Bedroom tube amps
- Thread starter TGenolcyC66
- Start date
Re: Bedroom tube amps
Yeah, in low-wattage amps just as in pedals I guess there's a lot of buzz for more "boutique" stuff but for the price of a mid-priced pedal, the KA is amazing for what it is... lack of recognition keeps the prices down...why not buy two?
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: Bedroom tube amps
I play a Blackheart Little Giant (5 watt / 3 watt) through a Weber MiniMASS attenuator ($89 shipped) to a 1x12 with a Weber Blue Dog. It is great for bedroom.
A lot of folks are afraid of attenuators, like they're some sort of a dark art, or really expensive or something. They're not.
I just went to Weber's web site, option'd my attenuator out, and it was $75. Add $14 shipping and it was $89 all said and done. Stick it between your head and your cabinet and boom, you can get power tube drive at whatever volume you want.
All that said, nothing sounds better at bedroom levels than my VOX AD15VT. Not even the Blackheart, cranked. The Valvetronix really is that good.
I play a Blackheart Little Giant (5 watt / 3 watt) through a Weber MiniMASS attenuator ($89 shipped) to a 1x12 with a Weber Blue Dog. It is great for bedroom.
A lot of folks are afraid of attenuators, like they're some sort of a dark art, or really expensive or something. They're not.
I just went to Weber's web site, option'd my attenuator out, and it was $75. Add $14 shipping and it was $89 all said and done. Stick it between your head and your cabinet and boom, you can get power tube drive at whatever volume you want.
All that said, nothing sounds better at bedroom levels than my VOX AD15VT. Not even the Blackheart, cranked. The Valvetronix really is that good.
tonedeaf1
New member
Re: Bedroom tube amps
Since the Kustom Tube 12A is on the list, I'll add my 2 cents. I have a Crate GX-15R (12 watt solid-state), A Kustom Tube 12A (12 watt, 12ax7 preamp tube, solid state power amp), an Epi Valve Junior (all tube, 12ax7, el84) and a Roland Cube 30X (digital). The Kustom sounds about half a notch better than the Crate, this could be from the half-cooked 12ax7 or from the Celestion Super 8 speaker (not sure). The Epi through an Avatar closed-back 1x12 Hellatone 60 (Vintage 30) sounds about a three-quarters of a notch better than the Kustom, and the Cube sounds a full notch better than the Epi. This might sound like blasphemy to tube purists, but I would sell all of these amps before I would sell the Cube. The Kustom Contender cooks the preamp tube at a high voltage so this is probably a definite advantage over the Tube 12A. I can't comment on the other amps. I'd really like to wire up an output to try the Hellatone with the Cube.
Since the Kustom Tube 12A is on the list, I'll add my 2 cents. I have a Crate GX-15R (12 watt solid-state), A Kustom Tube 12A (12 watt, 12ax7 preamp tube, solid state power amp), an Epi Valve Junior (all tube, 12ax7, el84) and a Roland Cube 30X (digital). The Kustom sounds about half a notch better than the Crate, this could be from the half-cooked 12ax7 or from the Celestion Super 8 speaker (not sure). The Epi through an Avatar closed-back 1x12 Hellatone 60 (Vintage 30) sounds about a three-quarters of a notch better than the Kustom, and the Cube sounds a full notch better than the Epi. This might sound like blasphemy to tube purists, but I would sell all of these amps before I would sell the Cube. The Kustom Contender cooks the preamp tube at a high voltage so this is probably a definite advantage over the Tube 12A. I can't comment on the other amps. I'd really like to wire up an output to try the Hellatone with the Cube.
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TGenolcyC66
New member
Re: Bedroom tube amps
I've narrowed my search to the Blackheart Little Giant or the Killer Ant, most likely the Giant. Now trying to decide on the speaker box, tried a Giant matched with a Blackheart BH112, and loved the sound. Haven't tried other cabinets yet. Any suggestions here?
I've narrowed my search to the Blackheart Little Giant or the Killer Ant, most likely the Giant. Now trying to decide on the speaker box, tried a Giant matched with a Blackheart BH112, and loved the sound. Haven't tried other cabinets yet. Any suggestions here?
