Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Make it loud here.
User avatar
kgbAttack
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 225
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:30 am
Location: Europe

Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by kgbAttack » Tue Apr 14, 2020 9:27 am

Hi guys,

So I am looking for a second amp to keep at home. At first I wanted a second amp to tinker with the idea of a dry/wet rig, or try stereo, but at this moment I find myself in need of an amp quite urgently because my dear old Mesa is in need of a tech repair and who knows when I'll be able to do that.

However I don't really know what to choose. My Mesa is a small combo that mounts EL84 tubes, not the typical 6L6 American tubes. To complement it, I was thinking of getting something more on the "American" side, but most small size amps mount EL84 anyway.

I'm not planning to gig with the amp, but I do like my gains - so it should take pedals well.

Some sparse considerations:
  • I would prefer a detached amp/speaker, to keep weight/space manageable.
  • I could attach the head to my Mesa's speaker for the time being, and get a new speaker later on.
  • Price range - 5-700 euros.
  • Some sort of DI/Cab sim output to plug directly to the audio card would be really cool.
  • I'm really fascinated by the Iridium, but the fact that I need a flat response powered speaker turns me off.
  • Milkman the amp seems quite nice, though I do not need another reverb/tremolo.
  • A friend of mine recommended me the Laney Lionheart series: the L5-Studio head looks really cool but it has a million features and for the price range I wonder what components did they save on.

Thanks is advance!

User avatar
marqueemoon
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 7346
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by marqueemoon » Tue Apr 14, 2020 10:46 am

If you were in the US I’d say stretch the budget and look for a Swart STR Tremolo. I LOVE mine.

A used Princeton Reverb reissue paired with a Two Notes Studio Capture would probably be close to the budget.

I’ve tried a few Vox AC4s and liked them. Some have an external speaker out where you could connect a load box. There are head/cab versions out there of the TV ones.

As far as heads go, maybe a 5F2A (tweed Princeton) clone cage head? Wangs makes a few baby heads. The Suhr Corso looks neat, but not sure if there’s a euro version.

I had a VHT Special 6 head for a while. It was kind of brittle and congested sounding at band volumes, but sounded decent at bedroom level.

User avatar
kgbAttack
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 225
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:30 am
Location: Europe

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by kgbAttack » Tue Apr 14, 2020 10:54 pm

Thanks! I'll check out the AC4.

I tried to look for the Swart STR Tremolo but I don't think I can find it here in Europe. Same for Suhr Corso, there's one second-hand for sale, but too far to try it.

Any experience with the new Fender digital amps, the Twin or the Deluxe? Those have a weight in the ballpark I'm looking for.

User avatar
marqueemoon
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 7346
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by marqueemoon » Tue Apr 14, 2020 11:41 pm

It’s going to be tough finding an amp with actual tubes with weight that’s on par with the Tone Master Deluxe or Twin.

Under other circumstances I’d say go play a bunch of amps in person, but sadly that is not an option right now.

User avatar
Ftoronado
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Nov 15, 2019 12:40 pm

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by Ftoronado » Thu Apr 16, 2020 1:44 am

I'd check the Laney Lionheart 5 studio.

In your budget for new.
Mix of fender-british sound, lots of options, for recording and re-amping too.

User avatar
somanytoys
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3325
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 1:59 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by somanytoys » Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:04 am

If you like the Vox AC sound, I would also recommend either an AC4TV head & cab, or possibly an AC10C1.

I have 2 of the TV “stacks”, and an AC4C1. The only 2 drawbacks to the TV is that it’s only a single stage as far as the tubes - 1 pre and 1 power, and just a volume & tone knob (no gain/volume or bass/treble). When you turn it up, it starts to get very gainy very quickly.

My AC4C1 has 3 pre & 2 power tubes, and I’m guessing the AC10 has at least that many, and has more watts, for when you may need it. It also has gain and volume knobs, and bass & treble, which does make a big difference for both things.

All of those should all be able to feed out into another cabinet, all of my Voxes do.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

User avatar
Danley
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2103
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:46 am
Location: California Republic

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by Danley » Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:12 am

somanytoys wrote:
Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:04 am
If you like the Vox AC sound, I would also recommend either an AC4TV head & cab, or possibly an AC10C1.

I have 2 of the TV “stacks”, and an AC4C1. The only 2 drawbacks to the TV is that it’s only a single stage as far as the tubes - 1 pre and 1 power, and just a volume & tone knob (no gain/volume or bass/treble). When you turn it up, it starts to get very gainy very quickly.

