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Top Ten List: Best Bedroom/Home Studio Amps


tsp17

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Posted

My basic criteria would be: Small footprint, low weight, sounds great at low to low-moderate volume. Can be fully enjoyed while the family is sleeping, i.e, doesn't necessarily leave you wishing you could be playing louder.

 

I start the nominations with:

 

Blackface Princeton Reverb or PRRI (preferably with a 12 inch speaker - mine has a Cannabis Rex)

 

 

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Posted

Princeton X2, that would be my top choice.

Next: Fender Blues Jr with mods.

Posted

I think anything over 10 watts is too big for "bedroom" you won't be able to turn them up to get into the sweet spot

 

I use my Vox AC4 TV all the time...has great clean sounds, and with a distortion pedal it sounds really good

 

records well too

 

and they are cheap!! $200 or so

Posted

Vox Lil' Night Train.

 

Blackstar HT-5.

 

Orange Tiny Terror.

 

Marshall Class 5

 

No particular order :)

Posted

You're not going to believe it, but my bedroom amp is a Mesa Lonestar 2x12 (the original). 100W of unbridled furry, but the effects loop has a output control that acts like a volume knob after the master volume so the tubes think they are playing a stadium but the volume is just right. It really does sound best with the output over 3 or 4, but on 1 and 2 it is a sweet bedroom amp. You can forget anything over 5 without a stadium.

Posted

You all know my favorite little bedroom amps...Fender Rivera-era Champs, Super Champs, and Princeton Reverb II.

 

But I also dig the Blues Jr. (Bill M mod) for low volume goodness.

Posted

Both Mesa Boogie amps I've owned, Mark iii simulclass and 50 Caliber, sound great at low volumes. The odd thing to me was always that the big stack Mark iii sounded even better at low volumes than the little combo, which sounds good on either clean or od, but to switch smoothly between them likes to be up louder. But either one will do a full on stadium scream at a volume so low you can hear your strings over it.

Posted

I think anything over 10 watts is too big for "bedroom" you won't be able to turn them up to get into the sweet spot

 

I use my Vox AC4 TV all the time...has great clean sounds, and with a distortion pedal it sounds really good

 

records well too

 

and they are cheap!! $200 or so

 

+1

 

That or an SLO 100.

Posted

Mesa Express Plus 5:25. It has three wattage settings. 5,15,25 watts. Sound great at low volume and can compete with 100 watt amps easily. Lotos of controls and ways to use it too. I love mine.

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Posted

Bugera VIntage 5, well made, good design, 8" speaker, ideal for bedroom or even small living room use.

Posted

The ZT Lunchbox is a very good clean sounding amp that takes pedals well. It can perform at bedroom levels. But it can also get loud. It's 200 watts in a 9 pound box.

Posted

Superchamp XD's are pretty good bedroom amps.

 

I use my Supechamp XD for recording and for night time play….I love, love, love this amp not only for it's very credible tone but also it's versatility, it's a really nice value at $350 new!

Posted

I've also got a Bugera V5 that's worth mentioning too.

 

It's got a lot to offer for an amp that costs under $200, it has reverb, a (0.1W, 1W, 5W) switchable power attenuator, 1/4" speaker out, 1/4" headphone out and if you crank that gain all the way up, it's got an awesome sweet spot.

Posted

I have a bugera v5 too and while I really like it, sometimes I find it a little dark. I think it works better with single coils rather than HB

Posted

Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket

2 Channels: Rhythm and Lead+Switchable Contour

3 Band Shared EQ

22 Watts: 4x12AX7 Preamp Tubes & 2xEL84 Power Tubes

Parallel Effects Loop with Mix Control

8-4-4 OHM Outputs

Eminence 10″ 50 Watt 8 OHM Speaker (Labeled as Vintage Black Shadow)

20 lbs

 

 

GEDC0437_zps479c9cc6.jpg

 

Posted

Another one for Mesa.

 

Mesa Lone Star even on 100w setting at 2:00am can give you nice cleans through ACDC, ZZ Top crunch and onto saturated lead sounds. All of them good.

Then you can take it out and play any show from an unmic'd pub gig or jam through to.......any sized venue in the world I guess.

 

I use a 60w fender at home at midnight in the burbs volumes. Always sounds good to me. Couple of stomps pushing the front end and all is good.

 

It doesnt matter what amp Im using whether a 12w Fender 112 or a 100w Mesa 212 Im always going to want to hear it louder. Thats just the nature of sound.

 

The little DR always sounds so much better with the volume between 4-7 than it does at 1-3. Same as any amp.

 

Ive never really liked small watt amps even though I know some of my favourite recorded guitar sounds have been the sound of little fenders cranked.

You're not going to believe it, but my bedroom amp is a Mesa Lonestar 2x12 (the original). 100W of unbridled furry, but the effects loop has a output control that acts like a volume knob after the master volume so the tubes think they are playing a stadium but the volume is just right. It really does sound best with the output over 3 or 4, but on 1 and 2 it is a sweet bedroom amp. You can forget anything over 5 without a stadium.

 

 

Both Mesa Boogie amps I've owned, Mark iii simulclass and 50 Caliber, sound great at low volumes. The odd thing to me was always that the big stack Mark iii sounded even better at low volumes than the little combo, which sounds good on either clean or od, but to switch smoothly between them likes to be up louder. But either one will do a full on stadium scream at a volume so low you can hear your strings over it.

 

 

Mesa Express Plus 5:25. It has three wattage settings. 5,15,25 watts. Sound great at low volume and can compete with 100 watt amps easily. Lotos of controls and ways to use it too. I love mine.

 

 

Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket

2 Channels: Rhythm and Lead+Switchable Contour

3 Band Shared EQ

22 Watts: 4x12AX7 Preamp Tubes & 2xEL84 Power Tubes

Parallel Effects Loop with Mix Control

8-4-4 OHM Outputs

Eminence 10″ 50 Watt 8 OHM Speaker (Labeled as Vintage Black Shadow)

20 lbs

 

 

GEDC0437_zps479c9cc6.jpg

 

 

Posted

Reality is that Mesa makes awesome stuff all around. I wish they placed the control knobs on the top instead of the front of their combos

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