Perusing around for a first tube amp!

[PRSfanboy46]

Hey yall, so now, I am currently looking for a good tube amp.

I have been playing for 3 years now and I am 15 and my budget is most likely 1000 dollars max.
I have considered a TON of amps, the 6505 MH to the 5 watt blues junior from fender to the MT15. There are MANY options out there for me.

Now, I'm not looking for a super complex rig, a head thats under 50 watts and most likely, a 212 or 112 cabinet. I'm not going for a super exuberant rig like John Mayer's with the two rocks and dumbles and stuff (It's very detailed). I just want something that can do it all.
Now, you're probably saying to yourself "This kid doesn't have a clear and concise model of amp that he wants". Well, here's number 1 issue I run into at first. The music genres I love ranges over SEVERAL genre's, from John Coltrane's Giant Steps to Dave Bruebeck's Take Five to Meshuggah's bleed to John mayers neon to 100gecs. I love everything, and my pedal game is what helps me.
At the moment, I am using an orange crush 20 rt and it gets the job done, has built in reverb and sounds pretty good. I just use distortion pedals to get the distortion I want.

I have played thru an MT15 and it sounded very tight and very gainy and I loved that. I like Mark Tremonti's tone and just the high gain realm of tone. Personally, I am really digging joe satriani and steve vai and guthrie govan as of recently and I love their tones. However, being a 15 year old with no source of income, I can't ask my parents to drop 1000+ dollars on amplifier for a child, it's irresponsible. But being in our modern day world, amp's can literally be free, just get an interface and you're set. But I've wanted a tube amp for a while and I could possibly get one.

I really like a lot of high gain amps (mesa dual rec, 6505, JCM 800) but I also love the dad rock amps (marshall, orange etc....)

An amp like the MT15 I feel would be very good for me. It's not super complicated and doesn't require constant maintenance and retubing all the time. At the most I would get a certified tech to retube it.

One gimmicky amp I have really considered is the Orange micro dark terror (half solid state half tube head) and it sounds actually very nice. But it's a gimmicky thing. I have considered quite a few things from orange considering sub 1000 dollar amplifiers, the most recent being the orange stomp amp.

If you have any recommendations for me and my situation, please send em my way!

 

[gush]

Hey yall, so now, I am currently looking for a good tube amp.

I have been playing for 3 years now and I am 15 and my budget is most likely 1000 dollars max.
I have considered a TON of amps, the 6505 MH to the 5 watt blues junior from fender to the MT15. There are MANY options out there for me.

Now, I'm not looking for a super complex rig, a head thats under 50 watts and most likely, a 212 or 112 cabinet. I'm not going for a super exuberant rig like John Mayer's with the two rocks and dumbles and stuff (It's very detailed). I just want something that can do it all.
Now, you're probably saying to yourself "This kid doesn't have a clear and concise model of amp that he wants". Well, here's number 1 issue I run into at first. The music genres I love ranges over SEVERAL genre's, from John Coltrane's Giant Steps to Dave Bruebeck's Take Five to Meshuggah's bleed to John mayers neon to 100gecs. I love everything, and my pedal game is what helps me.
At the moment, I am using an orange crush 20 rt and it gets the job done, has built in reverb and sounds pretty good. I just use distortion pedals to get the distortion I want.

I have played thru an MT15 and it sounded very tight and very gainy and I loved that. I like Mark Tremonti's tone and just the high gain realm of tone. Personally, I am really digging joe satriani and steve vai and guthrie govan as of recently and I love their tones. However, being a 15 year old with no source of income, I can't ask my parents to drop 1000+ dollars on amplifier for a child, it's irresponsible. But being in our modern day world, amp's can literally be free, just get an interface and you're set. But I've wanted a tube amp for a while and I could possibly get one.

I really like a lot of high gain amps (mesa dual rec, 6505, JCM 800) but I also love the dad rock amps (marshall, orange etc....)

An amp like the MT15 I feel would be very good for me. It's not super complicated and doesn't require constant maintenance and retubing all the time. At the most I would get a certified tech to retube it.

One gimmicky amp I have really considered is the Orange micro dark terror (half solid state half tube head) and it sounds actually very nice. But it's a gimmicky thing. I have considered quite a few things from orange considering sub 1000 dollar amplifiers, the most recent being the orange stomp amp.

