Let's talk about low-powered tube amps

Ravelleman

I think most of us will agree that we´ve entered a golden age for low-powered tube amps. A couple of years ago it was quite difficult to find something under 15 watts with a price under, say €500. Nowadays the market is full of different economic options for people who want something small to play with at home.

At the moment I'm undecided about whether I want a combo or a head with a 1x12 or 2x12 cab.

I´m already familiar with the Orange Tiny Terror and the Marshall Class 5, as well as most of the stuff by Blackheart and Blackstar. While all of these brands have their advantages, I'm looking for something different.

To be honest, I'd prefer to avoid buying something made in China/Vietnam etc if at all possible (Marshall and possibly Orange are exlcluded from that criterion)...

I've been thinking about a few other options.

First there's the Laney Lionheart 5w combo, which comes in at just under €570 (cheaper in Spain than in Germany :cool:). It's all made in the UK and has boutique pretensions. It's Class A, has El 84s and built in reverb. The reviews are excellent. Lionheart

Then there's a number of different Hayden Amps:

The Mini-Mofo, a 15w head with a stealth switch that takes it down to around 2w. The reviews have been mixed - some have complained that the first batch of Hayden amps, made by Matamp were excellent. Then production switched to the Ashdown factory and became more inconsistent. The 2012 versions come in a number of awesome colours but I think this might actually just be a smoke screen for the fact that production switched to China. Check them out here: Custom Colours Pink flake or Seafoam green would be my choice.

Could anyone recommend a cab for this? When it comes to head/cab combinations I have literally no idea. A lot of people have said that the Harley Benton cabs are surprisingly good for the money but I wonder if I'd be better off investing in a higher quality Orange cab or something like that. I can see myself buying more mini-heads in the future so it could be worth it.

They have a couple of interesting combos too: The Cotton Club 7/15w, which is definitely made in the UK, has a nice Greenback speaker and two channels. This seems to compete directly with the Laney.

The Petite 5 looks like a slightly smaller, cheaper and simplified version, with just one channel. It does have a switchable power stage though.

All pertain to be 'handwired' although precisely how we define that is up for debate - most appear to be PCBs rather than PTP wiring.

Other than these there lots of options... Perhaps you can suggest something or advise on the above or just share your thoughts.

Ravelleman

Perhaps this is too long; I tend to do that.

I'm currently swinging toward the Laney Lionheart because it's the most economic option and I have heard good things about Celestion Heritage speakers.

The Hayden offerings do look mighty tempting though.

cezet

Hi,
About cabs :
You post Harley Benton cab G212 Vintage for €198 with 2x12" Celestion Vintage 30 and Orange PPC112 for €255 with 1x 12" Celestion Vintage 30.
For me an answer is simple. Two Vintage 30 for less than one Vintage 30 and no matter what color cab I have.
I can even spray Harley Benton for orange color and sell it for double money
About small amps :
I think all small tube amps with 8" or 10" speakers need 12" speaker cabs for usable sound. Maybe changing tubes in some amps can help get better sound too.That's very personal feeling what sound I like so hard to explain what do like someone other.
There is a lot of different speakers, tubes, pickups and many more things to do that. I'm still looking for my sound since 20 years ...

Squidgy Black

I know you say you're not interested in any MIC amp, but the VHT Special 6 is ptp and sounds awesome. I used mine earlier at practice through a 1x12 with a g12h100 as a little grab n go rig, and it was perfect. More than capable of keeping up with a drummer, I kept mine around 3 on the high power setting (6watts) without the boost, with a tele. It stays clean with single coils up until 6-7 o'clock and then begins to break up. Or with the boost engaged, a good bit earlier.

The HB 2x12 is next on my list too, I've compared them in the studio to an Orange 2x12, and there's feck all difference for an almost 500 euro price difference.

Ravelleman

Upon further investigation, it appears that a lot of Hayden's amps are rebranded Ashdown models, something which doesn't exactly inspire the imagination. I can understand why they chose to rebrand them though - they're famous for bass amps but their guitar amps seemed quite bland.

Miklos

I'm quite interested in those VHT Specials too, great price and they come with a 4ohm out which will go with my Bandmaster's speaker cab.

