of the video I was amazed. Just AWESOME drive tone.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Sounds so good! Can’t wait to buy one! ❤❤❤❤
That is absolutely AWESOME, Paul, cheers ❤
Thank you! Cheers
I think the amp sounds fantastic! Of course, the most important thing is how it feels under one’s fingers! If it feels great and inspires you - it’s worth every penny!
Oh no! That thing sounds amaaaaaaazing! You playing is helping too! Nice one!
Cheers Michael.
That strat is to die for
The Two Rock amps are worth every penny. We have 13 boutique amps and 2 Two Rocks, the Bloomfield Drive and the Silver Sterling Signature. And over the years, many amps have come and gone. The most enthusiasm comes from these two amps. You won't find such a fat sound, such clarity and differentiation anywhere else.
Yes, the amps are very expensive and you may have to save money for a long time, but a good piano also costs a lot of money. It's worth waiting and saving for this dream.
indeed. i have 3, and many other amps, but almost always i play the two rocks.
I had the opportunity to play one at length two weeks ago, and it literally gave me goosebumps. Ive NEVER played any amp even approaching this one. Astounding, beautiful sound. Worth eery penny.
That sounds stunning Paul and your playing is incredible. 5k though!!! Wow!!
Cheers Dodgy
I know the video is about the amp, but the real star of the show is your phenomenal playing. Very tasteful and clean.
I love this amp. If I could only have one amp, this would be it. I’ve had one since it first came out.
Sounds great!
People are willing to pay way higher amounts on guitars... in that respect this amp more justifies the extra money spent when it comes down to tone.. one off the best sounding amps imo ❤. Is it worth the price tag ? If you can affort it, yes !
Amps are way more important than guitar for tone. People obsess over pickups and silly stuff on guitars when a good amp will fix all that if you can play that is.
Sounds so good! If you have the means I highly recommend you picking one up!
Loving the honest confessions. Wish more YT creators did the same
Cheers 2202
I'm gonna say not worth it because I've heard Paul make so many other more affordable options sound great!
For that sort of money I'd probably go for the 100 watt Overdrive Reverb from Amplified Nation
You can't tell just from watching the video but playing these amps is a very nice & privileged experienced. It's extremely articulate and the clarity on the notes is immense, specially when you turn up the presence knob. The spring reverb is so warm without it sounding fake and overdone. IT does take a while though as mentioned to sometimes find a sweet spot but once you do, then best to not touch it again unless really looking for a new sound. The big reason why you would pay so much for something like this is just articulation and dynamics. If you put a very dynamic guitar through this like a Silver Sky instead of a hot strat, it will really make that PPP to FFF range shine. I'd assume top end Fender tube amps are also the same but yeah this is a very very very musical amp and an amazing piece of equipment.
Sounds great. Have you got any examples/demos of your ToneX captures from this amp anywhere?
Life changing amp!
It will only change yr bank account!
I don't know if that should be considered super expensive. There are plenty of guitars that cost a ton more and loads of people spend the money on them. I would personally invest in the amp first.
The Bloomfield certainly has the versatility to wet/dry with spectacular effect. Given it’s desirable clean to dirt characteristics, it makes a great pair with a Matchless.
Taking another leap forward… Try a couple of high head room amps like (Bloomfield and CRS) setup as Left and right through stereo delay/reverb pedals. Then add an AB/Y pedal and centre drive channel (like Matchless, Marshall or TR TS1). Oh lord does that wield some magic. Much of it would still be fab using 3 affordable amps for anyone wanting to try on a more real world budget. 🙂
You sir are going to smash my bank balance.
You make any amp sound great
tbh I am more interested into whatever to added to the plain amp tone. did you internal or external reverb? in case external: which? in the beginning there was some sort of stereo image (not the shimmer part), same for playing around 6:35. looking at the knobs, I couldn't figure out if the internal reverb was dialed in.
