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Best Low Watt Tube Amp?

Xpensive Wino

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Nov 3, 2012
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6,079
Nice, but unless you are going to spot me the extra $2,200 its a little out of my price range of under $350...


Precisely. I wonder why people post pics of their expensive gear knowing you can't afford any of it. :hmm
 

mzblues1

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Mar 11, 2018
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Precisely. I wonder why people post pics of their expensive gear knowing you can't afford any of it. :hmm

I like the Bluesbreaker type sound a lot. To get into my price range should I also consider some of the 10" Speaker Combos too (as apposed to 12") or hold out for a 12" Combo instead (I prefer a warmer less biting treble sound)?

Someone suggested the Marshall Class 5 which used is reasonable (and the older ones look pretty sweet too).

https://imgur.com/lmS6ela

What are your thoughts on 10" vs. 12"?
 
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Xpensive Wino

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Nov 3, 2012
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Liked:

I like the Bluesbreaker type sound a lot. To get into my price range should I also consider some of the 10" Speaker Combos too (as apposed to 12") or hold out for a 12" Combo instead (I prefer a warmer less biting treble sound)?

Someone suggested the Marshall Class 5 which used is reasonable (and the older ones look pretty sweet too).

https://imgur.com/lmS6ela

What are your thoughts on 10" vs. 12"?

Any similarity between a Bluesbreaker and a Class 5 is delusional at best.

I have 2 Marshall Class 5 combos. They are not loud enough to play gigs with, IMO. They are also loaded with single 10-inch Celestions (and before some bright spark 'helpfully' suggests cramming a new baffle board and a 12" speaker in, the budget is $350 total).

15 watts is probably your minimum threshold.

10's are good speakers but a 12 is better in your case because it will move more air.

A used Blues Jr. with a 12 would work for you - barely.

A secondhand Bassbreaker would be the second option I'd consider within your budget.

Since you will need to buy used - this is key - PLAY any amp you are considering. Play it loud, for a while. Since shipping a used amp is problematic, many sellers won't do it, and those who will, charge for it accordingly. If money is tight, only buy local - you can't afford to ship amps back and hassle with sellers if they suck.

Don't be fooled into thinking a low-wattage amp will be loud enough to hang with with a drummer/bass/vocalist because it sounds loud in someone's bedroom. It won't cut it.


 

porterburst

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Dec 3, 2001
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Liked:

I like the Bluesbreaker type sound a lot. To get into my price range should I also consider some of the 10" Speaker Combos too (as apposed to 12") or hold out for a 12" Combo instead (I prefer a warmer less biting treble sound)?

Someone suggested the Marshall Class 5 which used is reasonable (and the older ones look pretty sweet too).

https://imgur.com/lmS6ela

What are your thoughts on 10" vs. 12"?



Then a Bassbreaker 007 or 15 would be perfect. Both sound great and can be found on the used market in your price range.
 

toxpert

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Jul 2, 2005
Messages
3,068
Blackface or Silverface Fender Vibro Champ.
Single 6V6 ...magnificent tone.

The original series are simple point-to-point wiring, easy to repair if needed, indestructible.

You can find these used in the $300 ish range. Black face command more $ but are almost identical to silver face.

These do not have 12”
 

MapleFlame

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Jul 3, 2005
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14,044
Fender Tweed Harvard. 12 watts. Can Mic front and back for gigs and low enough volume for home use.
 

mdubya

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Mar 31, 2010
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1,020
Silvertone 1482

Silver Face Champ.

You want the "best" for $350?

Good luck.

I could get by with the Silvertone or the Champ, though, no problem.
 

sonar

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Jan 10, 2003
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3,589
Depending upon speaker efficiency a 5 watt amp can easily be louder than a 15 watt amp - watts is not a measure of how loud an amp is and there is no such thing as "tube watts", watts are a measure of energy and a watt is a watt regardless of whether it is produced by a tube or a transistor.

I have played many small gigs with a 5 watt amp (with an efficient 100db speaker) and never had a problem being loud enough to keep up with any drummer.

I used "tube watts" as a generalization. It's been my experience that tube amps are, "generally", more conservatively rated than solid state amps by a manufacturer, who don't necessarily rate their amplifiers the same as competitors.

