So...

[cjae]

So I'm officially MESAless... sold my roadster since I can't carry it back to home in Korea....

I now start a new quest for a small wattage tube amp...think Tiny Terror..

Would you guys recommend any small tube amps? I'll be playing mostly at home so the volume has to be low...

I'll be using pedals(thinking about getting a blackstar HT dual) to get most of my distortion so I need a small amp with good cleans and takes pedals well..

I'm also considering going solid state(i know...so sad..) but any opinions would help.

Thanks

 

[jdurso]

So I'm officially MESAless... sold my roadster since I can't carry it back to home in Korea....

I now start a new quest for a small wattage tube amp...think Tiny Terror..

Would you guys recommend any small tube amps? I'll be playing mostly at home so the volume has to be low...

I'll be using pedals(thinking about getting a blackstar HT dual) to get most of my distortion so I need a small amp with good cleans and takes pedals well..

I'm also considering going solid state(i know...so sad..) but any opinions would help.

Thanks

i dont know what your budget is like but if you got an Axe-fx and an active cab like an atomic you'd get a geat array of flexibility, tone and fx. Or even some powered studio monitors. Best part is with some studio caliber headphones you can have tons of late night playing.

 

[fishyfishfish]

Like how small? How expensive? Look at Bad Cat or Top Hat. They both have small 5 watt combos that sound pretty good. Savage Audio rocks, as well as Emery Audio's Micro Baby will get into tube tone at low volume. As for pedals check out a Radial Tone Bone or Hot British for the dirt. I used both for grind before I got my Recto and was more than happy!

 

[Critter]

Though the prices have gone up on them making a little less of the fabulous deal they initially were; the Epiphone Blues Custom 30 is a fantastic amp, not just for the money but in general. They go for about $650 now but I got mine for $450 before Epiphone did their price hike on all their gear. Apparently Mike Soldano's laid out the PCB design/schematic for it (so it has been said. I have not been able to confirm that)...

Its switchable between 15 watts of Class A or 30 watts of class AB, tube rectifier, on board reverb, dual channel (though the clean is the only really versatile and therefore usable channel but its enough), 2X12 Eminence speakers (which are great once they are broken in). The EQ is switchable from Independent mode (behaves like must amp EQ's) or Interactive (which behaves more like Marshall's, i.e. if you turn the High's up, the Mids and the Bass are reduced as well.). Both modes allow a good deal of tonal adjustments.

It takes most pedals really well, especially a nice OD to really push the power tubes (after they are changed from the stock). I actually prefer to play mine in the 15 watt mode on the clean channel as it breaks up a little sooner but just enough to be clean but have some grit if you dig into the strings. The OD channel kind of sucks truthfully (well its not for me). The clean channel with an OD pedal sounds much, much better.

I recently bought one (within the last 6 months) and have been in love. A serious note though; YOU MUST CHANGE THE TUBES IMMEDIATELY!!!. The stock EH tubes suck. Hard. It makes the amp sound very brittle and piercing. But when I got mine I replaced the stock power 6L6 tubes with the top of the line Groove Tubes 5581 power tubes and Tungsol 12AX7 pre-amp tubes. It sounds effin; amazing! Apparently, rumor has it, that since it is cathode biasing (self-biasing) it can take a wide range of tubes without danger to the amp. Everything from from 6L6, 6V6, 5881, EL-84, etc. I personally have not tested this claim though.

Check it out if you can, but remember that the stock tubes suck and are very piercing.

Here is a pretty extensive forum thread on it with info from the Gibson designer himself, etc:

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=158025

 

[Areola]

get an Holy Terror... Mercury Magnetics upgrade

 

[cjae]

Is the holy terror worth the extra different cost?

I'm totally leaning towards the tiny terror. Ideally I would go boutique but it is currently out of my price range. I don't think I'll go Axe-Fx because digital stuff gives me headaches...used to have a gt8 and it was nice..but gave me serious migraines.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Areola]

i've heard a lot of people say its not worth the extra money.. but my mentor of guitar tone told me is the greatest studio amp ever. his exact words "I know you like Mesa's, but this is best tone you will ever get"

 

[MusicManJP6]

I was almost without a Mesa but ended up taking mine off of the market just in time... I can't be without a Mesa!

I really liked my F-30 combo for portable boogie tones... An EQ in the loop tamed the mid range and transformed it into a fire breather! Add a little delay and you've got yourself a keeper! Well, I sold mine coz I wanted a Recto, but in a perfect world I'd have another...

 

[djw]

Never played one of these, but they look pretty fun...
http://www.twisteramps.com/DUSTDEVIL.html