LazorFace

Hi, my name is Erwin and I am looking for my next amp. I've been playing the guitar for about three years now, so I am not looking for somekind of boutique/high-end amp, though I do think im ready to go for tubes. Lovely, lovely tube...

The pricerange I am looking for varies because I'm still saving, but I'm thinking about €300-€800, with an absolute maximum of €1000. That is for both a head and a cab.

I play a MIM standard strat with single-coils. I love me some neck pickup on a strat. So I guess the amp in question has to sound good with strats.

The amp I am looking for has good clean and nice low to medium overdrive, I'm not really into high gain, unless fuzz falls under high gain. In that case I do like it

If I had to choose I would choose tone quality over versatility. Because I'm thinking that effects will give me the versatility I need, wich is not much since I have a pretty narrow taste. (I know, narrow taste isn't good for one's musical experience)

The guitarists tone I would like to emulate would probably be Hendrix or Frusciante, so I'm guessing a marshall-esque british tube amp with some effects to finish it up would be the way to go.

Though I do use effects i have no preference of fx-loop over no fx-loop. And I think I don't need a two channel amp because I boost with my tubescreamer.

EDIT: Since I use a looper, I would like an FX loop for that, so it can record the amp and not the signal.

I play and practice at home most of the time, and I guess I play at normal ear-durable volume there, no whisper levels but no cranked levels either. Also I jam with friends and then it has to be able to meet the volume of the drums.

I think i would prefer a head/cab combination because of the ability to use other speaker combinations, though I could be persuaded if the combo was the better option. But most combo's come with mediocore speakers (or am I wrong?).

I've been looking at a couple of amps, but I have tried but a few of them.

Marshall Class 5
I like how it's a british class A tube amp made by marshall, that just sound great on paper, but I tried it and it was way too loud for home use, but about right for use in a band.
Maybe if it had a master volume it would be perfect, but it doesnt. I have seen some mods for that though, how about this mod? The 5 watt seems like just about right, since i won't be playing any stadiums soon.
Marshall Haze 40 Combo
This one I tried for quite a while in the store, i loved how it sounded and the effects where okay, but i didn't really like the speaker so i would prefer if it was a head, but it's only in combo for as far as i have seen...
Marshall Haze 15 Head
This is the Haze 40's little brother and it seems like a pretty good option but i have no idea what it sounds like. I have not tried it, but I would really like to. I would probably not go for the stock cab and go for a nice 2x12 cab.
Fender amps I have no idea wich ones are good and wich ones are lesser, but I have heard great things about these and they sound great on youtube. So what would be a good option for me there?

Here a few soundclips of stuff I like.

Fender '60 Bassman
Marshall '68 Plexi
Marshall, another great plexi

sg4ever

A Marshall Class 5 with an overdrive and a fuzz would round you out for home use.

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Fender MiM Tele
Fender MiM Strat
Vox AC15C1
various pedals

Deadpool_25

Class 5 is a good choice. I'd also highly recommend a Fender Blues Jr., Pro Jr., or Hot Rod Deluxe. One of those with a couple of pedals and you'll be set.

EDIT: And keep in mind, stuff can sound good on youtube, but it could be cranked up pretty loud. It's hard to tell. I'd definitely suggest looking at the Blues Jr. and Pro Jr. and grabbing a pedal or two or maybe a Line 6 M9 or M13.

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Guitars
- RG1570, Les Pauls, Strats
Amps
- EVH 5150 50W, Dual Rectifier Tremoverb, Vypyr 60

DeadlyIllness

The class 5 would be good for home practice because you still can get that Tube Distortion without it being too loud.

Deadpool_25

I don't know about that. That thing can get pretty loud if you crank it up like you do when wanting the tubes to get overdriven. Especially since he tried it and said it was too loud for home practice.

OP, you're likely going to want some kind of OD in front of it for main distortion. I suggested the M9 or M13 because you can definitely get a decent Hendrix-ish tone out of it in front of the Fenders. Use a Univibe model with the Fuzz or Octafuzz and you'll probably be loving it (I had the M9 in front of a HRD).

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Guitars
- RG1570, Les Pauls, Strats
Amps
- EVH 5150 50W, Dual Rectifier Tremoverb, Vypyr 60

JustRooster

Understand that 5 watts is still pretty loud. One of the best quotes when it comes to small tube amps that I've seen went something like "5 watts is louder than hell, 25 watts is marginally louder than hell." You'll get more than bedroom volumes if you get the tubes cooking like they should.

