I actually injured my right hand at work and couldn’t hold a pick for a couple of months, now I do the same thing he does. I’ll use a pick from time to time, but more often I don’t bother with one.
Good observation but he said, "You don't need a stadium sized rig". NEED being the operative word here. He did not say anything about wanting one! My guitar philosophy is: Get what ever you want and can afford! Find your own tone, and do whatever makes you happy! Life is too short to let anyone dictate what you should be doing. Most musicians are fairly independent, which is a good thing. If everyone stuck to just doing whatever everyone else is doing, this would be a very dull world. Remember, the first recording exec that heard Led Zep's first demo, said they would go over like a Lead Zeppelin. He passed on their creativity because he personally did not like their music; it was too different from the majority of music being produced at the time. It's a good thing they went elsewhere to find a production and recording firm. I wonder if that first guy got fired, or just dreamed every night about the money he let go to another producer/label?
William Pierce I’ve had one for about 8 years now that I found at a flea market for $5. Best I can estimate is that it’s a 68-69 model. Tubes are still pristine and it sounds killer!
As much as it is solid state the jazz chorus jc-22 is such a work horse for a rig. The clean tone on this amp is so neutral it's a canvas for what effects you want to put into.
the entire jc series as far as a i know has "that" zingy clean roland jc thing. lost in the mix? i dont think so but also try running a big muff into it ... yep sounds awful . its kind of picky about what dirt pedals you run on it , my jc50 does not have a effects loop or power amp in jack but my jc120 does . they are wonderful solid state amps . not for everyone though .
@@peteytwofinger Yeah, my JC-22 doesn't mind drive pedals such as my Keeley Super Phat or my EQD Plumes at moderate settings, but doesn't like MXR octave fuzz much at all.
@@moufuzz2759 functionally the rectifier tubes are converting the high voltage AC from the power transformer into DC (direct current) that the preamp and power tubes will run on. You can also have a diode rectifier circuit that would eliminate the need for the tube
Small amps are the way to go. Great for practicing with headphones. If you need more volume you can always connect it to a 4x12 or mic it to a PA for live settings
My Marshall Class 5, which has been with me through thin and thinner, was purchased based on Andy's demo a decade ago and has never let me down. So if he says these are good buys, I'd trust him folks. Thanks again, Andy.
I've gigged with a Marshall Class 5 when I knew I was in a venue that was mic'ing the amps on stage. Sounded awesome! That said, I liked that Silvertone more than any of them in this demo, anyway. Stones tones and Black Crowes all day long.
I recently picked up a Monoprice 15w amp with 12" Celestion speaker and spring reverb. Really nice amp for a great price. Not trying to advert this, but just adding it to the list of good small amps.
The Blackstar Studio 10’s should have been included here. They are some of the best sounding small amps I’ve heard and I’ve played many great amps over the years. Studio 10 KT88, Studio 10 6L6, Studio 10 EL34.
The Orange Micro Terror/Micro Dark are also fantastic. The Micro Dark even has an effects loop. I wouldn't mind a Mini Dark that had more tone controls and built in reverb.
if you can ever find one (but you can on reverb) the mid 2000s roland micro cube amp sounds great imo. usually a great price too if you want a great modelling practice/travel amp
Another small amp worth considering is the Fender Champion 600 re-issue. Typically less than $200 on Reverb with 5 tube watts through a 6" speaker. I traded a Fender Blues Deluxe for one and with a Tube Screamer and a Boss digital reverb pedal I'm more than happy with the tonal possibilities.
It's a solid choice. Only real problem with it is the noise level. It's very noisy, but a solid little amp with good tone, and in my experience well built.
Try one with a celestion v 30: i've never been a great Bjr fan, but now it*s my main live amp. Nice tone, takes pedal great and it's light. I've been gigging for years with orange ad 30 with both 1x12 or 2x12 and a matchless clubman, but nowadays you can*t play with all that volume and those amps are also too heavy to carry on. I'm really happy with the blues Jr. My 2 cents
Vox AC4TV : unbelievable clean and wonderful, predictable breakup. Highly underrated amp, imho. Plus it's got built-in attenuation down to 1/4 watt, making it the perfect bedroom amp. Am I the only one who loves this little beast?
Joseph Pickard, Unlikely to be the same circuit since the Silvertone was almost certainly built by Danelectro and the Supro would have been built by Valco. The Silvertone has an aluminum chassis, doesn't it? That means it's a Dan-O....
That Sears Silvertone reminds me of a Maestro amp I got at a second-hand shop. Didn't pay much for it, and jammed as I could on it that night with Hybrid Slinky strung Harmony w/dual Humbucker pickups. I got a good "rough" sound out of it, but I guess my guitar must have been too-much for it... as the next day, with the first chord I hit, it went from roaring to just buzzing whatevr I played. I later sold it to a local music shop, along with my Gibson F-hole acoustic knock-off, to cover a traffic ticket... where the guy there told me he's gald to take the amp as "Just a conversational piece" because it was built in the old Gibson factory.
Mike Roadblock I have a 40 watt Pignose that I bought back around 2004. Three tube monster for its small size. I think it has a 10 inch speaker but not sure and it’s currently in a closet behind a lot of stuff so I didn’t verify that.
