New amp advice, Downsizing for uni

[DanHare46]

Hey guys

Sorry about the poor title but i really couldn't think of a thread name.

Basically i'm going to university in 4 months and my current amp, a marshall valvestave v 100 is much to big for me to transport there and store in my accommodation.

I mainly play metal ranging from dream theater to amon amarth, so i'm using it as a good chance to buy an amp that suits this style better than the marshall. But it also needs to be small enough to take to uni with me. Hopefull i'll be able to join a band so i'm looking for somthing that can handle small gigs.

I've never really looked into replacing my amp before so my knowledge of amps is woefull,
Any suggestions would be really helpfull

[Copperhead]

Krank Rev JR Pro 50

[tekbow]

Funny, I've been in shops the last week trying out amps because i just wanted something smaller for my flat that i could play flat out. Depending on your budget, the best i tried so for was the HT1, but maybe you want an HT5 which apparently (haven't tried it yet) is slightly more modern sounding.

to be fair there's only so gainy a low wattage amp is going to sound.. on the upside, a couple choice pedals with the blackstar could bring it into very modern territory easily enough.

There's more expensive options out there (cornford etc), soldano also now do a 25 watter, but from what i've been told it's punching way above it's weight in terms of output. still to loud to crank the power section for a small gig

blackstar pretty much do a range of valve amps ranging from bedroom only, to bedroom/small gig to stadium, and they're a good price.

[tekbow]

Krank Rev JR Pro 50

a 50W amp isn't exactly lower power.. even a 20W would probably be pushing it. I've got a 50w soldano and the only difference between it and the 100w of the same head is headroom, virtually no distinguishable diff in volume

[DanHare46]

I'm happy to use headphones when playing in the flat, but I'd like something
Big enough for small gigs but still portable. ATM
I can carry my Marshall amp from one room to another, and
That's it :p

[tekbow]

Couple questions

Do you want a valve amp
is your valvestate a head or combo?


Reason i ask is, the V100 wasn't that big a head (owned one a long time ago) and i also felt a head and 2x12 was more versatile and portable than a combo, especially for gigs and rehearsals (most places i went had a speaker cab kicking about), i didn't think the V100 combo was that big either.

Also, if you want something lower power, the rules that apply to headroom in valve amps dont apply to valvestates as the valves are in the preamp. the poweramp is solidstates, so a valvestate is pretty much going to react the same at lower volume than at higher volume. just need to compensate for the differences in actual sound dynamics and hearing response at lower volume, ie the speaker's not moving as much (can't do a lot about that short of buying a lower wattage speaker) and the sound will lose treble response (turn up the treble)

[DanHare46]

It's a combo, it's not too heavy I'm probably exaggerating but
It's not really practical to be carrying it around to practices gigs and back
To flat.

Probably a nooby question but can you just use a head or does it need to
Be attached to a speaker

[tekbow]

ah so you're literally carrying it from and too a rehearsal space? might be a bit much to take on the bus..

Most rehearsal spaces and a lot of venues have had some kind of speaker cabinet kicking about that does the job. Makes it easy because you just take your head down and plug it in, but yes you still need speakers of some kind.

[DanHare46]

Ye I would imagine so.
Ye most rehearsal spaces probably should have some equipment lying around
And a head would be easier to carry.

[Telerocker]

Orange Dark Terror?

[Ian Price]

There's an Orange Dual Terror head going for sale in seconds out. I've played it, great value and great amp!

[TheyCallMeVolume]

Yeah some type of Terror would be cool. The Class 5 also gets a somewhat decent medium gain tone, put an OD over it and you're cookin

[Mr. Air]

A dual terror or a dark terror would be a good choice. I would suggest you a Randall RM22 - modular series. It's 18 watts and holds two modules so you'll be able to get any tone you want you just need the right modules. You could also look at the Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister or the Egnater Tweaker 15.

[Philly Q]

Egnater Rebel 20?  Could that manage a small gig?

[Kiichi]

A dual terror or a dark terror would be a good choice.

Maybe even the new Jim Root Terror Amp. Looks very, very promising so far. Very much worth a look I recon (if you can get over it being a signature model and just get a great amp).

But yeah, any kind of terror is great.

Probably a nooby question but can you just use a head or does it need to
Be attached to a speaker

You cannot just use a normal head on its own without a speaker and just plug something like headphones in.
Thing is that the head needs a certain impedance to keep the output transformers from breaking. That is what you have to see that both your amps outputs and the speakers have the same ohm rating (if I recall correctly having the rating on the amp be higher than on the speaker produces different tone but does not damage the amp though).

If you would want to attach headphones to an amp you will have to look for one with a dedicated headphone out. I have something like that one a 5w HTH amp (great little bugger) exept it is a line out (same technical priciple though as when I use it and donīt have the regular out connected a dummy load is put on there to keep the transformers save).
I believe that for example the Vox lil Nighttrain has a headphone out.