Recommendations needed for new amp purchase

[Hfan]

I'm in the market for a brand new low wattage (15-20Watts with one 12" speaker should be fine) tube amp combo that is not too large. I would like something reliable that I can just power up and use. I currently have an old Fender Twin and a modded Blues Junior that are both "works in progress"..I may wind up modding/tinkering with them, when I can find time, for the foreseeable future.

 

I'm a home hobbyist and play a lot of blues, some funk, southern rock etc and would like an amp with decent reverb that will break up nicely (crunchy blues tone) , without too much volume. Price is an issue, I'd like to keep it somewhere around $500 or a little more, maybe $700, maximum. Anything out there that is all tube circuitry at this price point? If not I'm open to suggestions. I've been out of the loop regarding amps besides the few amps I knew back in the 70's, now there seem to be countless choices out there; I don't know where to start. If I could narrow down my options somewhat I could look for local examples in my area.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Thundersteel]

I know you said you didn't want to go over 20 watts, but I've heard good things about these:

 

Peavey Delta Blues 115--about $650 street price; 49 lbs. Also available as a 210. Made in the USA!

 

From their website: "Classic style, classic tone and modern versatility. If the blues is your way of life, this is your amp. 30 classic all-tube watts are way louder than solid state and modern flexibility comes from a tremolo with speed and intensity controls, pre-and post-gain controls on the lead channel, 3-band passive EQ, a boost switch, external speaker jack, and an effects loop. Jamming or gigging, this baby can hold down your end of the sound."

 

FEATURES:

 

* 30 watts into 16 or 8 ohms

* All-tube (three 12AX7 and four EL84 tubes)

* 2-channel preamp

* One 15 inch Blue Marvel® speaker

* Tremolo with speed and intensity

* Pre- and post-gain controls on lead channel

* Normal volume control on clean channel

* 3-band passive EQ (bass, middle, treble)

* Boost switch

* Master reverb

* Footswitch selectable channel switching and tremolo

* Effects loop

* Classic tweed covering

* Chrome-plated chassis

* External speaker jack

 

 

 

Or, Peavey Classic 30--about $600 street price; 40 lbs. Made in the USA!

 

From their website: "The Classic® 30/112 has been redesigned with an all-new chassis design, but still features the distinctive sound and circuitry of the renowned Classic® Series amps."

 

FEATURES:

 

* 30 watts (rms) into 16 or 8 ohms

* Four EL84s and three 12AX7s

* 12 inch Blue Marvel® speaker

* 2-channel preamp

* Pre- and post-gain controls on lead channel

* Normal volume control on clean channel

* 3-band passive EQ (bass, middle, treble)

* Boost switch

* Reverb level control

* Effects loop

* Footswitch selectable channel switching and reverb

* External speaker capability

* Chrome-plated chassis

* Classic tweed covering

 

[pegleg32]

Hfan, I am also a home hobbiest guitar player and I also have a Fender BJ with all the BillM mods and an eminence cannabis rex speaker, so we have a few things in common. I recently bought a 5 watt Laney L5T 112 that I have been really happy with. I paid $625 at a close out sale so it might push the upper part of your price range. rjsanders recently mentioned this ValveTrain amp and it certainly looks interesting: http://www.cbperkins.com/Merchant5/merchan...egory_Code=Amps

 

Also I will PM you on my Reichter which is for sale.

[Gitfiddler]

+1 for the Peavey Delta Blues 115. I bought one at a dealer close-out for a stupid low price, but bang for buck, it was one of the best amps I ever owned.

 

I upgraded the tubes to JJs and turned it into a real tone demon!

 

With your listed guitars and playing style, it would sound fantastic.

[rjsanders]

Hfan, I am also a home hobbiest guitar player and I also have a Fender BJ with all the BillM mods and an eminence cannabis rex speaker, so we have a few things in common. I recently bought a 5 watt Laney L5T 112 that I have been really happy with. I paid $625 at a close out sale so it might push the upper part of your price range. rjsanders recently mentioned this ValveTrain amp and it certainly looks interesting: http://www.cbperkins.com/Merchant5/merchan...egory_Code=Amps

 

Also I will PM you on my Reichter which is for sale.

 

that little Concord was nice! am looking forward to trying the Trenton soon, but it's >$700. still - hand-wired, all-U.S., etc....my personal choice would be the new Juke Coda, but i digress.

 

+ for the Peavey Classic 30. the Blues Jr. should do it once you get 'er done, great little amp for the price. mine has a Greenback in it & that made a lot of difference. you might also look for lower-end used Riveras, like a Pubster or Clubster or R30 or Rivera-era Fenders (1982-1985 or so)

[blueox]

I'm in the market for a brand new low wattage (15-20Watts . . .) tube amp combo . . . I'm a home hobbyist and play a lot of blues, some funk, southern rock etc and would like an amp with decent reverb that will break up nicely (crunchy blues tone) , without too much volume.

