Tube 12A Review

This amp is for the person who plays at home alot, but who also wants something to have band practices with. It's very portable.

Features:	7.7
Sound:	9
Reliability:	8
Impression:	8.7
Overall rating:	8.4
Reviewer rating:	8.3
Users rating:	8.5
Votes:	6

overall: 8.5

Reviewed by: familybucket, on february 19, 2009

Features: Great amp! I am not sure what year it was made in, but it seems pretty modern. it's pretty versatile and great for my styles of music. I like nearly all types of music except heavy metal. It is a tube amp with 12 watts of power, 1 channel- but with a gain Switch and knob. I use all all it's features but then again, it only has volume, low, high and gain. It also has a shift button and I think it fattens the sound. Mostly I use this amp at home but for such a small package it is extremely loud! I have done quite a few band practices with it and it just about cuts through. // 7

Sound: I use a single coil equipped Sratocaster, bu I think this amp would work well with humbuckers too. It suits my style because I like to play stuf that isn't too heavy. You can get a lovely crunch tone from this amp but if you want an amp for metal, this isn't for you. It never hums at all, except when it's on full volume with the gain up full. The clean channel is lovely, and you can use the low and high controls to go from creamy to jangly sounds. The clean channel never breaks up significantly, but I take this as a good thing. The only bad thing is that the distortion isn't very brutal. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This an extremely durable and reliable amp. It's been bashed around a few times, but the walls seem to come off much more worse! This amp has never broken down, and in my three years of owning it I have never changed the tube because it still sounds great! // 10

Impression: Overall I think this amp is for the person who plays at home alot, but who also wants something to have band practices with. It's very portable. like I said it suits my style of music perfectly! I have been playing for about three years, and this thing has kept me motivated with it's wonderful tone. if it got stolen I would probably buy it again. There was nothing I wish I had asked when I bought it, because I have loved it ever since. I compared it to few other amps in it's price range, but they were all solid state. This is THE practice amp! I only wish it had a reverb- then it would be complete. I love: Great tone, power for it's size, portability. I dislike: No reverb, not much gain, simplicity. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on september 10, 2012

Price paid: $ 99

Purchased from: Midwest Music Supply

Features: What year was amp made? No idea. Recent model. I'd say w/in the last couple of years. Is amp versatile? Yes. It sounds great clean or dirty. It overdrives beautifully and since I play pretty much blues that's all I care about. I got this for being my "at home" or "small venue" tube amp and am not in the least bit disappointed.

- One channel
- Headphone jack
- Line Out
- Mid range boost which sounds great
- Gain button
- Tube pre-amp for the tube sound which is truly ripping. // 9

Sound: I play blues and rock. I play some slide in open G tuning. This amp is ideal. It's great and I love it. It sounds awesome with the gain turned up as every tube amp should. It sounds like a real live tube amp and they are the best sounding amps made. For 99 bucks it was a great deal. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Only had it for a week. // 5

Impression: If you play blues or rock and want a great tube amp sound on the cheap I don't know how it's possible to do any better than this little dude. It will rip your face off. It's great. It has a line out for recording, it has headphone jacks; it has a great mid-boost, it has a great overall tone and it's a freaking tube (pre) amp which sounds like an honest to god tube amp. It's the best little amp I've ever owned and I've owned a f--kton of them. Take that, Fender G-DEC. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 09, 2011

Price paid: $ 75

Purchased from: Friend

Features: This amp is a nice little practice amp. Not very full of features, but that's the payoff for a sweet preamp tube sound. One channel with a gain button. You get a very nice amp and quality speaker for the price you pay, not features. Different sound and tones are great on this amp through the desired pedals. I am using a DigiTech RP90 and the sound between my solid state amps and this one is soooo different you have to try it. // 7

Sound: The sound of this amp is so warm and bright. I love it. I just wish it was bigger and more features (but I'd pay alot more). If you are looking for a great sounding low frill practice amp this is it. The gain button doesnt't add the greatest rock distortion but I just use the pedal I want for the desired effect. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Never had a problem with it after a year (and that's used from a friend). Works everytime. Same kind of build as most amps, can't say I abuse it. This is the amp I use in my "man room" for playing around. The temp varies greatly up there but I still have had no problem with the pre-amp tube. // 9

Impression: For the money you can't beat this little practice amp. You could get a modeling amp for around the same price but honestly you will never replicate the sound. This thing is so warm and bright and cranks to a decent volume. I just use my digitec pedal to get the different effects the other built in amps have. I love this little guy. And being low frills lets you get it for a decent price. // 8

Comments

[Bob_Sagget]

Have one and amazing b/c u can use practically any stomp box with absolutely NO feedback problems at all! Great Buy I completely agree with familybucket except quality reverbs are easy to get and pretty affordable. The high gain doesnt't exist like the review said, but if ur a metal head looking for a good tube amp to practice with or even to play extremely small gigs with you would need a stompbox. No biggie though.

[Oyface]

I was lucky enough to get one of these for about 30$

[danielsyte]

I have this amp. It sounds incredibly good with pedals in front and single coils, while I don't like it at all with humbuckers or in general guitars with a lot of bass tone (LP with neck humbucker, ...). I think the main problem is the speaker, plug this little monster in a 1x12 cab (or bigger) and you'll enjoy a much better sound.