Lets talk amps

Long813 · #1 10-29-2012, 03:55 PM

Howdy all,

So, I'm in the look out for a new amp because the one I have is simply to loud for my needs.

I currently have a peavey valveking 112, it's 50W tube that doesn't sound bad, but it's just to loud to really push it to it's limits. I typically keep it at vol 0.5-1 which is very tinny.

I've been looking around, and see a lot of suggestions for modeling amps, which make sense for a bedroom situation. My 'style' is mainly blues, I love a good clean sound and some grit to get a nice bluesy tone out. Classic rock and all is something I venture to as well.

I own a heavily modded epi LP, which does everything one can think of with two humbuckers - it's a modified JPLP harness which just rocks.

So, lets get to it. The amps I have been looking at in the 350$ CAD, maybe get to 500$ to see what is out there

Fender Mustangs I,II,III - heard alot about them on this forum.

Roland Cube xl - Heard that their cleans are amazing and the COSM models are quite good. Headphone plug in would be great, and I read that the 60xl is worth getting simply for the speaker size upgrade.

Blackheart BH15-112 Handsome Devil Series 15W - Saw this used in my area for 300$, Looks to be the same price as the valveking new. 15W is a lot of power, but maybe they still sound good at lower volumes? It also have a 7W switch, which from reading about the x/y 'attenuators', aren't that good. They aren't actually attenuators, but limit the power to the tubes, changing the operating region from triode to penthode, which people tend not to like.

Blackheart Killer Ant BH1H - 1W, it's a hybrid, which I haven't really worked with to much. It would need a eq pedal to work out the kinks of having no parameters to dial. Also, it would need a cab.

Peavey VYPYR - Hear a bit about this one too. Nothing more to say on that.

What about Vox's and other Fenders? ... Hmm, also why did I make this thread? Oh yeah, if anyone has any personal experiences, or suggestions for other models/brands to look at that would be great. I do need to go back to the shop and test out models, but having a list of things to check out will help me determine which shop to go to.

Cheers,

williejohnson · #2 10-29-2012, 04:33 PM

I have used Mesa Boogie's and Fender tube amps my whole life (my point of refernece.) Several years ago, I bought an Egnater Rebel 30 and after several years of experience with that amp I can honestly say that it is the most versitile/all around best sounding amp I have ever owned. You can dial the power in from anywhere between 2 watts to 30 watts. You can also dial in any combination (as much or as little as you want) of a mix between EL 84's and 6V6 tubes. The overdrive channel is awesome and it can get as clean as a Fender amp or as dirty as you want. The reverb section is also great. I would highly recommend that you go try one out. You can probably find one (used) in your price range.

Long813 · #3 10-29-2012, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by williejohnson

I have used Mesa Boogie's and Fender tube amps my whole life (my point of refernece.) Several years ago, I bought an Egnater Rebel 30 and after several years of experience with that amp I can honestly say that it is the most versitile/all around best sounding amp I have ever owned. You can dial the power in from anywhere between 2 watts to 30 watts. You can also dial in any combination (as much or as little as you want) of a mix between EL 84's and 6V6 tubes. The overdrive channel is awesome and it can get as clean as a Fender amp or as dirty as you want. The reverb section is also great. I would highly recommend that you go try one out. You can probably find one (used) in your price range.

Thanks for the response! It's a brand I have no heard before! I can say, being where I am, I'm quite sheltered in terms of amps. The typically Fender,Marshal, Mesa seem to flood the stores and that's it.

clintj · #4 10-29-2012, 09:34 PM

I had the same situation as you. My main amp is a Fender HR Deluxe. Nice amp, but really LOUD! I also play similar music as you, on an Epi LP with completely replaced electronics (pots, caps, switch, jack with fifties wiring). I tried a few of the ones you mentioned, and picked up a Fender Mustang I for a bedroom/practice amp. The amp modeling is very good, and a pretty good selection of effects pedal types are modeled as well. The Mustang I was perfect for my needs; I just leave it plugged it into the computer to adjust the effects and amp and then save it to a preset. I got really close to the sound Fogerty used on Born on the Bayou with just a few minutes of playing around. A little more playing got me an excellent sound for playing Barracuda.

