suggestions, all tube amp new or used under $800

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KShef

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i'm in the market for an all tube amp...i play blues and classic rock and care nothing for effects...i don't need huge wattage, just enough to jam and be heard over drums/bass...i have 60W combo amp and never go over 6 on the volume.
i'm ready for something with some real tone

i'm looking to spend less than $800..
amps i'm currently looking at:
fender blues deluxe

fender hot rod deluxe

fender blues jr., local used $299

i found a local Vox AC30CC1 with a 30w Weber Blue Dog Alnico and matched quad set of Sylvania Baldwin NOS 6BQ5's and a "a high-end RCA tube in the V1 spot" for $699

also found a Peavey Classic 30 local used for $350, but i know nothing of peavey amps


any other recommendations/suggestions are greatly appreciated

thanks!
 
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I went tube amp searching and I liked the Crate tube amps too.
No luck with the Blues Jr...get an older one is what I heard, thats what made them popular, the older US made ones.

no expert in the very least....

Valve Jr is fun, but for me I needed some more knobs...if you already have pedals maybe you could do the $150 tube amp thing?

I bought used and got hit for some tubes right away....just fyi.
 
would 15 watts be enough to be heard over drums/bass? this amp will see more bedroom action than anything and i just wonder if 30 watts would be too much? shopping for amps is driving me crazy...after 3 months of looking i'm back to where i started! i decide on something and then change my mind:p
 
KShef said:
would 15 watts be enough to be heard over drums/bass? this amp will see more bedroom action than anything and i just wonder if 30 watts would be too much? shopping for amps is driving me crazy...after 3 months of looking i'm back to where i started! i decide on something and then change my mind:p
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Just end your search and buy this. Dont even think twice just order it. It is pro sound in a small, loud combo.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/prod...e-20th-Anniversary-Model-Combo-Amp?sku=480426

Crank the master volume to 12'oclock, and put the gain on 2 for blues, for classic rock put the gain at high noon. If you solo put a pedal in front.

THe clean channel is very fenderish sounding, really round and bloomy, chimey. Also the headroom for clean volume on the clean channel is really low, so the clean channel wont keep up volume wise with a drum set, but with the gain set right on the lead channel you can clean it up with a roll back of your guitars volume knob.

It is a tone monster.
 
Who are a few players with tone you really like? That might help steer you in the right direction...
 
If you are looking at the Fender Blues line, I wouldn't bother with the Junior - I have one, its great for recording, but doesn't do clean very loud... and it doesn't break up nicely by itself. The Blues Deluxe, on the other hand, is a beast. I have the Blues DeVille, which is overkill unless you are playing in a stadium... I liked its tone when I played it in-store, so naturally I bought it, and never play it over volume 3/12 :p
 
Of the ones you mentioned in your OP, the Vox AC30 with the Weber Blue Dog alnico is a far mile beyond the others in your list. If you have a chance to get an AC30, then those small Fenders and Peaveys should not even be mentioned in the same room. A few simple mods will bring the Classic 30 up to par. But a Blues Jr next to an AC30?? If you have to ask, then you may not be ready for the answer...... (just half kidding!) If you are playing blues, raw blues, pure blues, and nothing but the blues, that's the time to start test driving Fenders.

Others deserving a serious look in your price range have already been mentioned.....especially THD, Traynor YCV20WR is a super buy for under $600, but if you save just another $200 bucks you could get a Mesa 5.25 Express that will do everything you want and more. probably the only tube amp for $1000 or less that can outperform the AC30.

You might also take a look at Frenzel amps. He has an AC30 clone with added bells and whistles, hand built point to point, also has an AC15 clone that will walk all over any small Fender amp. Those are a bargain at $500 bucks base price.

The Traynor YCS100 is a super option, 3 channels each one completely independent, switchable 30 or 100 watt, can be had for $800, built like a tank and I dont mean in China.

If you are feeling nostalgic, you can get a clean mint Super Champ off ebay for about $800, but you have to be ready to live witht he possibility that it may need a cap job, new tubes, and new speaker. Worth it IF you are into that kind of thing. Might do it myself one day.......but I'll do the Frenzel thing first.
 
AC30 or Blues Deluxe.

I love the Blues Deluxe so much i bought 2. One went to my son who plays a Les Paul the other to me on a Tele. I can say that the Les Paul sounds breathtaking through this amp. The humbuckers really light it up.

My Tele sounds better than it ever did through my old 1981 Vibrolux but not quite as impressive still as the Les Paul through the BD. One thing the Blues Deluxe lacks however is tremelo/vibrato. I do miss this feature that my Vibrolux amp has. I went out and bought a Boss Tremelo to cover me on this.

The reverb is quite good on the Deluxe as well. Another cool feature of the BD is the effects loop. My older amp does not have this and it is a really nice feature for getting back to a clean sound without a cadre of pedals loading the signal. The BD is also 40 watts which is more than enough to fill a club and compete with the rest of the band.
 