If you have any recommendations for me and my situation, please send em my way!

Check your PMs

 

[Eddie kim]

Hey yall, so now, I am currently looking for a good tube amp.

I have been playing for 3 years now and I am 15 and my budget is most likely 1000 dollars max.
I have considered a TON of amps, the 6505 MH to the 5 watt blues junior from fender to the MT15. There are MANY options out there for me.

Now, I'm not looking for a super complex rig, a head thats under 50 watts and most likely, a 212 or 112 cabinet. I'm not going for a super exuberant rig like John Mayer's with the two rocks and dumbles and stuff (It's very detailed). I just want something that can do it all.
Now, you're probably saying to yourself "This kid doesn't have a clear and concise model of amp that he wants". Well, here's number 1 issue I run into at first. The music genres I love ranges over SEVERAL genre's, from John Coltrane's Giant Steps to Dave Bruebeck's Take Five to Meshuggah's bleed to John mayers neon to 100gecs. I love everything, and my pedal game is what helps me.
At the moment, I am using an orange crush 20 rt and it gets the job done, has built in reverb and sounds pretty good. I just use distortion pedals to get the distortion I want.

I have played thru an MT15 and it sounded very tight and very gainy and I loved that. I like Mark Tremonti's tone and just the high gain realm of tone. Personally, I am really digging joe satriani and steve vai and guthrie govan as of recently and I love their tones. However, being a 15 year old with no source of income, I can't ask my parents to drop 1000+ dollars on amplifier for a child, it's irresponsible. But being in our modern day world, amp's can literally be free, just get an interface and you're set. But I've wanted a tube amp for a while and I could possibly get one.

I really like a lot of high gain amps (mesa dual rec, 6505, JCM 800) but I also love the dad rock amps (marshall, orange etc....)

An amp like the MT15 I feel would be very good for me. It's not super complicated and doesn't require constant maintenance and retubing all the time. At the most I would get a certified tech to retube it.

One gimmicky amp I have really considered is the Orange micro dark terror (half solid state half tube head) and it sounds actually very nice. But it's a gimmicky thing. I have considered quite a few things from orange considering sub 1000 dollar amplifiers, the most recent being the orange stomp amp.

If you have any recommendations for me and my situation, please send em my way!

maybe try an old Vox valvetronix amp that has both tube and solid state like the Orange amp but at a fraction on the price. I have the Vox AD5VT and sound good for my beginner ears. Btw, I’m saving up up to get the MT15 as well.

 

[Wailing]

A 5E3 clone could be a great purchase that could last you a lifetime.. Ask Neil Young... I think he would agree

 

[markd21]

Honestly, despite years of using tube amps, I have found my "tonal happiness" with the Line 6 Helix. I do a lot of session work these days and need to cover a lot of tones. Helix does it very well.

The Helix also helped me realize what I really wanted in a tube amp. After using Rivera, Marshall, Fender, Boogie and Soldano I realized that I liked the Vox/Matchless/Bad Cat tone. By experimenting with Helix I ended up buying a couple of Bad Cats.

The HX Stomp gives the same goods, tonally, as the big Helix. I have both, the HX and a Rack - no sound difference.

With the wide variety of music you like, it's going to be hard to find an amp that does it all. You mentioned pedals. Are you looking more for a pedal platform?

If that's the case consider how you want your clean tone to sound. Personally, I always have preferred 35-60 watt 6L6 or 50-100 watt EL34 if I am playing straight clean. Usually I stay in the "American" amp sound - Fender/Rivera. However, I am also satisfied with JMP Marshalls for a clean tone.

Cabs and the effect of speakers adds a whole other aspect....

It's fun but expensive journey. That's why I'd suggest a higher-end modeler first. You can experiment there and narrow down your decision after finding yourself gravitating to a particular "amp family."

 

[frogger42]

My suggestion is a Fender Bassbreaker 30R. It has a nice clean channel so your pedals can dictate any genre you like, but if you want to play without pedals it has 2 nice gain channels and reverb. Fits nicely in your budget too. I have one and I love it.

 

[bodia]

Honestly, despite years of using tube amps, I have found my "tonal happiness" with the Line 6 Helix. I do a lot of session work these days and need to cover a lot of tones. Helix does it very well.

