Small practice amp advice needed

bluejamul · September 3rd, 2003, 08:32 PM

I need your suggestions for a SMALL practice amp (15W or less. After doing some research on Harmony Central, I believe I will try the Pignose and VOX Pathfinder 10. Any other suggestions? My main amp is a 59 BMRI, way too loud for practicing. Style = blues, guitar = Tele. Thanks.

John Harrison · September 3rd, 2003, 10:46 PM

Fender Vibro Champ (aka Bronco) or Champ. Point-to-point wiring and a track record as one of the most recorded amps in history. A couple hundred for a silverface, maybe three hundred for a blackface. Upgrade the speaker, swap in a 3-prong electrical cord, and you're ready to go. It doesn't get much better.

Bluedawg · September 3rd, 2003, 11:12 PM

Champ all the way,Big amp tone in a little package.

I use my '71 Vibro Champ for everything from Late night practicing to Gigs.

Why??
Because it sounds so good.

I have a couple other Vintage Fenders,but the Vibro Champ sounds better.Mostly because I've spent more time modifying it than the other amps I have.

The Champs are some of the best amps ever made.

bluejamul · September 6th, 2003, 12:57 PM

Bluedawg, what sort of mods did you do to your Champ? Can you make a SF sound like a BF or better yet tweed?

TexGoneNW · September 6th, 2003, 01:19 PM

The discussion with HippieTim. He ended up with a Blues Junior. Champ is less features, but you can't beat the basics it offers.

Bluedawg · September 6th, 2003, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluejamul

Bluedawg, what sort of mods did you do to your Champ? Can you make a SF sound like a BF or better yet tweed?

Tweed??
Yes I can.Mine sounds extraordinary.
People go nuts over it.

rickyralph · September 7th, 2003, 01:07 PM

try a songworks little lanali amp there great sounding, look cool and not to many around so you dont have to be like every body else on the block. i love all things fender and marshall but sometimes its nice to play something else too!

buglecorps · September 7th, 2003, 07:23 PM

or feel the need to drop a lot of coin the Vox is a suprisingly good choice. VERY compact, and portable with a decent sound at low to medium volumes, even has a few features that the Champ, PJ and others lack...A headphone/line out jack (actualy sounds good) alowing late night practicing/recording. A master volume..saves you from having to set up a pedal for a quick session.. (a unpedaled Champ is fairly loud at break up..depending on your situation this can be a problem)..not quite the sound quality of the Champ, but no tube worries, easy to order and comes with a warranty.

The Actionman · September 8th, 2003, 02:22 PM

...but sounds really good at bedroom levels:
Tech 21 Trademark 10!It does a really good tweed break-up at low volumes.
(Les Paul is playing the TM 60 for a couple of years now!)
Also records direct with a XLR and a headphone out.
I have many tube amps (mostly Fenders) that have to be cranked to get the tone I need for my blues, but for $200 on eBay, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better value and TONE. I have a TM10 and 60 now. Both are different amps and are solid state (yes, he admitted it!

) but have plenty of variation that has brought some new moods to my playing - somewhat of a rut I'd been in!

p.s. I also have a SF Champ that sounds great, but still makes too much noise/volume when the kids are sleeping and I get an hour to noodle!

Rob DiStefano · September 9th, 2003, 05:51 AM

I'll triple that - can you say "Champ"? IMO, the best small PTP, Class A tube amp yer dollars can buy. As John sez, swap out the speaker, ground the power cord. You should be able to find a good Champ for $200, or less.

roger · September 9th, 2003, 07:30 AM

Had a chance to hear a Roland/Boss Cube 30 the other night at rehearsal. Great sounds, modeling and effects for @$239.00.
It does some tweed/vox/blackface things, acoustic simulation. Has effects; verbs, delays, chorus, trem etc. It's loud evough to use on a gig with miking although 2 would be even better. As an old tube amp guy let's just say I was shocked.

maxvintage · September 9th, 2003, 08:04 AM

I have a roland cube 30 and it's an excellent practice/small gig amp. The clean sounds are very good, the tweed and blackface sounds are very good, the marshall sound is good, and I guess the rectum-frier sounds are good--I never play that way. Better than a champ? I dunno, but it's good and it's cheap. Has a headphone out. I've used it on solo jazz gigs and it does very well. Thirty watts and a single ten puts out some serious volume

It doesn't sound as good as a good tube amp. But it sounds as close as a modeling amp can get, and it's cheap and seems well built

September 3rd, 2003, 08:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
bluejamul TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 12	Small practice amp advice needed I need your suggestions for a SMALL practice amp (15W or less. After doing some research on Harmony Central, I believe I will try the Pignose and VOX Pathfinder 10. Any other suggestions? My main amp is a 59 BMRI, way too loud for practicing. Style = blues, guitar = Tele. Thanks.

