Best tube head under 50 watts

Luca · May 8th, 2006, 08:33 AM

I'm in the market for the best amp head for my tele and my strat.... I love that chimey sweet sound, with deep but definite bass frequencies and smooth and crisp highs.
Reverb is welcome. Power from 20 to 50 Watts. To be used with a 2X12.
Clean sound is the most important part, but it should sound good when overdriven as well.
I have a blackface bassman but it gets a little loose in the low end when cranked.
What comes to your mind?

Hucklebilly · May 8th, 2006, 08:45 AM

40 watts with 6l6s and 25 with 6v6s. If you want sweet cleans with the ability to put a little hair on it if need be, the Old Flame will do just that. I have the head version and I love the light weight and the ability to change up speaker configurations.

sixty4fairlane · May 8th, 2006, 10:12 AM

Peavey has a new classic 30 head and a neat little two 12 cab if you are looking for new. If you are willing to go used the tweed or black classic 50 head and the 4x10 cab is a real nice setup. The classic can do clean and dirty with its own style.

Tim Swartz · May 8th, 2006, 02:02 PM

Price range?

jonzer · May 8th, 2006, 02:18 PM

Epiphone's new SoCal head. 50 watts, I think. I think it's called "SoCal" because it's kinda ripping off Mesa Boogie. I haven't heard one so I could be wrong.

Marshall DSL 50. I'm not a Marshall guy but this is one of the best cleans I've ever heard from a Marshall. You can go from sweet OD to blistering.

Vox AC30HCC. It's the new Chinese made Vox's. Only 30 watts. I want one of these. Great price too. $850. I have a 412 cab I might use it with and eventually get a 212.

Twangmeister · May 8th, 2006, 03:18 PM

I love my Tone King Meteor II. The clean channel is is ultimate BF tone, and the other channel is a Tweed Deluxe on steroids. Specs here:

http://www.toneking.com/products/meteorII/index.html

No affiliation, just a happy tone camper.

Kerry Vance · May 9th, 2006, 11:51 AM

Rather than buy another head, I'd first see if you're getting everything out of your Bassman that it's capable of. Those are really fine heads. Maybe you need better tubes, speakers or something. If it were me, I wouldn't mod a vintage blackface Bassman, but you can do a lot to maximize its potential.
.......Kerry

David Barnett · May 9th, 2006, 12:05 PM

http://www.voxamps.co.uk/products/ac30/ac_30cc.htm

maestrovert · May 9th, 2006, 01:16 PM

check into a Bf BandMaster head, they sound good (& with relatively minor tweaking can be made to sound awesome), they're tough as nails, readily available and reasonably priced.....

Joe-Bob · May 9th, 2006, 01:35 PM

Try the Crate V30H head.

geddyleedog · May 10th, 2006, 05:52 AM

THD Univalve, BiValve, or Flexi. You can make them almost anything you want them to be.

JohnnyCrash · May 10th, 2006, 06:25 AM

I've gotta agree on the Peavey Classic 30 head.

Great little amps... good prices too.

Now if money were no object, I'm not sure what my recommendation would be then...

:)

tdu · May 10th, 2006, 06:32 AM

I love my old Traynor YBA-1. Even though they are coming up in price, they are still a fantastic deal considering how well they are built and how great they sound. Later model ones seem to sell for around $300. I used mine for bass for years and only started playing guitar through it recently. I actually fixed it up with plans to sell, but it sounds so incredible I don't know if I can get rid of it anymore.

Tremo · May 10th, 2006, 03:45 PM

Allen Old Flame, JTM45, 50 Watt Plexi or a Bandmaster Reverb.

Tim Swartz · May 10th, 2006, 09:30 PM

Once again, price range? .... or, if you'd like to turn the Bassman into something stellar http://www.harmony-central.com/Guita...ead_Mod-1.html

Maestro · May 10th, 2006, 10:28 PM

mesa boogie F30 (30 watts) hands down best clean tone on the market today(IMO!!!!). (I also adore the overdrive modes but they are to much a matter of taste.)

