I'm currently looking for a Small Versatile Valve Amp?

[Poetic Justice]

I'm currently looking for a small valve amp that's versatile, to add to my collection. I'm not looking for anything like a 100w Head or anything, btw. I'm looking for something that's small, that's really nice sounding both clean and lead. I preferably want a very clean tone that sounds very nice when play beautiful clean solos. For the lead channel, I want something that really sings as you add more gain to it. Nothing like the gain of a 6505 though, lol. I kind of want the amp to be able to play them songs which start of clean, and as the song progressed, the tone starts to have gain added to it, and by the climax of the song, the gain is high on the lead channel, whilst you play a very emotionally, really putting your heart into it. That's if anyone gets what i mean. If you don't here's a 2 examples by Demioblue:

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=9581560&q=hi&newref=1

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=7821880&q=hi&newref=1

It would also be nice if i could play Dream Theater style music on the amp as well.

If anyone has any ideas on amps, could you please let me know? Oh and preferably a combo, but feel free to recommend heads too

[Poetic Justice]

I also wondered, would it be better me getting an amp with a good lead channel, or something with better clean headroom and just use an overdrive pedal?

[dani]

not sure if this is gonna help much but small amps almost always tend to sound good either clean or dirty. i would generally assume that small sized amps = lower wattage and low wattage generally = low headroom of course depending on the level you intend to play at and your input gain. imo, the more bells and whistles in a small amp, the more compromise is made between channels.

if it was me, i will go for an amp with good cleans and add dirt pedals. you can't really clean up a dirty clean channel can you?

that said, there are quite a few small amps that are pretty good for the money depending on budget. have a look at hughes and kettner tubemeister, cornford roadhouse 30, engl screamer or even egnater tweaker and rebel. of the lot, i will likely go with the cornford for tone and the tubemeister for portability and low wattage/volume bedroom playing/recording.

[gwEm]

feline suggested to me looking at the egnater tweaker, and it indeed looks good.

[darkbluemurder]

if it was me, i will go for an amp with good cleans and add dirt pedals. you can't really clean up a dirty clean channel can you?

+1. It's what I did in the country rock band I used to play in.

have a look at hughes and kettner tubemeister, cornford roadhouse 30, engl screamer or even egnater tweaker and rebel.

That's a good selection. I would not discount the Peavey Valveking and Delta, Fender Blues Deluxe and the Marshall Haze.

Cheers Stephan

[Poetic Justice]

not sure if this is gonna help much but small amps almost always tend to sound good either clean or dirty. i would generally assume that small sized amps = lower wattage and low wattage generally = low headroom of course depending on the level you intend to play at and your input gain. imo, the more bells and whistles in a small amp, the more compromise is made between channels.

if it was me, i will go for an amp with good cleans and add dirt pedals. you can't really clean up a dirty clean channel can you?

that said, there are quite a few small amps that are pretty good for the money depending on budget. have a look at hughes and kettner tubemeister, cornford roadhouse 30, engl screamer or even egnater tweaker and rebel. of the lot, i will likely go with the cornford for tone and the tubemeister for portability and low wattage/volume bedroom playing/recording.

As much as I like the Cornstar, it is way out of my price limit. Mabye one day. I'm only looking at spending a few hundred.

[dani]

where are you locaated? anderton's have the roadhouse 3o head in stock for 499 gbp.

[Poetic Justice]

where are you locaated? anderton's have the roadhouse 3o head in stock for 499 gbp.

Manchester, but then I'd need to buy a cab :/

[Pete24v]

not sure if this amp will be right for you, but i picked one up after selling my Tiny Terror and i love it!. The TT was ace, just way too loud for what i wanted.

It's only 1 channel, with volume, bass, mid and treble. Turn the volume up and it crunches beautifully, back off your guitar volume and it's clean, sparkly with great chime. Add a tube screamer type pedal for singing leads etc, or add a distortion pedal for balls out the bath rock!

It has 1xECC3 and 1xEL84, there is a 3-5 watt switch as well.

I picked mine up for £80 2nd hand, and it had had recent JJ tubes fitted.

It's  a Blackheart (by Crate) Little Giant

[Telerocker]

Tiny Terror or the new Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 18, which is two channel with boost.

[Crunch]

The Traynor Darkhorse is worth looking into. It's my current wet dream amp (and cheaper than a Terror).

[dani]

where are you locaated? anderton's have the roadhouse 3o head in stock for 499 gbp.

Manchester, but then I'd need to buy a cab :/

the combo is 599. : p

[Poetic Justice]

where are you locaated? anderton's have the roadhouse 3o head in stock for 499 gbp.

Manchester, but then I'd need to buy a cab :/

the combo is 599. : p

It's just a shame that's way out of my price range. I can actually afford it, but I've got to buy other stuff first. But thanks very much for letting me know about it. I'm definitely going to get one when I can actually afford it. Might be next year though haha

[richard]

Been rehearsing with my Roadhouse combo tonight and will be gigging with it on Saturday. Amazing amp. Get one and buy the other stuff later.

[froglord]

Try a Fender Super Champ XD. It's a hybrid amp (digital/valve), but don't let that put you off. The clean channel is brilliant, very Fender-y, and will hold it's own against a drummer without distorting. The other channel has all kinds of voices, some better than others, but it's not hard to find one or two to suit your purposes. Personally I use it as a clean amp, with pedals for the gain - it works very well that way too.