GGJaguar
Reverential Member
If you can find one, the Reverend Goblin is a 15 watt/5 watt all tube amp. The problem is they are very popular and no longer made so they sell about as quickly as they go on sale.
If I can't fix my Carvin...what is out there like it ?
- Thread starter JohnW63
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jp
Senior Member
Here are some other all tube options:
Marshall DSL series -- These come as heads or combos in a variety of wattages (5/15/20/40). All switch to lower or half power. You can find used examples below $500. The 15 is no longer made, but they're abundant used. These sound great clean or dirty and get that classic Marshall sound.
Egnater Rebel 20/30 series -- Come in heads and combos. They have a variable rotary switch to dial in 1-20/30 watts. Super cool! You'll have to find used to get below $500. They have had occasional reliability issues.
I know of a few other all-tube options that have switchable power, but I've never played these. Also, you'll have to go used to get to your price point.
-- Laney Cub-Super 12
-- Peavey MH series (like the 6505MH)
Personally, although it doesn't have variable wattage switching, I think the Fender Super Champ X2 15W is a great all-around tube amp for normal home use. It's got built-in digital effects and voicings, a USB input for direct recording, an external speaker output, or you can just run it straight as a tube amp.
Marshall DSL series -- These come as heads or combos in a variety of wattages (5/15/20/40). All switch to lower or half power. You can find used examples below $500. The 15 is no longer made, but they're abundant used. These sound great clean or dirty and get that classic Marshall sound.
Egnater Rebel 20/30 series -- Come in heads and combos. They have a variable rotary switch to dial in 1-20/30 watts. Super cool! You'll have to find used to get below $500. They have had occasional reliability issues.
I know of a few other all-tube options that have switchable power, but I've never played these. Also, you'll have to go used to get to your price point.
-- Laney Cub-Super 12
-- Peavey MH series (like the 6505MH)
Personally, although it doesn't have variable wattage switching, I think the Fender Super Champ X2 15W is a great all-around tube amp for normal home use. It's got built-in digital effects and voicings, a USB input for direct recording, an external speaker output, or you can just run it straight as a tube amp.
JohnW63
Enlightened Member
I did some checking in the Blackstar line, because they have combo amps with a power reduction switch. It looked like a possibility, but all the reviews had it dialed in for metal shredding. One did have range of tones, but the playing style just didn't shout nice bluesy / rock sound. Still most settings seemed metal. Anyone play that brand without the 80s hair and spandex sound ?
JohnW63
Enlightened Member
I did a watch of a Roland Blues Cube Hot vs a Fender Blues Jr III. ( They are at IV, now ). The Roland is solid state, which is not what I was looking for, but... it has power reduction switch and has what they call "tube logic". It goes for $499 vs the Fender at $599. The Roland can go up to 30 watts vs the Fender at 15 watts. I don't need that much loud, but it's there if needed I guess. It seems like the Roland can be dialed in to be close in sound and may have more range. I'd appreciate your thoughts on it.
Here is the review:
Here is the review:
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Try a Tonemaster DR in a store. Im intrigued.
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Let's take a step back and define your requirements, because it seems from the OP that all you want is a power reduction switch, and that maybe it be a tube amp, but no mention of what tone you're after.
Some points from the "let's quantify things" part of my brain:
Some points from the "let's quantify things" part of my brain:
- What's your budget?
- What tone are you after?
- What are your "can't live without" requirements?
- If you want variety you simply cannot beat a modern modeler.
- If you want variable volume with the same tone you simply cannot beat a modern modeler.
- If it has to be tube-based, I suggest you re-evaluate your requirements and go try all the modelers at your local GC because every major amp manufacturer has one now and they're all pretty killer.
