Low-wattage tube amps

[Steiner]

The Vox AC4-tv with a 10" speaker is 4 watts and you can switch to 1 watt and a 1/4 watt. Sounds best im my opinion at 4 watts.

 

here is a link to hear one http://www.youtube.com/user/fatback2#p/u/14/JGgHMXobCIM

 

+1 on the Vox. Surprisingly good sound for relatively little cost.

[LK155]

Did you ever state what kind of music you play?

 

......................... but what tone do you need out of your low watt amp?

Hi John,

Let me try to answer your questions by giving you examples of what I'm playing and the tone I'm looking for.

These links have been posted before, but they will probably answer you better than I could with just words.

 

The first one demonstrates the tone I'd like: The song is called Can U Bop.

The first guitar you hear (and the one doing the lick throughout the entire song) is my Suhr, on neck pickup alone (single-coil). I really like the clarity and bite of the Suhr singles.

The other guitar part is my Mille H155, on both pickups (Seth's).

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I don't use an amplifier at all when making these recordings....it's just guitar to GNX4 to PC.

The GNX4 effect used with the 155 is actually an MFX Supermodel effect called Fender Twin Reverb, and I've spiced it up just a bit with more bass and a little more reverb. I like the full, round tone but still need to have the highs cut through.

Here's the link for Can U Bop: (yes, I know, it's too long, I should have cut it off at about the 3 minute mark)

 

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7727541

 

The second song will give you an indication that I'm entering my senile years and am steering away from any kind of rock stuff.

It's called Eyes, and all guitar parts were done with the 155 (same Twin Reverb effect).

The backing chord track had some extra reverb added.

Here's Eyes:

 

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7801961

 

And here's the third one, called Flight#2:

 

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8391211

 

Elevator music, maybe, but these songs demonstrate the tones I'd like to have from a little amp. I know lack of reverb is going to be an issue, but I figure the GNX4 in front of an amp will take care of that.

Cheers,

Lyle

[Kuz]

Lyle,

I finally got around to listening to your tracks and I REALLY ENJOYED them!!!

 

I would recommend going with an amp that is Fender sounding (preferable blackface sounding).

 

The Carr Rambler (based loosely on a Deluxe Reverb) , Headstrong Lil' King (based on a Princeton Reverb), or a Princeton Reverb (either Vintage or Reissue) should due the trick for you.

 

Nice job on the tracks!!!

 

John

[Duffy]

The Fender Super Champ XD is super versitile and has a dedicated clean channel that is Fender clean, plus silverface, tweed, blackface, deluxe, hot rod, and other Fender emulations and is all tube except for the digital modelling and effects, plus has British models with higher gain and super high gain models and even an accoustasonic accoustic voice, reverb, delay, reverb plus delay, trem, vibrato, chorus, etc. Who else but Fender would be better situated to develop Fender models than Fender?

 

Great sounding 15 - 20 tube watt amp. The real thing. It is an amazing amp and is highly acclaimed in the Fender sector.

[bolero]

there's a whole bunch of old misc tube practice amps from the '60's that are 1-4 watts....most were made with a 50L6 power tube & can be sketchy to use since the ground is live...but they are dirt cheap & offer what you seem to be looking for ( less than $100 )

 

if you get an iso transformer they are safe to use with other electrical devices....otherwise I wouldn't bother

 

two buddies recently picked up an inexpensive little VOX modeling amp, solid state but it sounds excellent & gets a great variety of sounds ( plus reverb), that's what I would get if I needed a small practice amp

[Duffy]

Most all five watt n below tube amps have no reverb and have clean tones at only very low vol plus the clean is not real clean like a fender.

This is why I rec Fender scxd so highly.

 

Solid state marshall practice amps can have great cleans believe it or not. I have a nos Marshall MG15cdr that has a real good clean n a real mini reverb tank n closed back;no other effects. Overdrive channel is decent but not like the five watt tube amps that r smooth and crunchy.

