I like the Vox AC4 combo. But I also rarely play with an ultra-clean tone. I like a little grit thrown in, and this particular amp isn't hard to get that sound from. It will clean up quite nicely on the 4-watt setting, though.

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Strat+Tweed=Tone

I tried one of those Vox's. Theres plenty about em I didn't like however the smooth linear gain repsonse to the guitars volume control was one of the really good points about it.
Thats why I say build your own. You'll get the quality you want at a budget amp price.

This PDF is written by a builder of solid state Session Award amps. Theres a lot of very very usefull information in this about class types and their clipping charicteristics.
If you ever get lucky enough to play one of these amps, you'll likely never worry about valves again.
http://www.award-session.com/pdfs/GEAR_TALK_1.pdf
ClassicRock I saw one not a million miles away from you, in Glousestershire going for around £95.

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No no and no

My favorite small amp of all time is the

Marshall Lead 12 (model 5005)

Long discontinued, you can still find them if you look.
It's got the classic "Bluesbreaker" tones in a small Made in the UK solidstater.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I use two-a 1960s Teisco Checkmate 66 and a Marshall MG10KK. Occasionally I'll plug in my pedals or just use the OD on the Marshall.
I'm seriously looking at buying a Champ 600 and using the same mods that were featured in Vintage Guitar a while back. And I definitely have my eyes on either a Mustang I or II.

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Today is only yesterday's tomorrow

to deluxe matt:

Yeah I tried the ZT Lunchbox and I was extremely impressed. The store owner (hat's off to Art at Yellow Mama Music in Lyman,SC) for setting me up to try one out. He plugged an SRV Strat into the ZT and the ZT into a Hughes and Kettner 4X12 cab. I played using just the speaker in the Lunchbox,then the H-K cab,then both sets of speakers. I don't see 200 watts out of this little amp but I really couldn't push it as there were customers coming and going. Art did tell me that wide open with a decimeter placed about 3 1/2 feet in front of the amp that it's pushing 126 dB so I guess it will push some serious air. I personally would prefer a tube amp but for the money the ZT is a great little amp I would take to any club big or small.

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Today is only yesterday's tomorrow

If you can find one you can't beat a Roland Jazz 55 for clean and it is Stereo.IMO

I've had fun with a little solid state "Pignose" for years.
Blackhearts "Little Giant" is a lot of fun too.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

Heres a small amp that I had made for my son as a present. It's a Pocket Rocket, a 3-5 watt Train Wreck Rocket with miniature tubes, done by one of the builders on the Amp Garage. Clean at low volume, roars when the volume is dimed, just like any Rocket. Ran it through my Bogner 4X12 without any problems. It's hooked up to his Avatar 2X12 with a Weber Blue Dog and Silver Bell.

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Current Gear: Ron Kirn Barnbuster Tele,
Marshall: 1971 SuperLead 100>1997 1960-TV, bunch of pedals
and a 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe named Veronica

Two small amps that I've tried lately are the Vox "Night Train"

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

and the Traynor "Dark Horse"

http://www.traynoramps.com/products.asp ... =60&id=424

My local store is selling both in the $499.00 CDN range. Kinda partial to the Dark Horse, 'cause Traynor is Canadian and I've had one of their amps since forever. Both are amazing little amps that can work well in the studio or a small venue, or you can hook them up to your fave 4 X 12 cabinet and peel your friggin' face off.

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Donnmac

'09 American Deluxe Strat Sunburst Rosewood
'63 Les Paul Jr SG body
'80's Fender F 15 Acoustic
'09 Larrivee D 03RE
'09 Squier Affinity J Bass
'10 Martin D12X1AE
'66 Traynor YGM1 (tube)
'08 Traynor TRM30
'11 G-DEC 30 Blues
'09 Fender Rumble 15

'Used a Peavey Audition 10 as "little amp" for a long time. Recently went to a Line 6 Spider Jam.

Almost always clean.

Hi i have a epiphone valve junior head and cab changed the tubes to nos now it sounds sweet been three years of jaming still going strong . it has a clean sound up to half volume than it starts to brake up whit that class a tone.nice stuff. Cheers

Little amps are currently in a state of being over-rated in my opinion.

While I admit there are some good sounding little amps out there, I still prefer to practice through my half-stack. It sounds more full and less boxy than any of the handwired overpriced small combos I have played through, even at very low volumes. Part of that may be because I use a all tube analog rack setup that lets me control levels at many points in the signal chain, and you are limited by heads and combos. They have a master control only and some high powered amps are either no volume or too loud. Having an output knob on the front of the preamp lets me get the power amp into its sweeter spots and then lower the volume on the pre to acceptable levels.

