What's your favorite "small" amp?

Steven Welborn · Post by **Steven Welborn** » 18 Sep 2000 5:24 pm

Say around 65 watts rms(12" or 10's). For being able to obtain that "sweet spot" at lower volume levels.(Probably if I was a better or more experienced player I could get what I want out of my Webb in any situation. But until then...)

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 18 Sep 2000 5:31 pm

A Fender Stage 112SE. It has one 12" speaker, and a little over 100 watts. Nice and compact, but a crummy reverb tank (I changed mine!) Other than that, I'd pick a Mesa Boogie like b0b uses.[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 25 September 2000 at 03:07 PM.]

John Rickard · Post by **John Rickard** » 18 Sep 2000 5:31 pm

I know it's less than 65 watts but I just got a Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb (reissue) and it sounds great in the "room" and studio. My Mesa Boogie Maverick sounds great also (but $$$$$).
JR

------------------
Slide It On Over

[This message was edited by John Rickard on 18 September 2000 at 06:33 PM.]

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 18 Sep 2000 6:27 pm

For a smaller light weight amp, I liked my Peavey Bandit with Sheffield 12 inch speaker.
(not the Scorpion)
It is really under-rated for its size and weight.
For that sweet sound, I used the LOW gain input. The HIGH gain is better for guitar.....al

Don Ricketson · Post by **Don Ricketson** » 18 Sep 2000 6:37 pm

One word: Polytone.

------------------
Mullen D10-8/5 Sho-Bud 3/5
Evans Amps
Motto: "Making The Stars Shine"

Jerry Gleason · Post by **Jerry Gleason** » 18 Sep 2000 8:22 pm

Evans JE-150. 1-12" speaker, Very compact, 36lbs, 150 watts. Seriously kicks butt. Definitely on the expensive side, though.

Bob Knight · Post by **Bob Knight** » 18 Sep 2000 8:43 pm

I like my Peavey "Special 130" w/12" Black Widow & Boss RV-3. A little lighter than the 400s, and plenty of clean power to spare in the majority of cases.

------------------
<H4>Bob<H4>
<img align=right src=http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/i ... Bobllg.jpg width=160 height=120>

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 18 Sep 2000 9:50 pm

my old used bandit 112/scorpion... sounds great with just it's own reverb here at home. definitely not on the expensive side.

Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 19 Sep 2000 12:31 am

If anyone has an Evans J-150 or a Webb w/12in JBL, Or one of those Davis amps, for sale I'm looking for something lighter ! Al Udeen

Chris Brooks · Post by **Chris Brooks** » 19 Sep 2000 1:19 am

Al, why do you specify the Bandit with the Sheffield, not the Scorpion speaker?

I am thinking of getting a small amp, too, so this thread is welcomed. Here in the Gulf we have a limited selection ... so I may have to take the Bandit with whatever they've got!

BTW, could this amp be used for bass at low volume? It's got an open back, I think. Could a guy add a back piece of plywood for bass gigs, so that the speaker has something to "push against" for those low frequencies?

Also, how would you guys rate the Bandit against the Fender Stage?

Thanks for your advice.

Chris

------------------
from the oasis ....

Robert Parent · Post by **Robert Parent** » 19 Sep 2000 6:38 am

I have a small 50 watt Music Man with a JBL 12 inch speaker that works well.

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 19 Sep 2000 8:45 am

Try some real old vintage (single ended) class A tube amps. 8" to 10" speakers (usually field coil or alnico). Some can be gotten fairly cheap ($199.99 to $399.99

).
I have an OAHU ToneMaster (Model 230K) with a 12" speaker, that looks real funky but it works with laps and even the S-12-U and carries the basses surprisingly well! It's limitted class A (so it can fall into A/B mode) but it has that sound.
I play two pre-war Rickenbacher briefcase sized amps with my Ricks and they sound terrific. No tone control, not even volume control. Just an ON/OFF switch! But THE sound (at the flick of a simple ol' switch!).
Try it (you don't have to buy it)! You might be in for a "little" surprise...

------------------
The future belongs to culture.

jaydee@bellsouth.net

Larry Clark · Post by **Larry Clark** » 19 Sep 2000 8:57 am

Musicman 112-65 w\Altec Lansing spkr. Very versatile and very dependable.

