Amp suggestions?

[MartinS]

Hi. I'm looking for a tube amp to replace my Roland JC120.

Ideally, I'd like Rivera Venus 6 - but they're two grand!

I guess I want 30-50 watts.
Good clean headroom.
Rich class-A harmonics.
6v6 tubes like in the Venus 6?
Must have 3-way EQ.
Small form factor - probably a 1x12.
Two channels would be useful but not essential.

I play a Gibson 335.

Any suggestions? I'm looking for a bargain if there is such a thing...

[gwEm]

Laney AOR ProTube 30 Watt combo?

It may not be class A, but it ticks the other boxes, particularly: 6V6... 3 band eq... 1x12... bargain...

[gingataff]

^
I'm not sure about the clean headroom on the AOR, but choosing the right kind of valves should be able to sort that out.

[LazyNinja]

I'd look at Vox AC30, Laney VC30 or Orange Rocker 30 if you like a darker amp. I didn't like the AOR30 head I had after a while because it was too thin and fizzy.

[Scotty477]

What kind of music are you wanting the amp for?

[MartinS]

Thanks guys.

Type of music? Sort of bluesy-indie stuff.

[gwEm]

^
I'm not sure about the clean headroom on the AOR, but choosing the right kind of valves should be able to sort that out.

indeed, its more of a hard rock amp

(hope you're well by the way gingataff)

[Scotty477]

I'm not sure what your budget is but I played through one of these today.





It's a Mesa Boogie Nomad 55.

This amp can do everything from silky smooth cleans, vintage low gain crunch to screaming modern.

It is without a doubt the best combo I have ever played through.

I want one ....  :D

[tomjackson]

Good clean headroom makes me think of Fender straight away

What about a Deluxe reverb reissue?  A really nice Blues / Jazz amp for about £700
Super Reverbs are lovely but probably too big
Blues Deluxe has most of what you ask for.....
Or for 2 channels the Rivera Clubster 25 Doce, 1 fender-ish channel and 1 Marshall gainy channel, about £800
Laney VC30 would need to be 2x12 for clean headroom

I think Class A amps usually go to about 30w.  Class A makes me think of less clean headroom to be honest, chimey valve drive at lower levels whereas AB makes me think of smoother, louder cleans.

The matamp Adrian Ingram could be another option, it really depends what levels of breakup/overdrive you require.  I think the Clubster would cover most of the requirements.

[noodleplugerine]

Would the Blackstar Artisan be good for this?

Or am I totally off the mark.

[Twinfan]

They're EL84 valves, but nice amps all the same...

[martinw]

If you need good clean headroom and 30-50W, forget about class, which in any case influences tone less than other factors such as biasing system, NFB amount and valve type. In true class A, you'll struggle to get more than 20-30W.

For bluesy indie stuff, you could do worse than a Marshall Bluesbreaker type amp, or even the similar 50W JMP combos, as used by Paul Weller for instance. Marshalls can do superb cleans, despite what many people think. The JTM45/Bluesbreaker in particular is a superb clean sound. A head and cab gives more flexibility and the capacity to change speaker config, important to maximise volume when searching for headroom.

My customers Al and Ivor (see my website) have similar requirements to you and achieve it in different ways. Al uses a Martamp M45 head (JTM Type) with a 4x12, set up clean. Trust me, it's the best clean you've ever heard, as much Fender as Marshall. Ivor has a Matchless DC30 type 1x12 combo, which also does a great clean sound, with that lovely chimey EF86 thing.
Cheers! :)

[indysmith]

Why's nobody on here ever recommend the Fender Twin?

I guess I want 30-50 watts.      40W
Good clean headroom.               It's a Twin!
Rich class-A harmonics.             Not Class A, but certainly very rich sounding
6v6 tubes like in the Venus 6?  6L6 Valves...Sort of similar
Must have 3-way EQ.                Treble, Bass, Presence
Small form factor - probably a 1x12.     2x12, but it'll have a far bigger sound than a 1x12; it's still portable.
Two channels would be useful but not essential.    Yep - Normal and Bright.

A '57 Twin reissue would be awesome.
EDIT: Link - http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=8140500000

[MartinS]

Thanks again.

When I say clean, I don't necessarily mean pure clean - what I want is a slight glisten/chime/ring on "clean" chords, and something that responds when I dig in a bit. Does this make sense?

I've been told I need 30-50 watts for live work (by Andy Dokken on eBay), even though every venue I've played in the last year - mainly small rooms above pubs - has miced up the guitar amps.

I want a nice, deep tone, and something that inspires me when playing. So maybe 2x12 would be better? I'm somewhat ignorant when it comes to tube types, I'm afraid.

If you think I could get away with fewer watts, this would give me more options. I wouldn't be averse to buying something and having it modded, either.

[everton_fc]

Hiwatt Custom 20 or even better the Hiwatt Studio/Stage

I owned the Studio/Stage head and it is the best amp I've had by far. 20W - 40W switchable, sounded awesome and you can get a combo version.

Amazing cleans (think Gilmour!), and if you crank it, and use the guitar volume, fantastic overdrive. I used it with my BKP Mule loaded Yamaha SG & a Fender USA Strat (Apaches) and it was fantastic.

A good choice for Indie/Blusey stuff IMHO

Also built like flipping tanks!