I just do not subscribe to the power tube break up at low volume hype. In my opinion, the low wattage power tubes don't sound any better than a 12ax7 preamp tube breaking up, and even most small power tubes at 5 watts still are too loud when you push them. Plus the breakup up of a 6 or 8 inch speaker is....blah

Anyone who thinks that a little amp dimed will match the tones of a Marshall stack or Fender Twin dimed is kidding themselves. It is marketing hype. Those little power tubes and speakers do not break up like a 6l6 or el34 pushing a 12" speaker.

I know this will go against the grain of modern thinking, but I have tested and I still like a big amp. I think many folks that want a small amps for the hyped up reasons that companies are selling them, need to think about getting a quality tube preamp and putting it in front of their big amps and start tweaking. You may be surprized by the low volume tones you can get.

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

I really have to disagree mate. You're right though smaller pentode valves dont sound like el34's or 6l6's, their far better sounding mostly. That of course is dependant on application. Thats why Marshall and Mesa continue to build poweramps using small 9pin valves.
Also lowering preamp volume and raising poweramp volume does not induce power valve breakup. No matter if its a rack system or a head. It's no different a principle than using one of those volume boxes you see on ebay in your effects loop. Infact the opposite is true. The more volume you have coming from your preamp means the earlier your powersection will break up. Thats why plexi's dont distort like Jcm's. The both only use one valve for gain.

Can a small amp drive big speakers? Yes

This 18watter



Put this stack out of work


Thats two 100watt JCM800's. The amp a lot of people site as being the last good amp Marshall made. A KK2203 and a 4211. Both drive more than any other amp I've ever heard. Including Bogner's.

The simple fact is that the clarity of small point to point, no nonsense, not overladen with silly controls amps. Is far superior to almost anything most modern amp builders offer. SUre you have to be carefull in chosing speakers.

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No no and no

Niki, you know I respect what you say here.

But I never said that I am getting power amp breakup at low volumes, so please don't put words in my mouth. I have tested and given up on trying to get authentic power tube break up at low volumes, because to me I get a better tone getting the breakup from the preamp tubes. It is cleaner and tighter sounding. I did say I turned up the power amp enough to get the power tubes in their sweet spot, and then turned down the preamp volume. I like how it sounds better than turning up the preamp and keeping the power amp low. It's only a subtle difference though. Still, all my breakup is happening in the preamp.

You are the first person I have ever heard say that small power tubes sound better than a 6l6 or el34. Yet, many have noted the big round sound of a 6l6, or the mid range crunch of the el34 as being the holly grail. I have never heard anyone say the tone of a dimed el84 is all that, and I have tested and to my ears, I just disagree. Most note the lack of the big bass notes and I agree. If you prefer the sound of a transister radio to that of a home system, then you might like small amps better. That is surely been my take on the differences.

The mesa 20/20 just does not have the full big round sound of my 50/50 even at practice levels where neither power amp is driven into distortion. Again to me, the amp makers are building these to meet the hype, but I have found little substance to it in practice. My 50/50 has a low power switch that brings it to 15 watts per side, and I prefer the high power setting. It sounds cleaner and fuller to me.

I was playing through a 1950's gibson small tube amp dimed. This was a handwired vintage tube amp, and ya know what? It just sounded ok. The bass was flabby and undefined. Again the lure of these small vintage amps was a myth to me. I have yet to find a tone I like better than my current setup for practice. Others will disagree, but for me I just don't hear it.

Most small amps still depend on the preamp section to set the distortion and tone. The Vibrochamp XD is good example of this. To get the power section breaking up, it is still pretty loud, and for most at bedroom levels are hearing the preamp come through a completely clean power section. The mesa sound is all preamp and their power sections generally stay clean until very high volume.

Don't let the hype of amp builders blind you from the truth.

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

Recently acquired a ZT Club which is waiting for my wife to leave for Florida for the season so I can crank it to 11. Also own a battery powered Crate Taxi 30 and Crate Limo 50. Like the Taxi's tone for a creamy blues effect better, but the Limo has DSP effects and a mike channel. The first thing I'll likely run through my ZT will be a Proco Rat which has been sitting in its cage for years. From then on we'll see.

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"Another day in paradise!"