PSA: Little amp, big power, all-tube, stupid-low price...

[Steve DeRosa]

For all you guitar-cable-amp, old-school-tone guys/gals:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/1642RT
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/1742

A suitcase nuke if there ever was one - and if I didn't already have a top-panel '64 Ampeg Rocket and Bugera V22 I'd be ordering one right now...

[blue]

Interesting concept. A "head", with a built in 10 inch speaker for practice, and a cab with a 12.

If the the "head" had a 12 (or a 15! How cool would that be!), and the cab had 2x12, I'd be very interested!

Not pooping on it. It is very cool, and the price is more than fair! Not to mention it's a real looker!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by blue

...If the the "head" had a 12 or a 15! How cool would that be!...

Here ya go:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/1668RT
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/1675RT

Twice the price...

[maxtheaxe]

Wow...very tempting. These new Supro reissues are pretty highly regarded. I understand they took pains to re-create the originals (which were kinda B-squad amps back in the day, compared to Fender...not too expensive). Grab your Tele and dive into Led Zeppelin I & II with this!

Interesting that they decided to use a 10" speaker...and it doesn't say who made it, just, "special design" and "hemp cone".

Also, I didn't see an extension spkr jack on the back...? If it has one, I have a nice little 1x12 Avatar 'Vintage' cab with a Celestion V30 that would work great with this.

Oh man...I just remembered that I have a Sweetwater card...$16.65 a month, no interest on this...I spend more on nuts to munch on at work! Dang it you guys...I already have 4 amps!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by maxtheaxe

Wow...very tempting. These new Supro reissues are pretty highly regarded...Grab your Tele and dive into Led Zeppelin I & II with this!

Interesting that they decided to use a 10" speaker...and it doesn't say who made it, just, "special design" and "hemp cone".

Also, I didn't see an extension spkr jack on the back...? If it has one...

Oh man...I just remembered that I have a Sweetwater card...$16.65 a month, no interest on this...Dang it you guys...I already have 4 amps!

In order:

• This one's not a Zep amp (FYI they've got one of those in the lineup, too) but if you've got a Tele you might want to pull out all your James Burton licks - and it probably sounds killer with a Gretsch...
• Eminence makes their speakers - I'm thinking this one is a proprietary variation on the Lil' Buddy 10", possibly with a heavier magnet structure/voice coil for greater power handling...
• Speaker/trem-verb pedal jacks are on the underside of the chassis - and Supro makes a dedicated 1x12" extension ($299 @ Sweetwater)...
• I have ten, including a couple that cover the same ground - that's the only reason I'm not buying one...

Post a review with pictures when it arrives, Max...

[Tomm Williams]

That's a killer price on a new Supro. I had one of the new 1624's which I liked a great deal but traded it for a '66 Guild Thunderbass head and cab with JBL D140's. Since then I acquired a '65 Thunderbolt, I love Supros.

[blue]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Here ya go:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/1668RT
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/1675RT

Twice the price...

Now I'm really confused! So they know they need to move more air, but they made a 10 inch anyway?

That 15 is really intriguing. I don't need it as I have a showman I run through a 15, but it looks like a killer combo!

[maxtheaxe]

OK, I ordered it. Should be right in my wheelhouse...50 watt class A designed for lots of clean headroom is just what you need for pedals, or in my case, a POD.

Thanks for the info on the external jacks on the chassis...my Avatar 1x12 cab will be perfect for this.

As I suspected, the speaker is made by Eminence, which is pretty good, though I've never heard their hemp-cone offerings. Coupled with the 12" Celestion V30, should give me a nice broad spectrum.

I really did not need this...but what's that got to do with it?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by blue

Now I'm really confused! So they know they need to move more air, but they made a 10 inch anyway?

I think the post immediately following yours explains some of the rationale:

Originally Posted by maxtheaxe

...50 watts class-A designed for lots of clean headroom is just what you need for pedals...

- or for tighter quarters in an orchestra pit, or for small-club jazz when you've got a dark-sounding instrument, or for rockabilly when you don't have the trunk space/biceps to haul a Super Reverb or tweed Bassman - or, in the spirit of Randall Smith's original "Princeton Boost" mod that set the stage for the legendary Mesa Boogie, simply to shock the living crap out of people when you walk in with this tiny box and proceed to bring down the ceiling plaster...

