Why John Mayer, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Johnson & Joey Landreth play TWO-ROCK amplifiers.
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- Опубліковано 26 лип 2024
- Two-Rock is known to many as the pinnacle of guitar amplification. Due to the exclusive nature and limited production of these fine amplifiers, stumbling upon one might as well be as rare as seeing an unicorn, let alone trying every amp of their catalog in person. This can prove challenging to choose which amp to buy among their wide selection. With this video we'll take away some of the guesswork and compare the big boys of the Two-Rock family.
#dreamloud #carsandguitars #waltgracevintage #tworock #guitaramp #guitaramplifier
GEAR:
➡ Two-Rock Classic Reverb 100 Watt Head - Black Bronco, Black Matrix Grill Cloth:
waltgracevintage.com/collecti...
➡ Two-Rock TS1 100w Tube Head - Black Bronco, Silver Chassis, Black Matrix Grill, Silver Skirt Knobs:
waltgracevintage.com/collecti...
➡ Two-Rock Traditional Clean 100 Watt Tube Head and 12-65B 2x12 Extension Cabinet - Black Bronco, Sparkle Matrix Cloth: waltgracevintage.com/collecti...
➡ Two-Rock Bloomfield Drive 100/50w Tube Head Silver Chassis, Black Bronco, Black Matrix Grill, Silver Skirt Knobs: waltgracevintage.com/collecti...
➡ Two-Rock Silver Sterling Signature 100w Tube Head Silver Chassis, Black Bronco, Black Matrix Grill, Silver Skirt Knobs: waltgracevintage.com/products...
➡ Fender Custom Shop Time Machine 1957 Stratocaster Relic Electric Guitar - Faded Aged Daphne Blue:
Fender Custom Shop Time Machine 1957 Stratocaster Relic Electric Guitar - Faded Aged Daphne Blue
➡ Gibson Custom Shop 1959 ES-335 Reissue VOS Electric Guitar - Vintage Natural: waltgracevintage.com/collecti...
0:00 Intro
0:54 Traditional Clean
1:49 Traditional Clean - PLAYING
5:07 CRS
7:44 CRS - PLAYING
11:30 Bloomfield Drive
12:45 Bloomfield Drive - PLAYING
17:15 TS1
19:20 TS1 - PLAYING
22:56 SSS
25:06 SSS- PLAYING
30:09 Subscribe!
CHECK US OUT:
waltgracevintage.com/
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CONTACT:
(786) 483-8180
info@waltgracevintage.com
300 NW 26th Street Wynwood, FL, USA 33127
You've done an excellent job at giving us a tour of these two-rock amps. Thank you.
Thank You!
These amps are wonderful, as is the playing - well done, Sir!
Firstly, endless thanks for taking the time to do this- a tremendously helpful resource for folks such as myself who've long been confused by the marques range, uncertain which might be for me. While they all featured strong elements of "I could 100% get behind that!", the Traditional Clean is what sounded best to my ears/for my applications. I was not expecting to dig the Bloomfield as much as I did, but that was probably my second place, tied with the CRS. But I just like how the tone of the TC is so very present and almost "hifi"- exactly how I like my amps to sound. Gosh, I'd love to have seen a few more of their older amps included in this just for the sake of comprehensiveness, but I get that those are no longer made and this is in away to help with sales (and why advert discontinued amps). I've heard some people allude to the older TR's having something extra special to them sonically, so I'm just curious to know how they stack up!
Love Two Rock’s for Rock. Absolutely one of the best platform Amps.
i prefer amp gain vs pedals + pedal platforms, solid state pedal distortion ruin good tube amp tone and feel.
😎Awesome informative demo🎸
Great playing like this definitely doesn't hurt the sound coming out of these amps!
Your playing inspiring to watch.
My favorite store in Miami. They take great care of me. I bought two 2 Rocks there. The coffee is awesome too.
That was some great playing, regardless of the amps!
That amount of blues lawyering in this video is unprecedented.
...and nobody cares about that ;)
😂
Only lawyers and rock stars are able to afford those amps
If this is blues lawyering, I guess Im going to blues prison, cause I loved it.
@@reverb508 I believe “Objection, your Honor” is the phrase you’re after.
All sound great! Looks like all the amps were played with their treble, mid, and bass boosts on. I will have to give it a go on my TC!
