What small amp to buy for Â£180?

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 3:21 pm

I'm hopefully selling my Bugera V55HD tonight and I think i'll spend the money on a small amp suitable for use at home. I'm hoping for Â£180 for it so that's my budget. I have a 1x12 cab so head or combo are both possibilities. Not bothered about drive sounds, a good clean is more important.

Post up you suggestions.

broncobuster80 · Post by **broncobuster80** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 3:23 pm

the new Fender Mustang II ... 40 watts version!!!! as soon as my champ sells Ill be buying one myself

Post by **Hurb** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 5:02 pm

Line 6 spider.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 5:55 pm

Thanks for the suggestion Hurb. They have Line 6 amps at the Water Rats for their house amps, if they are the same ones as you have suggested then I shall be steeriing well clear - i've never been able to get a good sound out of them.

matt.dines · Post by **matt.dines** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:39 pm

Buy a vox pathfinder! Haze just picked one up and I will be too when I move into my new place!
Gets the one with reverb!

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 7:52 pm

The reverb on these little 15r's is a bit shit but everything else is gravy

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:09 pm

right, it's the reverb thats a bit shit, not your playing.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:10 pm

srsly though, my vote is for a vox of some sort, but i'm biased.

find a cambridge 30 twin with/reverb & trem for like $200 easy. then do the 56w chip swap and you got mucho amp for nottalottadolla.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:13 pm

hotrodperlmutter wrote:right, it's the reverb thats a bit shit, not your playing.

I bet you could score a second hand Peavey Valve King for Â£180.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:32 pm

I'm looking for a small-ish amp that won't take up much room. I've currently got my 1x12 in my bedroom and a small head would be good that i can stick on top of that. I've seen the Blackstar HT5h head but does anyone know if it's got much clean headroom? Any other suggestions? Not an Orange TT though as that doesn't have enough head room for me.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:46 pm

thom raves about his:

Thom wrote:The Blackstar HT-5 is great. I have the head version.

maybe the sweet lad will pop up and offer his tuppence.

matt.dines · Post by **matt.dines** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:50 pm

hotrodperlmutter wrote:srsly though, my vote is for a vox of some sort, but i'm biased.

find a cambridge 30 twin with/reverb & trem for like $200 easy. then do the 56w chip swap and you got mucho amp for nottalottadolla.

I definatly recomend a cambride 30. Apparently alot of people changed the output chip (TDA2040) to a (TDA2050) (as hotrod said) but iv also read that the power supply isn't up to the increased output. I don't know wether it is or not. Have you don't this mod yourself hotrod? As I wouldn't mind doing it myself!

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:52 pm

hotrodperlmutter wrote:thom raves about his:

Thom wrote:The Blackstar HT-5 is great. I have the head version.
maybe the sweet lad will pop up and offer his tuppence.

It is a great little amp!
But if the Tiny Terror at 15W doesn't have enough clean headroom, then the HT-5 certainly won't.
I thought this was for home use? And the TT doesn't stay clean enough? Fuck! Glad I'm not your neighbour

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 9:18 pm

This might not make sense but I wasn't talking about clean headroom at volume but clean headroom as compared to the total output volume of the amp.

The TT is 15 watts and the Blackstar is 5, the TT only has 1 channel and it only remains clean enough with the gain below about 25-30%. The Blackstar has 2 channels but want I wanted to know is if the clean channel remains clean with the volume turned up to say 50% or 70%. I don't want the amp to neccesarily be loud but I would like the clean to remain clean at a reasonable volume, I don't intend to gig or even practice with my band with it - just for palying at home so I don't have to blast my neighbours with my Bassman or 50 Top.

Does this make sense?

mickie08 · Post by **mickie08** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 9:29 pm

doesn't make a whole lot of sense though. If you are turning the tt up enough that it would be breaking up, you can easily dial in a similiar volume with cleans through the bassman. In reality though, if you have either the ht-5 or the TT turned up enough to break up, you are well above messing around at home volumes (or not annoying the neighbors volume).

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 9:35 pm

The reverb on these little 15r's is a bit shit but everything else is gravy

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 9:42 pm

is there a delayed echo in here?

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 10:08 pm

mickie08 wrote:doesn't make a whole lot of sense though. If you are turning the tt up enough that it would be breaking up, you can easily dial in a similiar volume with cleans through the bassman. In reality though, if you have either the ht-5 or the TT turned up enough to break up, you are well above messing around at home volumes (or not annoying the neighbors volume).

The Bassman desn't sound too good below 3 and above 3 it's fucking loud. What I want is a lower wattage amp that can be turned up to a reasonable playing at home volume, not break up and sound ace.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 10:30 pm

maybe a cheeky wee curve ball, but i've got a solid state fender deluxe 112+ sitting in a cupboard doing nowt since i got the JC120. clean 4 dayz. i can bring it down to london if you want it, yours for Â£80.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 10:41 pm

hotrodperlmutter wrote:is there a delayed echo in here?

My mobile resubmitted the post apparently. But seriously.....
I actually plan on nodding mine up a bit, different pt and such. Also clipping the leds out for a smoother gain and a buy more headroom. There is a few opamp changes that can help the noise level but I won't bother with it. Switching the chip and some power filtering cap adjustments and it should put out 28 watts rms. Is definitely look into a 10" speaker to handle the extra power though