15W Home Amp/recording amp

[dmbfan32]

Hey everyone:

I am mainly an acoustic guitarist but got the electric bug about 2 years ago and have been loving it. I am looking to upgrade my amp. I currently use a Vox Valvetronix 40+ (modeling amp). It has worked well but now I want to move into a tube amp. I want to keep it at 15W or so as I mainly just play at the house, the occasional jam with friends, and some recording. I am playing a Les Paul with 57 Humbuckers and also have a Strat (60's re-issue). The style I typically play is mostly 90's grunge/rock (Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Weezer, Social Distortion) but also need a little variability so I can have a good clean channel. I do have a few pedals to go along (TS9, blues driver, etc).

Just wondering what everyone here would recommend. I also want to make sure I do not drive the neighbors or my wife crazy. I have it narrowed down to a few 15W amps. Its difficult with my job to get out to a store and demo them so was hoping to get an opinion vs just trusting YouTube video reviews. Here are the ones I am looking at:

1. Marshall DSL15C: heard there could be an issue getting a clean channel sound. I do like the ability to switch though between 15W and 7.5W.

2. Fender Blues Jr III: heard it has great cleans but just not sure how well it will do getting the grunge punch I will need using my pedals.

3. Vox AC15: I know this is probably the best in the group but worried that it will be much too loud for my use/purposes.

Any help or opinions would be great.

Thanks!

[clintj]

I'm leaning towards the Vox. It has that nice sparkling tone you hear in some of those bands' songs, especially the Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl used that amp's bigger brother (the AC30) for a good number of songs. They have a really nice tone when overdriven, too.

The Orange Tiny Terror is worth a look, too. Tons of attitude when cranked, and switchable between 15 and 7 watts.

Another tip if you're worried about loudness is to look into an attenuator - AKA a power sink. They let you crank an amp into power tube saturation while keeping it at bedroom volume. At 15 watts, you shouldn't need one of the big expensive ones.

[Steve DeRosa]

Bugera V22 - cheaper than the rest ($350-375 street, less on coupon day at GC/MF/Sam Ash), sounds great by itself clean or OD, takes pedals well, runs at 15W in triode mode (as does the Vox AC15) and if you need to you can power it up to 22W pentode for Fender-type cleans (or a loud drummer). I've had one for the last 4 years and I love mine; put some upgrades into it for my own style/tonal tastes (PM me if you're interested in the details) but it's great right out of the box, and I understand the new ones (upgraded speaker, self-monitoring/biasing power tube circuit) are even better. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't at least check one out - IMO there's nothing better dollar-for-dollar in an under-$500 tube amp...

[RGtheMusicGuy]

Just FYI a 15 watt tube amp is going to be pretty darn loud. Personally for around the house I use a Vox Lil'Night Train that pumps a huge 2 watts.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by RGtheMusicGuy

Just FYI a 15 watt tube amp is going to be pretty darn loud. Personally for around the house I use a Vox Lil'Night Train that pumps a huge 2 watts.

+1.

I'd be interested to try the Bugera, as Steve mentioned. It gets great reviews here.

[Jeff Scott]

Swart, perhaps?

I just ordered a STR-Tremolo for my own home use/recording needs. The first time I tried it at the shop I was mighty surprised at just how loud this SE 5 watt amp could get!

If you really need more volume/higher power Swart makes several amps based on his PP design that does around 20 watts or so.

[GSM]

Originally Posted by RGtheMusicGuy

Just FYI a 15 watt tube amp is going to be pretty darn loud. Personally for around the house I use a Vox Lil'Night Train that pumps a huge 2 watts.

+2, my little BlackStar HT-5RS is extremely loud at 5W, but it's also extremely versatile, might be worth a look as well (Even though people aren't considering it to be a true tube amp).

[Davis Webb]

Orange micro terror...all the way. . listen to one...

I don't know the others well.

[GSM]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

Orange micro terror...all the way. . listen to one...

I don't know the others well.

Where do the Orange amps become all-tube? The "Tiny Terror" is all solid-state, right? Then there's the micro, dual, dark... are all these little ones all-tube? What about the OR-15? How is the OR-15 different than one of these little 15W deals?

[clintj]

The Micro Terror is a hybrid - 12AX7 into a solid state power section. Still a good sounding amp with plenty of flexibility and great dirty tones. I think the Tiny Terror is the cheapest all tube amp they make.

[jseth]

You don't really need even 15 watts, to tell the truth... not for the application you describe.

An amp that I have been REALLY impressed with of late is the VHT "Special 6 Ultra"... I think they go for around $400 or so... they don't have reverb or vibrato, but they are truly amazing little amplifiers (and this from a guy who was raised on Fender tube amps in the late-50's and onward...). They get some great overdriven tones, have a variable wattage selector so you can get a "wall of sound" at a low volume, if you want... VHT also makes a Special 12 (?) that has a nice reverb in it... check them out, if you can find one!

[hazmuz]

you may also consider hughes & kettner tubemeister 5 (there's also an 18w version):

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TM5H

[dmbfan32]

Thanks for all the tips. Looks like I have more homework to do!

[44Runner]

First of all I was looking for the same thing. I played them all and it came down to the Fender Blues Jr. and the Vox AC15C1. I ended up getting the Vox. The sound I can get plugged straight into that amp is downright awesome. The Fender was a close second but it just wasn't AS good to my ears.

I wish others had told me what you are being told right now. For what you want 15w is not needed.

I ended up getting a second amp for a "practice" amp and I use it 95% of the time. I got a Bugera V5. Class A tube amp and $200 brand new. It sounds amazing. Built in power attenuator and a headphone jack. You might save yourself hassle and money and start here. I can't recommend this little amp enough. A 5 watt tube amp is actually very loud. I normally have the attenuator on turned down to 1 watt or .1 watt.

[dmbfan32]

So for the attenuator fans, any particar brand/model you are fans of?