Great video, I really enjoy watching your videos. You get some of the best recorded sounds IMO on UA-cam with all your videos. I am interested in buying a Bloomfield, in your opinion how does it compare with the Amplified nations amp you recently did a demo of ? ( I really enjoyed that demo.)
The Bloomfield has a great clean channel, in my opinion, the overdrive needs work. I’ve just today got an Amplified Nation Overdrive Reverb. It’s night a day better than the Bloomfield, but again in my opinion.
Beautiful amp and I'm sure the quality is excellent - But I found the second you bring into a mix - you'll miss the difference 3000$ does compared to other amps. Great video. cheers.
Also, what cab are you playing this through?
For your level of playing and guitars... Two Rock makes total sense. I would Keep it. BTW: Like I kept my Silver Starling Signature =)
Fabulous. Good luck modelling that.
Already done.
I played one today at a Guitar Center. Took a couple minutes to dial it in. Yeah, it sounds nice. But I own a 2023 Bad Cat Black Cat that also sounds nice with two gain stages. I got the Bad Cat head as B-stock for $1600. If I loved the Two-Rock today I would have bought it, but it did not quite get me excited enough to spend over $4,500 for this used Bloom Drive combo. One thing that bugged were all the options. I immediately found what I liked and would simply leave them there. I had a Red Plate and it also is based on a Dumble and has a bunch of options. It drove me crazy, especially the bright switch. I like bright, but it seems too bright, but without it it seemed too dark. I realized I don't like the bright option, just build that into the amp.
Back to Two-Rock. True, I am in GC and could not crank it and did not have more than 10 minutes on it. But that is how it goes. My two Bad Cat heads (also have the 2023 Hot Cat -- these are redesigned from ground up) I never tried, bought online. But I gigged the Black Cat and figured it out and it is my top amp currently. The Hot Cat, which cost $1899 for he head, I have not yet gigged, but did audition and crank several times at a studio, and it sounded great. So I am probably satisfied at the moment. Had I had the Two-Rock in a studio, it might be a different story. Or not. Sometimes I plug into a Fender Deluxe Reissue and think, Man, I actually could just use this and get what I want with pedals. And the Deluxe famously has bright built in, no switch. Ha, ha.
This is under your ToneX playlist, but it seems to be a demo of the actual amp; not the capture. Am I wrong?
Keep your Matchless 🙂!
Not to sure about the price of the amp, but the guitar playing, priceless.
Ahh thanks mate
I would like to suggest a comparison! Two Rock Bloom Field vs. ToneX With Two Rock Capture into Power In of a Katana 100
Sweet playing…😮
god that guitar is beautiful
A dream-sounding amp that I would keep in Paul's place if the financial situation allowed it. The danger, however, which could arise after the investment has been made, is that after a while you could find an amp whose sound corresponds more to your own ideas and which is perhaps even more expensive ...
Musical greetings from Germany
Mic
Could you make a capture for Neural Amp Modeler?
If it’s worth it to you, who am I to say otherwise, but it sure sounds great! I’m definitely going to get one because it is not the exact same as an amp sim & it’s never going to be out dated. I’m not saying there’s no place for 100 amps in a box though
Sounds magnificent. Articulate. blooming notes even when clean. Excellent drive. Love it. Worth it? Not a question of worth. Can you justify it? Do you live somewhere where you can crank this up a little? Not the easiest things to re sell if you get sick of it or need the money back. Especially now with high cost of living. But always huge demand.
Well said.
I can't watch to the end. I want it and can't have it. I love your use of reverb.
Hell yes it is!
Paul what pickups are loaded in that black Strat?
Ancho Poblano fender
From the first note it sounded absolutely incredible! Is it worth the price tag? The question might be, If you can afford to buy it, could you afford not to?
What is your recording chain?
How does it compare to the Ts1?