Foreign Made · May 11th, 2006, 10:06 AM

Howdy

Here's a link to some great amps:

http://www.carramps.com/

And the Hammerhead is what you'll be looking for:

http://www.carramps.com/hammerhead_mk_II.html

28 watt EL-34 Hand Wired Class A Head.

Enjoy ... adios amigos

Foreign Made · May 11th, 2006, 11:25 PM

Howdy

I just got a bit excited about those Carr amps as a shop is selling them here in town, but upon reflection I'd be looking at sorting out your potentially excellent Bassman.

What valves are you running and what speakers are you going through?

Both the preamp valves and power valves will define the dynamic and tonal response and thus need to be carefully chosen. So these should be your initial focus.

Also your speakers are your defining tone generators and can then be selected to give the tone that you want.

There is plenty of choice out there for both valves & speakers and a lot cheaper than buying a new amp. Ultimately a better proposition.

Let us all know what you are currently running.

Regards, adios amigos

peteb · May 11th, 2006, 11:44 PM

Luca wrote:

'I have a blackface bassman but it gets a little loose in the low end when cranked.'

I agree with foriegn made, get the bassman working right.

Doesnt the bassman have about the tightest low end out of the all of the heads with less than 50 watts?

thats why its called the bassman

Chris S. · May 11th, 2006, 11:46 PM

Just to throw another great choice into the mix:

www.valvetechamps.com

A few months ago I took delivery on one of their Hayseed 30 (AC30 clone) heads, and my whole life got better: I lost weight, my teeth are 30% brighter, and the crabgrass is gone. ;-) Seriously, it brightened up my life considerably. Beautiful chimey cleans, and when you crank up the overdrive... my, oh my! =:-O I do love it so. :-)

To quote from their site: "Prices are $999 for the head ... add $75 for reverb OR EF86 channel, tremelo $150." I don't know how he offers handmade amps for that price, but he does. Great guy to deal with too. HIGHLY recommended. :-) Best of luck, CS

Munga · May 12th, 2006, 12:21 AM

I like the Marshall 2061x Reissues. Pricey. Might be better to build an 18 watt head yourself. Also, if you have enough dough, I would recommend checking Dr. Z's stock. Those are some great amps.

Alec

Greg_C · May 12th, 2006, 02:36 AM

I'm with Kerry and Foreign. Tubes, caps, bias, speakers all can be tweaked. Also, nothing beats a nice reverb unit, I like the brown ones myself or a Holy Grail if you don't feel like lugging another piece of gear. I have a SF Bassman that Billy Zoom modded and it's somewhere between a Bassman and JTM-45 soundwise depending on which cab I use.
Greg

mad dog · May 12th, 2006, 12:08 PM

If money is no object, I'd bid on the Bruno Cowtipper 45 head that was on ebay a couple days ago. I play the combo 2x12 version at a rehearsal studio, and quite look forward to it. For reference, I play an old strat and a G&L ASAT Classic. Man, does this amp work for single coils. Sort of a cross between vintage BF and Matchless, big complex sound with a soft edge. It's addictive.

May 8th, 2006, 08:33 AM	#1 (permalink)
Luca TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 67	Best tube head under 50 watts I'm in the market for the best amp head for my tele and my strat.... I love that chimey sweet sound, with deep but definite bass frequencies and smooth and crisp highs. Reverb is welcome. Power from 20 to 50 Watts. To be used with a 2X12. Clean sound is the most important part, but it should sound good when overdriven as well. I have a blackface bassman but it gets a little loose in the low end when cranked. What comes to your mind?

May 8th, 2006, 08:45 AM	#2 (permalink)
Hucklebilly Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 821 2 Photos	Allen Old Flame 40 watts with 6l6s and 25 with 6v6s. If you want sweet cleans with the ability to put a little hair on it if need be, the Old Flame will do just that. I have the head version and I love the light weight and the ability to change up speaker configurations.

May 8th, 2006, 10:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
sixty4fairlane Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Shreveport, Louisiana Posts: 293	Peavey Classic 30, 50, 4x10,2x12 Peavey has a new classic 30 head and a neat little two 12 cab if you are looking for new. If you are willing to go used the tweed or black classic 50 head and the 4x10 cab is a real nice setup. The classic can do clean and dirty with its own style.

