My next amp

[Glacies]

I've fallen in love with the Blackstar HT-5H, HT-110 combo setup at my local pawn shop. It's a $350 used situation and I'm not buying it, it's the wrong time. I told my wife that for my birthday this year (august) that I want a somewhat of a more proffessional amp and that it was going to be around $500. She said that was cool. Now I'm thinking I should actually shop around a little bit and see what I like. I freakin LOVE the clean on this amp. It's so full and... clean... I don't really have the ability to describe what I like about it. I like the idea of a head setup. It feels like it would add some versatility for me especially since I'm a non-gigger but am going over other people's houses to jam a lot. I can play with different options or try someone else's cab.

What are some other combo packages I should check out that are similar to this amp? My favorite band, 311 is all about the MESA boogie, but I can't find them anywhere around me. They're also not sold by my goto online vendor, MF.

I like to play a variety of different music, from soulful blues, funk, reggae, classic rock. I'm not really a metal fan at all although I would try to do some Van Halen at some point. Anyway, I use a clean channel most of the time, it's most important to me. Since I've only recently come down with a case of the funk, I can't stop playing it.

[msteeln]

HOORAY! Another opportunity to sing the virtues of a '90s era CRATE - Vintage Club 30 2x12
These do everything quite well, 'cept mega-metal, and your favorite noise pedal takes care of that.
But what will you do with the other half, or more, of that $500?

[Eric***]

By 'combo packages' you are referring to a head and a cab, right? Just checking. If you like clean tones, you might want to check out some solid-state amps like the Fender Frontman or something similar, since SS amps typically do cleans very well and are cheaper and require less maintenance. I know it's not a tube amp, but it's an idea. The Roland Cube JC Clean setting is also quite good for clean playing. I know neither of those are head/cab, but they're worth a look.

[Bookkeeper's Son]

I'm with Eric on the Roland JC Clean being excellent (I own a Cube 30X). If you like clean, solid state is a pretty good way to go, and can save a good deal of money compared to tubes, and a SS modeling amp provides a bunch of fun stuff to keep things interesting. Of course, if money isn't a problem, go with your favorite tube amp.

[Glacies]

I don't have a horse in the SS vs Tube race. I just know that when I plugged into the Blackstar I couldn't believe what I was hearing myself play. I take all of your ideas very seriously so I'm going to keep an eye out for Rolands and Crates.

Eric, yes, I think I prefer the head and cabinet setup but I'm not totally married to it.

[NWBasser]

For tube amp touch sensitivity and clean tone, it's hard to beat a Fender.

However, I really like the sound the HT-5!

[Spudman***]

HOORAY! Another opportunity to sing the virtues of a '90s era CRATE - Vintage Club 30 2x12
These do everything quite well, 'cept mega-metal, and your favorite noise pedal takes care of that.
But what will you do with the other half, or more, of that $500?

Ya. The old Crate Vintage Club cream colored amps are basically a Bassman on the clean channel and a Marshall on the gain channel. I have a VC50212 and have always gotten compliments on the sound. The speakers are great and they won a bunch of awards in 1994 or 1995. Mark Knoppfler was using them. They can be found for cheap if you are patient. So the options are the VC30112 (30 watt 1 12") VC50115 (50 watt 1 15") VC50212 (50 watt 2 12") VC503112 (50 watt 3 12') They did make a 20 watt but it doesn't have reverb.

[msteeln]

Spudman, mine is black tolex, maybe designating a later issue. But without question these are THE great sleeper amps out there, available for dirt silly $$, and rather light in weight. I can't believe there's virtually no luv for these! But at least me, you, and Mark know. My 2x12 does it all, in general aspects, leaving my other few amps diverse for thier unique qualities that can't be touched.

[Glacies]

So the Crate Vintage Clubs are not so easy to find...

[msteeln]

So the Crate Vintage Clubs are not so easy to find...

Seem to be a few on ebay, tho no 2x12s currently, but do your homework on this one that didn't sell (not 100% sure it's innards are the same as mine) and if it suits you contact/lowball the seller if the nice price of $230 doesn't warm you up. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=330688891324

[Spudman***]

2 days left on a VC5312

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Crate-Vintag...#ht_500wt_1202

6 day on a VC5115

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Crate-All-Tu...#ht_500wt_1202

[msteeln]