Great video. These small amps have become a huge trend and some of them sound pretty good. Personally, I still prefer the old Esteban G-10. Got it for 10 bucks, used. Never tried it with effects but as a blues amp, it sounds pretty amazing. If you're interested in hearing it, lmk. Again, killer video. ✌❤🎸
For me this is a great way to demonstrate. Too many demos are by guitarists who do too much widdly widdly "look how good I am" playing rather than what the amp/guitar sounds like. Nice video.
USA built Blues Juniors, which is the first series of those amps, sound better than any other Blues Jr. They have more sock and less cheap treble. I will have had mine 25 years in 2022 and it has never sounded better. If you can find one used, that is a great buy. People hold onto them, though, so be patient. I think that line of amps began in 1994. By the late ‘90s or early 2000s they were Mexico built. Still good amps but not as good as the USA built version. Just sayin’ …
Think about this campers....there are pics of the Reverend Willie G with four of those puppies displayed onstage. Don't know if he was using them, but those would make for some VERY expensive onstage props. As for small amps, I am a huge Hughes & Kettner fan. I have an Edition Tube 20th that gives 20W of OMFG tones.
I love my vibro champ XD. I have a Venus Rivera, a 69 deluxe reverb, and a few other amps but I play the XD around the house and for small gigs. Great little amp!
I had two Blues Juniors. Out of the box, it's very muddy, especially when cranked. I had to swap speakers and reconfigure the tone stacks to make them viable for rock and roll. If you want something small and tubey so you can crank stage volume at a small club, it'll cost you a hundred or two bucks to get there, and more if you don't know your way around a soldering iron and circuit board .... The Monoprice 15w 112 combo, which I also own, is a fantastic amp, at half the price of the Blues Junior, and it sounds awesome AF without any mods or upgrades. IMO it sounds light years better, too, especially for rock. Celestion 70-80 is an underrated cone -- I still have four in the Marshall cab I use for louder/larger situations.
S D Yes, exactly. Couldn’t agree more. Lots of amps here, but after buying the monoprice, I bought another one so that I could have one at home and one at the studio. I’m always surprised when they don’t make these kind of lists.
@@RPSartre01 tube Princeton is an awesome amp, especially the original, but it's also out of price range for a lot of folks, and is a different monster being a 110 (it is a 110, isn't it?). I feel like Fender actually had something magic with the Pro Junior, and I love my little Champ. The Blues Junior is a fine amp out of the box if you're 1. Buying your first tube amp and want to get a feel for how a tube amp works or 2. You're a tinkerer (like me) and have already budgeted the new tubes, cones, caps and resistors (and labor, your own or hired) it'll take to really make it shine ... I actually think that's the beauty of it, as it's a fairly straightforward amp to upgrade ... it's just not one I'd point a non-tinkerer to. I loved both of mine when they were 'finished,' but out of the box, I felt kinda meh, and like the folks at Fender could have quality-checked the schematic vs performance (it's a 412 tone stack for a single 12) and spent the extra buck on any of many much better speakers, given the high quality of aftermarket Eminence cones at the time (my one has a Texas Heat, fwiw, and the other an old Jensen p12). Out of the box, that cheapo Monoprice sounds like a Vox-y Laney, and also has an okay effects loop, if effects loops are your jam (not mine). I ordered it thinking I'd want to mess with its guts, but it doesn't seem necessary. I really wish someone online would review it as the loud, dirty rock amp it can be :)
S D Right. I have the AC-30, which I love, but I often end up plugging into the monoprice because I still feel like I’m in Voxville with it, but the volume is easier to manage. I watched a couple of YT vids on people doing speaker swaps and upgrading the tubes on the Monoprice and honestly I never felt like it improved things. I’m always flucking around with my gear, so if there was anything that would provide a serious upgrade to tone I’d do it, but I really can’t find anything. Some people complain about the spring reverb, but apparently mine came from the batch with decent tanks. On the Fender side, I really dig the Superchamp x2, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. I wanted the sound of an open back 12”, so I had new tweed cabs made for mine and I’m running one through a Vintage 30. Haven’t decided which speaker to put in the other. But I like the voicing options - many players don’t like the Superchamp x2 for that very reason. To each their own - I find them plenty Fender-y once you play them through a single 12.
I hate to say it but the Blues Jr. Sounded the best. I would only get the III or newer as the older ones have so many circuit board issues. The USA made ones being the worst. The heat usually causes the problems half way through the set, but never when you go to try one out😬. As the saying goes "how do you know if a fender hot rod amp is having problems? It's for sale."
Wow, first time ever that I actually have a couple that you like 👍🏼 (1) Blues Jr & (2) Silvertones - My original purchased 1969? Christmas gift amp that I quickly took the amp part and placed into a larger cabinet with a 12” speaker and my few years later purchased unit that I’ve left original - Just too cool 👍🏼 Thanks Andy.
Andy thanks for doing the Silvertone 1481. I have all of the Silvertone series amplifiers, including the 1482 12 Watt, 1483 26 watt, 1484 at 40 watts and the 1485 AKA the Jack White special.
Hi! I love the way you play, it's so beautiful to watch and these amps are amazing for the size. I'm just picking it back up since playing as a teen... I love the echoey effect you are using at 2.38, can you make this sound on most amps or is it just with certain types? Thanks!
