I guess I'm a sucker for a 15-watter, so I'll throw in the ones I've got or had that get/got good sounds.

Marshall mini stack: I kind of miss it, hellacious crunch
Blues Jr.: great amp, but I had the tones covered by other Fenders
Orange TT combo: another great amp, but I like the head/cab setup better

Orange TT head w/ Orange PPC112 cab: freakin' awesome crunch
Vox AC15: just sounds sweet
SCXD: gets more playing time than my other amp, because it sounds good, and it's very convenient.

I'd recommend the Blues Jr. if clean is your main thing, and the TT (in either config.) if you like the more raunchy stuff.

Waiting to get my hands on a Vox Night Train and a Blackheart Handsome Devil, too. I guess I really am a sucker for a 15-watter, and don't even get me started on the 5-watt tube amps.....

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Strat+Tweed=Tone

The Vox night Train is a sweet amp. Egnater is coming out with one called The Tweaker. Can't wait to try it. It's supposed to be fairly inexpensive and may be a great backup amp.

http://www.egnateramps.com/TweakerHead.html

http://www.voxamps.com/modernclassic/nighttrain/

...hehe..is a fendeer frontman a 15 watt amp??? cuz i have of those

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"being a rock star is the intersection of who you are, and who you want to be." -Slash

Blues Junior. Awesome!

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MIM Std Tele, MIM HSS Strat, Homemade Mongrel Tele, Blues Jr, Champ600, coupla pedals...sweeeet!

I forgot, the Egnater Tweaker is cathode biased. You don't need to bias the amp when you change power tubes, and you can run lot of different tubes in it.

+1 on the Vox Night Train. I liked it so much that I bought one and traded my AC15 Custom Classic for a Fender Supersonic combo. It has all the sparkle of the AC15 minus the built in reverb and tremolo and it's easy to move at 17 pounds. The 48 pound AC15 was seriously heavy for a 15 watt amp.

John

Yes it is. I did not expect a 15-watt amp to weigh almost 50 pounds. What do you run the Night Train through? I'm curious as to how it would sound with my Orange cab....

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Strat+Tweed=Tone

What is the difference between a Class A and a Class A-B???

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I Can't Explain

A "Class A" amp is one in which the tubes are always running at full plate voltage, whereas a "Class AB" amplifiers operates at an "idle" voltage until it sees an input signal. Class of operation is definitely a factor in determining what type of sound an amplifier will have, but a lot of other factors come into play, too. Just my opinion, but I think Class is an overrated issue.

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Strat+Tweed=Tone

From Sweetwater's site -

Class A - When an amplifier's stage devices are passing current at all times, including when the amplifier is at idle (no music playing), whether the amplifier is single ended or push-pull, the amplifier is said to be biased in Class A. Because the current is flowing at all times, an input signal causes the current to be immediately diverted to the speakers, and therefore, the sound is very "fast". In the case of a push-pull amplifier, there is also less crossover distortion when the signal passes from the positive to the negative or negative to positive, since each side of the push-pull section is already "on". If all stages of the amplifier are biased in Class A, and the amplifier operates in Class A to full output (enough current flowing at idle that could be required for full output), it is said to be a "Pure Class A" amplifier. Pure Class A designs are understandably expensive to build and are usually only found in high-end boutique amps.

Class B - Class B differs from Class A in that there is no current flowing when the output devices are at idle, and as a result, they have to turn on from a zero current state when signal is present. In a push-pull Class B design the output devices would each produce half of the audio waveform (one set for the positive half, and another for the negative half) and would not have any current flow when the other half is operating. Class B designs tend to have a slower slew rate and more crossover distortion but are less expensive and require less robust power supplies.

Class AB - As its name implies, this is sort of a combination of Class A and Class B operation. If an amplifier operates in Class A mode for only a portion of its output, and has to turn on additional current in the devices for the remainder of its output, it is said to operate in Class AB. Most amplifiers are in this category since they operate in two classes. In class AB and B, the amplifier is slower than in Class A because there is a finite time between the application of the input signal and when the devices are turned on to produce a flow of current to the speakers. However, Class AB and Class B are more efficient than Class A and do not require such large power supplies.

Class D - A Class D amplifier is one in which the output transistors are operated as switches. When a transistor is off, the current through it is zero. When it is on, the voltage across it is small, ideally zero. In each case, the power dissipation is very low. This increases the efficiency, thus requiring less power from the power supply and smaller heat sinks for the amplifier. These are important advantages in portable and battery-powered equipment.

The “D” in class-D is sometimes incorrectly said to stand for “digital.” The Class D amplifier is based on analog principles; there is no digital coding of the signal.

Class H - If an amplifier has more than one voltage rail (DC voltage delivered by the power supply), then it is designated Class H. This is a very efficient type of amplification. The output transistors of an amplifier have to dissipate, in heat (watts), the difference between the rail voltage and the voltage across the speaker terminals, multiplied by the current (as stated in Ohm's law). So, when there is a low rail voltage for use during periods of low volume, and a high rail voltage for use during loud volume, the output transistors don't have to dissipate very much power when the volume is low. This causes less drain on the power supply and makes it possible to build a very lightweight design. The drawback is distortion at mid-volume when the amplifier has to go back and forth between the two (or more) rail voltages.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Thanks gentlemen!

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I Can't Explain

As a side issue, seen the VHT special 6 yet? A 6 watt class A amp thats incorrectly advertized as point to point. Its wired across an eyelet board. All that for less than $200.

CLICK HERE TO SEE IT

Now all you American fella's can feel very avenged about the Marshall Class 5. I cant find these on my shores yet.

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No no and no

Hey, Ninja, have you played the VHT yet? I've been anxious to find something out about these little demons since I got wind of them.
And as for you guys across the pond, the Marshall Class 5 and the Orange AD5 are freakin' awesome! It's nice to be getting the British flavor in British amps again, even though I know it's not your fine country's fault that Marshall decided to spend the last fifteen years or so building knock-off Mesa's due to an identity crisis.
But I digress. Please share your opinions of the VHT if you have any.

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Strat+Tweed=Tone

I started my cool, low wattage amp head collection with a 20 watt Egnater Rebel, so I plug the Night Train into the Rebel's 1x12 cabinet. The Celestion Elite 80 speaker and the Night Train are an excellent match.

John

I love my blues jr., played thru it for years. But for a 15watt amp, try the 65 princeton reverb reissue. I played thru a jr. and the princeton, side by side, the princeton's tone was awesome, as much as I love my jr., the princeton reverb blew her away. Alot more money for the princeton, but worth the tone, for a 15watt.

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2012 American Vintage Telecaster 1958
09 Fender american deluxe strat.
97 Gibson les paul special P90's double-cut
65 Princeton reverb re-issue
2010 Guild Gad-F40e