Looking for a small tube amp... help?

k-lub242 · 10-20-2009, 02:42 AM

Alright, I've decided I want to get a small tube amp to replace my SS Fender Fm212r. Help a guy out please

-Price Range - What can you afford? (I have $_)
$200 or maybe $250

-Necessity - Why do you need it? Will you be playing out with it? If so, what sorts of places are you looking to play? Are you planning to mic the amp? Will you have to rely on just your amp's volume from time to time? (I play here, here, and sometimes here.)
Using it at home for practice, church for worship team, and with another guitarist practicing. Anytime I need to play real loud I can mic it. At church it doesn't need to be loud... we use IEM's, the drummer is in a cage, and we have a good PA.

-Frequency - How often are you going to be playing out? Is this something that's going to be used alot, or just once a month?
I'll be using it most every day practicing, bringing it back and forth to church twice a week for practice and service, and jamming with a friend every weekend or two.

-Musical Style - Artists/bands/guitarists are more helpful to list than gneres, it's best to avoid listing genres. (I want to have a sound like this artist.)
I want to be versatile, to a certain degree. At church I play lead, looking for sounds like Hillsong United. On my own or with a friend I play a lot of rock. Think bands like Decyfer Down, Pillar, Thousand Foot Krutch, etc. Nothing much like metal or other insanely high gain things, just your stereotypical "medium"/hard rock.

-Current Setup - What amp and guitar do you currently have? What sort of effects do you use? What is it about your setup that feels deficient? In other words, why do you want a new amp? (My amp is too __ for my needs.)
I have a Fender FM212R that is too big, too loud, and I don't like the tone of it. It just sounds too... cold I suppose. I have an Epiphone Futura Prophecy Custom. My pedal board consists of Planet Waves tuner, Rocktron Wah, SBN's 3-in-1 boost/OD/DS pedal (which I've realized needs a tube amp to do it justice), Digitech Bad Monkey OD, Boss Bass Chorus (which actually has a very nice tone with a guitar), Digitech DD-7 Delay, and a Boss Loop Pedal.

-Experience - How long have you been playing guitar? Have you tried out amps already? Which/How many? What did you like/dislike about amps that you've already tried out?
I have played guitar for a little over 4 years, if I remember correctly. Haven't tried out any tube amps since I've decided to get one, but I know basically I want a nice, basic, warm-sounding mid-gain amp that I can play my pedals through decently and preferably have a nice bit of OD itself.

-Personal Research - What amps are you interested in? Are you interested in getting a combo setup, or getting a head and cabinet separate? Tube? Solid State?
I was thinking about buying a Blackheart BH5H head from samedaymusic.com for $150 and then getting a speaker somewhere cheap and making an enclosure. That's about all I've thought of so far.

-Shopping - Where do you plan on buying from? Do you want to purchase this new, or are you willing to be a little more patient and pick up a used model?
In store, new would be preferable. Online wouldn't be bad either. I would really prefer new.

-Timeline - How soon do you need a new amp? Do you already have the money for it, or is this something you're saving towards?
I would like it as soon as possible, but I'm not going to die waiting a little while to get it. The $50 off sale on the Blackheart head ends the 31st. Once I sell my current amp, I will have $200 or maybe $250.

playing4one · 10-20-2009, 09:42 AM

If you are interested I have a Epiphone Valve Special that I am looking to sell. It is a 5 watt tube amp with a single EL84 and 2- 12AX7 tubes in it with some built in effects. I'm only looking to get about $115 plus shipping for it. It is in great shape and I have only had it for about 4-5 months with very little use on it. It has plenty of volume for practice and can be miked up for church, that's what I did. Let me know if it sounds like something that you would be interested in.

k-lub242 · 10-20-2009, 11:19 PM

Is this Buy Epiphone Valve Special Combo | Combo Amps | Musician's Friend what you are talking about? How much did you pay for it? Also looking at pictures of it... what does the footswitch jack in the back control?

To other people: Do you think this would be a good idea?

el cabong · 10-20-2009, 11:44 PM

I am not a fan of the Epi Valve series. I prefer the Blackhearts. My opinion though. And I love my Blackheart with pedals and a decent cab/speakers.

k-lub242 · 10-20-2009, 11:46 PM

What don't you like about them?

el cabong · 10-21-2009, 12:02 AM

Sound, feel, build. They sound cheap to me.

The Blackheart doesn't sound expensive per se, but it sounds better, more open.

k-lub242 · 10-21-2009, 12:04 AM

Hmm I see. Is it really worth another $135 more for the equivalent blackheart though? (Buy Blackheart BH5-112 5W 1x12 Little Giant Tube Combo Amp | Tube Combo Amps | Musician's Friend) That's over double the price.

