Tube Amp Recommendations

[redgibson]

Alright, I figured after doing tons of reading myself I might as well consult some fellow experts. I play primarily jazz/blues, preferring reberb and delay as effects, with sometimes a hop into a compressed dirty tone . but still more on the clean side than really twisted. Anyone play a similar style or can recommend a decent tube amp? I'd prefer it to...

a) be in the 30 / 50 watt range,
b) i have to lug it up and down 3 flights of stairs whenever I take it to play out somewhere, It can't be built out of balsa wood and eric lindross jaw bones :crazyguy
c) It looks like I am in the 0 - 1k price range here. As nice as those higher end models appear to be....

thats about it. I know I've torn the lid off pandora's box with such an open ended question, but lets have it! :-)

--EDIT-- how about a list of some models I've considered and what might be making me think twice:

Epiphone Custom 30
its a 2x12 30Watt tube amp, although it has a closed back, and an internal fan (which I've read has died on some people...) I'd rather not have a fan assembly, as it is indeed one more thing to go wrong, and why contain all the heat with the closed back? It has a vented grille so it's not even a solid closed-cabinet... but it looks enticing for the pricepoint. another caveot... since when did epiphone make amps?

Vox AC30
Its.. over a grand. I think I am paying a lot for a "name" in this case. I like the nasty heavy reverb I've heard come out of this thing but... there are cheaper fully devoted pedals for such things, 1.3k is asking a lot, or am i wrong?

Bugera V22 / V55
I actually got one of these but had to return it, it was having all kinds of problems and there was no biasing information available from the manufacturer to even begin trying to see if that was the issue... no more shopping for the bottom-of-the-barrel, lesson learned.

I've also looked at the Carvin Nomad, and the Peavey Custom 30. Thinking something American Made would be nice, spend my dollar in the US, and (hopefully) get some better quality out of it.

[Spudman]

The Peavey Delta 1x15 is very versatile and can get pretty loud if you need it. I love the fat bottom from the 15 and the fact that it's a combo so that means just one trip. The Fender Hot Rod Deluxe is another contender.

[Tig]

I'd demo the $899 Egnater Rebel-30 1x12 combo (http://www.egnateramps.com/Rebel30112.html), which weighs 40 pounds, and about 30 pounds lighter than their 2x12 combo.
I'm sure there are other worthy choices out there, but I really like the tube mix blend knob that offers any combination of EL84 and 6V6 power tubes, or just one or the other. You can also add an extension cab, plus it has variable wattage on both channels from 1 to 30 watts, which is nice for home use.

http://www.egnateramps.com/images/Rebel301x12.jpg

• 30-Watt All-Tube 1 x 12” Combo
• Variable Wattage Control From 1w to 30w On Each Channel
• Tube Mix Blends 6V6 and EL84 Power Tubes
• Clean Channel: Volume, Bass, Treble
• Overdrive Channel: Volume, Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble
• Tight and Bright Voicing Switches On Each Channel
• Individual Reverb Level for Each Channel with “Spillover”
• Footswitch for Channel Select and Reverb On/Off
• Buffered Effects Loop
• Balanced XLR / ¼” Cabinet Voiced Line / Recording Output
• Speaker Mute Mode for Silent Recording
• Egnater Elite-80 Speaker by Celestion®
• 100V / 115V / 230V Voltage Selector
• Heavy Duty Cover Included
• Dimensions: 19"(L) x 13" (W) x 15" (H)
• Weight: 40 lbs

[ZMAN]

I have mixed feelings about recommending amps to people. They give a list of things they want, but you never know how each want is weighted. So I will give you the ones I feel fall into the category of your wants.
Light weight, under 1000 bucks and 30 to 50 watts.
My first would be the Fender 65 Deluxe reissue. Yes it has only 22 watts but is a big 22 watts and fabulous tone. Reasonably light and good for the blues and classic rock. I take it you are looking for a combo, so my other recomendation is the Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 401. A 40 watt 1/12 with a switchable clean, gain, and high gain channels. Reverb, and reasonaly small package. Awsome tone. I am using it as a head only, through my 2/12 Avatar cab and it sounds great. Try to get one of the later issues because there was a heat problem with the first ones. Also usually under 800 bucks.

[guitardan777]

I'd give two thumbs up for the Carvin Nomad.
It's a nice small package, the clean channel and verb are as sweet as any Fender, and they love pedals up front.
The OD channel is useful for Classic Rock / Blues or a boosted up semi clean.
New they are like ~550.00, and a good used ones are ~ $350.00
I've owned each model of the Carvin Vintage series. I'd still have one or two if I didn't have a 2 boutique $2k rigs.