Ravelleman

I think I'm going to go with the Laney Lionheart. Ultimately I think that they whole package looks better and being made in the UK is a nice plus.

zafo

I've been very impressed with the VHT heads and combos that I've heard. Personally I use a Harley Benton GA5 (that I keep meaning to mod) into a Laney open back 1x12.

If I had the money I'd be very tempted by the Lionheart or one of the legion of small amp makers around these days.

Dord

Check out Cornell amps. I've got the Plexi 7 which is very nice. It's got built in attenuation.

Here it is hiding behind my guitar.



Prior to this I had a 3 watt '62 Harmony H303a. I do love my little amps.

kevin65

I've been looking for a small tube amp for a while now and there are so many available on the market it would make your head spin trying to figure out what would be the best for my needs. I did buy a Peavey Royal 8 a year ago and was very disappointed by it. Didn't spend enough time trying it out, oh well.

To get a decent overdriven sound you need to crank a valve amp and ever 1-2 watts is loud for home practice. I've decided to wait a while and probably get a Marshall Class 5 or something similar and get power scaling fitted to make it more home practice friendly.

That Cornell looks sweet!

Dord

kevin65 wrote: »

I've been looking for a small tube amp for a while now and there are so many available on the market it would make your head spin trying to figure out what would be the best for my needs. I did buy a Peavey Royal 8 a year ago and was very disappointed by it. Didn't spend enough time trying it out, oh well.

To get a decent overdriven sound you need to crank a valve amp and ever 1-2 watts is loud for home practice. I've decided to wait a while and probably get a Marshall Class 5 or something similar and get power scaling fitted to make it more home practice friendly.

That Cornell looks sweet!

Definitely. I find that even the quarter watt setting can be a bit much sometimes. I plan on fitting some sort of power soak for late night recording. Weber make a cheap one that I might get. I already have a DI box in the back of the amp.

Ravelleman

Dord wrote: »

Check out Cornell amps. I've got the Plexi 7 which is very nice. It's got built in attenuation.

That does look quite cool, although perhaps on the higher end of the price scale. How much, might I ask, did you pay for yours?

Dord

Ravelleman wrote: »

Dord wrote: »

Check out Cornell amps. I've got the Plexi 7 which is very nice. It's got built in attenuation.

That does look quite cool, although perhaps on the higher end of the price scale. How much, might I ask, did you pay for yours?

I bought it used with a trade in. I can't remember the price before trade unfortunately.

boycey

It's American-centric but there's some good reading in here...
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/squawk-box/61729-lots-people-looking-low-wattage-amps.html

Some other options too:
The Matamp Minimat range, they are killer amps.
Dord's Cornell would be a rather splendid choice, I've always wanted a go of one!
Cornford: Again pricier but they have two killer low power combos, the Harlequin or the multi-valve Carrera.
THD Univalve: I'm rather fond of mine, output is governed by the output valve really. Built in attenuation too.
Check out EVA - the English Valve Amp company, good prices and hand made hand wired quality. http://www.englishvalveamps.co.uk/

Out of what has been mentioned already I'd be going for the Laney, but I've always thought them a wee bit overpriced.

kingofpain

Another interesting amp GAS round! Some of the brands mentioned new to me even though being on the same quest for more than a year now. Recently sold a 15W 12" (GH12) Traynor (Canadian) for bargain price on ebay, might have been your Laney match, oh well...Was too bulky for me, otherwise excellent.

Confident the Laney Lions are class gear, do give some more details about your budget, style and usage if you like. 2nd hand not accepted?

From my light weight, low-medium budget test list*:

• Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 18, head or combo, 36W model released soon
• 'custom' built MIC through local importer C.Agnew guitars
• Egnater Tweaker or Rebel, combo/head. Rebel 30 best amp I've tried for years
• Koch Studiotone - yes, brand name could have been better adjusted for English speaking markets, great amp however, on par with Egnater
• Andy Dokken, UK mod'er
• Hayden, various models as yourself
• ..or simply a cheap, 2nd hand BJ or SC XD

tried, off the list:

• ENGL gigmaster, various models
• Blackstar, various models
• Blackheart BH15
• Vox Night train
• Ibanez TSA

* req. in preferred order:
size max BJ (14kg)
reverb and/or fx loop
line/DI out w. speaker emulation
speaker out for glory rock options

Mission impossible perhaps for combos. Alternatively some tube-powered floor/rack unit.