 

The Peavey Delta Blues (15" speaker), which I own, is a great amp as mentioned and would suit your style. That 15" speaker makes it different from almost everything else. It seems to pop up here fairly often in recommendations. However, it has proven to be almost too loud for me, so I don't think it can reach its full potential in a home setting. Your criteria of 15 watts is about right, and one that can be adjusted even lower would be better--to be able to turn it up, yet not overwhelm your ears. Consider an amp without reverb, as you can get an Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail pedal later.

[SouthpawGuy]

One to keep an eye out for is the new Laney Cub 12R ....

 

-----------------

 

Laney CUB12R

 

The Laney CUB 12R valve guitar amplifier offers you 15 watts of all tube tone with a twist. The CUB 12R features the new "Less than 1 watt option"! Plug your guitar into the regular input and you get 15 watts but plug into the unique 1 watt socket and you get exactly that - Less than 1 watt of output which means you can wind the amp up hard and get great tube tone at a really usable level, great for recording in small studio or playing at home.

 

The CUB 12R features a preamp consisting of Reverb, Tone, Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble and Gain and houses a Celestion Custom 12" Driver.

 

Features:

 

 

15 Watts

 

Less Than 1 Watt Input for Recording and Practicing

 

Celestion 12" Driver

 

All Tube British Classic Design

 

Reverb, Bass, Middle and Treble Controls

 

Tilt Feature

 

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/86321

 

-----------------------

 

http://www.laney.co.uk/news/?p=588

 

pic ....

[212Mavguy]

All right, now for one admittedly out of .....where? , but since the OP is a home hobbyist, why not build a kit combo from Weber, Allen, or Ceriatone? Better tone possible than with the parts used in mass production amps mentioned here, especially for the vintage old stock vacuum tube users...

[Kuz]

To quote Professor Yoslate..."Buy cheap, you buy twice".

 

I would save up and buy a truly good used amp on e-bay (Headstrong Lil King, Chicago Blues Box amps, Carr amps, ect). These can be had used for a little over $1000.

 

I wished I would have saved all the money I spent on compromising for things I really didn't want, but could only afford at the time.

 

Just my .02

[Hfan]

Thanks for all the good advise guys. If I had the time I would consider a kit amp/components but any free time I get I would rather be playing and not tinkering. A higher end used option is interesting if it was reliable...back to the possible tinkering deal or service from a tech.

 

I stumbled on the Peavy products some of you guys recommended..sounds like an option. I could buy new and have a warranty or return protection for a period of time.

[blueox]

Another option is the: Carvin Vintage 16. I also own this one. It is a good all-tube amp for the money, and they've got a sale going on now. They compare it to a $795.00 amp. Set it at 5 or 16 watts. However, since it is sold direct from factory, you can't walk in and audition it with your guitar. Would it work for you? Check out their return policy in case you have to send it back.

[Hfan]

This one sounds interesting, wish they had a store I could try one at. I'll check out the return policy..Thanks

 

Another option is the: Carvin Vintage 16. I also own this one. It is a good all-tube amp for the money, and they've got a sale going on now. They compare it to a $795.00 amp. Set it at 5 or 16 watts. However, since it is sold direct from factory, you can't walk in and audition it with your guitar. Would it work for you? Check out their return policy in case you have to send it back.

[t0aj15]

I got rid of both my Peavey 30 & 50 because reliability sucked, they are cheaply built, and I'm just not a fan of EL84 tubes. For a grab and go amp I replaced them with a Traynor YCV-50 Blue which IMO is a far better sounding amp as well as being of much better quality. Traynor YCV-50B

After checking to get the URL I see that they've recently changed the color of the the original Blue tolex to Black, and have gone back to their original logo.

[smurph1]

+1 on The Peavey Classic 30!! Just bought one..Full clean tone, nice reverb, and great overdrive tone..Especially with humbuckers..

[Patrick]

I'm in the market for a brand new low wattage (15-20Watts with one 12" speaker should be fine) tube amp combo that is not too large. I would like something reliable that I can just power up and use. I currently have an old Fender Twin and a modded Blues Junior that are both "works in progress"..I may wind up modding/tinkering with them, when I can find time, for the foreseeable future.

