What is the best tube amp.

Rock on · November 25th, 2006, 10:05 PM

what is the best tube amp you can buy that will let you play a tele for an array of music styles. Being the novice at amps i am i know nothing. The name marshall is the best ive heard. I also know that tube amps are supposed to be really good. Thats all i know.

I aim for a zepplin classic rock, regular rock, some emo, alternative, metal, thrash metal sound. Mostly rock stuff though.

So its basically the best amp for Rock and areas of music around Rock.

Thanks

Wayne Alexander · November 25th, 2006, 10:24 PM

For the sounds you describe you'd probably want some version of a Marshall or Boogie, but to make a specific recommendation we need more info. What guitars do you play? Do you play in a band with a loud drummer, or other guitarists with high-volume amps? Do you play only at home? What's your budget? What have you got now and what do you think of that?

CountryShawn · November 25th, 2006, 11:01 PM

There is no such thing as the "best" amp.

They are all different flavours, textures and tones. It needs to fit the music AND the player. You need to just find an amp that speaks to YOU.

Just about every amp brand and model imagineable has been used to play the kind of music you describe.

Head out to the store, bring YOUR guitar with you, and try out as many different amps as you can. You'll find great offerings from:
Dr. Z
Marshall
Fender
Orange
Badcat
Matchless
Koch
Vox
Top Hat

The list goes on. All of these amps are very capable of great rock, classic rock and blues tones. Let your ears be your guide.

Cheers,

Shawn

63dot · November 25th, 2006, 11:03 PM

i would start with a small fender, peavey, or crate tube amp and see how you like it

going with a marshall tube amp right now, if you are a novice at amps, may be overkill

i know many a player who got at least a marshall 4x12 amp and ended up trading down to a smaller combo amp...heck, i did that and i couldn't justify having all that volume and actually found hauling something that big around very annoying

Joe-Bob · November 25th, 2006, 11:04 PM

CountryShawn is right. The best tube amp is the one that's best for you and the way you play. Get out there and start playing some amps.

Dave_O · November 25th, 2006, 11:42 PM

good Lord, what a can-o-worms question....
Considering the best way to get a sweet tone out of a tube/valve (sorry, I'm a stubborn Aussie) amp is to get all of it cranking, I'd be looking at the sort of venues you will be using it at, and buy accordingly. I use a Vox AC30 combo, and I find it loud enough to play to 200-300 people. It's too loud for 30-50 people, so I just got a Fender Pro Junior, 18watts. If, however, I was playing to 2000-3000 people and doing outdoor gigs, I'd be looking at, probably a Marshall JMP 100watt with a quad. I've used the Vox in those sort of gigs, and lost it on the stage. Sounded great through the PA, though....
But the key to what makes a "good" amp is simple.
Quality.
And Quality don't come cheap, my friend....
CountryShawn's list is on the money for sound, but none of 'em are inexpensive

Markl8 · November 25th, 2006, 11:52 PM

+1 on all the above PLUS being a novice where do you play? If at home is it an apt a house cause what may seem to be a little 40 watt amp will rock your world and your neighbors as well which my be a problem as well.

e-merlin · November 26th, 2006, 12:22 AM

Everyone has had some good advice so far, but I might add that even if you don't play anywhere but home, you can still enjoy bigger amps as long as you're not annoying your neighbors.

If you're a beginner I would recommend something that allows you to use preamp distortion for the distorted sounds.

I am going to take the liberty of recommending a Peavey Valve King 112 to start. It's a reasonably priced 50 watt, two channel tube amp. The Clean channel doesn't knock me off my feet, but it's not terrible. The Lead channel, on the other hand, did knock me off my feet. It's extremely versatile and sounds very good at the price point. The unique feature of the Valve King is that it has a knob that allows you to play it in Class A or A/B or anywhere in between.

Actually, I tried the 100 watt 212 model, but I doubt the 50 watt model would be much different.

