Small tube amp

[Dinkybinks]

In the near future, I'm looking at purchasing a small tube amp. I wont use it for gigging or band practice so it doesnt need to be powerful. I want it small enough so I can crank it without killing my hearing. Any recommendations?

[SLY]

To crank your tube amp at home without ear problems or neighbours calling the police , you'll need a power attenuator.

[I Suffer]

I avoided some of the bigger names, because they are priced high.

Crate V58 Tube, alot of people dont like crate, btu i dont see anything wrong them.Its 5 class A watts, groove tubes, for 260 bucks.



The pignose G40V tube amp is 40 watts through a special design 10 inch speaker, for $216



Epiphone has a galaxie 10 tube combo, 10w, for $200. Grade A.

Peavey has a transtube 25 watt amp( peavey transtube 258 EFX).Transtube's almost sound slike real tubes. For around 200.It has some digital effects on it. It has a 8" marvel speaker and weights about 15 pounds.


I cant think of anymore at the moment

[Dinkybinks]

Thanks guys, this is helping. Any other suggestions?

[Lordathestrings]

As an experiment, I built a 5 Watt amp based on a 6AQ5A tube, which is a miniature 6V6. It sounds great!

I don't get to use it much, because none of the guys I jam with has a decent PA set up. And they all want to wail with their Maximegawatt Earbleedinloudenboomer Mk XXVI amps. If I ever get off my duff and put another band together, we're all gonna use itty-bitty amps like my 5 Watt WeeBeastie.

For your situation something like that would be just fine. In fact, if the speaker is efficient, you may find that 5 Watts is actually too loud. Due to the logarhythmic nature of our hearing sensitivity, a cranked 5 Watt amp is going to sound 1/2 as loud as a 50 Watt amp driving the same speaker! Something to think about, while you read through this thread (http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=8538).

[Dinkybinks]

Thanks alot lord, that thread helps alot. Although I wouldnt be able to build an amp, something like the one you built sounds great. Are there any manufacturers that make an amp similar to yours?

[Lordathestrings]

Not that I know of. Marketing hype has pushed the 'bigger is better' concept so hard for so long that a company that tried to sell a feature-rich 5 Watt amp would get killed in the marketplace.

Because a multi-channel preamp is going to cost a lot to build, it's easier to sell it as part of a $1000 100 Watt amp than to build it into a 5 Watt amp that would be priced at about $400. I paid about $400 for the 3-channel Peavey Rock Master preamp, so a front end like that might bring the cost of a good 5 Watt amp up to the $500 mark!

It would not be a big seller initially, due to severe resistance to the concept in the marketplace, so it would be a long time before sales volumes allowed lower prices. {deep sigh} :p

[Hammurabi]

I would avoid Crate. I have a very large place in my heart for their sound, but fact is their reliability completely sucks. Every person I've known with a crate amp/head had had problems with it without exception.

With tube amps I think it's better saving up and getting the best you reasonably can. If you get your hands on something like a mesa mark 4 or a laney VH100r if it fits your style you'll never need another amp.

[I Suffer]

I've never had a problem with crates gear myself, but im sure people have. Any equitment i suppose does haveits risks.

Some of those you mentioned can be priced high in certain places. I wouldnt spend alotof money on something i would only use as a pratice backstage amp. I agree though, i also like to get the best for my money. The once you talked of are good...I guess it all depends on how much he really wants to spend

[Dinkybinks]

Well, price isnt really important (to a certain point around $1000). I just want a small tube amp that I can crank without killing myself. Under 30 or 40 watts for sure. More like somewhere around 10 watts. Thanks again guys for the help, keep it comin.

[Death55]

http://www.amptone.com/under20wamps.htm
Try that. I dont know if its any help but thats all i have found so far.

[sme331]

Musiciansfriend.com has a Rouge GS100R combo for 199.00 it is 100 watts with 2x12, the clean channel sounds real good but the overdrive leaves alot to be desired. I run my Johnson J station Amp modler through the clean channel and us the Jstation to do all the distortion. Sounds good and has alot of power but wont break your bank either

[Death55]

I have been looking at the site that i just put a link to and they were saying that a 15watt tube amp is way too loud and that a 5 watt amp was loud enough !!
I dont even understand how a 5 watt amp could be big enough to have tubes in and how it could be so loud. My friend has a 10 watt solid state amp and thats not too loud !

[I Suffer]

Probably because they are all grade A, and not B..If you have a 40 watt watt grade B, then you get your hands on an- A. Its going to be really loud.

[Lordathestrings]

These topics got a lot of discussion over the last couple of years! Use the search icon at the top of the page. Use 5 Watt as the keyword, and be ready for an extended reading session.

[creedaz]

dude, what you need is the Fender 15W Hot rod series pro Junior. i have one right now. it is awsome. i am running a Boss Blues Driver with it, and playing my U.S. Highway 1 fat strat with it. it has excelent tone too. i dont know if this may be pricy for you but it was $300. and well worth it.

Creedaz

[Dinkybinks]

Does anybody know anything about the peavey classic 30? or maybe the marshall dsl201?

[Death55]

I have heard good things about the peavey classic 30 ! I know one person on this forum has one and was saying its really good.

[chucklivesoninmyheart]

look at pignose...ive been eye balling them for a while for a nice tube practice/recording amp.

[sme331]

I have a Pignose Hog20 and it is really nice. Good tone and alot of volume for a Ni-cad powered mobile amp. I got mine for about 99.00

[telepicker]

I bought a Fender blues junior to play at my house. It's 15 watts of pure tube power. It is the best sounding $300.00 amp that i have ever bought. I use a Fender twin reverb at the gig, But sometimes I'll sneak the junior in on thursday nights and crank it up.

[RushYYZ]

I hear Tube Amps are really good for classic rock (notice my name) and Ive heard bad things yet i dont see why not, I really wanna get that Spider 210 Line 6 amp its pretty nice...thats just my opinion

[I Suffer]

that Line 6 spider has alot of effects which i think is good for home musician, but i wouldnt want to gig with it, maybe im just picky ,haha.

I have a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe all tube, and it screams. I think amps that are just that...an amp. lol