So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

[Diego]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

No love for the Fender Bassbreaker, people?

More Marshall than Fender, it's a great sounding unit with fantastic cleans and great high-gain sounds.
I'm not sure if that's what Mr. Collins would want, but it's worthy of consideration.

 

[Aceman]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

The Peavey 20 and 30 are just amazing amps all over the place for all kinds of things. But they are not Marshalls.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Fender Tweed Deluxe head if you can find one. Rated at 12 Watts but I think it would more than do the job.

I used to play through a pair of real tweed Deluxes , each with a vintage Celestion blue 12.

I’m extremely familiar with that sound.

It’s a good one...but no longer what I’m after.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Meaning the 2016x or DSL15H or ???

The DSL15 is thoroughly modern sounding. The red channel is a bag of bees. The green channel is more Fender than Marshall. You can modify it or install a reversed 12DW7, but I suspect the 2061X is more what you would want. It is spendy, though, and it runs EL84s.

Rumor has it that the DSL15 is due to be replaced by a much improved DSL20 running EL34s sometime in the coming year.

 

[dystrust]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Rumor has it that the DSL15 is due to be replaced by a much improved DSL20 running EL34s sometime in the coming year.

DSL preamp into the 2525 power amp perhaps? It'd be awesome (and even more versatile) if they kept the low power mode too.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

If you're looking for Vox tone in a small package the TA15s are great, or if you've got the budget for it the Morgan AC20 is an excellent sounding amp. If you're looking more towards Marshall there are a lot of options from numerous companies. For less than a 2061x there are a few Friedman's, Splawn Super Sport and Street Rod, Marshall 2525 and DSL, and many more.

 

[justFred]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

I used to play through a pair of real tweed Deluxes , each with a vintage Celestion blue 12.

I’m extremely familiar with that sound.

It’s a good one...but no longer what I’m after.

Have you tried the Tweed Deluxe with the RR mods? Swaps .022 for the .1mFd coupling caps and adds a lead channel. Does a real good Marshall. https://robrobinette.com/5e3_Modifications.htm#Lead_Channel

 

[Aceman]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

The DSL15 is thoroughly modern sounding. The red channel is a bag of bees. The green channel is more Fender than Marshall. You can modify it or install a reversed 12DW7, but I suspect the 2061X is more what you would want. It is spendy, though, and it runs EL84s.

Rumor has it that the DSL15 is due to be replaced by a much improved DSL20 running EL34s sometime in the coming year.

Yeah - this Lew. DSL is NOT the Marshall tone you seek. But dang I like the DSL vibe. You might seriously dig the cleans on that Lew.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

The small amp I bought is the Mesa Mark V:25, and I got the matching slant and straight 112 V30 cabs. Expensive? Yes, but when you consider all the tones this amp has to offer...it's a bargain. Consider the 5-year warranty...when most amps have only one year. Consider the build quality, and the way these amps hold their value. A cabinet made of strong plywood...not MDF like some of the amps mentioned. Consider the Cab-Clone feature, allowing a silent mode for practice and a balanced line out for mixing into a PA. And then consider ALL the additional amps you'll have to buy in your tone search. Myself, I'd rather buy ONCE, and get it right the first time.

Mesa has made some other great small amps, like the Studio .22, the F-30, the DC-3, Nomad 45, Lonestar Special and the new Mini-Recto and Mini-Recto Reverb. Pick one...or two.

And hey...no one mentioned a Fender Princeton Reverb! (It's a great amp, and the amp Randy Smith modded to make the first Boogies!)

Bill

 

[Jacew]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

If you need clean tones, Tiny Terror won't do that.

I'd be interested to hear if OR15 cleans up better?

 

[B2D]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Every time I plug into a Mesa Rectoverb 25, I'm highly pleased with it. 25W with a 10W step down switch.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

If you need clean tones, Tiny Terror won't do that.

I'd be interested to hear if OR15 cleans up better?

For recording, or if it's mic'd up, the cleans with the volume cranked and gain low are beautiful, but unmic'd onstage they might not be loud enough.

Once again, though, the overdrive is stellar.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Tried an EVH 15 watt and a 50 watt 5150III EL34.

No contest.

For the kind of cleans I like, I don’t think I’m ever going to be satisfied with 15 Watts.

Then again, I’ve always got my Deluxe Reverbs.

But I’m looking for a head to use with my Matchless cabs for both home and stage.

I have a one 12 and a two 12.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

The Fender Bassbreaker 45 is essentially a plexi circuit with power scaling. You can adjust the wattage from 45 watts to 1 watt. It uses EL34s. That might be a solution.

Sticking with Marshall for that kind of amp, you might consider a used Marshall Vintage Modern. These are rather affordable right now on the used market. It is a plexi circuit with a PPIMV. You can also configure it with an extra preamp tube by switching it to what they call the High Dynamic Range. It uses KT66s so its based on the earlier JTM45/100 plexi amps uses by Eric in early Cream, and early Jimi. The wattage at clipping of the 50 watt amp is actually about 36 watts with the kT66s. It does nice cleans too if you want.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

The Fender Bassbreaker 45 is essentially a plexi circuit with power scaling. You can adjust the wattage from 45 watts to 1 watt. It uses EL34s. That might be a solution.

Sticking with Marshall for that kind of amp, you might consider a used Marshall Vintage Modern. These are rather affordable right now on the used market. It is a plexi circuit with a PPIMV. You can also configure it with an extra preamp tube by switching it to what they call the High Dynamic Range. It uses KT66s so its based on the earlier JTM45/100 plexi amps uses by Eric in early Cream, and early Jimi. The wattage at clipping of the 50 watt amp is actually about 36 watts with the kT66s. It does nice cleans too if you want.

Gonna have to check it out. Sounds killer in the YouTube reviews. Nice clean tones.

The 15 watt version sounds good too...at least in the YouTube reviews.

 

[Synapsys]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

H&K Tubemeister Deluxe 20

 

[canon_mutant]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Amazing how you can dial Egnater Tweakers in . . . and the Rebels are great too.


And if I didn't love Egnater's stuff, I would likely own Blackstar HT or Studio models.

 

[Jacew]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Amazing how you can dial Egnater Tweakers in . . . and the Rebels are great too.


And if I didn't love Egnater's stuff, I would likely own Blackstar HT or Studio models.

Hows the overdrive in Rebel 30w? I looked at them some time ago as an upgrade from TT, but didn't pull the trigger.

I've heard they get messy with gain, that you can hear cleans and dirt on top of it, instead of nice full overdrive tone.

About Tweaker I've only heard good of, but with only 15 watts, can it do any better cleans than TT?

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Amazing how you can dial Egnater Tweakers in . . . and the Rebels are great too.


And if I didn't love Egnater's stuff, I would likely own Blackstar HT or Studio models.

Ive got a Blackstar HT-Studio. It’s a great amp. Plenty loud, pretty good clean channel and the OD screams.
I picked it up brand new for $300 (head) from sweetwater.

 

[VinceT]

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

Re: So what’s the best of the 15 watt/20 watt heads?

I swear it sometimes feels like Dan and Mick of That Pedal Show are on these boards!

https://youtu.be/BNgaIfhkdAc


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