Must buy tube amp. Suggestions ?

[shedland]

I recently picked up a Mesa Tremo-o-verb 2x12, and so far it's pretty much shaping up as the swiss army knife of amps. Thrilled with it. About the only sound I have yet to get is the really clean fender tone, but it does just about everything else. Plus it has trem and reverb.

Also it is good enough for Ed O'Brien and Mike Einziger, then its probably good enough for me too.

[ahiddentableau]

That is a good point ahiddentableau. I don't need much power but on the off chance I was to gig again I would like about 30-50 Watts or so. I bought a VOX AC15HW1X 15-watt 1x12" Handwired Tube Combo with Alnico Blue Speaker. It is a bit stiff, brittle and uncompromising to a degree. It was an attempt to get into something different. Might be the Alnico Blue, might be the tubes. Might not have broken it in yet as I haven't opened it up much. I'm not sure how to make friends with it if you know what I mean. I would like to try it with a different speaker. I also have a Bugera 22 and running them both sounds pretty good but I would rather get it all in one. Maybe I'm dreaming.

I'm staring down the Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister Deluxe 40. I'm not hearing the warmth on most demos online but in person with hands on it might be better.  It has the control I'm used to having since I used a small rack system with a ton of preset slots for a while in the 90s. Really only need four or five to do all I want it to do. Looks like they did their homework on the user interface. The midi pedal adds another $200+ to the sticker. Hmm. I guess it's about time to go to (dread) Guitar Center to try out a few amps.

I am checking out everyones suggestions and am finding a lot of good stuff.
Thanks you guys and keep em coming!

Mesa Mark 5 25:

https://youtu.be/gjkfArHfV6Q

I know exactly what you mean, and I'm willing to bet that most everybody on the forum does, too.  My main amp atm is a DIY build that takes the front end of a Matchless DC-30 and pairs it with the power section of the Lightning--something pretty similar to your AC15, I bet.  I absolutely love it (although I wish I had your speaker!).  But it's a really bright amp and, well, that's great for me, but not for everyone.

A big part of what I was saying is to do with amp design.  The circuit and transformer design you use for an amp that sounds great clean and the sort of design you'd use for an amp that sounds great distorted are just flat out different.  So you're never really going to be able to get all three kinds of tone you cited from a single amp.  From an engineering and design standpoint, it just isn't possible.

That's not to say that some amps don't come close.  For example, I had a H&K Triamp (MK1) for quite a while.  It was a nice amp.  Its third channel had high gain tones to die for.  Good breakup tones.  But it couldn't really do clean or even a clean-to-edge of breakup--at least not in the way that a good Fender or Vox does.  And that amp has three discrete circuits, so the gain staging was excellent.  But the transformers and shared power stage just didn't allow it to go all the way.  The designers chose big iron and a really tight power supply and response.  So the clean ended up being kind of sterile.  A trem-o-verb is, IMO, the same sort of thing.  Awesome amp.  Very flexible.  Probably as good as you can do in the swiss army knife school.  But it hedges in the direction of high gain, and that design choice has consequences that are unavoidable.

I eventually figured out that I have a strong preference to get an amp that does clean and mild OD well over one that hedges in the direction of high gain tones.  Because if you're reasonably handy with pedals you really can get good distorted tones with your pedalboard.  Since that obviously doesn't work the other way around, it makes sense to me to take the amp that does clean and milder OD well and then use that as a platform for the rest of your sound.

[jkokura]

I own a 15 watt Egnater Tweaker and Love it. It does what you're looking for, but it's only single channel.

If there was one amp I would upgrade to, it would be the Mesa 5:25. That amp is nearly perfect for me. I say nearly, because I can't afford it.

Jacob

[blearyeyes]

I own a 15 watt Egnater Tweaker and Love it. It does what you're looking for, but it's only single channel.

If there was one amp I would upgrade to, it would be the Mesa 5:25. That amp is nearly perfect for me. I say nearly, because I can't afford it.

Jacob

The Mesa looks like a killer amp. Sweetwater just put the tweaked 88 head on sale for $449.00. It's making my left eyebrow twitch....

[woolie]

I own a 15 watt Egnater Tweaker and Love it. It does what you're looking for, but it's only single channel.

If there was one amp I would upgrade to, it would be the Mesa 5:25. That amp is nearly perfect for me. I say nearly, because I can't afford it.

Jacob

The Mesa looks like a killer amp. Sweetwater just put the tweaked 88 head on sale for $449.00. It's making my left eyebrow twitch....

I'll sell you my 22 cheap.


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[ahiddentableau]

Have you considered building your own?  Lots of great resources out there for DIY amps.  Worked out great for me.

[woolie]

Have you considered building your own?  Lots of great resources out there for DIY amps.  Worked out great for me.

I have found that if price is a consideration, the DIY is not cost effective. It is hella fun and you get what you want, but not cheap.

My 2c


W.


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[blearyeyes]

Plus you'd have to build it then see if you like it...That would suck if it wasn't the sound you're trying to get.

[ahiddentableau]

I have found that if price is a consideration, the DIY is not cost effective. It is hella fun and you get what you want, but not cheap.

My 2c

Yeah, that's true.  At least it's almost certainly true for anything in mass production.  But if you're looking at booteek stuff, the economics changes in a hurry.  My Matchless copy was substantially cheaper than even a used model.

[Aentons]

It's hard to beat an AC30...

I have an AC30CCH with matching 2x12 cab that has Celestion Blues. I bought it new in 2008 and the speakers at first sounded like you described, harsh and brittle. After a couple of months, I put a blanket over the cab and opened it up all the way a few times here and there. I wasn't paying close enough attention to notice exactly how long it took, but it was less than a year of playing once or twice a day, for 30 mins to an hour, and they broke out and sound "the best" ever since.

The amp I have is essentially a AC30CC2X and has lots of little switches and options that others don't. I have found that blending the Normal and Top Boost channel is really what does it for me which I think you can do on some others by jumpering the inputs.

I also use JJ EL844 low power tubes that provide 25% less power which effectively takes it down from 33 to 24 watts and gives it a little extra sparkle.

Pedals in front are perfect, for me.

[Aentons]

Also, I have a buddy that plays classic rock and 90's alt type stuff and he swears by his H&K GrandMeister Deluxe 40. He nearly sold me on it but I haven't actually heard one.

[blearyeyes]

Anybody checked out the Wampler Bravado? Too pricey for what it is but it sure sounds great on demos. At least for what I like.