What's your FAVORITE small amp

r0ck1r0ck2 · Post by **r0ck1r0ck2** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:28 am

gibson amp are a totally different beast..
nothing to do with the amps...
i'm with s00p3rm4n on this...
ga-5 rules my whole thing..
but i'm hoping to keep them undervalued for years...soo i wasn't gonna mention em..but they stomp...

old small amps really are different like snowflakes...especially the gibsons..

analoghacker · Post by **analoghacker** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:08 am

champ, vibro champ, or any princeton... can be found reasonable. the small gibsons and ampegs are better but more money.
or you can make your own!

jc

Bill @ Irie Lab · Post by **Bill @ Irie Lab** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:28 am

Jeremy,

I saw that you specified tube amps but Fender's small practice amps with transistors that were made when Paul Rivera was the chief designer rock for keys. (80's vintage, maybe)

I have a 15 watt champ w/ a Celestion in it and run my (virtual) Rhodes, B-3, and Wurli piano through it. Mic'd with a 57 it's a taste of old-time mojo.

Master volume, adjustable gain, real boost/cut EQ, it's another range of flavors - cheap.

My 2/100ths of a dollar; and worth every penny.

Bill

musikman316 · Post by **musikman316** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:42 am

Another vote for the Fender Pro Junior.

Josh

Ben Logan · Post by **Ben Logan** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:08 am

I've got both a silverface Fender Champ and a silverface MusicMaster bass amp. I prefer the MusicMaster. It's got one twelve, and it's about a 10 or 12 watt job I think. More bass than with the Champ. This thing's a sleeper hit. You can find them cheap on Ebay. For some reason though, I've blown the resistors in this guy twice. WTF? This thing has nickle and dimed me to death. I've sunk like 150 bucks worth of repairs into a 150 bone amp...

But...the tone!

Brian Brock · Post by **Brian Brock** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:13 am

I had a pro junior for a day and while I absolutely loved the sound, I found it very poorly put together. One of the preamp tubes rattled at Bflat, making a high pitched noise - I guess this is due a flimsy chasis and pcb-mounted tube sockets or something. For that matter the whole amp rattled like a paper bag.

Oh well.

r0ck1r0ck2 · Post by **r0ck1r0ck2** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:16 am

funny just the other day i waslooking for an amp with a little more volume than my skylark(true love) for stage work...and i came across a musicmaster...
wanna a/b the 2 and see if the fender can hang...in the store....i didn't think so...but the skylarks got an alnico..that might be part of it

really wanna find a 20w(ish) Gibson or something

mjau · Post by **mjau** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:17 am

Fender Pro Jr. - one more vote, but do watch out for the occasional poorly built one. Some people crap on the Orange AD series, but I like the one I used to have - just a different flavor from Fender, Marshall, and Vox. On the cheap, a modded out Laney LC15 can be a very cool little amp.

squarewave · Post by **squarewave** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:54 am

I use a Fender princeton reverb and a Vox AC 15 and I can get all the sounds I need. I also own a Zvex Nano Amp, but I'm not so crazy about it. Good for some things but it's not the closet Marshall I imagined it would be.

sw

rydaken · Post by **rydaken** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 12:12 pm

Kay 703 is one of my favorites. It looks like it was made out of a kitchen drawer. Three tubes, two knobs. It has an 8" speaker and breaks up pretty nicely without being too loud. Also, someone else mentioned the Magnatone, they're pretty cool.

Cojonesonasteek · Post by **Cojonesonasteek** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 12:13 pm

More votes for the Champ/VibroChamp (I have a nice '65 VC) & AC-15 Top Boost. The Marshall PA 20 (1968-75?) is a sleeper rock/blues amp (especially if you can find a matching 1x12 ministack), and the Dr Z MAZ 18 Jr. is my fave recent small design, very close to a BF Deluxe with more tonal variations.

justinf · Post by **justinf** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:05 pm

Was there a budget mentioned? I have about ten cool small tube amps (including the lovable Pro Jr) but my favorite right now is my newest one, a Savage Macht 12. It is frickin unbelieveable in the way in brings out the distinct character in every guitar. Also, the Dr Z offerings are awesome. These are all starting around a grand though. . .pricey but well worth it.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:18 pm

You don't say but my 73 Suitcase has built-in vibrato.

As far as it being a Suitcase, the amp has 4x12" speakers and 300 S/S watts; part of the fun is the low notes.

I understand that the traditional amp for the 73 Stage is the Twin.

Pro Jr. is one of my favorite amps, but I think it would not be the best choice based on power and durability.

If you want something small and cheap, I would go with a S/S Peavy, and at least 100 watts and 2x12" if you are playing live.

KennyLusk · Post by **KennyLusk** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:27 pm

squarewave wrote:I use a Fender princeton reverb and a Vox AC 15 and I can get all the sounds I need. I also own a Zvex Nano Amp, but I'm not so crazy about it. Good for some things but it's not the closet Marshall I imagined it would be.

sw

Thanks for the info SW. I've been wondering about the ZVex stuff recently. Especially the Nano Head.

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:02 pm

WELL WELL WELL if you are talking 2 x 12 solid state, I will endorse my fave amp ever: Yamaha g100 2 x 12. I came upon it in a search for an ideal Peavey for pedal steel. All the Peaveys I tried were ultra-cheesy. The Yamaha is ultraclean, egregiously loud, 2 channels, decent (solid state) drive, and dead quiet between notes. There is a choice spring reverb. I'd never give it up for a Peavey.

Cheap, too. Nobody thinks much about the Yamaha "brownface" stuff.

Ahoy.

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What's your FAVORITE small amp

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