5 watts or less tube amp.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by flagstaffcharli

...Any thoughts on this one? This is something I've never heard of: Panama Conquerer

FYI 41 lbs. is real hefty for a 5-watter (you're in Deluxe/Vibrolux Reverb/Blues-HR Deluxe/AC15 territory here ) - I've got an all-original '64 Ampeg, triple the wattage/half the weight/sounds heavenly - so if you're buying, I hope for your sake all that bulk is composed of transformer iron and not simply wood cabinetry...

[The Growler]

Originally Posted by blue

The Lil Night Train is an UNREAL amp. The problem is it was such a hit they tried to make a bigger one. Blech!

The Lil Night Train is still a bargain on the used market. Just be prepared for a possible wait to find one. The matching cab is great too.

Great amp.

It's a great set up.

[canerod]

Originally Posted by flagstaffcharli

You guys are going off on some tangents.

But I did too. I bought the Vintage 47. It's a 12 watt, and it has a very retro pre-60's jazz/blues tone. I mentioned that I am doing the Jamey Aebersold Jazz series instructionals, and this will match up pretty well with my ES-335! It cost me about the same as a used Champ. Nice tweed cabinet!

I have another instrument for sale locally. I'll probably still pick up a Swart 5W or older Fender Champ at some point.

I suppose everyone has a different idea of good tone and good fun. I have played enough small tube amps to know that 5w plus 8" speaker can sound great and work at home. That's what I want to have here.

Thanks!

Which model Vintage 47 did you get?

[Steely Glen]

Originally Posted by DukeX

Out of my three low watt tube amps, my favorite for my ES 335 is the Vox AC4HW1. Nice clean tones and awesome overdrive. Bedroom friendly volume. Perfect marriage of guit and amp IMO.

I had one of these too with an upgraded Warehouse speaker and Mercury Magnetics iron and I still couldn't bond with it. Yes, it was light years better than the little AC4 but it still didn't sound very good to my ears. Plenty loud, for sure, but seemed to fall short in both the clean chime and the driven crunch, what I look for in a Vox amp. And it felt too compressed, I think due to the cabinet size being small(er) than an AC15/30. YMMV, of course.

I think I'm at the point where I've learned that 80% of an amp's tone is in the cabinet and for me personally, I don't like small cabinetry. I'd prefer a Vox Lil' Night Train or Mesa/Boogie TA-15 into a proper, quality 112 or 212 cab for Voxy low-watt bedroom playing.

[Herb Hunter]

A friend who used to play in a band I formed in high school and whom I haven’t seen in 46 years (we had recently reconnected via the internet) gave me an amplifier he made for me when I expressed frustration in trying to find a good amp with no more than 1/10 of a watt output that didn’t cost $1,000 or more.

Using the Vox AC4 design as a starting point, he designed it for my purposes with a 1/8 watt output, the amp works very well as a bedroom amp. It is still a bit loud through my JBL K-120 (101 dB) but works well with the 10” Veteran speaker from Warehouse Guitar Speaker which is less efficient (93.84 dB) and therefore not as loud.

[blue]

Originally Posted by Steely Glen

I'd prefer a Vox Lil' Night Train or Mesa/Boogie TA-15 into a proper, quality 112 or 212 cab for Voxy low-watt bedroom playing.

I disagree with the idea of the AC4 (AC4C1 in my case) being a bad amp. It's a phenomenal $200 amp. I enjoy it as much as my silverface champ after a lengthy break-in of the stock speaker.

However being someone who foolishly parted with a Lil' Night Train in the past, and whose main amp is currently a Boogie TA-15, the last sentence you wrote works for me

The TA-15 is childs-play to dial in, despite having all kinds of options and gee-gaws on the front panel. Not terribly expensive for a full on Boogie either. $700 to $800 is easily achieved. The only downside is no effects loop. That doesn't bother me as my black and silver fenders don't have them either.

[flagstaffcharli]

Originally Posted by canerod

Which model Vintage 47 did you get?

It's the same Valco circuit Vintage 47 uses for their Ric Supreme amp. It's the Dobro model (tweed) that they aren't currently offering. 12 watts. 10" speaker. The tubes were upgraded, so I didn't get the original tubes which were (I think) JJ's.

I'm not knowledgeable about tubes. I just have to go by my ears. But now I think I'm going to spend a little time and energy learning what makes a tube amp tick.