Sounds like my blues Jr Texas red with a boss chorus very light setting high treble, donner reverb plus the B jr reverb, very light ts9 treble high, wampler moxie 808 setting mid eq very light, and a no name eq called horse? Thru my classic vibe 60 sunburst, neck pickup, 9.5-49 strings, heavy fender shell pick, B jr set master at 5, volume at 3, mids 7, bass 8, treble 10, reverb 7, try on a full moon night.
Nice. Though if I'm honest I don't think there were any sounds that I couldn't get with my Cornford Carrera and a klon style pedal, though admittedly I wouldn't be able to get to the same volume level
I bought an amplified nation overdrive reverb. I really wish I had spent a little more & bought the two rock Bloomfield drive. I am looking to sell the AN & one guitar to get my hands on this amp.
Oh man, AWESOME sounding!! Please, please, confirm you're going to be doing Tonex captures of this and similar D-type amps.
I need to learn more about the ToneX because what you are doing is really interesting, I just know nothing about the pedal
I’ve done quite a few vids on tonex. It’s great.
I had the honor of going to the Two Rock factory and trying all of their current models. All I can say is damn they're loud. I understand the premise for the 100 watts of power (headroom) but for me it simply isn't practical. If you have the money and a place to really crack it, I say go for it. They sound sublime.
That's a lovely clean tone from that Amp I must say; gorgeous. Way out of my price range though as I don't play at the level to justify it. More than happy with my Katana 100.
@@retroman541I don't think the Katana comments are trying to justify their Katana purchase. I believe they are just commenting due to the sticker shock of this tube amp and how close the Katana can come to producing similar sounds at 1/10th of the cost. This tube amp does have a beautiful chime but for players that are satisfied with Katana level amps we just can't believe that this amp produces a 4500 pound difference in tone. If I was to guess, the Studio Rats will do what they want with this amp and then sell it.
@@retroman541Yikes! You're acting as if they feel inferior, yet they are the ones that are happy and don't feel the need to ask people if their purchases are worth it....
I was 100% certain i was going to buy this amp the 50w combo. Everything I had read and all the youtube videos i had seen, I was expecting to be blown away. Maybe i didnt give it enough of a chance. Interesting that you mentioned it needs a little time to dial in. I found it a little stiff and uninspiring. Ive owned a lot of expensive boutique amps and i am yet to find one that beats the bartel roseland. The bloomfield and the bartel are similar in cost and different sounding amps so they dont occupy the same space however the quality of the bartel left me feeling a little cold on the two rock.it really is that good.
If your yet to try one you really must you wont be disappointed.i would love to see you make a video on one.
Hi Carl, funny enough I tried one a couple of months ago and really didn’t like it. I guess we are all different
@@TheStudioRats different strokes for different folks i guess. Thank you for the videos. Always a pleasure to watch
That amp sounds awesome. But 5k is waaay out of most , including me, price range. If I had unlimited funds I would definitely try one out
It is very expensive.
Might feel great to play in the room but in terms of recorded sound you can get those tones with just about anything these days.
Even if you can afford it ,it’s an amp to be gigged or in a studio setting ,not just sitting in the corner of a bedroom and it needs a certain level of player to do it justice.
Going to buy pack. Forgot to ask is your tonex global input level set to 0 or different?
Depends on what guitar you use
@@TheStudioRats interesting! Most people set it and leave it
Plug a Strat into an interface and set the levels, plug a Les paul in and watch the preamp overload. It’s a digital unit you do not want to overload it.
@@TheStudioRats nice, wouldn’t mind a detailed video on that, on how u set up and use the tonex with all ur globals and when you use certain paramets etc
Owner Of A Lovely Amp.
As a gigging musician in the city I live in I can't imagine rolling into a bar or club with a $5,000 guitar amp. I can afford it but for some reason I just choose not to. A deluxe reverb with 4-6 pedals is all I need. Maybe some time but for know I have a mental block/stereotype thing going on. It's like driving your kid to school in a Ferrari.
How does it compare to the new miracle of Tone Master Pro?
It’s a different thing, less versatile, but more tone.
