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Post subject: The perfect little amp for a big sound???
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:07 pm
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I recently bought a Deluxe VM just to use at home (detached, no neighbors, wife goes out a lot). I love the sound of the thing, but still can't help thinking that at low volume I'm not getting the best out of it. Likewise, I can't get my head around a 5-15 watt amp with an 8-10" speaker... hence the VM.

If my criteria were – 12" speaker(s), big enough cab for said speaker(s), 15 watts maximum, the slight warmth of 6V6's preferred – do I:

1) Keep the VM and buy an attenuator (THD Hot Plate)?
2) Buy something like a Blues Junior, plus bigger cab, plus Jensen, plus delay and chorus?
3) Go mad and get a '57 Deluxe or similar... plus the effects ?

My guitars are both Am Ash Deluxe's – Tele and Strat.

Given that I can only see as far as Fender, Egnator or Cornell... for a 'big' sound, just what is the perfect 'little' amp?


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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:32 pm
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I am kind of in the same boat as you .I have a Bassman, blues deluxe , super reverb and a blues jr.I use the jr for rehearsals and small gigs because the other 3 amps are too big for that.The jr has ok sound , but sometimes i want that classic Fender clean and the jr doesnt get it.I have been thinking of getting a deluxe reverb (used) or a egnater 30 watt combo.It has the same options as the 20 watt head , but it can get louder if i need it or like the 20 watt , it goes down to 1 watt.The only concern I have is that i am not much of a knob turner and i might not be using the egnater to its full potential.Thats why i am also concidering the deluxe reverb, its 22 watts and should be decent enough for smaller clubs .Another thought is the princeton reverb.Similar as the deluxe reverb with 15 watts.Except the princeton is a 10 inch speaker.


Last edited by budglo on Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:34 pm
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Hi,

I have a Hot Rod Deluxe, I too love the sound but, it's just to load for the house. I purchased the Weber Mini Mass attenuator (around $100) and am completely satisfied with it. You could purchase a low end head ie: Blackheart 1 watt or 5 watt etc...($150 - $250) and just plug you amp speaker into. But in the end if you like the tone of your VM, IMO I think the Attenuator is the way to go.
Good Luck
Bill

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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:13 pm
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The Marshall Class 5 is pretty sweet too. I have an Egnater Rebel 20. You can dial it down to one watt and it uses Both 6v6 and El84 power tubes that can be mixed to any percentage. The bright and tight switches add to the tonal possibilities. I sold my POS HRDlx to get it.

Build quality alone is light years ahead of any HRD series amp as well as versatility. The PCB's are thick and double-sided. I bought the Rebel with the matching cabinet. The cab is voiced for the amp and is incredible. The cabinets are Birch not pressboard. I'll be adding another cab in the next month or so. The Rebel 30 has 2 channels and each channel can be dialed down to a watt independently as well as reverb for each channel.
I've been gigging and rehearsing with it for a couple of months and it's been flawless.


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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 11:46 pm
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I know this is outside of your criteria, but I would suggest a 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue. I just bought one and LOVE everything about it. I also took a chance on a Fulltone guitar cable, ten feet. Wow, it makes a big difference in tone quality and the amount of signal getting to the amp. My DRRI starts breaking up at 4 1/2 now, when before I had to roll it up to 5 1/2. And the sound is to die for.

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Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:51 am
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senggedorje wrote:
I know this is outside of your criteria, but I would suggest a 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue.


If my criteria were to go over 15w, that's probably my no.1 choice... and if I decide to spend the extra money. But maybe that's the point... I've got a stupid mental block about spending 'too much' on a single amp, whereas £XXX for each guitar... no problem. It's just like I'm being forced by the marketing men to pay £800.00 for something that I think should be possible for BJ money.

Anyway, looks like a '65 then!


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Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:23 am
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I've been eying the '57 Deluxe, but it's just too expensive for me. I have a DRRI, which is GREAT, but now I also want something that breaks up a little earlier and sounds even more vintage. I've been thinking about ordering a 5E3 kit from mission amps and putting one together myself. Anyone one tried one of these?