[rjsanders]

had a Univalve & liked it, had an Emery Superbaby & that was fun. my dealer's getting Valvetrains, one of which looks promising in this category - Concord, apx 6 watts, $499 combo, all USA and tube and handwired, etc. looking forward to trying that out...

[bolero]

Most all five watt n below tube amps have no reverb and have clean tones at only very low vol plus the clean is not real clean like a fender.

This is why I rec Fender scxd so highly.

 

Solid state marshall practice amps can have great cleans believe it or not. I have a nos Marshall MG15cdr that has a real good clean n a real mini reverb tank n closed back;no other effects. Overdrive channel is decent but not like the five watt tube amps that r smooth and crunchy.

 

well, he said he had a reverb unit so that wasn't 100% necessary

 

I have about 6 of those little amps & they do get a great clean sound, at a low volume, which is what he's requesting...anything with even a single EL84 is probably too loud for an apartment IMO

 

they also get a nice bluesy grind when you crank them, but are still almost as loud as a trumpet blaring...they won't get liquid/saturated distortion but will cop some old vintage blues, esp with humbuckers...add a pedal & you're probably ok to get much more

 

in any case $100 or so is much less than any of these other amps...certainly cheap enough to experiment with without breaking the bank!

[bolero]

oops, I was wrong, I only have 2 of those little 50L6 amps...the rest have a power transformer

 

just for kicks ( and to see if I was completely off base, it's been a while since I used them!! ) I just fired one of them up & put a mic in front of it...recorded some playing dry & also put some quick reverb on it

 

 

 

dry:

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songI...;songID=8734765

 

 

wet:

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songI...;songID=8734769

 

 

definitely got that honky humbucker sound to it, but not a bad clean sound..neck pup needs to be lowered a bit I think, it's quite stronger than the bridge

 

anyway I think they are perfectly useable amps, volume was about voice level & certainly wouldn't disturb anyone nextdoor...

[bolero]

man, I didn't think it was THAT bad...!

 

I sure wasn't out to impress anyone with my playing...esp trying to remember that g harrison tune

 

but it's not bad for a little POS amp?

[Duffy]

Bolero, you claim that you get great cleans out of a small tube amp, eh? I'm confused. Seriously.

 

I have several five watt tube amps and none of them have a clean tone above almost unhearable that can even come close to a fender type clean tone. Now a Vox AC15 would have the ability, being a single channel amp, to sound good clean at hearable sound levels, and even rip some roar at higher volumes. But it might be a little misleading to suggest to this guy that a five watt all tube amp is going to have any substantial clean tone above a whisper or speaking sound level.

 

I love my five watt and lower all tube amps, but they can't hold a candle to a real clean sounding amp as far as cleans go.

 

I'm getting a Digitech Hardwire reverb pedal but I like to have a half way decent reverb on my amp for portability and ease of use, as well as efficiency of time setting up for a quick improvisation. I'll definitely get a lot of use out of my Hardwire reverb though, great reverb thru a good clean channel.

[FredZepp]

oops, I was wrong, I only have 2 of those little 50L6 amps...the rest have a power transformer

just for kicks ( and to see if I was completely off base, it's been a while since I used them!! ) I just fired one of them up & put a mic in front of it...recorded some playing dry & also put some quick reverb on it

dry:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songI...;songID=8734765

wet:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songI...;songID=8734769

definitely got that honky humbucker sound to it, but not a bad clean sound..neck pup needs to be lowered a bit I think, it's quite stronger than the bridge

anyway I think they are perfectly useable amps, volume was about voice level & certainly wouldn't disturb anyone nextdoor...

Those are some very usable tones. It is fun to play with those small amps, especially the old tube ones that have a slightly different voice. and can be nice to record with. I'm so used to running a good amount of gain, It's great to play with just a little breakup instead. I was doing that with the VibroChamp earlier today.

 

Of course , if you're trying to dial in a certain tone that 's one thing... but also I enjoy when the amp might take you in a direction.. whatever that may be.