[hubberjub]

My suggestion for a sub-$1000 amp with a good clean channel and versatile overdrive channel would be a used Mesa Boogie Mark series. They are not light and they have more power than anyone needs but they are in another class of amplifier. I've seen used Mark I reissues going for around $800. The clean is easily capable of jazz and the overdrive is really smooth.

[birv2]

How about the Hot Rod Deluxe? It's a blues or blues-rock machine.

[vroomery]

I've had a hot rod deluxe for a few years and I really like it. I need something with way less power b/c its crazy loud, but if you're looking for a loud clean blues amp, it'd be pretty good.

[bigG]

I'd have to second the choice of either the Peavey Classic 30 or the Peavey Delta Blues 115 or 210. I've played all three, and own the 210. One of the sweetest amps available for what you're looking for. Check one out if you get a chance. I think it'll bring a smile to your face. :AOK

[sunvalleylaw]

I am a Peavey Classic 30 owner and fan too. I know Spud loves his Delta, and he owns both so that is a consideration. But I know I love me 30.

[Perfect Stranger]

Check out the Vox AD30VT + AD50VT and the Fender SCXD

[oldguy]

If you want to spend your money on a "Made in the USA" amph, that should narrow your choices considerably. There are several out there, though few of them offer 30w models for under $1K.
Regarding the reverb, delay, and compressed dirty tone, do you use pedals to get there?
Do you need lots of built in effects, lots of overdrive, lots of patching optioins, effects loop, etc., or just a good basic sound to build on?

[Tig]

I'd have to second the choice of either the Peavey Classic 30 or the Peavey Delta Blues 115 or 210. I've played all three, and own the 210. One of the sweetest amps available for what you're looking for. Check one out if you get a chance. I think it'll bring a smile to your face. :AOK

A Delta Blues is on my short list as it has everything I'm looking for, but I'm not sure if I'd like the 210 or 115 better. Any particular reason you went with the 210 over the 115? I think they no longer make the 210, but it is still in stock at several shops.

[redgibson]

Hey Everyone I'm loving the replies. Its nice to get feedback from players and people in a community instead of a review on the site saying "THIS AMP ROCKS!" ... of course it would say that, they're trying to sell it to me! You can keep the thread going- I have a peavey right now and it has fallen apart without much abuse, and it is a solid state. (backstage chorus 210) half of the options don't work... its just kinda barely getting me by, so it has been silently deterring me from a Peavey but I keep hearing about the classic 30... the egnator looks like a tonal beast... obviously I need to go to a store and try some of these out, but I wanted to say thanks for replies etc. You can keep them coming its a good conversation :-)

[bigG]

redgibson, the Peavey you own was made in Asia. The Classic 30 and Delta Blues 210 and 115 (both 30w tube combo amps) are part of Peavey's "Classic" Series, and are Made in the USA, and there really is no comparison. The USA-made Peavey's are pretty much bulletproof. :AOK

Again, check 'em out. The tone, build quality, etc...

(I recently sold my beloved Vox AC15 to finance the purchase of a new guitar, and held on to my Peavey DB 210! And, until I owned and became familiar w the Peavey, that would have been unthinkable! That's how much I love that DB 210!)

[bigG]

A Delta Blues is on my short list as it has everything I'm looking for, but I'm not sure if I'd like the 210 or 115 better. Any particular reason you went with the 210 over the 115? I think they no longer make the 210, but it is still in stock at several shops.

Tig, quite honestly, the local Peavey dealer only had the 210 in stock, and it was on sale for $499! That's how I came to own it. No decision between the two on my part. I can only imagine the 115 might have a warmer tone, but the 210 works for me (and, if you're into speakers at all, you know that a 15" will have a slower "rebound" time than a 10", although I doubt that is discernable to the human ear).

[Spudman]

As much as I love and use my Peavey Delta I am really impressed by the Bugera V22. It sounds great by itself and also with my M13. I haven't tried it with conventional pedals yet. I probably wont because the M13 is all I use anymore.

So far - I have a strong recommendation for the Bugera V22. It flat out sounds great and feels great. The master volume for both channels is a huge plus. The top end is sweet and clear and the bottom end is full and semi tight. Good but not the perfect JBL tight that I often prefer. A speak change? Maybe. I'll gig with it on Tuesday and get back to you on how it preformed.

Right now it gets a huge ham fisted two thumbs up. :AOK :AOK

[redgibson]

I figured I'd post what I ended up buying on here. As i blasted the epiphone blues custom 30 in the first post with doubts on construction, having a fan, and the weight, I found one in the used section at the store when i went shopping. I wanted to try it out anyway and ended up taking it home. I don't believe it compares to the Egnator Rebel 30, but considering i took it home for dirt cheap, I am very happy with it's tone and performance.

