Small Amp for the right price???

[chriswuzhere]

I'm looking for a little amp to tote around to different places... Just small churches, friends houses, etc... I'm wanting to stay in the $300 range,,, I might go a little higher if it makes a huge difference...

Something kinda light,,, you know,,, 20 to 30 lbs.

I play clean country stuff (I like a little mid range punch),,,

I'm open for suggestions...

[Joe-Bob]

Try an SS Fender, but also give a listen to the Roland cubes.

[chriswuzhere]

Help me out here.... What's a "SS" Fender? That may be a dumb question...

[timgreene]

he means solid state. Fender Frontman 25r is one model that comes to mind. Get a used one, they have poor resale value.

[Joe-Bob]

"SS" is an abbreviation for "solid state". Solid state used to be a very common label found on all sorts of electronic equipment so that people would know it was "better" than tubes. Later on, solid state became "worse" than tubes. In actuality, nothing changed to cause a movement from one to the other.

[chriswuzhere]

I haven't been too impressed with solid state amps... I'm looking more for a little tube amp...

I've got a Bogner Shiva, Dr Z Maz 38, and an Allen Old Flame,,, but I just want something small (and reasonably priced) to tote around...

[FMA]

try a Fender Pro Junior. It's somewhat a one-trick pony, but it does that trick very well and I think you can get new ones under three bills...
It has nice mid punch and can get a very nice edgy tone. And for a small amp, it can get pretty loud...
The only thing is it doesn't have a ton of clean headroom. It gets dirtier as you turn it up. Changing out tubes and the speaker can give you more clean headroom.
At lower volumes, it can sound clean and sounds like just what you're looking for.
It's a great little amp. I use mine for rehearsal and recording. It's just about the perfect amp in the studio.

[blackkeysfan]

People have mixed feelings on this but how about the Vox AD30VT? I own one and i love it. There is a slight learning curve with it and it's not a tube amp but the modeling in it is outstanding. (Especially the Vox and Fender amp models) Plus, it has a selectable output dial on the back so it can go from 5w to 30w and anywhere in between. It would cost you around $239 new at GC. I bought one and had a problem with it and i took it back and got a brand new one in the box and i didn't even have my receipt anymore. My second one works fine and suits me perfect. Just my $.02.............

[mojito]

You can pick up a nice Fender Champ for that kind of money. You won't regret it.

[stephent2]

V series, V1512, a 12 inch spkr, reverb and sounds great. try a search here for happy V series campers.

[pirana]

For that price range you might check out Carvin. They have a little tube amp around $350.

[swingin guitarman]

The Roland Blues Cube is an excellent solid state amp. Unfortunately, they are being discontinued. Fortunately, Muscian's Friend is closing them out for $299 including shipping. You will be hard pressed to find a better bargain. The Blues Cube is well made and does a very good job of replicating the warmth and response of a tube amp. It's more than enough amp for most gigs.

[chriswuzhere]

How many watts does the little fender champ have? And would a SF Princeton non-reverb do the same as the champ only a little louder? Do any of the champs have reverb?

I know,,, a lot of questions.... :D

[FMA]

Bunch of them are always on eBay but I think you might be able to find one for about $300.
Old Princetons go about 12-16 watts, I think. Two 6V6 tubes in it, as opposed to one in a Champ. But I think you'd be really hard-pressed to find an old Princeton for about $300...
Again, if you get the chance, check out a Pro Junior. Great bang for bucks...

[jguitarman]

silverface Princeton. It will deliver clean tone even when cranked. You will half to shell out a little more than $300. but it can be easily worked on and it will appreciate in value over time. I would prefer this over the Champ IF you are playing with a band.

[mojito]

None of the original Champs have reverb. It is a loud 6 watss though. I can't gig with it but I can keep up with another guitar a bass and a drummer in a small basement environment. Tha amp is plenty loud for that even without setting the volume up above 7. At that point the amp starts to break up with some nice crunch.

If you need more volume, reverb and want a tube amp than I might suggest a used Fender Blues Jr. They give you loud, reverb in a tube package that is still easy to transport. A used one should be within your price range, I believe they are only $399.00 new.

I have 2 Champs, a '66 and a '78 as well as a Blues Jr. and I lovet them all. I use Holy Grail with my Champs 'cuz I gots to have a liitle 'verb!

[Tele295]

You could do a lot worse than a Vox Pathfinder with reverb & trem.

But maybe you should hold out for a silverface Fender Princeton (non-reverb) - should be right there in your price range.