Great video , I am looking for something compact that I can use in a small venue and sound good . Many places I play the backlines are all way over powered for the venue and cannot be turned up loud enough to hit that sweet spot on the amp without busting ear drums ! Great info and demos thank you really like the Lunch Box ! Amazing !
I've used two blues juniors over the years, they're really good but I always feel a little bland towards them. Whereas a pro junior with its 10" is a DREAM.
I didn’t enjoy the tone of the 600 but I built a tweed champ copy and I love it. I like the simplicity and you can get a nice clean tone (not great) and a great distorted sound.
Joseph Ballerini - I’d love to build something like that! It’s got to be fairly easy right? Anyway yes the little 600 gets a tad murky especially with humbuckers but I usually find a happy medium. I do also own a blues Jr. gigged with it for 6 years. It was a little too loud for practicing at home in an apartment.
My ZT Lunchbox puts out 100wRMS via internal speaker (half the size of the Victory 'with' a speaker inside) and another 100wRMS via external cabinet (handles ANY 8ohm cabinet) ... Total 200wRMS + cabinet... drowning out 100w heads... the small light amp is perfect for travel with a Vox Fx Starstream guitar, or any guitar + a modelling pedalboard (like my Line 6 POD 500X HD)... and it's actually the size of a kids lunchbox!
If you can still find one, Peavey Rage 158s will peel the wallpaper off your fucking walls if you put enough gain on it. I got a noise complaint in college for putting mine through its paces. Ended up leaving it at home over break and picking up a solid state Blackstar amp because I wouldn't have been able to help myself if I held onto it. It's been my go-to amp since I stated playing 3 years ago. Such a shame Peavey went out of business.
I agree especially since when you throw a head in this lineup the cab used with it makes all the difference whereas all the combos will be demoed with their stock speaker. Various cabs will make that head sound worlds different.
I want/need a small (low-wattage) amp that is CLEAN, and has a spring tank Reverb, (although I could use effects boxes),.... portability, and versatility are great! What amp would work great with a "Baritone" guitar?!....
Another great video from Reverb. I play a vintage combo organ in a large power pop band and am looking for a reasonably portable 2x12 that gets loud and stays fairly clean while giving me a wide frequency response. Any recommendations?
Andy, you have to chuck the Supro Blues King on this list. I got it for the RIDICULOUSLY low Black Friday price for $299 and...damn. This thing goes from crystal clean to a really fat and singing overdrive thanks to a Pigtronix fet circuit. It can get hairy on its own just by cranking it and not using the "drive" circuit, but for nice bedroom level grit and grime, this is a steal (if you can still snag 'em). Even at the $599 list I'd be a happy camper.
I’m a hardcore Fender shill but I had to return a tweed NOS Blues Junior. I really wanted to love it; it’s 100% there on paper - classic spring reverb, clean tone, master volume and ability to dial in some grit, 12” speaker, etc - but I really think they need to upsize the cabinet slightly. The speaker can barely breathe and that great tone just sounds very muffled and squashed to me. I get that they want to keep it small and portable but I think they’re sacrificing more than they need to. There’s some room to scale it up and retain an ideal size/weight ratio. The AC15 is definitely on the “too large” end of the spectrum, but it doesn’t have the same problem that the Blues Junior has.
Jon Goldberg hey there. As someone who has a BJR I know what you’re talking about. Took me a while to dial in this amp. I keep the master volume cranked to 12 and the gain at 6/7. Then i use an attenuator to play it at all volumes. Truly it’s pumping out better sounds than my friend’s deluxe reverb reissue. I will say the BJR reverb sucks but everything else is great. I have the tweed with the Jensen speaker.
ronsta Very interesting approach. I was going about it in the traditional way of setting the preamp volume and then riding the master, but I just saw another video in which the guy emphatically recommended keeping the master at 12 to open up the circuit and using pedals for any gain/crunch/grit/overdrive. I have a DRRI myself as well as Princeton and you got me really curious about attenuators now - what model are you using?
Jon Goldberg glad I could help. Yes the BJR has to be cranked to deliver quality tones. I use a Weber minimass attenuator and highly recommend it. Let me know if I can answer anything else.
Interesting and slightly odd format of choosing a variety of formats. Blues Junior, Marshall and the lovely Sears amp were my favourites. Explains why I still own my first amp, which happens to be valve driven. A nice Wem Clubman. 5 to 6 watts of loveliness 😊😊😊
logan epling I’ve got several of their 90s combos that are pcb versions of those glorious 70s marvels. I NEED one of those old heads for my marshall cab!
Nice this was kicked off with the Blues Jr. I had a second run style, mim, Day after Thanksgiving Day sale, '06, $400 out of a box, out the door. Only complaint was the volume controls were too sensitive for home bedroom use. man, fave thing for me was running this and Vox PathFinder 15r in the opposite corner of the room in stereo (Behringer UC100) fed with a Bad Monkey and a CryBaby. Sounded great together.
Hi All, I d buy the Lunchbox Reverb. I have a Katana 50, but never use its inside effect, bc I prefer my own pedals or my HX stomp. Would I suffer from worse tones? Tks!