[bolero]

Bolero, you claim that you get great cleans out of a small tube amp, eh? I'm confused. Seriously.

 

I have several five watt tube amps and none of them have a clean tone above almost unhearable that can even come close to a fender type clean tone. Now a Vox AC15 would have the ability, being a single channel amp, to sound good clean at hearable sound levels, and even rip some roar at higher volumes. But it might be a little misleading to suggest to this guy that a five watt all tube amp is going to have any substantial clean tone above a whisper or speaking sound level.

 

I love my five watt and lower all tube amps, but they can't hold a candle to a real clean sounding amp as far as cleans go.

 

I'm getting a Digitech Hardwire reverb pedal but I like to have a half way decent reverb on my amp for portability and ease of use, as well as efficiency of time setting up for a quick improvisation. I'll definitely get a lot of use out of my Hardwire reverb though, great reverb thru a good clean channel.

 

well, if you read his original post, he says he's after a 1-2 watt amp, so he can record quietly:

 

"I'm getting interested in these ultra-low wattage tube amps, in the range of 1 to 2 watts, or even lower than that."

 

this certainly fits the bill

 

there is no way you can crank a 5 watt amp in a condo late at night & get away with it...I suggest you try it & see how long it takes the neighbours to complain

 

also you'd be hard pressed to have a conversation in the same room as one of those little amps...the clean is easily as loud or louder than a loud voice...did you listen to the clips I recorded? that was a bit louder than voice level, and was about 1/4 way open on the vol

[big bob]

well, if you read his original post, he says he's after a 1-2 watt amp, so he can record quietly:

 

"I'm getting interested in these ultra-low wattage tube amps, in the range of 1 to 2 watts, or even lower than that."

 

this certainly fits the bill

 

there is no way you can crank a 5 watt amp in a condo late at night & get away with it...I suggest you try it & see how long it takes the neighbours to complain

 

also you'd be hard pressed to have a conversation in the same room as one of those little amps...the clean is easily as loud or louder than a loud voice...did you listen to the clips I recorded? that was a bit louder than voice level, and was about 1/4 way open on the vol

 

 

I'm thinking of building a low watt tube set up for practice at night

How loud do you think 2 watts would go.

[Steiner]

I'm thinking of building a low watt tube set up for practice at night

How loud do you think 2 watts would go.

 

2watts is generally a tad better than normal conversation levels. Drive it into breakup and you get to "cocktail party" levels. Not quite sufficient to rattle your bones while sitting next to it.

 

I can see you now in the laboratory... Muu Ah ha ha! It's Alive!

[big bob]

2watts is generally a tad better than normal conversation levels. Drive it into breakup and you get to "cocktail party" levels. Not quite sufficient to rattle your bones while sitting next to it.

 

I can see you now in the laboratory... Muu Ah ha ha! It's Alive!

so Greg can I set up a 2 watt amp with a 15" speaker. I have a 70's jensen alnico I'm just dieing to use.

[FredZepp]

so Greg can I set up a 2 watt amp with a 15" speaker. I have a 70's jensen alnico I'm just dieing to use.

I just checked out this guy with a 2 watt into a 4x12 on youtube... 2 watt into 4x12

"2 watts and I guarantee you'd be blown away by plugging into a 4 x 12"

 

( I bet that an ole alnico 15 would be kill ) ... not that I know or anything though.

[Steiner]

so Greg can I set up a 2 watt amp with a 15" speaker. I have a 70's jensen alnico I'm just dieing to use.

 

This is one of the few places that size does Not matter. You simply need to match the speaker and transformer inductance

[Duffy]

In an average size room my Blackheart Little Giant head at 3 watts into my Epi So. Cal. 4 by 12 is loud enough to enjoy at the usual living room loudness that I play all my amps at, turned up all the way. Not suitable for a condo, needlesstosay - that's headphone territory.

