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Best Low Watt Tube Amp?

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mzblues1

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Mar 11, 2018
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41
Looking for a low watt tube amp to play Blues & Blues/Rock at small venues and in the house (so that I don't hear it from the family). Was leaning towards a VOX AC4C1-12.

Prefer to stay around 5 Watt (unless it has a switch from 15 watt to 5 Watt feature). Also looking to pay as little as possible, but might go up to around $350 so used is a strong option.

What do you guys think about all of these...any recommendations?

1) Vox AC4C1-12 Classic 4W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp

2) Blackstar HT-5R 5-Watt 1x12-Inch Guitar Combo Amp reverb

3) Fender Blues Junior III 15-Watt 12-Inch Guitar Combo Amp

4) Laney Amps CUB All TUBE Series CUB 12R 15-Watt 1x12 Guitar Combo Amplifier

5) (New) Monoprice 611815 15Watt, 1 x 12 Guitar Combo Tube Amplifier with Celestion Speaker & Spring Reverb
 
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sonar

sonar

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Jan 10, 2003
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In my experience 12-15 tube watts, ideally with a 12" speaker, is the bare minimum you need to play out and with a drummer. 5 watts just won't cut it.

I'm not really a fan of your choices, but if pushed I'd go Blues Junior.
 
porterburst

porterburst

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Dec 3, 2001
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My favorite is the 12 watt Carr Skylark, just tone for days.

The 16 watt Carr Mercury V is amazing also.

For less money, but really good tone are the Fender Bassbreaker 007 and 15 watt.

Both have good master volumes, and work well at lower volumes. The earlier models were noisy, but the more recent models have been pretty good overall.
 
sonar

sonar

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mzblues1 said:
Not my 1st choices either, if money was no object.

What do you recommend in my price range?
Click to expand...

Tough call.

I'd spend a little more and look at the Blackface Reissues.

In your budget:

Maybe a Vox AC15C1? I'm not a fan of tube Vox, but I recently played one and it was actually decent, although a little too bright for my tastes. Maybe the least practical amp for home use, but I always think band first for a multi-need amp.

That or a Blues Junior.

I think Blackstar makes a decent modern Marshall style tone with the HT series. a used HT20 or HT 40 should be around your price range.
 
grimlyflick

grimlyflick

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If you want to have any type of clean tone or headroom for boost/low gain drive pedals to compete with a drummer I reckon you’d need 15w.

I much prefer the AC15 as Sonar said and would steer clear of Blackstar, but that’s just my taste, I’m not keen on Blackstar tones.
 
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PaulD

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sonar said:
In my experience 12-15 tube watts, ideally with a 12" speaker, is the bare minimum you need to play out and with a drummer. 5 watts just won't cut it.
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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.
 
Steve Craw

Steve Craw

Formerly Lefty Elmo
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Sep 9, 2004
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5,312
My favorite amps: 17 watt, all-tube Vox Cambridge, circa 1965, 1966 all-tube Vox Berkeley. The same amplifier, Cambridge is the combo (1 x 10) version. These are a little rare, stay away from the more-common solid state version. I've seen the Cambridge sell on eBay for under a grand and a complete Berkeley typically sells for around $1500. A bargain !

20770341_843065915875167_4956731010255183560_n.jpg
 
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M

mzblues1

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Mar 11, 2018
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41
PaulD said:
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.
Click to expand...

I believe that you are correct about this. Any reasonably priced amps you can suggest?
 
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PaulD

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mzblues1 said:
I believe that you are correct about this. Any reasonably priced amps you can suggest?
Click to expand...

Sorry I don't really have much experience of commercially available amps of this type so can't really offer any advice on that front. I build amplifiers for a living so all of the amps I use are ones I have built myself :)
 
porterburst

porterburst

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Dec 3, 2001
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My Carr Skylark and Duane #32.

12 watts, built in attenuator , and small enough to use at home, studio or play a small gig. Amazing tone dirty or clean.



iuSpO7U.jpg
 
M

mzblues1

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Mar 11, 2018
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41
porterburst said:
My Carr Skylark and Duane #32.

12 watts, built in attenuator , and small enough to use at home, studio or play a small gig. Amazing tone dirty or clean.



iuSpO7U.jpg
Click to expand...

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