The Helix also helped me realize what I really wanted in a tube amp. After using Rivera, Marshall, Fender, Boogie and Soldano I realized that I liked the Vox/Matchless/Bad Cat tone. By experimenting with Helix I ended up buying a couple of Bad Cats.

The HX Stomp gives the same goods, tonally, as the big Helix. I have both, the HX and a Rack - no sound difference.

With the wide variety of music you like, it's going to be hard to find an amp that does it all. You mentioned pedals. Are you looking more for a pedal platform?

If that's the case consider how you want your clean tone to sound. Personally, I always have preferred 35-60 watt 6L6 or 50-100 watt EL34 if I am playing straight clean. Usually I stay in the "American" amp sound - Fender/Rivera. However, I am also satisfied with JMP Marshalls for a clean tone.

Cabs and the effect of speakers adds a whole other aspect....

It's fun but expensive journey. That's why I'd suggest a higher-end modeler first. You can experiment there and narrow down your decision after finding yourself gravitating to a particular "amp family."

I gotta agree with Mark. If you go the modeler route, first, you can sample ALL of the amps to find out what suits your needs best. At 15, you've got plenty of time to get to know what you'd like in an amp, and then make that happen. Considering your budget, I would check out the Atomic Amplifire AA-12, and a QSC-CP8.

 

[PRSfanboy46]

Honestly, despite years of using tube amps, I have found my "tonal happiness" with the Line 6 Helix. I do a lot of session work these days and need to cover a lot of tones. Helix does it very well.

The Helix also helped me realize what I really wanted in a tube amp. After using Rivera, Marshall, Fender, Boogie and Soldano I realized that I liked the Vox/Matchless/Bad Cat tone. By experimenting with Helix I ended up buying a couple of Bad Cats.

The HX Stomp gives the same goods, tonally, as the big Helix. I have both, the HX and a Rack - no sound difference.

With the wide variety of music you like, it's going to be hard to find an amp that does it all. You mentioned pedals. Are you looking more for a pedal platform?

If that's the case consider how you want your clean tone to sound. Personally, I always have preferred 35-60 watt 6L6 or 50-100 watt EL34 if I am playing straight clean. Usually I stay in the "American" amp sound - Fender/Rivera. However, I am also satisfied with JMP Marshalls for a clean tone.

Cabs and the effect of speakers adds a whole other aspect....

It's fun but expensive journey. That's why I'd suggest a higher-end modeler first. You can experiment there and narrow down your decision after finding yourself gravitating to a particular "amp family."

Everyone keeps raving on about the helix dude. Is it really "All that"? I feel like it would just become more of a gimmick than a tool to me, but it's so appealing at the same time. I need something that could take pedals well (add reverb/delay or loop or put in modulation or distortion). But my parents couldn't do 1700 bucks for the full helix (which would be the thing I want) but I've heard so many good reviews on stuff like axe fx and stuff like that, and I met a guy who was doing a show at a bar and he was just running his acoustic through his axe 8 and it sounded great. I feel like it could give me tons of variety, because logically thinking, there are certain tube amps you need to get "that" sound. But, with a helix, I could go from fender cleans to orange crunch to dual rec screams in a moment. What would you recommend?

 

[markd21]

The Helix was enough for me to stop gigging with the Rivera amps I had used for 25 years. It is all that.

It takes pedals well - you can tweak the input impedance to suit what your pedals need. The loops are amazing. The programability is unbeatable and the snapshots are killer.

For my uses it has been far from a gimmick. While I'm not gigging with it anymore, when I was my tone was impeccable and the switching made performing the focus instead of pedal dancing.

For my current use, as a comprehensive "studio amp closet", there hasn't been a client that has been unhappy with the guitar sounds I provide on their songs/tracks. It is a serious piece of gear.

 

[Stephen J.]

If Helix is appealing to you but out of budget, look at the POD Go, which gives you the same tones but with less versatility in the complexity of signal chain and input and output. It is a much more affordable option than the flagship unit. The thing with the modelers is you will still want to play at some volume, so you will end up buying some kind of amplifier in the end.
Sometimes having fewer options is better. Get a rig with a good clean sound, a little grit, and a nice lead tone. You can even go with a single channel amp and a few pedals and be in tonal heaven. The simpler your set up, the more you will play instead of tweaking things looking for the sound. There are a lot of great sounding tube amps for reasonable prices. In the end, you are going to sound like you. Make it easy on yourself.