May 8th, 2006, 02:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
Tim Swartz Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Michigan - Tweenst the Great Lakes Posts: 1,904	Price range? __________________

May 8th, 2006, 02:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
jonzer Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,116	Epiphone's new SoCal head. 50 watts, I think. I think it's called "SoCal" because it's kinda ripping off Mesa Boogie. I haven't heard one so I could be wrong. Marshall DSL 50. I'm not a Marshall guy but this is one of the best cleans I've ever heard from a Marshall. You can go from sweet OD to blistering. Vox AC30HCC. It's the new Chinese made Vox's. Only 30 watts. I want one of these. Great price too. $850. I have a 412 cab I might use it with and eventually get a 212. __________________ http://816rocks.com/

May 8th, 2006, 03:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
Twangmeister Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Lost Angeles, CA Posts: 1,280 11 Photos	Last Amp You'll Ever Buy.... I love my Tone King Meteor II. The clean channel is is ultimate BF tone, and the other channel is a Tweed Deluxe on steroids. Specs here: http://www.toneking.com/products/meteorII/index.html No affiliation, just a happy tone camper. __________________ Triple Double Take coming January, 2009! http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...deoid=47801634

May 9th, 2006, 11:51 AM	#7 (permalink)
Kerry Vance Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: just north of Dallas Posts: 117 5 Photos	I'd try to stick with the Bassman Rather than buy another head, I'd first see if you're getting everything out of your Bassman that it's capable of. Those are really fine heads. Maybe you need better tubes, speakers or something. If it were me, I wouldn't mod a vintage blackface Bassman, but you can do a lot to maximize its potential. .......Kerry

May 9th, 2006, 12:05 PM	#8 (permalink)
David Barnett Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: LIttle Rock, AR Age: 52 Posts: 5,491	http://www.voxamps.co.uk/products/ac30/ac_30cc.htm

May 9th, 2006, 01:16 PM	#9 (permalink)
maestrovert Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Branch Mi. Posts: 6,732	check into a Bf BandMaster head, they sound good (& with relatively minor tweaking can be made to sound awesome), they're tough as nails, readily available and reasonably priced..... __________________ Sing the Song Bro' Play on Drummer www.godonthe.net

May 9th, 2006, 01:35 PM	#10 (permalink)
Joe-Bob Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Age: 46 Posts: 4,017	Try the Crate V30H head. __________________ "German is the language God uses when He really means business." --FZ

May 10th, 2006, 05:52 AM	#11 (permalink)
geddyleedog Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Connecticut, USA Posts: 584	THD Univalve, BiValve, or Flexi. You can make them almost anything you want them to be. __________________ (.o)==:::

May 10th, 2006, 06:25 AM	#12 (permalink)
JohnnyCrash Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lost Angeles and Orange County Posts: 7,128	I've gotta agree on the Peavey Classic 30 head. Great little amps... good prices too. Now if money were no object, I'm not sure what my recommendation would be then... :)

May 10th, 2006, 06:32 AM	#13 (permalink)
tdu Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 2,531 11 Photos	I love my old Traynor YBA-1. Even though they are coming up in price, they are still a fantastic deal considering how well they are built and how great they sound. Later model ones seem to sell for around $300. I used mine for bass for years and only started playing guitar through it recently. I actually fixed it up with plans to sell, but it sounds so incredible I don't know if I can get rid of it anymore. __________________ Torn Down Units brand Rock n' Roll My Solo Stuff:

May 10th, 2006, 03:45 PM	#14 (permalink)
Tremo Banned Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Silicon Valley, CA, USA Posts: 3,803	Allen Old Flame, JTM45, 50 Watt Plexi or a Bandmaster Reverb.

May 10th, 2006, 09:30 PM	#15 (permalink)
Tim Swartz Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Michigan - Tweenst the Great Lakes Posts: 1,904	Once again, price range? .... or, if you'd like to turn the Bassman into something stellar http://www.harmony-central.com/Guita...ead_Mod-1.html __________________

May 10th, 2006, 10:28 PM	#16 (permalink)
Maestro Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The United Lowlands Of Holland Posts: 755	mesa boogie F30 (30 watts) hands down best clean tone on the market today(IMO!!!!). (I also adore the overdrive modes but they are to much a matter of taste.) __________________ A clean conscience is usually the result of a bad memory.

