Easiest & Most Economical Intro to Tube Amps?

[wzpgsr]

I’m going to recommend the VHT Special 6 also. It’s affordable, small, and perfect for practice situations. The speaker and tubes can be upgraded to other 6v6 or 6l6 tubes in the future easily enough, but the stock 6v6 configuration gets you a nice sounding tweed Fender-ish sound for under $200. It’s a no-brainer IMO.

[wzpgsr]

Also, the VHT 12/20 gives you a lot more clean headroom and puts you in the tweed Deluxe ballpark for under $400 used.

[goldenwave77]

Possible solution for Lawson (?!)

I have an old (1963) stereo tube amp., built by H.T. Scott out of Maynard, Mass. It was given to me by friends of my in-laws. The guy was a nuclear engineer, and said this was a pretty decent tube amp. for hi-fi in its day. It is serial no. 96843.

I think I even have a schematic, somewhere...it is in pretty good condition...the board does not appear to be corroded, etc.

I'm between smart phones at the moment, so no pictures. (Have to check with my smart phone advisor, my 20 yr. college junior/senior son, on phone recommendations.)

I wonder if this could be converted into an acceptable guitar amp head?!

I'd be willing to donate it, with shipping picked up by the tinkerer...might be interesting project.

[woodpecker]

+ avoid EL84 for clean sound only good in vox circuits - if you like that

+there's a small laney with 6v6 tube(s?) no reverb, I played in a few rehearsals, which I liked

my livingroom and small gig/quiet audience amp is now a joyo 5w tweed champ copy,
1 12ax7, 1 6v6, 1 rectifier tube
its clean up to 12 o'clock if you plug humbuckers into input 2 (but goes to 12!)
I wanted more mids than 60s/70s fenders give and I got them - suppose that's "tweedish".
now I'd like to try a deluxe.....
it's reliable up to now and I paid 150 new

you can search a thread in the telecaster forum

be happy,
woodpecker

[p1p]

Blues Jr.

[Cavalier]

The funny thing about Ampegs is I started running a early V4 to go with my Twin back in the the 80s. It didn't matter that that tubes were hard to find because it never needed any. I even used it wound up to 11 with a powersoak to tame the beast quite often though most of the time it was for the violin and clean. Last year a tech checked the tubes and they were all fine still. The Gemini 1 I got in 1994 for $150, wish they went for that now. Again, no problems and it went through some loud stuff tossed into my stack for fun. So I think back then there were plenty of survivors sitting around if you did need parts but with everyone going for Boogies and other footswitch hi gain amps clean amps of any brand or description didn't have the appeal they once did. And now with the internet the tubes are there. Some of those conversions are getting returned to stock to retain more of the "Ampeg" sound.

[rpjazzguitar]

I've been thinking about building one from a kit, and I like the weight.

Which kit? Would you recommend it?

Thanks.

[Cavalier]

If you are talking about building an old Ampeg from a kit I'd just look for a dead one to restore because you'll have plenty of parts you can reuse as well as the neat looking box, chassis etc.... and get more of a return if you sell.

[rpjazzguitar]

I haven't seen any Ampeg kits. I don't know enough to be able to fix one.

I think I could follow kit instructions though.

And, I like Fenders too.

[339 in june]

For home practicing or recording :
I built me a Fender Champ Tweed clone, 5W, 6V6 tube, clean at reasonable volume, nice dirt when you crank it up.
I think it's the perfect match for Lawson need.
NAD : a home made clone

[Cunamara]

I've been thinking about building one from a kit, and I like the weight.

Which kit? Would you recommend it?

Thanks.

Building one of which?

[Hammertone]

BeBob, thanks for the considered response - I agree with some of it.

One thing: When I speak of management by idjits, I'm not referring to 50 years ago. 50 years ago Ampeg was in great shape. The fact that Everett Hull was a complete dickhead doesn't diminish his accomplishments and those of the people who worked for him. I'm referring to Loud and some of their predecessors. Most of their decisions regarding Ampeg guitar amps have been terrible. Mr. Sam summed it up nicely when asked about the secret to his business success - something along the lines of "I made more right decisions than wrong decisions."

More later ...

[rob taft]

I own a couple of tube amps but the one I use for jazz clean is a 74' 40 watt Fender SF Pro Reverb. It has been modded with a Bassman output transformer as well as all the other safety mods as well as I ditched the Master volume. It is a great clean tube amp but is pretty heavy and not dead quiet like most of my SS amps.

But if money was no object I would consider these two:

Rivera Jazz Suprema 55 1x15 | Guitars 'n Jazz

SeQuel RAVINE [to the Manhattan Guitar Club] - SeQuel Jazz Amplifiers

[Thumpalumpacus]

Rob's right -- higher wattage will get you more headroom. The trick is finding one that fits L-S's desire for portability. Transformers are heavy things. So are the speakers required to bear such power-loads.

That said, I'm gonna go fire up my Tweaker in a bit and indulge myself.

[jorgemg1984]

The only problem is money. A princeton-sized amp with 35w / 40 w is more than doable and almost as light as a Blues Junior.

Vintage Sound Jazz 35 1x12 Combo - Fawn Slub | Humbucker Music

[Hammertone]

...if money was no object I would consider these two:
Rivera Jazz Suprema 55 1x15 | Guitars 'n Jazz ...

Reminds me of this, which I recently put together. Hardly the easiest or most economical intro to tube amps, but a pile of fun nonetheless - a Rivera Rake Reverb head (looks to be pretty similar to the Suprema 55) sitting on an old 1x15" open-back cab loaded with a vintage Altec 418b. Despite the colour scheme, it's hardly vanilla:

[lawson-stone]

I am literally gorging on all this information and solid opinion. I'm in no hurry but you all are giving me exactly the kind of information, ideas, and viewpoints I need to consider. My expectations might actually be unrealistic too. Even $200 for an amp I end up not liking is wasting money, so paying a little beyond my original plan to get what I'll really like is always a possibility.

Thanks everyone-not putting an end to this discussion, of course, but I just wanted to express my appreciation for your contributions.

[rpjazzguitar]

Perfect would be about 20 watts and about 20 lbs.

[Bach5G]

I’ve been tempted from time to time to buy a Traynor YCV-20, which is a two channel 15-watt EL-84 tube amp.

15 watts though. 12” speaker. Cleaner than a BJr I’m told.

[medblues]

Perfect would be about 20 watts and about 20 lbs.

Tough to achieve, would probably require neo speakers (typical tube lovers don't care for them as much) and light construction cabinet (solid pine ? mixed reviews).

[Woody Sound]

Do you want just a "warm clean" tube sound, or do you want something that can also get a heavily overdriven rock sound? With channel switching between those?

[nopedals]

https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_...seq=1&format=2

Another hundred bucks gets you a 15 watt 1x12 with reverb

Occasionally they go on sale for even cheaper

Never seen one, but that is the cheapest I have seen

[lawson-stone]

Do you want just a "warm clean" tube sound, or do you want something that can also get a heavily overdriven rock sound? With channel switching between those?

No, don't want heavy overdrive. A little hair at the top end is fun, but basically I like clean and super warm.

[BeBob]

... sitting on an old 1x15" open-back cab loaded with a vintage Altec 418b.

LOVE that 418b. I have one in my 5E5-A combo.

[lawson-stone]

I'm actually looking at the Bugera v22 Head. I have a couple of speakers I could play with using that.