Gr8tfulEd · November 26th, 2006, 03:47 AM

I'm a tube fan now, but my first amp was a modeling amp (modeled many different types of amps. it was the Cyber Deluxe) and you might think about going that route so you can experiment with many different types until you finally dial in the sound you are looking for. The Cyber is discontinued now, but Vox makes a great modeling amp (Valvetronic series, AD30, AD50, etc) which has some real nice variety and is actually a hybrid amp (it uses a tube to help make the tones).

Now that being said, I have to say: You might consider the Fender 65 Super Reverb Reissue. It's got clean head room down cold and you can put almost ANY pedal in front of it for distortion or drive. Try it with an English Muffin or Vox's Big Ben and I think you'll be suprised. But that's just me and what I like.

Soldano ROS · November 26th, 2006, 07:41 AM

Quote:

I aim for a zepplin classic rock, regular rock, some emo, alternative, metal, thrash metal sound. Mostly rock stuff though.

Sounds like a Marshall JCM2000 is in order here.

daviddoubleu · November 26th, 2006, 08:54 AM

I just got myself a Fender Pro Junior and it's all I'll ever need as far as a tube amp in terms as loudness and tone. If I want to tweak the tone it's very easy to switch out the tubes and speaker. For in house practice/ noodling there are some very good modelling amps- Roland Micro Cube being just one.

FraKcture · November 26th, 2006, 09:42 AM

I play a mesa/boogie DC5, and i love it..
It sounds great (just takes a while untill you find the tone you're looking for)
and is loud as hell... (sometimes a little to loud i guess... )
Didnt cost that much, and suits my playing style very good.
I needed an amp that covered alot of styles and i feel that i found it.

I play prog, post-rock and it works for me.
I guess you could be playing the stuff that you want to on this amp too..

nvosmeier · November 26th, 2006, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soldano ROS

Sounds like a Marshall JCM2000 is in order here.

with a thd hot plate attenuater...

daddyopapa · November 26th, 2006, 01:06 PM

Heck, what a question. Paisley plays a Bad Cat - they'll do anything asked of them. I've heard from other forums that a Bruno UG30 will do all things well. I know a Fender Twin Reveb with a few pedals will cover all bases. My Traynor YCV 40 can cover a fair amount of ground. The Marshall Silver Jubilee will do jazz to GnR. That's like asking what's your favourite kind of girl?

e-merlin · November 26th, 2006, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nvosmeier

with a thd hot plate attenuater...

Let's not confuse the guy! That's why I recommended a cheap tube amp with two channels. Of course, pedals are a rite of passage, but an attenuator?

JohnnyCrash · November 26th, 2006, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock on

what is the best tube amp you can buy that will let you play a tele for an array of music styles. Being the novice at amps i am i know nothing. The name marshall is the best ive heard. I also know that tube amps are supposed to be really good. Thats all i know.

I aim for a zepplin classic rock, regular rock, some emo, alternative, metal, thrash metal sound. Mostly rock stuff though.

So its basically the best amp for Rock and areas of music around Rock.

Thanks

Give a Peavey Classic 30 or 50 a ride at a local shop.

They can get the sound you described and they're inexpensive tube amps.

Tube amps respond a little more naturally/organically and dynamically than transistor or Solid State amps... it would require a lot more typing to fully explain why :)

Tube amps overdrive or distort in much cooler ways than harsh brittle solid state amps (which can be a good thing to folks that like SS amps). Usually the clean sound out of a tube amp are much warmer and less harsh as well.

As far as "best"... it depends on your tastes. A lot of opinions differ as to what works best for each of us... Joe Perry even used a solid state Roland JC amp on SOME classic tracks (though he prefers tube amps most of the time), BB King preferred a solid state amp as well for a while (he still might)...

