Award Session Amps

[Vincent]

Does anyone have any experience of the Session Stockton amp?? These were made specifically for the Shadows sound.
they are no longer made. In fact Session dont make any amps at all now,partly I guess because of the competitive nature of the market.
I spoke to one of the guys there some time back and he said that in the mind of every player who uses a solid state amp there is the thought "How much better I would sound using an all- valve amp" And i agree,i'ts not always the case. Solid state and modelling in particular, have improved to the point where for many a valve amp is not justifiable.

[Jay Bass]

Does anyone have any experience of the Session Stockton amp?? These were made specifically for the Shadows sound.
they are no longer made. In fact Session dont make any amps at all now,partly I guess because of the competitive nature of the market.
I spoke to one of the guys there some time back and he said that in the mind of every player who uses a solid state amp there is the thought "How much better I would sound using an all- valve amp" And i agree,i'ts not always the case. Solid state and modelling in particular, have improved to the point where for many a valve amp is not justifiable.

Hi Vincent
I Had one of the session Acetone combo's
which was also marketed for the shads sound.
it was a great amp . i also know of a few people actualy fitting ,the session amps into vox Ac 30 cabinets
because they prefer the session amp, but want to look authentic with the vox Ac30.

regards
Jay

[geoff1711]

Hi

I've been using various valve amps for years, but, last year I bought a Fender G-Dec3 30 watt, I play in a duo doing mostly instrumental numbers, not all Shad's by any means, because the G-Dec also stores the backing track against the desired tone I've taken to using that more out of ease than anything else, it has an output to PA and the more I use it and tweak it the better I like it.

Pure Shad's tones maybe not but good sounds never-the-less, light to carry, easy to set up and a good balance guitar to backing tracks, the friend who plays rhythm has been playing through various Peavey Bandits for the 20 years we've played together.

As far as the Session gear is concerned, on the few times I've spoken to Mr. Session (Stewart?) at exhibitions and on the phone he's been so rude I wouldn't use his kit if it was gold plated and he gave it away.

But that's just my take on it

Geoff

[rapidsguitars]

hi vincent, a few years back i had a session stockton, designed for shads tones, the amp gave some close modern shad tones but i could not quite get th full vintage type hank tones, but you are right about stewart some times can seem quite rude and condescending. IAN

[jimuc]

I bought a Stockton about four years ago (Not cheap, around £600 if I remember right).
It came complete with various setting instructions for most Shadows numbers, it was nowhere near "that sound" and that was me using a Q20 with Charlies patches. I eventually traded it in (practically had to give it away) for a Vox AC15 Heritage.
The Stockton amp will not give a vintage Shadows tone on its own
It has now been discontinued, should tell you something
Just my opinion

[dave robinson]

In the eighties I foolishly bought a 75 watt Session 1 x 12" amp because it was light and portable after lugging a Fender Twin Reverb around for fifteen years. It became troublesome after about three years and after several attempts at getting it fixed I traded it for a Mesa Boogie MkIII Simul Class valve amp, fitted with a state of the art Electrovoice speaker.
The Mesa weighed a ton but it sounded terrific and 'right' compared to the character-less Session.
In 1999 getting fed up with the weight of the Boogie, I read all the sales jargon and bought the Session Acetone which was a massive improvement on the previous model I owned, but I found it inconsistent on live gigs with the band, choosing to go back to Vox AC30s and it was then that I realised that I ought to have stuck with the Vox amps for The Shadows sound. The Boogie was terrific but only went so far into the vintage tone that I like, I owned the Vox and Boogie at the same time and compared them and it became obvious that Vox amps and those supposedly 'inferior' Celestion Blue speakers were part of the formula.
I since owned and sold the KCP and Pinnacle which are good amps, but aesthetics kicked in and I am once again happy with the Vox AC30 - it's cost me a fortune to go back to square one - we live and learn.
Conclusion, if you want to sound like The Shadows and are considering a new amp, buy a Vox.

[chippy71]

hi vincent, a few years back i had a session stockton, designed for shads tones, the amp gave some close modern shad tones but i could not quite get th full vintage type hank tones, but you are right about stewart some times can seem quite rude and condescending. IAN

i had a stockton amp a few yrs ago, when it started playin up, channel breaking down etc, stuart didnt want to know, it was rubbish, sold it for peanuts. i do hope he aint trading anymore.
Neil

[neil2726]

Vox maybe still be the way to go after all these years but the after sales service is about as good a Session! They dont want to know!