Question for Those who Own Both the Monoprice 15w and 5w Amps

[Cornelius TX]

Hello!

I own the 15w and love it.

Two questions for those who own both:

Do these amps sound different enough to justify having both?

With the 5w, do you feel the need to use a reverb or delay pedal, or do you find yourself plugging straight in and being satisfied with the clean sound completely dry?

Thanks!

 

[MuddyWolf]

I'll chime just so the reply count isn't zero.
I have the 15w. And I've seen plenty of vids comparing the 5 watt to Champs, Valve Jr's and other things. The 2 are totally and completely different with no overlap at all. I think the 15w with the 1 watt switch is more versatile and usable at all volumes. The 5 watt sounds like a kids practice amp. Don't get me wrong, it would be fun to have the 5 watt and crank it to see how long it takes to blow up. If your worried that they would just overlap each other, they won't. If you got $100 to shed and you want to have an amp you can abuse for tube goodness, the MP 5w can scratch that itch. It might even last awhile, the speaker would probably die first.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

Hello!

I own the 15w and love it.

Two questions for those who own both:

Do these amps sound different enough to justify having both?

With the 5w, do you feel the need to use a reverb or delay pedal, or do you find yourself plugging straight in and being satisfied with the clean sound completely dry?

Thanks!

I only have the 5-watter Monoprice, but ( as a lover and user, only (now, aging...), of small amps,
I bought mine with kind of specifically, two parallel tracks in mind:

-hoping to hear that 'great cranked tube overdrive' that ( even as a long time, larger tube amp owner) have always read about, but never really did in practice- always used pedals.

So, I wanted to plug in a guitar ( nothing else), turn the 2 amp knobs ALL the way UP- and listen.
Pretty good!, and it does sound as I had hoped- great R&R /blues raunch; but not overly saturated, or flabby low end either.

- the other track I was on...
(and I would do the same thing if I had a real Fender Champ just can never afford)

....was use it as a gig amp, if loud enough clean (it is), and outfit it with its own ( cheap!) pedalboard- use it for gigs
So I got an OD>Tremolo > dual Reverb/delay.

Basically, replicating things I like with my past Fender tube amps (gone!) in this 'fake Champ'

All good, on both tracks!

 

[Tarkus60]

I will chime in on the 5 watt side, since I have one. I only use it in my music room. It is a great small room amp.
At 5 on the volume is as loud as gets....10 is full dirt.
I like it. I was not disappointed in my purchase.
I did replace the tube with some nos Ge tubes, just because.
It is over a year old and not dead yet.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I will chime in on the 5 watt side, since I have one. I only use it in my music room. It is a great small room amp.
At 5 on the volume is as loud as gets....10 is full dirt.
I like it. I was not disappointed in my purchase.
I did replace the tube with some nos Ge tubes, just because.
It is over a year old and not dead yet.

I did a probably unnecessary, 'knee-jerk' speaker and 'accidental' tube upgrade with my 5-watter- explain:

My amp really sounded great with stock speaker & tubes in it.
But because I wanted to see how it might sound with a slightly more efficient speaker in it ( and more in line with a Fender amp, maybe?) I put a new Jensen C8r in it.

Now ( me stoopid) I put a hole right thru the Celestion speaker with a pair of needle nose pliers ( removing speaker, AND broke off the tip of the 12AX7 tube! Dumb*ss!

I had both a spare EHX 12AX7 and a Mullard 6V6 ( bought for another amp I no longer have) so they went into the Monoprice.

All sounds fine, really no difference now, as I'm in an apartment, and can't turn the volume up to really hear things.

I've been using other larger amps ( not much) for gigs, but just need to take this one out, play it and listen. I know it could handle the volume for some of my smaller band gigs.

Still, I feel like I should have just left everything alone- the amp was fine.

 

[Tarkus60]

I have thought about changing the speaker. Not that is anything wrong with it. I am just that guy fix it until it's broke.