Best amp for Squire CV Tele

[bigreddog]

Any suggestions for a somewhat small cabinet tube amp for a Squire Classic Vibe Tele? I currently am using a Fender Mustang III modeling amp and i'm not that happy with it.

[Brodie]

If you're looking to stay relatively inexpensive, but great tone, the Blues Jr. sounds pretty great. Worth checking out. Good match for the Squire Tele.

Could try a Vox Cambridge 30...hard to find in a store to sample, but can usually get one lightly used for less than $200 and without making the jump to the AC, it's a great sounding amp.

[bigreddog]

Thanks Brodie. I have heard good things about the Blues Jr.

[muscmp]

you may want to try the reissue 65 and 68 fender princetons.

play music!

[clintj]

Do you like any of the basic amp models in the Mustang, stripped of any effects etc? Do you have a particular sound or style of music you're looking for? I'm partial to the older amps like the Fender tweeds and blackfaces, personally.

[terrapin]

There is NO "best amp" for any guitar. It is all personal taste. Decide who's tone you really like, find out what type amp they use and go from there. Take your guitar to Guitar Center and play as many amps as you can. The Blues Jr. might be a great amp for you, but not if the sound of a Vox or marshall is what you hear in your head.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by bigreddog

Any suggestions for a somewhat small cabinet tube amp for a Squire Classic Vibe Tele? I currently am using a Fender Mustang III modeling amp and i'm not that happy with it...

I kept it in the $200-500 bracket - obviously there's more expensive/powerful stuff out there, but this should get you started:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Tube-Com...300&ipp=50&o=1
http://www.sweetwater.com/c625--Guit...yI5IiwiOCJdfX0

Among my faves in this price range is the Fender Excelsior, especially if you want to carry the Classic Vibe theme to its logical visual/tonal conclusion; I've played Teles through a couple of these and it's an instant tone trip back to 1953 - that 15" speaker really fattens up the low end, and if you swap in a more efficient speaker (the Eminence Legend seems to be the first choice among knowledgeable users) you'll have enough volume to handle smaller gigs with no problem. My top choices, however, would be either of the Bugera combos; the V22 (I own a mildly-modded example) may well be all the amp you need for all but the largest gigs, the V55 will be all the amp you'll ever need, period - and at a far lower price their Fender-branded competition (Blues Junior, Blues Deluxe). Although both provide excellent tone right out of the box, they really shine as mod platforms; something as simple as a good set of tubes (the POS Chinese tubes are the weak link in these amps) and an upgraded speaker turns either of these bargain boxes into a boutique-toned screamer - and at their extremely reasonable prices IMO you almost can't afford not to have one in your stable...

[MBE]

Personally, I love love love the Traynor Dark Horse. Low-wattage, versatile, compact, Canadian-made. Does a great low wattage Blackface Deluxe imitation in the USA plus 6V6 modes.

Alternatively, as a fellow Mustang amp owner and CV owner, I can tell you that running a Mustang through a tube power amp is glorious for 50's - 70's tones. I traded my Mustang III for a Mustang Floor and run it through a Blackstar HT5 micro stack with the 4-cable method. The tube power amp and closed back cabinets add the extra warmth and depth that push the Mustang into truly authentic territory, and I have access through the floorboard to use the Blackstar's awesome dirt channel for anything high-gain.

I've owned a lot of high end tube stuff, and let me tell you, this Mistang Floor plus Blackstar HT5RH rig is as good as anything I've ever used, and cost me around $600 total through kijiji.

[terrapin]

Another thing to keep in mind is reliability! Most low-end (read cheaper) tube amps are made in China using somewhat questionable PCB's and sometimes, components and reliabilty can be a real issue. Just this week I have witnessed one Bugera V22 go up in smoke (that is the third of those I have witnessed die) and a Vox AC15C1 that made a LOUD pop and gave up the ghost to a blown output transformer. The Older Fender Blues Jr's were made in Corona, california and have a good relaibilty record.

Nothing worse than owning an amp that is in the shop all the time! plus, it gets expensive and your inexpensive amp is all of a sudden expensive!

[rburke]

I have been very happy with my VHT Special 6. I replaced the tubes and put in a Warehouse Guitar G10C speaker in it. The speaker has opened up and it's producing some very nice tones. Hand wired board and the cabinet is very well built. As others have mentioned the Blues Jr. is a nice amp. It was just too much for jamming in my house.