Author Topic: Another Bedroom Amp Thread.... (Read 7939 times)

Matt77 · « **on:** March 03, 2008, 04:06:05 PM »

Sorry to be boring and start another thread about beroom amps.

I am just a couple of months away from being the proud owner of a new Feline Lion with a set of Mules.
It's time for me to dump a lot of the digital stuff and go organic and get a new valve amp for some excessive blues - hard rock bedroom noodling and the odd small gig.

I thought about the Cornford Carerra but wonder; will it be too loud for bedroom use and too quiet for small gigs?

Alternatively the Suhr Badger looks nice but seems steep as I'd have to buy a reverb pedal of some sort to add in to the effects loop (probably about £1500 all in.)

Any opinions or good alternative suggestions?

indysmith · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2008, 04:11:02 PM »

i like my 50W JCM800 combo. They can be had off ebay very cheaply (£400ish) I'm getting great sounds out of it at bedroom volume (with a tubescreamer in front for that extra boost), and everyone knows how a cranked one will sound at a gig. Don't even bother with a power attenuator - sucks loads of tone.

I'm sure loads of others will chime in with more 'sensible' suggestions :P

Gizmo · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2008, 04:29:09 PM »

there is a good article in the "Guitar" mag which has bedroom sized tube amps on comparison. It rated the Tiny terror as no 2 and the top award went to the cornfold harlequin

amps in test were the

VOX AC15CC1 rated highly
EPIPHONE VALVE junior
LANEY VC15 again rated highly
PEAVEY VALVEKING ROYAL 8
Feender champion 600
Orange Tiny Terror
Cornford Harlequin

I was also looking into the Badger amp. I'd love that driven tube amp sound at bedroom volume but the only one I can find to try is the other side of the country and its £1200 and ive got too much gas for a PRS atm to warrant it.

I hear Fargen are also very good and similar to the Badger.

Some forum guys here rate a high quality/high wattage amp and a decent pedal to drive them as apposed to a low watt amp which you still cannnot really turn up in a house.

Doctor X · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2008, 05:17:17 PM »

I own 2 valve amps: a 1-3 watt Sheldon TT3-R and a 50/100 watt Mesa Lonestar. The Mesa sounds better at bedroom volumes. The Sheldon can sound fabulous but needs to turned up louder than is acceptable if you're playing at home to get there.

Spitfire · « **Reply #4 on:** March 03, 2008, 08:30:11 PM »

matamp minimat 2
peavey have a small valve amp out, i saw it on gak... (not the mini collosus either) about 8w i think it was
laney VCs look ok, i was interested before i found im moving house... so no more lil amp needed here :) (more money for pickups :))))))))) )

indysmith · « **Reply #5 on:** March 03, 2008, 08:32:24 PM »

I don't know much about the minimat 2, but the first one is HORRIBLE.

On the subject of Laneys though; the Lionhearts are apparently really nice, and the clips I've heard are orgasmic

PPPMAT · « **Reply #6 on:** March 03, 2008, 09:23:43 PM »

I am a bedroom player - there are a few alternatives! It all depends on the tone you are looking for....

I have a carrera and it is brilliant - sounds amazing quiet but has a definite 'sound' ie not really british more compressed but I like it. Loads of gain and sounds nice clean too.

I also have a tiny terror and again its brilliant - no brainer for how cheap it is and the sounds are much more british and utterly different to the carrera...

Now the suhr badger looks amazing - ive never tried one but the clips do sound great. However I bet the tiny terror would get you close for a stack less cash.

One thing to note is that you won't be gigging much with a carrera without miccing up - its loud but not loud enough. The TT is fine.

To be honest any amp with a good master volume will be great - I've tried attenuation in the past but its never really worked.

Cheers

Matt

HTH AMPS · « **Reply #7 on:** March 03, 2008, 09:29:04 PM »

The Laney Lionheart amps are great and fit your needs perfectly - support the UK guys!!!

