New Tube Amp

Squidgy Black

hi guys,
i'm looking for a tube amp, it'll just be used at home for now, but it might be needed for the occasional jam session or the odd band situation.
i'm looking for something portable enough as i don't drive, so a combo preferably. i've been looking at a couple of 5 watt bugera's and blackstars, but they probably won't cut it. i play mainly classic rock, pop rock, punk, and a lot of pop-ish songs, so i will need a decent clean, i have pedals for my dirt sound anyways. i have roughly 250-300 to spend, so all suggestions are welcome

Paolo_M

stetyrrell wrote: »

hi guys,
i'm looking for a tube amp, it'll just be used at home for now, but it might be needed for the occasional jam session or the odd band situation.
i'm looking for something portable enough as i don't drive, so a combo preferably. i've been looking at a couple of 5 watt bugera's and blackstars, but they probably won't cut it. i play mainly classic rock, pop rock, punk, and a lot of pop-ish songs, so i will need a decent clean, i have pedals for my dirt sound anyways. i have roughly 250-300 to spend, so all suggestions are welcome

Why do you want a tube amp?
It would be the last thing I'd recommend for what you've described.

Squidgy Black

really? well like the pedals are there if needed, they're not the best.
i've been playing through cheap solid state amps and figured the next upgrade was a tube amp...

stephenshields2

stetyrrell wrote: »

hi guys,
i'm looking for a tube amp, it'll just be used at home for now, but it might be needed for the occasional jam session or the odd band situation.
i'm looking for something portable enough as i don't drive, so a combo preferably. i've been looking at a couple of 5 watt bugera's and blackstars, but they probably won't cut it. i play mainly classic rock, pop rock, punk, and a lot of pop-ish songs, so i will need a decent clean, i have pedals for my dirt sound anyways. i have roughly 250-300 to spend, so all suggestions are welcome

I wish such a solution existed. :rolleyes:

http://www.adverts.ie/305977/guitar-and-bass/blackstar-ht-5-valve-combo-260-euro/

Theres an example of a nice 5w combo. It will probably still be heavy and not really loud enough for gigging anywhere bigger than a tiny pub, but a lovely sounding amp all the same.

Paolo_M

stetyrrell wrote: »

really? well like the pedals are there if needed, they're not the best.
i've been playing through cheap solid state amps and figured the next upgrade was a tube amp...

These days modelling amplifiers sound better at bedroom volumes than a tube amp. They're catching up at gig volume too, check out the AxeFX or the new Pod HD500.

A good modeller will sound better than any tube amp at bedroom volume, will be more portable as they are always lighter, infinitely more flexible and offer far better bang for buck.

This is from a tube amp fan btw.
I still use my JCM800, JMP50, my own high gainer or my Vox AC50 for rehearsing with the band or gigging. I rehearse at home and do all my home recording with ReValver MKIII. It's a software modeller, but it sounds way better for recording at home than any of my tube amps do turned way down.

A 5 Watt tube will still have to be turned way down for playing at home. It's typically just under half as loud as a 100 watt stack.

Squidgy Black

So would I be better off getting a vox ac4tv with the attenuator or say a 60 watt line 6 spider or a cube for under 200?

Paolo_M

stetyrrell wrote: »

So would I be better off getting a vox ac4tv with the attenuator or say a 60 watt line 6 spider or a cube for under 200?

In my opinion, for what you want, I would go with the Spider or Cube.
They're infinitely more flexible and will sound far better at low volumes.

The AC4TV is a great blues amp if you like that cranked SRV type blues tone or even a more classic rock type thing. It's got that Tom Petty type jangly overdrive like on Last Dance For Mary Jane or that Running Down A Dream riff sound.
It doesn't do heavy rock or metal tones at all, and never will with any amount of pedals, and it doesn't really have that Fendery clean either.
It really only does one thing well, real well, and it does it quite loudly. I hate the speaker in it too (I'd use an external cab), makes it sound real boxy.