[blue]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

I think the post immediately following yours explains some of the rationale:

I must be missing it. I dig a powerful clean amp. I've got a showman and Bandmaster. It's the 10 inch speaker I don't get. They make two other models apparently with adequate speakers. If they didn't, while I still wouldn't understand the "why", I could accept the reality.

I have a 1x12 cab with a vintage 30 in it, so I'm used to running power through a single 12 incher (the 30 is rated for 60 watts. Much like the 10 inch speaker in this amp, I don't get the nomenclature choice of calling "30" either)

But 50 watts through a 10 incher? Kind of like Robin Williams' genie in the animated Aladdin

[maxtheaxe]

It's been quite a while, but I've played through some killer 10" guitar speakers and I actually used to prefer them over 12s or 15s. I think the ones I liked were JBLs.

The 10" in this Supro has an oversize ceramic magnet so should handle that 50 watts just fine, plus it should contribute to nice tight bass frequencies...might sort of contrast/compensate for the somewhat looser feel of the Celestion V30 in my Avatar cab.

The fun of coming into a gig with a little tiny 'secret weapon' box is something I enjoy at each gig I play. My current go-to is a Tubeworks TD-752 1x12 combo, no bigger than one of those old Ibanez Tone-Blaster combos, but it is every bit of 100 watts rms (I actually have 2 of them...one at home and one at rehearsal studio). I have never turned it up all the way...it just isn't possible...very real risk of permanent hearing damage, and by it's nature, its ALL clean headroom, loves pedals, modeling preamps, what-have-you. Also, it weighs in at 25lbs...nice to have if you're north of 60 with bad knees.

I can't wait to see how the Supro stacks up against it...I'll be very impressed if it measures up.

[blue]

Originally Posted by maxtheaxe

It's been quite a while, but I've played through some killer 10" guitar speakers and I actually used to prefer them over 12s or 15s. I think the ones I liked were JBLs.

It all comes down to preference. I've owned an open 4x10 and closed and open 2x12s. Always prefered the 2x12s. The closed back in particular. In fact I own no open back cabs anymore, and since all my larger than 10 watt amps are heads, I never play through an open back anymore.

[Steve DeRosa]

For those about to rock, another Black(star) Friday amp deal from the gang at Sweetwater:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HTSTUD20C

Swap in a good set of NOS Soviet mil-spec tubes and an Eminence Wizard speaker (~103dB sensitivity) and be prepared to kick some Vox/Marshall/Laney arse...

[KevWind]

So I just ordered the Supro.....Thanks Steve


I have been looking for a while now to get into electric which I haven't played since about 68 or 69 and only briefly then.

After researching all day on Supro I decided this closeout deal was just to good to pass up.

I was originally thinking about the little 5 wt. tube Bugera, but interestingly enough I had since the day before yesterday been looking hard at some Blackstar offerings as well. Including the one Steve mentions above and also these two discontinued units (links below) that are on sale. I was really close to ordering one of these two amps, but then saw this thread and something perhaps just pure gut feeling, moved me to pony up more $ for the Supro

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Blackstar-HT....MBE%26ao%3D1%

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Blacksta.../142179759679?

I had originally started looking for a practice amp only and will still get one with headphone capability but now instead of the little tube Bugera I was considering I will probably get a solid state unit with some modeling, perhaps something like this
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/IDCORE20

The funny thing is I have not yet bought an electric guitar but I am fairly certain will be set to go and happy when I do

[blue]

Originally Posted by KevWind

The funny thing is I have not yet bought an electric guitar but I am fairly certain will be set to go and happy when I do

You jump when the right opportunity presents itself, and despite my feelings on the speaker, I did state in my first post that it is very cool, and a bargain. Have you seen the epiphone ES 175 thread? You might want to think about rolling the dice on that as an acoustic player dipping your toe in.

As to the amp you bought, you'll know when you need an extension cab. And that may be never! Buying the best amp you can (which you most certainly did!) and an okay guitar is always the best plan in the minds of many, if not most, folks who have played a long time.

You done good.