There are also stuff that Conford, Matamp, Cornell and others make that would work equally well, but the Laney is available in most places and very affordable.

fwiw, I did some work on a Vox AC30CC last week and with some mods that is a GREAT amp - maybe try the AC15CC thats out there, that would be a more sensible bedroom amp that is also giggable.

Simon D · « **Reply #8 on:** March 03, 2008, 09:31:10 PM »

Quote from: indysmith

I don't know much about the minimat 2, but the first one is HORRIBLE.

On the subject of Laneys though; the Lionhearts are apparently really nice, and the clips I've heard are orgasmic

I've tried a Lionheart, and it was a superb thing. It was the 20w, 4x10 combo. Lovely clean tone, great bluesy crunch/Malcolm Young sound, and a very nice, smooth, powerful overdrive. I tried it in a shop's very small demo room, so it wasn't cranked up by any means - slightly more than bedroom volume, but not by much. It has reverb too, which is a nice bonus.
Definitely worth trying one out if you can.

Matt77 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 03, 2008, 10:41:32 PM »

Thanks All

Loads of suggestions, fortunately the majority of them are available at Sounds Great which is only 5 mins away. (Makes me look v.lazy for not doing so already, but I've got groin surgery later this week. Football and guitars do not mix!)

I think I'll try and run as many of the suggested amps up against the Badger. Anything that's British and on a par will be snapped up. Hopefully I'll get to post how I get on at some point next week.

indysmith · « **Reply #10 on:** March 03, 2008, 10:44:34 PM »

Quote from: Matt77

Thanks All

Loads of suggestions, fortunately the majority of them are available at Sounds Great which is only 5 mins away. (Makes me look v.lazy for not doing so already, but I've got groin surgery later this week. Football and guitars do not mix!)

I think I'll try and run as many of the suggested amps up against the Badger. Anything that's British and on a par will be snapped up. Hopefully I'll get to post how I get on at some point next week.

:o Good luck with the ol' groin surgery mate!
And yeah I hope you find something yu like at sounds great! The best way is always to go and try em out.

7thSon · « **Reply #11 on:** March 04, 2008, 02:32:50 PM »

Quote from: Gizmo

there is a good article in the "Guitar" mag which has bedroom sized tube amps on comparison. It rated the Tiny terror as no 2 and the top award went to the cornfold harlequin

amps in test were the

VOX AC15CC1 rated highly
EPIPHONE VALVE junior
LANEY VC15 again rated highly
PEAVEY VALVEKING ROYAL 8
Feender champion 600
Orange Tiny Terror
Cornford Harlequin

How did the VK Royal 8 compare with the Valve Junior and Champ 600? All the others are out of my price range (just a first amp, cant even play the guitar yet).

Twinfan · « **Reply #12 on:** March 04, 2008, 02:37:25 PM »

Quote from: Matt77

Loads of suggestions, fortunately the majority of them are available at Sounds Great which is only 5 mins away.

You live a touch closer to the shop than I do, and you've not been in yet?

If I lived any closer I'd have my own bed there.......

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #13 on:** March 04, 2008, 02:53:45 PM »

Maybe a Cornell Romany plus wth either a Tonebone Plexitube or a Blackstar pedal in front of it

Matt77 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 04, 2008, 06:38:11 PM »

Quote from: FELINEGUITARS

Maybe a Cornell Romany plus wth either a Tonebone Plexitube or a Blackstar pedal in front of it

Will probably get one of them soon.
If money was no object the T-Rex Spin Doctor would be on the list

Quote from: Twinfan

Quote from: Matt77
Loads of suggestions, fortunately the majority of them are available at Sounds Great which is only 5 mins away.

You live a touch closer to the shop than I do, and you've not been in yet?

If I lived any closer I'd have my own bed there.......

I used to go all the time but I'd just stumble blindly past the amps to the guitars. It's only now the dream machine is on the way that I've started paying them any attention. It's like the Alladin's Cave of guitar porn in there.