You telling me you spend $4000+ on an amp and you haven’t experimented with everything it has to offer?😮
1. SSS
2. TS1
3. CRS
Great video !
I have a traditional clean combo and it’s the best amp I’ve ever tried. Absolutely mind blowing and the reverb is 🔥
Hi, do you have the 100w or the 40w version?
@@lausch5854 hi ! 40/20W version, I have the combo.
@@gwenguitarist1294 Cool, thanks for the feedback. I'm currently hesitating between a Studio Sig and a TC 40/20. Did you have the chance to try both?
@@lausch5854 nope just the TC. It’s actually super rare over here (France). Drop me a message on Instagram if you need rewordings or pictures of the TC ! I’ll be happy to help.
@@gwenguitarist1294 I'm not on Insta but thanks a lot for yor help :-)
I've been on a Magnatone kick for a few years and have acquired two but damn a Two Rock would be awesome to add to the collection
I was in the magnatone thing for about 5 years. Got a two rock and couldn’t be happier. Both are awesome :)
I can appreciate the company’s vision for sure. Pure quality craftsmanship. But for my ears and wallet my Fender Vibroking will do just fine for the cleans they are chasing, with my two Boogies covering any drive tones needed. Great video! Cheers!
Hey! Sebastian here: I actually own a Vibroking and a Classic Reverb and they’re very different amps. Although the Vibro is incredible, the CRS is just in another league. Sadly it’s very hard to capture the magic of these amps on video but once you try one in person it becomes an obsession, in my humble opinion nothing else feels and sounds like a Two-Rock. Get to try one if you get the chance and compare it to your Vibro, I’d love to hear your opinion. Thank you!
Yes, until I played a Two-Rock the vibro king was my grail amp. Two-Rock are truly special
This was a great video. However, it did not help me decide which Two Rock to get. They all sounded so good I just want all of them even more.
Best amps being made today
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHHAHAHA NO...NOT EVEN CLOSE
Try a Friedman Smallbox special Wildwood Guitars edition. Perfect.
Love my Bloomfield 40/20 and great video but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Joe B plugged into a Two-Rock!
First real comparison on you tube. Thank you. Great playing. Realized for strat it’s the opposite of what everyone says - traditional clean and ts-1 were best. PAFs better on classic reverb and mudholland drive. Silver is a toss up.
Very surprised by this. I wouldn’t own the CRS without having a love for Strats. It’s built to bring out the magic of a Strat in particular. The Bloomfield Drive has a more neutral clean. It flips between channel 1 & 2 in a balanced fashion with Fantastic independent master control of both channel volumes. I favour a humbucker guitar with the Bloomfield. I have both amps in 100w and have to admit if I didn’t have a Fryette PS-100 to use with the CRS it would be a waste of time, because with out playing at 100db+ or using an attenuator the CRS just doesn’t get juicy. The clean headroom just keeps on going until you can really crank it loud. The Bloomfield however can even be used at bedroom volume with all kinds of clean and dirty controls. Just like high end Friedman amps have amazing master volumes. Can’t comment with experience on the other amps. But I do also have the JL Sig and that’s a whole other ball game. One in it’s own world to be honest and not what many buyers including me were expecting. The JL Sig is another I wouldn’t touch without a Fryette PS100 because so much texture comes with gunning the master volume. The all rounder is without doubt the Bloomfield. All others (except perhaps the new Vintage Deluxe amps) are more specialised in their character. 🙂
I have one of their first production amps - a Two-Rock Emerald 50. I think I got it in 1999. Maybe it was early 2000? I can't remember the exact date. They are decent amps.
Traditional clean and SSS have the sound I need but can’t justify.
I have a chance to get a Bloomfield drive at a great price. I like the demo playing of the SSS best here as I’m very much going for dumble/SRV sounds.
My question is could the Bloomfield approximate those SRV tones well? Some of the demo playing had a Hendrix vibe on the strat at higher gain, but the cool SRV licks were all played on the SSS.
The SSS is so present and forward. No where to hide with that thing. Probably the best for an amazing player, will really let all your nuances or mistakes, shine through haha
Here, we liken Two-Rocks to a good romantic partner-they'll call you out on your bullshit and you'll become a better man/woman (in this case player!) for it... Talk about making beautiful music together once you work out the kinks!
Can you do a two rock combo shootout (maybe there’s only one - quick shootout😂).
