Guitar Amp for Low Volumes

**Marcel_A** · 06-15-2020, 01:04 AM

Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar

I haven't played thru a 12". I heard an online comparison somewhere. It sounds a little fuller than the 8".

Solos cut thru fine.

Good to read. Although this amp will be for home-use, sooner or later somebody is going to ask me to join in. I'm a bit worried how amps like the small yamaha and boss katana hold up when playing together. Some of those smaller seem to have a HiFi-quality to them and that's not what i like.

Another thing: the blues junior seems to be to expensive on the second hand market, but the junior pro is offered within my budget (give or take). The setup will be in that case cleans on de pro junior and an OD from a pedal. How long is a pro junior clean? Is it possible to play rhythm alongside a drummer/bass combo?

**sgosnell** · 06-15-2020, 09:14 AM

I've played my Little Jazz at painfully loud blues/rock jams, and it could be easily heard through the much bigger amps used by everyone else, with the volume not much above noon. It sounded fine to me there, and it sounds about the same at bedroom levels. I think the others at the jams were using Fender or Fender-style amps with big scoops and no mids, and the Little Jazz, with plenty of mid output even with the knob at noon, filled that void. The drummer was deaf and much too loud, but I could easily be heard over him even with 4 or 5 other guitars playing chords at the same time. The Little Jazz is more than loud enough for me, and sounds the same at any volume level. But it's not a Fender, and it does not do crunch/overdrive/distortion on its own. For that you need a pedal, and it takes pedals very well.

**Marcel_A** · 06-15-2020, 09:33 AM

Quiet an acomplishment for such a small amp. Based on specs i would have preferred the 12 inch version, but you guys make me doubt.

Oh and those mids. That's where 'it' happens. With any amp. They make the difference between cutting through and not. I played with lots of players who had dailed in there sound at home, just to be drawned when playing together. A simple twich at the middle control fixed that problem most of the time.
That's why i have a slight preference to tubes. They cut through better.
But lets calm down . . . . i'm looking for a small amp for practicing purposus . . .

**rpjazzguitar** · 06-15-2020, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by sgosnell

I've played my Little Jazz at painfully loud blues/rock jams, and it could be easily heard through the much bigger amps used by everyone else, with the volume not much above noon. It sounded fine to me there, and it sounds about the same at bedroom levels. I think the others at the jams were using Fender or Fender-style amps with big scoops and no mids, and the Little Jazz, with plenty of mid output even with the knob at noon, filled that void. The drummer was deaf and much too loud, but I could easily be heard over him even with 4 or 5 other guitars playing chords at the same time. The Little Jazz is more than loud enough for me, and sounds the same at any volume level. But it's not a Fender, and it does not do crunch/overdrive/distortion on its own. For that you need a pedal, and it takes pedals very well.

Well said. For me, there's a point where my amp is as loud as I ever want to play. If I need the amp to be louder, the stage volume is likely to be deafening. At that point, I lose detail in my hearing and I go to earplugs which never sound great (I have etymotic and others). If the FOH needs more, there ought to be a PA.

So, the question becomes, is the amp capable of being as loud as I ever want to play? The LJ is in that ballpark. I know plenty of people who are willing to play louder than I care to play, so maybe it wouldn't work for them. But, I continue to be impressed.

**fasteddie** · 06-15-2020, 06:46 PM

Another vote for a Fender Blues Jr. it’s my favorite at home amp. Good clean jazz tone and you can get crunch at low volume by adjusting the volume and master controls.

**cosmic gumbo** · 06-16-2020, 07:11 AM

Fender Super Champ XD or X2 15W 6V6 1x10 is a sweet tone machine.

**Marcel_A** · 06-16-2020, 09:44 AM

The super champ has 16 voicings and fx. I don't know. The fx are probably useless. And 16 voicings. . . . I just don't need/want them.

On the other hand . . . the clean channel seems to sound good.

**Marcel_A** · 06-19-2020, 01:11 PM

i'm slowly picking up the pace here. Blackstar. Seems to be a big thing nowadays? i ran into quiet an impressive review with some beautifull cleans.
Has anyone experience with this amp?

**chasranney** · 06-19-2020, 02:56 PM

Blackstar makes a 1-watt tube amp with 8" speaker.

**Marcel_A** · 06-20-2020, 02:07 AM

That an interesting amp aswell. I'm a bit concerned how long it stays clean. At home i don't need a lot of headroom, but 1 watt is not much.

**Stefan Eff** · 06-20-2020, 03:54 PM

One of the most underrated low wattage (all tube!) amps is the Laney Cub8.
Guitar Amp for Low Volumes-9508648c-8d6f-4219-8365-b2eb95020d53-jpg

Single ended class A, 6V6 powered, 8“ speaker, 5 watts.
That little amp‘s got an amazing clean tone especially a hair before breakup. Very very close to a vintage Champ. One of my best discoveries.

