Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

[LunaticFringe]

I'm thinking of selling my current amp and buying a smaller one with actual power tubes. My current one only has 1 preamp tube in it and is a 100w 2x12 combo. I really think I'd be better off with a 50w 1x12. I don't need boutique, I just need a good little amp that can stand up to my drummer (he wails on them like bonham -HEAVY-, so maybe that will help you). I'm looking at around 700 bucks, I would even go used no prob. Heres the thing: NO ONBOARD EFFECTS!!! I don't want reverb or anything on it, got a nice reverb here in my Holy Grail. Two channels would be nice but worse come to worse I have a fuzz to push it with. What would you guys go for in my situation? I'm looking at around 700 bucks.

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

you might be able to pull a used Mesa/Boogie F50 for that price. Very nice amps. Clean is pure black face fender. Dirty is not quite Dual Recto but can get pretty bluesy. there is a reverb and it is of quality. Effects loop, 2 channels with a contour on dirty channel.

I can vouch for this thing. it sounds freakin sweet, man!!!

 

[sosomething]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

I think you can find used Mesa F-50's in that price range. I like the F-series... not really the whole Recto thing like what you're used to hearing from Mesa, but not really like the Mark series either. They have their own sound, and really thick, syrupy OD and some of the best cleans I've ever heard from a hi-gain amp.

In the range (F-30, F-50, and F-100) the F-50 seems to get the best reviews. I owned an F-30 for a while and loved the cleans, but the OD channel always seemed a little too dark and compressed - from what I've been told, the F-50 is much better in that regard.

Good luck in your amp search!

 

[sosomething]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

you might be able to pull a used Mesa/Boogie F50 for that price. Very nice amps. Clean is pure black face fender. Dirty is not quite Dual Recto but can get pretty bluesy. there is a reverb and it is of quality. Effects loop, 2 channels with a contour on dirty channel.

I can vouch for this thing. it sounds freakin sweet, man!!!

You're faster than me! haha :smack:

 

[aleclee]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

I'm thinking of selling my current amp and buying a smaller one with actual power tubes. My current one only has 1 preamp tube in it and is a 100w 2x12 combo. I really think I'd be better off with a 50w 1x12.

It's pretty futile to ask for suggestions when you tell us more about the technology you want than the tone you'd prefer. From a thread on another board:

Well, "good OD" to a Dumble lover isn't gonna make a Marshall guy happy. "Good OD" for a Marshall guy isn't gonna make a Mesa guy happy. "Good OD" that works for a Mesa guy isn't gonna make a Vox guy happy. I think you get the idea.

Simply put, specifying tone with something so vague as "good OD" is very subjective and a recipe for disappointment. Providing a more specific tonal target (e.g., "80s metal" or "southern rock") makes it a lot easier for folks to make suggestions in line with the person's expectations even if you're not looking to cop anyone's tone.

If you have a good idea of your target tone, do everyone a favor and strive for as much specificity as you can. If you don't have a target tone and looking for gear, you're probably in for a long and expensive learning experience as you go through a bunch of stuff that doesn't really work for you.

FWIW, IMO, etc.

 

[Smilemon]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

It wont be hard to get louder than a drummer. My drummer is like 6 foot, flaming red hair down to his shoulders, he dents cymbals and breaks through heads but my 15 watt cranked can still get through easy. Maybe look at an ampeg Reverbrocket. I almost bought one of those for 600 but it got snapped up.
Later i met the guy who bought it at the guitar store testing preamp tubes.
man i was jealous. That thing totally ripped

Smilemon

 

[aleclee]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

you might be able to pull a used Mesa/Boogie F50 for that price. Very nice amps. Clean is pure black face fender.

We must hear things differently. The cleans aren't even close to BF IMO. I'd say the cleans are good, but not that flavor to my ear.

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

well, from what I've read, they basically copied the blackface circuit for the clean channel.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

well, from what I've read, they basically copied the blackface circuit for the clean channel.

You can't hear with your eyes, though we do try.

FWIW I didn't find the cleans on my F-30 to be very Fendery. They had some chime, but seemed a lot warmer with more body. I'm not a Fender expert by any means, though.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

I'm thinking of selling my current amp and buying a smaller one with actual power tubes. My current one only has 1 preamp tube in it and is a 100w 2x12 combo. I really think I'd be better off with a 50w 1x12. I don't need boutique, I just need a good little amp that can stand up to my drummer (he wails on them like bonham -HEAVY-, so maybe that will help you). I'm looking at around 700 bucks, I would even go used no prob. Heres the thing: NO ONBOARD EFFECTS!!! I don't want reverb or anything on it, got a nice reverb here in my Holy Grail. Two channels would be nice but worse come to worse I have a fuzz to push it with. What would you guys go for in my situation? I'm looking at around 700 bucks.