Read more, learn as much as you can. If you're aiming for a tone that some classic album used, try to test drive the amp used on the album.

maestrovert · November 26th, 2006, 03:09 PM

One of THD's offerings would be a very versatile amp, indeed....they're designed to allow tube swapping for varying gain & tonal characteristics, and they're built like a tank....well worth looking into....
http://www.thdelectronics.com/

The Amazing Phil · November 26th, 2006, 04:01 PM

From the diversity of sounds you've suggested, no tube/valve amp will do that as well as a good modelling amp will unless you spend rather a lot of cash. It might be worth looking into the Vox AD series amps, or prehaps Line-6.

JohnnyCrash · November 26th, 2006, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Amazing Phil

From the diversity of sounds you've suggested, no tube/valve amp will do that as well as a good modelling amp will unless you spend rather a lot of cash. It might be worth looking into the Vox AD series amps, or prehaps Line-6.

True.

Try a Peavey Classic 30 or Classic 50...

For the Metal stuff, throw a metal-ish distortion pedal in front of the amp.
For clean stuff use the clean channel.
For Classic Rock overdrive use the dirty channel.

Done. Cheap amp, plus OD pedal, pretty affordable and flexible.

Vol. Knob · November 27th, 2006, 07:01 PM

5E3

TexGoneNW · November 27th, 2006, 09:09 PM

How loud do you wanna be?

How much do you wanna pay?

How much do you want to buy new versus used?

You can get a decent used tube amp for about two bills if you look hard, but probably not more than 15 watts. Plenty for practice, small gigs. I used a Pro Junior for gigging and did fine with it, micing it when/if needed.

If you want loud, you need to graduate to 30W or more, and be ready to shell out more $.

telecaster69 · November 27th, 2006, 09:44 PM

try the Marshal DSL 201 or 401..the difference the 401 is louder...1x12 40 tube watts...it cranks....easy to carry around

Sarge · November 28th, 2006, 10:02 AM

Soldano...... I really like the Peavey 5150 also. Dirt, dirt ,dirt...I really like to play in the dirt!

WrapAround · November 28th, 2006, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock on

what is the best tube amp you can buy that will let you play a tele for an array of music styles. Being the novice at amps i am i know nothing. The name marshall is the best ive heard. I also know that tube amps are supposed to be really good. Thats all i know.

I aim for a zepplin classic rock, regular rock, some emo, alternative, metal, thrash metal sound. Mostly rock stuff though.

So its basically the best amp for Rock and areas of music around Rock.

Thanks

Go with a 50W Marshall made in the mid to late 60's. One of those would be the most ideal. Alternatively, you can get one of the Blockhead amps.

stantheman · November 28th, 2006, 12:21 PM

IF I could only have ONE AMP....
It'd be a Fender Twin Reverb.
There's a goshdarn heckuva good reason why
Twin Reverbs have been around for so long....
And it ain't the weight.

63dot · November 28th, 2006, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyCrash

True.

Try a Peavey Classic 30 or Classic 50...

For the Metal stuff, throw a metal-ish distortion pedal in front of the amp.
For clean stuff use the clean channel.
For Classic Rock overdrive use the dirty channel.

Done. Cheap amp, plus OD pedal, pretty affordable and flexible.

boss metal zone and ibanez tube screamer 808 or 9 model...and with the peavey you have it all...want to have more volume? then mic it!!

in the old days, one would have to get the fender twin reverb for the clean "channel" and a marshall stack or half stack for the dirty channel with those celestion speakers screaming out a janis joplin vibe to the gods

November 25th, 2006, 10:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
Rock on Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Barrington, RI Posts: 753 1 Photos	What is the best tube amp. what is the best tube amp you can buy that will let you play a tele for an array of music styles. Being the novice at amps i am i know nothing. The name marshall is the best ive heard. I also know that tube amps are supposed to be really good. Thats all i know. I aim for a zepplin classic rock, regular rock, some emo, alternative, metal, thrash metal sound. Mostly rock stuff though. So its basically the best amp for Rock and areas of music around Rock. Thanks

