5 watts or less tube amp.
 

I have a PRRI and I like it very much. But I can't crank it at home.

I sold a guitar so I could by a nice tube amp for the living room to use with my new (to me) 335.

Swart, old Fender Champ, or what? I can play clean through the PRRI, so I'm looking for something that will rumble and growl at relatively low volumes. Any and all recommendations are welcome. I should be able to try quite a few locally, though I don't think any Swart dealers are in Portland.

I wouldn't know where to begin. But the search for the tone you want should be fun and informative. I hope this helps:
https://reverb.com/marketplace/amps/...combos?query=5

Be advised, 5 watts--heck, even 1 watt--can be loud enough to get the cops called on you, depending on where you live. I was blasting my 5W Blackstar HT-5R today and it was getting pretty intense.

I like my Blackstar 5R.

My low-watt rig:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/V5Infinium
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/V5PC
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/820H
http://www.thetubestore.com/Shop-by-...remium-Package (15% off sale in progress until 6/30)

Available at any GC, and proof positive you don't need to spend $1K for boutique tone...

My low watt amp is a Vox Lil Night Train. I run it through an Egnater cab. Lots of fun.

A few ways to go:
- amp with master volume: you can get the preamp running hot.
- 1 watt, or much less, for power amp to run hot too.
- power soak between your amp and speaker
- good dirt pedal in front of your current amp

Ones I have tried/owned or liked-
VHT special 6 ultra
Blackstar HT
Both can be found used for less than $300.
If vintage is your bag then Champs and Princetons are great.
Finally I would recommend a Katana 50 if you are willing to go modelling. They are awesome amps that help solve the volume prob.

Fender Blues Junior is 10w I think. I bought one. I replaced the reverb tank with an aftermarket.

It's incredible. Now I have a dumb Line6 and Mustang hanging around unused.

If you can't crank your Princeton, you probably won't be able to crank a 5-watt amp, either. There's not much difference in volume between 5 watts and 15 watts - the power/volume scale says that any doubling of power results in just a 3db increase in volume. For reference, I have both a PRRI and a Vibro Champ - the Champ sits right on top of the Princeton. Their volumes are very similar. And the Champ does growl at relatively low volumes, but that's due to its circuit, not its power output.

Love my Blackstar...and you can use headphones with it.

I would choose the Carr Raleigh (3w, EL84):

http://www.carramps.com/sites/defaul...?itok=iNbODsMs

Or the Jackson Ampworks McFly (6V6, can power scale down to a fraction of a watt):

https://reverb-res.cloudinary.com/im...azlbaay5qy.jpg

You've got the iconic 335 and probably dropped north of $2K to make it yours. Don't short yourself by amplifying it through a mass-produced $300 amp. Get something made with pride and with exceptional attention to detail. Portland should have plenty of venues for you to demo boutique and/or high-end kit.

Some of the most iconic sounds in music history were made with 335's through mass-produced amps - still are... :guitar:

Advances in production methodology, coupled with outsourcing, have made high-quality items at realistic prices possible (how much did you pay for that 55" LCD TV?)... :up:

As the owners of MIK Gretsch Electromatics, Eastman archtops, Recording King/Blueridge/Pono acoustics, low/midprice Yamahas, MIJ '80s Fender/Squiers, Martin 15-Series, Larrivee -03/-04, lawsuit-era Ibanez/Tama/Takamine, or just about anything from the Godin factory will attest, top-shelf tone doesn't need to cost an arm, a leg, and a few other vital appendages... :eek:

When it comes to labels vs. tone, I'll take tone every time - and if I can save a few bucks in the bargain so much the better... :cool:

Hey I am in Portland, OR too.

I am currently borrowing a VHT 12/20 from a friend. Pretty cool amp, will accept 6v6's or EL84's and run at 12 watts, and 6L6's or EL34's to run at 20 watts. They say it is voiced after a Princeton but with a bit more mids. There is also a pentode/triode knob that cuts the wattage in half, and a power scaling dial to reduce it further. So pretty versatile. Might be worth checking out, I think Portland Music Co carries them.

Anton

I'll acknowledge that I probably can't win a blindfold test 100% of the time between boutique stuff and some of the items in the bargain bin at Guitar Center. But for me, that's not the point. I don't care about what musician uses what kit to achieve their tone. And I'm not out to save a buck. I care about what sounds (and feels) right to me. Personally, I like things crafted by artisans so whenever possible, I go for that, even if it costs me more (often a lot more). YMMV and that's fine too.