Mini Amp Head for Clean and Crunch?

[pingu]

Hi all ,
i'm doing a bit more varied material these days ...
and I'm sorted for speaker cabs for now

What recommendations are there for mini amp heads
(DV , quilter etc etc)
to get good clean sound and also can get some nice dirt too
for Blues and Rock
(I don't need onboard reverb or fx)

i would like recommendations based on things
you cats actually use and like

many thankyous

[Woody Sound]

I tried a DV Metal 250. The clean channel gets incredibly loud and still clean, the dirty channel gets all the way to metal (I guess because that's its name.) If you don't need searing screaming metal, you want want to look at one of their other models, like the 2 GH models.

DV MARK | HEADS

[AKA]

I tried a DV Metal 250. The clean channel gets incredibly loud and still clean, the dirty channel gets all the way to metal (I guess because that's its name.) If you don't need searing screaming metal, you want want to look at one of their other models, like the 2 GH models.

DV MARK | HEADS

I own the DV Mark GH Little 250H Model. Between it's 2 channels you will be able to dial in excellent cleans and overdriven tones. It's a great little head! Highly recommended.

AKA

[marcwhy]

Do you need the dirt coming from the amp, or are you using pedals?

[Gitterbug]

Pingu, I'm using a DV Mark Micro 50M (i.e. the black version) as a demo amp due to its max. versatility; it has the same clean channel as the other versions, while the dirty channel (actually just a chip overlay) does a good job for metal, punk & whatever my sons & their friends appreciate. The reverb divides opinions - I actually like its chorusy-tipsy character, which is fine for acoustic guitars and 12-string, my secret love since the '60s. For jazz, you need so little of it that it does not matter. The Quilter 101R weighs just half of the DV and has a great reverb, but I prefer the DV's darker overall tone.

For more (than enuff) oomph, your TC Electronic BAM200 is, I believe, a perfect pedal-eating power amp.

Disclaimer: As the maker of TOOB ultra-light speaker cabs (Pingu has one) I have tried over 20 different micro-amps of different makes. I am not affiliated with any amp manufacturer. That may change, and members of this Forum will be among the first to know.

[sgosnell]

If you already have a TC Bam, that should do the job well enough with a pedal. There are lots of pedals that could do the job, but I have no recommendations because I don't use any of them.

[pingu]

Do you need the dirt coming from the amp, or are you using pedals?

well i do own a Bam and an
American Sound pedal

but im thinking of getting an amp that does both

[Thumpalumpacus]

Do you need channel-switching?

When I want an amp with good dirt, I look at tube amps. There are plenty of channel-switching lunchbox tube heads, if they're not too large for you.

[pingu]

Do you need channel-switching?

When I want an amp with good dirt, I look at tube amps. There are plenty of channel-switching lunchbox tube heads, if they're not too large for you.

No tube power stage thanks, but maybe a tube preamp tube would be good ....
I don't need channel switching ......

Its a shame the Raw Dawg amps don't have gain and Master Volume setup
that would have been good

but DV amps and particularly the GH amps do look interesting

edit
I see the CMT50 head has a micro tube preamp
anyone here tried one ?

[Thumpalumpacus]

No tube power stage thanks, but maybe a tube preamp tube would be good ....
I don't need channel switching ......

Its a shame the Raw Dawg amps don't have gain and Master Volume setup
that would have been good

but DV amps and particularly the GH amps do look interesting

If you want good grind you'll need need power tubes for touch sensitivity, in my experience. Tube preamps can give a little breath, but won't allow for much in the way of dynamics.

If you don't need channel-switching a Tweaker 15 is a really good, affordable amp. Make sure you get a later model as the earlier models have transformer issues, as mine did. But they can cover anything from bop guitar to Black Sabbath, and much of it at the roll of your guitar's volume knob.

My two cents', yadda yadda.

[Woody Sound]

No tube power stage thanks, but maybe a tube preamp tube would be good ....
I don't need channel switching ......

Its a shame the Raw Dawg amps don't have gain and Master Volume setup
that would have been good

but DV amps and particularly the GH amps do look interesting

edit
I see the CMT50 head has a micro tube preamp
anyone here tried one ?

