Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

[Zarg]

Hey everyone!

I'm looking to get more serious with my amp since I've pretty much only played solid state (line 6 )up until now, and only owned SS amps. I want to dive into the world of tube/valve amps.

My budget is around 300-350€, maybe 400-ish if its a great amp. Of course that budget gets me into the used market, although I've seen some bugera stuff new for these prices (or slightly more)... are they any good?

I'm totally fine with getting something used, have been buying used guitars for years now, as long as you always check everything.... its fine!

Now maybe I should clear up what I'm looking for. Ideally, something kinda like a marshall. Clear distortion is what I'm after. I play in a rock / metal band, so it should be suited for metal as well (can always use a tubescreamer, right?) but I'd love if it would be good for the occasional bluesy jams too. I already have a 4 by 12 cab and want to run it through that (so if a combo, one with extension cab out or just general speaker out).

I guess 25/50 watts would be enough for me, I never play crystal clean, so there's none of that headroom issue. It just needs to be loud enough for practice and small gigs with another guitarist and a drumkit.

I don't need any built in effects, although a reverb would be great, but I can just get a pedal. Don't really need multiple channels either. I play relatively low gain for metal stuff and rolling back the volume on my guitar is enough for me to get it to clean up reasonably for some more quiet parts.

I hope my budget can get me anything decent for the sound I'm looking for. I play les pauls if that matters much.

Also, do you have any advice for a guy that is about to have his first tube amp? // or is there a great sounding hybrid/ss amp I should look at?... I'm open for anything!

Many thanks! cheers! :cool2:

 

[probo_squad_henry]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

Check out Jet City. They have a 20 watt single channel head that retails for about $400 USD, so that should probably be in your budget in euros. It's kinda Soldano/modded Marshall voiced.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

Blackstar HT Venue series could do the Marshall-inspired thing. https://www.blackstaramps.com/ranges/ht-venue-series There is also a more Metal oriented series.

I have the mk1 HT-5 mini stack, purchased pre-owned. I found it necessary to replace the stock Chinese valves and Cerestion loudspeaker.

 

[VinceT]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

The video reviews of the new Fender Bassbreaker amps that I've watched are pretty cool. Seems like a lot of tone for the money.


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[devastone]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

I'll second the Jet City JCA22H, Blackstars are good too.

You might also look at Peavey Valveking, or if you want the 80's modded Marhall sound Laney AORs are great and can probably be picked up within your budget, they are loud though (like an old Marshall).

If you look hard you might come across Marshall DSL40 or something.

 

[probo_squad_henry]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

I'll second the Jet City JCA22H, Blackstars are good too.

You might also look at Peavey Valveking, or if you want the 80's modded Marhall sound Laney AORs are great and can probably be picked up within your budget, they are loud though (like an old Marshall).

If you look hard you might come across Marshall DSL40 or something.

Doesn't the valveking have the same circuit as a JCM 800? I don't know if that's true or not but I've heard people say it

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

20W, Versatile as hell, big bottle tone...never need to bias it either...and just within your budget (new).



Plus, I think it sounds amazing...

 

[stratguy23]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

OP, the DSL40 combo might just be your ticket for your price range. And not only is it "like a Marshall", it actually is one Warm/usable cleans, real Marshall tone in the drive channel. You would probably use the "button pushed in" setting for extra drive. That setting can do metal, no problem. Well, 80s and thrash metal, for sure, if you needed something tighter/more brutal for death metal, etc., you might need to tighten things up with a Tube Screamer - but if that's the case, maybe you'd start looking at used Mesas or Engls, dedicated high gain tools.

The modern-day DSL series is, pound-for-pound (in both senses of the word), some of the best affordable tube amps out there.

Blackstar HT series is comparable - the clean channel is worse than the Marshall (sterile), but the drive channel is comparable in quality, though not tone. The Blackstar is voiced a little more "modern" - more clarity between the notes. 70s rock guys should head for the DSLs, fusion players and modern rock guys should head for the HTs. If your style involves high gain liquid-y legato leads, I'd recommend the HT or Tubemeister series.

