Best "apartment " amp?

Re: Best "apartment " amp?

Budget, of course should be a first consideration. For the ride of your life, you'll want a guytronix Gilmore Jr. 1/2 watt amp. You can build these yourself - figure 8 hours frustrating hard work for a first build - at about $250, or buy one made around $800-900. These are tube amps that can go balls out in an apartment or studio and get full tube effect without the SWAT team showing up. On a budget scale, a digital Line6 15 Watt ( ca. $50 - $100 ) might be fine until you decide how far into the rabbit hole you want to folllow Alice.
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

I know a 50watt tube amp might seem too much, but the only reason I suggest the ENGL Screamer is because although it's 50watts...it can just just as low volume as any modeller and still sound awesome! There is something about the ENGL design and probably a lot of the gain comes from their complicated pre-amp stages but even on my ENGL Savage 120 (a 120 watt tube head through a matching 412) it can go down to crazy low volumes and still sound great. I actually play this thing after dark some nights when my family has gone to sleep and my sister is just in the next room! I'm telling you, the ENGL Screamer will do it at any volume, you should go try one out just to see what I mean.

I guess they just have very effective master volume knobs that can go very low.
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

try fender pro jr...it's a small and simple tube amp..sounds good and not very expensive too..
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

Guys,

Just want to thank you all again - you couldn't pay for the advice and enthusiasm you all share here!!

Noth
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

When I was living in an apartment in Virginia, I was using my 25 watt solid state Epiphone amp. It wasn't loud enough to disturb the neighbors, but it was loud enough to drown out the sounds of the couple upstairs doing their thing and of the woman across the hall beating her kids.
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

I can see why you would, with all that beautiful gear you've got:haha:

Noth

LOL...thanks.

Believe or not, of all the major pieces of gear shown on my site, the only thing that cost me more than $1000 was my Martin D-28. Everything else was under $600.
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

i use various amps at home.. for years my number one extremely low volume practice amp has been Fender Princton Chorus... great fuzz stack like sounds at a wisper... But i'm buying a vox modeler soon to use in my bedroom.... the 50 watt 1x12 combo is what i want... I still have my 65 Deluxe and Classic 30 1x12 combos for the slightly louder and tube practice amps... But at bedroom levels i'm using a pedal for dirt anyways.... I have my 5150 stack sitting in the corner and since my band broke up it hardly gets used!
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

For classic rock you need a Marshall and I think the Marshall Lead 12 is a great amp. They are a 12w solid state amp from the 80's and they give you great "Marshall" tone at reasonable volumes. You can get them in a 1x10 combo or a mini-stack that features a head and 2 1x10 cabs. You can pick them up cheap on the bay. I just picked up a mint combo for $100.00 shipped and I have seen them on this forum for even less. For a little guy, this thing can crank. They are a really good practice/recording amp. Search youtube.com for "marshall lead 12" and there is a guy that does a demo of these amps so you can get an idea of what they sound like. Good luck.
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

I'm with all the guys who suggested the Vox modelling amps. I've got a Vox Valvetronix 100-watt head, but I can crank the power level all the way down to less than one watt (which is around where I leave it for playing at home). Sounds great through headphones; sounds amazing through a 2x12 Mesa cab.

- Keith
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

besides the Vox modelers i also can't wait to try one of those new Fender Princton Reverb recorders..... They have a built in OD, Comp, and Power soak added to the vintage fender Princton Reverb circuit.... But i hera they are costly for a little amp... but they do a lot as well...

for sure i'll be buying a Vox modeler... but i may also grab a Princton as well within the next year
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

I know a 50watt tube amp might seem too much, but the only reason I suggest the ENGL Screamer is because although it's 50watts...it can just just as low volume as any modeller and still sound awesome! There is something about the ENGL design and probably a lot of the gain comes from their complicated pre-amp stages but even on my ENGL Savage 120 (a 120 watt tube head through a matching 412) it can go down to crazy low volumes and still sound great. I actually play this thing after dark some nights when my family has gone to sleep and my sister is just in the next room! I'm telling you, the ENGL Screamer will do it at any volume, you should go try one out just to see what I mean.

I guess they just have very effective master volume knobs that can go very low.

ENGLs are well known for their low volume/good tone capability!But it is still an overkill..
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEND ON A SUPERB ALL-VALVE LOW WATTAGE APPARTMENT AMP ?

This got my attention last week oor so . . .

http://www.tonefactor.com/proddetail.php?prod=Lead1



Tonefactor's BuMBOX Lead 1 ;)

As you can see, it is a 1watt all-valve amp, and can drive a full-size 4x12 cab if need be !
Also have a multi. tonal range w. the BMT knobs, and has a Master vol !!!

I think this thing will rock the room with either a 1x12, or 1x15 Avtar cab.

Like this - http://www.avatarspeakers.com/g112.htm



The more i think about it, the more i know, i NEED a lil set-up like this !

IMHO, you can not beat a valve amp - maybe that is just me !
 
Re: Best "apartment " amp?

Just to add a bit here...

One watt sounds totally wimpy, bit it's not. There is more to a small-wattage amp than you'd think. If you're playing in an apartment, or if you're gigging and don't need loads of headroom, you may not need even close to what most people buy.

- Keith
 
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