That said, of what you've listed I like the Class 5 the best. I don't like the sound of the Haze series, quite honestly. My old co-worker was a huge boutique pedal collector, and he played often out of a Class 5. It took to the pedals quite well.

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LazorFace

Ah yes, im rooting for the class 5 aswell. Though to get overdrive i would like to have a master volume and maybe some other mods that sound really interserting.

Here is the set up the way im guessing i'd want to go to.

This is a Marshall Class 5 with mods from RAT

Im really interested in those mods, what is you guys' take on them? Would you go there if you were me?

Also, what about this? Fargen Mini Plex Mk II. It's waaay out of my price range, but it does show that the amp I looking for is not impossible and non-existand.

sg4ever

Blackheart Little Giant?

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Fender MiM Tele
Fender MiM Strat
Vox AC15C1
various pedals

gregs1020

with that budget you should be able to do a lot better than the class 5. it's nice, but you should have a lot more options.

what is the 18 watt clone flavor of the day?

Maineguitarist

Personally I would go with a Vox AC4. It has a power anneuator (not sure if I spelt that correctlly) so you don't need a stomp box for distortion, and it comes in either a combo or a head and cab config.

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My Name is Cameron.

yousef213

I love the MArshall Class5, but for your needs its sounds like a Fender HRD Will meet you needs well
Master volume, 3 channels, and footswitchable spring reverb
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampl...uitar-combo-amp
The one problem is that there arent separate eqs for separate channels, I would run it clean and use a fuzz if I were you.
I wouldnt get a blues jr because it sounded very icepicky and overly trebly to my ears

GABarrie

An 18W Clone would probably do you nicely, especially one with a master volume and a few circuit tweaks, maybe a reverb, built-in reverb is always nice.

But you are looking at needing a builder for that and the upper end of your budget. Is your budget including cab needs if you got a head?

Other than that, a Fender Blues Jr with a speaker upgrade would be nice, or Thomann sell FSR with different speakers, I personally like the Red Nova

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Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-III
Jet City JCA5212RC
Archer "Nuns in Poses" Distortion
Archer "Dry Ice" Overdrive
EHX Deluxe Memory Boy

LazorFace

I tried the Vox AC4 and i don't like it tbh. The speakers is (and sounds) too small, it has too few knobs (EQ and such). But the attenuator is a plus indeed, though when it adds up it probably won't suit my needs.
The Fender Hot Rod Deluxe sounds like a great option, and i believe they have one at my loval shop. Is this the amp you mean? A friend tried this one and liked it, I will come try it next time I'm there. Which is probably tomorow since I'm lacking strings
Isn't this one too loud though?

Also, I saw a video of a '60 Bassman, is there a good priced reissue/similar amp of this? I saw the '59 Bassman Ltd Reissue but this is out of my price range, maybe the DeVille? This looks like a Bassman, but I don't know the differences.

GABarrie

The bassman is a very simple circuit, the deville is not, and aside from the Fender reissue you would have to have a clone built and the 4 speakers will be a large part of the cost

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Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-III
Jet City JCA5212RC
Archer "Nuns in Poses" Distortion
Archer "Dry Ice" Overdrive
EHX Deluxe Memory Boy

LazorFace

An 18W clone of what? Do you mean a Bluesbreaker? Or maybe a Marshall Class5 18 Watt (which is a mod I've seen pop-up)

Also, what is the difference between the Tweed and the Hot Rod Fenders?

EDIT: Also, how is the DeVille different from the Bassman, is the sound different or is it more the knobs and functions?

LazorFace

GABarrie

The original '65 Marshall JMP 18 watter, it is probably the most cloned amp in history, one of the greatest and most versatile circuits every produced, and isn't blow your ears off loud so works well for home use.

The tweed is the original circuits, very simple, very vintage. The hot rods have more features, more gain, and don't quite handle the 50s/early 60s tone as well as the tweed, but are more versatile.

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Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-III
Jet City JCA5212RC
Archer "Nuns in Poses" Distortion
Archer "Dry Ice" Overdrive
EHX Deluxe Memory Boy

ProphetToJables

Hot Roads tend to have more gain and tweeds are considered more vitnage and warmer sounding IIRC

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LazorFace

Do those '65 JMP clones have a master volume? Because that is a must tbh. And it sound like the Hot Rod's are great but the Fender Blues Deluxe Tweed Reissues are more of what I'm after, if I find one I'm trying it out.
Great Advice btw!