Affordable American Made Tube Amp Head?

[RJF]

S what's made in the USA that is 50-100w ALL tube amp head say under $1,200.

Get yourself together $1800-2200 and buy something from Mesa Boogie, Splawn, or VHT.

That equates to saying "I'd like to buy a nice luxury car brand new today and I have $12000 dollars." It's simply not going to happen for you....

Besides all that, anyone that knows anything, knows the good amps are coming out of Germany anyway.

[Grandturk]

Those little Mesa Express combos are pretty killer for $1100 or so. I'd tag one of those - almost did before I found my Mk II Boogie - pure, stoned, American craftsmanship.

[lerxstcat]

Maybe the Admins should move my thread to the non gear talk area.

You've already gotten all the pertinent answers to your question, which is basically Carvin and Peavey. So it's threadjack time, where everyone ignores your question, budget and parameters in favor of their own agendas!

Relax, you'll get to do this to others yourself, it really offsets the aggravation of when it happens to you...

[Bri]

My made in So CA Carvin Legacy II head came in at just over 1300 with California sales tax and shipping. The other Carvin heads are cheaper. The Legacy has its own voice. The X100B is only $800 and does the 80's stuff very well.

[loki: god of chaos]

My made in So CA Carvin Legacy II head came in at just over 1300 with California sales tax and shipping. The other Carvin heads are cheaper. The Legacy has its own voice. The X100B is only $800 and does the 80's stuff very well.

what about if u threw an oD in front of it
could u get a more modern tone?

[toxikdeth]

Honostly I think that for 1300 you have a good variety of amps you can get used.

[lerxstcat]

My made in So CA Carvin Legacy II head came in at just over 1300 with California sales tax and shipping. The other Carvin heads are cheaper. The Legacy has its own voice. The X100B is only $800 and does the 80's stuff very well.

They're on sale right now.

Legacy II head: $1199
V3 Head: 899
Legacy Head: 799
X100B Head: 699
VT50 Head: 499

The VT50 is 50 watts with 4 EL84s for power, the control layout is pretty much just like the original Legacy amps though. Voiced differently of course with the different tubes.

I guess they discontinued the MTS Series now that they brought back the X100B. It was almost the same as the original Legacy amps too, just voiced a little differently, so I can see why they wouldn't want to offer something so similar that was quite a bit cheaper.

[Bri]

what about if u threw an oD in front of it
could u get a more modern tone?

The Legacy has it's own voice. The only other amp I've heard it compared to is the Bogner Ecstasy. It is low mid focused and creamy smooth. If by modern tone you mean very high gain and very tight, no the Legacy isn't the amp with or without an OD in front. The V3 is the modern high gain amp from Carvin. The Legacy II will handle every thing from awesome organic cleans, just barely clipping cleans, to plexi distortion and the Vai sound.

[RacerX]

The Legacy has its own voice.

Fixed. No apostrophe for the possessive.

[zeegler]

B52 AT100, Carvin (pretty much any model), B52 ST100

B-52s are made in China.

[Firebird V]

Splawn used.

[roodyrocker]

B-52s are made in China.

China or not, those B-52's are some of the worst sounding amps live! A friend and I run sound/lights for local bands and one of the more popular bands in our area uses a B-52. The tone on those is so jumbled and indistinct. Solos don't stand out. I'd buy a solid state amp before a tube B-52 personally
Anyway, someone mentioned earlier a dealer blowing out Randall MTS heads with a couple modules for $1200 brand new. If thats the case, I'd go with one of those. They sound damn good!

[DonP]

I'd buy a solid state amp before a tube B-52 personally

What if it was a solid state B-52?

[Spivonious]

B52 AT100, Carvin (pretty much any model), B52 ST100

The AT-100 is made in China. Not sure about the ST100. And why the B-52 hate? My AT-100 head gives me a great, tight tone. Maybe the local band doesn't know how to set it up? It can get loose if you want it to. Opened it up and it has very solid connections everywhere. Aside from the expensive re-tube (6x12AX7, 1x12AT7, 4x6L6, 1x5U4), I don't have a problem with it.

A Mesa Single Rec head is under $1200 new.

[catzodellamarina]

I've been very happy with my American home amp: a made in Arizona Zinky Blue Velvet, 5881 tubes, 50-watt combo. I believe I paid $750 for it about 5 years ago.
I almost bought a Carvin Belair but I confident that the el-84's would pump good lows even through a cab.