My AC4C1 has 3 pre & 2 power tubes, and I’m guessing the AC10 has at least that many, and has more watts, for when you may need it. It also has gain and volume knobs, and bass & treble, which does make a big difference for both things.

All of those should all be able to feed out into another cabinet, all of my Voxes do.
My 10" AC4C1 has three tubes total - two pre, one power (I just replaced them yesterday to sell it.) It's LOUD, and a very good amp - particularly if you want to sound like a stereotypical Vox. I think it's a great 'second' amp, but it doesn't get played as much as my others which is the only reason it's getting sold.
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

User avatar
marqueemoon
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 7346
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by marqueemoon » Thu Apr 16, 2020 12:45 pm

Ftoronado wrote:
Thu Apr 16, 2020 1:44 am
I'd check the Laney Lionheart 5 studio.

In your budget for new.
Mix of fender-british sound, lots of options, for recording and re-amping too.
Definitely lots of options.

Digital reverb and no tube rectifier. There is an effects loop though, so you could park whatever reverb you want there if you want to mix things up.

Personally I'd go with a more bare bones good sounding amp and a load box and let the cabinet/mic/room emulation live in the software world.

Digital standards change all the damn time, so having an amp that is an interface is not a selling point for me. Imagine your amp not having driver support anymore when you update your OS.

User avatar
somanytoys
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3325
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 1:59 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by somanytoys » Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:57 pm

Danley wrote:
Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:12 am
somanytoys wrote:
Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:04 am
If you like the Vox AC sound, I would also recommend either an AC4TV head & cab, or possibly an AC10C1.

I have 2 of the TV “stacks”, and an AC4C1. The only 2 drawbacks to the TV is that it’s only a single stage as far as the tubes - 1 pre and 1 power, and just a volume & tone knob (no gain/volume or bass/treble). When you turn it up, it starts to get very gainy very quickly.

My AC4C1 has 3 pre & 2 power tubes, and I’m guessing the AC10 has at least that many, and has more watts, for when you may need it. It also has gain and volume knobs, and bass & treble, which does make a big difference for both things.

All of those should all be able to feed out into another cabinet, all of my Voxes do.
My 10" AC4C1 has three tubes total - two pre, one power (I just replaced them yesterday to sell it.) It's LOUD, and a very good amp - particularly if you want to sound like a stereotypical Vox. I think it's a great 'second' amp, but it doesn't get played as much as my others which is the only reason it's getting sold.
Maybe I need to look again, but I thought that’s what my tube config was. It’s a limited edition, but it may be the same as the others and I’m remembering incorrectly.

I like the Vox sound, but it’s not for everybody. It can be a great tool, or something you don’t care for much.

All that matters is that you like what you have.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

User avatar
kgbAttack
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 225
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:30 am
Location: Europe

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by kgbAttack » Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:57 pm

somanytoys wrote:
Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:57 pm

I like the Vox sound, but it’s not for everybody. It can be a great tool, or something you don’t care for much.

All that matters is that you like what you have.
To be honest that is something I do not know - I've never played Vox amps. I only have single coil guitars at the moment (well ok my Tele has a neck HB) and I got pretty excited by the new Beatle vox amp however one review says it works much better for guitars with HB otherwise it gets too shrill - I don't really care for bright tones.

In any case I don't really need that many sounds out of an amp, I have the Brothers + Condor from Chase Bliss Audio and can dial all kinds of gain variants + EQ from those two. I just want a nice, warm clean, and smooth break up sound. For higher gain sounds I should be covered if the amp takes pedals well.

For example, I looked at the Supro Blues King 12 - it looks good, and sounds good it seems, but it has no cab sim and no external speaker out. if there's something in that price range that's either a head or a hybrid with a DI output I would take it.

User avatar
secretroutines
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 111
Joined: Sat Jul 25, 2015 12:09 pm

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by secretroutines » Fri Apr 17, 2020 3:35 am

kgbAttack wrote:
Tue Apr 14, 2020 9:27 am
Hi guys,

So I am looking for a second amp to keep at home. At first I wanted a second amp to tinker with the idea of a dry/wet rig, or try stereo, but at this moment I find myself in need of an amp quite urgently because my dear old Mesa is in need of a tech repair and who knows when I'll be able to do that.

However I don't really know what to choose. My Mesa is a small combo that mounts EL84 tubes, not the typical 6L6 American tubes. To complement it, I was thinking of getting something more on the "American" side, but most small size amps mount EL84 anyway.

