cheapest tube amp?

[BluesNRock87]

i realized i could sell my current crate amp (gx30m, anyone interested, makes a great beginner amp, can be used in a band) and use the money to go towards a small tube amp. i would be looking for a 30-60 watt tube amp with 1 or 2 12 inch speakers. whats the cheapest i can get that has tone and sounds good. i play blues, and classic rock, not metal or funk or new stuff. i like the fender hot rod deville, the blues junoir isnt enough power, what about peavey? used? id like to spend around 300-400 if possible

 

[MDS]

The peavey classic 30 is a decent little amp, especially if you do some of the releativly simples mods found at www.blueguitar.org. I did most of them and my C30 is a great little amp. The mods were fun and educational too!

Carvin makes a pretty nice little tweed amp too. They go pretty cheap on ebay.

Mike

 

[BluesNRock87]

anyone know anything about pignose amps? i saw them on mf, and they are like 220 for a 30w w/ 10 inch all tube amp i wanna say uses 12ax7 and el34's, no distortion or anything, a good loe tube amp, i could use the bd-2 for all the dirty i ever need.

for maybe 300, there is a 60watter with a 12 inch. uses 6l6gc tubes? this one has effects loop and more feautres, i think even 2 channels.

how are these amps? im not looking for a dirty tone (i.e. i dont need marshall distortion, though itd be nice) but for a clean slate to build off of.

 

[Grandor]

Epiphone Galaxies are pretty damn cheap.


Personally, Id go with the Peavy Classic thirty with that much cash.

 

[green_insomniac]

How about a Marshall dsl 401? They're 40 watts, el84 powered with one twelve in speaker. New price is around 700 dollars (American) but there are some on ebay for 500-600 dollars. If you're lucky, you might be able to find one for 400. I've heard pretty good things about the flexibility of it, too.

Another vote for the classic 30, too.

 

[jmv]

I've heard great things about the peavy classic series....

my suggestion is to just go to a store and play all the stuff you can in your pricerange, preferably with your guitar. Use the reccomendations here as a guide, but don't make a decision based on what we say..... listen for yourself.

 

[xerxes]

peavey classic 30 sounds like its for you! those are the styles its ment for, and its sounds great! you can snag one on ebay for around $300 used, and its a great great amp. check it out.

 

[CsaRvoX]

Hi...I have the same situation although I'm pretty happy with my Marshall VS-100s tones I cannot use it effectively cause I can't open the volume past 2 in home...I'm thinking about selling it and get a low-wattage all tube amp...I've made a research and DSL 401 and DSL 201 could be great choices...if I can afford it I'm gonna get DSL 401 if not then DSL 201...

 

[italic zero]

I'd go for a classic 30 or 50. You can find a classic 50 2x12 combo on ebay for around $450. Real nice.

 

[SORIA]

check out the http://www.v-seriesamps.com/v3112.html it has great cleans on it. i dunno how much the 30 watt is but here are some other v-series models on ebay for a good deal. i myself have a V-series (VFX5112) and its doing great for me... =o)~

EBAY LINK

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&krd=1&from=R8&MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=1&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&query=V-series+%28amp%29

 

[Scott_F]

I had a pignose 60 for a few weeks and had mixed feelings about it.

There is a real sleeper out there and that's the Revernd Hellhound. Joe Naylor has stopped making them and is moving on to a new design. There are some excellent deals to be had on ebay now and then. That amp has great tone, a US/UK switch, and more power than you'll ever need. (has a 60watt/40watt switch on it as well)

If you're looking for great bedroom distortion, you can find a nice used Ampeg J12T. Those things will do everything except massive clean headroom.

Used ones are a great value.

 

[BluesNRock87]

keep em coming, and ill check out what u guys suggested.

 

[GHWelles]

Marshall Studio 15

Marshall Studio 15

Get a Marshall Studio 15 if you can find one and if the prices haven't gone too high.

 

[Mincer]

Id take a good SS amp over a cheap tube amp any day. Ive heard plenty of cheap tube amps that sound awful, but get sold because people are convinced it must sound better because it has tubes.
I would say look for a small, low wattage amp with a 12" speaker if you are looking for that tube sound people who are older than I rave about. Something with 2-12's and 60 watts won't start breaking up until it is way way too loud.
Here is a tip- if you have to use a master volume, you are distorting the preamp tubes and not the power amp tubes. Power Tube distortion is the good stuff. Preamp distortion, no matter if it is a tube amp or SS amp, sounds thin and buzzy.

 

[Thames]

Peavey Classic 50 2x12

can be found under 400$. You cant go wrong.

I dont like the Fender HotRods... great clean and reverb but I don't like the Drive channel.

 

[BluesNRock87]

mincer is right, i dont "need" a 2X12 with 60 watts. id be better off with 40 or so watts in a 1X12, cause that i could force to break up at low volume, i could also get a cab if i needed to later on. so whats a good 40 watt (30-50) 1X12 that i can get POWER TUBE DISTORTION at BEDROOM volumes, and if not bedroom than low. the lower the better

 

[GHWelles]

so whats a good 40 watt (30-50) 1X12 that i can get POWER TUBE DISTORTION at BEDROOM volumes, and if not bedroom than low. the lower the better

Marshall Studio 15: 15 watts and nice power tube distortion, yet can get loud too. Sounds like a JCM 800 cranked but at bedroom levels, and has a 1X12 Celestion Vintage 30. The only problem is they are going up in price and hard to find and you will want to re-tube it most likely.

See here for pics and sound clips:

http://webpages.charter.net/mcarlyle/marshall/

 

[Mincer]

Honestly, for bedroom level power tube distortion, you need something like 5 watts...my Mesa Blue Angel is 18 watts, and gets insanely loud before it breaks up...but when it does...swoon..

 

[GHWelles]

Honestly, for bedroom level power tube distortion, you need something like 5 watts...

True. The Marshall Studio 15 has a built in attenuator that allows you to plug the speaker jack into the headphone jack and crank the power stage all the way up. Makes it a 3 watt amp or so. The price is some loss of highs and presence, but it still sounds good.

See description of power attenuator use in this amp here:
http://www.amptone.com/marshallstudio15.htm

 

[BluesNRock87]

yea, while 5 watts is fine for bedroom, i also need it for bandpractices,rehersals, and the occasional gig. most places done provide a pa to amp ur guitar, and i dont have money to buy a pa.