This little 1/2 watt Made in USA tube amp is interesting

[KevWind]

So this is a 1/2 watt all tube amp. Hand wired point to point for $369
What say you ?

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by KevWind

So this is a 1/2 watt all tube amp. Hand wired point to point for $369
What say you ?

I say it sounds really good and I generally don't like these small amps. The gain side really took me by surprise and I thought the mid switch was cool!

[joeappel]

That is super cool. And a really good price, too. About the closest thing to it that I can think of is the Silktone Micronaut, which is $600+ more.

[jaywalker]

Impressive sounds! I always liked the idea of these little amps but yet to find an example that is actually suitable for "midnight recording". I suspect such an example doesn't exist, but that won't quiet the marketing team

[Mbroady]

Sounds Sweet. And for the price you can't go wrong.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by jaywalker

Impressive sounds! I always liked the idea of these little amps but yet to find an example that is actually suitable for "midnight recording". I suspect such an example doesn't exist, but that won't quiet the marketing team

The Bugera V5 at less than 3 bills gets a lot of great reviews and has an attenuator switch that can be set as low as 1/10th watt.

Unboxing a Bugera V5, and demo of 5 watt, 1 watt, and 1/10th watt attenuator settings

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

The Bugera V5 at less than 3 bills gets a lot of great reviews and has an attenuator switch that can be set as low as 1/10th watt.

Unboxing a Bugera V5, and demo of 5 watt, 1 watt, and 1/10th watt attenuator settings

I've played through a few Bugera V5s and none of them sounded near as good as that little amp in the demo. They sounded good, but none of the gain on tap of the little one in the video. And it's not just gain, it's good sounding output tube gain.

[abn556]

I might be interested in that. I have been burned so many times buying small amps or modelers off of Youtube videos though. Its so hard to tell if they actually sound good. For that price though, I might just take a chance on it.

+

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

I've played through a few Bugera V5s and none of them sounded near as good as that little amp in the demo. They sounded good, but none of the gain on tap of the little one in the video. And it's not just gain, it's good sounding output tube gain.

At one time I was considering the Bugera G5 Head and Mr Gallager gave it a glowing review, but there are also a number of mixed reviews on both Amazon and Sweetwater.
I know Steve is big fan with tube swap and many others really like them-- .
That said : In my current situation a Head Phone silent mode is a must and why I was considering the G5. BUT it now looks like we will be building a new place, and I will be getting a dedicated (detached) studio, so silent mode will no longer be a deal breaker requirement ....

So I have to admit this one in the Red version is intriguing especially for practice and recording (given I do not gig anymore ) . Plus I already have a REVV D20 with an HP silent option, but have found I do not really use any of the DSP emulation features of it's hybrid operation feature like I thought I would,(which are arguably as good as any simulations out there) So I may sell it and just get a nice simple straight 20 watt tube amp (something like the Port City Amps - Marino Head) to fill out my Wet/Dry rig requirements .

[nostatic]

Everybody has their own boundaries and preferences, but I'd buy this in a heartbeat over any hencho-en-China amp assuming I wanted a low volume solution. The way I cover the low-volume thing is with a Milkman Half Pint which is a 5W amp with power scaling. Expensive, but I've exchanged emails with the guy who builds them one at a time in a shop a couple hundred miles from me. I'm willing to pay for that relationship. Totally ymmv.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

I've played through a few Bugera V5's and none of them sounded near as good as that little amp in the demo. They sounded good, but none of the gain on tap of the little one in the video. And it's not just gain, it's good sounding output tube gain.

Originally Posted by nostatic

Everybody has their own boundaries and preferences, but I'd buy this in a heartbeat over any hecho-en-China amp assuming I wanted a low volume solution...

I'm a major fan of the Bugera V-Series - I own a V5 combo, as well as the big-brother V22 - and I concur...

However, the V-Series amps were never intended to have massive gain: they were always more of a vintage-style tone in both concept and execution - blues to crunch rhythm to classic rock. If you're looking for something more appropriate for heavier styles there's the current G-Series heads, as well as several discontinued models, and with a bit of tube-swapping - made easier/less expensive with the self-biasing Infinium circuitry - the current T50 big-gig cage head (their take on the discontinued Vox Night Train, with a few welcome upgrades) with its four-stage preamp will get you within striking distance...

Made in China, yeah - but more than likely so are most of the goods you use day-to-day including your clothing, linens, small appliances, home audio/video, cellphone, stompboxes, a guitar or two, and the computer you're using to read this post...

That said, if you're after a scalable low-power package that'll also bring real useable headroom to the table, at a price that won't break the bank, check out one of these:



https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...ss-a-tube-head

I'll say right up front that it's coming from a very different place than the Dark Gene - more Hiwatt grunt-&-roar than Marshall edge/snarl in its gain structure and overall response - and while it'll do the bedroom-practice thing (there's a headphone out if even the 0.1W setting is too much for your S.O./neighbors/kids/cat/local constabulary at 3 AM) this baby has some serious punch, such that it'll hang with a tasteful drummer in a small- to mid-size setting with the Phat control engaged and a high-efficiency cab; not a bad set of credentials for any pocket head IMO, and the fact that I got mine for half the price of the Dark Gene (gotta love those Holiday coupon sales ) is just icing on the cake...

Here's a full hands-on review if you're curious:

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=653100

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by KevWind

So this is a 1/2 watt all tube amp. Hand wired point to point for $369
What say you ?

What a cool little amp and a great review!

- Glenn

[ghostnote]

Me like. Me want.
Maybe I should first dig out all of my other little amps from the closet and play those for awhile. You know, the ones about which I also once thought “me like, me want”?
Nah. That would be much too sensible. I should just buy it before I get too rational and start making need-based decisions.

[Rudy4]

When I watched the Youtube of the Kowalski 1 watt head I noted how many other small heads are made by many manufacturers.

The boutique point to point head is obviously high quality. The tonal superiority of this when compared to the Bugera V5 obviously has a LOT to do with the speaker and cabinet that's used with it.

My interest in the Bugera V5 comes from getting away from using separate components and interconnecting cords. At my stage in life I really have more of an interest in something that sounds good, is small and relatively light weight, and has reverb built in.

I've owned a few of the small 5 watt amps and appreciated them other than having to stick a reverb pedal in front of them. Bugera obviously has responded to that complaint from small tube combo users, as well as the lack of a power attenuator in some of them.

The biggest problem with the "economy tube amp" market is that the tubes are generally low quality and often noisy. Sure, there's after-market tubes, but that somewhat negates the whole idea of an economy purchase.

The price point must be important to many, as the OP's head example touts the low price.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Made in China, yeah - but more than likely so are most of the goods you use day-to-day including your clothing, linens, small appliances, home audio/video, cellphone, stompboxes, a guitar or two, and the computer you're using to read this post...

Right - but for a lot of those things there is no reasonable alternative. With music stuff there usually is. And as I look around my home studio, I see things from Finland, Japan, Bulgaria, Slovak, Italy, South Korea, US, and yes - China because in some cases there isn't a viable choice. But for me country of origin, however murky it can be in a globalized supply chain, is still a consideration for me given a number of reasons (eg state-sponsored IP theft).

As I said, everyone makes their own choices, I just think it should be a conscious choice. For my musical instruments, I like to build a relationship with the makers if I can. Not always possible and I know I'm an outlier. Totally YMMV.