Cheap tube amp or modelling amp?

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:54 pm

Hot Rod Deville - no. fucking. way. Overpriced shite. Useless drive channel. Master Volume is a linear pot, way too twitchy to be adjusted. Steer Cleer.

Peavey Classic 50 2x12" - two channels, nice sound
Peavey Windsor Combo - JCM800ish nice marshallesque tones on a budget
Tiny Terror + 2x12" - this is THE great sounding option in your price range
Laney VC30 2x12" - a nice clean and overdriven sound

I liked my Valvetronics combo but seriously for that money you are best to save a little more and get something a little better - the Valvetronix stuff would be pushed to gig with.

A 30W tube combo is fucking loud, don't underestimate tube watts.

euan · Post by **euan** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:56 pm

Personally I would go for the Tiny Terror(or the cheaper MiniMat) and a second hand Marshall cab on eBay. You could probably do that for Â£400 no problem.

luke · Post by **luke** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:01 pm

How much do Tiny Terrors cost and how good are they? Hold on, I'm being really ignorant, I've not paid attention to you guys jacking off over them for a while, I'll go do a search.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:09 pm

Â£299 and they sound amazing. Clean to thick chunky orange overdrive in a portable package.

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:09 pm

Peavey Classic 30.

No, really.

Seriously though, you're almost spoilt for choice. If you're going to go the modelling route, go with the best; Line 6 Flextone or one of the new Fenders (they're surprisingly good!). Personally, I've done that and loved it, but I'm high on valves again right now. The Classic 30 or Classic 50 already mentioned are awesome amps. The Peavey Delta Blues is something a little different, too. They sound ever better than the Classic 30. Ashdown Peacemakers can still be found second hand on eBay every now and then. Massively under-rated, but they sound fantastic. I've heard some horror stories concerning their reliability, but a mate of mine has gigged his every week for the last four years without any problems at all.

Orange Tiny Terror. Simply awesome. Small output, massive balls.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:10 pm

ekwatts wrote:Small output

They're fucking loud. Your neighbours would kill you with it cranked.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:11 pm

euan wrote:Personally I would go for the Tiny Terror(or the cheaper MiniMat)

I've never heard of that. What is it, and is it the same amp?

luke · Post by **luke** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:12 pm

How loud are we talking as a maximum? How big would the venue have to be before you need it to be mic'd? I guess the thing with tubes though is that if you turn up the volume really loud, you're also turning up the gain?

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:15 pm

It has a Volume and a Gain Control. You can have a loud clean tone with it.

Malik, by the time you're playing venues that you need to worry about having more wattage than that, you'll have enough money to buy something bigger. I've played about 3 "big" gigs, to 300+ and they just mic your amp (regardless of size) and send it through the FOH - nothing for you to worry about.

aphasiac · Post by **aphasiac** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:18 pm

Malik wrote:How loud are we talking as a maximum? How big would the venue have to be before you need it to be mic'd? I guess the thing with tubes though is that if you turn up the volume really loud, you're also turning up the gain?

in all venues ive ever played, my amp's been mic-ed up. Seriously, don't buy a massive amp just so you can play huge venues - just get one loud enough to go over a drummer, thats all you need. and for that, you need 30W (if its a tube amp) or roughly 50W if it's solid state (though obviously your YMMV)

Also tube amps - yeh turning up the gain increases the volume. but each channel usually has a seperate channel volume anyway, and a good amp will have a final master volume, so you can balance things out.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:18 pm

MiniMat -> 2/4 Watts

http://www.matamp.co.uk/minimat.htm

Volume, Tone and Footswitchable boost. Â£259.

I'd go for the Terror every time.

luke · Post by **luke** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:19 pm

Mike wrote:It has a Volume and a Gain Control. You can have a loud clean tone with it.

Malik, by the time you're playing venues that you need to worry about having more wattage than that, you'll have enough money to buy something bigger. I've played about 3 "big" gigs, to 300+ and they just mic your amp (regardless of size) and send it through the FOH - nothing for you to worry about.

Good point, I keep presuming that this amp will be my main amp for a long time, obviously not! The largest venue I'll have to play is the school hall, and it'd be loud enough for that surely?

Hmm, I'm pretty set on this now as long as somebody doesn't come along and change my mind again. What sort of cheap 2x12s do you guys recommend?

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:20 pm

Mike wrote:MiniMat -> 2/4 Watts

http://www.matamp.co.uk/minimat.htm

Volume, Tone and Footswitchable boost. Â£259.

I'd go for the Terror every time.

Aye. I found that after posting. I quite like the look of the 1224, though at that sort of money you could have any amount of nice amps, the THD Flexi-50, for instance. Looks very nice, and seems to be all the amp you would ever need, but far too rick for my blood.

voila

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:24 pm

Malik wrote:
Mike wrote:It has a Volume and a Gain Control. You can have a loud clean tone with it.

Malik, by the time you're playing venues that you need to worry about having more wattage than that, you'll have enough money to buy something bigger. I've played about 3 "big" gigs, to 300+ and they just mic your amp (regardless of size) and send it through the FOH - nothing for you to worry about.
Good point, I keep presuming that this amp will be my main amp for a long time, obviously not! The largest venue I'll have to play is the school hall, and it'd be loud enough for that surely?

Hmm, I'm pretty set on this now as long as somebody doesn't come along and change my mind again. What sort of cheap 2x12s do you guys recommend?

Second hand Marshall 1922 would be perfect for you, Small and perfectly formed.

aphasiac, every venue you've played? You must have missed the toilet circuit the rest of us play most of the time.

euan · Post by **euan** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:25 pm

MiniMat is more a of a bedroom/recording amp to be honest. I was thinking of something else but I can't remember now.

What pedal was hurb talking about?

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:26 pm

Hmmm. I'd choose a Minimat over the Tiny Terror, but I'm hopelessly in love with Matamp.

Damn. You fuckers have got me wanting a Minimat.

aphasiac · Post by **aphasiac** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:28 pm

Mike wrote: aphasiac, every venue you've played? You must have missed the toilet circuit the rest of us play most of the time.

dude, i *have* to mic up - i gig with my Roland Microcube remember! My band doesn't have a drummer, it's all synthized so its easy for me to hear myself onstage.

Actually when we played downstairs at Betsy Trotwood, i hardly even needed to mic up...man thats venue's TINY!

EDIT: actually i played un-miced twice; once At The Bullet Bar (formly The Verge), and again at The Pleasure Unit. Both times the venue made me play through a massive cabnet, and i couldnt hear any of my bandmates, so baaad gigs.

luke · Post by **luke** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:34 pm

http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_g212.htm

I'm sure none of you have ever played one of those, but do you reckon it's worth bombing 90 bar on one? It's the cheapest 2x12 I can find, eBay auctions not included.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:37 pm

Malik wrote:http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_g212.htm

I'm sure none of you have ever played one of those, but do you reckon it's worth bombing 90 bar on one? It's the cheapest 2x12 I can find, eBay auctions not included.

I think Harley Benton is to Thomann as St. Michaels is to Marks and Spencers.

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:13 pm

Malik wrote:http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_g212.htm

I'm sure none of you have ever played one of those, but do you reckon it's worth bombing 90 bar on one? It's the cheapest 2x12 I can find, eBay auctions not included.

PLYWOOD CONSTRUCTION! You wouldn't find Icey playing that, Malik!