The tone Bypass is not intended to be a boost by any means. Matter of fact the TS-1 has a boost and then has the Bypass which has a unique tone and is great for certain genres like country with high sparkley mids and stands out in a bright yet bold way. I don't use mine much but it has it's glory.
Can't go there, my wife would kill me. They sound great though.
I’m currently deciding between the TS1 and CRS. I’m leaning TS1 because of versatility, but would I be sacrificing on clean tone and pedal platform if I didn’t go with a CRS?
Are the cleans on each comparable to eachother or do I sacrifice by choosing TS1 over CRS?
Hi! Its difficult to answer because both amps are very similar and very different at the same time. I would say they both have fantastic cleans that sound very "Two-Rock" however the CRS offers more in the edge of breakup department while the TS1 is more of a radical tonal change between both channels. I would advise to analyze yourself as a player and decide based on that. If you like to carry a couple of pedals to push the amp and do most of the work with your guitar control and dynamics then go for the CRS, if you prefer to have a wider palette of sounds and have a dedicated pedal for everything then the TS1 will serve you best. Hope this helps!
I had an Ampeg V4-B head with a 4x12 cab in the 70s. Indestructible and great tone, but very heavy. A viable option though.
Isn't that a bass amp
@@jdl2180 Yes, it is. Overdrive pedal required for dirty tones.
I'm pretty sure I can get close to the tworock sound with super or deluxe by changing the cabs
You can, I did that. I paired the two rock cab with my 65DRRI. It was very similar. But the big difference to me is that no matter what pedals you throw at the Two Rock, it eats those pedals like nothing. Where the Fender starts to fart out and can only take so much.
Tried everything… but what is probably the most interesting one, the Studio Signature. And no, it’s not just a “cheap” Two-Rock, or a “Low Power” Two-Rock, or a “baby CRS”… it’s actually an amp on its own and in som situations it could be a better choice than any of the ones shown here. I wouldn’t trade my Studio Signature for a CRS. I prefer the small form factor, the lower wattage and the enormous tone you get from this tiny head. I actually can’t wait for the replacement of the Gain Master 35, to have a Studio version of the TS1…
I was disappointed the Studio Signature wasn't featured, that and the Traditional Clean interest me the most
Rightfully so. I've owned the TC, CRS, BD and SSS..Favorites from that crew were easily the BD and TC both of which I still own..That said, interested in trying TS1 (or, more ideally the alleged "Gain Master 35" variant and the new Vintage Deluxe). Otherwise my personal BD is an old school run done and signed by Eli with a transformer they no longer use and it's pure magic that's 50/25 switchable, so that'll never leave me..
We thought about including it! However we came to the conclusion that although the SS is fantastic it’s in a league of its own. It wouldn’t be fair to compare it to its big loud brothers.
First thank you for this great comparison. It is a sensible joice as the SS might be almost as good as the big brothers which means sales of the bigger could drop. There‘s a comparison video of the Bloomfield and the SS and man, it does sound good in comparison.
Of course this is all entirely subjective, as always, but the SS hasn't impressed me in a single clip I've heard of it... Which really sucks, because I was *this* close to scooping up a brand new one locally at a heavy discount- it literally ticked all my boxes; light (relatively), grab-and-go/small, feature-laden, etc. Perfect for what I've been after, which is a portable gig/jam amp that's versatile. But yeah, sadly, all the clips have disappointed, wherein it just sounds too small and box to my ears when compared to the other "big" TR's- and I have zero bias for big amps, I believe they're sheer overkill for 99% of their buyers in todays day and age, and more some kind of weird power flex than anything... like having the sports car with all the horses but never taking it over 60mph and saying "I just like to know I've got it if I need it", lol. That's what buying an SSS or the 100-watters is equal to, to me, these days. Too bad, really wished for the SS to be my answer to my dilemma, as my main amps are all too big and heavy to lug around. Will keep looking around, maybe revert to a tried-and-true old favourite (which is in no way comparable other than being portable), the Swart AST. That said, a Traditional Clean still remains on the want list!