Hughes & Kettner Tubemeisters sound great; they remind me a little of the Blackstars in their modern voicing. They come with the Redbox, which is a handy DI for recording (should you need one), and the 18 watt upwards models offer power scaling down to 1 watt, which can be handy for various situations.

EDITED TO ADD: Randall Diavlo is also a good choice, especially if you are leaning more metal than rock. The models I've tried have had high build quality and are built like tanks. To my ears, they are voiced a bit bright, but that would probably gel well with your Epi LPs.

In the wattage range you seek, Orange Dual Terror might be the ticket for you. Orange voicing (low mids emphasis) might be a good midpoint between "British metal amp voicing" and "bluesy leads". It might be hard to find a Dual Terror in your price range, though.

Finally, Peavey Valveking (at least the current iteration) is comparable to the Blackstar HT. Even the control layout is similar. The Valveking can get slightly more Marshall-y (grit/filth/brown sound) than a Blackstar, but otherwise they're almost the same thing - versatile, high quality, if slightly faceless affordable tube amps.

Marshall DSL, Blackstar HT, Randall Diavlo, H&K Tubemeister, Orange Terror, Peavey Valveking (current) should all be able to get you where you want to go. They are mostly all affordable at used prices. Try as many as you can - it's a real pleasure to experience the many different flavors of tube amps.

I can't speak as to the Bugeras, but I've been curious about them due to their insanely low price points.

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

Keep in mind, if you get a Peavey Valveking combo, you might not like the stock speaker.

 

[Zarg]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

20W, Versatile as hell, big bottle tone...never need to bias it either...and just within your budget (new).



Plus, I think it sounds amazing...

It really sounds good! And its just about 340 new. Do you think 20W is enough for band pratice and small gigs?

I'll second the Jet City JCA22H, Blackstars are good too.

You might also look at Peavey Valveking, or if you want the 80's modded Marhall sound Laney AORs are great and can probably be picked up within your budget, they are loud though (like an old Marshall).

If you look hard you might come across Marshall DSL40 or something.

I found out that I can even afford to go with the Jet City Amplification JCA50H, its 350 bucks here. new.... very tempting! And it sounds really awesome, this might be my top choice yet.
The reviews I found are very positive and it sounds great and it seems like it gets me where I want to get. The only thing I'm a bit afraid of is BIAS and changing tubes and all that stuff. Don't get me wrong, my job is working with computers, mostly on the hardware level and I'm decent with electronics... I just never had a tube head.

OP, the DSL40 combo might just be your ticket for your price range. And not only is it "like a Marshall", it actually is one Warm/usable cleans, real Marshall tone in the drive channel. You would probably use the "button pushed in" setting for extra drive. That setting can do metal, no problem. Well, 80s and thrash metal, for sure, if you needed something tighter/more brutal for death metal, etc., you might need to tighten things up with a Tube Screamer - but if that's the case, maybe you'd start looking at used Mesas or Engls, dedicated high gain tools.

The modern-day DSL series is, pound-for-pound (in both senses of the word), some of the best affordable tube amps out there.

Blackstar HT series is comparable - the clean channel is worse than the Marshall (sterile), but the drive channel is comparable in quality, though not tone. The Blackstar is voiced a little more "modern" - more clarity between the notes. 70s rock guys should head for the DSLs, fusion players and modern rock guys should head for the HTs. If your style involves high gain liquid-y legato leads, I'd recommend the HT or Tubemeister series.

Hughes & Kettner Tubemeisters sound great; they remind me a little of the Blackstars in their modern voicing. They come with the Redbox, which is a handy DI for recording (should you need one), and the 18 watt upwards models offer power scaling down to 1 watt, which can be handy for various situations.

EDITED TO ADD: Randall Diavlo is also a good choice, especially if you are leaning more metal than rock. The models I've tried have had high build quality and are built like tanks. To my ears, they are voiced a bit bright, but that would probably gel well with your Epi LPs.