 

I'm a home hobbyist and play a lot of blues, some funk, southern rock etc and would like an amp with decent reverb that will break up nicely (crunchy blues tone) , without too much volume. Price is an issue, I'd like to keep it somewhere around $500 or a little more, maybe $700, maximum. Anything out there that is all tube circuitry at this price point? If not I'm open to suggestions. I've been out of the loop regarding amps besides the few amps I knew back in the 70's, now there seem to be countless choices out there; I don't know where to start. If I could narrow down my options somewhat I could look for local examples in my area.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

There's a company in NJ called Fuchs Amps. If you google them you'll find them. The owner is Andy Fuchs. If you call him, he will take your call. They are not a small or an unknown company. Andy has made amps for John Mayer and many of the other well known artists. He black faced a dead mint 1970 Pro Reverb silver face for me and did a repair on my jazz Evans 850. He makes tube amps exclusively. Call him and mention "Patrick" . . referencing the amps he did for me. He's a great guy, very approachable and will give you expert advice on the amp of your dreams. He's not very expensive, but he's not cheap either. You may have to buy through an authorized dealer. If so, contact Jay Wolfe or Graham at Wolfe Guitars in Jupiter Florida.

[Hfan]

Yes I met Andy once at a guitar show here in NJ, seemed like a nice guy. His amps have a very good reputation. I almost brought my Twin to him for the blackfacing and restoration but decided to do it myself, had a little more time then. It came out pretty well considering I was a first timer working on tube circuits (I was a field service guy working on large printers for many years so I wasn't totally clueless).

 

I actually broke out the Twin yesterday, it had been unused for about 10 months after I worked on it. After a little tube swapping it worked really well, the thing has great head room for clean tones (has the original JBL D120s). It was one of my old amps from high school in the early 70's that I had sold and repurchased 15 years later, there is some sentimental value or I would sell it, it is crazy loud and heavy.

 

There's a company in NJ called Fuchs Amps. If you google them you'll find them. The owner is Andy Fuchs. If you call him, he will take your call. They are not a small or an unknown company. Andy has made amps for John Mayer and many of the other well known artists. He black faced a dead mint 1970 Pro Reverb silver face for me and did a repair on my jazz Evans 850. He makes tube amps exclusively. Call him and mention "Patrick" . . referencing the amps he did for me. He's a great guy, very approachable and will give you expert advice on the amp of your dreams. He's not very expensive, but he's not cheap either. You may have to buy through an authorized dealer. If so, contact Jay Wolfe or Graham at Wolfe Guitars in Jupiter Florida.

[Patrick]

Yes I met Andy once at a guitar show here in NJ, seemed like a nice guy. His amps have a very good reputation. I almost brought my Twin to him for the blackfacing and restoration but decided to do it myself, had a little more time then. It came out pretty well considering I was a first timer working on tube circuits (I was a field service guy working on large printers for many years so I wasn't totally clueless).

 

I actually broke out the Twin yesterday, it had been unused for about 10 months after I worked on it. After a little tube swapping it worked really well, the thing has great head room for clean tones (has the original JBL D120s). It was one of my old amps from high school in the early 70's that I had sold and repurchased 15 years later, there is some sentimental value or I would sell it, it is crazy loud and heavy.

 

 

I noticed on your info that you're from the Jersey Shore area. I'm from Toms River

[rjsanders]

big fan of Fuchs stuff, have had 4 mods done. here's his page for that. note: mods alone will probably be >$700, at least they were.

[hiro]

+1 got the delta blues amp .. .

 

great amp.

 

Also peaveys are tough . . . my friend's band had one. IT was on the stage and after a few songs, the stage shakes and begins rising up like an elevator. The classic 30 tips on the balance whilst the stage rising up 3 feet. Then just as the drummer stands up and dash over, it tumbles off the edge, and rolls down the stairs, dragging the extension cord. Turns out a roadie was making some serious love on the wall with some groupie girl, and they hit the stage rise switch.

 

He was bummed out but the peavey repair guy called him a day after he dropped it off the shop, nothing wrong with it. Only thing he has done since the incident is replace the tubes a year later. . .

[Rude Dog]

Check these out:

 

http://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/id16.html

 

I have deluxe plus, and have had it for about 4 years and it kicks major a$$!

[Rude Dog]

Check these out:

 

http://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/id16.html

 

I have deluxe plus, and have had it for about 4 years and it kicks major a$$!

 

And Jim's a great guy with great customer service; even years after my purchase.

[Hfan]

Thanks for all the recommendations. The Peavy 30 sounds interesting, reasonable price as well. I'll try to find one local I can try out.

[Hfan]

I noticed on your info that you're from the Jersey Shore area. I'm from Toms River

 

I'm in Brick Twp, I'll shoot you a pm.

[212Mavguy]

That Frenzel "linked" to line of amps has a well deserved rep for great build and tones. Construction style to my knowledge is point to point handwired, excellent for ease of repair (unlikely) or tweaking gain/tone stuff via circuit component values. The Frenzel stuff has a history of great value/sound for the dollar on the new or second owner+ market.

[Rude Dog]

Yep, old school PTP wiring

 

A chassis pic:

http://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/sitebuilder...wiringfm5e3.jpg