Recomend a small amp

[H8Red442]

I currently have a Mesa Dual Recto that I refuse to part with. I am however in dire need of something smaller for bedroom/small apartment playing. I love my Mesa and want something that will give me that sound. Help a brother out... make a suggestion.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Recomend a small amp

Subway Rocket Reverb by Mesa if you can find one used. Great little amps.

 

[Diego]

Re: Recomend a small amp

Tube, SS or you don't mind? Modeling amps are good choices for nice tones in the bedroom.

I'd recommend the Roland Cube 30. Not sure if it it your cup of tea, but it has some cool high-gain modes. And at a very affordable price.

 

[induktor]

Re: Recomend a small amp

I recommend the Mesa Subway Rocket as well. I have the one without reverb and am very happy with it.

 

[Diego]

Re: Recomend a small amp

Oh, we are talking big bucks then...?:smack:

I shall pull back from this thread, then :laugh2:

 

[royd]

Re: Recomend a small amp

While the subway rocket is a nice little amp, I would think it would be a bit much for apt. playing... Even an Old Fender Champ can get pretty loud for playing in your apt. If you can swing the cash, I'd check out the emery micro-baby. The clips for the emery amps sound amazing and it is only 2 watts for the micro. Check it out at http://www.emerysound.com/Microbaby.html
I've been gassing for the superbaby for a long time.

 

[aleclee]

Re: Recomend a small amp

I'd recommend the Roland Cube 30. Not sure if it it your cup of tea, but it has some cool high-gain modes. And at a very affordable price.

+1

It's a nifty high-gain amp at a great price. For pure home use (i.e., never playing with a drummer) the Cube 15 is a great choice, too.

 

[Curly]

Re: Recomend a small amp

although I haven't played one, a tech 21 trademark 10 looks interesting, versatile and affordable

 

[Fresh_Start]

Re: Recomend a small amp

although I haven't played one, a tech 21 trademark 10 looks interesting, versatile and affordable

I have one and like it a lot. Wish it had (1) footswitch control(s) of some kind, and (2) either the amp or I had better memory of settings when I find a "sweet spot". Gotta' learn to write them down...

For the cost, the TM-10 has some great mojo. Really nice practice amp IMHO.

Chip

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Recomend a small amp

Subway rockets are nice, Budda Super Drive 18 is nice, Emery (sp?) makes a nice 8 watt amp. Amazingly I love the Fender Blues Jr. with Jensens (not a very metal amp), the Mesa Maverick can give you some distortion.

 

[DesertRose]

Re: Recomend a small amp

I agree to the Fender blues jr. its a nice warm sounding amp for the room. If you can get hold of the antique princeton reverb, its another choice to reckon with

 

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

Re: Recomend a small amp

Another vote for a Cube 30. It even has a Dual Rectifier Model - Ha-Ha. And has a great low end. The Clean is great and takes very well to pedals. It has built in Effects, reveb/delay, chorus, tremolo, phaser, flanger if you must at home. 3 band EQ... Did i mention the good bass? And excellent models.

 

[MVI]

Re: Recomend a small amp

I was about to start a new thread asking this same question or similar, when I saw this post. Like everyone else these days, I thought a tube amp at 20 Watts would be nice until I saw some prices. I already have a few amps in this size range, and find that they are my faves. In snooping around I did see the Marshall AVT20 though, which has some good reviews, the price is closer to reality - esp if you shop used - and has a tube preamp ( but not power tubes ). I don't have one, so I can't offer judgement.

 

[MVI]

Re: Recomend a small amp

While the subway rocket is a nice little amp, I would think it would be a bit much for apt. playing... Even an Old Fender Champ can get pretty loud for playing in your apt. If you can swing the cash, I'd check out the emery micro-baby. The clips for the emery amps sound amazing and it is only 2 watts for the micro. Check it out at http://www.emerysound.com/Microbaby.html
I've been gassing for the superbaby for a long time.

I have a beat up old '50's Fender 5W Champ, and it's more than loud enough at home. Ditto for its Victoria clone. The Fender Deluxe I saved from a dumpster ( 15W ) is enough to be heard over the the drums in our jam sessions, and can even be used in a small club, if you play blues or jazz. All of these are more than you should spend in that Wattage, just helping make a point.

 

[Dan-ola]

Re: Recomend a small amp

The Vox AD30 is very cool with the attenuator on the back - 2 memory channels plus front panel = 3 channels, footswitchable too... I sold mine as I wanted to "simplify" my rig so I got a Crate V58 - oh my god, what nice tones! Can get too loud for home/apartment if it wants but all the time nice, round, full tube tone - tone you can feel when you are playing! New the Crate is under $300, think the Vox is around $250. If you want simple and great sound, go with the Crate; if you want flexibility and good sound, go with the Vox...

2 others "less-expensive" options:1) a MicroCube - damn nice for a tiny little package and battery powered to boot for $100 2) Orange Crush 10 - nice little amp, kinda clean to classic rock, little buzzy on high-gain but under $100 - selling mine since I got the Crate

Dano

 

[Diego]

Re: Recomend a small amp

I was about to start a new thread asking this same question or similar, when I saw this post. Like everyone else these days, I thought a tube amp at 20 Watts would be nice until I saw some prices. I already have a few amps in this size range, and find that they are my faves. In snooping around I did see the Marshall AVT20 though, which has some good reviews, the price is closer to reality - esp if you shop used - and has a tube preamp ( but not power tubes ). I don't have one, so I can't offer judgement.

Being honest, the AVT series doesn't sound too good to my ears, be it the heads or the small combos. I think that for bedroom use, most modeling amps blow the AVT out of the water. Hell, my Cube has a Marshall mode and it sounds closer to the Marshall sound than the AVT itself!

As much as I might sound like a Roland dealer, they sound THAT good. However, Tech 21's stuff seems to be top-notch too, with even a broader palette of choices. Way better than Line 6's stuff, and all the forementioned better than the low-mid range Marshalls.

 

[gripweed]

Re: Recomend a small amp

I have one and like it a lot. Wish it had (1) footswitch control(s) of some kind, and (2) either the amp or I had better memory of settings when I find a "sweet spot". Gotta' learn to write them down...

For the cost, the TM-10 has some great mojo. Really nice practice amp IMHO.

Chip

I agree. I have a Trademark 10 that I bought used, and it's a great little practice amp. It has a headphone out too.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: Recomend a small amp

I don't have one, but I tried a Trademark out once quite extensively, it was a bit bigger model, and it had quite a good tone at bedroom levels. Pulled out Slayer quite convincily, IIRC. Try one out! They're modelling, but not digital.

 

[RW James]

Re: Recomend a small amp

2 others "less-expensive" options:1) a MicroCube - damn nice for a tiny little package and battery powered to boot for $100 2) Orange Crush 10 - nice little amp, kinda clean to classic rock, little buzzy on high-gain but under $100 - selling mine since I got the Crate

Dano

Thanks for this post, Dano... I was beginning to think I was hanging out in the wrong forum... Today, after work, I'm buying an Orange Crush 15 for $99. I played it in the store and fell in love with the tone... agreed, it only has two tones - clean, and not so clean:banana: - but it works for me and for what I need.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Recomend a small amp

If you've got a 4-12 under your Mesa head, buy a Vox AD60 head, and dial in the same tone as the Mesa. It'll still be coming out of the same speaker cab, so it'll have the same character......just a lot more controllable, volumewise.

You can use the variable wattage selector on the back panel, for late night practicing, plus the Vox has even more gain on tap than the Mesa, despite it's retro look.