Ravelleman

boycey wrote: »

It's American-centric but there's some good reading in here...
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/squawk-box/61729-lots-people-looking-low-wattage-amps.html

Some other options too:
The Matamp Minimat range, they are killer amps.
Dord's Cornell would be a rather splendid choice, I've always wanted a go of one!
Cornford: Again pricier but they have two killer low power combos, the Harlequin or the multi-valve Carrera.
THD Univalve: I'm rather fond of mine, output is governed by the output valve really. Built in attenuation too.
Check out EVA - the English Valve Amp company, good prices and hand made hand wired quality. http://www.englishvalveamps.co.uk/

Out of what has been mentioned already I'd be going for the Laney, but I've always thought them a wee bit overpriced.

Thanks for the tips.

The Matamp looks sweet, although the controls are maybe a little bit limited. I sent them an email about prices. Hopefully they'll respond soon, as their website is really hopeless!

The Univalve seems very cool, but I'm not sure I'm ready to get my highs from buying different types of tubes. Jet City are making a licensed version of it too, actually.

EVA look really interesting too, although their website is also rubbish! Seem kind of like an English version of Ceriatone, which I suppose they are.

I wonder if it would be worth going for a Cornford. I really like the idea of getting something PTP and I wouldn't mind paying a little more for luxury. But then again, I probably wouldn't even notice it. I imagine that it would all be psychological.

kingofpain wrote: »

Another interesting amp GAS round! Some of the brands mentioned new to me even though being on the same quest for more than a year now.

• Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 18, head or combo, 36W model released soon
• Egnater Tweaker or Rebel, combo/head. Rebel 30 best amp I've tried for years

There is no real budget but I'm hoping to spend roughly €600 on a combo, a little more for a cab and head, although I can and will pay more if I'm convinced that it's worth it. I'm not keen on getting a Blues Junior but I'd buy second hand if the price were right.

I had looked at the Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister before, and it does look rather cool. The combo doesn't look as a deal as the Laney though - I'm a bit dubious about 'Celestion Custom' speakers. Who knows what that is? The 'Heritage' in the Lionheart is, at least, an established model and we can be sure about the quality. I could always buy a head and a cab with my choice of speakers, obviously. Any idea where the Tubemeister is made?

punchdrunk

Love this little fella,


rig'11 by mechanicalapple, on Flickr


nanohead by mechanicalapple, on Flickr

Sounds great! although the fan can be annoying-apparently it can be disconnected as with weather as cool as ours it never really overheats,gonna do that mod soon

Dord

boycey wrote: »

Dord's Cornell would be a rather splendid choice, I've always wanted a go of one!

Cornford: Again pricier but they have two killer low power combos, the Harlequin or the multi-valve Carrera.

Maybe we can have another boards get together in a few months.

Before I bought the Cornell I was actually looking at getting a Cornford Harlequin. They look pretty damn nice!

Ravelleman

kingofpain wrote: »

[*]Koch Studiotone - yes, brand name could have been better adjusted for English speaking markets, great amp however, on par with Egnater

This and the Classic CSE6-EL84/6V6 have also caught my eye actually. Any idea if they're still made in Holland?

Ravelleman

Dord wrote: »

Maybe we can have another boards get together in a few months.

Before I bought the Cornell I was actually looking at getting a Cornford Harlequin. They look pretty damn nice!

If we do this in the summer I'd be up for it!

Dord

Ravelleman wrote: »

If we do this in the summer I'd be up for it!

It'd prob be the best time for it.

boycey

Dord wrote: »

Maybe we can have another boards get together in a few months.

LOOOOONNNNGGGG overdue. I'm good any season!

Ravelleman

After thinking about it for some time, I reckon I'm going to go with the Laney. I've heard nothing but good things about them and the price is right. The quality seems to be top notch and they're easy to obtain, so I don't think I can go wrong. A lot of the other options suggested are seriously tempting but I want to keep this relatively cheap.

I've amassed a lot of new gear in the last 12 months so I'll certainly be able to make a novel contribution whenever we get round to another meet-up. I'll also have photos of my new G&L ASAT and the Robby Krieger SG on Thursday afternoon.

zafo

kingofpain wrote: »

Another interesting amp GAS round! Some of the brands mentioned new to me even though being on the same quest for more than a year now. Recently sold a 15W 12" (GH12) Traynor (Canadian) for bargain price on ebay, might have been your Laney match, oh well...Was too bulky for me, otherwise excellent.

