Help me find a little amp with nice tone

[Stephan1980]

Hey everyone. I am enjoying this message board quite a bit.. I'm just getting into all this guitar gear stuff and have bought a couple of things to get me started but I need a smaller amp with nice tone at low low volumes.

Right now I have a Crate vtx 65b solid state combo which I like at loud volumes, but at low volumes the rythm channel doesn't have any nice tone. I know everyone is thinking... "You cannot get good tone out of a solid state amp" Well I got it at just over cost price of something like 260 (think the retail is around 500) and it has built in effects and a tuner.

My guitar is pretty decent. I just bought the Vintage v100 Icon "lemon drop" and am quite happy with it. I have wanted a Les Paul for a while but cannot afford one so this was a very nice alternative for me. Paid 575 for it. The Pickups seem very nice. They are supposed to be Wilkinson Platinum PAFalikes with nickel-silver covers and everything else they should have. Can't complain about them at all, but does anyone think getting some burstbuckers would make a big difference?

So like I said my amp is nice at loud volumes. It seems that when the speaker is driven it creates a nice fat crunchy tone... sounds very Jimmy Page. I can get all kinds of metallica'ish distortion out of the amp as well (especially with my entry level Washburn).

What I need is a small amp maybe 10-30 watts that doesn't need to be cranked to sound good distorted. Should sound as though I'm listening to older older Led Zepplin or something like it on a nice little mini system in my bedroom.

I would be willing to spend up to about $500 maybe more if it were a tube that could sound nice and crunchy at low volumes. Anyone have any recommendations for me?

[Fender868]

Well you could always look into the Peavey JSX mini colossal. If it is anything like the JSX i have on smaller, than it is probably the type of amp you're looking for. Then again, might as well get a real JSX. It comes with a Master volume and independent channel volumes, meaning you could keep your tubes saturated for that blazing crisp and defined tube tone while playing at lower volumes.

I used to think i need a small amp to for practice, but my JSX does everything for me nowadays.

Or Peavey also has their version of the Fender Classic thirty which would give you all the seventies rock crunch you're looking for at a cheaper cost. Availible in 410, 212, 112 or 110.

Here's the link for both suggestions

Mini Colossal : OMG CLICK ME!1!

Classic 30: NOOES !! ClICKS ME!1!

Note: Classic thirty comes in black vinyl or tweed. I am partial to tweed. It's not always really nice, but if you're getting an amp to deliver to classic tone, might as well dress it accordingly .

[Hikey Mikey]

Hmm, I was just about to post a thread on this same topic, mind if I chime in on yours? I am most interested in a few small, inexpensive tube amps and I wanted to discuss them and hear from anyone who has one or has played one.

Fender has the Champion 600 for $200. Five watts, 6" speaker, two inputs, volume control.

Epiphone is offering the Valve Junior Half Stack for $250: Five watts, 12" speaker, one input, volume control.

Finally, Crate/Blackheart have what looks like the best on features alone, the Blackheart BH5H/BH112 Half Stack for $250: switchable three watt/five watt, volume control plus bass, treble, middle controls, one input, 12" speaker.

Pretty sure all of these are Chinese, hence the low prices. Anybody play these?

(Stephan, if you're not interested in these, I'll just wait a while & make my own thread later.)

[microdmitry]

My advice to you is this. Don't buy crap, and above all, don't buy anything brand new.

Get a used Egnater TOL 50 combo. It has a 10W mode, and it sounds great at any volume. You will nail Marshall, Vox and Fender tones on it. You will also get a very authentic sounding "Tender Surrender" tone and other Vai tones. Few folks know about these, they're awesome amps, above and beyond anything you'd be able to buy for this kind of money at Guitar Center.

And I'm not saying this because I'm selling one. You're in Canada and shipping to Canada is a PITA. Check out the Harmony Central reviews.

[Stephan1980]

Okay looks like some good information from everyone. Thank you for that. Mikey, more the merrier.

I checked out some of the amps and they look pretty sweet. That mini colossal especially looks nice. I listened to an audio sample and wow. from that tiny little box you get what sounds like 10,000 sound to me. Maybe it's the guitar player and guitar as well but at least the weak link won't be the amp.

Used would be nice however probably hard to find where I am but we'll see what's online. Do older tube amps tend to sound as good as new ones? I mean do they wear out or whatnot or simply replace the tubes and they keep going and going?

Again thanks for all the info. and i'll keep you posted on what i end up doing
=D

[Hikey Mikey]

Originally Posted by Stephan1980

. . .

I checked out some of the amps and they look pretty sweet. That mini colossal especially looks nice.

I have heard nothing but good about that amp (for whatever that's worth). I agree, the samples I have heard are impressive. I read somewhere that Satriani actually uses it for a backstage/warmup amp. (?) My local store has one but I am hesitatnt to play it because then I'll probably think I really need one!

Must . . . fight . . . GAS . . .

[Stephan1980]

Well it looks like a really nice little amp to entertain yourself with. I am trying to get a sweet tone that will inspire me to get good at playing guitar. I am just a beginner still learning about tubes and just learned to set up a guitar properly so my thinking is I should get something that sounds pleasing to the ears--that way I don't get bored or uninterested and will keep me wanting to play and play till i'm like Slash or Eric Clapton. It's either play music or go to law school... which would you choose? :P

[LonePhantom]

What about one of the smaller Laney VC or LCs. Good value for money, British built tube amps.

[Stephan1980]

I looked up the Laney amps, unfortunately I wouldn't be able to try one out anywhere close to me since there is only one dealer (listed on the Laney website) in Canada and it's in B.C. which is about 2000 km from me. Looks like nice amps though. The VC models were particularly interesting. More of an American tone which I'm looking for.

Boy for a solid state amp my Crate vtx 65 is producing some pretty sweet tones with my new Vintage Lemon Drop. I am still tinkering with the setup but so far I got the action right near the bottom and think I finally found where I want my pup heights to be. I can only imagine what this would sound like on a tube amp with nice crunch. O,O

[Martyr Machine]

Even a 10 watt is going to be very loud by the time you're getting power tube distortion. Look into the ZVex 1/2 watt amp, it's absolutely perfect for classic rock.

ZVex Nano

[Stephan1980]

1/2 a watt sounds very appealing actually lol. Seriously I love the way that thing looks and I bet it sounds good too. Thanks for the tip.

Thinking on 1's and 0's now.... seems to me after looking at a bunch of smaller tube amps that the perfect combo would be a small combo with a 12" speaker of good quality and a power sponge. I look forward to seeing my own tubes glowing some day.

[bammbamm]

I can't stress enough how great and versatile my Mesa Boogie Studio 22+ is.
I'd wager you could find one for 500 or under if you take your time and not buy too impulsively. I found mine for $300 delivered, it was a typo at East Coast Music Mall, but they honored it

[matty]

I got an orange 1x12 for christmas and picked up the Orange Tiny Terror head to go with it...WOW!
this was to substitute lugging around my Boogie Roadster Combo, and have a good home practice amp...I haven't plugged into my Boogie since I got it. It's a pure tone monster. 7 Watt mode for home (although I like the 15 Watt mode better) and it's still loud enough to play live on the 15 Watt mode.

[Stephan1980]

I am usually very careful about anything I buy which is why I bought my vintage v100 icon lemon drop =D I got a les paul (more or less) for a fraction of the cost.

I have heard lots of good things about those orange amps and have seen some good demos on youtube. There is a shop in town that carries them so i will try one out soon.

[Jemwielder]

I've heard good things about the blackheart little giant. Musicians Friend sells them I think. They sound like a cool little amp. I've been meaning to pick one up eventually.