Last week was Atomic Music 30th anniversary and they held a big sale on Saturday, up to 50% off on some items. Unfortunately, I had an out of town gig on Saturday and couldn't attend the sale. But I went on Sunday and since I shop there all the time, they told me to look around and they would give me a discount if I found anything I liked.
So I walked out with this:
The guitar is a 2012 SG Special. The finish on this guitar is not original but it was well done. It's a metallic blue with burst edges. Hard to capture on camera so the picture doesn't really do it justice. I made my usual changes to it: locking tuners, Tonepros bridge/tailpiece and pickups. The pickups are a Dean USA Michael Schenker signature in the bridge and BG Darkbucker. These are parts I already had laying around here so no extra $.
Behind the SG, it's a Marshall Artist 4203 combo. These are cool little combos from the 80s, with a SS preamp and a 30w tube power section. It came with the original Marshall G12 Vintage 30 speaker but I replaced it with a Redback, which was a good choice. The Redback is rated at 150w so there is no way this amp will distort it, which keeps the tone tight and with less of the usual small combo low end rattle. I put the V30 in my 2x12.
This is going to be another great grab and go amp for practices and jams. I also have that Mesa Subway Rocket so I have both Mesa and Marshall grab and go rigs now.
Oh and the prices!!! They gave me the guitar for $400 and the Marshall for $350 so $750 out the door for a cool SG and Marshall. Not bad at all.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:43 am
by Devin
Looks rad
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:43 am
by spawnofthesith
Damn! Quite the scores, congrats!
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:48 am
by cliffenstein
I went to Atomic Music for the first time a few weeks ago...I was literally blown away. I felt like I had been transported back to the 80's when I walked in...it's THAT kind of music store. The place friggin' rules!
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:55 am
by GuitarBilly
cliffenstein wrote:I went to Atomic Music for the first time a few weeks ago...I was literally blown away. I felt like I had been transported back to the 80's when I walked in...it's THAT kind of music store. The place friggin' rules!
yeah it really is like going back to the 80s.
And yes, they are my favorite guitar store. There was a store in LA called Black Market Music that was similar to it, but much smaller. They closed in the late 00's though. It's hard to find this type of old school store these days.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:20 am
by Dave
Damn that’s a sick haul!
The blue burst is pretty sweet
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:45 am
by screamingdaisy
Boot-fucks wireless from stage.
Fixes it by buying another guitar.
I like the cut of your jib.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:46 am
by GuitarBilly
yeah sometimes you need to kick shit out, then bring more shit in
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 1:27 pm
by facefirst
Nice!
I had the Artist head years ago. Was a nice sounding amp. Super loud.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 2:17 pm
by Landshark
great score!
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 2:26 pm
by GuitarBilly
facefirst wrote:Nice!
I had the Artist head years ago. Was a nice sounding amp. Super loud.
yes. Honestly, I am shocked about how loud the drive channel in this amp can get. I was not expecting to get that much volume out of it. The Mesa Rocket I have here gets loud too, but the EL84 tubes have a limit before they fall apart. This amp has a pair of EL34s so they only get better and crunchier with volume and man there's a lot of volume on tap. I may get the head version eventually if I find a similar deal on one.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 2:34 pm
by Dave
What type of power section does it have? EL34s?
I don't think I've ever tried this amp but it looks cool.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 2:46 pm
by GuitarBilly
Dave wrote:What type of power section does it have? EL34s?
I don't think I've ever tried this amp but it looks cool.
yeah dual EL34s.
Really cool amps. Here's being compared to a 50w JMP:
Marshall did a really good job on these 80's Marshall SS/hybrid amps. Not sure why don't they make them anymore, given that their SS offers just kept getting worse.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 3:06 pm
by rock flag and eagle
Yeah I don't know why more companies weren't doing hybrids with tube power instead of them all doing tube preamp. I used to have a Peavey Heritage VTX that was tube power ss preamp, nice sounding amp and loud af. Nice looking paint job on the SG and a great price.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 3:18 pm
by Heath
rock flag and eagle wrote:Yeah I don't know why more companies weren't doing hybrids with tube power instead of them all doing tube preamp...
I feel the same! I used a Musicman hd150 head for years. It was a super-clean, solid-state preamp with a stupid loud tube power section. I used it with the matching ported 2x12 with EV12Ls in it. Crushingly heavy and loud.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 3:21 pm
by Heath
GuitarBilly wrote:Marshall did a really good job on these 80's Marshall SS/hybrid amps. Not sure why don't they make them anymore, given that their SS offers just kept getting worse.
Some of the JCM 900 amps were basically SS hybrid. The tubes in the preamp just warmed up the signal and all the gain was done in the SS parts. It was basically an early version of the Valvestate preamp with a tube power amp.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 3:31 pm
by Mike Oxhuge
GuitarBilly wrote:
Dave wrote:What type of power section does it have? EL34s?
I don't think I've ever tried this amp but it looks cool.
yeah dual EL34s.
Sounds fantastic, more Plexi like than the 2204. Congrats on both, HNGD, HNAD!
Really cool amps. Here's being compared to a 50w JMP:
Marshall did a really good job on these 80's Marshall SS/hybrid amps. Not sure why don't they make them anymore, given that their SS offers just kept getting worse.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 4:44 pm
by nightflameauto
That SG looks pretty killer even not seeing the metallic in the blue. I love blue bursts.
Cool little amp too. Nice haul.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2023 8:14 pm
by boris the blade
I had the 3203 head many years ago. Sold it to a friend, who then sold it to someone else. I miss that amp.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2023 9:41 pm
by ajaxlepinski
Very, very cool SG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:42 pm
by bubbastain
GuitarBilly wrote:
facefirst wrote:Nice!
I had the Artist head years ago. Was a nice sounding amp. Super loud.
yes. Honestly, I am shocked about how loud the drive channel in this amp can get. I was not expecting to get that much volume out of it. The Mesa Rocket I have here gets loud too, but the EL84 tubes have a limit before they fall apart. This amp has a pair of EL34s so they only get better and crunchier with volume and man there's a lot of volume on tap. I may get the head version eventually if I find a similar deal on one.
There is one locally for $300. I've been curious about them for years.
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 2:22 am
by VTM
Sweet haul bro!
Re: NGD/NAD
Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 2:39 am
by VTM
screamingdaisy wrote:Boot-fucks wireless from stage.