Confident the Laney Lions are class gear, do give some more details about your budget, style and usage if you like. 2nd hand not accepted?

From my light weight, low-medium budget test list*:

• Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 18, head or combo, 36W model released soon
• 'custom' built MIC through local importer C.Agnew guitars
• Egnater Tweaker or Rebel, combo/head. Rebel 30 best amp I've tried for years
• Koch Studiotone - yes, brand name could have been better adjusted for English speaking markets, great amp however, on par with Egnater
• Andy Dokken, UK mod'er
• Hayden, various models as yourself
• ..or simply a cheap, 2nd hand BJ or SC XD

tried, off the list:

• ENGL gigmaster, various models
• Blackstar, various models
• Blackheart BH15
• Vox Night train
• Ibanez TSA

* req. in preferred order:
size max BJ (14kg)
reverb and/or fx loop
line/DI out w. speaker emulation
speaker out for glory rock options

Mission impossible perhaps for combos. Alternatively some tube-powered floor/rack unit.

What's the deal with the C Agnew amps are they just rebranded Chinese made ala VHT Special 6 or more to it than that?

Ravelleman

Never did get my small amp. I've bought a couple of guitars though. I should sell something, buy a lunchbox amp and pocket the change.

TroutMask

The Swart Space Tone is amazing

Matt Bianco

zafo wrote: »

What's the deal with the C Agnew amps are they just rebranded Chinese made ala VHT Special 6 or more to it than that?

Would be interested in this too - Really interested in a Princeton as an upgrade to a SC XD but hard to justify spending close to a grand with extremely limited opportunities to try in a B&M store

zafo

It seems they're built for him in China, I have it on good authority that they sound great too.

martingibson

I tried a Vox AC4 valve combo the other day. Saw one in a shop in Liffey street for 340 odd euro. Great little yoke! Suited my strat very well anyway, though obviously we're not all looking for the same sound....

Dord

punchdrunk wrote: »

Love this little fella,


rig'11 by mechanicalapple, on Flickr

Sounds great! although the fan can be annoying-apparently it can be disconnected as with weather as cool as ours it never really overheats,gonna do that mod soon

Old pic & post but how do you find the sole-mate? I'm in the market for a nice spring reverb.

rickian325

martingibson wrote: »

I tried a Vox AC4 valve combo the other day. Saw one in a shop in Liffey street for 340 odd euro. Great little yoke! Suited my strat very well anyway, though obviously we're not all looking for the same sound....

I saw that recently, cool looking little amp! Those guys take trade-ins too, so I was thinking about doing a deal maybe...

martingibson

rickian325 wrote: »

I saw that recently, cool looking little amp! Those guys take trade-ins too, so I was thinking about doing a deal maybe...

Yeah, I went in there looking for a guitar, which tbh, I'll be buying at the weekend. Sound bunch to deal with, so I'd go back for an amp when I get the funds up again. Trade-in thing's interesting! Not many places doing that these days.

Grolschevik

martingibson wrote: »

Yeah, I went in there looking for a guitar, which tbh, I'll be buying at the weekend. Sound bunch to deal with, so I'd go back for an amp when I get the funds up again. Trade-in thing's interesting! Not many places doing that these days.

MusicMaker are doing trade-ins now. Back to the '80s with us all!

martingibson

[QUOTE=Grolschevik; Back to the '80s with us all![/QUOTE]

Haven't got the hair for it anymore, lol!

rickian325

Grolschevik wrote: »

MusicMaker are doing trade-ins now. Back to the '80s with us all!

That's how it looks down the dole office, anyways......... Only the fashions have changed.

Going Forward

I bought a Thomann Harley Benton GA5, 5 watt valve amp (same as the Epiphone Valve Junior apparently) a couple of years ago, now discontinued, for about 80 0r 90euro.

Dull enough sounding without effects, bit mushy etc.
With effects you can compensate quite well, and it is extremely loud for 5w.

I like the look of the Bugera V5 but it has its limitations too.....

New toy here. For 15e its great. We do love our toys!