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6K views 53 replies 10 participants last post by  Rudy 
#1 ·
Hey guys, Im looking for a little bit of advice on a possible purchase.... I need an amp that fullfills these specifications:

-Low wattage (20 or less)
-Full valve
-12" speaker
-Effects loop

The only thing Ive found up to now is the marshall DSL201, but it seems they've stopped making those. Any Ideas?
Thanks
 
#2 ·
Hmm... tricky, and I agree, there should be more of these.

You could always mod an existing combo- throw the guts of a crate vc-5 into a new cabinet with a 12"?

Also,a re you willing to do a head/cab setup? I STRONGLY recommend giving a dr. Z Carmen Ghia a look, one of the best cleans I've ever heard. Simple head- volume and tone, but suprisingly useable across all ranges. Throw a tube screamer in front of this thing, and you've got tone to die for. Pushes about 20 watts, and can be made to break up slightly for those gorgeous sparkling clean tones at fairly sane volumes.

-D
 
#4 ·
Ive done the mod on a small combo before for my brother (I did a Laney LC15 into a head and cab with a 12" speaker) but Im looking for something "off the shelf" as I dont have the money/time to do that mod again.
I would definatly prefer the amp to be a combo, and as for the peavey classic 30, isnt that a 30watter?
 
#5 ·
Yes, it is thirty watts, but ten watts isn't going to be noticably louder than twenty. There's really only a few decibles difference between even 50 and one hundred watts.

I had a Peavey Classic 20, which was fifteen watts, and it was able to keep up with a loud drummer I used to jam with. It still wouldn't fill your needs, though, since it didn't have a loop, and only a ten inch speaker. Nice, light, little amp to carry around for jamming, though. I wish I still had it!
 
#7 ·
Whats your price range & what type tone are you looking for?
Fender Blues & Pro JR fit the bill (I'm not sure about effects loop), Traynor has nice new 20 watt combo out, and Soldano Astomic 16 and Astroverb are 16 watts in 1x12 combo and head version.
 
#20 ·
Denis quoted me £750 for mine (with the fancy blue finish). Sheldon quoted me about the same, but theirs was 1-3w variable. In the end it came down to me visiting Denis, getting on well with both him and his amps and figuring that that was a good basis.

The EQ barely gets used; bass on 5 and treble on 6. It's a nice balanced sound that way. The EQ Cut switch boosts the volume a bit and gives a rawer, "tweedy" sound. I just loved how the amp sounded, so I didn't much care about fancier EQability. I would definitely say it's worth going for a 12" though; the 10" just sounded a bit honky to me.
 
#21 ·
since this string is about LOW WATTAGE Valve amps may I pose a question about if a certain AMP is an OVERKILL for my needs ?

PLEASE HELP!

I have a Carvin LEGACY 2x12 combo...I have been playing for 10 years off and on, yet I do not gig and with my job/profession probably will never gig...I basically play at home and various things here and there...Camp, etc....

I understand I am asking an OPINION of others, yet I am asking so.....

should I (with my situation described above) purchase a smaller amp that better suite my basic needs? Playing at home..NOT recording...basically just therapeutic guitar playing...

for little amps 500.00-800.00 new or used COMBOS... what are "good" choices for straight ahead LOW WATTAGE VALVE AMPS ?

Soldano Atomic 16 (single channel) 1x12

Cornford Harlequin (single channel) 1x12

Mesa Boogie F-50/DC-5 (dual channel) 1x12

any others?

Please tell me your thoughts...single channel amps are ok for me not a BIG issue to HAVE TO have an dual channel amp.....thanking you

:D :roll:
 
#22 ·
muddeone said:
should I (with my situation described above) purchase a smaller amp that better suite my basic needs? Playing at home..NOT recording...basically just therapeutic guitar playing...
Do you like how your current amp sounds? If so, who cares?

The advantage of a low wattage amp is that you can crank it further for more power tube saturation, but if it's headroom you want then a higher power amp makes sense.

My general rule of thumb for such things is "if it sounds good, it is good". :)
 
#23 ·
I guess my concern is that I will play my amp is an area where other folks need to "live" (not hear...lol)...but with the Carvin Legacy on the Distorted channel...I am unable to get past .5 let alone to 1 even when the 1/2 power (down to 50watts) is applied...it's just a loud amp...I guess I could buy a powersoak or "hot plate" attenuator...

BUT.. 8O I was wondering among the lower wattage amps I would be looking ofr what you said about TONE and saturation of tubes to GET that/the tone...whereas with the MONSTER I can't even get a "sort of" glimpse of what this amp WOULD sound like to the living and NOISE level concerns....

Help please recommend a "good" VALVE low watt combo amp.....

Thanks
 
#25 ·
muddeone said:
I guess my concern is that I will play my amp is an area where other folks need to "live" (not hear...lol)...but with the Carvin Legacy on the Distorted channel...I am unable to get past .5 let alone to 1 even when the 1/2 power (down to 50watts) is applied...it's just a loud amp...I guess I could buy a powersoak or "hot plate" attenuator...
That sounds like a plan to me. If you like how it sounds, and it's just the volume that's the problem then an attenuator would do the job nicely.
 
#26 ·
the amp cost around 700.00 and a attenuator would run roughly...200.00 US $.....if I wanted to stay within a certain money fasctor amount then are there any small wattage VALVE combo amps that any of you was say are pretty good?

has anyone tried a BAD CAT Mini 5w amp?

OR a

SOLDANO ATOMIC 16 ?
 
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