I decided a pricier amp purchase will have to wait until i feel like i can dispose of that kind of money with ease.... I appreciated everyone's replies. Its nice to be re-equipped with a proper amp :-D

[Robert]

Congrats, I've heard positive comments about that amph.

[majwild1]

I think the reason people are have had any problems with the amp is from heat from the way the back is made, me personally I would modify the back to allow for more ventilation, all that heat from the tubes has no where to go, heat rises and they have no gap at the top for heat escape, hense the fan on the inside of the chassis to cool the components.

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/2/1/3/637213.jpg

[redgibson]

Yeah I am debating taking the panel off the back instead of tucking everything inside there. maybe keep half of it on for support. I have a year warranty on it from where i got it (even though it is used) so.. at least i have that. The first thing the wife said was "Its too loud!" which is a shame really, she just justified a purchase for a non-workhorse practice amp in the 5-15 watt range ;-) jk i think I'll work with this one just fine for a while. I am interested in seeing what kind of tonal differences i can get by swapping out some tubes, etc...

[tunghaichuan]

Here is the schematic if you need it:

http://forums.epiphone.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=6812&p=5

Look for twanger's post.

Here are some mods:

http://forums.epiphone.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=6812

The 5881 tubes in it are probably Sovtek, if they are the originals. They are very sturdy tubes, and can take much more abuse than a real 5881, or 6L6GC for that matter. IMHO, they don't sound all that great, so any real 6L6GC type tube you put in it will be a sonic improvement.

Heat might be a problem in the Class A mode, since it is only 15W from a pair of 6L6 type tubes, the amp probably really is operating in Class A. This means a lot of heat.

Looks like a cool amp, congrats.

Concerning quality: I've had several Valve Juniors, and all have been sturdy enough. The quality isn't top-notch, but it isn't as bad as some would have you believe.

tung



Yeah I am debating taking the panel off the back instead of tucking everything inside there. maybe keep half of it on for support. I have a year warranty on it from where i got it (even though it is used) so.. at least i have that. The first thing the wife said was "Its too loud!" which is a shame really, she just justified a purchase for a non-workhorse practice amp in the 5-15 watt range ;-) jk i think I'll work with this one just fine for a while. I am interested in seeing what kind of tonal differences i can get by swapping out some tubes, etc...

[oldguy]

:AOK Congrats on finding an amph you like for cheap $$$!
I have a Valve Jr. and a SoCal, they're decent enough amphs, just not fancy, or boutique.
Bloozcat has one of the BC30's, I believe, and I think he liked it quite a bit after some tube changes. Maybe he'll chime in here with an update on his (hopefully). :)

[redgibson]

My friend posted a link of us piecing togethor a jam riff on youtube, if anyone needs yet another example of some Blues Custom 30 sounds. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Craigisnotcool#p/u/0/lusQdmVNlv0

excuse the lame drum machine and tempo lapses, its much easier to jam with a real drummer!! :-)

FYI its an american strat highway 1 series with the "greasebucket" wiring I assume. had one owner before me and i know HE didn't change the wiring, and I haven't gotten around to it or been bothered by it really, going straight to the amp. my cords went to hell and I was unable to use my fun digital delay in the loop for this jam, it makes it more interesting thats for sure. but tonewise yes. Am. Strat HW 1, straight to the BC30 clean channel.

[Bloozcat]

Okie dokie....let the fun begin....:happy

I bought one of the first BC 30's when they first came out. After much experimentation, much participation in discussions at various music sites, and even an hour long phone conversation with the amps designer Pyotr Belov, here's what I ended up with:

Changed the power tubes from the Sovtek 5881 to Tung Sol re-issue 5881's.
Changed V1, V2, V3, and V5 pre-amp tubes to re-issue Tung Sol 12AX7's and in V4 (Phase inverter slot) changed to a balanced triode re-issue Tung Sol 12AX7. I've got a lot of NOS tubes and this is what worked best!

I changed the rectifier tube to an NOS Philips 5AR4 because I had one that I bought when the price was still reasonable. The JJ 5AR4 is a good option with even the Chinese Shuguang 5AR4 being a better choice than the stock Sovtek. Nothing beats NOS for longevity, but at todays prices you can buy 2-3 JJ's.

Cut the caps @ C3, C5, & C6. Yep, just cut 'em, you don't have to remove or replace them.

Change resistor R15 to a 1.6k
Change resistor R21 to a 1.1k

Optional: change cap C15 to 2.2uf. I didn't do this one after hearing that the results weren't spectacular and maybe not even desirable. Besides, this mod requires that you pull the circuit board from the amp.

Together with the tube changes, these mods will smooth out the EQ and make the controls more usable and responsive. Takes away all the "excessive brightness" complaints.