And a 5 watt, commercially available tube amp for $350 isn't going to cut playing with a drummer without a pa, unless the drummer suffers from anemia and plays with brushes... even then I'd still be suspect. I've played enough small gigs with a drummer to either advise getting a bigger amp to someone who asks about a 5 watt amp for playing out, or wishing them good luck.
 

sonar

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Are you selling one for $350, delivery included? :hmm

It's getting really difficult to find a decent silverface champ for $350, let alone anything with tweed.

Sometimes the LPF goes tone deaf with recommendations.

The OP is asking for a $350 tube amp.
 

PaulD

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Jun 25, 2007
Messages
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I used "tube watts" as a generalization. It's been my experience that tube amps are, "generally", more conservatively rated than solid state amps by a manufacturer, who don't necessarily rate their amplifiers the same as competitors.

And a 5 watt, commercially available tube amp for $350 isn't going to cut playing with a drummer without a pa, unless the drummer suffers from anemia and plays with brushes... even then I'd still be suspect. I've played enough small gigs with a drummer to either advise getting a bigger amp to someone who asks about a 5 watt amp for playing out, or wishing them good luck.

The reason that tube amps are often perceived to be louder watt for watt than a solid state amp is not that they are conservatively rated, if an amp is rated correctly in RMS watts then that is the power output at the point the signal being output from the amp starts to clip. Any amplifier, tube or solid state, that is turned up to maximum and hit with a hard enough input signal will put out much more than its rated RMS power, it's just that a solid state amp will not sound good at that level but a tube amp will.

I can't comment on the commercially available amps at that price point as I have no experience of them and it may be that they have low efficiency speakers. However I stand by what I have said that a 5 watt amp with an efficient speaker is easily loud enough for gigging small venues with even the hardest hitting of drummers and I know that from experience. As an example a 5 watt amplifier with a 100db speaker, placed with its back within 4 feet of a wall, will put out a sound pressure level of 110db measured at 1 metre from the speaker and that is pretty dam loud! (verging on painful). Even with a 90db speaker (and few 12" guitar speakers will be less than that) the sound pressure level would be 100db.

People get far too hung up on watts, watts are not a measure of how loud an amplifier is and there are things that have a much bigger effect on the volume, speaker efficiency being the biggest one.
 

Cliff Gress

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Aug 26, 2004
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3,301
It's getting really difficult to find a decent silverface champ for $350, let alone anything with tweed.

The OP is asking for a $350 tube amp.

Maybe the OP could save an extra 300 and pick up a Marshall Origin 20W combo.
 

Don

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Dec 1, 2001
Messages
5,732
$350 is tough! I just picked up an awesome sounding Mesa Studio .22 for $450. It's a great sounding amp!

38480137460_75826cacd4_b.jpg


I've had two Class 5s. The were fun amps, though kinda a one trick pony. Dirty cranked blues/rock sounds. Unfortunately, they were a little loud for home and a little quiet for a band. The fist one I had was a very early one with the 1-piece back. It sounded good but was very rattly. The second one was the final version with the 3-piece back, low power mode, and tubes mounted vertically. It was much less rattly.

I had a '63 Ampeg Jet that I paid about $375 for. That was a nice amp. The reissues are similar in name and size only, but they're nice amps. I like them better than the Blues Jr.
 

renderit

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Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
The reason that tube amps are often perceived to be louder watt for watt than a solid state amp is not that they are conservatively rated, if an amp is rated correctly in RMS watts then that is the power output at the point the signal being output from the amp starts to clip. Any amplifier, tube or solid state, that is turned up to maximum and hit with a hard enough input signal will put out much more than its rated RMS power, it's just that a solid state amp will not sound good at that level but a tube amp will.

I can't comment on the commercially available amps at that price point as I have no experience of them and it may be that they have low efficiency speakers. However I stand by what I have said that a 5 watt amp with an efficient speaker is easily loud enough for gigging small venues with even the hardest hitting of drummers and I know that from experience. As an example a 5 watt amplifier with a 100db speaker, placed with its back within 4 feet of a wall, will put out a sound pressure level of 110db measured at 1 metre from the speaker and that is pretty dam loud! (verging on painful). Even with a 90db speaker (and few 12" guitar speakers will be less than that) the sound pressure level would be 100db.