Saying Joe B playing X is worthless. Joe B owns and plays everything there is
John Mayer, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Johnson, Joey Landreth play TWO-ROCK amplifiers because they can afford them. Yes they sound terrific and are the best US made hand built amplifiers available today but for the rest of us, SOL. The cheapest retail price I found for a 'Vintage Deluxe' Head is $4899, adding state tax takes the total to well beyond $5000. The greater majority of guitarists simply cannot afford a TWO-ROCK whatever the attention to detail, quality of components and / or however good they may sound. Well done TWO-ROCK but please find a way to bring your legendary sound to the working musicians, you will probably find your profit margin increasing exponentially not to mention making an awful lot of working guitarists happier.
Look at Amplified Nation -they're better.
You to can sound great with a two rock amplifier, runs in the neighborhood of 5 to 6 thousand dollars. So run down an pick up 2 of them
I think I actually like the SSS best , which I wasn’t expecting.
Having owned 4 different TR's I personally think it's hardest to get dialed-in similarly to the CRS. Both very capable and impressive amps which I personally found hard to use compared to the BD and TC both of which don't seem to have a bad sound despite where you leave the knobs...
That said they clearly didn't struggle getting great tones here...Regardless of which Two-Rock, I truly believe you can't lose.
Agreed with the comment above. The SSS takes a bit of dialing in, but you are most certainly rewarded once you find the sweetspot. I take pics of my settings on it so that I can quickly dial in my go-to tones regardless of which guitar I have plugged into it. 3D cleans.
I would agree, although the BD (especially the reverb in the lead channel) and the TS1 are also phenomenal. The SSS is a great amp for playing at home at modest volume levels. Tested also a TC and found that this is a particular noisy amp with reverb on. Thought it was a tube and swapped peramp tubes - no success. The TC was a therefore a disappointment.
Can it play clean and chug ? No one chugs it
all of them sound amazing, and for sure they most sound so good in person:
But is the Traditional Clean just the Blackface tone of the CRS? cause they are priced the same....... I wouldn´t know then why i would buy the TC instead of the CRS......
They're both built to deliver on "Blackface cleans" but having played both I think the CRS is stiffer and can be dialed more aggressively as where the TC has more bounce and sag and feels juicier somehow. Admittedly subjective but my opinion, personally.
That’s a great description of how they differ! The biggest difference in our opinion has to do with the way they feel and the fact that the CCR has much more gain on tap (plus the boosts). The TC has that classic Blackface spongy blanket while with the CCR you really can’t hide.
The Traditional Clean is literally a tweaked and updated version of the Two Rock John Mayer Signature. It’s TR’s way of being able to offer players that circuit without being a 100% true 1:1 JM Sig
@@joshscus thanks for replying and sharing your perception , does make sense :)
@@stryguy great explanation indeed
bloomfield for sure
My fender Vibroverb would blow this thing out of the water!
If you don't mind sharing the SSS settings that you used that would be awesome!
Sure! Basically all of the EQ switches engaged, Flat EQ. Trim the low end cut a bit. And then dime the FET knob and gain control. That should be it for the saturated tones!
SSS vs Fender 65 Twin Reissue????
Sounded buzzy
Bonamassa doesn’t rely on these much….
Something to shoot for.
Because they have MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ironically Hendrix wouldn’t have been able to afford these amps. Drug habits are expensive.
still doesn't beat Fender blackface clean tones
I would advise to try a Hamstead amp, there made from an engineer. These Two rocks are great, but if you want perfection in electronics with best results, well let your ears decide. Just sayin....yahoooo
NONE of these amps sound 6k good. Fact.
Opinion.
@@billgoldstein5152 $800 Fender Reissue Deluxe Reverb + tube screamer in a blind test you couldn't tell the difference
@@brunoantony9257 Amazing rig you’re suggesting-no doubt, (and it’s actually close to what I use myself), but in the room, any two-rock trounces it-honesty. But again, just my opinion.
@@brunoantony9257says someone that’s never played one 😂
@@danharding9136 I have played Two Rocks. How's that kool aid?
I never liked the Mayer tone…kinda wimpy….but so is he….
Nah, just give me a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and and a Tubescreamer, and it'll sound exactly the same ;-)
Maybe but the "sounds the same" argument is pointless when talking high end audio topics. Beyond a great value sound you're paying for a personal connection/feeling. If you don't get that extra special magic when playing then you're right, and it's pointless, but if you do then that's what it's all about and your bank balance will suffer ;-) It's the same with all instruments/music/video gear the higher the price tag.
@@djt6546 I agree:) My comment was just meant as a joke. Two Rock are at another level of course.