Low wattage tube amp for cleans?

[darrellm]

How about a Laney? Tried one out in a guitar shop yesterday alongside a Fender Deluxe and Marshall DSL and was pleasantly surprised - clean tones different to the other two but nice, very jangly like a Vox.

[yard dawg]

Any tube amp is too loud for an apartment, unless you have understanding neighbors. However, for a small tube amp recommendation, I'll say the Crate Palomino. Takes pedals well, and sounds okay at lower volumes.

Yup. Small tube amps dont equal low volume at all. You still need to crank it to get better sounds. Ive got a Carvin 16 watt tube amp with a 5 watt switch and it will definetly wake the neighbors even on 5 watt mode. Try line 6 stuff for the apartment.

[markD]

i AM spoiled, as i can and do use a 100 watt amp in my apartment and it is not a big deal (i now live in a garage apartment, which is kinda like a 1 bedroom house in the sky). BUT, i will say that playing at home with my rivera M100 is MUCH easier to get a decent tone at a reasonable volume compared to my fender tremolux, which is 35 watts. i need to get some SERIOUS volume on that amp in order to get a pleasing sound.

maybe it is BECAUSE the fender is a "clean only" amp. in order to get that full-bodied clean, i find myself putting the channel volume around 6. i sort of have the same issue with the rivera when i am playing clean. it is NOT as bad because there is a master volume.

i would tend to agree with some of the others. IF volume is a serious issue, a tube amp, even at 15 watts is going to be very loud when turned up enough to get a pleasing clean sound. if you just want a sterile, distortion-less platform for your distortion box, just get a solid-state clean amp, or go line 6.

[goodwood]

Any tube amp is too loud for an apartment, unless you have understanding neighbors.

ZVEX Nano Head is perfect for an apartment. Need a cabinet though.

[thunderhead]

How about this?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9pB5hV21Y00

[danastas]

I went through a year of looking for a low watt tube amp when my daughter was born, and I came to the conclusion that it was a worthless pursuit. I even went high end with it, Carr Mercury, Cornford Harlequin and Carrera, Dr Z stuff, and I gave up. It all sounded like crap, IMO. I went back to the 100 watt amp with master volume, and I'm very happy. My 100 watter dialed way way down sounds 10x better than any of the low watt tube amps.

Of course, you need to find a good hi watter with a great mastervolume, and these are pricey, though not much more so than the top of the line low watters.

If I were to do this on the cheap, I'd only be looking at the Fender Champ 600 or the Roland Solid State Cube line.

[Axewielder]

Modeling amps simply can't be beat for tube sounds at low volumes.

[danastas]

Modeling amps simply can't be beat for tube sounds at low volumes.

Except by a good tube amp.

Seriously, my tube amp would kill any modeller and low watt tube amp at low volumes.

[Axewielder]

Except by a good tube amp.

Seriously, my tube amp would kill any modeller and low watt tube amp at low volumes.

Maybe for cleans, but you'll never get the sound of a roaring, distorted stack at low volumes without a modeler.

[danastas]

Maybe for cleans, but you'll never get the sound of a roaring, distorted stack at low volumes without a modeler.

I've spent too much money on this search.

I've gone modeling, solid state, tubes, low watt tubes, and in the end, my tube amp with a master volume does low volume best.

I recently sold my Axe-FX, I've had a Vetta, I've gone through low watt tubes, and I'm telling you, nothing comes close at low volumes to the sound of my CarolAnn 100 watter. And consider this, I'm playing through EV12Ls which will not break up under any circumstances, so it's all coming directly from the amp.

[Axewielder]

I've spent too much money on this search.

I've gone modeling, solid state, tubes, low watt tubes, and in the end, my tube amp with a master volume does low volume best.

I recently sold my Axe-FX, I've had a Vetta, I've gone through low watt tubes, and I'm telling you, nothing comes close at low volumes to the sound of my CarolAnn 100 watter. And consider this, I'm playing through EV12Ls which will not break up under any circumstances, so it's all coming directly from the amp.

Interesting. I'd like to play that bad boy! I spent a lot of money and time on that search as well, with low wattage amps and small cabs and hot plates. Very disappointing. When I discovered the Line6 stuff, I never looked back.

[danastas]

The difference is the mastervolume's control over the stack as well as some measures the builder took.

There's a sparkle switch to adjust for treble cut with low volume.

There's also a mid boost.

And finally, the effects loop level can be adjusted to have maximal impact on output. When I go low volume, I turn the effects loop level down which allows me to send more juice to the tubes even as I'm dialing down volume.

If the effects level was kept at normal position (for me, at 50%) then the volume would need to be adjusted down even more.

[Axewielder]

That sounds like a trick setup. Was this a one-off build with features that you spec'd out?

[danastas]

That sounds like a trick setup. Was this a one-off build with features that you spec'd out?

Nope, this was stock.

He makes three version, a Texas setup for SRV types, the stock version that I have, and a very high gain set up he made for the ex-guitarist of Bad Brains. I can't imagine more gain though than I have on tap already. It's too much for me, and with my LP, it just sustains forever with great signing feedback.