November 25th, 2006, 11:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
CountryShawn Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Age: 37 Posts: 621	There is no such thing as the "best" amp. They are all different flavours, textures and tones. It needs to fit the music AND the player. You need to just find an amp that speaks to YOU. Just about every amp brand and model imagineable has been used to play the kind of music you describe. Head out to the store, bring YOUR guitar with you, and try out as many different amps as you can. You'll find great offerings from: Dr. Z Marshall Fender Orange Badcat Matchless Koch Vox Top Hat The list goes on. All of these amps are very capable of great rock, classic rock and blues tones. Let your ears be your guide. Cheers, Shawn __________________ --------

November 25th, 2006, 11:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
Joe-Bob Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Age: 46 Posts: 3,892	CountryShawn is right. The best tube amp is the one that's best for you and the way you play. Get out there and start playing some amps. __________________ Music is the language of God.

November 25th, 2006, 11:42 PM	#6 (permalink)
Dave_O Tele-Holic Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 705 6 Photos	good Lord, what a can-o-worms question.... Considering the best way to get a sweet tone out of a tube/valve (sorry, I'm a stubborn Aussie) amp is to get all of it cranking, I'd be looking at the sort of venues you will be using it at, and buy accordingly. I use a Vox AC30 combo, and I find it loud enough to play to 200-300 people. It's too loud for 30-50 people, so I just got a Fender Pro Junior, 18watts. If, however, I was playing to 2000-3000 people and doing outdoor gigs, I'd be looking at, probably a Marshall JMP 100watt with a quad. I've used the Vox in those sort of gigs, and lost it on the stage. Sounded great through the PA, though.... But the key to what makes a "good" amp is simple. Quality. And Quality don't come cheap, my friend.... CountryShawn's list is on the money for sound, but none of 'em are inexpensive __________________ The Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods www.myspace.com/hardwayband www.myspace.com/mojobros2mantrio http://www.soundclick.com/davemilesandthehardway ... and preface everything I say with IMO,FWIW... and WTF

November 26th, 2006, 01:06 PM	#14 (permalink)
daddyopapa Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: BC Canada Posts: 498	Heck, what a question. Paisley plays a Bad Cat - they'll do anything asked of them. I've heard from other forums that a Bruno UG30 will do all things well. I know a Fender Twin Reveb with a few pedals will cover all bases. My Traynor YCV 40 can cover a fair amount of ground. The Marshall Silver Jubilee will do jazz to GnR. That's like asking what's your favourite kind of girl? __________________ Don't let them steal your joy.

November 25th, 2006, 10:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
Wayne Alexander Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA Posts: 1,061	For the sounds you describe you'd probably want some version of a Marshall or Boogie, but to make a specific recommendation we need more info. What guitars do you play? Do you play in a band with a loud drummer, or other guitarists with high-volume amps? Do you play only at home? What's your budget? What have you got now and what do you think of that?

November 25th, 2006, 11:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
63dot Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: earth Posts: 910	i would start with a small fender, peavey, or crate tube amp and see how you like it going with a marshall tube amp right now, if you are a novice at amps, may be overkill i know many a player who got at least a marshall 4x12 amp and ended up trading down to a smaller combo amp...heck, i did that and i couldn't justify having all that volume and actually found hauling something that big around very annoying

November 25th, 2006, 11:52 PM	#7 (permalink)
Markl8 Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: SoCal Age: 54 Posts: 208	+1 on all the above PLUS being a novice where do you play? If at home is it an apt a house cause what may seem to be a little 40 watt amp will rock your world and your neighbors as well which my be a problem as well.

