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would like to know if someone can help me to chose a right tube small amp, possible lightweight amplifier, to match my L5.
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09-03-2020 04:05 PM
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What is your price range? Are you seeking a new amp or a vintage one? Do you seek a lot of headroom or some degree of breakup? Do you have access to a good, experienced tube amp tech or can you service the amp yourself? This might help to determine some of the responses that you get.
Dan
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hi Dan
Originally Posted by dcrowe
I dubt I find a vintage one lightweight and portable. Any price range welcome, clean jazz sound
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I had a Traynor Custom Valve 15 that would have been great for that use. Heard lots of jazz players use the Fender Blues Jr and get a nice jazz sound. Both very easy to haul around.
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The Princeton Reverb is a popular choice and with a few tube swaps it has good headroom for jazz. Very warm, distinctive tone.
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I think you have to decide on the sound you want first: 50s tweed, 60s/70s black/silverface, or Ampeg/Polytone flat, then go from there. Lots of options in each area, and some options that will do some or all of the above with varying degrees of accuracy.
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Budget? (£££s but also lbs, if you get me)
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+1 on what wzpgsr says. Those are my 3 broad categories: tweed, blackface, Polytone, and I would add Gibson GA 50 or maybe Ampeg combo as a 4th category for consideration with an L5.
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One of the great things about the mid-60s Ampeg Gemini II is that you can approach the midrange scoop and attack of a blackface Twin Reverb by cranking the bass and treble to taste. Another great thing is the price. They’re large and heavy, but not terribly loud—perfect for home practice during the covid era. Originally Posted by Greentone
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Should you need an amp for a larger group with bass, drums and horns etc. then a small tube combo won't get you far - you'd need more clean headroom when it's time to solo. For practice in your home/studio a Princeton is surely a good choice but it's expensive relative to it's size/weight/output ratio. And not all models are equally suited IMHO ... I have been very happy with my 2 solid state combos : a Henriksen BUD and an Evans RE200, both have a very pleasing, warm/fat sound, are easy to carry, can be found used for reasonable money and cover all of my needs from raunchy organ-trio gigs to solo/duo/bigband stuff.
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"Lightweight" and "tube" are a tricky combination, unless you go for one of the "hybrid" amps by Raezer's Edge or Henriksen. This will also depend on the watts you're needing, as a 40W amp will be a bit heavier than a 20W amp, etc. Another option, too, is going head + cab vs. combo. Finally, are you in the States, Europe, Australia, etc., since cost of the amp + shipping will be another major factor. Originally Posted by archtopdream63
My faves, for great amps and great prices in the US:
Frenzel
Jack Anderson
[I also have a Luker Amp, which is fantastic, but I don't think he's making them anymore.]
Happy hunting!
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weight? Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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just something portable, with headroom. compact Originally Posted by Greentone
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fender princeton reverb is good solid choice...it's readily available (at discounted $$), can be repaired, is small compact and good sounding...lots of pro's using them these days
but really so many options these days, from mass produced to the smallest boutique makers....
cheers
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Ooh yeah. The Gemini II is a great amp. Hammertone may yet have one.
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I have a Peavey Classic 30 with an Eminence C.Rex speaker and a 5751 in the pre amp slot. Decent headroom. 42lbs.
Prefer the ToneMaster Twin, 32lbs.
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Fender Super Champ X2 is available in head form. If you buy a nice, light cab with high SPL, you can choose from many classic tube amp sounds for under $600.
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I haven't tried one, but I hear these are really good. I'm intrigued.
https://www.raezers-edge.com/products/sol-18-40/
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Yeah, I have a great 60s Gemini II. I'm running a JBL E120 which lets it get loud enough for about anything, I might try a flat neo in there some day to make it light again. I found the stock Jenson a bit murky but great on overdrive with the amp pegged. Can't bring myself to do that often but what a sound.
My alternate suggestion is of course a Twin with a master volume. With tube amps light and portable involves hand trucks and partnering on ascents so why fight it?
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I would try the VHT special 6.
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Are you looking for an amp for home practice, gigging with a combo, both? That makes a significant difference in terms of recommendations. There are a lot of small and light tube amps that are suitable for home use, such as the VHT mentioned above. But unless you can mic them they are not loud enough for gigging, for the most part.
I really tend to like the "tweed" sound and my primary amp is a tweed Deluxe. However, mine is modded to be able to roll off the bass frequencies, which would also be important when using with an L5, a parametric EQ in front of the amp can do this.
And while not to open the solid-state/tube controversy, there are a lot of excellent sounding solid-state amps to look at which are typically light and plenty loud and clean for both home and gigging purposes, as well as hybrid amps (tube preamps with solid state power amps and vice versa are both available).
If you are in the US, Craigslist can be an excellent resource for finding reasonably priced amps. They are probably similar resources in most other countries.
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Is 'portable' still important?
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Egnater Tweaker 112 is a pretty versatile amp (30 pounds) with 3 voicings -British, American and AC. You can dial in lots of different tones. These amps seem to get overlooked.
Egnater Tweaker-112: 15-Watt 1x 12" Tube Combo Features
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Sage advice from Cunamara. The 5e3 tweed Deluxe is great. For the L5ces the 5f11 tweed Vibrolux that Bucky Pizzarelli used for 60 years can't be beat for a 17" archtop.
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"Nando, Nando, don't be a shnook, it's not how you sound, it's how you LOOK!"
Go Kustom, tuck 'n roll all the way.
No tubes, but what the hell.
Good hunting on your safari.
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