Looking for a used tube amp around $500

[onlytwin]

New user here

I'm starting to look around at used amps and could use some help. About $500 for a combo (bit less for a head)
is a good benchmark, but that's flexible.

I would like something with a nice clean tone like a Fender Twin Reverb with plenty of headroom, but I'd also
like to have some sort of gain control or a separate gain channel.

It would be used primarily for recording and possibly small performances, so I would need enough wattage for that.


I mostly play indie, post-rock and alternative Radiohead sort of stuff.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
Fender Blues Deluxe
Peavey Classic 30
Vox Ac30
Laney Vc30

all worth trying out. all sound great and none of them break the bank.

You might also want to try out their smaller (15 watt) cousins because they will be able to do the job you require also:

Fender Blues Junior
Vox Ac15
Laney vc15

Then its just a matter of choosing which one feels the best when you are plugged in.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

I'll second the Blues Junior recommendation. It's light, and sounds great. If you go that route, you'll want some pedals to get your overdrive and distortion, but they come in cheap enough typically, that you should have enough left over to afford a few.

 

[onlytwin]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

I should mention that I actually do have a pedalboard with an overdrive and two distortions, so I can definitely use them. Although I can always use more tonal options I'd get plenty of use from good amp distortion

How is the headroom on a blues deluxe? I imagine it drives just fine.

And for more reference, I mostly play a Tele.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

The Blues Deluxe is going to be loud for your applications. If you mean the Blues Junior, it's got a good amount of headroom. I was borrowing one for a while and played a couple of small venues unmiced and was able to get a really good clean out of it (I have 4 overdrive pedals on my board, so I get all my dirt from that). FWIW, I was also using a Tele

 

[VanDerchuck]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

+1 on the AC15 and Blues Junior. Good sound, always available and at a good price.

 

[onlytwin]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

Alright I'll take a look at it and see if I can find one to play. As long as it is capable of playing an average venue without breaking up it should work for me.

Also, I played an AC15 recently, but I had trouble getting a sound I liked out of it. It seemed too trebly.

 

[thespricket]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

You can get a used blues jr for around $350. Great amps, and they can be incredibly loud. The ac15 is cool too but it just doesn't have as much volume that cuts like the blues jr. BUT the crunch you can get from the AC15 is really nice.

Any of the Fender Hot Rods are great. They all have that killer clean sound, and the newer ones have a reasonably useable crunch. It's just a matter of choosing the size and speaker configuration.

Also check out the Ampeg Reverbrockets, pretty similar to the Hot Rods.


Guitar->pedals->amp

 

[onlytwin]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

Okay great, I'll look for those. Any other brands people would recommend?

Looks like my knowledge of amps is a bit old, everyone has always said to me 15w is not enough for a gig.

 

[JohnZAH]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

my vote for "best super cheap used tube amp that slays" goes to my peavey classic 50 combo.

I got mine for $200 and I love it.

 

[Inder_Cine_Mann]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
Fender Blues Deluxe
Peavey Classic 30
Vox Ac30
Laney Vc30

all worth trying out. all sound great and none of them break the bank.

You might also want to try out their smaller (15 watt) cousins because they will be able to do the job you require also:

Fender Blues Junior
Vox Ac15
Laney vc15

Then its just a matter of choosing which one feels the best when you are plugged in.

+1

 

[Inder_Cine_Mann]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

Alright I'll take a look at it and see if I can find one to play. As long as it is capable of playing an average venue without breaking up it should work for me.

Also, I played an AC15 recently, but I had trouble getting a sound I liked out of it. It seemed too trebly.

Thats the Vox sound. For me at least also

I prefer Fenders for cleans.

Or my Marshall Class 5

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

New user here

I'm starting to look around at used amps and could use some help. About $500 for a combo (bit less for a head)
is a good benchmark, but that's flexible.

I would like something with a nice clean tone like a Fender Twin Reverb with plenty of headroom, but I'd also
like to have some sort of gain control or a separate gain channel.

It would be used primarily for recording and possibly small performances, so I would need enough wattage for that.


I mostly play indie, post-rock and alternative Radiohead sort of stuff.

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe / DeVille is comming 1st to mind !

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-Hot-...863?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e811b4107 - $485.00 BIN - problem solved !

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe

all worth trying out. all sound great and none of them break the bank.

You might also want to try out their smaller (15 watt) cousins because they will be able to do the job you require also:

Fender Blues Junior

I really like the gain tones on the 40W & 60W models, but the 15W Blues Junior gain sounds sooooo bloody boring (i sold mine)

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

Okay great, I'll look for those. Any other brands people would recommend?

Looks like my knowledge of amps is a bit old, everyone has always said to me 15w is not enough for a gig.

15watts can be enough, or not enough depending on how much clean volume you need. It really depend on how loud the rest of the band plays (especially drummers).
You can always use a pedal to get more grit from a clean amp, but you cant get more clean from an amp that is overdriving unless you turn it down and mic it up.
Its really a hard question to answer, but most of the dudes i know who gig regularly have two amps of different capacities and take along the best amp to suit the band and venue.
Wattage really pertains to low end response and clean headroom. Both of which go hand in hand. If you have a sound you like and you feel a little bit "undergunned" you can increase your volume appreciably by installing a more efficient speaker.
In the end, you are going to have to see if you can beg, borrow or steal one or more of these amps and see how they go either at gigs or in band rehearsals.

From what you have said, i get the feeling that a hot rod is probably your best bet because it has enough power for clean sounds in plenty, but also has two more footswitchable levels of gain. They are probably the most popular tube amp on the planet for good reason: they are good bang for buck and they give you everything most working players need. Yes they have their shortcomings (all amps do) but the main reason for hearing about them is because every second player out there has used them or owned them. They are a pretty standard, pretty humble but hardworking and versatile amp. If you cant manage to sound good with one of these, then you probably can't sound good using any amp.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

If you poke around on Craigslist you can find Marshall JCM 2000 DSL and TSL heads for around $500. They'll do everything you want, and can easily be modded.

 

[dominus]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

Used Peavey 5150 or 6505 combo. It might not have what you think of as the perfect clean, but it will do everything you need, at the price point you want.

 

[esandes]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

+1 on the peavey classic 30. fantastic tones out of it.

 

[Redbowties88]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

Don't forget about the Peavey Valveking. 2x12 and head.

I got mine for a steal at $225. They can usually be had for around $300 for the 2x12

 

[onlytwin]

Re: Looking for a used tube amp around $500

I'll write down the classic 30, Valveking and Hot Rod Deluxe. I would put down the JCM, but I'm not really a fan of Marshall :/

I'm going to probably look around 30 watts just to be safe with the headroom, since I definitely need loud clean tones.