As I said, the crunch on this comes at too loud a volume for home use. But oh my, what a glorious, creamy vintage crunchit has! Like those old, old Chicago blues records. The clean sound on my 335 is awesome. A lot more character than my PRRI.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by Steely Glen

I had one of these too with an upgraded Warehouse speaker and Mercury Magnetics iron and I still couldn't bond with it. Yes, it was light years better than the little AC4 but it still didn't sound very good to my ears. Plenty loud, for sure, but seemed to fall short in both the clean chime and the driven crunch, what I look for in a Vox amp. And it felt too compressed, I think due to the cabinet size being small(er) than an AC15/30. YMMV, of course.

I think I'm at the point where I've learned that 80% of an amp's tone is in the cabinet and for me personally, I don't like small cabinetry. I'd prefer a Vox Lil' Night Train or Mesa/Boogie TA-15 into a proper, quality 112 or 212 cab for Voxy low-watt bedroom playing.

Fair enough, they are not for everybody, but a lot of us love them, and I wouldn't expect it to sound like an AC30.

BTW, I have a 4x10 cab setup with Webers (10A125, 10F150, Blue Pup, Silver 10), and I can play any two speakers at once, so no boxyness there.

And while I agree with you on the limited clean chime, IMO this amp has more than enough overdrive.

Finally, it is a perfect grab-and-go amp for jam sessions with the bros. Try that with an AC15.

[flagstaffcharli]

Originally Posted by Herb Hunter

A friend who used to play in a band I formed in high school and whom I haven’t seen in 46 years (we had recently reconnected via the internet) gave me an amplifier he made for me when I expressed frustration in trying to find a good amp with no more than 1/10 of a watt output that didn’t cost $1,000 or more.

Using the Vox AC4 design as a starting point, he designed it for my purposes with a 1/8 watt output, the amp works very well as a bedroom amp. It is still a bit loud through my JBL K-120 (101 dB) but works well with the 10” Veteran speaker from Warehouse Guitar Speaker which is less efficient (93.84 dB) and therefore not as loud.

That looks really cool.

I picked up a Gibson Goldtone GA-5 Les Paul Jr. with a Jensen CR8 installed. The amp has good clean tone, and dimed it screams. But it doesn't get much growl until it is way too loud. I needed to put it behind a closed door to play it dimed. It will be a useful amp, but I'll need to use a pedal with it at home.

I think something like your little amp might be the right solution.

[Song]

Very cool Herb!

[Puerto Player]

I have a PRX150 Aracom Attenuator. That's what you need. Crank your amp and attenuate the volume to any volume you want. You get all the tone and it works on all amps. Adjustable input and output ohms too, so no amp damage.

[jomaynor]

Originally Posted by ManyMartinMan

Here's one that was good enough for Hendrix. He used his in the studio for a dirty sound and mic'd it. It may be well below your living room style or appearance and it's not tube but at under $100 it does a lot. I see you also added combo so this is not a combo. BUT so many people are looking to spend hundreds of dollars for an amp and these have been around for decades essentially unchanged.

Hendrix was dead before these things came on the market in the early '70s.

Frank Zappa, however, DID use a Pignose in the studio for some of his recordings. And unlike his creative solos, his tone with these mini-amps was terrible.

[Steel and wood]

Originally Posted by themissal

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.

Yes, this would be my choice. (Just go easy on the volume would be my advice).

[blue]

Originally Posted by jomaynor

Hendrix was dead before these things came on the market in the early '70s.

Frank Zappa, however, DID use a Pignose in the studio for some of his recordings. And unlike his creative solos, his tone with these mini-amps was terrible.

They are important as they were the first viable battery powered amp. But this or a cube? No contest. Frank used it because it did sound like crap!

One more "texture" nobody else was using on record to weave into his sonic tapestry.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by blue

They are important as they were the first viable battery powered amp. But this or a cube? No contest. Frank used it because it did sound like crap!

One more "texture" nobody else was using on record to weave into his sonic tapestry.

Yup, Zappa was one to look for different timbres and embrace them. One thing the Pignose was good for was that raspy sound, not "sweet tone" by any means, but a sweet mean tone. I liked it then.

Here's an example of him using one live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q0nImsfMvE

I had one in my live setup during my punk years. I can remember one gig were the guy doing sound rushed up after the first song and to say "you need to turn it down, you're getting all kinds of speaker cone breakup."

Little did he know that was the point.