One of the DV GH models also has a micro tube. I don't know what the "Sustainer" control is, maybe a compressor of some kind. Might come in handy.

DV MARK | Products | DV LITTLE GH 250 TUBE

[Woody Sound]

Pingu, I'm using a DV Mark Micro 50M (i.e. the black version) as a demo amp due to its max. versatility; it has the same clean channel as the other versions, while the dirty channel (actually just a chip overlay) does a good job for metal, punk & whatever my sons & their friends appreciate. The reverb divides opinions - I actually like its chorusy-tipsy character, which is fine for acoustic guitars and 12-string, my secret love since the '60s.

I am in the camp that did not like that reverb at all when I tried it. Metallic/jangly. But TEHO. The rest of the amp was great.

[mad dog]

The Quilter OD200 would be a good choice for that. I use only the clean channel meself, set with the channel volume higher than the MV to get a little bit of edge to the sound. The other channel supplies higher levels of crunch as needed.

[Beaubs]

Interestingly enough, I just picked up a 1981 Yamaha JX20 off of CL for $50. Scratchy pots from sitting idle and a bit dusty but I dialed in som nice tones right away. This one could be used in a small club setting me thinks.

[ccroft]

You really must check out Quilter Tone Block 202. I use it just as Thump describes "roll of the volume knob". This is coming from one who played Mesa in that same way from '76 to 2015. I'm really happy with the Quilter.

[pingu]

You really must check out Quilter Tone Block 202. I use it just as Thump describes "roll of the volume knob". This is coming from one who played Mesa in that same way from '76 to 2015. I'm really happy with the Quilter.

Praise indeed
great thanks for the tip ....

[ccroft]

Here's a link to a thread that has good discussion of the 202 in case you haven't run into it. There's a really useful demo by Tim Lerch with several of his archtops. You can see me taking the bait over the course of the 2 pages. Added bonus: any time spent watching Tim play is time well spent.

Demos of bluesy, rocky, metally levels of crunch are almost unavoidable. The other end of the spectrum is harder to find.

Quilter Tone Block 202

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

The Quilter OD200 would be a good choice for that. I use only the clean channel meself, set with the channel volume higher than the MV to get a little bit of edge to the sound. The other channel supplies higher levels of crunch as needed.

You really must check out Quilter Tone Block 202. I use it just as Thump describes "roll of the volume knob". This is coming from one who played Mesa in that same way from '76 to 2015. I'm really happy with the Quilter.

BTW, from the Quilter web site, it looks like the OD200 is no longer being made. Just the Tone Block 202, now, in the "200"s series.

[Woody Sound]

The question is, are you looking to be able to switch from "clean jazz" to "dirty blues" on the spot? Or just have one amp that can do both situations? If you need to switch back and forth, the DV has full separate EQ's that you can have preset for your clean and dirty sounds. The Quilter not.

[Hammertone]

Is this "mini" enough? Weighs 12 pounds. 5 7/8"h x 12 5/8"w x 6 3/4"d
And it SAYS "Mini" right on the face panel.

[Mecena]

If we go tube route, tons of great options.

Peavey Classic MH.
Egnater Rebel / Tweaker.
Fender 007 (?).
Laney Lionheart Studio 5.
H&K Tubemeister / Grendmaster series.

Tube - No tube ??
Price range?
Single channel or duo channel?

**

They should all be around 16 pounds ... around 7 - 7.5 kg.

[pingu]

Not tubes , thanks guys

mini SS only up to maybe 5lbs

I like the idea of an amp where I can set the gain
so that it's clean until I dig-in a bit or roll up the guitar a bit

so the quilter's ability to do this is attractive to be
they don't make the Dumble -a-like OD200 any more

i wonder if the smaller 101 reverb would have this kind of touch response ?

[Mecena]

No tubes.
Single channel then.
Hm.
Quilter?

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

so the quilter's ability to do this is attractive to be
they don't make the Dumble -a-like OD200 any more

Quilter Overdrive 200 Head | Reverb

[Gitfiddler]

Eric Gales is a world class blues guitarist who endorses DV Mark's mini-head.
250 watts should provide more than adequate cleans for jazz players even though they market it for blues/rock/RnB, etc.

DV MARK | Products | DV "RAW DAWG" EG Eric Gales signature