Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

[CaughtLikeFire]

well, my Mesa Stilleto Ace half stack may not go with me when I move in the next 5-6 months. I planned to have my own home by now with a basement set up just for rocking out and it would have been great for that. great tone but insane volumes and way too big.

I'm a drummer 1st and foremost and I have enough gear to lug around already. it's time for a small tube amp,

any suggestions? Dr. Z may be a little out of my price range. Modified Blackhearts have piqued my interest . . .

I'm looking for something more British-voiced in general, or boutique hi-gain like the Dr. Z Mazerati GT . . . either a combo or a small amp head and 1x12 cab.

what amps are you guys using to get those organic, harmonically-rich overdrive tones?

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

I have a Marshall 18 Watter clone, but it's DIY. Small tube amps are where it's at.

Look at the Egnater Rebel, Orange TiIny Terror... the list goes on and on.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

im all about lower wattage amps and have a few

modded musicmaster bass amp which is now a cross between a princeton and matchless, about 10w.
celtic 5e3 clone, 12-15w
fender deluxe reveb, 22w
celtic based on a 5e7 with mods, 26w
single ended thing, about 6w

small amps with efficient speakers can be really loud. dr z makes some good stuff, try an 18w with a z best cab and youll be amazed how loud it is when you turn it up.

 

[bancika]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

I'm a big fan of low power amps, and I built a few, ranging from 1/2w to 5w...plenty of volume for home...

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

I am with you in the search, man!

For apartment, I know 1W is most realistic, but I am probably going to go with the Blackheart 5W/3W head, since I gig once a week.

I would go for the Rebel or the Tiny Terror, but if I'm going to spend $600 an an amp, I want it to not be a toy. I understand these could serve me well, but the bang / buck is off center for me.

At $200, the Blackheart is right in my sights - why not?

Keep in mind I don't have one, just shopping and listening to YouTube videos.

I play a VOX Valvetronix in my apartment

 

[j9fd3s]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

ive got a couple of fender champs, the champ II is the one that gets used the most 18W i think. its really loud

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

I would go for the Rebel or the Tiny Terror, but if I'm going to spend $600 an an amp, I want it to not be a toy. I understand these could serve me well, but the bang / buck is off center for me.

The tiny terror is far from a toy! that thing is easily gig worthy and sounds great. I'd never refer to an amp of that quality as a toy.

I use a Dr. Z Maz 18 through a 2x12 cab and I've *yet* to find a gig that it didn't work for

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

Im runnin all smaller amps these days...

-62 Fender Deluxe 18 or so watts 1x12
-05 Mission Amps "Plow Front" 18 or so watts 2x10
-60 Ampeg Jet 11 watts 1x12

For a low buck low wattage amp the Orange Tiny Terror is really hard to beat, I actually like that amp better than most of the 18 and 20 watt marshall clones out there today.

Dr. Z amps are great and in the current boutique market are a great back for the buck however keep this in mind...ALL Dr. Z amps are LOUD for their rated power...I played a Mazerati GT a while back and was amazed at the volume...rated at 30 something watts...easily louder than a 50 watt Marshall by a good margin.

There are loads of amps out there these days in the lowish wattage range at various prices...what do you really want amd need and what is your budget??

 

[CaughtLikeFire]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

Im runnin all smaller amps these days...

-62 Fender Deluxe 18 or so watts 1x12
-05 Mission Amps "Plow Front" 18 or so watts 2x10
-60 Ampeg Jet 11 watts 1x12

For a low buck low wattage amp the Orange Tiny Terror is really hard to beat, I actually like that amp better than most of the 18 and 20 watt marshall clones out there today.

Dr. Z amps are great and in the current boutique market are a great back for the buck however keep this in mind...ALL Dr. Z amps are LOUD for their rated power...I played a Mazerati GT a while back and was amazed at the volume...rated at 30 something watts...easily louder than a 50 watt Marshall by a good margin.

There are loads of amps out there these days in the lowish wattage range at various prices...what do you really want amd need and what is your budget??

I love the harmonics on the Z's - the signal path and output transformers are always matched up just right . . . but I've never heard one cranked up.

I guess I shouldn't sell my attenuator just yet . . .

I'll need to look into the Tiny Terror . . .

thanks everyone for the input :headbang:

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

I've got one fo the newer Ampeg Jet amps from the 90s...it's probably the only amp I own that I'd take out without any pedals whatsoever.

 

[J Moose]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

would go for the Rebel or the Tiny Terror, but if I'm going to spend $600 an an amp, I want it to not be a toy. I understand these could serve me well, but the bang / buck is off center for me.