Here's a tech's take on the CRATE VC30's;
This is the loudest and most tone-friendly amp I've ever had in a small combo unit, and I've had nearly 30 amps in the last year. My goal was to get an amp that I could play in small venues and that had a versatile tone selection and overdrive so it could be played by itself without any footpedal or efx units if need be. I read the user reviews on Harmony Central and was very intrigued as most of the reviewers raved about the Vintage 30 series. I have to state right here that this is the loudest and most versatile tone-wise of any amp I've had. And it absolutely slays any other amp that I put it against, both in volume, clean tone, and outrageous gain. In fact, I'm hard pressed to come up with any other amp that does a better job, with the exception of an old blackface Fender Super Reverb or my old Vox AC50 and AC100 amp heads.
The Crate Vintage 30 has 2 channels, clean and overdrive, and separate reverb controls for each channel (nice touch). It runs on 3 12ax7 preamp tubes and 4 EL84 tubes in Class-A mode, much like the fabled Vox AC30 combo amps. It can actually sound exactly like the AC30 by using the gain channel, setting the preamp gain to 10 and using the master on about 3. Sparkling crystals highs and a very wide overall tone. Turning up the preamp gain supercharges my '73 stock strat into overdrive heaven. The clean channel sparkles with width, breadth, and shimmer. There is also a lot of mid-range and bass available on the amp. This amp really outdoes a lot of other amps with the tone variations available on the top panel. A lot of other amps I compared it to all came out a distant 2nd in comparison, and gain-wise the Crate absolutely blew them out of the room. Don't be misled, while Crate has a pretty bad reputation, the Vintage series amps are top-notch as a fraction of the cost of other amps. Just be ready to change out the stock Sovtek tubes - I use Electro Harmonix 12ax7s in the 1st 2 preamp stages, a JJ Tesla 12ax7 in the 3rd stage phase inverter, and Groove Tube EL84 for the power tubes (4). This made a huge difference in the sound of the amp, and because its Class-A, no rebiasing is required. Just swap tubes in/out to obtain the gain and tone you want. No preamp out, no external speaker out, super heavy to carry, no internal fan to keep things cool. Amps are prone to potential problems with the switch on the top panel that changes from clean to overdrive but mine was repaired prior to getting it and I use a footpedal to change the channels. Built like a mac-truck, this is one heavy amp, heavy speaker, heavy contruction, unlike most amps, the chassis is bolted to the back panel, so you have to remove about 15 screws to get the chassis out to change tubes. A blazing 30 watt monster tone unit that will have your other fellow guitarists drooling with envy and incredulous that you are playing a Crate amp!

The only thing I disagree on is the weight factor, and I have the larger 2x12. I can't imagine whipping a Fender Twin like I have mine, in ways that you wouldn't believe. I shake my head thinking of the Tarzan-like things I've done humping it around, so it ain't THAT heavy. I'm open to the above and other mods I've noted, but would hate to lose what it has already.
And to think I got it in mint cond. for free...

[Glacies]

What do you guys think about this? I'm going to keep my eye on it, but is the trolley thing going to be a problem? Also, I can add a footswitch, right?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CRATE-VC-531...#ht_776wt_1396

Shipping from CA will hurt my feelings but depending on what the max price goes to, I can deal.

[Glacies]

Another one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-16-O...ht_5173wt_1396

I'm not really that happy with the starting bid and there is no information on that one.

I'm paying attention to the other auction more closely unless you guys see anything to be weary of with it.

My Uncle who is a performing Jazz guitarist in NYC is trying to get me to get a Fender Blues Deluxe 40amp Vintage Reissue.

To be honest, I'm pretty uneasy about this whole amp selection. The Crate is cool because it's way cheaper than I expected, different and I like what I saw on youtube and I know I'm not going to get a chance to test drive it before I buy. However, with the Blackstar, the Fender, all of these I can't really play them in a store the way I'm going to play them when I'm at home or playing with the band. How do you guys figure out what you like?

Stupid ideas in the back of my mind: I want a tube amp, but I don't want it to break at higher volume because I want to play funk and reggae with the band without mic'ing the amp.

I kind of want a head that I can move to different cabs. What are the maintenance concerns with tubes?

I feel like I'm going through musical puberty. Don't quote me on that.

[Katastrophe]

I feel like I'm going through musical puberty. Don't quote me on that.

Too late.

[Spudman***]

The Crate is a really good amp, but it's going to be loud. It's a 50 watter. I've had the same amp in the 2x12 version since 1994 and it's been great. I've loaned it out to touring pro musicians as a backline amp and they all really liked it. If you can snag it for around $200 you'll have one heck of a great deal. If you're looking to spend around $350 then just get a Bugera V22 or a Hot Rod Deluxe. The V22 will a better home amp because the volume is more predictable. It's hard to get the HRDX to play quietly.

[Katastrophe]

For tube amp touch sensitivity and clean tone, it's hard to beat a Fender.

However, I really like the sound the HT-5!

^This.

I do, however, really like the clean tones on the Bugera V22 that I've heard... and it's under $400 new. It's a combo, and not a head / cab, but it sounds like it would work for what you're looking for.

[Zip]

There's a Crate Vintage Club 50 watter on my local CL for pretty cheap:
http://greenville.craigslist.org/msg/3038161777.html

Not mine, but it looks pretty clean.

[Glacies]

NC?

I wonder what shipping for something like that would be, I'm 200 miles away.