- Without knowing your budget, if it has to be a tube amp and you want that power-tube crunch at bedroom levels, then check out the micro-heads from every tube amp manufacturer. From the Micro-Terror to the Mesa TransAtlantic, there are some absolutely killer little 5-15W micro tube amp heads out there and a lot of them have power switches on them
- If those don't float your boat, buy a good attenuator and use any amp. I used to play with a 50W '63 Bassman that was LOUD and I tamed it with an attenuator because without it they could hear me in Miami without it. The Bassman is long gone but I still have the attenuator.
I use it when reviewing and working on tube amps.
Bill Ashton
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Fender Princeton Reverb, and mic it up...or perhaps a Deluxe Reverb
JohnW63
Enlightened Member
GAD,
Starting this thread, my goal was to replace the Carvin with something very similar. All tube combo amp with a drive knob and tank reverb and a 12 " speaker. I paid $300 for the amp, used, so I really hoped to not go too far beyond that. I listed up to 500 bucks as the budget. The more I window shopped the less it seemed I was going to get all of those in one amp. Most 15w tube amps do not have the power switch. I want that because at 5 watts I can get a better sound at bedroom / practice levels at 5 watts than at 15 watts. Many small amps have small speakers. 8" or 10". I have very limited experience with modeling amps beyond a small Fender Mustang 1 that my wife had for some reason, and I couldn't get a single good sound out of it. It just collects dust in the corner now.
Because of all the modeling they can do, the ones I have taken a very quick look at, on line, are full of menus and submenus and have lots of features, which ends up as feature overload for me. I don't really want or need and amp I control with blue tooth from my phone, from a company that doesn't have a history of writing software and may not support the version I buy today for more than 5 years of firmware.
The reason I am not really looking at attenuators and using that as my power switch is the good ones are more than my amp budget. The Ox amp top box from universal audio is $1300. There are many in the $250 - $300 range and plenty a lot more. If I already owned a nice loud amp, then using one of those would make sense.
So, I am now, just trying to get something I can work with. I started down the Blues Jr road, but it only runs at 1 power level. Very popular amp, but the weird thing is everyone seems to mod them. If they were good to start with why are so many people changing so much about them ?
What I would prefer is to get the Carvin working again, but that thread seems to have just about run out of interest, so, plan B is to find something that sounds like it and has simple, reliable, controls.
I may have to visit some stores but I wasn't sure if any Sam Ash or Guitar Center was letting people in to actually touch and try things at this time.
Starting this thread, my goal was to replace the Carvin with something very similar. All tube combo amp with a drive knob and tank reverb and a 12 " speaker. I paid $300 for the amp, used, so I really hoped to not go too far beyond that. I listed up to 500 bucks as the budget. The more I window shopped the less it seemed I was going to get all of those in one amp. Most 15w tube amps do not have the power switch. I want that because at 5 watts I can get a better sound at bedroom / practice levels at 5 watts than at 15 watts. Many small amps have small speakers. 8" or 10". I have very limited experience with modeling amps beyond a small Fender Mustang 1 that my wife had for some reason, and I couldn't get a single good sound out of it. It just collects dust in the corner now.
Because of all the modeling they can do, the ones I have taken a very quick look at, on line, are full of menus and submenus and have lots of features, which ends up as feature overload for me. I don't really want or need and amp I control with blue tooth from my phone, from a company that doesn't have a history of writing software and may not support the version I buy today for more than 5 years of firmware.
The reason I am not really looking at attenuators and using that as my power switch is the good ones are more than my amp budget. The Ox amp top box from universal audio is $1300. There are many in the $250 - $300 range and plenty a lot more. If I already owned a nice loud amp, then using one of those would make sense.
So, I am now, just trying to get something I can work with. I started down the Blues Jr road, but it only runs at 1 power level. Very popular amp, but the weird thing is everyone seems to mod them. If they were good to start with why are so many people changing so much about them ?
What I would prefer is to get the Carvin working again, but that thread seems to have just about run out of interest, so, plan B is to find something that sounds like it and has simple, reliable, controls.
I may have to visit some stores but I wasn't sure if any Sam Ash or Guitar Center was letting people in to actually touch and try things at this time.