In the wattage range you seek, Orange Dual Terror might be the ticket for you. Orange voicing (low mids emphasis) might be a good midpoint between "British metal amp voicing" and "bluesy leads". It might be hard to find a Dual Terror in your price range, though.

Finally, Peavey Valveking (at least the current iteration) is comparable to the Blackstar HT. Even the control layout is similar. The Valveking can get slightly more Marshall-y (grit/filth/brown sound) than a Blackstar, but otherwise they're almost the same thing - versatile, high quality, if slightly faceless affordable tube amps.

Marshall DSL, Blackstar HT, Randall Diavlo, H&K Tubemeister, Orange Terror, Peavey Valveking (current) should all be able to get you where you want to go. They are mostly all affordable at used prices. Try as many as you can - it's a real pleasure to experience the many different flavors of tube amps.

I can't speak as to the Bugeras, but I've been curious about them due to their insanely low price points.

that's awesome! thank you so much for this list, I will make sure to check these out, although sadly, ebay isn't all that great for used gear here in Germany, there's not a lot of stuff to find

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

It really sounds good! And its just about 340 new. Do you think 20W is enough for band pratice and small gigs?

Yes, it's sure to be loud enough..it's class A running EL34's too. Personally, I love the open growly tone it has (got an eye on one myself lol). I would'nt imagine there'd be much "actual" (perceivable) volume difference between it & the 50W Jet City.

Jet City does sound pretty good too though...

 

[Zarg]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

Yes, it's sure to be loud enough..it's class A running EL34's too. Personally, I love the open growly tone it has (got an eye on one myself lol). I would'nt imagine there'd be much "actual" (perceivable) volume difference between it & the 50W Jet City.

Jet City does sound pretty good too though...

you're very right. It seems like it will come down to these two. As I'm a complete beginner with tube amps, I'd rather get a brand new one and send it back if I have problems with it. I heard bad things about people buying tube amps that are in bad shape. Can't wait to get one! I will watch and read and hear as many reviews as possible before buying.

I'm still torn between those. The jet city sounds great, so does the bugera g20. I'm more towards the jet city but I discovered that the bugera has that thing that automatically adjusts the bias and tells you what tubes to replace.... pretty neat, and as a total beginner to tube amps, it takes aways some of my fears. But I dont know if I can get metal tones out of the bugera, I'm more confident with the jet city getting those tones I want

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

A couple of options I'd look into–Fender Blues Jr, Fender Pro Jr, Bugera V22, Vox AC15

 

[Zarg]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

20W, Versatile as hell, big bottle tone...never need to bias it either...and just within your budget (new).



Plus, I think it sounds amazing...

to be honest, I'm pretty much sold on this one after reading many reviews and listening to a lot demos.... it sounds great, and I really like the no BIAS deal. I will think about it for a bit and then, probably pull the trigger on this one. and get a decent OD pedal, just to help out a bit, if needed.

What do you guys think about these ones?

Bugera 1990 Infinium
Bugera T50 Infinium

cheers!

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

Before you make a decision there's some other things that you should consider, like is there a good amp tech in your area? Because if not & you buy a self biased amp instead of a cathode biased amp your going to spend a fortune shipping it out just so someone can change your tubes and re-bias it for you!


Valve amplifiers are very dangerous & you shouldn't go poking around in there if you don't know exactly what you're doing! Sitting around watching YouTube video tutorials isn't going to turn you into a amp tech, do yourself a favor and let someone else work on it! I mean if you're lucky you might be able to find a tutorial that is specifically about the model you own & walks you through the whole process, but even then you're still playing with fire!!! It just takes one wrong move and you, your amp, or both are dead....

They are also expensive, require maintenance, they're finicky, sound completely different at different volumes, can sound completely different just because you are plugged into your drummer's wall instead of your own, & did I mention that they're expensive? I'm not trying to dissuade you, I love tube amps & own several of them! I also wish someone would have told me a bit more about them before I jumped into the deep end of the pool because there was certainly a learning curve! You'll just have to decide for yourself whether the ends justify the means....

