Suggest Me Some Tube Heads Under 1k

[Gilberto99]

Disclaimer: The following post is very long and you probably won't care about most of it. So please just think of a tube head under or at 1000 used or new that may suit my needs (see the + signs).
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Hello everyone!

Here's my situation. There are things which I need for college and such and I have recently been let go from my job. So I have no source of income. I only own two guitars and one amp and that is perfectly fine for me.. except that my amp + combo cost more than any other thing I own. (other than my truck... but the difference is small) So the plan is to sell my Mark V head and Mesa 2x12, get a much cheaper amp, and put the rest towards necessities.

My plan originally was to buy a Bogner Alchemist combo for around 900 dollars used but I have a revelation after seeing a friend of mine yesterday. He is starting up a company that makes guitar cabinets that I truly think will change the industry once they get into production. They're working on prototypes which are unlike anything I've seen before used in an amp.. their 2x12 is bigger, lighter, and built stronger than your regular 4x12. And the sound... he a/b'ed a Carvin V3 into his prototype 2x12 and a Carvin Legacy 4x12... it was as if I had heard true tone for the first time in my life. I've never realized how unbelievably boxy the tone of a 4x12 is. Even compared to my Mesa 2x12 it's just incredible. Not only was the prototype LOUDER than the 4x12, it was MUCH clearer too... the point of this all is the only thing I could ask is. Are you making any 1x12s?? He said that's the next step and I'll be the first to try them once finished.

I realized that I will not be happy with the tone I'm getting out of a combo amp, let alone any other cab I try from now on. Therefore my plan of downgrading to a combo is now out of the question. I will be getting the cab when it's complete at a very affordable price.. the only thing I need to worry about now is a low cost head to run it through and make it sound great!

So that's where I'm at right now. I absolutely love my Mark V and wouldn't change a thing about it. It has every single thing I could ask for. I'm a tweaker and spend a lot of time working on my tone so as cool and useful as they are a Orange Tiny Terror just won't do it for me unless I get a large pedal board for tweakage, but that'll come out to too much in the end. I checked out the Mesa Boogie Transatlantic and that thing rocks, but there's no fx loop! I know there is soo many brands out there I've never heard or even heard of and my ears are not racist. Any suggestion you have I will look into! Here are the only things I require to be a happy dude:

+ ALL TUBE!! No solid state.
+ AT LEAST 2 channels: I've been living off of 3 for a very long time now but I would be just as happy with 2.
+ Needs to have enough wattage to hang with a band: 100 might be too much.. anywhere between 30 and 50 should be great. If the amp has switchable wattage that would be even greater. I've always ran my Mark V in 45 watt mode on the gain channels, and 90 clean. If need be then 100 will be alright.
+ Effects loop: I must have one
+ Seperate EQ controls for each channel: I like to have total control over each channel
+ I'd prefer no built in effects other than reverb, but reverb not necessary
+ Made in the U.S. or U.K. (this shouldn't be too much to ask)

As far as the actual TONE of the thing and what I play.. I'm not looking for an amp to play metal or shred music. Although I'd like to be able to play metal or shred if I need to. I play hard rock, rock, alternative rock. I like my cleans pristine but with good definition, not ear splitting treble. And my distortion full and clear, I love to strum a chord and hear every single note. So I guess I just want something versatile and tweakabe, no one trick ponies.. like some other Mesas..

I guess I'm asking a lot but most of these things are standard on most tube heads.

As far as price! I'd like to keep it under 1000 new or used (so if it's new for 1100, then it should be in my price range used) Absolute preferred price would be 6-800 but like I said up to 1000 is good.

Sorry for the very long post.. but whatever I buy next, if it does work for me, and is priced right. Will be the amp I use for gigging and recording for the next couple years until I can afford a Suhr guitar and Custom Audio Electronics head... but until then I'd like to hear any suggestions you have. Let me put a disclaimer at the top before I post this...


Thanks,
Eric

[just42dave]

Egnater Renegade...change the tubes when you get one though...Sovteks suck

[smooth55]

Honestly, if there's any way of holding on to the Mark V, I'd recommend that. It seems like it does everything for you and you like the tone. I know how money can be prohibitive but you'll probably not be as happy with anything in the range you're looking at when compared to your Mesa.
Is selling one of the guitars an option? What are you planning to get/what do you need for college with the extra $1000 you should have after selling the Mark V and then buying a new head?

[Philboski]

How about the best of both worlds? Many combos allow you to use them as a head and run out to an external speaker.

As well, if the Carvin V3 sounded so good through this new cab, it might be a good choice. Lots to tweak on that amp.

[SonicProvocateur]

Get a Vox AC30.

[GLG421]

Originally Posted by smooth55

Honestly, if there's any way of holding on to the Mark V, I'd recommend that. It seems like it does everything for you and you like the tone. I know how money can be prohibitive but you'll probably not be as happy with anything in the range you're looking at when compared to your Mesa.
Is selling one of the guitars an option? What are you planning to get/what do you need for college with the extra $1000 you should have after selling the Mark V and then buying a new head?

+1000


Every piece of gear I've sold, traded, lent, gave away I wound up regretting, and usually replacing with the same at a higher price.

The two things I could never bring myself to sell no matter how desperate I got are my Jem and My JCM 800 2210. I'm so thankful I never succumbed to the financial pressure to sell those pieces would be quite expensive/difficult to replace for the same quality/condition.

Take some side jobs digging ditches, flipping burgers, whatever it takes, and do it with the smile that comes from knowing you're saving your gear.


Geoff

[LonePhantom]

Blackstar HT-venue series. They have a range of heads and combos that will be very keenly priced. The 20watt head is even under a grand in Australia! I bet the 100watt head will definitely under a grand in the US.

The HT amps are stupidly versatile, and come with at least 2 channels.

Check out my blog where I've collected the Blackstar official demos of the series.
http://lonephantom.wordpress.com

[JohnSykes]

Legacy.

[nwobhm]

As suggested earlier, give Blackstar a try, incredible sound, great abilities to 'shape' it using the ISF knob.

[LonePhantom]

I just noticed that you talked about only wanting US or UK built. Blackstar are a UK company, but their gear is built in Korea. Seriously, don't let that turn you off though. They are seriously well built gear.