People get far too hung up on watts, watts are not a measure of how loud an amplifier is and there are things that have a much bigger effect on the volume, speaker efficiency being the biggest one.

Nice (and good info) but watts is what we got to buy with. And it is generally a half way decent way to guess the sound pressure level. I.E. a 12 watt probably ain't gonna beat a normal drummer and definitely not a loud one. 15 probably will. With 20 you should be safe. Granted with a horrible speaker maybe no, but with MOST it will.
 

mzblues1

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Mar 11, 2018
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$350 is tough! I just picked up an awesome sounding Mesa Studio .22 for $450. It's a great sounding amp!

38480137460_75826cacd4_b.jpg


I've had two Class 5s. The were fun amps, though kinda a one trick pony. Dirty cranked blues/rock sounds. Unfortunately, they were a little loud for home and a little quiet for a band. The fist one I had was a very early one with the 1-piece back. It sounded good but was very rattly. The second one was the final version with the 3-piece back, low power mode, and tubes mounted vertically. It was much less rattly.

I had a '63 Ampeg Jet that I paid about $375 for. That was a nice amp. The reissues are similar in name and size only, but they're nice amps. I like them better than the Blues Jr.


Nice amp, but to be honest, I already have an original Mesa Boogie ‎50 Caliber Plus with removable caster wheels and an extra Mesa Boogie Sealed Speaker Cabinet included (both with Mesa Boogie 90 Watt Black Shadow 12" Speaker) [both in mint condition], Mesa Boogie Pedal, some Replacement Tubes and a Rockman Smartgate included. All of which I plan to sell for $850.

https://imgur.com/r8iJcSA
https://imgur.com/9PiYqSV
https://imgur.com/DSOU0Fr
https://imgur.com/Z3X2Rlf
https://imgur.com/HqWuZwg
 

PaulD

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Jun 25, 2007
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672
Nice (and good info) but watts is what we got to buy with. And it is generally a half way decent way to guess the sound pressure level. I.E. a 12 watt probably ain't gonna beat a normal drummer and definitely not a loud one. 15 probably will. With 20 you should be safe. Granted with a horrible speaker maybe no, but with MOST it will.

I can only speak of my own personal experience on this but I have played many small venue gigs with a 5 watt amp fitted with a 100db Celestion Blue speaker and I regularly gig with a 12 watt tweed Deluxe style amp also fitted with a Celestion Blue and have never had a problem being loud enough, in fact I'm often being asked to turn down as I am too loud! This is playing with a blues / rock style band with a none too gentle drummer (is there any other sort of drummer! ??). There is very little noticeable difference in volume between the 5 watt amp and the 12 watt amp.

As a guideline and assuming the same speaker configuration if you want an amp that sounds twice as loud as 5 watt amp you would need to go to a 50 watt amp, however if you have a 5 watt amp with a 90db speaker and change the speaker to a 100db it will then be twice as loud. So a 5 watt amp with an efficient speaker can easily be as loud as a 50 watt amp with an inefficient speaker! As for the difference between a 12 watt amp and a 15 or 20 watt amp if they all had the same speaker I doubt if most people would hear any difference in volume level, there would be less than 3db difference between the 12 and 20 watt amps.
 
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ourmaninthenorth

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Mar 28, 2009
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There are a plethora of low watt options. I went down this road years ago, and have never looked back.

I've proved to myself that 2 watts can still be a bit of a handful!!.

I haven't commented here to this point because the OP's clearly stated budget rules out anything I can suggest as irrelevant, but I wanted to add my best wishes to the OP in his hunt.

I hope you turn something up Pal. :salude
 

renderit

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Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
There are a plethora of low watt options. I went down this road years ago, and have never looked back.

I've proved to myself that 2 watts can still be a bit of a handful!!.

I haven't commented here to this point because the OP's clearly stated budget rules out anything I can suggest as irrelevant, but I wanted to add my best wishes to the OP in his hunt.

I hope you turn something up Pal. :salude

That neat woody one with the glass panel was most awesome! I wanted one bad! What was that again?
 
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