Recommend an Amp

[adamj]

Over the last few years I have been using a solid state 120w amp through a laney 4x12 cab. I wont name and shame the amp for risk of offending everyone with its shoddyness but im sure some will be able to guess.

In the next few months im going to be back to gigging regularly and need a reliable valve amp for great tone. However i cant go and pay over a grand. I have noticed the Bugera amps for under £500 and  would prefer something around this area.It will be running through the 4x12 i already have.
The music i am playing is classic pub band stuff, the who, pinkfloyd, led zep etc and some moremodern tracks. I already have an overdrive pedal for pushing the dirty channel so dont need a million different channels on the amp.

im useless with gear so fire away!

[Dmoney]

do you still need 100+ watts? do you need multiple channels, and fx loop, anything like that?

[Antag]

If you already have the cab, you have a TON of options for under a grand. In fact pretty much any non-boutique one or two channel amp ought to be within reach.

You could even get something made by MJW - the Roadstar & Mondiale both come in at well under £1k & at 36 watts ought to be enough to drive a 4x12...

[adamj]

well it has to be powerful enough to run the cab, which i think is 8ohm (?). i know valves can sometimes be a bit "louder" than tranny amps so im guessing a 120W valve amp would ruin the cab.
preferably i need a clean and dirty channel, and all my fx will be from guitar > fx> amp head, i never use an fx loop but i suppose if its there then theres always the option in future.
I use the amp for practice, which is bass, drums, keys and the vox (vox go through the pa) and it will also be for live situations, in which the amp will more often than not be mic'd up

[MDV]

I'd look for a second hand DSL if I wanted the sounds you do.

[Dmoney]

well it has to be powerful enough to run the cab, which i think is 8ohm (?). i know valves can sometimes be a bit "louder" than tranny amps so im guessing a 120W valve amp would ruin the cab.
preferably i need a clean and dirty channel, and all my fx will be from guitar > fx> amp head, i never use an fx loop but i suppose if its there then theres always the option in future.
I use the amp for practice, which is bass, drums, keys and the vox (vox go through the pa) and it will also be for live situations, in which the amp will more often than not be mic'd up

working out whether your head would blow the speakers depends on what speakers you have in the cab, rather than the impedance (8ohm) that they are wired at.

valves might appear louder, but a wattage rating of 100watts is a hundred watts i guess. just like 1 tonne of feathers is the same weight as 1 tonne of bowling balls. there is more variation in valves.

You could check out the JCA100H from Jet City. That has two channels. or the JCA20H. the 20 is only single channel though.
maybe a peavey valveking? they are cheap as cheaps and I don't think they are too bad to be honest! pretty good bang for buck.
Laney might have some options.
you might not need 100watts. 50 would probably do you. maybe even less.
+1 for the second hand DSL.

[dave_mc]

i haven't tried them, but i think a lot of the bugeras are more aimed at modern stuff- certainly the 333 and 6260 ones.

do you need to be able to get a cab with that £500 too? I'd be wary of using a cheaper cab with the head, it might sound rubbish! Which laney cab is it? the tt cab is nice, as is the lionheart, and some of the other ones are probably nice if you upgrade the speakers...

[Dmoney]

Bugera ripped off a lot of designs. they do a plexi kind of thing and a jcm900 dual reverb kind of thing... they might have something somewhere in their range.

[dave_mc]

oh yeah, sure, just when i hear bugera i think of the other ones, plus the price he was talking about suggested the ones i mentioned.

Maybe i just hang out at UG too much where everyone's a metalhead :lol:

[Dmoney]

i never go on UG. i dunno why...

I think there are a lot of option. Even a 6260 Bugera. You COULD use the low input and wind the gain down. I've seen vids of Ted Nugent playing the amp that way. Using the low input. I think its a bit more versatile than a normal 5150/6505. A bit noiser though. what do people on UG say about build quality? does anyone own a Bugera?

[MDV]

You never should go to UG.

Unless its for lulz.

[dave_mc]

oh yeah the lulz are great on UG. Normally we just troll about bugeras always going on fire. :lol:

[Telerocker]

For the music you're referring too, there are more choices then the Bugera. A used DSL, JCM 900, Hughes & Kettner Switchblade, Engl Thunder. New: Peavy Valveking, Bogner Alchemist, etc. Remember that a 50 watt tubeamp can be very loud, to your ears louder then a 120 transistoramp.

[Transcend]

I have a friend that is on his 4th bugera 6262

all have been replacements from bugera of the previous ones that overheated, just blew random stuff, one took out loads of other electrical stuff in his room too.

and this is in the space of 9 months.

If the other ones they offer are anything like the 6260 i would avoid them

[sgmypod]

I gig with a 30w rocker 30 valve amp...through 2x12 quite easily..but if want more the rocker 50 is a great amp for what you said you want

Must add the MJW stuff is great as well