May 11th, 2006, 10:06 AM	#17 (permalink)
Foreign Made Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2006 Location: on the floor, drunk; in New Zealand Posts: 211	Carr Amplifiers Howdy Here's a link to some great amps: http://www.carramps.com/ And the Hammerhead is what you'll be looking for: http://www.carramps.com/hammerhead_mk_II.html 28 watt EL-34 Hand Wired Class A Head. Enjoy ... adios amigos Last edited by Foreign Made; July 25th, 2008 at 09:08 AM.

May 11th, 2006, 11:25 PM	#18 (permalink)
Foreign Made Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2006 Location: on the floor, drunk; in New Zealand Posts: 211	Upon reflection I'd try'n sort your Bassman Howdy I just got a bit excited about those Carr amps as a shop is selling them here in town, but upon reflection I'd be looking at sorting out your potentially excellent Bassman. What valves are you running and what speakers are you going through? Both the preamp valves and power valves will define the dynamic and tonal response and thus need to be carefully chosen. So these should be your initial focus. Also your speakers are your defining tone generators and can then be selected to give the tone that you want. There is plenty of choice out there for both valves & speakers and a lot cheaper than buying a new amp. Ultimately a better proposition. Let us all know what you are currently running. Regards, adios amigos

May 11th, 2006, 11:44 PM	#19 (permalink)
peteb Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 248	Luca wrote: 'I have a blackface bassman but it gets a little loose in the low end when cranked.' I agree with foriegn made, get the bassman working right. Doesnt the bassman have about the tightest low end out of the all of the heads with less than 50 watts? thats why its called the bassman

May 11th, 2006, 11:46 PM	#20 (permalink)
Chris S. Moderator Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Near TELE-Town (Wash. DC) Posts: 2,971 7 Photos	Price range? (Is there an echo in here?...) Just to throw another great choice into the mix: www.valvetechamps.com A few months ago I took delivery on one of their Hayseed 30 (AC30 clone) heads, and my whole life got better: I lost weight, my teeth are 30% brighter, and the crabgrass is gone. ;-) Seriously, it brightened up my life considerably. Beautiful chimey cleans, and when you crank up the overdrive... my, oh my! =:-O I do love it so. :-) To quote from their site: "Prices are $999 for the head ... add $75 for reverb OR EF86 channel, tremelo $150." I don't know how he offers handmade amps for that price, but he does. Great guy to deal with too. HIGHLY recommended. :-) Best of luck, CS __________________ "I go online sometimes, but everyone's spelling is really bad. It's depressing." – Tara, from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" "It was born at the junction of form and function." – Bill Kirchen, from "Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods"

May 12th, 2006, 12:21 AM	#21 (permalink)
Munga TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Santa Barbara Age: 18 Posts: 63	I like the Marshall 2061x Reissues. Pricey. Might be better to build an 18 watt head yourself. Also, if you have enough dough, I would recommend checking Dr. Z's stock. Those are some great amps. Alec

May 12th, 2006, 02:36 AM	#22 (permalink)
Greg_C Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Clemente, CA Posts: 152	I'd work on the Bassman I'm with Kerry and Foreign. Tubes, caps, bias, speakers all can be tweaked. Also, nothing beats a nice reverb unit, I like the brown ones myself or a Holy Grail if you don't feel like lugging another piece of gear. I have a SF Bassman that Billy Zoom modded and it's somewhere between a Bassman and JTM-45 soundwise depending on which cab I use. Greg __________________ "cogito ergo sum"

May 12th, 2006, 12:08 PM	#23 (permalink)
mad dog Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 849	If money is no object, I'd bid on the Bruno Cowtipper 45 head that was on ebay a couple days ago. I play the combo 2x12 version at a rehearsal studio, and quite look forward to it. For reference, I play an old strat and a G&L ASAT Classic. Man, does this amp work for single coils. Sort of a cross between vintage BF and Matchless, big complex sound with a soft edge. It's addictive.