Love that tele with the white binding. It almost looks like the new texas t finish when the light hits it. If love to build one just like it but with a glossy black finish and white binding with a bigsby. That would be my dream tele. I like black white and grey. It's might sound boring but I think of if as contemporary lol.
I used to gig with a Blues Jr. Paired with a drop-tuned SG and a Metal Muff it sounded heavier than my aunt at an all-you-can-eat buffet
Damn that is heavy
@@Docandballtorture7756 That woman is so fat, she used to think Dashboard Confessional was slang for storing Ho-Ho's in her glove compartment
@@andredegiant3876 holy fucking shit that's funny LOL!!!
good one
Fat bottom girls!!! Fat bottom amps!!! Winner winner chicken dinner, so long you get there before your aunt =)
I still haven't gotten used to "Hi its Andy from reverb" in my head it always goes "hi im andy from pro guitar shop demos"
Those were fine days to be shopping for guitar gear online while sitting at home in your underwear.
Same.
agreed ,after 2000 demos why not 😎
Underwear..?
I always forget this is the guy with the invisible pick.
Picks are for charlatans.
I actually injured my right hand at work and couldn’t hold a pick for a couple of months, now I do the same thing he does. I’ll use a pick from time to time, but more often I don’t bother with one.
@@corneliuscrewe8165 picks just ended up growing old on me, and I find myself not reaching for them much anymore
Oh wow I thought there was something wrong with me for not using a pick, thanks guys
Andy: “You dont need a stadium sized rig”
Also Andy: *has a stadium sized rig behind him
Good observation but he said, "You don't need a stadium sized rig". NEED being the operative word here. He did not say anything about wanting one!
My guitar philosophy is: Get what ever you want and can afford! Find your own tone, and do whatever makes you happy! Life is too short to let anyone dictate what you should be doing. Most musicians are fairly independent, which is a good thing. If everyone stuck to just doing whatever everyone else is doing, this would be a very dull world. Remember, the first recording exec that heard Led Zep's first demo, said they would go over like a Lead Zeppelin. He passed on their creativity because he personally did not like their music; it was too different from the majority of music being produced at the time. It's a good thing they went elsewhere to find a production and recording firm. I wonder if that first guy got fired, or just dreamed every night about the money he let go to another producer/label?
Please make a video on your right hand strumming and picking technique. I absolutely adore it. It’s incredible.
Vinayak Shingornikar I did, thank you! You can find it on my personal channel.
@@AndyDemos you are awesome! Thank You!
Get this guy on cracking the code!
Plz???
Is jus fingers style.
Love that Andy is here. The man deserves to have a spotlight gig like this. Rock on man. Great pick Reverb!!
You could write an entire ‘Stones record with just that Silvertone 😯
William Pierce I’ve had one for about 8 years now that I found at a flea market for $5. Best I can estimate is that it’s a 68-69 model. Tubes are still pristine and it sounds killer!
1ST thing I thought:KEEF!
@@benjaminfinley9314 - STOP IT! - Yer KILLIN' me...
They probably did 😆
I will defend Andy’s honor if necessary.
Kevin Moore Right behind you, Kevin. This guy is a total badass.
As much as it is solid state the jazz chorus jc-22 is such a work horse for a rig. The clean tone on this amp is so neutral it's a canvas for what effects you want to put into.
the entire jc series as far as a i know has "that" zingy clean roland jc thing. lost in the mix? i dont think so but also try running a big muff into it ... yep sounds awful . its kind of picky about what dirt pedals you run on it , my jc50 does not have a effects loop or power amp in jack but my jc120 does . they are wonderful solid state amps . not for everyone though .
@@peteytwofinger Yeah, my JC-22 doesn't mind drive pedals such as my Keeley Super Phat or my EQD Plumes at moderate settings, but doesn't like MXR octave fuzz much at all.
My 150 watt Triple Rectifier is my favorite small amp.
Lol
Can anyone tell me what a rectifier is?
everyday MTB Bend over.
@@AlexSosaBolivia sorry I don't get the joke
@@moufuzz2759 functionally the rectifier tubes are converting the high voltage AC from the power transformer into DC (direct current) that the preamp and power tubes will run on. You can also have a diode rectifier circuit that would eliminate the need for the tube
Make no mistake kids. Those amps are still way too loud for bedroom use...
HAHAHAHA That's a good one. And so true.
Really? I use a blues deluxe at home..
@@Pr4ctice nice. I would recommend a compressor on lower volumes though. It is a tremendous upgrade to sound and feel. Cheers👍
My "bedroom amp" is my gig amp, a '70 Super Reverb. Ain’t nobody complaining!
Lol what? I have both a Blues jr and a Twin Reverb, i can even use my twin in my room, just turn waaay the fuck down, fine for pratice.
Small amps are the way to go. Great for practicing with headphones. If you need more volume you can always connect it to a 4x12 or mic it to a PA for live settings
That Telecaster is IMO is a beautiful looking Instrument.
Is that the Texas Tea edition? Saw one on Trogly's, beautiful guitar.
@@texanfournow Ha, yeah, I saw the same video. I believe it is. I'm big into sunburst but that Texas Tea is gorgeous.