The Fender FUSE software is first rate, just a heads up that it will not run on a Linux based system. It is like having the pedals right at your fingertips, much more user friendly than a lot of the multi-effects pedals. The Mustang II is the same, with a 12" speaker and a little more power. You may notice a little less bass with an 8", or you may not. The Mustang III gets you a lot more power, better speaker, and a very nice LCD screen that gives you access to everything the amp can do without having to plug it in to a computer.
Another idea, especially if you have any effects pedals, would be a Fender Champ, or a Marshall Class 5. True Class A tube power, and probably within your budget, especially used. A power soak is another option, but very pricey when you get up to 50 watts or higher. It will let you saturate the power tubes in your amp without shaking things off the walls, though. Hope this helps!

LazyBrian · #5 10-30-2012, 04:57 AM

Check out the Fender SuperChamp X2 -- it is a 15-watt tube amp with digital effects built right in. I use it to practice and I can turn it down low enough not to annoy my family and it still sounds good.

Crash · #6 10-30-2012, 06:34 AM

Egnater is a good suggestion. I picked up an Egnater Tweaker 15W earlier this year and I love it. It sounds great and with all of knobs and switches you can get a wide variety of sounds.

I also got it because the volume control seems very linear to me. A lot of other amps have volume knobs that go from silent to very loud with very little movement but with the Egnater I can keep the volume at a quiet level with some good tone.

clintj · #7 10-30-2012, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crash

I also got it because the volume control seems very linear to me. A lot of other amps have volume knobs that go from silent to very loud with very little movement but with the Egnater I can keep the volume at a quiet level with some good tone.

For some reason, Fender specified an audio taper pot for the clean volume and a linear for the master volume on my HR Deluxe. End result is that the clean volume is very usable and smooth, while the master is extremely touchy. I've never had it above 2, it starts making things rattle in the room. Still wondering why they did that, and I am probably going to swap it with an audio one one day to see if that will mellow it out.

Clifton · #8 10-30-2012, 10:23 AM

I might be snobby, but I just cant get a tone I enjoy out of a solid state amp. I currently own a Fender Blues Jr and a Mesa Lonestar Special. The Fender is 15W, but it has a master volume so I can cook the tubes, while still keeping the volume at a reasonable level. The Lonestar Special gives me the choice of 5/15/30 Watts and 2 Channels. The amp also has a master volume. I can crank it at 5W to get full tube saturation, but still keep that master volume low enough to keep the paint on the walls.

I want to be able to love a solid state practice amp for home use, but if I am uninspired to turn the amp on, then Im just not going to want to play.

ako · #9 10-30-2012, 10:49 AM

I just picked up a Vox pathfinder 15R. 15W with spring reverb and tremolo built in. I'm mainly an acoustic guy, but it sounds awesome...and from what I've seen there are many who feel the same. It's solid state, but I think it sounds really good (cleans are really, really nice) for $120. It also has a "Boost" button which allows for a more gritty sound (though it's NOT an overdrive button.)

Not to mention the Beatles used Vox amps. Just saying.

Relix · #10 10-30-2012, 12:47 PM

I just got a Bugera V5 which I really like. It has an attenuator which allows you to select 5w, 1w or .25w. It is very loud at 5w. Very nice sounding and it's a tube amp.

I started out with a Mustang, but since I am new to electric I wanted to learn how to manipulate an amp to get different sounds rather than rely on the modeling pre-sets. The sound of the V5 is very rich and much warmer than the Mustang. I got it from Musicians Friend for $179.

pitner · #11 10-30-2012, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clifton

I might be snobby, but I just cant get a tone I enjoy out of a solid state amp. I currently own a Fender Blues Jr and a Mesa Lonestar Special. The Fender is 15W, but it has a master volume so I can cook the tubes, while still keeping the volume at a reasonable level. The Lonestar Special gives me the choice of 5/15/30 Watts and 2 Channels. The amp also has a master volume. I can crank it at 5W to get full tube saturation, but still keep that master volume low enough to keep the paint on the walls.

I want to be able to love a solid state practice amp for home use, but if I am uninspired to turn the amp on, then Im just not going to want to play.

I am similar to you in amps and mind set except my more powerful amp is a Guytron 40 watt same kinda output settings. For the cheaper solution the Fender Blues Jr is not too bad for the money. Tone wise it can't get close to my Guytron but it was way less money so that has to be taken into consideration. Solid state amps are good for acoustic and real pristine clean tones but for most electric players tubes are better.