September 3rd, 2003, 10:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
John Harrison Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Corvallis, OR Posts: 1,043	Why play around? Fender Vibro Champ (aka Bronco) or Champ. Point-to-point wiring and a track record as one of the most recorded amps in history. A couple hundred for a silverface, maybe three hundred for a blackface. Upgrade the speaker, swap in a 3-prong electrical cord, and you're ready to go. It doesn't get much better.

September 3rd, 2003, 11:12 PM	#3 (permalink)
Bluedawg Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mid-Atlantic,US Posts: 196	I'll second that....... Champ all the way,Big amp tone in a little package. I use my '71 Vibro Champ for everything from Late night practicing to Gigs. Why?? Because it sounds so good. I have a couple other Vintage Fenders,but the Vibro Champ sounds better.Mostly because I've spent more time modifying it than the other amps I have. The Champs are some of the best amps ever made. __________________ Boom,Boom,Boom,Boom -J.L. Hooker

September 6th, 2003, 12:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
bluejamul TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 12	Re: I'll second that....... Bluedawg, what sort of mods did you do to your Champ? Can you make a SF sound like a BF or better yet tweed?

September 6th, 2003, 01:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
TexGoneNW Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Victoria, TX Age: 50 Posts: 907 4 Photos	See below The discussion with HippieTim. He ended up with a Blues Junior. Champ is less features, but you can't beat the basics it offers.

September 7th, 2003, 01:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
rickyralph Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: south tx Posts: 129	i cant help it so here i comes again try a songworks little lanali amp there great sounding, look cool and not to many around so you dont have to be like every body else on the block. i love all things fender and marshall but sometimes its nice to play something else too! __________________ no more small frets please!

September 7th, 2003, 07:23 PM	#8 (permalink)
buglecorps Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Suburban Twang Town Posts: 753	If you don't want... or feel the need to drop a lot of coin the Vox is a suprisingly good choice. VERY compact, and portable with a decent sound at low to medium volumes, even has a few features that the Champ, PJ and others lack...A headphone/line out jack (actualy sounds good) alowing late night practicing/recording. A master volume..saves you from having to set up a pedal for a quick session.. (a unpedaled Champ is fairly loud at break up..depending on your situation this can be a problem)..not quite the sound quality of the Champ, but no tube worries, easy to order and comes with a warranty. __________________ Loud is Good...

September 8th, 2003, 02:22 PM	#9 (permalink)
The Actionman Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Beautiful North Georgia! Posts: 434	Not tubes... ...but sounds really good at bedroom levels: Tech 21 Trademark 10!It does a really good tweed break-up at low volumes. (Les Paul is playing the TM 60 for a couple of years now!) Also records direct with a XLR and a headphone out. I have many tube amps (mostly Fenders) that have to be cranked to get the tone I need for my blues, but for $200 on eBay, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better value and TONE. I have a TM10 and 60 now. Both are different amps and are solid state (yes, he admitted it! ) but have plenty of variation that has brought some new moods to my playing - somewhat of a rut I'd been in! p.s. I also have a SF Champ that sounds great, but still makes too much noise/volume when the kids are sleeping and I get an hour to noodle! __________________ Twang on!

September 9th, 2003, 05:51 AM	#10 (permalink)
Rob DiStefano Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Park Ridge, NJ Age: 62 Posts: 4,680	I'll triple that - can you say "Champ"? IMO, the best small PTP, Class A tube amp yer dollars can buy. As John sez, swap out the speaker, ground the power cord. You should be able to find a good Champ for $200, or less.

September 9th, 2003, 07:30 AM	#11 (permalink)
roger Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 149	Boss Cube 30 Had a chance to hear a Roland/Boss Cube 30 the other night at rehearsal. Great sounds, modeling and effects for @$239.00. It does some tweed/vox/blackface things, acoustic simulation. Has effects; verbs, delays, chorus, trem etc. It's loud evough to use on a gig with miking although 2 would be even better. As an old tube amp guy let's just say I was shocked.

September 9th, 2003, 08:04 AM	#12 (permalink)
maxvintage Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Age: 49 Posts: 427	I have a roland cube 30 and it's an excellent practice/small gig amp. The clean sounds are very good, the tweed and blackface sounds are very good, the marshall sound is good, and I guess the rectum-frier sounds are good--I never play that way. Better than a champ? I dunno, but it's good and it's cheap. Has a headphone out. I've used it on solo jazz gigs and it does very well. Thirty watts and a single ten puts out some serious volume It doesn't sound as good as a good tube amp. But it sounds as close as a modeling amp can get, and it's cheap and seems well built