Is in my opinion is
@@RylzMunkister,Me 2?
@@texanfournow,You should Know!!
My Marshall Class 5, which has been with me through thin and thinner, was purchased based on Andy's demo a decade ago and has never let me down. So if he says these are good buys, I'd trust him folks. Thanks again, Andy.
Just got one myself on reverb . Amazing amp . So loud and raunchy
I've gigged with a Marshall Class 5 when I knew I was in a venue that was mic'ing the amps on stage. Sounded awesome! That said, I liked that Silvertone more than any of them in this demo, anyway. Stones tones and Black Crowes all day long.
I recently picked up a Monoprice 15w amp with 12" Celestion speaker and spring reverb. Really nice amp for a great price. Not trying to advert this, but just adding it to the list of good small amps.
AZWings I have the same exact one
I have one and I love it. It takes pedals so well. I wonder how it would sound with a higher end Celestion Speaker.
I’ve had mine for 2 years now and it’s such a great amp
Andy I love your demo's. You some how always seem to get the right licks for demoing specific amps/pedal.
I’d be interested in seeing a video on the line between small amps that sound great and bedroom/practice amps, like the Yamaha THR series.
The Blackstar Studio 10’s should have been included here. They are some of the best sounding small amps I’ve heard and I’ve played many great amps over the years. Studio 10 KT88, Studio 10 6L6, Studio 10 EL34.
The Orange Micro Terror/Micro Dark are also fantastic. The Micro Dark even has an effects loop. I wouldn't mind a Mini Dark that had more tone controls and built in reverb.
My fav. small amp-----my Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket 1x10 combo. Mike it up, and use it anywhere.
if you can ever find one (but you can on reverb) the mid 2000s roland micro cube amp sounds great imo. usually a great price too if you want a great modelling practice/travel amp
Yep! Still have mine & love it. Works great for our scaled down band rehearsals and vocal practices.
Played one at Guitar Center a while back and was pleasantly surprised.
I swear by an AC15C1 for playing live. They’re way more than loud enough and sound really sweet
Now my secrets out lmao, someone finally mentioned the 1481. Good thing i have two mint with original tubes. Bet they jump in price now!
Another small amp worth considering is the Fender Champion 600 re-issue. Typically less than $200 on Reverb with 5 tube watts through a 6" speaker. I traded a Fender Blues Deluxe for one and with a Tube Screamer and a Boss digital reverb pedal I'm more than happy with the tonal possibilities.
Or joyo/fame jta5, 57 clone, i ve put Jensen alnico in It, changed tubes and added cathode bypass capaciator. It's cool
The Fender Bassbreaker seems like it could have been on here. I get they were going for a wide range of manufactures and sounds but....
It's a solid choice. Only real problem with it is the noise level. It's very noisy, but a solid little amp with good tone, and in my experience well built.
I’m not a fan of the bassbreakers. I actually think these are all better choices
sure there are other choices, these were six Andy liked and showed a good range.
@@edadpops1709 I agree . I just wanted to toss out what seems like an underrated one
I considered getting one before I went with an orange but I think they are great. Some people don’t seem to like them for whatever reason
Woah, love that ZVex Nano head, and a black Tele with binding looks super epic!
Even though I'm a British amp guy, it's hard to beat the Blues Jr in terms of bang for your buck.
I like the British sound too, but that guy made that Blues Jr. sound awesome.
Try one with a celestion v 30: i've never been a great Bjr fan, but now it*s my main live amp. Nice tone, takes pedal great and it's light. I've been gigging for years with orange ad 30 with both 1x12 or 2x12 and a matchless clubman, but nowadays you can*t play with all that volume and those amps are also too heavy to carry on. I'm really happy with the blues Jr. My 2 cents
I love my ZT lunchbox, not the Junior, the 200W. Same size and is a beast. With an extension cab is really amazing.
ZT Reverb?
Vox AC4TV : unbelievable clean and wonderful, predictable breakup. Highly underrated amp, imho. Plus it's got built-in attenuation down to 1/4 watt, making it the perfect bedroom amp. Am I the only one who loves this little beast?
I wonder if the Sears Silvertone 5w is the same circuit as the Supro 1605R. An absolute diamond.
I have the 1482. Great amp!
Not sure why it would be?
Joseph Pickard, Unlikely to be the same circuit since the Silvertone was almost certainly built by Danelectro and the Supro would have been built by Valco. The Silvertone has an aluminum chassis, doesn't it? That means it's a Dan-O....
That Sears Silvertone reminds me of a Maestro amp I got at a second-hand shop. Didn't pay much for it, and jammed as I could on it that night with Hybrid Slinky strung Harmony w/dual Humbucker pickups. I got a good "rough" sound out of it, but I guess my guitar must have been too-much for it... as the next day, with the first chord I hit, it went from roaring to just buzzing whatevr I played. I later sold it to a local music shop, along with my Gibson F-hole acoustic knock-off, to cover a traffic ticket... where the guy there told me he's gald to take the amp as "Just a conversational piece" because it was built in the old Gibson factory.
I love my pignose amp for little amp sounds. It rules!
Mike Roadblock
I have a 40 watt Pignose that I bought back around 2004. Three tube monster for its small size. I think it has a 10 inch speaker but not sure and it’s currently in a closet behind a lot of stuff so I didn’t verify that.
