• Registered: 2008-10-02
  • Posts: 192

Topic: I want a tube amp

I'm craving a low watt tube amp. Love the Vox AC4TV, but I think my tone is more warm and fuzzy and not bright and chimey. Looked at fender champion 600 but only one knob?! Blues Jr. seems right and might be the one. I'm going to try out a Marshall class 5. It doesn't have a master volume. What does that mean? The more I turn it up the more it breaks up? What if I want it distorted at low volume. Does that mean I have to put a pedal in front of it. Then I'm getting the sound of the pedal and not the sound of the amps tubes and thats defeating the purpose of having a tube amp right? What if I want clean cranked, how do I get that? Are there any other amps I sould be looking at? I'm mainly just a basement jammer. I have neighbors so I keep it sane. I play out maybe 3 times a year with a kinda blues rave up thing with a brushed snare. So I don't need a JCM 800.

  • Registered: 2006-09-18
  • Posts: 1

Re: I want a tube amp

I actually have an old fender music man 210.  Great condition.  Sounds incredible, like there's a mini-hendrix in there.  Hard to find these but I might part with it....So make an offer.  ral2847@gmail.com

3 Reply by Buzzwagon (edited by Buzzwagon 2010-11-24 08:57:01)

  • From: Hampshire, UK
  • Registered: 2008-11-23
  • Posts: 306

Re: I want a tube amp

Take a look at the Blackstar HT5. It's swept the boards for "Best this", "Best that" since its release. Just read the reviews and try one. You'll change your mind about the Vox and the little Fender. The Vox Night Train is also worth a look as is the Laney VC15, the Fender Pro Junior and the Fender Super Champ XD.

Be aware that there's a massive power difference between 5 and 15 watts when talking about tube amps.

If you want a tube amp to break up at low volume try using the guitar, turn the amp up and the guitar down! Seems that most people just stick everything to max on the guitar and try to control everything using their amps and fx. Using your guitar to control tone is becoming a lost art!

Jerry

Live the life you love, love the life you live
  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: I want a tube amp

Personally, I dig those one-knob valves.  Epiphone makes a mighty little 15W amp, as does Kustom (it's a three knobber, but I don't complain.)

In the entire stack of equipment we gig with, the loudest amplifier we have is this itty bitty 12W Kustom.

http://www.beyondeleven.com/Kustom-Tube … lifier.htm

That thing is pure, glorious, obnoxious.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: montreal, quebec
  • Registered: 2007-04-17
  • Posts: 327

Re: I want a tube amp

I own the champ 600, and for the price you relly cant beat it. one knob is one of the things that atracked me besides being a tube amp. I use a boss 65 deluxe reverb amp pedal which gives me the reverb I desire and also has treble, base, level and gain. boss also make another pedal which is basead on one of fenders vintage amps. (never tried that one, but would like to) I also own a super reverb. I have a buddy I jam with and when he comes over he brings his marshall speaker cabinet (2-12 inch speakers) we  hook my champ 600 to his speaker cabinet and thats what he plays through. sounds great. (he also has a bunch of pedals  which I dont pay much attention to and dont know much about) but as I said it sounds great and there is no lack of power needed to match up to my super reverb. we play at a volume level loud enough to have a drummer. one more thing. there is an uprgrade kit that sells on the internet that claims to improve this amp big time. this is something I am considering in the future. one day when I have more money

what a long strange trip it's been
  • From: carson,washington
  • Registered: 2009-09-22
  • Posts: 350

Re: I want a tube amp

Hey Craig, I thought maybe I'd give some input on the blues jr. Bought it recently along with a digitech 355

     processor. The 6 knob, 1 button (fat) sound, spring reverb, 15 watt is exactly the sound I was looking for.

     I haven't given it the stress test in a full band setting,cranked up, but hopefully soon when the work layoffs

     arrive. Anyway I'm so far pleased. Blues and southern classic rock seems to be my area. The processor I

     feel is accented by the amp settings, especially the reverb. The processor by-pass allows for the amp to

     shine by itself. The knob names are upsidedown while looking at the amp from the front but it doesn't take

     long to get use to that. Made in Mexico. Worth a test drive if you can. I'm looking forward to getting more

     familiar with it, like miking over a pa system etc.     Good luck,  Mike

Our intuitions serve us well
  • Registered: 2008-10-02
  • Posts: 192

Re: I want a tube amp

Buzz, I've heard about the Blackstar line, but haven't seen any to try out. The night train is awesome, its in the running as well. I just thought that I was needing something low wattage so I'd have low volume. So I have been only looking at all these new 5 watters. But now I'm thinking I can have breakup with a higher wattage amp as long as it has a master volume. Right? So I could get a Fender hot rod with 40 watts for a just a little more money and have the controll to be able to keep it down and still have natural tube distortion without pedals. And if I started to play out more, I'd still have a stage worthy amp. Keeping everything on 10 and using effects has been my method for years, but my playing has started to evolve. Thats why I now want tubes. Hey, wait a minute... Blackstar... Vox... Laney... They're all British like you. You wouldn't be steering me away from Fender to sell some British products would you? I'm suprised you didn't add Marshall and Orange. Man you guys have just about all the major amp manufacturers over there.
Papa, I also have the RP 355. Love the looper. Getting used to Xedit.
Patrick, there is a Super Reverb available locally really cheap. The guy said something in his add about selling so cheap because its only a tube amp!? Can you keep that thing tame?

  • tandm3
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 421

Re: I want a tube amp

Craig,  I haven't played one, but that 5 watt Bugera looks very interesting to me..  the price is right too!

Now available in 5G !
  • From: USA
  • Registered: 2010-11-01
  • Posts: 30

Re: I want a tube amp

I wonder if this is the right place to get all the right answers.

  • From: Western Oregon,US
  • Registered: 2008-07-22
  • Posts: 2,498

Re: I want a tube amp

alviskleen  wrote:

I wonder if this is the right place to get all the right answers.

Of Course it is!

But opinions vary.... and most posts are speaking from practical experience, so are of good value compared to some salesman's spiel.

Take Care;
Doug

"what is this quintessence of dust?"  - Shakespeare
  • Registered: 2011-02-23
  • Posts: 2

Re: I want a tube amp

I'm considering the Blackstar HT-1. Looks an incredible bit of kit. Check out Andy James using one on Youtube. That boy can play!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJewAJuodl8