15-20 watt tube amps?

CapoFirstFret

CapoFirstFret

New member
Alright guys, I'm looking around (not shopping yet, no money)...for a 15-20 watt tube amp and I just wanna make sure I'm looking at everything in the range I'm expecting.

The ones I know already:
Fender Blues Jr.
Fender Princeton
Fender Princeton Reverb
Dr. Z Maz 18
Marshall 1974
Matchless Lightning
Matchless Lightning 15
....

I think I may be even willing to go up to about 30 watts....price is under $1600 preferably, but we'll see about that later
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

hi, there are some other "low wattage" tube amps I can think of:

BadCat amps (all around 30W)
Laney LC15 / LC30 / VC30
Orange Rockverb 30 (nothing under 30W)
Peavy Classic 30 (dito)

I also heared that there will be a new Vox AC30 (all tube not valvetronix) coming this year...
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

I'm in the market for a low wattage all tube amp too, Got the Marshall MG250DFX at the moment and it's too loud and the tone is good but not great.

Top of my list at the moment is the Laney LC15 - fairly cheap for an all tube amp and has some good reviews.
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

Bad Cat Cub 15 watts, tremendous tone
Bogner Metropolis 15 watt (30 available) incredible tone and versatility
Marshall 18 watt never tried one but they get good reviews
Mojave Coyote can't find one around here, but great reveiws as well
Soldano Astroverb Great tones for not too much. A friend of mine bought one, and I
always wanted to close the back, and try different tubes and
speakers. Really cool little amp.
Crate V15 Believe it or not, this is a good one. 15 watts class a. Taylor Music here in Memphis had 2 for $275. Gibbons reportedly used one.


Also, check out Fargen, Germino, Roccaforte, SMF, Savage, and the others. Prices for new ones might be high, but used could be a great catch. Fargen might be more reasonable on price than the others. The Mini Plex get good reviews.

EDIT: The Miniplex head goes for about $900. I've always wanted to check one of those out. People saying that you can get cranked Marshall plexi tones without blowing your ears out. Interesting.....

Gearjoneser might have some other cool suggestions.......

Randy
 
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Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

I'll say either the Laney or the Orange AD30 combo (the Orange would pretty much eat up your entire budget of $1600 though).
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

CapoFirstFret said:
Dr. Z Maz 18
Click to expand...

I can speak with some authority on this one, even at 18 watts it can rip off heads. I've got the 2X10 version, a local dealer (out of bidness now) told me the head is voiced so that the 10's sound the best, that said I'm going to get a 1X12 extension cab.

I've got mine loaded with JJ's and this amp is as smooth, or a bright as you want. Incredibly touch sensitive!

If you get the Maz Jr. NR (no reverb) and you want more gain the Dr. can and will hot rod it for you.

Shoot me any questions you might have about it.

The blues jr is hard to beat for cheap tube tone, there are tons of mods available as well.

Luke
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

I just picked up a new THD Univalve 15 watt head w/ matching 2x12 cabinet for $1,450.00 and couldn't be happier with it.
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

yeah, I was thinking I wanted to go the head route with a 2x10 cab...that's my ideal setup to me...I freakin love the tones from 10" speakers.....so the maz 18 of course is high on my list, but now you've reminded me of the univalve..that'd be worth looking at definitely...and now I think I'm going to do some research on the Miniplex
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

Savage Rohr, well, roars! Savage makes probably the best amps I've ever heard (the jumped channel fat Marshall tone I dialed in on a Blitz 50 almost made me wet my pants).

I really dig what people like Ben Fargen are doing with the Mini Plex and if it's anything like the 30w/15w Epic 30 DC that I have, it'll sound incredible!
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

Or you could go with a custom made amp, here's my 18 watt "marshall" - nice thing about having a custom amp done is you can ask for some specific changes that don't come on the standard amp. I asked for selectable impedence so I can run a second cabinet (4/8/16 ohm), I could have got reverb instead for tremolo (but the trem on this amp sounds incredible) or a master volume (something I don't need but a friend has one on order and he's going with a master). Some might say why a master, well even at 18 watts this amp is loud - more than what most small clubs will allow. I could also have got an extra gain stage added but for me the gain it has is more than adequate, plus I can jumper the channels if I feel I need a little more umph (something that doesn't work on the Marshall handwired 18watt combo). Anyhow, I paid $1,300.00 - and got every pennies worth. The cabinet, tolex work and electronics are excellent - plus the builder designed out the annoying pop when switching the trem on and off - this amp is dead quite even when maxed on the volume.

Good luck on your hunt! That's most of the fun anyhow..

18watt2.jpg

18watt1.jpg

18watt3.jpg
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

the laney LC15R is godly, consider the price and the tone that comes from those little beauties, i wouldent even consider another practice amp (in regards with its price), i dont actually have one since i have my little 10w Boutique valve head and i dont see much point in getting something new to practice with, but laney amps in general are really good value and lovely sounding amps.
 
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Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

he riffraff, that's a sweet looking custom amp, who made it? anymore info on that company would be great..that would definitily be an option
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

The builder just started his own amp biz, a great guy, here's a link to his website, shoot him a line and see if he can do what you want - if not there are a plethra of other low power amps out there (I dug the Dr. Z carmen ghia as well). Here's the link:

SoulTone
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

orange ad30 or ad15, expensive, but amazing

crate vc30 (they used to make a 20 watt, not sure if they still do), also have a new head out i believe. these things rock...and dont cost anything
 
Re: 15-20 watt tube amps?

I actually have a Crate VC5212B (which is modeled after the AC30 top boost model...it's an amazing amp..and I found a 20 watt version used at the guitar center in germantown, tn...but I'm really wanting to go great quality with this...will probably end up going boutique, unless I get a great deal...like the blues jr. I found at a pawn shop for $250 (sure I can talk him down a little)...just don't have the cash for it right now
 
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