Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

L

lareplus

New member
I am looking for an amp with a ten inch speaker perhaps that has a rich but complex clean. In other words, it might be a little gritty or it might have undertones. I don't know of any particular amp that does this, but why not?

I don't want full on distortion, just something with a flavor that is not the standard Fender, Roland or Peavey clean sound. I don't care if it is a solid state or a tube amp. I do prefer something that won't break my back or my bank account! : )
 
Re: Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

I would suggest a princeton....but i read that you don't want "the standard Fender, Roland or Peavey clean sound"
There is no standard fender clean sound tho. There are so shades in the palette from many different amps.
I reckon if you tried a princeton (i know its fender) with a blindfold, you would find that it delivers pretty much exactly the tone you are looking for.

Vox ac15s are pretty rad too but they usually come with a 12.
 
Re: Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

Why does it need a 10 inch speaker? You would have more options if you lifted this restriction.
 
Re: Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

My first thought was Princeton Reverb, as it matches the description perfectly. But you shut the door on that from the start...so I will throw a Mesa Express 5:25 1x10 into the pool of suggestions. They are a two-channel, two-modes-per-channel amp. Extremely versatile, ranging from some of the best old-school tones Mesa has ever come up with, all the way up to way more gain than could possibly sound good. They are also switchable from 25W class AB to 5W class A single ended. The 5W mode makes them very Champ or Skylark like, but with all the modern features of a Mesa. They are no longer made with the 10" speaker, but if you look long and hard, I'll bet one will turn up used. The 10" version always got ****ty reviews, but I actually liked it a lot when I played it in the Mesa store here in L.A. Unfortunately, the 10" version had already been discontinued by the time the Express Plus line was introduced, because the Plus gives significant additional features, while taking nothing away from the previous model. However, you could buy an Express 10" combo and an Express Plus head on the used market, do a switcheroo, and then resell the remaining Express head that you end up with.
 
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Re: Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

Try and find a Fender Vaporizer at a good price before they're gone. 12W into 2-10's w/reverb.

It's footswitchable between it's normal pushed clean tone and blasting the tubes straight to the speakers......full blast. I rarely use that mode, but it's normal mode is very useful. It's kind of like a cross between a Vox AC-15 and a Fender Princeton......and it's not expensive.

$399 was the normal price, but I got mine on a GC blowout special.....$229 plus tax.
 
Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

Gearjoneser said:
Try and find a Fender Vaporizer at a good price before they're gone. 12W into 2-10's w/reverb.

It's footswitchable between it's normal pushed clean tone and blasting the tubes straight to the speakers......full blast. I rarely use that mode, but it's normal mode is very useful. It's kind of like a cross between a Vox AC-15 and a Fender Princeton......and it's not expensive.

$399 was the normal price, but I got mine on a GC blowout special.....$229 plus tax.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that tip. I don't think I had even heard of them. Unfortunately, I don't see it in black, but I could go for a blue or green one. I need another low-wattage tube combo like I need VD, though...
 
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Re: Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

The Vaporizer is a good little blues amp because it breaks up nicely and at the perfect volume.

I haven't even felt compelled to mess with tubes or speakers. Whatever 10's they put in there can handle humbuckers with the amp at full blast. With the blower switch feature, you know they had to think about that. Single coils sound great into the Vaporizer.

Out of all the Fender Pawn Shop amps, the Vaporizer is the best one.
The brown Excelsior needs a better speaker. The Excelsior Pro comes with a better speaker.
The Ramparte is a cool little amp, especially if you find one cheap. The Greta is more like a novelty toy.
 
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Re: Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

I would go with whatever Gibson175 and Crusty suggest

they would know

oh and I have a Laney Solid State
and it has the wonderful gritty cleans you want

my Roland Cube can get em too

I have a Joyo American Pedal ( Tech 21 Character Series clone )
when run into a powered speaker
it can get a gritty driven clean

I have a Carvin Belair
it has nice warm cleans
my buddy thinks its better than his 70's Twin

they have a smaller Carvin Vintage16 which is a very similiar circuit
but has a twelve inch speaker

not expensive tho
 
Re: Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

I'd love to get a Vaporizer, but I'm a little worried that I'd never get it to break up at volumes that wouldn't also cause my relationship to break up. I usually run my Night Train (into a 2x12) at about 10 o'clock, in 7.5W mode.

The Night Train, btw, might be worth looking at. The combo version has a 10, I believe.
 
Re: Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

If you can stretch it to 12" the Mesa Rectoverb 25 is a neat little amp!
 
Re: Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

You have described a Princeton Reverb.

Since you say you don't want that, take a look at the Laney Cub 10.
 
Re: Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

For anything other than un-miked gigs, I'd go Vox AC4, but that's just me, I love Vox tone
 
Re: Small Amp with Complex Cleans. .

The vaporizer is heavier and has two tens. . . Core ID is intriguing me. Do you gig with it? It's light weight and has a smaller speaker but how does it sound mic'd. This is for jazz. I do like the sound of the bigger Blackstars and have played through the HT 20 which has great cleans. .
 
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