**Marcel_A** · 06-20-2020, 04:02 PM

I like the simplicity of it. How does it sound?

**lawson-stone** · 06-20-2020, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Stefan Eff

One of the most underrated low wattage (all tube!) amps is the Laney Cub8.
Guitar Amp for Low Volumes-9508648c-8d6f-4219-8365-b2eb95020d53-jpg

Single ended class A, 6V6 powered, 8“ speaker, 5 watts.
That little amp‘s got an amazing clean tone especially a hair before breakup. Very very close to a vintage Champ. One of my best discoveries.

There is another bundling of this amp under the Monoprice brand. I have it and like it.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

**Stefan Eff** · 06-20-2020, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Marcel_A

I like the simplicity of it. How does it sound?

To me very close to a vintage (silverface) Champ, just lacking the tube rectifier (not a big loss). Very dynamic and responsive. Amazing american clean tone. The hi channel is very bright, I prefer the lo channel for my Telecaster. I‘ll swap the speaker for the great Warehouse G8C, the best 8“ speaker I know (loud, american vintage type speaker that sounds more like a 10“ speaker). And it‘s a very quiet amp!

I‘m not a big friend of PCB-tube amps, but the Laney is build very clean, simple and solid. And darn cheap to get 2nd hand.

**Gitfiddler** · 06-20-2020, 05:28 PM

The OP already mentioned the Roland Blues Cube, so I'll expand on that amp maker's selection of small, versatile amps.

Any of the Roland GX series amps might meet your needs. From the lowly GX Micro Cube, 10GX, 40GX, 80GXL to the GX80 these small amps offer a ton of tones for the money. Check the used market for the best deals, and since the 40 and 80 series are discontinued.

**Marcel_A** · 06-21-2020, 03:02 AM

Yeah, the cubes. I owned one + 20 years ago. They are nice and you are absolutely right it would do the job. It just has to many options i don't want/need.
My list is down to:

Bluescubes
Fender blues junior (probably to expensive) or super champ (this is the only modeling amp i'm willing to give a shot because the clean seems ver nice).
Blackstar ht5 (i prefer the mark ii, but the mark i seems oke aswell)

I changed my mind about the overdrive channel. The amp has to have one. I don't want the hassle of different cables and powersuplies for pedals. Out goes the DV Little jazz (wich seems like an extremely good bang for the buck).

The Laney seems interesting too. I'll be checking that out aswell.

**Stefan Eff** · 06-21-2020, 06:19 AM

You gotta know what you want: Solid state? Digital emulations? Real tube circuits?

**Marcel_A** · 06-21-2020, 06:20 AM

Whatever sounds good.

**Joeontheguitar** · 06-21-2020, 09:47 AM

In your list of demands you stated" "i don't need a screaming overdrive but it's allways fun to have one"
But now the LJ is out because it doesn't have an overdrive. If you only use it occasionally maybe it's not that much trouble to hook up a pedal.

I have a Cube 30x and I thought it was a great amp, until I bought the LJ. It is so much better than the Cube. I also have a Fender TMDR which I haven't used since I got the LJ. One downside of the LJ: there's a hiss on the headphones out.

**rpjazzguitar** · 06-21-2020, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by Joeontheguitar

In your list of demands you stated" "i don't need a screaming overdrive but it's allways fun to have one"
But now the LJ is out because it doesn't have an overdrive. If you only use it occasionally maybe it's not that much trouble to hook up a pedal.

I have a Cube 30x and I thought it was a great amp, until I bought the LJ. It is so much better than the Cube. I also have a Fender TMDR which I haven't used since I got the LJ. One downside of the LJ: there's a hiss on the headphones out.

I've been using a Cube 40XL at a rehearsal space when I don't bring the LJ. I played an outdoor gig with the Cube one time. Octet, big backyard party. The Cube was plenty loud enough.

I prefer the LJ. The Cube has more bells and whistles. The LJ sounds better for what I do. It's been loud enough for everything so far and I'm not sure I'll ever want to play louder than it can play.

**Thumpalumpacus** · 06-21-2020, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

Fender Super Champ XD or X2 15W 6V6 1x10 is a sweet tone machine.

I've never played through an X2, but both the XDs I've played (total time, about an hour) were great amps. At $200 used they'd fill the bill nicely here. I heard enough in that hour to make me think the $200 would be well spent; the only reason I didn't go with that is that at the time it wouldn't have been enough for what we were doing.

**Marcel_A** · 06-22-2020, 01:52 AM

The Roland Cubes are good. I had one 20 years ago.
I never used the OD's on it. i remember them being pretty artificial.

If a fender super champ is for sale used i will give it a try.

**medblues** · 06-22-2020, 12:23 PM

I have a Super Champ X2 head, very happy with it. At home, I connect it to a 10 " low-efficiency cab so neighbors and wife would not complain. At jams, I can connect it to a 12" Eminence Wizard (102.8 dB) and get very loud.