Cheap Amps

kneadmomunny

kneadmomunny

New member
What would you say is the best tube amp for around $100. (I'm not Kneadmomunny for nothing.)I play blues to death metal with strats and a home built guitar with an x2n. I have effects pedals so the built in effects are not important. i just want a really nice tube amp, either a head/speaker combo or the ones with the amp and speaker built into one box.
 
Re: Cheap Amps

Yeah, you're gonna have trouble with that. Try saving a bit more, pick up something off the second hand market.
 
Re: Cheap Amps

yeah i've been checking pawn shops and stuff but it is fathers day and everything is on sale. so naturally, it is more expensive. (Isn't capitalism fun?) so when everything returns to a decent price i might be able to get something there. but if there is anything i should be looking for in a amp, like any words or phrases i should avoid, besides "solid-state", it would make an interesting discussion.
 
Re: Cheap Amps

yea, i think like others have said, you arent gonna find what your looking for unless you score something at a garage sale or something....which is unlikely
 
Re: Cheap Amps

kneadmomunny said:
if there is anything i should be looking for in a amp, like any words or phrases i should avoid
Click to expand...
Listen with your ears, not with your eyes.
  • What to avoid: amps that don't sound god.
  • What to look for: amps that offer the tone you seek
There is no certain recipe for good amp tone (including tubes). I've played SS amps that I prefer to some tube amps and there are amps out there with all sorts of tone-enhancing features that I wouldn't play if you gave 'em to me.

Only when you've played everything you can get your hands on will you know what's best . . . for you.
 
Re: Cheap Amps

for $100, it is gonna be busted and will take you some time and a bit o cash to get workin up to snuff ... but you'll learn a lot and the tone will be more personally tuned to your playing

t4d
 
Re: Cheap Amps

kneadmomunny said:
What would you say is the best tube amp for around $100. (I'm not Kneadmomunny for nothing.)I play blues to death metal with strats and a home built guitar with an x2n. I have effects pedals so the built in effects are not important. i just want a really nice tube amp, either a head/speaker combo or the ones with the amp and speaker built into one box.
Click to expand...
Hey do I know you from another forum.. your signature seems very familar
 
Last edited:
Re: Cheap Amps

You should get a vox valvetronix combo. They are hybrid but sound just as good but are more affordable than most tube amps IMO. You would still have to save a bit more money even for that though.
 
Re: Cheap Amps

Yeah, you're gonna find it neigh impossible to get an amp for that price. If you go 150-200, your options increase greatly. I bought my Tech21 Trademark 10 for 185 a couple of years ago. That little amp is worth its weight in gold.
 
Re: Cheap Amps

clint_41 said:
those epi valve juniors are supposed to be pretty sweet....
Click to expand...

They are very, very sweet for the money. I have the cab version and am really pleased with it. Compared it to one of little Vox's that sounds like a tube amp but isn't can't remember wich one and I chose this one because it had reverb and master volume. It has built in effects but i don't use them as they are a bit noisy and I have a good selection of pedals already.

Have swaped out the speaker for a £20 Celestion Tube 10 and that's improved it alot. Going to have a dabble with the tubes but you don't have to its just that I like to mess and make my stuff more indvidual!
 
Re: Cheap Amps

I'd look for a used Sovtek Mig 50...but you'll have to come up with a speaker bottem to use with it.

Lew
 
Re: Cheap Amps

Also with the vox you'll have the 11 different amps that it has. You can have some nice cleans with the Fender blackface -> good bluesy tone with the Fender Bassman, Plexi, and AC15/AC30 -> some good metal tones with the Mesaboogie Recto, 90s Marshall, and JCM800. With the Epiphone it would be harder to pull off those metal tones I think. It'll do clean/blues though if thats all your worried about. I still think the Vox is your best bet. They really do pull off tube tone IMO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Ascension
Praise for my first gen PRS Archon after blowing a power tube
Replies
5
Views
224
Ascension
Ascension
S
Crate Stealth GT-50C Combo to head conversion
Replies
2
Views
119
Masta' C
Masta' C
NoOnesFang13
Bad power tube possibly causing strange behavior
Replies
1
Views
166
hamerfan
hamerfan
M
Suhr Hombre Speaker Swap
Replies
6
Views
188
jeremy
jeremy
BlackhawkRise
Stereo Amp Setup
Replies
11
Views
347
zionstrat
Z
Back
Top