12-22 Watt Tube Combos!

Citizen Insane

Citizen Insane

New member
Hey, everybody!

I currently play a '59 Bassman LTD, but, like a lot of folks, I've come to realize that it's simply too much amp for my needs. Consequently, I'm looking to replace it with a couple of lower wattage combos for more versatility and usability.

I use mostly single coils and Fender-style guitars. I play a variety of styles including jazz and rock--and while I usually play clean, I'm looking for something with a smooth, full-sounding breakup as well.

So, what are some of your favorite 12-22 watt combos and why? Vintage and new models are welcome. :scratchch

:thanks:
 
Re: 12-22 Watt Tube Combos!

I've got a fender pro junior that i love to death. Try one out, tube swaps do lots to change their sound, I'm running 12AX7 ECC83 preamp tubes and it gives it a really smooth, although fairly early breakup.
 
Re: 12-22 Watt Tube Combos!

marshall makes a handwired 18 watt combo that absolutely rocks. it sounds so friggin good. not only that, you can pick one up new at GC for around $1300.

mesa makes a 5:25 express combo that's 25 watts and uses el84s. it sounds awesome too.
 
Re: 12-22 Watt Tube Combos!

What kind of budget? The Victoria 20112 is pretty fabulous (Fender Tweed Deluxe style). 2 6V6's, for ~20 watts or so. I think it would be in the same family as your bassman but at lower wattage, but I don't have a bassman, so I'm speculating.

If you're looking for clean headroom, the 20112 is not it...but it does sound fabulous at reasonable volumes for "verge of breakup through sweating pig" sounds. I stole the sweating pig analogy from Fender, but it is appropriate for a tweed deluxe on 12 (it goes to 12). I liked the Victoria way better than the Fender reissue, and I got it cheaper, too.

You said "a couple of lower wattage combos...", so pair a tweed deluxe style for dirt with something with a cleaner vibe (mine is paired with a TopHat Club Royale, which is great, too) and you'll have the best of both worlds. I run mine together almost all of the time, and crank either the clean one or the dirty one more, depending on the situation.
 
Re: 12-22 Watt Tube Combos!

millions of great amps out there in that wattage range.

Seeing as you're a tweed owner right now, I second Victoria. I have the big brother of their deluxe clone, and I ordered it after playing the deluxe clone and being blown away. 6V6s do distort with a different character to the 5881s in your bassman, so try one if you can.

If Victoria is a bit much for your budget and you can solder or have a mate who can build a project amp, try Mission Amp's tweed deluxe kit.

Back to ready built amps:

In a similar vein is the Swart space tone 6V6se -20 watts with a tweed/blackface character, plus reverb and trem. If I was a home player and was only allowed one amp, that'd be my choice.

Marshall's 18w sounds great, and there are a million 18w clones that sound great. My favorite is the 65 London. That amp is like having a killer plexi and a killer Vox in one box at just the right volume.

None of these amps are cheap, though.

If you want to save some cash, one really nice 18w amp that can be had for cheap is the Peavey classic 20. The only classic series peavey I like, but it's a good'un.
 
Re: 12-22 Watt Tube Combos!

My 2 main amps are in that range...

Number one is a Mission Amps 5B4 Super style amp I had built for me...18 watts from a pair of 6L6's through a pair of Weber 10's. This is one of the best amps I've ever played through...the tone is thick and chewy but it still has a great clean tone, plenty enough to gig with in most settings and it's dirt simple...2 channels each with a volume control and one common (works on both channels) tone control!

Second is a 1962 Fender Deluxe...this is a brown era amp, made after the tweeds and before the BF Deluxe and Deluxe Reverb amps...I LOVE THIS AMP!!! It's an 18 watt 1x12 deal (I use a vintage Pre Rola Alnico Celestion silver frame in mine) and will SMOKE almost every 18 watt Marshall clone I've ever tried. It's also dead simple...2 channels, 2 volumes, 2 tones and controls for the tremolo which is KILLER!
 
Re: 12-22 Watt Tube Combos!

On the cheaper side....haha....

Check out a SF Fender Musicmaster Bass amp if you can. They run 2 6V6's (or el84's depending on the year), Kick out 12watts into a 12inch speaker, and sound fantastic for guitar. The controls are really basic, same as most of the amps mentioned 1-volume, 1-tone. The earlyer ones didn't even have an on/off switch! (well they all have an on/off switch, but the earlier ones had it built into the volume control)
They seem to go for around $300-350 on ebay, I'm sure you could get one cheaper if you find one locally though.
 
Re: 12-22 Watt Tube Combos!

Go the fender Blues Jnr. Put in some new tubes, and a weber speaker, get a nice o.d pedal, and away you go!! There are a few good mods for it to get more clean headroom
 
Re: 12-22 Watt Tube Combos!

Thanks for all the replys so far!

I think a Victoria is a little out of my budget, but I'm definitely considering building a 5E3. I'm liking the Dr. Z Maz 18 but it also pushes how much I'm hoping/willing to spend.

The Celtic Franklin is definitely growing on me. And it gets even higher marks for being financially attainable! :banana: How is it for clean tones?

I'm also intrigued by the old Ampeg Jets from the 60s--the ones with 6V6s and 7591s. Does anyone have any experience with these?
 
Re: 12-22 Watt Tube Combos!

Koch Studiotone. 20 watts cathode biased class A, very loud and very versatile. Beautiful sparkling, somewhat 'British' clean that gets dirty (in a Fender-way) with the volume over 6, and a very nice, very open sounding crunch channel with a switchable gainboost with three modes that will take it from just some additional volume to high gain mayhem if you please. Very interesting amp. I own the head version, with a Koch 2x12-cab, and love it to death. I have the gain set relatively low, I rarely play high gain so I just use it for some sparkly drive and (with the boost engaged) a basic rock tone. Great amp!
 
Re: 12-22 Watt Tube Combos!

barbarianbrute said:
marshall makes a handwired 18 watt combo that absolutely rocks. it sounds so friggin good. not only that, you can pick one up new at GC for around $1300.

mesa makes a 5:25 express combo that's 25 watts and uses el84s. it sounds awesome too.
Click to expand...

I have the Marshall, and it is indeed truly awesome. You'd be suprised perhaps, that it may also be more power than you had in mind, but it is sweet. I also have a Mesa F30, the amp that preceeded the 5 : 25, and that is pretty **** awesome as well, although I had to mod mine to clean it up for being too muddy, dark and "smeary" at higher gain.

One of my all-time faves are vintage Fender 5W Champs. Victoria makes killer clones of these, including one with a 12inch speaker that rips.
 
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