VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

[Mincer]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

Of course, that doesn't mean he is wrong, either... LOL

I got my hands on the Tweaker combo this weekend from a friend (after fully sanitizing it, of course) and so far I am underwhelmed.

To start, I thought it would be WAAAAYYYYY louder. Everything I read on the net talks about how even a 5-watt tube amp can get fairly loud, and this one is 15-watts. It just isn't as loud as I expected. On top of that, you kinda need to crank it up to get a decent sound. Anything under 50% is almost not even audible.

There is a lot of fiddling needed to get a "good" sound. I knew this going in (it IS called the Tweaker, after all) so I guess I just need to better understand how this works. I am used to dialing in a sound in 2 seconds on a digital amp, so that is probably my lack of experience.

I only have about two hours into it so far, so things can change. It is well-made and looks so cool and boutique-y.

I think you describe the issue I have with most low wattage amps. They aren't loud, but they also can't get the sound of their louder brethren. This, to me, is where many digital amps shine.

 

[The Dali]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

Tweakers run ridiculous plate voltage. If you get one find a set of old RCA grey plates

Thanks, but I don't know what this means? Are you taking different tubes, or other hardware? thx!

 

[The Dali]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

Mine took me months to get a good sound from. And since it's your first tube amp, well... it's a learning curve.
Have some patience. The Tweaker has a very gentle MV, until 12 o clock it's very quiet and past 12 it's loud as hell.

Thanks - I think you are probably right and my lack of experience is getting in my way!

 

[The Dali]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

Interesting... I was not aware that tubes need time to warm up for proper sound. I gave the head like 1 minute to get glowing and then jammed... and I think that colored my view. This head seems to need a good 10 minutes to get warm before it sounds good. A huge difference after this gets warm. I guess some more of my inexperience with tube amps.

 

[Diego]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

Interesting... I was not aware that tubes need time to warm up for proper sound. I gave the head like 1 minute to get glowing and then jammed... and I think that colored my view. This head seems to need a good 10 minutes to get warm before it sounds good. A huge difference after this gets warm. I guess some more of my inexperience with tube amps.

Good to know, and yes it does.

Also, you reminded me that I once tried a Tweaker 15 head through it's stock cabinet and was very unimpressed. Not as loud and very soft and sweet sounding, not aggressive at all.
Great for cleans, old school overdriven tones and not much else.

That same head through my closed back DIY cabinet sounds way louder and more aggressive as well. So there you go. Try using the clean channel, diming the gain and using your favorite OD pedal in the front. That's how I use it.
Keep playing with it feel free to drop me a PM if you have any specific doubts!

 

[The Dali]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

Hi everyone... I've been living with the Egnater head and cab and it has grown on me... once I realized that I had to let the tubes warm up it sounded really nice. I think at this point I'm going to keep it since my buddy doesn't have a need for it (and he's a gigging musician so he can use the money right now). I appreciate everyone's input!

 

[The Dali]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

Ok, spoke too soon. After playing for the last 10 hours over two days I'm finding it more and more difficult to live with... LOL. The amp has to be CRANKED to really hear it... anything less than 12 o'clock and its like just playing my electric unplugged. The clean channel sounds dark to me, and it always wants to break up. It could be just that I'm so used to solid state that I don't understand how to play a tube amp. When I turn everything up to 4 o'clock the thing sings, but then its way too loud for my basement. That might be just the by-product of a tube amp - and if so I might be better suited for a soild state head and run pedals...

 

[Mincer]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

Ok, spoke too soon. After playing for the last 10 hours over two days I'm finding it more and more difficult to live with... LOL. The amp has to be CRANKED to really hear it... anything less than 12 o'clock and its like just playing my electric unplugged. The clean channel sounds dark to me, and it always wants to break up. It could be just that I'm so used to solid state that I don't understand how to play a tube amp. When I turn everything up to 4 o'clock the thing sings, but then its way too loud for my basement. That might be just the by-product of a tube amp - and if so I might be better suited for a soild state head and run pedals...

I was thinking that most small tube amps (less than 5 watts) this is the case. This is an instance where SS or modeling does it so much better, I think.

 

[The Dali]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

I was thinking that most small tube amps (less than 5 watts) this is the case. This is an instance where SS or modeling does it so much better, I think.

I think you may be right... this is a great learning experience for me for sure!!!

 

[Diego]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

Try running the gain very very low, around 9 o clock or even lower, then taking the master around 2 o' clock.
That opens up the power section nicely.

It's a different sound than running the preamp hotter and keeping the MV low. It's a different tone and you might like it better. It also responds to dirt pedals differently.

 

[d2718]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

I realize this thread is a few days old, but I'd like to add a plug in favor of the Tweaker.

