Need a small tube amp. Should I get a Blackstar HT-1 for my studio?

I am, too, looking for the same amp. Trying to decide between the VOX Lil Night Train, HT-1, and the Orange Tiny Terror.

I played the VOX Lil Night Train ("LNT") at GC through an Egnater 1x12. They did not have a 1x10 cab, and I want to stay in the sub $350 range.

I really liked the VOX LNT, it had nice cleans and thick dirty sounds. I was also playing through a 12" cab which might make a HUGE difference because the surface area is 56% larger, therefore there can be more bass and warmth, and it might related to the cleans in the same way. The only think that I did not like was that there is no attenuator, therefore you don't have much volume control as you have with the AC4TV.

8 inch speaker area: 201 square inches
10 inch speaker area: 314 square inches (56% larger than the 8")
12 inch speaker area: 452 square inches (44% larger than the 10 inch)

I currently own a VOX AC4TV, which is a great little amp, but I would like something that has more headroom at a lower wattage. The problem with the AC4TV is that I have to turn down the volume to about 1-2 to get a nice clean sound (with a humbucker guitar, a Gibson Les Paul). The LNT looks promising so I think I might try to get one with a 10 inch cab (same as the AC4TV, but different wiring).

I would be interested in what others say about amps in the sub $400 range that fit the description we give.
 
arcadeko said:
They are sick man - you should play on if you get a chance. The tone is just totally thick and dense - like the cave!
Click to expand...

Yes it does, but perhaps thats not the tone OP is going for. If so, fine, but the SCXD has way more tonal options. And here is a trick to coax the tube tone out of one:

Get yourself a really decent low gain OD pedal.(Timmy, SHOD, Ecstacy, ect) and set the gain low and the volume high. That will push those tubes from the front end so that even at lower volumes it will sound like a dream.
 
I did some more research, and I found out that much of the tone depends on the type of tubes that are in the amp!

I have a VOX AC4TV, which sounds GREAT when I play it at the 4W setting, but that is too loud for my apartment, I then was starting to look at the Vox lil night train head and then get a 10" cab for it (probably the VOX cab).

So here is my question: The VOX comes with a 12AX7 tube (coincidentally, the same one that the Fender Super Champ 600 comes with). The 12AX7 has a gain factor of 100.
12AU7 has a gain factor of 19
12AY7 has a gain factor of 45
12AT7 has a gain factor of 60

The AC4TV has an attenuator of 4-1-1/4 Watts, and I wonder if the sound will remain the same proportional to volume.

Basically, what I am hoping to get is for more headroom at higher volumes, at a lower attenuation. Does this make sense?
 
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