The Sovtek 5881's aren't even real 5881's, but that's a seperate hour long discussion. Some of the later production models of the BC 30 came with different tubes. Some folks were happier with these other tubes, but those who've switched to the TS tubes all consistently report the same positive results.

A word on the Lady Luck speakers that come stock in the amp: Several of us began swapping out the speakers, trying many others in our quest to reduce the inherent brightness of this amp. It really wasn't the speakers that were responsible, but instead, the tubes and the basic design of the amps circuit. After the Lady Luck's have a chance to break in, they're well suited to this amp. I put mine back in a while ago and they're not coming out.

IMHO, this amp when set up right is one of the most versatile you'll find, and nothing else comes close in it's price range. All tube driven spring reverb, tube rectification, a switch that allows for 15w class A operation and 30w class A/B, interactive EQ, all in a 2X12 combo amp? I don't know of another amp out there that offers all this under $600.00. And it's built like a tank (weighs almost as much too!).

If you got a good deal on this amp, redgibson, all the better!

[redgibson]

I practically stole it from guitarcenter.... it was quite cheap when all was said and done. I am a bit shy on cutting caps off a new amp! I will say that the controls seem to be a bit impotent, not much range to them. Maybe I'll cut one cap at a time? :-/ hmm. I would really hate to put it all back together and be back where I started with a dysfunctional / not working /buzzing horrible unrelaible amplifier...

[Bloozcat]

I practically stole it from guitarcenter.... it was quite cheap when all was said and done. I am a bit shy on cutting caps off a new amp! I will say that the controls seem to be a bit impotent, not much range to them. Maybe I'll cut one cap at a time? :-/ hmm. I would really hate to put it all back together and be back where I started with a dysfunctional / not working /buzzing horrible unrelaible amplifier...

One caveat to the info I provided above: You have to check which version BC 30 you have. The people at Gibson were monitoring all the mod talk on their website and others and some of the revisions that posters came up with were incorporated in later versions. As mine was a version 1, it needed all the mods that the amp guru's advised. They worked on mine.

In lieu of doing the circuit mods, try some radical EQ settings like turning the treble almost all the wat down and the bass way up with the mid cranked as well. This amp responds totally differently in its stock form compared to all other amps I've used.

[redgibson]

Yeah it seems to beed eexcessive drastic dailing. I'd like to get it out of my apartment where I could put the gain past 1 on 15watt mode....

[redgibson]

:deadhorse: :deadhorse: :deadhorse:
i love the beating dead horse icon and I feel it is appropriate.. but i have one more comment here... I returned the Epi BC30. I really liked it, but reality of hauling it up and down three narrow flights of stairs for every practice was .. spinally brutalizing. I opted for the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe as a replacement, and I'll succinctly say I am quite pleased, and more portable. Just something to consider if anyone else is headed to the store. I think the BC30 would be great if i never had to move it! :-)

[birv2]

:deadhorse: :deadhorse: :deadhorse:
i love the beating dead horse icon and I feel it is appropriate.. but i have one more comment here... I returned the Epi BC30. I really liked it, but reality of hauling it up and down three narrow flights of stairs for every practice was .. spinally brutalizing. I opted for the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe as a replacement, and I'll succinctly say I am quite pleased, and more portable. Just something to consider if anyone else is headed to the store. I think the BC30 would be great if i never had to move it! :-)

I love the HRDx, but since I just went from a Pro Jr to a Hot Rod, I'm always complaining about how heavy it is! It's all relative.

[Duff]

Congrats.

The Hot Rod Deluxe is a real good amp in my opinion. I have a special edition one that rocks. Seems more like a real amp. I really like Fender amps and guitars.

I have an awesome Fender Super Champ XD. Really a nice little amp that is loud with the speaker mod and has several Fender amp emulations and decent effects built in.

You will like that HRDx.

[Bloozcat]

:deadhorse: :deadhorse: :deadhorse:
i love the beating dead horse icon and I feel it is appropriate.. but i have one more comment here... I returned the Epi BC30. I really liked it, but reality of hauling it up and down three narrow flights of stairs for every practice was .. spinally brutalizing. I opted for the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe as a replacement, and I'll succinctly say I am quite pleased, and more portable. Just something to consider if anyone else is headed to the store. I think the BC30 would be great if i never had to move it! :-)

Ah, the advantages of living in a one floor house...

I have a universal dolly that zips the amp right out to the garage where it's an easy load into the truck. But, I know how you feel...the BC 30 is 1/2 ton of tube amp weight. Kinda gives me some comfort though, knowing that there's that much iron in the thing.

[mainestratman]

That is the one thing I don't miss about my Peavey Triumph 120... a 1x12 combo that weighed about as much as both pieces of my Marshall together... at least it seemed that way.