Night Train, Darkhorse, Tweaker

AlohaJoe · #1 01-27-2012, 07:36 PM

I've got a great tweed cab with a vintage 12" Alnico speaker. It sounds fantastic when I use it as an ext cab for an old PR. It started life as handmade tube amp but never worked properly, so after 2 repairmen failed to fix it I'm about to give up and start looking for a small 15w tube head. The three above are in my price range. I've found threads here and there on some of these but nothing comparative, so any experiences or suggestions would be appreciated.

hallpass · #2 01-28-2012, 07:55 AM

I hadn't seen that Traynor Darkhorse before. I'm intrigued by that one. But I would think the Tweaker's Fender settings would work well...assuming you're going to use it for jazz. I used to have an Egnater Rebel 20. It sounded really nice (as long as you maxed the master and then used the gain knob for volume - otherwise it didn't have much clean headroom).

I think if you're just going for clean tones though, I would be tempted to try that Darkhorse myself. The Tweaker is better if you want it's other tweaking capabilities.

Also if you want to spend a little less, there's the new Fender Super Champ XD 15w head. I have the combo version and it's pretty good (tube power section, modelling preamp).

mtierney · #3 01-28-2012, 10:32 AM

Yeah, I was going to ask if this was for jazz only? I've tried the Tweaker three times and hated it every time, for cleans and driven sounds. I LOVED the Vox, but, as you might expect, it's not the cleanest little guy. I haven't tried the Traynor, but I've heard many times that it's an excellent amp.

I'm inclined to agree with martinopass and say to either get the Darkhorse or find a Fender. Unless it's not just for jazz, then I would say that the Night Train is a good bet.

JazzReggie · #4 01-28-2012, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlohaJoe

I've got a great tweed cab with a vintage 12" Alnico speaker. It sounds fantastic when I use it as an ext cab for an old PR. It started life as handmade tube amp but never worked properly, so after 2 repairmen failed to fix it I'm about to give up and start looking for a small 15w tube head. The three above are in my price range. I've found threads here and there on some of these but nothing comparative, so any experiences or suggestions would be appreciated.

I've briefly tried all 3. The Tweaker was a huge let down for me. From having watched some video demos, the specs, etc, I was excited to try it, but in person I didn't like how it sounded at all. The Night Train was pretty good, especially if you like that Vox chime, but I would agree with mtierney that cleans aren't its strong suit. The Darkhorse is more on the Fender side, and I quite liked it. The Darkhorse has more usable cleans than the Night Train, but if you're only looking for cleans, it might not have the headroom you're looking for.

Edit: I forgot to mention that despite not personally liking the Tweaker, I still think you should try it out. It seems to be one of those love it or hate it amps, and if you happen to love the sound, it's a great amp - well made, good features and value, reliable, etc.

At the price and wattage range you're considering, you might also want to look at the VHT Special 12/20, the Blackstar HT Studio 20, and the Jet City JCA20H. If you can add $200-300 to your budget, the options open up a lot - Mesa Boogie TA-15, Fender Band Master, Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 18, PRS SE 20, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinopass

Also if you want to spend a little less, there's the new Fender Super Champ XD 15w head. I have the combo version and it's pretty good (tube power section, modelling preamp).

Since you mentioned the head version - do you mean Super Champ X2? Do you already have the new X2 model? If so, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts, especially in comparison to the original XD.

AlohaJoe · #5 01-28-2012, 09:23 PM

I am going for a mostly clean sound, but I do like to be able to push it over the edge when I want. I'm leaning toward the Traynor but I'd love to try out the Fender and the Jet City. This is the first I've heard of the Fender... thanks for the tips!

hallpass · #6 01-28-2012, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JazzReggie

Since you mentioned the head version - do you mean Super Champ X2? Do you already have the new X2 model? If so, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts, especially in comparison to the original XD.

Yea, I mean the X2 head. I don't have it and have not played or physically seen it. I was thinking itbwas basically the XD in a head format...but I understand there is software tweakability like in their Mustang line.