At $200, the Blackheart is right in my sights - why not?

What makes the Terrible Terror "a toy"? Have you played or even been in the same room as one? It's a fairly serious & solid box... After playing them a handful of times I finally bought one a few weeks ago. I checked out a lot of different amps & while the TT isn't quite on the same level as a Matchless or Z the bang to buck ratio IMO is off the wall. I still need to try some good tubes in there...

One thing that was surprising about all these 15-20 watt amps is how freakin' LOUD they are! I realize that 20 watts is a fair amount of headroom to begin with, but a lot of these amps have very little to no grind until they're opened up. Some of 'em get really loud really quickly too...

Not much difference between something like that and an old AC30 in terms of sheer volume.

But even something like a cranked up champ would be enough to get 'ya kicked out of an apartment.

 

[CaughtLikeFire]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

I've got one fo the newer Ampeg Jet amps from the 90s...it's probably the only amp I own that I'd take out without any pedals whatsoever.

is the factory Alnico speaker in the reissue Jet decent? are most guys replacing them with Jensens, Webers, etc?

by the way, I found a few of these on Ebay - floor models for $540 shipped.

just may be a little too close to a Fender tweed for me. I'm looking for a more British tone this time around - the nice raunchy mids

 

[wahwah]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

But even something like a cranked up champ would be enough to get 'ya kicked out of an apartment.

This is true. There's no way I could take my Super Champ over 4 on the master without getting complaints.




Cheers................................. wahwah

 

[phil_104]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

I use a mesa express 5:25. It has the 5w switch, so I'm good. I wrote a review on it on the forum. Wicked amp.

 

[drpietrzak]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

If you are going more than 1w for an amp get an attenuator. I play a lot of lower power amps. Home is is hard to beat a Killer Ant with the pedal board. This would not do it for any gig though. I like fenders there so I would not be a good for this one.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

You guys know what I use - all small Fender amps.

But I do like to use a really good and efficient speaker to clear up the low end and give those small amps some headroom.

Any of the speakers those little Fender Princetons and Deluxes came with can usually be improved upon with a good Weber 10 or Celestion 12.

I have one little amp that I left the original speaker in: 50's Gibson GA-20 which came with the oriiginal Jensen P12R. It's an alnico speaker and the 12" version of the P10R that came in the original tweed Fender Bassman amps.

That amp sings - just plug into the microphone input, turn it up to 5 or 6 and I get effortless sustain and great Marshall-esque tone.

Doesn't have much of a clean sound, but what an awesome tone for soloing.

Lew

 

[wanmei1]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

For a low buck low wattage amp the Orange Tiny Terror is really hard to beat, I actually like that amp better than most of the 18 and 20 watt marshall clones out there today.

+1
Gotta agree, Orange amps are overlooked by many players probably due to their poor distribution.
IMO, the Tiny Terror out Marshalls Marshall, it just drips vintage British tone.
2 x 12ax7's
2 x EL84's
Switchable 15 watts class AB or 7 watts class A.
Oh Yeah !

​

 

[Thermionik]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

I found a little Sound City "Studio 20" (supposedly a 'PA' amp.....) at a junk fair for £10 ($15US)
EL84 power, ECC83 (12AX7) pre's, and 100% working:

And I have to say, for low-power driven sounds it is very good - but still needs either a very inefficient speaker (I use a real old Wharfedale from the 1950's) or an attenuator (I drop 20W:2W into a Celestion loaded 2x12") to get 'acceptable' loudness. But loose the attenuator and crank it up - oh boy, it is glorious.

Keep your eyes peeled - there are low-wattage sleepers out there.....

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

is the factory Alnico speaker in the reissue Jet decent? are most guys replacing them with Jensens, Webers, etc?
by the way, I found a few of these on Ebay - floor models for $540 shipped.
just may be a little too close to a Fender tweed for me. I'm looking for a more British tone this time around - the nice raunchy mids

The stock speaker can't be any worse than the new Jensens, I think these are actually pretty cool little amps and offer a neat alterniative to all the little EL84 buzz boxes running around.

Also, keep this in mind...your tweed Fender sound is not all that different from your vintage Marshall sound...both tweeds and old marshalls do the thick nasty midrange thing.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Low wattage tube amps - who here uses them?

IMO, the Tiny Terror out Marshalls Marshall, it just drips vintage British tone.

I wouldn't go that far but it is a cool amp and for the price is **** hard to beat!