Damn, the Zvex sounded amazing with that Tele.
It SHOULD for that price!
Informative video, thank you. I liked the Lunchbox and the Plexi most.
First time I'm seeing Andy play on a PRS! Liked it!
Great video. These small amps have become a huge trend and some of them sound pretty good. Personally, I still prefer the old Esteban G-10. Got it for 10 bucks, used. Never tried it with effects but as a blues amp, it sounds pretty amazing. If you're interested in hearing it, lmk. Again, killer video.
✌❤🎸
The Marshall may be a sexy option, I am happy with the Class 5, I would be in heaven with this one.
For me this is a great way to demonstrate. Too many demos are by guitarists who do too much widdly widdly "look how good I am" playing rather than what the amp/guitar sounds like. Nice video.
Potent Pairings is the best section in the channel, please come back!!!
I have an older Blues Jr. and it does indeed sound pretty great and has a surprising amount of power/headroom.
USA built Blues Juniors, which is the first series of those amps, sound better than any other Blues Jr. They have more
sock and less cheap treble. I will have had mine 25 years in 2022 and it has never sounded better. If you can find one
used, that is a great buy. People hold onto them, though, so be patient. I think that line of amps began in 1994. By the
late ‘90s or early 2000s they were Mexico built. Still good amps but not as good as the USA built version. Just sayin’ …
I've always loved the Fender Champ tweed 5F1.
Jubilee mini Marshall combo is a nice choice
Thank you, Very much, Andy!! You are a fantastic player!!! Where can I find more about more of your music?!....
That Blackstar is $429US...for a solid state, 20 watt 1x10 combo. Just let that sink in.
Can’t believe the price of that Zvex head, $519 ain’t cheap
It really isn't, but I think it sounds good.
sprintingforsigns good stuff isn’t cheap and cheap stuff isn’t good. The ZVex is handmade in the USA
Daniel Cortez totally agree, that’s why I looked up the price.
Johnny Atomic I’m a fan of that saying also, but add on shipping and import duty I’m getting close to $700.
Think about this campers....there are pics of the Reverend Willie G with four of those puppies displayed onstage. Don't know if he was using them, but those would make for some VERY expensive onstage props. As for small amps, I am a huge Hughes & Kettner fan. I have an Edition Tube 20th that gives 20W of OMFG tones.
I love my vibro champ XD. I have a Venus Rivera, a 69 deluxe reverb, and a few other amps but I play the XD around the house and for small gigs. Great little amp!
that description tho
"no Picks"
I had two Blues Juniors. Out of the box, it's very muddy, especially when cranked. I had to swap speakers and reconfigure the tone stacks to make them viable for rock and roll. If you want something small and tubey so you can crank stage volume at a small club, it'll cost you a hundred or two bucks to get there, and more if you don't know your way around a soldering iron and circuit board ....
The Monoprice 15w 112 combo, which I also own, is a fantastic amp, at half the price of the Blues Junior, and it sounds awesome AF without any mods or upgrades. IMO it sounds light years better, too, especially for rock. Celestion 70-80 is an underrated cone -- I still have four in the Marshall cab I use for louder/larger situations.
S D Yes, exactly. Couldn’t agree more. Lots of amps here, but after buying the monoprice, I bought another one so that I could have one at home and one at the studio. I’m always surprised when they don’t make these kind of lists.
Agree about the blues junior - a 65 Princeton is a much better choice.
@@RPSartre01 tube Princeton is an awesome amp, especially the original, but it's also out of price range for a lot of folks, and is a different monster being a 110 (it is a 110, isn't it?). I feel like Fender actually had something magic with the Pro Junior, and I love my little Champ. The Blues Junior is a fine amp out of the box if you're 1. Buying your first tube amp and want to get a feel for how a tube amp works or 2. You're a tinkerer (like me) and have already budgeted the new tubes, cones, caps and resistors (and labor, your own or hired) it'll take to really make it shine ... I actually think that's the beauty of it, as it's a fairly straightforward amp to upgrade ... it's just not one I'd point a non-tinkerer to. I loved both of mine when they were 'finished,' but out of the box, I felt kinda meh, and like the folks at Fender could have quality-checked the schematic vs performance (it's a 412 tone stack for a single 12) and spent the extra buck on any of many much better speakers, given the high quality of aftermarket Eminence cones at the time (my one has a Texas Heat, fwiw, and the other an old Jensen p12).
Out of the box, that cheapo Monoprice sounds like a Vox-y Laney, and also has an okay effects loop, if effects loops are your jam (not mine). I ordered it thinking I'd want to mess with its guts, but it doesn't seem necessary. I really wish someone online would review it as the loud, dirty rock amp it can be :)
S D I have a tweed BJR and have to say I don’t have the same issue. Great cleans, wonderful dirt. Always keep that master volume cranked to 12.