If you capture this amp for ToneX, you're gonna make me finally buy the pedal! 😂😂😂
Already done
How do you rate it compared to the amp nation stuff?
It’s great stuff, I prefer the Amp nation amps because they are more versatile. Great cleans, great drive tones.
When will your Tonex Capture Pack of the Two Rock be available? Instant buy!
Already available
On our website
The 100 watt two rocks all sound better to me with the gain control set low - it emphasizes the top end more slows the amp to sound more sparkley, gotta turn the master up to compensate
Tony I want to thank you for the tip! Cheers Bud!
I listen to everything through my Sony Professional headphones. As a guitarist myself, there is a perceivable "creaminess" for this Strat, when clean. Fender tones are also more pronounced. Bypass is excellent! For my personal taste, an amp like this requires perhaps subtle rev/echo, and little else. Incredible sound - with that Custom Strat'! Great demo too, Paul!
Thanks for sharing.
I reckon you found your sound Paul two rocks are amazing. I just can’t justify that kind of money when I can get really great sounds out of a Mesa Cali Tweed. 🤷♂️
Nothing shabby about a boogie tweed.
but i still want a two rock!😊
It’s worth the money if you can afford it without buyers remorse. This video doesn’t so justice to how it sounds in the room (not a criticism - Paul records fantastic tones and obviously could make a cigar box strong with a bungee cord sound great, but I’m not sure this one captured the magic). I have a Traditional Clean head and cab and it’s the ‘best’ sounding amp I’ve ever owned. But I still play others in the herd and enjoy them. Get what you can just about afford and get to know it thoroughly.
And for the commenters saying it doesn’t make you better, of course it doesn’t. But if you play more, practise more, write more, rehearse more and gig more because you love your guitars and amp, maybe that’s worth a few $. If you’re in the market for a Katana, get a Katana - they are fab and super versatile.
Over £5K is a lot for an amp.
But let’s put it in perspective, new cars cost £30-45k, houses cost £200-500k and just a family holiday for two weeks could be £5k…
This amp should hopefully last longer than a two week holiday but it may not be as popular with my family as it would be with me.
All very good points.
I agree. And to add another perspective, a car will continue to depreciate throughout its life. After the initial 'no longer new' price reduction, this amp will not really depreciate unless you abuse it. So the lifetime cost a much less than 5K.
And although I think holidays are always worthwhile, the number of hours of pleasure an amp like this can give you is almost limitless - you wouldn't need to replace the valves for a long time apart from the power valves. An uncompromising dynamic can be off-putting at first but whatever our skill level it almost forces us to learn subtlety and accuracy. The law of diminishing returns does apply - it is certainly possible to get great tones out of many amps but there is also such a thing as 'pride of ownership'. And finally a potentially bad workman like me could not possibly blame his tools if he had this!
@@Billohodgson all great points.
I recall getting my Orange Rockerverb MKIII 300 back in 2018 for £1300 and it has already given me years of happiness. They go for £1900 now and it won’t be long before they are priced in the £2k price range. If I needed to sell it I could probably get at least £800-£1000 back for it now on the used market. I’d only be down £300-400 for years and years of enjoyment. Totally worth it in my opinion.
Considering all those glorious tones through the history of modern popular music no-one could say the Two Rock would have made them any better for the price.
I agree with that.
Day one of owning i thought no. After 3 weeks. A definite yes
I think that’s how a bunch of people feel.
That thing sounds like a million bucks!
For the same price, I could buy a killer Magnatone Twilighter Stereo, and an amazing Strat, and have money left over for some great pedals.
True.
Its a great amp but definitely not better than, let's say, a Suhr Bella, which is a stunning amplifier. However, Paul, that Strat is bloody lovely.
Sounds like my fender hot rod deluxe iv 👀👀 not gonna lie
I don't think it's even possible to have "better sound" than this. No way. I found that every Amp on a planet for my purposes has downsides so I opted to put together one: 1) Kingsley Maiden D preamp into KSR Power Amp (6l6 tubes) . Overdrive Gladio into Maiden into Power Amp is this sound for about $1800 .
