Good cheap small guitar amps for recording

onlyreason · Post by **onlyreason** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 3:38 pm

So what are everyone's faves when it comes to inexpensive small combo amps?

I know there are a lot of gems out there. Maybe focus on solid-state since people don't often do that.

??????? · Post by **???????** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 3:54 pm

dunno about old solid-state, and that makes me not so sure I understand what you want with "cool small guitar amp for recording."

However, in the tube world, the Silvertone 1481 and 1482, and any of the cool old Valco made amps (national, supro, airline, etc.) come highly recommended. These (esp. the silvertones) totally rule and often can be had in local buy-n-sell papers/craigslist for under 100 bux.

I have never been that thrilled with old small Gibson amps, for the record. It's entirely likely that I just never found the right ones.

And the Fender Pro Jr. is also good for a certain kind of thing. I have one that's been modified to the hilt.

Of course you can't beat an old tweed champ but those are $$$ nowadays. FOR THE RECORD, the circuit of the blackface champ never ever changed, so a late 70s silverface is the same as a '64 blackface. Now the quality of components inside may be a different story...

Scodiddly · Post by **Scodiddly** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:45 pm

Keep an eye out for old record players with a mic input - quite often they're cheap, and have real actual tubes inside.

??????? · Post by **???????** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:55 pm

and to that end I had an old Webcor 2 track that sounded righteous with a guitar played through it. THen I stole the Mullard tubes for various guitar amps

ladewd · Post by **ladewd** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 6:14 pm

You can still find original Ampegs for pretty cheap on ebay. I have a Reverborocket I paid $80 for about 15 years ago. I re capped and re-tubed it and it wails.

CA

Jeff White · Post by **Jeff White** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 8:11 pm

Tubes = Good

i just picked up a Fender Pro Jr and retubed it with JJ's. I love this amp. Les Paul, Sheraton, and Telecaster all sound incredible through this little amp.

I also will mention:

Peavey Classic 20/30
Mesa DC series
Fender Blackface or Silverface Champ / Vibro Champ
Fender Princeton Reverb (my next amp)
Vintage Ampeg tube amps

Jeff

Recycled_Brains · Post by **Recycled_Brains** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:46 am

i love old ampegs. i've got an old Reverbrocket that smokes....especially when you crank it, and can be really awesome with the right distortion pedal, if that's the sound you're going for. my bassist has an old VT40 ampeg and an old Gibson w/ built in vibrato that sounds really smooth. both of the later sound really good with a bass or fender rhodes plugged in as well.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:34 am

[ Maybe focus on solid-state since people don't often do that.[/quote]

I can't think of one solid state amp that really does it for me????

they all sound like toys when you crank em.

Harry

??????? · Post by **???????** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:41 am

to that end the worst sounding amp I ever heard was my old Univox solid state. I bought it instantly... the cheesiest paperiest reverb and a tremolo that works only when the "speedtensity" control was in a certain range. Everything I put through it sounds terrible. Totally worth the 30 dollars I paid.

I ran the Farfisa organ through it on my last record and it sure sounded trashy.

mjau · Post by **mjau** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 8:02 am

I recently scored a 20 watt Hiwatt, and put in some JJ's and a Weber speaker. Went from being a pretty good amp to "Wow." Give me that amp, a tele, and a zvex SHO, and I'm set.
Also, the Orange AD series of small combo amps is pretty nice, though don't expect huge raging Orange tones. Think more like an ac15 on steroids. Not a cheap amp, though.
I've owned a couple of Laney LC series amps - a 15 watter and a 30 watter. Class a/b, and not bad for the chimey thing.

scott anthony · Post by **scott anthony** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 8:36 am

We used to have a solid state Randall RG 80 combo (150 Watt w/Celestion 12") at Harold Dessau that had a lot of fans. I can't imagine they are very expensive.

mrclean · Post by **mrclean** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 8:44 am

The little VOX Valvetronix AD15VT is pretty nifty.

It has a wide variety of sounds: "The Valve Reactor circuit uses a 12AX7 triode vacuum tube together with an actual low-wattage tube power amp circuit, a virtual output transformer and a dummy speaker circuit that simulates the impedance changes of a real speaker."

Great little amp for practice and recording. Line out even. The larger 30W even allows you to adjust the output wattage...

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:33 am

The Peevey Bravo is a small tube type combo (el84 pair) that rocks big time. The secret sound is turning the clean channel all the way up....these things not only sound huge, they sound right! They can currently be had used for around $200.00 on ebay. I know guys who gig with these. Miced up, they sound fantastic!

blunderfonics · Post by **blunderfonics** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 10:11 am

On the cheap solid state tip: One of the guitar players in my band uses a little tweed Fender Bronco through a Mesa 1x12 cab. It sounds great in a crunchy, classic-rock kind of way. I think he got it at a yard sale for $25.

KilledByAlbany · Post by **KilledByAlbany** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 10:46 am

http://www.handsomefamily.com/gregspage.html

This dude makes some pretty cool solid state (and now some tube too) designs for very little money. I am waiting until I see one that I absolutely love before ordering from him (I love "The Martian" in the museum page...I curse whoever bought it!), so I can't vouch for the sound quality. But if nothing else, they would make an awesome conversation piece...

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Good cheap small guitar amps for recording

Good cheap small guitar amps for recording

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