S D Right. I have the AC-30, which I love, but I often end up plugging into the monoprice because I still feel like I’m in Voxville with it, but the volume is easier to manage. I watched a couple of YT vids on people doing speaker swaps and upgrading the tubes on the Monoprice and honestly I never felt like it improved things. I’m always flucking around with my gear, so if there was anything that would provide a serious upgrade to tone I’d do it, but I really can’t find anything. Some people complain about the spring reverb, but apparently mine came from the batch with decent tanks. On the Fender side, I really dig the Superchamp x2, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. I wanted the sound of an open back 12”, so I had new tweed cabs made for mine and I’m running one through a Vintage 30. Haven’t decided which speaker to put in the other. But I like the voicing options - many players don’t like the Superchamp x2 for that very reason. To each their own - I find them plenty Fender-y once you play them through a single 12.
I hate to say it but the Blues Jr. Sounded the best. I would only get the III or newer as the older ones have so many circuit board issues. The USA made ones being the worst. The heat usually causes the problems half way through the set, but never when you go to try one out😬. As the saying goes "how do you know if a fender hot rod amp is having problems? It's for sale."
The Marshall amp sounded the best honestly. It paired nicely with the humbuckers.
Yea and.. it doesnt even have overdrive/distortion 😢
The (recently discontinued) Suhr Corso is also an excellent choice...
Fender Pro Jnr! I sold all my other amps after buying one. Played big gigs & festivals and it hardly needs to go over half way on the volume.
Loved the pretenders tribute! Nice one Andy.
Wow, first time ever that I actually have a couple that you like 👍🏼 (1) Blues Jr & (2) Silvertones - My original purchased 1969? Christmas gift amp that I quickly took the amp part and placed into a larger cabinet with a 12” speaker and my few years later purchased unit that I’ve left original - Just too cool 👍🏼 Thanks Andy.
That little Marshall surprised me. Going to look into that lineup more.
Wow! These are great options.
(Proceeds to roll ds-100 into bedroom)
the silver tone and the Fender had great vib.
Love the stacks behind you.
But we all know Andy went home with the Hiwatt behind him...
Andy thanks for doing the Silvertone 1481. I have all of the Silvertone series amplifiers, including the 1482 12 Watt, 1483 26 watt, 1484 at 40 watts and the 1485 AKA the Jack White special.
Hi! I love the way you play, it's so beautiful to watch and these amps are amazing for the size. I'm just picking it back up since playing as a teen... I love the echoey effect you are using at 2.38, can you make this sound on most amps or is it just with certain types? Thanks!
That’s a reverb pedal, it’s not an effect from the amp.
Great video , I am looking for something compact that I can use in a small venue and sound good . Many places I play the backlines are all way over powered for the venue and cannot be turned up loud enough to hit that sweet spot on the amp without busting ear drums ! Great info and demos thank you really like the Lunch Box ! Amazing !
I've used two blues juniors over the years, they're really good but I always feel a little bland towards them. Whereas a pro junior with its 10" is a DREAM.
Re-tubed my Pro Jr. with matched sets from Eurotubes chosen for more headroom and boy howdy, did it get even dreamier.
The Randall Diavlo 5C is a great little amp, and you can score them cheap if you are patient.
I have a 5w Fender Champion 600. No mods just a volume nob. One of the best amps I’ve ever owned. Crank it and go.
I didn’t enjoy the tone of the 600 but I built a tweed champ copy and I love it. I like the simplicity and you can get a nice clean tone (not great) and a great distorted sound.
Joseph Ballerini - I’d love to build something like that! It’s got to be fairly easy right? Anyway yes the little 600 gets a tad murky especially with humbuckers but I usually find a happy medium. I do also own a blues Jr. gigged with it for 6 years. It was a little too loud for practicing at home in an apartment.
Jerry Илић yes, fairly easy to build but important to be very safe in building as you are working with high voltage capacitors.
ZVex amp is impressive. Best demo of it on youtube. But best sounding here for me its Silvertone
Andy:Here’s some great small amps…
Me:looking at my fender super six in the corner…
Love the ZT reverb. :-)
My ZT Lunchbox puts out 100wRMS via internal speaker (half the size of the Victory 'with' a speaker inside) and another 100wRMS via external cabinet (handles ANY 8ohm cabinet) ... Total 200wRMS + cabinet... drowning out 100w heads... the small light amp is perfect for travel with a Vox Fx Starstream guitar, or any guitar + a modelling pedalboard (like my Line 6 POD 500X HD)... and it's actually the size of a kids lunchbox!
Marshall JTM1C for me.
1 watt of pure 60's tone!
The Marshall Studio Plexi is the amp of my dreams! I just need to build a studio now!
If you can still find one, Peavey Rage 158s will peel the wallpaper off your fucking walls if you put enough gain on it. I got a noise complaint in college for putting mine through its paces. Ended up leaving it at home over break and picking up a solid state Blackstar amp because I wouldn't have been able to help myself if I held onto it. It's been my go-to amp since I stated playing 3 years ago. Such a shame Peavey went out of business.
I'm surprised he didn't mention the Fender Pro Jr. That is a little tone machine.
That telecaster sounded awesome!
He smiled with the Marshall. Definitely the np best one
The Zvex doesn’t really fit in here. It’s not a standalone amp. Tiny heads that sound great should be a whole other video.