I have the 15-watt Tweaker head running through a homemade 1x12 cabinet. It has selectable tone stacks that are more-or-less marketed as "Fender", "Vox", and "Marshall". Now, these definitely do not sound exactly like what they're purported to (although I think you might fool someone with the "Fender" setting under the right conditions), but if you instead think of them more as, "great, usable tones in the style of some famous amplifier lines," you'll be a lot more satisfied.

I think it sounds great; I do not have trouble fighting with my drummer or bassist to be heard. I mainly play Strattish stuff through it at that edge-of-breakup transition between glassy and crunchy, which is where I think it shines, but you can switch to a humbucker, dime both preamp and master volume gains, flip the switch to "BRIT", and get a nice roar out of it, too. I will agree with Diego that it sounds best when you crank up the master volume and make those output tubes work. Also, I always have the "HOT/CLEAN" switch set to "HOT", even when I'm playing at my cleanest.

A tangent about modeling devices:

I think amp modelers sound great when recording, but I've never quite warmed up to playing live with them. Even modeling amps like the Line 6 Spider always kind of make me feel like my amp is miked up in the next room, and I'm listening to it through monitors. Even cranked up, they just feel like loud monitors--there's some lack of immediacy that more feels off than sounds off to me.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

I realize this thread is a few days old, but I'd like to add a plug in favor of the Tweaker.

I have the 15-watt Tweaker head running through a homemade 1x12 cabinet. It has selectable tone stacks that are more-or-less marketed as "Fender", "Vox", and "Marshall". Now, these definitely do not sound exactly like what they're purported to (although I think you might fool someone with the "Fender" setting under the right conditions), but if you instead think of them more as, "great, usable tones in the style of some famous amplifier lines," you'll be a lot more satisfied.

I think it sounds great; I do not have trouble fighting with my drummer or bassist to be heard. I mainly play Strattish stuff through it at that edge-of-breakup transition between glassy and crunchy, which is where I think it shines, but you can switch to a humbucker, dime both preamp and master volume gains, flip the switch to "BRIT", and get a nice roar out of it, too. I will agree with Diego that it sounds best when you crank up the master volume and make those output tubes work. Also, I always have the "HOT/CLEAN" switch set to "HOT", even when I'm playing at my cleanest.

A tangent about modeling devices:

I think amp modelers sound great when recording, but I've never quite warmed up to playing live with them. Even modeling amps like the Line 6 Spider always kind of make me feel like my amp is miked up in the next room, and I'm listening to it through monitors. Even cranked up, they just feel like loud monitors--there's some lack of immediacy that more feels off than sounds off to me.

for me
my Solid State amps sound great
the Modelers sound the same at low volume as at high
the tube amps have that unnerving terrifying sound at loud volume that makes you think something bad is about to happen

 

[d2718]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

the tube amps have that unnerving terrifying sound at loud volume that makes you think something bad is about to happen

That's the sound of rock and roll, baby.

 

[NoOnesFang13]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

I think the argument of the Tweaker not doing anything well is pretty narrow minded. If you want the sound of another amp then buy that other amp or one based on it. If you want to be able to make your OWN tone and not try to sound exactly like something else, that's where it really shines. I personally have never wanted to sound like someone else and that's why i love the Tweaker. IMO it sounds great on its own, but in my main setup im running a pedalboard with 3 fuzzes, 2 overdrives, compression, modulation, delay, and with a 60's Alamo Embassy as a second amp in a more or less wet dry setup. I dont have a problem running it by itself though. That all being said i also have a Tweaker 40 so i dont have the volume problem/experience.

 

[d2718]

Re: VOTE!!! Small 5 - 20w Tube Head for the Dali

I think the argument of the Tweaker not doing anything well is pretty narrow minded. If you want the sound of another amp then buy that other amp or one based on it. If you want to be able to make your OWN tone and not try to sound exactly like something else, that's where it really shines.

I realize this may not carry weight with those of you who don't like tofu, but remember that it's coming from someone who does: I like to think of the Tweaker as like tofu or TVP or seitan or whatever. You've eaten beef in your stir-fry all your life, but your doctor says you need to cut down on red meat, so you order tofu the next time you're at Twisted Noodle. You're thinking of tofu as being a beef substitute, so when you bite down on it, you're terribly disappointed. If, instead, you think of it as just another way to fill the protein role in your meal, and aren't expecting meat, you'll get on with it a lot better. It might even have qualities that beef doesn't have that you find yourself liking.

...That all being said i also have a Tweaker 40 so i dont have the volume problem/experience.

I think if I played in a band with another guitarist who was forward and aggressive, or a heavy band where the drummer used a double kick or did a lot of ostinatoing on the crash, I would find the Tweaker 15 underpowered. As it is, I am in neither of those situations, and it's pretty much the perfect volume; I can crank those power tubes plenty without getting dirty looks from my bandmates or sound guys.