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » 19 Sep 2000 4:12 pm

I have a fender hot rod deluxe that I bought from a co-worker for $350.00 that sounds amazing. It does work better for guitar, and at 40 watts rms does not have a lot of clean headroom. It does sound terrific and is good for recording and small venue. The stock speaker sounds really good.
I also have a mesa boogie Mark I reissue with a EVM 12-l that has tweed, 60 and 100 watt modes that sounds good in 100 watt mode, but it cost more bucks.
I used a friends peavy backstage 30 that was a good sounding recording amp, and small venue amp. These can be had for a steal (no pun intended).
Lefty

db · Post by db » 19 Sep 2000 7:42 pm

Hartke KickBack 10 (Bass Amp)
Small cabnet, 10" driver, 120 watts,
No Reverb, but I used outboard effects.
http://www.samsontech.com/hartke/kb10.html

Steven Welborn · Post by **Steven Welborn** » 19 Sep 2000 8:15 pm

db, thats a pretty cool lookin little amp. That little 10 must be somethin. What they cost??

db · Post by db » 19 Sep 2000 8:47 pm

I payed about $370 ( including tax ).
My local music store matched the price (w/shipping) that I would pay to get it from a mail order catalogue.
It is worth every cent.
I tried out the 15" and 12" models, but found that the 10" sounded much better.
I've always loved 10" speakers and the 10" aluminum driver is very bright and can reproduce the low end well (it's a bass amp). I use it for a U-12 were you really need it. [This message was edited by db on 19 September 2000 at 09:56 PM.]

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 19 Sep 2000 9:17 pm

Chris-
No special reason. The scorpion may be just as good.
It was just my personal opinion. I Bought a Bandit with the Scorpion speaker and didn't like the sound.
Maybe I didn't have the adjustments right.

But I sent that back and got one with the Sheffield Speaker in it, and after making some adjustments, got the sound I wanted. It is a good amp for the price and weight...al

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 20 Sep 2000 6:11 am

Not really a PSG amp, but I've got a tweed reissue Fender Blues DeLuxe - 40 w, 1x12 - that I think has the sweetest tone I ever heard in an amp that size. [This message was edited by Steve Feldman on 20 September 2000 at 07:11 AM.]

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 20 Sep 2000 7:05 am

I have a Peavey Classic 30 which is a very sweet sounding blues amp. Not a great country sound, but it is very good for blues/rock and roll.

My favorite is a little THD head with 2 EL 84s. Maybe 15 watts, but it has the best, most sweet sound. I like to play it through a cabinet with a single 12" JBL and 2X10" Celestions. Not exactly light, but it is great for low volume clean sounds as well as the bluesy stuff.

Peavey had a very small, very light amp at the convention (transtube??) which had some very convincing digital models of tube amps. I liked it.

------------------
www.tyacktunes.com

db · Post by db » 27 Sep 2000 7:53 pm

Also:
Princeton Reverb &
Crown D-60 or D-75
(into 10" speakers)

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 27 Sep 2000 8:17 pm

I agree with JD- old and small is way cool for TONE

I have a 50's Les Paul junior amp with an 8" oval speaker.. I dunno what it's rated...real low power, but any of my lap axes just LOVE it... I had often thought for some reason that it was the recording technology (mics,boards,whatever) that made old recordings sound certain ways till I got this baby; it was the amps!

...also have an SF "Vibro Champ" Fender-10 whole watts of sweet tube tone my wife found at a yardsale 15 bux.

if I need to get loud, I''se got my birthday Twin Reverb now, but that is the antithesis of the thread topic...

Rich Paton · Post by **Rich Paton** » 28 Sep 2000 4:03 am

The old Gibson "Lab Series" amps were outstandanding. Way ahead of their time, but not well received in the marketplace, due to their solid-state design. The 50 watt model with one 15" speaker (I put a JBL D130 in mine) sounds great for jazz guitar.

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 28 Sep 2000 5:20 am

I use a rack-mount 50 watt per channel stero power-amp,tubed frontend into "Peavey 112e" cabinets. Can't beat it for small or large inside gigs.

Ricky Littleton · Post by **Ricky Littleton** » 28 Sep 2000 12:23 pm

I have a little Peavey Studio 110 I use. It's 65 watts, and maybe a little thin, but it sounds pretty good. Once I fatten it up a little with my Danelectro echo, it more than fits the bill. I sure would like to have an old Fender 400 or 1000 to play through it just to see how it handles that tone, but the Emmons sounds fine through it.

------------------
Emmons LeGrande - 8x4