After reading your description of what you're looking to get out of it I personally think the DSL40C was the best suggestion. It's a Marshall and sounds like one, more than enough gain on the red CH. & you can get some great Plexi tones from the green? If you look hard you should be able to find a used one for about $400-$450 & a simple speaker upgrade will make it amazing! It's a little over your budget but, IMHO also well worth the wait!!!

I'm a huge fan of little EL84 lunchbox heads & they make up more than half of my amp collection but they just don't sound the same as something with EL34's or 6V6's...

I.E.- Bigger bottles equal bigger thumps!!!

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

For being a 20 watt amp ....the Bugera does run a pair of EL34's.

to be honest, I'm pretty much sold on this one after reading many reviews and listening to a lot demos.... it sounds great, and I really like the no BIAS deal. I will think about it for a bit and then, probably pull the trigger on this one. and get a decent OD pedal, just to help out a bit, if needed.

What do you guys think about these ones?

Bugera 1990 Infinium
Bugera T50 Infinium

cheers!

I've got a 333XL Infinium & it's a fantastic amp (not just for the price). Sounds incredible, very solid/never given me a moment's trouble, tubes last forever (still running my stock tubes 3 years later & they sound perfect) . I've played a 1990 Infinium & it sounds great....not tried the T50...it's pretty new.

 

[Zarg]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

For being a 20 watt amp ....the Bugera does run a pair of EL34's.



I've got a 333XL Infinium & it's a fantastic amp (not just for the price). Sounds incredible, very solid/never given me a moment's trouble, tubes last forever (still running my stock tubes 3 years later & they sound perfect) . I've played a 1990 Infinium & it sounds great....not tried the T50...it's pretty new.

I'm still not sure that its going to be loud enough but I trust you in that. Will probably get it soon.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

Before you make a decision there's some other things that you should consider, like is there a good amp tech in your area? Because if not & you buy a self biased amp instead of a cathode biased amp your going to spend a fortune shipping it out just so someone can change your tubes and re-bias it for you!


Valve amplifiers are very dangerous & you shouldn't go poking around in there if you don't know exactly what you're doing! Sitting around watching YouTube video tutorials isn't going to turn you into a amp tech, do yourself a favor and let someone else work on it! I mean if you're lucky you might be able to find a tutorial that is specifically about the model you own & walks you through the whole process, but even then you're still playing with fire!!! It just takes one wrong move and you, your amp, or both are dead....

They are also expensive, require maintenance, they're finicky, sound completely different at different volumes, can sound completely different just because you are plugged into your drummer's wall instead of your own, & did I mention that they're expensive? I'm not trying to dissuade you, I love tube amps & own several of them! I also wish someone would have told me a bit more about them before I jumped into the deep end of the pool because there was certainly a learning curve! You'll just have to decide for yourself whether the ends justify the means....

After reading your description of what you're looking to get out of it I personally think the DSL40C was the best suggestion. It's a Marshall and sounds like one, more than enough gain on the red CH. & you can get some great Plexi tones from the green? If you look hard you should be able to find a used one for about $400-$450 & a simple speaker upgrade will make it amazing! It's a little over your budget but, IMHO also well worth the wait!!!

I'm a huge fan of little EL84 lunchbox heads & they make up more than half of my amp collection but they just don't sound the same as something with EL34's or 6V6's...

I.E.- Bigger bottles equal bigger thumps!!!

 

[Matt42]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

I practice and play small to medium sized gigs with a 20 watt 1x12" combo amp all the time. And I usually can't crank the volume either. You'll be fine with a 20 watt amp and that 4x12".

 

[TRex]

Re: Need a new amp. First tube amp, help me choose!

If you like gain and marshalls, Check out Jet City Amplification. Great value amps!. My JCA2212 combo (i got for $300) beats most everthing in the price range.

My other suggections would be a blackstar HT5 or HT20 or maybe an Egnater.

A fender bassbreaker also sounds cool, but i haven't hear much of them yet.

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