My Vox amp is having some static and volume control issues I need to get fixed. The other night I was playing with a friend who noted my frustration trying to play through these technical difficulties. He has a Marshall MG30DFX which he generously offered to lend me until my budget suited fixing and/or replacing the Vox.

Though he enjoys playing, he's much more of play-when-the-mood-strikes hobbyist player. He told me the only time he really ever uses the amp anymore is when he plays with me, so if I had the amp it would be available to him then anyway. I couldn't turn down an offer like that.

That was Friday night. Saturday I had some time in the afternoon to play a bit and get to know the amp(h) a bit better. The clean tones are nice and warm and, well, clean. A little reverb and I had the ideal tone for the soul/R&B I love so dearly. The amp also took really well to my Digitech GNX-1 which opens up all kinds of tonal possibilities.

Last night my neighbor (bass player) came over to play so I got to put the amp through its paces a bit more. It was such a relief to be able to just focus on playing and not constantly wrestling with a busted amp to get a playable tone for a few measures. Not sure if I will go the Marshall route when I eventually get a new amp of my own, but right now, I really love playing through this one. Been working on dialing in a Keith Richards style tone for Stones' tunes most of this morning so far.