I agree especially since when you throw a head in this lineup the cab used with it makes all the difference whereas all the combos will be demoed with their stock speaker. Various cabs will make that head sound worlds different.
there are so many good lunchbox styled heads though, that thing is even smaller but if I were going to get any, it'd be the or15
I owned the Sears 1481 back in the '60s. Gigged with it a lot. Was not a bad amp. Ugly as sin but interesting tone.
Orange amps are a good amp too .. especially for the price .. great post
I want/need a small (low-wattage) amp that is CLEAN, and has a spring tank Reverb, (although I could use effects boxes),.... portability, and versatility are great!
What amp would work great with a "Baritone" guitar?!....
Another great video from Reverb. I play a vintage combo organ in a large power pop band and am looking for a reasonably portable 2x12 that gets loud and stays fairly clean while giving me a wide frequency response. Any recommendations?
Fender champion 100
Roland JC-120
I have a fender super champ x2 with a separate 12 inch speaker cabinet. All tubes, great price, fantastic tones.
Channel 2 is not all tube though
Although if you put the volume on 3 or 4 for recording the cleans are great on a 1481.
I see Andy got an American Ultra Strat for Christmas. Edit: and a tele
Bryce T and I believe that’s the new Texas Tea aka Oil color Ultra Tele. Awesome color. I think I like the blue better
THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED
Andy, you have to chuck the Supro Blues King on this list. I got it for the RIDICULOUSLY low Black Friday price for $299 and...damn. This thing goes from crystal clean to a really fat and singing overdrive thanks to a Pigtronix fet circuit. It can get hairy on its own just by cranking it and not using the "drive" circuit, but for nice bedroom level grit and grime, this is a steal (if you can still snag 'em). Even at the $599 list I'd be a happy camper.
I’m a hardcore Fender shill but I had to return a tweed NOS Blues Junior. I really wanted to love it; it’s 100% there on paper - classic spring reverb, clean tone, master volume and ability to dial in some grit, 12” speaker, etc - but I really think they need to upsize the cabinet slightly. The speaker can barely breathe and that great tone just sounds very muffled and squashed to me. I get that they want to keep it small and portable but I think they’re sacrificing more than they need to. There’s some room to scale it up and retain an ideal size/weight ratio.
The AC15 is definitely on the “too large” end of the spectrum, but it doesn’t have the same problem that the Blues Junior has.
Jon Goldberg hey there. As someone who has a BJR I know what you’re talking about. Took me a while to dial in this amp. I keep the master volume cranked to 12 and the gain at 6/7. Then i use an attenuator to play it at all volumes. Truly it’s pumping out better sounds than my friend’s deluxe reverb reissue. I will say the BJR reverb sucks but everything else is great. I have the tweed with the Jensen speaker.
ronsta Very interesting approach. I was going about it in the traditional way of setting the preamp volume and then riding the master, but I just saw another video in which the guy emphatically recommended keeping the master at 12 to open up the circuit and using pedals for any gain/crunch/grit/overdrive.
I have a DRRI myself as well as Princeton and you got me really curious about attenuators now - what model are you using?
Jon Goldberg glad I could help. Yes the BJR has to be cranked to deliver quality tones. I use a Weber minimass attenuator and highly recommend it. Let me know if I can answer anything else.
IMHO the Vox MV50 has ended the small amp debate... perfect (tube) tone in a perfect package
Interesting and slightly odd format of choosing a variety of formats.
Blues Junior, Marshall and the lovely Sears amp were my favourites.
Explains why I still own my first amp, which happens to be valve driven. A nice Wem Clubman. 5 to 6 watts of loveliness 😊😊😊
I love that Sears Silverstone. It sounds like something you would hear on a Wilco record 👍
I just got into Wilco. They are really great.
Kustom amps are harshly underrated. Very cheap and very good.
And they look good. Subtle, but classy.. I have one of their black and silver KG100HFX heads paired with my Marshall 4x12 and it's great.
logan epling I’ve got several of their 90s combos that are pcb versions of those glorious 70s marvels. I NEED one of those old heads for my marshall cab!
Andy, is that beautiful telecaster for sale? Which year and model?
Nice this was kicked off with the Blues Jr. I had a second run style, mim, Day after Thanksgiving Day sale, '06, $400 out of a box, out the door. Only complaint was the volume controls were too sensitive for home bedroom use. man, fave thing for me was running this and Vox PathFinder 15r in the opposite corner of the room in stereo (Behringer UC100) fed with a Bad Monkey and a CryBaby. Sounded great together.
I like the Silvertone - imagine how it would sound with one 12"?
Those 10" celestion sound great.
Another good small tube amp is the Ibanez TSA15/TSA30. These aren’t popular because the brand is Ibanez but it really kicks the blues juniors ass.
Hi All, I d buy the Lunchbox Reverb. I have a Katana 50, but never use its inside effect, bc I prefer my own pedals or my HX stomp. Would I suffer from worse tones? Tks!
A pretty good review. Would have preferred if you used the same guitar throughout the reviews.
I.love my.little black star it goes with me everywhere I go
Love that tele with the white binding. It almost looks like the new texas t finish when the light hits it. If love to build one just like it but with a glossy black finish and white binding with a bigsby. That would be my dream tele. I like black white and grey. It's might sound boring but I think of if as contemporary lol.
That Blues Jr. sounded great with the humbucker. I used to have one. Sold it.