Recommendations for <30w tube amp for SRV?

[Seraphial]

Would love to hear opinions and recommendations. Currently have a Princeton with attenuator and the normal dirt pedal selection, but when dimed the bass turns quite fizzy.

Considering maybe a 65 or 68 deluxe reverb, but anything else I should check out, less than $1500 new or used?

 

[Mincer]

I would think in that price range, the 68 Custom Deluxe would work, especially the Bassman channel. I have used a 68 Custom Vibrolux, which is one loud amp. I'd imagine the 68 Custom would be loud, too, and no master volume there. But you can always use a pedal.

 

[PFDarkside]

So, you are using a Princeton dimed with attenuator but looking for a more powerful amp? Any Fender dimed gets really compressed and fizzy, somewhere around 5/6 is the sweet spot. An attenuator is going to choke out that big dynamic range you need for the SRV sound. I love my a Princeton Reverb, but it does need more power and a bigger speaker for SRV.

IMO, you need a couple of 6L6 tubes and one or more 12” speakers to get the punch and dynamic range needed. I don’t run my V40 Deluxe too hot, but the difference between that amp and PR is huge for clean punch.

 

[Seraphial]

So, you are using a Princeton dimed with attenuator but looking for a more powerful amp? Any Fender dimed gets really compressed and fizzy, somewhere around 5/6 is the sweet spot. An attenuator is going to choke out that big dynamic range you need for the SRV sound. I love my a Princeton Reverb, but it does need more power and a bigger speaker for SRV.

IMO, you need a couple of 6L6 tubes and one or more 12” speakers to get the punch and dynamic range needed. I don’t run my V40 Deluxe too hot, but the difference between that amp and PR is huge for clean punch.

I've actually got upgraded GC version with the 12" speaker. Unfortunately it still doesn't have the punch needed as you say. My volumes at around 8 at the moment but will see how 5/6 works for me. You're right in that SRV basically pushed the clean all the way up then a very light pedal push, to get his tone. Hoping an amp out there emulates that!

Mincer r yeah, I'm considering the '68, seems to be in the running so far!

 

[Demanic]

I recall Fender made an amp called the Excelsior that came in a combo with a 15" speaker. I think that it was ~15 watts.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[ehdwuld]

I recall Fender made an amp called the Excelsior that came in a combo with a 15" speaker. I think that it was ~15 watts.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

Isn't that the one with the power switch at the back bottom

 

[Mincer]

Isn't that the one with the power switch at the back bottom

What a brilliant design that is.

 

[Demanic]

I have no idea. But it's this thing, and with that 15" speaker it should do an SRV sound.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Excelsior--fender-excelsior-1x15-inch-13-watt-tube-combo-amp

 

[FuseG4]

I've had a deluxe reverb reissue and I think it can do a passable job at moderate volumes but the bigger 6L6 amps have a feeling of depth to them that is really awesome even if you never use the extra volume.

I've owned a 68 CPR and the Princeton has it's own thing going on in the bass and with the phase inverter distortion it gets, I mean the DRRI could fart and flub out and blur together your low notes but I never heard it get as rude and nasty as the Princeton low end when it's dimed. Ymmv but I think any of the blackface ones bigger than the PR will get you substantially towards your goal. You almost can't lose. ​​​​​​

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, that was an odd design decision. Here is the 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb, which has a Bassman channel. It is more 'tweedy' than the Vibrato channel, with a lot more mids.

 

[jeremy]

basically you want a fender reverb amp with at least a pair of 6l6 tubes. so a pro reverb, super reverb, vibroux reverb (old ones), etc... i love my deluxe reverb and it sounds great but the preamp voltages are a little too low and the power section is a little soft. its way closer than a princeton reverb or something smaller but a bigger amp will get you closer. srv was cleaner than ya think, and also LOUD

 

[Guest]

This right here..... it's even in your price range. With shipping it would still be under budget.


https://rochester.craigslist.org/msg...336104109.html

 

[jeremy]

thats one loud ass amp! if you have a room you could get it up to 6 or so it would work well. i do question how much itll go up in value

 

[Guest]

i do question how much itll go up in value

Me too.

 

[chadd]

I remember when everyone was chasing that tone. Big bottle tubes, 15" speaker pushed hard, 5751 in V1, heavy strings and tube screamer for boost all had people swearing that each was the "secret sauce" for those tones

 

[Drak]

I remember when everyone was chasing that tone.
Big bottle tubes, 15" speaker pushed hard, 5751 in V1.
heavy strings and tube screamer for boost all had people swearing that each was the "secret sauce" for those tones

Yup, the VibroClone days, I remember them very well.
I was a member of the Weber speaker forum back then.
That topic (IIRC) had a subforum all its own and was always a busy subforum.
EveryBody was building their own 1-15" version/variant of a SRV Vibroclone.

The really funny thing about that was, a few years later, on another forum...
I remember a (very) high-end custom amp builder (very well respected) who used to post there all the time.
Any time anyone mentioned using 15's in a guitar amp, he would just slay them with statistics, figures, and analytical data points.
That a 15" speaker, really, had no place in guitar amplifiers. And he could prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

And the only people who would espouse their virtues were blowing smoke up their own ass and had drunk their own Kool-Aid.
He had pretty serious cred (I can't remember who it was, it was so long ago now)
But I found it really funny in light of the time and expense so many spent on making those Vibroclones there for a few years.
It was like a wave, like what you would call now 'gone viral' amongst a certain crowd.
Everybody had to have one, like Vibroclone mania...it was a real 'thing' to have your own 1-15" Vibroclone (VibroVerb) clone.