Low wattage tube amps

[PFDarkside]

Who has the down low on low power tube amps? I'm interested in a single or dual EL-84 amp that just sings, Santana like. Maybe a single 12" speaker? Who should I check out that makes reasonably priced amps? What characteristics are important to amp in this class.

How about amps that get the classic Fender tone in a small, compact package? An amp with good headroom with the gain low, and the Fender breakup at higher gain settings?

Scott, I was looking at your website... Are you currently backordered?

 

[Uncle Unborn]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

Cornford Harlequin or Hurricane

http://www.cornfordamps.com/launch.html

The tone is a cross between Fender and Vox, which, IMO is cooler than pure Fender tone.. Very nice breakup!

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

Traynor Bassmate from the late 60s early 70s. The el84 is a bit of a Mar/vox ( what I own) where the 6V6 has more pure Marshall like grind. At 20 watts they will peel paint, loudest low watt head I own. Really wonderful amps, loaded with mustards and perhaps the sturdiest build quality of any amp ever made. If you hit my link listen to Bassmate and da thang, that is a quick clip of the amp in action. These sell in the 250.00 350.00.

 

[Robert1950]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

Have a look:

http://www.yorkville.com/products.asp?type=32&cat=18

http://fab.stuff.home.comcast.net/models.htm

http://www.carvinworld.com/products/single.php?ItemNumber=VINTAGE16&CID=GA

http://www.cohrs.ca/staged/Products_Main.htm

http://www.badcatamps.com/home.asp

http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Lonestar/LonestarSpecial.htm

http://www.allenamps.com/hotfudge.html

http://www.drzamps.com/ghia.html

There are dozens other. Just do a we serach "Low watt tube amps"

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

If you're looking for a bluesy type of tone like Santana had in earlier years or something that sounds a lot like a plexi Marshall, with about 10 watts, I would look around (ebay) for a Univox U45-B. I've got two of them. I put earlier breakup tubes in one and I can do anything Santana, Zeppelin, Hendrixy, even AC/DC etc... the other breaks up much later for nice singing cleaner chords and leads. Also an old blackface Champ sounds great as well. Okay, I'm a little partial cuz I own them, but you get the picture. I also like the Gretsch 6150 but they're getting to be as high priced as the Champs. I got my first U45 two years ago for $128 and the second for about $180 shipped.

This is the first item I ever got that I agree completely with the reviews on Harmony Central, which are usually gushing and glowing like the owner of the company wrote the review. The second was my Mooretone Stratocaster.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

Who has the down low on low power tube amps? I'm interested in a single or dual EL-84 amp that just sings, Santana like. Maybe a single 12" speaker? Who should I check out that makes reasonably priced amps? What characteristics are important to amp in this class.

How about amps that get the classic Fender tone in a small, compact package? An amp with good headroom with the gain low, and the Fender breakup at higher gain settings?

Scott, I was looking at your website... Are you currently backordered?

I only accept two active projects at one time. I will hopefully have to start a first come first served type waiting list. What that means is that I willl not accept any deposits on an amp until one of the two active projects has shipped.

I don't want to get in trouble the way I've seen others. The good news is that I should have one of my two actives shipping by the end of this coming week. Just gotta get the new faceplates in.

Thanks for asking.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

Matamp has a new low wattage amp out.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

Talk to Scott or talk to my brother Bruce Collins at Mission Amps. http://www.missionamps.com IMO, Bruce makes some of the very best sounding "tweed tone" amps available and his prices are very reasonable. You can also order his amps as a kit and build one yourself, which is how Scott got started. Bruces 5E3 kit is a clone of my own two '58 & '59 Fender tweed Deluxes and if you put a great speaker in that amp like a Vox/Celestion G12 alnico the tone will blow away just about anything similar. David Lindley uses the Celestion G12 alnico in his Deluxe to get the amazing tone he gets. Bruce also makes a 2 x 10 tweed Super both as an amp and as a kit. Lew

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

Cool guys, this is the type of stuff I was looking for. Fab amps looks really good too for their reasonable prices, I wonder if you get what you pay for... I have a feeling anything by Scott will be good. I'll check out that link, Lew.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

Talk to Scott or talk to my brother Bruce Collins at Mission Amps. http://www.missionamps.com IMO, Bruce makes some of the very best sounding "tweed tone" amps available and his prices are very reasonable. You can also order his amps as a kit and build one yourself, which is how Scott got started. Bruces 5E3 kit is a clone of my own two '58 & '59 Fender tweed Deluxes and if you put a great speaker in that amp like a Vox/Celestion G12 alnico the tone will blow away just about anything similar. David Lindley uses the Celestion G12 alnico in his Deluxe to get the amazing tone he gets. Bruce also makes a 2 x 10 tweed Super both as an amp and as a kit. Lew

Bruce Collins is one of the only guys I would recommend getting a kit through. Whatever you do, do not get a weber kit in my opinion. The parts are the cheapest he can find which is why Weber kits don't cost much which is why I'm sure the tone will not be as good. If you're going to do it, do it right. The parts that Bruce at Mission uses are awesome. My only wish is that Bruce used carbon comp resistors. Bruce's support is first rate. (carbon comp resistors are easy to find though)

weber uses chinese parts, chinese trannies in particular cheap pots. his wire is cloth wire, but it's also stranded which is much more difficult to work with than the solid core stuff that Bruce includes in his kits.

The one thing I can say is that I've seen a Weber head enclosure and it was very good quality. (as it is probably the only thing along with the chassis' that are made here in the US)

Bruce uses Heyboer and Mercury trannies. I built one of his 5E3's and one of his 35 watt Super/Pro's. The Tweed Pro cabinet I got from Bruce was aged (laquered) and is some of the finest example of a tweed cab I've ever seen.

Making your own amp can be incredibly satisfying and highly addictive. And lew is right, this is how I got my start. Bruce's kits taught me a few tricks on keeping an amp quiet that I'd probably not learned anywhere else.
:beerchug:

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

Bruce uses Heyboer and Mercury trannies.

Scott, can you tell me what the story is with Heyboer trannies? I've heard them mentioned by other manufacturers, as well. Thanx.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

The only story I know about them is that they are made in the US and they're heavy duty as hell and they sound fantastic. Other than that, they suck.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Low wattage tube amps

Who has the down low on low power tube amps? I'm interested in a single or dual EL-84 amp that just sings, Santana like. Maybe a single 12" speaker? Who should I check out that makes reasonably priced amps? What characteristics are important to amp in this class.

How about amps that get the classic Fender tone in a small, compact package? An amp with good headroom with the gain low, and the Fender breakup at higher gain settings?

Scott, I was looking at your website... Are you currently backordered?

I have a 67 Deluxe Reverb.... Great Amp and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a good all around Amp that can be used in small places. However I don't feel that a DR or its RI has enough headroom for a lot of things. I would look at the CARR Rambler. This is a 25 watt amp that is based on a Deluxe Reverb but has much more headroom.