 

You also have to factor in the sensitivity of your speakers and the heat of the pickups on any guitar you use and pedals you overdrive the preamp with.

 

My five watt amps are plenty loud and can be turned down low enough for reasonable playing.

[Spectrum13]

School me on this people... if we are talking tubes... what kind of power tubes puts out less than 5 watts?? I thought single ended El34 El84 6L6 6V6 all needed to be cranked over 5 or 7 to breakup. Is it just pre-amp valves ?

[Steiner]

Vox AC4TV - 1 12AX7 pre and 1 EL84 power = 4watts

 

Seems to me a 6V6 could do about the same.

[bolero]

there's also the zvex nano, it puts out about 1 watt, uses some funky power tube....plus you can use it as a distortion pedal if you want

 

http://zvexamps.com/

[koula901]

Hi John,

Let me try to answer your questions by giving you examples of what I'm playing and the tone I'm looking for.

These links have been posted before, but they will probably answer you better than I could with just words.

 

The first one demonstrates the tone I'd like: The song is called Can U Bop.

The first guitar you hear (and the one doing the lick throughout the entire song) is my Suhr, on neck pickup alone (single-coil). I really like the clarity and bite of the Suhr singles.

The other guitar part is my Mille H155, on both pickups (Seth's).

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I don't use an amplifier at all when making these recordings....it's just guitar to GNX4 to PC.

The GNX4 effect used with the 155 is actually an MFX Supermodel effect called Fender Twin Reverb, and I've spiced it up just a bit with more bass and a little more reverb. I like the full, round tone but still need to have the highs cut through.

Here's the link for Can U Bop: (yes, I know, it's too long, I should have cut it off at about the 3 minute mark)

 

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7727541

 

The second song will give you an indication that I'm entering my senile years and am steering away from any kind of rock stuff.

It's called Eyes, and all guitar parts were done with the 155 (same Twin Reverb effect).

The backing chord track had some extra reverb added.

Here's Eyes:

 

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7801961

 

And here's the third one, called Flight#2:

 

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8391211

 

Elevator music, maybe, but these songs demonstrate the tones I'd like to have from a little amp. I know lack of reverb is going to be an issue, but I figure the GNX4 in front of an amp will take care of that.

Cheers,

Lyle

 

Wheezing Geezer,

I know it's a little late, but, I'm working my way through the amp form and just got a chance to listen to the 3 sound clips, and just want to tell you that they're all absolutely beautiful!

[212Mavguy]

15's are fun to drive with a little amp...I have a personally done up silverface Champ that only has the pots, cab, and chassis as original parts, it gets 5-15 watts depending on what power tube I stick in it. The OT has been replaced with a monster sized 5-7 pound 16 ohm unit, I can run my 2/15 pretty easily with it, more than halfway is too loud for most small room stage volumes. Flat out it screams, roars, and bellows like a pissed off water buffalo!

[smurph1]

Forgive me if this topic has been covered before.

I'm getting interested in these ultra-low wattage tube amps, in the range of 1 to 2 watts, or even lower than that.

From what I've read, they seem ideal for a home music room such as I'm currently building.

 

As my years advance, I'm becoming more concerned with TONE rather than volume.

 

Had a small Traynor tube amp (YCV20WR) which had 2 EL84's, and it was severe overkill from a volume standpoint. Rated at 15 watts. Sold it a while back because after I started recording directly to computer, it wasn't getting used. Never mind the fact that it would just about blow the windows out if you cranked it.

 

Anyway, I found this article about a bunch of these little amps:

 

http://www.vguitar.com/features/gear/details.asp?aid=3163

 

I'm not afraid of trying to build from a kit (did some stereo equiment that way a long time ago), but considering the fact that it would be pretty easy to screw up one of those builds, I'd rather buy one that's ready to go.

 

Any feedback, experience, thoughts?

Thanks,

Lyle

I have a '59 Gibsonette amp..I think its around 10-15 watts..Has a great clean tone..