Re: Great clean, awesome gain, small amp, tube, combo or head, does this amp exist?
How can 22watts at volume 3 not be louder than a 5 watt at 3?
because speaker efficiency is the biggest determinant of volume. Decibels (db) is a measure of sound pressure whereas wattage is just a measure of electrical energy.
Even a 1 watt amp can pump out 100db or more through a fairly efficient speaker.
Guitar amps frequency responses are not linear. Often, higher wattage does not create a percieved change in volume, but simply a firmer low end. Speakers also are not linear in the sound reproduction and certain frequecies seem louder to out ears than others.
You mentioned you want fender cleans and marshall gains.
Many amp manufacturers have been trying to achieve that holy grail for decades.
A 5 watt tube amp is not simply a quieter version of the amps that you know. Tube amps all have their own inherent sound.
I think you might be basing your specifications based on stuff you have read on the internet about tubes being superior to solid state or digital, and that you are applying the logic of wattage=volume. Neither method is reliable in the real world. There are plenty of poor sounding tube amps and great sounding ss amps.
The best thing you can do is go to some shops and try out a series of amps through a series of speakers (if possible) and find out what your ears tell you.
Also, check out the digital modelling stuff out there from companies like roland (they make excellent sounding low volume practice amps) keep an open mind and open ears.
If, after you try some options next to each other you will be much better equipped to make a choice about what will suit you best.