Acoustic_Stevo · #12 10-30-2012, 01:14 PM

I've got the Fender Mustang I, which is good, but with hindsight I wish I had spent a little more and got the Fender SuperChamp X2.

ddeand · #13 10-30-2012, 01:40 PM

Your search is exactly like the one I was on earlier this year, and I have owned a few of the amps you are looking at. I'll give a some of my opinions (heavy on the opinion) and maybe that will help you a bit.

First, the Roland Cube amps - I think that they are one of the best "Swiss Army Knife" amps around. They have a ton of on-board sounds and they do get a pretty decent sound for an electric. I have a close friend who is an excellent guitar player (both acoustic and electric), and that's what he uses at home. But I think he make a tin can on a tight string sound good. For straight electric playing, personally, I would go for a small tube amp

Blackheart Killer Ant - I thought this was one of the coolest little amps that I had ever seen. It sounded good through a 10-inch speaker and was OK at very low volumes. But it was a one-trick pony - all it wanted to do was grind away. In essence, it acted more as a powerful overdrive pedal than a balanced amp. If you wanted to turn it up at all, it started to break up and distort (not in a bad way, though). I decided I needed a more balanced amp, so I sold it.

Here's what I ended up getting after trying the above amps and a Bugera V5 (which was a very, very good amp). I finally settled on the VHT Special 6, a 6 watt amp that can be switched to cut the power to about 2 watts. The reason I chose this over the Bugera V5 was because it is different from most low cost tube amps in that it is totally point-to-point hand wired (in China, of course). Most less expensive tube amps use a PCB (which is fine, but perhaps a bit more difficult to mod - at least for me). Any of the inexpensive tube amps will generally sound better with better tubes, and that made a huge difference in my amp. The Special 6 pretty much gets the Blackface Fender Princeton sound, only at less volume. It might be one that you could check out. VHT also has a Special 6 Ultra that has more bells and whistles, and it has gotten good reviews, too.

Anyway, good luck with your search!

Dean

Alexrkstr · #14 10-30-2012, 05:23 PM

Fender Blues Jr III if you can find a used one for $350-400 do it.

I love the Vox Lil Night Train that I have, the big brother is the Vox Night Train (7 and 15 Watts). This is my main practice amp. Easy to use, easily modifiable, I have an upgraded NOS tube on the pream to have more headroom and get cleaner sounds. Push it to the thick channel and it rocks. I go through a 1x12 Vox cab, open back, greenback speaker. I've played through a Mesa 1x12 with higher power rating and it sounds cleaner (but it was closed back).

Lastly, if you can get your hands on the new Vox AC4, check it out. I had the old version that was 4, 1, or 1/4 watts in power and I really liked it but I sold it to get the Lil Night Train (I prefer having two channels - more headroom).

Don't waste your money on modeling technology, unless you play metal then it makes little difference.

royd · #15 10-30-2012, 06:28 PM

remember that volume is a function of multiple factors, not just wattage. Also, doubling the wattage, all other things being equal (which they almost never are), only increases the volume by 3db. To double the db's you have to increase the wattage 10X. So to cut the volume of your 40 watt amp in half, you have to go down to 4 watts - all else being equal (which they almost never are). I think a 15 watt tube amp is too much for a bedroom amp.

Just because of the way they work, a tube amp of a given wattage will almost always be louder than a solid state amp of the same wattage, usually significantly so. For example, a 50 watt Marshall vs. a 200 watt ZT... the marshall will rip your head off while the ZT may be pleasantly loud through the same speaker cab. So, a typical single ended tube amp (one power tube) of 4-13 watts could be really loud for a "bedroom" amp. The efficiency of the speaker cab, the kind of tone controls, and the way the amp distorts have a great deal to do with how loud it will be.

That said, there are some great tube amps in the 4-13 watt category. The VHT special that was mentioned is one. There are tons built by the boutique companies although they are mostly out of your price range. If you can find a silverface Fender Champ in your price range, they are great amps. Because the speaker is a crappy 8 incher, they aren't that loud but if you put the guts in a bigger cab with a good 12 inch, they can hang with a band that isn't too loud. For the boutiques, I like the Emery a lot.