 

[bodia]

Everyone keeps raving on about the helix dude. Is it really "All that"? I feel like it would just become more of a gimmick than a tool to me, but it's so appealing at the same time. I need something that could take pedals well (add reverb/delay or loop or put in modulation or distortion). But my parents couldn't do 1700 bucks for the full helix (which would be the thing I want) but I've heard so many good reviews on stuff like axe fx and stuff like that, and I met a guy who was doing a show at a bar and he was just running his acoustic through his axe 8 and it sounded great. I feel like it could give me tons of variety, because logically thinking, there are certain tube amps you need to get "that" sound. But, with a helix, I could go from fender cleans to orange crunch to dual rec screams in a moment. What would you recommend?

Dude, seriously, check out the Amplifire AA-12

 

[Muybien04]

I have a fender twin and a vox ac15 blue back, highly recommend both.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

An Archon or a Mesa Rectifier will carry you through college. Buy once, cry once.

 

[RickP]

Dad rock amps. Love that.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Dad rock amps. Love that.

Still way better than a Kid Rock amp.

 

[Rider1260]

My First Mesa amp lasted me 30 years and someone is still rocking it.
Look for a Mesa MK V any of the flavors the 25 and 35 have cab clone for headphone , recording etc. The 90 is well a 90 watt beast that can play at a whisper.
Look used they can be found close to your budget.
I am also fond of my PRS H 50 watts 2 channels and can be had in you budget.

 

[jak3af3r]

I've never spent over $1,000 on an amp. Here's my collection of tube amps ranked worst to best.

Vox AC4. It's a great practice amp but too small with the 8" speaker to sound decent (full).

Vox AC15. It does all the vox noises very well. Built like a tank. On gigs, I've run out of headroom with this and it lacks some bottom end which is good to cut through a mix but sounds weak on its own.

Supro Thunderbolt. This is the real deal, 1964 with the original 15" Jensen speaker. Only has volume and tone knobs but is an absolute screamer when you can get it cranked. Otherwise it's the "other white meat" as opposed to your standard fender for cleans.

Fender Ultralinear Twin. Everything about it is big. It's heavy, it's loud, the sounds are nice and full, lots of sweep in the EQ controls. But at 135w and weighing almost as much as me, it didn't get gigged a lot.

Fender Princeton reissue. This is the '68 reissue which isn't really vintage correct but it sounds great, is plenty loud, and doesn't weigh a ton. It takes pedals well and was my main gigging amp until....

Ceriatone OTS 20. It's a 20w dumble-type clone I bought as a head and made into a 112 combo. It does all the good clean sounds. The onboard overdrive does all the dad-rock sounds, and pedals on the clean side will get into metal territory. This amp is finicky to get dialed in but once it's set, it's unbelievable.

For context, the gigs I had was playing country, classic rock, and those cheesy 80's arena rock/hair metal covers.

 

[RickP]

Still way better than a Kid Rock amp.

Ha ha, yes. Proud of my dad rock gear. I mean... vacuum tubes are way older than me! And yet, here we are in 2020 and they’re still where it’s at. Gotta love that.

 

[Mike Oxhuge]

A 5E3 clone could be a great purchase that could last you a lifetime.. Ask Neil Young... I think he would agree

Excellent advise. I have a Tremolux clone with pedals and it gets as much or more use than my Engl Blackmore 1/2 stack. I use the Caline Englishman and Caline Mark 4 as my main gain sounds with it and they sound like the real deal, and I've owned actual old Marshalls and Mesa Marks.

 

[PRSfanboy46]

If Helix is appealing to you but out of budget, look at the POD Go, which gives you the same tones but with less versatility in the complexity of signal chain and input and output. It is a much more affordable option than the flagship unit. The thing with the modelers is you will still want to play at some volume, so you will end up buying some kind of amplifier in the end.
Sometimes having fewer options is better. Get a rig with a good clean sound, a little grit, and a nice lead tone. You can even go with a single channel amp and a few pedals and be in tonal heaven. The simpler your set up, the more you will play instead of tweaking things looking for the sound. There are a lot of great sounding tube amps for reasonable prices. In the end, you are going to sound like you. Make it easy on yourself.

I really don't want like something really complicated, just an amp with some nice channels and stuff