Help! My amps are too loud!

If you’re fairly flush, you might try a 57 Champ Reissue. If not, give the THR10C a whirl. I can play anywhere in the house and not bother anybody and it has some really authentic tones. How do they do it with two tiny 3” speakers?

 

If you want to stay in the hand wired tube amp style, look at Carr Mercury V, Sportsman, and Skylark. They can be dialed down below one watt and still maintain the mojo. They can get gig level loud as well.

Lots of demos out there on YouTube.

Edit: Yes, as mentioned above, the Fender Custom 57 Champ is a good option. Still, at 5 watts it is pretty loud before you get into any tube sag. I have had one for a while and you can run it on about 4 for fairly clean tone then, it it with a Tube Screamer or fuzz for some nice overdrive at modest volume.

I have never owned anything other than PTP tube amps over the years. I have tried some of the high dollar solid state amps (such as the Kemper) but to me they all sound one dimensional. Most sound like a synthesizer to me.

 

Keep one of your big amps for gigs and jams, and get yourself a Roland Microcube. Best amp for home playing. The onboard effects are amazingly good. Works on batteries too, and goes silent when plugging in headphones. Did you know the headphone signal is in stereo? It is, and it sounds fantastic. Also takes an aux in--for jamming along with your favorite stuff.

 

Stageright 15 watt by Monoprice. Tube amp. Est $225 new.

 

I've got a tone master deluxe reverb. I can just turn the watts down. On my Princeton reverb and my blues jr I just turn the volume down. Easy peasy.

 

I have a 1968 Twin Reverb in my stable of amps, and play a variety of places that require a variety of volume levels. While I'm not advocating a Twin for your situation, it has a feature on it that all of your present amps have: a volume control! I can play anything from outdoor festival gigs to very intimate restaurant and assisted living gigs where controlling volume levels is CRITICAL. By turning the amp slowly from 0-1 on the volume dial, then slowly raise the volume to a level that fits the room and use the tone controls to get your sound. Dirt? Use a pedal! I understand that using a lower powered amp gives you a wider control range, but if it is possible control volume with one of the most infamous loud machines ever made, then anyone can do it. I admit, for transparency concerns, I do have two lower powered options: a 1971 DR, and a SCDX that I use in most situations, but I can and sometimes do use the old monster for the fish- the halibut! RedRaider- your SCx2 is a great option, especially on channel 2. Not only does it have gain and volume controls, but the voices give lots of options for different sounds. It's a versatile little amp, the newer version of my SCDX.

 

Plenty of solid state / digital / emulations out there nowadays.

 

Check out the Blackstar line of amps.

 

Camps are great and all that, but to get them working, to get them delivering sonic goodness, they are ruddy loud. The first couple of Watts do so much of the lifting, volume wise.

Cheap and good?, Blackstar Fly 3 stereo pack. They also work very well as computer/TV/'phone speakers and will allow you to play along or just have some good sounds.
Laney now produce a mini amp too. Looks aren't everything. If they were, the Laney would dominate the market. Sounds very convincing, looks amazing.
Blackstar ID:Core. You need to hear one to appreciate how damn fine they sound.. The stereo reverb is, to coin a term, lush.
Yamaha THR. Popular for a very good reason.

All the above also sound superb through headphones. Some have effects built in, some use an app to build effects chains, some can record via USB to provide another layer for you to play with.

There are others from Boss/Roland and Vox that have owners expressing their delight too. We live in an age of wonder.

 

Nothing wrong owning a Princeton Reverb as an “at home” player. The Princeton has great cleans at any volume and use a Tubescreamer for gain at any volume.

My current line up as a primarily “at home” player:

* 22 watt BF Deluxe Reverb
* 50 watt early 70’s Marshall
* 18 watt HW Marshall

 

Any amp with a master volume of some kind should do the trick. The other option is to play quietly and use a pedal for dirt.
As for an amp with headphones there are a bunch of versatile options. The Katana is one for sure and yes it does have an effects loop and an aux in for jamming out with Angus and Co.
I'm partial to the THR10c as a practice-only amp. Once the designers give up on the idea that their amp ALSO has to be really loud, they can get very creative. At low volumes, the AC30, Deluxe, and JTM45 settings on that amp all sound very, very good to me, and built in effects sound good and are simple to dial in. Keep the big amp that you like for when nobody is home, and you might find the little Yamaha becomes a favorite.

I have never heard a headphones option that I actually like, the tones always sound tinny and fake for some reason, even through decent phones. But the THR10c is the least-bad that I've encountered. Other people are happy with the headphone sounds out of the katana and other amps.

 

It also depends on whether you're looking for amp tone or pedal produced tone. At lower volumes an amp is much cleaner. Many players prefer a clean amp tone so they can utilize pedals for additional gain or whatever. A master volume is a big help for this type pf user.

 

Simple answer...turn down the volume pot. Never seen an amp without one. I rarely play mine louder than normal TV volume. In fact I often watch and listen to the TV while playing.

 

Your idea of swapping your tube amps for a Blues Cube is a good one. And you may not need an Artist. The Stage is LOUD. Actually the small Hot model is very loud too, and may be enough.

 

Modeling amp

 

You already have the perfect home amp: the SCX2.

- It can be as loud or as soft as you want it
- If you need to use it with headphones, hook it to your computer with the usb cable, open Garageband or whatever other DAW you have installed, and wail away silently.
- Takes pedal like a champ (pun intended), has good effects onboard, and generally sounds great.

If you really want to have something that is smaller than that is designed to work with headphones, get the THR10 (I like the THR10C variant best). But don’t sell the SCX2. It’s a different feeling amp, and you’d regret it – also because they go for very little money.

 

The newer models offer bigger cabinet, larger speakers, and more power so they start to fill up a room a little more. Might be worth a look to fill the gap between headphones and a low wattage tube amp. I've been playing with my son's Vox Adios and my daughter's Katana Mini lately and both are surprisingly good for their respective price points.

 

I've been using a Custom 68 Princeton with a Swart Night Light Jr. attenuator. That works for me; the Princeton really keeps its tone even at low levels. However, as many here have suggested, a modeling amp is hard to beat for playing at home (particularly because of the headphone out.) I'm using a very humble Mustang mini tucked behind the couch. For practicing while others are asleep, I don't need anything more.

 

Turn it around backwards. Put a pillow in front of it. Aim it at the drummer.