[radarman]

There is one little Fender amp that is portable, powerful and capable of cutting through the mix easily. The Fender Super Champ. I wish I had the dough to shell out right now for one. I regret not grabbing one a few months ago when it was offered to me for 5 bills. Now they will fetch 7 to 10 bills easily. The one I passed on had the EV 10" speaker in it. I plugged into it and the store proprieter came around quickly to see what that sound was. I was playing a USA tele through it. I was stunned and didn't know what they were so...
damn... I regret that.. LOL
Aside from that I would agree with the previous poster and suggest a Carvin Vintage 16. It has a 12" speaker and superb reverb. If that ain't enough then look at the Carvin Nomad, of the vintage series. Top notch little amp and made in that USA. The Nomad will not have to beg to be heard, at all. It is also very portable and powerful.

[Chris S.]

Originally Posted by chriswuzhere

I haven't been too impressed with solid state amps... I'm looking more for a little tube amp... I've got a Bogner Shiva, Dr Z Maz 38, and an Allen Old Flame,,, but I just want something small (and reasonably priced) to tote around...

I can second the recommendation for the Crate V1512. (Same basic configuration as the Fender Blues Jr., btw: 15w, 1x12, 2xEL84, reverb.) Great amp that purrs, screams, etc. :-)

But I can't believe no one's mentioned the Peavey Classic 30 yet. It's smaller than anything you've got, but still puts out 30w through 4xEL84s. Plenty of headroom before breakup if you need to get loud(er). Available used all over the place for $250-$325. Best of luck, CS :-)

[trag-o-caster]

I agree with Chris on both counts. I used the Crate V1215 exclusively for a few months, and loved the tone. It seemed to lack clean headroom to me, but it had a strong low end.

I also agree about Peavey Classic 30's. A great gigging amp that can be had dirt cheap used.

[zook]

Originally Posted by Tele295

You could do a lot worse than a Vox Pathfinder with reverb & trem.

But maybe you should hold out for a silverface Fender Princeton (non-reverb) - should be right there in your price range.

Selling atonal apples, amplified heat.....

... and pressed rat's collection of doglegs and feet

[chriswuzhere]

Hmmm,

Lots of stuff to sort through here.......

Keep it coming..

[Marky D.]

If you like Marshalls and edgy semi clean tweedy sounds, you might like the Pro Jr. I bought a used tweed one for $190.. and used it (miked) w/country band for a couple years.

If you like a more rounded clear sound w/ less edge, maybe a Princeton if you can find one for < $300.

Also, if you don't mind SS, try the Roland Blues Cube and Tech 21(60w). I tried both of these in stores & liked them both.

[chriswuzhere]

I know you can pick up a princeton non-reverb for a little cheaper,,, but I always use a little verb with the country sound I'm after,,, will a delay pedal make up enough of the difference???

[radarman]

There is a reason "why" Classic 30's are available dirt cheap.

You will not find a dirt cheap Carvin Nomad, or Vintage 16 or 33, any more than you would find a dirt cheap BF or SF Princeton. The Nomad has an accutronics long tail reverb, 4 el84's and 5 12ax7's. They are small and portable with a lot of useful features. Plus, the controls are on the front of the amp, not on the top back. Granted it is a PCB amp, but it is very well made and will go the distance without trouble. They come standard with Celestions. I feel they are lot of bang for your buck. You can easily pull two of the el84 pairs and run in 25 watt mode without worry. www.carvin.com

I had a BelAir 212 model and really liked it. But it was a lot more amp than I need.

A better choice from PV might be the new Valve King, with 2 6L6gc's and 3 12ax7s. Its a new class A/B amp. The 112 is 50 watts. I think it is along the lines of the new Crate V series amps. I'd like to play one. I like the Crates too, and I think it was a 50 watter I tried with a USA tele and it was pretty crystal clear. (go to peavey.com, click on products then click on new products, then valve king) The Valve Kings are reasonably priced too, around 3 to 3.5 bills I think.

Everyone overlooks the Carvin Vintage series amps, and really ought to try one.

[Chris S.]

Originally Posted by radarman

There is a reason "why" Classic 30's are available dirt cheap.

Yup, it's because they make them and ship them by the trainload. (I think there may even be certain suburban neighborhoods around the country where Peavey Classic 30s are <u>mandatory</u> – every house has to have one, like a smoke detector... Hee.) ;-)

Seriously, they're available so cheaply because the supply equals or exceeds the demand, and they sell new for $499. Are they a "lifetime" boutique-style amp? Of course not. But they're very GOOD amps. (I've played mine at too many gigs to give any other answer.) And in the "bang for the buck" race, they're virtually unbeatable, truly one of the best gear buys out there.

Everyone overlooks the Carvin Vintage series amps, and really ought to try one.

I like the Carvins, too, they're also very good amps. :-) But you don't have to knock the PVC30 to like the Carvins – I think the world's probably big enough for them both to be good. ;-) All IMO, of course. :-) CS