I'm not planning to gig with the amp, but I do like my gains - so it should take pedals well.

Some sparse considerations:
  • I would prefer a detached amp/speaker, to keep weight/space manageable.
  • I could attach the head to my Mesa's speaker for the time being, and get a new speaker later on.
  • Price range - 5-700 euros.
  • Some sort of DI/Cab sim output to plug directly to the audio card would be really cool.
  • I'm really fascinated by the Iridium, but the fact that I need a flat response powered speaker turns me off.
  • Milkman the amp seems quite nice, though I do not need another reverb/tremolo.
  • A friend of mine recommended me the Laney Lionheart series: the L5-Studio head looks really cool but it has a million features and for the price range I wonder what components did they save on.

Thanks is advance!
You should check out the Milkman The Amp 100. It has a boost instead of a tremolo. Also, the reverb is pretty tweakable and very high end from what I’ve heard.

User avatar
sessylU
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 534
Joined: Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:33 am

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by sessylU » Fri Apr 17, 2020 4:44 am

If it's for home use only, you don't need it to be portable or light. I'd be thinking about treating myself to something silly and large. Get an AC30. Get an extension cab also. Fuck it, get two of each.

You can have two rigs: One practical live rig for gigging and transporting; one ridiculous home rig for indulging yourself.
a total idiot jackass

User avatar
jvin248
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 660
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 5:34 pm

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by jvin248 » Fri Apr 17, 2020 5:27 am

.

One guy I know who gigs as his 'day job' has used an Orange 35RT as a bar gig amp. It's a little more Marshal-ly than Fender-ish. Yes, it's solid state. But it's got volume and is also inexpensive. He's used many amps over the years tube and solid state.

Here's another guy that demos them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEJlEt7T0E8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT64Vzg5Czk

Edit: Check out Sageborn's video on amp options https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKWhhRznr54

(I only run SS amps due to the maintenance and reliability issue you're dealing with on your favorite tube amp, tube amps tend to be more fragile and the internal voltages are much higher that can cause power resistors and caps to deteriorate much faster).



.
Last edited by jvin248 on Sun Apr 19, 2020 6:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
kgbAttack
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 225
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:30 am
Location: Europe

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by kgbAttack » Sat Apr 18, 2020 1:02 am

Thanks guys!

I'm checking out some options - I really wished I had tried more amps back in the days.
sessylU wrote:
Fri Apr 17, 2020 4:44 am
If it's for home use only, you don't need it to be portable or light. I'd be thinking about treating myself to something silly and large. Get an AC30. Get an extension cab also. Fuck it, get two of each.
I really wish I had the space for this! I can only afford to get a 1x12" speaker somewhere in the room and a head resting on top of it. For now, anyway.
secretroutines wrote:
Fri Apr 17, 2020 3:35 am
You should check out the Milkman The Amp 100. It has a boost instead of a tremolo. Also, the reverb is pretty tweakable and very high end from what I’ve heard.
Yes that sounds REALLY nice, but it's not out yet. So unless I find an alternative, I will have to wait a couple months at least.

I'm actually intrigued by the 20w Marshall Plexi - it can run at 5w and has a DI out, which is a great feature - it looks like you can get great cleans/edge of breakup sounds with a Jazzmaster, which is awesome. It's becoming obvious that by raising the budget a little bit I can get way more options, though I was hoping to spend a little less since I have a few pedals to buy still.

User avatar
secretroutines
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 111
Joined: Sat Jul 25, 2015 12:09 pm

Re: Looking for a 2nd Amp, home use

Post by secretroutines » Sun Apr 19, 2020 4:41 am

kgbAttack wrote:
Sat Apr 18, 2020 1:02 am
Yes that sounds REALLY nice, but it's not out yet. So unless I find an alternative, I will have to wait a couple months at least.

I'm actually intrigued by the 20w Marshall Plexi - it can run at 5w and has a DI out, which is a great feature - it looks like you can get great cleans/edge of breakup sounds with a Jazzmaster, which is awesome. It's becoming obvious that by raising the budget a little bit I can get way more options, though I was hoping to spend a little less since I have a few pedals to buy still.
I didn’t realize they were only on preorder! Let’s hope there isn’t a debacle like the original ones causing crazy delays.

I’m not super familiar with Marshalls in general since they just aren’t my thing, but have you checked out the Origins? I think they are supposed to be a bit Plexi-ish and pretty cost friendly so you could spend more on pedals. They also have a DI out too.

Post Reply