Nice!
@@TheStudioRats Paul, I swear if you don't buy Kingsley Maiden I am going to send you one all the way from San Francisco.
Are you going to profile a Gorilla GG-60 Amp?
That might be a little too boutique for the average player. 😀
If it wasn't for Alexander Dumble, Two-Rock might not exist.
Isn’t it funny how we frown and like to pick holes in the cost of something in our sphere of interest and yet we might spend even more on another object in a slightly different category of the same interest. Many get upset about the cost of fancy pants amps when they don’t say so much about more costly high end guitars. Our rationale is so often illogical, especially when very expensive guitars sound meh through cheaper or
mismatched amplification, while a good sounding affordable guitar can sound like magic through high end amplification😂
All true.
Sounds great..beautiful tones...£5300 tho?? Should make you a cup of Earl Grey for that! You have played amps in previous vids that sound just as nice and much cheaper imv
Agreed
Keep or sell?
Not sure if I can yet. The old bank balance is looking low.
@@TheStudioRats tell me about it brother...here is to potentially seeing it on rotation in your arsenal. Cheers! 🥂
If only it cost $20K I might be interested.
Good man
It amazes me they could sell one new, that's about a grand in tax( that then prob goes to start a war)plus a hefty import tariff , I don't know how much but perhaps another grand, and the cost of getting it to britain.
Anymore, I can get eerily similar tones from my Quad Cortex. Tube amps just aren’t worth it to me. Especially these $5K+ amps.
I agree you can play through captures for a lot less money.
No, don’t sell your Matchless…..The Two Rock does sound great but a lot of competition up to that price. Guitars or amps at that price are more than I will pay but a while ago I did get a Carol Ann OD2 which is great. I use a Carr Rambler with pedals most of the time now, the Duelist being one of those pedals. I don’t think you need to pay over $3K for a great amp unless you have plenty of $
Fair enough!.
I liked it. It’s only the price of a pedal (if that pedal is a Klon) 😂
This or Amplified Nation Overdrive Reverb?
Amplified Nation.
@@TheStudioRats thank you sir, appreciate it.
So should I ditch my Marshall MG10 and get one of these?....hmm...decisions, decisions...
12m 12s…. Oooh bit of prog there!
How dare thee.
Look, I probably wouldn’t notice the difference between the best premium tire in the world and the budget tires I buy once they’re on the car. But a race car driver might. This amp is probably not right for the average player. But you, Paul, probably feel and hear things that the average guitarist doesn’t.
Cheers Sroelit, I’m not sure I do more than anyone else but I appreciate the comment. P
It's nice, but DO NOT sell the Matchless - I think that would be a mistake.
I can’t keep both.
Yes they sound terrific and are the best US hand built amplifiers but the exorbitant price tag effectively precludes the majority of working musicians from being able to afford one.
The average retail price for a new 'Bloomfield Drive' Head is $5299 before tax thus bringing the total to well beyond $5500 !!. Most guitarists simply cannot afford a TWO-ROCK whatever the attention to detail, quality of components and/or however good they may sound. So well done TWO-ROCK for being a standard other manufacturers are judged by but please find a way to bring your legendary sound to all working musicians far and wide and you will probably find your profit margin increasing exponentially rather than losing revenue.
You’re right I see many non pro, rich guitar players with them. Is this this the PRS of the amp world.
A good amp can turn a
Mediocre guitar into a tone monster or the best version of itself. To me the expense is worth it. A Katana is fine for bedroom Guitaring but it won’t cut through a band onstage. So….. to me it’s worth the 5K
Sounds like blues jr. Nice purchase!
Sounds like my Ceriatone dumble clone
It sure does sound good... bank account says something differnt.
It’s always a good idea to ask your wife. Ha Ha. Paulie!
Please to post what she says when you tell her how much it costs.