That's exactly what I wanted to do (and did). I bought the small Peavey instead of my big Tube Works, one preamp tube- amp. No regrets... :fingersx:

For your price range you have many options... try looking at the Peavey line, Laney make good british amps for a fair price (british means more mids so that should help you with the drummer, the only thing is - most of them AFAIK come with onboard reverb).
If you can score a Mesa... you should also be happy... (even more).

 

[aleclee]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

well, from what I've read, they basically copied the blackface circuit for the clean channel.

You can't hear with your eyes, though we do try.

Word.

I bought a Yamaha T100 after research indicated that it was pretty much a clone of the Soldano SLO. As someone who has owned a couple of real Soldanos over the years, I'll tell you that the "clone's" circuits might've been similar but the tone was not. I generally chalk it up to way different transformers.

In any case, I'm a hearty advocate of letting one's ears guide such evaluations because spec sheets and marketing slicks don't come close to predicting what a piece of gear sounds like, let alone whether or not you'll like it.

 

[Tor]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

I second aleclee's suggestion, you need to be more specific in your desires for tones... That being said, I too have the F-50, and I have (nothing but) great things to say about it. I'm not sure if I like the fx loop, as it seemed to hate the DD-20 for a while. Haven't noticed that hate lately though...

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

Word.

I bought a Yamaha T100 after research indicated that it was pretty much a clone of the Soldano SLO. As someone who has owned a couple of real Soldanos over the years, I'll tell you that the "clone's" circuits might've been similar but the tone was not. I generally chalk it up to way different transformers.

In any case, I'm a hearty advocate of letting one's ears guide such evaluations because spec sheets and marketing slicks don't come close to predicting what a piece of gear sounds like, let alone whether or not you'll like it.

I see where you are coming from. I do know that the clean is VERY nice. it may not be "fendery" but it is nice.

 

[midnite_man]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

The Mesa Boogie amps sound good, so do Fender Deluxe Reverb either vintage or reissue. 22 strong tube-watts driving a 1x12 is something to behold. Maybe even an old SF Twin Reverb w/ 2x12's or a Marshall DSL-401?
It does really depend on what kind of music you play, but I will say that my DRRI is a great all-around amp that equally does single coils and humbuckers justice.

 

[paytojt]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

Another vote for the F series. Very loud, and more than enough gain. With a closed back 2x12 extension, you should be happy.

 

[LunaticFringe]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

It's pretty futile to ask for suggestions when you tell us more about the technology you want than the tone you'd prefer. From a thread on another board:

Well, I was hoping for varied suggestions. But I was thinking today and I would like something with a nice clean channel, and a sweet power OD that I can use in contrast with an Orange I intend to buy one day.

 

[LunaticFringe]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

I don't need to do thrash metal or anything like that. Hendrix type stuff. Nice harmonics.

 

[aleclee]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

Well, I was hoping for varied suggestions. But I was thinking today and I would like something with a nice clean channel, and a sweet power OD that I can use in contrast with an Orange I intend to buy one day.

I'll refer you to my comments about "good OD" above. :smack:


(Never mind the whole mythology surrounding power tube distortion )

 

[tubeman87]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

We must hear things differently. The cleans aren't even close to BF IMO. I'd say the cleans are good, but not that flavor to my ear.

+ 1 on that, I've plugged into an F-50 on several ocassions and I've never thought "this sound just like a Fender". It doesn't mean it's bad, just different. My opinion is just try everything, go to a few "super" stores (even if you don't plan to buy from them) and play everything (tube or SS) then go to a few "vintage/use" shops and do the same. Odds are you'll find something.

 

[tubeman87]

Re: Need Help: Suggest A Tube Amp

I don't need to do thrash metal or anything like that. Hendrix type stuff. Nice harmonics.

go with a marshall, a single channle one if you can, you can probanly find one in the $700 range at the used shops and still talk the price down even lower. I know for a fact that least in San Antonio you can find a good marshall head for $ 700, heres a link to the shop I usally buy from and these guys have a few marshall tube heads in your price range. I think they ship.

http://spacetonemusic.com/

Hope this help, but a Marshall would be the way to go if your doing Hendrix type stuff.