I'm also hearing about a couple cheap mods that could be done on the Epi to improve the sound a lot, and of course I could get a 12" speaker cheap and make a cab out of that if I decide it would sound better.

EDIT again: I also found the Blackheart BH5H head on samedaymusic.com for $150 until the 31st, and I was thinking I could get a speaker off craigslist to make into a cab. Sound like a better idea? At a quick search of craigslist, I found these two speakers:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/msg/1422611375.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/msg/1419508584.html
Would either of those sound decent? Which would be better? Between the Valve special and the Blackheart BH5H with a cab, what do you think?

**thesteve** · 10-21-2009, 12:45 AM

The Eminence would likely be the better of the two.

k-lub242 · 10-21-2009, 02:48 AM

Ooh, two more craigslist finds.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/msg/1428543263.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/msg/1428533528.html

These two are both cheaper (I love cheap, being a student, without a job, in a bad economy). Anyone happen to know the differences between these four speakers, or care to make a recommendation? Saving money is a huge, huge plus if there isn't much a of a difference.

Also, when I get the speaker and head... what sort of cab design am I going to want? I am reasonably skilled with woodworking, and can get help from my dad or a friend on anything out of my ability. Not really sure if I'm going to want an open or closed back, or what the difference is

jthomas1600 · 10-21-2009, 04:35 AM

If you search Guitar Centers used for Blackheart 5 watt combos you'll find several for under $200. My understanding is GC stores will ship used equipment at your cost. Not sure what shipping is, but I think your total cost would be like $220-240. I've been looking for a new amp as well and will probably go this route. Also GC used, there were several Peavey Windsor combos for $270-300.

playing4one · 10-21-2009, 07:19 AM

The footswitch turns on & off the effects. I don't have one to go with it but I know that you can pick them up off e-bay for a couple bucks.

metropolis4 · 10-21-2009, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k-lub242

Ooh, two more craigslist finds.
12" speaker
15" eminence speaker 8 ohm

These two are both cheaper (I love cheap, being a student, without a job, in a bad economy). Anyone happen to know the differences between these four speakers, or care to make a recommendation? Saving money is a huge, huge plus if there isn't much a of a difference.

Also, when I get the speaker and head... what sort of cab design am I going to want? I am reasonably skilled with woodworking, and can get help from my dad or a friend on anything out of my ability. Not really sure if I'm going to want an open or closed back, or what the difference is

As for the speakers, I would say none of those are going to be ideal for a small low watt amp. The Swamp Thang is a really thick, low end heavy speaker. A lot of metal guys use them in 4x12's.
It looks like the two Eminence speakers are from the 70's. The 70's was the time of higher and higher powered amps. So I would guess these speakers are going to be made to handle lots of wattage. The problem with that is that speakers designed for higher wattage tend to have a flatter frequency response and don't move well with a low powered amp.

BUT! For being a college student on a budget, I know sometimes (most of the time) it's more about what will work rather than what's ideal. Given that, I'd say either one will work well for you! I'd probably go with the 15" just because it's the cheapest, and 15" speakers are fun. They have a different frequency response than a 12" and sound cool

k-lub242 · 10-21-2009, 02:07 PM

What's the basic difference in sound between the 15" and 12"?

There's also these, I'm assuming they aren't very good though since there's no brand http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/msg/1430781438.html

Casey · 10-21-2009, 02:23 PM

I would try to find a valve special to play on. my 5150 went out the practice before a show once and the only thing i could find for the night was a valve special. Maybe I just got lucky, but mute the dsp effects and that thing sounded GREAT! I was and am seriously shocked at what a tone machine that thing was. Nice warm low-mid gain tube amp. This thing can easily go up to every day modern rock with a boost, and sounds just perfect for your worship scenario.

Only thing that worried me a little is some reviews give it a low score for reliability. I suppose that would be on a case by case basis.

If you depend on your amp for your monitor, you're going to want to lean it back so the speaker is pointing towards your head but if your drummer isn't super loud, shouldn't be a problem.

k-lub242 · 10-21-2009, 02:31 PM

Okay... those two older 12 and 15" eminence speakers sold already *tear* Looks like I'm back to those original two if I go that route.

So I'm seriously stuck between the Valve Special and the Blackheart with a Cab... Saving money going the the Valve Special would be nice, but either option is within my budget (barely).
Playing4one- Sorry man I'm still figuring this out. Definitely considering buying your amp. I'll probably decide later today. Do you have any idea what shipping to Seattle, Washington area would cost?