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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:41 am
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You may still find 15watts too loud for home. I'd really try to address my thinking of smaller 5 watt amps. Small speakers aren't the greatest ever, but marry the correct speaker to the amp and their more than good enough. You'll lose the 'speaker pushed' sound with an attenuator (half the reason people complain about them altering tone). I use an attenuator (marshall powerbreak) on my marshalls, its a good sound once you get used to the fact that your playing a cranked amp with uncranked speakers and a lot lower sound pressure, so theres no soundwaves vibrating the strings for you. Exactly the same way a small amp doesnt create the same sound pressure but it does keep the speaker pushed.
#In the house i use one of two 5watt amps (vibrochamp xd or watkins), their more than good enough for home use and my vain attempts at recording. I keep the marshalls for live.

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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:37 am
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You can have a hand wired Tweed deluxe-style amp from S2 amps for as little as a grand here and that's half the price of the Fender custom shop.

-The Screamin' J

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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:28 am
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A 5e3 Tweed will break up just from picking hard. It's a very dynamic amp. You should try one first before you but one. It's not for everyone and does not have much headroom. I love them though. You can get a clone kit for less than a third of what Fender wants and have virtually the same thing or better. Mission Amps has a nice kit with full instructions.


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Post subject: Any 5w amp and cab suggestions?
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:41 am
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After making far too much noise last night – on volume 1.0 – it's not taken too much to conclude that the VM is too much amp...

So today's thinking is that it'll be fun (and educational... if I'm looking for a pseudo-serious justification for the benefit of my wife) to get a couple of cabs, and try some 5w (eBay) amps with various speakers. So the contenders, with master volume, are:

Vibro Champ
Egnater Rebel (might have to fork out full price for one of those though)
Super Champ (I know... I'm breaking the 5w rule already, but the reviews are so good, I have to try one)
Blackstar HT5 head

Any suggestions? And any suggestions for cabs/speakers to give me a choice of voice and good compatibility with a 5w amp?

The great thing about eBay is you can try things out and then get most of your money back when you change your mind, or decide what you really want (more self-justification) :wink:


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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:49 am
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I love my Egnater Rebel. I tried the the Blackstar when I bought the Rebel and thought it was pretty cool but the Egnater was more versatile.
I bought the Egnater matching cabinet and it's voiced nicely for the amp.
I would get whatever cabinet that went with the head but that's just a matter of taste. I tried and Egnater 4x12 cab and a Marshall 4x12 and liked the Egnater better. It just seemed better voiced for the amp. Same with the Blackstar. The Mashall Class 5 is pretty sweet too.

I thought this looked interesting http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=620389

But it has no master volume control.


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Post subject: Re: Any 5w amp and cab suggestions?
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:59 am
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VerySlowHand wrote:
Egnater Rebel (might have to fork out full price for one of those though)


I can assure you that you would never regret the price.

I've been using a Rebel 20 head in the studio since last December, and it, as the young people say, "forkin' awesome." 10 amps in one.

There are some bargains on Rebel heads on ebay...

http://tinyurl.com/kqdb2n


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Post subject: Re: Any 5w amp and cab suggestions?
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 12:32 pm
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SlapChop wrote:
VerySlowHand wrote:


There are some bargains on Rebel heads on ebay...


None on eBay UK, but a lot cheaper to import one from the US anyway.

What cabs and speakers would you suggest with the Rebel? If it gives me a variety of tones to play with – and maybe one for low volume with smaller speakers, another for a bit of volume???... I'm guessing here – I'd be interested to experiment.


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Post subject: Re: Any 5w amp and cab suggestions?
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 12:54 pm
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VerySlowHand wrote:

None on eBay UK, but a lot cheaper to import one from the US anyway.


No need... they've got UK distribution.

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_ ... 2611355229

Two of the nice things about the Rebel are the international power supply and the multitap output transformer (4 ohm, 8 ohm or 16 ohm loads re A-OK). So you can drive anything you like the sound of. 63Supro really likes the closed back Egnater 1x12, I play mine through an Eminence Red Fang open back cab, and next month an old friend is bringing a bunch of 1950's-made Jensens that were intended for movie projectors that all run at 16 ohms... can't wait to hear them.


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