AC30 was sold just as I inquired about it, so I guess it's out(can't afford a new one):rolleyes:

I'm going on monday to the music stores to try and hear these amps: Traynor YCV20wr, Vox AC15, Hughes & Kettner 20th An., Palomino V32, Blues Deluxe

I've also located a Marshall JTM30 for a reasonable price but I know nothing of them. Anyone played/owned one?

Thanks for all the helpful replies:)
 
for bedroom playing IMO the AC30 is way too loud and youl have to put the master volume down a lot which will rob you of tone.

tha ac15cc is a great amp but definitely change the stock tubes and get a weber blue dog if u dont get he one with celestions. i did that to mine and it really opened the amp up.

also consider the fender deluxe reverb although that will probably be too loud for bedroom playing too.

a tube amp that does jamming with a drummer and bedroom playing will most likely need to to be attenuated (master vol etc) which will rob you of tone.

amps like the valve jr or great for the bedroom and even at 5w can be too loud.
 
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Traynor, if you can afford Hughes and Kettner, they sound sweet, but very pricey. We have a Trilogy in the basement that rocks and a Statesman on the way
 
Rickson Gracie said:
tha ac15cc is a great amp but definitely change the stock tubes and get a weber blue dog if u dont get he one with celestions. i did that to mine and it really opened the amp up.
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This was my next thought.....

The best way to compare amps is to pick one speaker cab and plug each one into that cab. If you really want to hear the differences between the amps themselves, then you need to play them all thru the same speaker. If you do that, I think you'll find that the Palomino and perhaps the Fender will drop off your list, and the Traynor and the Hughes will stand out. But the AC15 will not be easy to walk away from either..... That Traynor is a real work horse amp, it is designed to be able to play into a 2 ohm load, they (the Traynor tube amps) are made in Canada. The only thing you need to know about the YCV20 amps is that Celestions are the only speakers that will fit inside them. They are designed to fit with a Celestion speaker basket. Other speakers have different shape baskets/frames and the frames will rest up against the tubes. Celestions are the only frames that do not touch the tubes. Which is not a bad thing, especially since Traynor went ahead and put the Greenback speaker in the YCV20WR. The Vintage 30 is even better in there!! A Hot 100 sounds great too! G12K100 is really nice in that thing!
 
A few simple mods will bring the Classic 30 up to par.
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I totally agree with this statement. I own a classic 30. I use a Vintage 30 in it. The Peavey speaker that came in it just didn't cut it. Also get a matched set of tubes and it will sound alot better. I put JJ's in mine. My classic 30 now has a Marshall quality to it. :D
 
Based on the music you play - you may want to check out Orange amps. You should be able to find a Tiny Terror amp and a ppc112 (or any other cab that you can get or may have) for ~$800.
 
I had a Blues Jr. tweed "limited edition" that sounded freaking very nice. The "limited edition" part was the tweed and a different speaker, apparently. Anyway, I gigged with it for a couple of years and played with a very LOUD drummer with no issues. I put it on a stand and pointed at where I was going to be standing (like a monitor) and mic'd it with an sm57. I used a tube screamer, wah, and optical compressor and it worked great for everything from BB King covers, to Stevie Ray Vaughan, to Hendrix. I got a surprising number of compliments on my tone after getting that amp and even more often after I got my custom shop strat.

I eventually sold it to buy a Dr. Z Karmen Ghia head and a 12" speaker cab. I'd rather play through that amp than have sex. More satisfaction. Seriously. :D:D Crank it up and control the drive with your volume knob or pick. It's so damn sweet....

http://www.drzamps.com/ghia.html <- The 2 x 10" combo is INCREDIBLE for blues, although out of your stated price range. You might be able to find a good deal for it on eBay. On top of making some damn nice amps, their service is great. I've even called before and talked to "Dr. Z" himself when mine kept blowing out fuses. (Turns out it was a rectifier tube. Easy fix.) He helped me in spite of the fact I bought the amp from eBay.

EDIT: Many of the young guitarists at our local open mic blues gathering hate my rig. "Where's the reverb, man? And you need more GAIN. Why just two knobs?" The old farts love it.
 
arcaxis said:
If you've got a Guitar Center close by, take a look at the Crate Palomino V32, 30 watter. IOn sale at GC....
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Palomino-V32-30W-Class-A-Tube-Combo-Amp-487828-i1146112.gc
There are a few video demos of the Palomino series on Youtube. This one got me interested in trying the V16..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQSjlM5ZXdw
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I have tried the Crate V32 numerous times and it is just an outstanding amplifier for the price. Now on sale for $399 I believe. It is definitely a loud sucker if need be. A ton of power. Nice tone too. It clearly sounds better than the V16 but then again, it has twice the wattage. It does tend to run a bit hot and I have seen reviews on Harmony Central where users are buying little fans to keep it cooled. Check out the reviews on Harmony Central too.
 
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