November 26th, 2006, 03:47 AM	#9 (permalink)
Gr8tfulEd Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Lake Oswego, OR Posts: 630	I'm a tube fan now, but my first amp was a modeling amp (modeled many different types of amps. it was the Cyber Deluxe) and you might think about going that route so you can experiment with many different types until you finally dial in the sound you are looking for. The Cyber is discontinued now, but Vox makes a great modeling amp (Valvetronic series, AD30, AD50, etc) which has some real nice variety and is actually a hybrid amp (it uses a tube to help make the tones). Now that being said, I have to say: You might consider the Fender 65 Super Reverb Reissue. It's got clean head room down cold and you can put almost ANY pedal in front of it for distortion or drive. Try it with an English Muffin or Vox's Big Ben and I think you'll be suprised. But that's just me and what I like.

November 26th, 2006, 08:54 AM	#11 (permalink)
daviddoubleu Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Taipei, Taiwan Posts: 578 7 Photos	I just got myself a Fender Pro Junior and it's all I'll ever need as far as a tube amp in terms as loudness and tone. If I want to tweak the tone it's very easy to switch out the tubes and speaker. For in house practice/ noodling there are some very good modelling amps- Roland Micro Cube being just one.

November 26th, 2006, 09:42 AM	#12 (permalink)
FraKcture TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Brugge, Belgium Posts: 94 11 Photos	I play a mesa/boogie DC5, and i love it.. It sounds great (just takes a while untill you find the tone you're looking for) and is loud as hell... (sometimes a little to loud i guess... ) Didnt cost that much, and suits my playing style very good. I needed an amp that covered alot of styles and i feel that i found it. I play prog, post-rock and it works for me. I guess you could be playing the stuff that you want to on this amp too..

November 26th, 2006, 03:09 PM	#17 (permalink)
maestrovert Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Branch Mi. Posts: 6,542	One of THD's offerings would be a very versatile amp, indeed....they're designed to allow tube swapping for varying gain & tonal characteristics, and they're built like a tank....well worth looking into.... http://www.thdelectronics.com/ __________________ Sing the Song Bro' Play on Drummer www.godonthe.net

November 26th, 2006, 04:01 PM	#18 (permalink)
The Amazing Phil Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Luton, England Age: 23 Posts: 558	From the diversity of sounds you've suggested, no tube/valve amp will do that as well as a good modelling amp will unless you spend rather a lot of cash. It might be worth looking into the Vox AD series amps, or prehaps Line-6.

November 27th, 2006, 07:01 PM	#20 (permalink)
Vol. Knob Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 567 79 Photos	5E3 __________________ I have a few bands: 7 Mysteries Zerababyl Inflammatory Rhetoric

November 27th, 2006, 09:09 PM	#21 (permalink)
TexGoneNW Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Victoria, TX Age: 50 Posts: 910 4 Photos	Some questions How loud do you wanna be? How much do you wanna pay? How much do you want to buy new versus used? You can get a decent used tube amp for about two bills if you look hard, but probably not more than 15 watts. Plenty for practice, small gigs. I used a Pro Junior for gigging and did fine with it, micing it when/if needed. If you want loud, you need to graduate to 30W or more, and be ready to shell out more $.

November 27th, 2006, 09:44 PM	#22 (permalink)
telecaster69 Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Chico, CA Age: 34 Posts: 261	try the Marshal DSL 201 or 401..the difference the 401 is louder...1x12 40 tube watts...it cranks....easy to carry around __________________ Taylor 310 Acoustic with LR Baggs ibeam. Gold Tuners with Ebony buttons 2004 Telecaster w/hotrails, lckng tuners Fender Powerchorus Amp 2x12" Aphex Aural Exciter pedal HBE Big D distortion pedal.

November 28th, 2006, 10:02 AM	#23 (permalink)
Sarge Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pgh,Pa Age: 53 Posts: 3,549	Soldano...... I really like the Peavey 5150 also. Dirt, dirt ,dirt...I really like to play in the dirt!

November 28th, 2006, 12:21 PM	#25 (permalink)
stantheman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: White Mountains Posts: 5,021	IF I could only have ONE AMP.... It'd be a Fender Twin Reverb. There's a goshdarn heckuva good reason why Twin Reverbs have been around for so long.... And it ain't the weight. __________________ Somebody Loan Me A Dime