Super Low-Wattage Tube amps, let's discuss

[Recycled_Brains]

Or you could hold out for Joe Malone's mini Champ kit, now under discussion at the jlmaudio.com forum...

sexy.

[inverseroom]

Inverse,
Can you post the link for the minichamp? Looks like a fun build. Couldn't find it on the site.

http://www.jlmaudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... c58dd86848

It's on the forum--not a real kit, yet. Sign up and beg for it if you want them to actually sell the thing!!! I plan to...

[dougo]

Thanks for the link on the minichamp. Looks like darn good fun.

[A-Barr]

Funny, I just built basically the same thing for a couple guys who helped me out a lot on my wedding, basically a champ using a 12AX7 and 6AQ5 and ss rectification, cost under a hundred bucks and only took a couple hours to build, I didn't use an EF86 like that thing but I was thinking about it, sure is damn hard to do something original!

6AQ5's are the ultimate low power tube, imho.

[dougo]

Can you post a picture and the schematics. Also a sound clip would be outstanding!

Thanks!

[bamse]

You may want to have a look at the London Power Studio. I can't wait to try one out.



"The STUDIO power amp was the first production amplifier with Power Scaling and true variable power output. Over 40dB of power and loudness range is accessible simply by using the Power Scale control. Power amp compression effects are dialed in using the Sustain control. Limit is used to control power stage distortion at low Power Scale settings. Shape and Sparkle alter low- and high-frequency response respectively."

"Any power tube can be plugged into either/both tube sockets for any range of tones."

[Winstontaneous]

My l'il tube amp is an old Wollensak reel-to-reel. I got it for $5 at a thrift store years ago. It has a 1/4" input, preamp and speaker out jacks, plus a Shure taxi-dispatcher style mic and a small built-in speaker. It has a single tone control that lets get a broad range of sounds. I think it sounds great with guitar and bass through an external cabinet.

I have the exact same one that's featured here: http://www.geocities.com/mrwassail/wollensaktr.html
I remember seeing tons of these in public school growing up in the '70's and '80's.

[bobbyd]

Hi; first post here. One cheap way I have found to get the low-wattage guitar thing happening is with a Crate VC-508. The preamp is pretty much crap on these, but it has an effects loop, allowing you to take advantage of the five watt el-84 power section. You can mix and match preamps of your choice, making for a flexible setup. I use this with a Mesa/Boogie studio preamp, and have been very pleased with the results. They don't make these anymore though, and I don't know if the newer v5 has the effects loop or not.

[yellodoggmusic]

A 70's/Silverface Fender Champ might be worth considering... I think they are 5 or 6 watts. They can get a little loud depending on the speaker, but mine's been a great recording amp so far.

They can be found for well under $500, which will give you enough room to get a new speaker & a cap job.

i second the champ. i have a 70s vibrochamp with a fat weber speaker and NOS tubes, and i record guitars/basses/clavinets/rhodes/synths through it. also silvertone 1482s are a lot of fun. distorting the power tube is what makes amps sound good to my ear.

anyone try the roland micro/cube? not tubes, but I heard one the other day, and when overdriving it the tone was lovely through the 6" speaker, the batteries would sag like a tube rectifier, so it definitely feels like tubes..

[RefD]

A 70's/Silverface Fender Champ might be worth considering... I think they are 5 or 6 watts. They can get a little loud depending on the speaker, but mine's been a great recording amp so far.

They can be found for well under $500, which will give you enough room to get a new speaker & a cap job.

i second the champ. i have a 70s vibrochamp with a fat weber speaker and NOS tubes, and i record guitars/basses/clavinets/rhodes/synths through it. also silvertone 1482s are a lot of fun. distorting the power tube is what makes amps sound good to my ear.

anyone try the roland micro/cube? not tubes, but I heard one the other day, and when overdriving it the tone was lovely through the 6" speaker, the batteries would sag like a tube rectifier, so it definitely feels like tubes..

the old pumpkin orange Roland Cube amps from the 70s and early 80s were great...clean but tough!